The Wilson Women

As part of my continuing 30 before 30 I arranged a day with my Mum and Sister in law (Little W) to do something that they wanted to do. At Easter we brained stormed options and settled on afternoon tea. As you will be aware this year has been a little cream tea heavy what with the Tetley, Chesterfield and Gomshall Mills, so I suggested that we picked to go to a stately home where we could wander arround the grounds as well. 

As we all live in different places Mama Wilson travelled up from London staying with Al and Little W the night before. They then drove over to Leeds collecting me en route to Castle Howard. 

Castle Howard is one of those stately homes that people inevitably recognise as it has featured as the setting for various films and TV programmes ahem Brideshead revisited. 

On arrival we met the resident peacocks (who after many attempts finally posed for us) 

We had hoped to wander the grounds and soak up the grandure but instead it rained in only the way that England can. 

We retreated to the indoors and took refuge in the opulent great rooms. 

Surrounding ourselves with the Stoney faced inhabitants (sorry I can hear your groan!)

Before coming across the breathtaking entrance made infamous by Brideshead Revisted. 

From which we preambulated through the exhibits of the fire and subsequent restoration. 

Stumbled across the kids mad hatter tea party

Flitting through the gallery

And the amazing arts and crafts chapel 

At which point we headed for warming soap and heavily laden scones. 

Before attempting the rain soaked grounds

As a side note recently the TeenageCancer Trust have been in the national news but before they were Little Mrs W was one of their last year when she was diagnosed with non Hodgkin's lymphoma aged 23.

It is easy to be impressed with the efforts of an individual but it is also easy to forget the human face of those who benefit from their efforts. Hopefully Stephen's legacy will mean that the Teenage Cancer Trust can continue to support and provide respite to other young adults such as my sister in law, who is now fortunately in remission. 

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Gomshall Mill

Surrey is littered with twee little villages that look like they were part of the film set of the Holiday. Over the years my mother has taken us on various tours of the Surrey/Kent area finding nooks and crannies to take us to.

One of her favourite locations is Gomshall Mill which is where my brother Chris, my Mum, my grandfather and I went to on the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday. Yes those are old stocks outside. 

The pub comes with the soundtrack of running water as the converted mill dating back to Medival times is still operational with the River Tillingbourne continuing to run underneath.

The weather was beautiful but there was a bite in the air so we sat inside by the bar which has all of the paraphernalia you expect from and old world pub in deepest darkest Surrey. 

Chris was all too happy to have his photo taken. 

Mum was much happier. 

We ordered cream teas, which came in a respectable tea pot and cups with mini shortbreads. The shortbreads melted into a crumbly goodness in your mouth. 

Then the main even arrived the scones with pots of raspberry jam and enough clotted cream to keep even Chris happy. 

Chris and I snuck into the resturaunt before leaving to take photos of the mill in action. 

All in all it was a lovely way to spend an afternoon and you can even take your dogs along if you want. Like these two, who stayed at home this time. 

However after three weeks of cream tea/afternoon tea in a row I think I need a break from a scone. However I have just made plans with my sister-in-law and mum for afternoon tea in June! 

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To Mayfair we go

Last weekend I headed down to London again for a catch up with J. I have to confess I was completely lazy and left all the planning to her.

She booked us into The Chesterfield in Mayfair for afternoon tea. The Chesterfield could not be more different to the Sanderson's Mad Hatter Tea or the Tetley's understated afair. Instead it is about as old school as it gets. 

The lobby is a place of marble and gilt where your coats are taken to the cloak room before you enter the Butler's restaurant at the rear.  

You are provided with your menu from which you have your pick of teas and champagne. 

                        

We went for the Rose champagne and I picked the Earl Grey. 

       

They kindly made me a plate of my own vegetarian sandwiches (which they placed I front of me). Which for the record were the best range of vegetarian sandwiches I have discovered at a cream tea including not only the traditional cucumber and egg but also roasted vegetable with pesto and chedder and chutney. 

     

In respect of the scones there was your traditional version but also a chocolate chip variety. 

                                 

And the sweets well as you will see there was a layer of sweets with one each of the many varieties including; popcorn merringe lollipop (my favourite), blueberry, carotcake cupcake, mini eclaire, fruit tart and many more. 

If you wanted any more of a particular sandwich, tea or sweet you simply had to  ask and it would be brought over in the block of an eye. The service was immaculate and the food delishous. They even made us a doggy bag of the items that out eyes had been too big for our stomachs to finish. 

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A little bit of the Tetley

I have lost track of the number of cream teas I have had in the last three years; there have been birthday cream teas, hen do cream teas, a mad hatter themed cream tea and why the hell not cream teas but I have never had cream tea in Leeds... Well until now.

I was in The Tetley one lazy Sunday afternoon a couple of weeks ago when I saw this

Yes a cream tea with the option of a G n'T so I immediately text my friend to let her know. Then and there we arrange a weekend for her to come and visit for a catch up.

So she traveled up on Friday night and we stayed in drinking gin, red wine and eating tapas before crashing out. On Saturday we hit the shops with the aim of getting RM a dress to wear to a wedding. I did not really take any photos of this but if your interested she got this amazing dress and necklace from Topshop. We also popped into paperchase and yes they are bunny ears.

We headed to the Tetley and ordered Two Afternoon Teas with Fizz for the princely sum of £14.00. Yes that is correct £14.00 with the added bonus of being in an art space that you can wonder round for free.

This is not a delicate dainty afternoon tea served on expensive fine china but it is a satisfy feast with a sufficiently Yorkshire theme to the sweets for it to satisfy even the most seasoned of afternoon tea goers. We sat in the bar area which is decorated with prices of Tetley and Leeds history

The Fizz was suitably crisp

And there was a tower of food. My pictures do not do justice to how big the scones were. But that is getting slightly ahead of myself.

The Tea came with three little sandwiches and the staff very kindly accommodated the fact that I don't eat meat and gave me extra cheese and salmons sandwiches. RM however informs me that the salted beef and horseradish sandwich was incredible.

We then hit a bit of a snag as we could not remember the correct order to eat a afternoon tea. A google on the phone later and we tucked into the scones.

The butter, jam and clotted cream came presented on a wooden block which I think I will replicate on another occasion.

Personally I'm of the jam then cream school of scone dressing

There was lashings of good Yorkshire quality tea

Then finally we reached the sweets; macaroons, Parkin, berries and a battenburgh slice.

The macaroons were exceptional and nicely offset by the berries but I was pretty much defeated by the scone so I picked at the remainder and I am happy to report the were excellent.

As we left the heavens opened.

For anyone looking for something to do on a lazy weekend I would highly recommend this affordable treat. How have you treated yourself this weekend?

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