Tag Archives: afternoon tea

Of Ghosts and Ghouls and Clotted Cream

I was hardly dressed for afternoon tea in a smart country house hotel. We had been on the road since 10am and I had dressed for comfort, not style, en route to the Midlands, to deliver our younger son to … Continue reading

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Tea & Tranquility

“When tea becomes ritual, it takes its place at the heart of our ability to see greatness in small things.”   ~  Muriel Barbery, The Elegance of the Hedgehog. It is almost Christmas and the streets and shopping malls of Makati … Continue reading

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The Retro Vibe

As I wander through the streets of my hometown, I am constantly amazed at the ever expanding Adelaide cafe culture. Chains, franchises and independent coffee shops abound. It seems everyone is drinking coffee these days, and I have certainly been … Continue reading

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Of Country Clubs and Cucumber Sandwiches

Hanbury Manor, Hertfordshire, once the home of English landed gentry, then a boarding school, it has entered the 21st century as a Marriott hotel and country club. Only a few miles north of Hertford, Hanbury Manor is a magnificent chapter … Continue reading

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Afternoon Tea on the Quay

Anyone for scones? Yes, I do realize it is starting to look as my life is nothing but clotted cream and champagne, but there you are, that’s just the way it goes… for some! This tea was for a very … Continue reading

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Farewell Tea

The bane of expat life is the constant ebb and flow of friends. Every year, about this time, I start deleting names from my cellphone, as a clutch of my old mates disperse to new postings, and the talk revolves … Continue reading

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A Not-So Gracious Tea

“Its orient tinge, like spring-time morn, Or baby-buttercups newly-born; Its balmy perfume, delicate pulp, One longs to swallow it all at a gulp, Sure man had ne’er such gifts or theme As your melt-in-mouthy Devonshire cream.” An eulogy on a … Continue reading

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An Oriental Afternoon Tea

I know you have been to afternoon tea with me many times before, but not in Hong Kong. Yet. As a former British colony, one would expect a more polished job here than most other cities outside the UK, and … Continue reading

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Kuala Lumpur Revisited

I have not been to Kuala Lumpur in years – since 1998 to be precise – and my goodness it has changed! Development has obviously been fast tracked since we left and I found myself feeling quite bemused by the … Continue reading

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Tea with Tiaras

Last week I had afternoon tea  with nine princesses from Sydney. These gorgeous, sixty-something ladies travel with tiaras, so I thought the Makati Shangri-La was a fitting place to welcome them to Manila. Needless to say they arrived at the … Continue reading

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