Kylie Massey is eleven years old, a straight A student at Prairieland’s Deport Elementary, and interested in British culture. She is also, along with her great-grandmother, Jeanie Francis, a good friend of Thomas and myself.
When she read about the British tradition of tea, she mentioned to me that she wished she could experience the early afternoon meal and I promised she would.
When we visited the United Kingdom, the afternoon tradition was always a favorite. I was familiar with the traditional menu, which can be quite simple or very elaborate. Plus, this sounded like so much fun. My great-niece and her friend were fascinated by the idea too.
So, on a cold and windy spring Saturday, promptly at 4 pm, guests arrived at our house.
I had used my great-grandmother’s bone china which was purchased from the Jewel Tea wagon as it traveled through the Oklahoma Territory, and the tablecloth my mother had embroidered to match the Greek key design on the china many years ago. Fresh flowers brought a pop of color.
Our menu was chicken salad sandwiches in triangles, the must have cucumber sandwiches on Italian bread, egg salad sandwiches and blueberry scones and biscotti followed by lusciously iced cupcakes.
A variety of British and Irish teas were available and half and half provided to make it truly British.
Kylie has been raised by her great-grandmother Jeanie since the age of three and a half. She bounced in beautifully dressed and hugged everyone.
My great niece, Cydney Dean and her friend, Jewel Gooch, came in their nice clothes and Cristina Murphy arrived looking well dressed and beautiful. Our ages ranged from 81 to 11.
We lingered over the meal discussing tea traditions. There was conservation about how people like to be considered superior by pouring the boiling water directly into a china teacup. Cheap china or pottery would shatter but the fine china wouldn’t, so the hostess made it clear she could afford the best without saying a word.
High tea was held at the table, low tea was tea served on small tables as ladies sat in the parlor. And, we learned, the working class had a heartier meal about five that was served as the last meal of the day. For the wealthy, a later meal was served around 8:30.
The clotted cream (created by hours of high fat milk being slowly warmed over heat) had to be passed around to try. Blueberry and strawberry jams and lemon curd were slathered onto the scones and the younger guests had never had hot tea with milk and Demerara sugar. It was declared a hit.
The weather, cold and windy, mimicked a British day and for a while we were transported into a magical English afternoon.
After many hands helped clear the table it was time for the fun. Hats. Cristina’s collection of vintage chapeaus from the 1940’s and 50’s had to be tried on to gales of laughter.
Only Jeanie and I remember the days when women didn’t go to church or events without a hat.
We tried a mink number and there were squeals when the girls realized there were two beady eyed mink faces in the fur. The veils and feathers, jewels and unusual shapes fascinated us all. Kylie fell in love with a dark red number that matched her top and Cristina made it a gift. From that moment it never left her head.
Strangely, we realized that several of these hats, impractical though they were, actually looked great on us! It seemed a little sad that the days of white gloves, incredible hats and high tea were gone.
But for a little while the past was glimpsed and Britain wasn’t a far away country. No, in Texas an 11-year-old brought together different ages for a memorable, educational and fun filled gathering. And gathering has been scarce since the pandemic. It was glorious to remember how to celebrate nothing special, just being together.
You must be logged in to post a comment.