love those cupcakes

Grand tea party update

(Illustration of the Mad Tea Party by John Tenniel)

 

Cakes, sandwiches, scones and biscuits were sold and eaten.

Tea was poured and sipped.

The weight of the beautifully iced fruit cake was estimated.

Raffle tickets were bought.

The soft toy Meerkat's (yes, from that TV advert) name was guessed.

£2150 was raised.

 

Between the four of us here, we scooped two bottles of wine, a bottle of champagne and a candle set in the raffle.

Oh yes, and the Gorgeous Girlie won the Meerkat.  His name?  Marmaduke.

 

More tea and a macaron, Vicar?

You can't beat a proper afternoon tea.  Especially on a Sunday.  I enjoyed the one I had with the Gorgeous Girlie at the Landmark recently  so much that I decided to try and re-create it, including the champagne, at home.   So, out came the flowery cups and saucers, the teapot, the cake stands, the tablecloth, the napkins. 

 

On the menu: a selection of finger sandwiches, teeny cupcakes, little scones with strawberry jam and clotted cream, cheese scones, a raspberry pavlova and.....

 

... macarons!  This was a first attempt, using a recipe from some magazine or other, at recreating those little Laduree delicacies.  They were vanilla, sandwiched with raspberry buttercream.  Not perfect but melt-in-the-mouth delicious and which the Boy tactfully said he preferred to the Laduree ones.

 

We three were joined by Aunty M and my 93 year old father in law.  Unfortunately, the Girlie's plan to come home for the weekend was scuppered when she went down with the dreaded lurgy, aka Swine Flu. 

 

And the occasion?   My (almost) birthday which I've not been looking forward to particularly.  Yes, it's very nice to be showered with cards and gifts (I'm assuming I will be)  but it's hard to face up to The Number which is now so high it's giving me a nosebleed! 

Let's just say that if I was a cat, I'd be a hundred and eleventy twelve.

 

No boys allowed

On Saturday, the Gorgeous Girlie and I had a girls' day out in London.  We didn't intend it to be a big shopping event or plan to visit any of the big tourist attractions; the idea was to mooch around a couple of areas and spend some time together.

The day started at Darlington station to catch the 8 a.m. train to Kings Cross.

 

 

Just under three hours later, with the stack of magazines all read,  we arrived  in The Smoke and headed for Carnaby Street, although there was a slight detour en route.

 

 

 

Of course we had to stop and admire this blast from the past.

 

 

 

Cupcakes were spotted

 

 

 

and lunch was eaten alfresco.

 

 

 

We braved a very busy Oxford Street en route to Marylebone High Street.

 

 

 

But the highlight of the day had to be afternoon tea in the Winter Garden at the Landmark Hotel.  We started with some very welcome champagne

 

 

 

before launching into this (and another plate of sandwiches).

 

 

 

How about a closer look at those little cakes and pastries?

 

 

 

They were exquisite.

 

 

 

And of course there were scones with jam and clotted cream, and little teacakes.

 

 

 

We were also in the presence of the rich and famous as Brian May and his wife, Anita Dobson, were a couple of tables away from us, enjoying the same delicacies with what appeared to be their family.

So, all in all, it was a great day out.  And there was a little bit of shopping after all.

 

 

 

We plan to do this again soon but, when we do, I must remember to wear appropriate shoes to avoid another huge blister like the one I'm currently sporting on one foot.   Ah, the price of vanity.