tea at aunty vera's

Many years ago, occasional Sunday afternoon visits to my mother’s aunt were always highlighted with the promise of afternoon tea, beautifully laid out on a white laced tablecloth and presented on her finest bone china, covered in pretty pink roses.

We were usually rewarded with tea and freshly baked scones, served with home-made strawberry jam and glossy thick clotted cream.

All this, and surrounded by gorgeous displays of simple, freshly picked garden flowers and hedgerow foliage !

These experiences have had a lasting influence on me, and in time, I have managed to collect my own tea-set exactly as Aunty Vera’s, and indeed an awful lot more of it to share!

After all this time, you may wonder what happen to Aunty Vera? Well, I am pleased to report, that she is still as “bright as a button” and is now 102!