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Monday, April 30, 2018

Tuesday Cuppa Tea Cross Stitch Tea and Special Days

Hi there and welcome my friends, to Tuesday Cuppa Tea for the last day of April.


After record heat for a few days we are back to clouds, fog and rain...typical Pacific Northwest... but the Tulips have finally bloomed!


I posted this on my Facebook page this morning....finally spring feels like it is really here!


I put together a tea table in the sunroom yesterday in a break in the clouds...difficult for us at times. 
What prompted me was the Royal Albert Petit Point pattern china, and remembering I had a spring cross stitch I did in the 1980s that lives in the guest room....


The cross stitch is a blossom and butterfly border surrounding a verse from a favorite hymn Blessed Assurance.
That had been coming to mind often lately... my husband's Patkinson's Disease is progressing, and he has finally had to realize he can no longer do yard work, and we have had to hire someone. He had been putting it off for several months, it's a difficult admission for him
It is another step...another realization that life is changing...we will never go back to what it has been...and we need to adjust to the new realities of life.
But Blessed Assurance indeed, because we are in His hands.


I love the Petit Point pattern...I suppose because I love to do cross stitch...I could actually do something with the pattern on the china! This is the large 40 ounce size...the largest Royal Albert makes. 


I especaily love the hand painted figural flower finial...isn't that cute?
The mark is the early one with the company identified as Royal Albert Crown China.

The pattern is number 8522 and the teapot has the Rd number, or Design Registry number for the pattern for 1933, and it was discontinued in the 1950s.


The cups and saucers are just as cute...


The cup has an interesting stamp you don't often see...besides the Rd#, there is a stamp that says United Kingdom, which means this particular lot of china was made for export to the USA by a retailer. I don't know who, sometimes that was noted too...like imported by Macy's or Bergdorff Goodman or something like that.



For a treat for tea, I made a batch of cream scones. I used a Martha Stuart recipe, just simple scones.
The recipe is HERE but sorry abut the ads... :(


For a tea,we have Harney & Sons Anniversary Blend black tea, because...


Yesterday, April 29th, was William and Caterine's 7th anniversary...


And of course, their third child and second son arrived last week and has been given the name Louis Arthur Charles.


And Princess Charlotte is 3 years old on May 2nd. Lots of royal things in April.


Another small reminder... Prince Harry Weds Mghan Markle on May 18th. We have a few of our Leonardo bone china wedding mugs left at Antiques And Teacups.

Thanks so much for joining me for tea this week.

I am joining:

Thanks so much for joining me for tea! 
Here is the Tuesday Cuppa Tea linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there!  I am so looking forward to visiting you!



Monday, April 23, 2018

New Baby Born to William and Kate



Just woke to the news!
Welcoming the new baby boy! William and Catherine have a new son, born at 11:01 April 23rd, 2018...just missing Queen Elizabeth's birthday on April 21st. Corngratulations! Bookies say most popular choices are Arthur, Albert, Frederick, James and Philip.

He doesn't share the Queen's birthday, but does share Shakespeares!
See my last post for those birthdays...


And joins siblings


Prince George and Princess Charlotte....

Definitely a busy time of year....with his uncle, Prince Harry being married next month...


Okay...back to normal stuff...have a great day!


And I just remembered that it is also England's patron saint's birthday... St. George! Fun!

Tuesday Cuppa Tea Birthdays and Tea!

Welcome dear friends...to Tuesday Cuppa Tea! This week's post is celebrating all sorts of fun things!




I hope you have your teacup at the ready....because it's time to celebrate a special birthday! 





I have chosen my teacups this week in honour of Queen Elizabeth II's actual birthday on April 21st... she is 92 on the 21st!


This was taken at the Royal Albert Hall special concert birthday celebration...
Doesn't she look wonderful? She is flanked by Princes Charles and William..Catherine is due to deliver her 3rd at any moment...with Shophie Countess of Wessex who is the wife of Edward behind. I can't tell who else is back there, but the queen looks marvelous! Hope I look that good at 92!



I set up a royal tea on our antique Barley Twist table in the sunroom for a royal birthday tea today...as afternoon tea in the sunroom is a fixture around here...with 2 British Royal commemorative teacups honoring Queen Elizabeth II....the first is...what a surprise! 




A Shelley coronation teacup from 1953 with my favorite sepia photograph taken by the Queens then brother-in-law Anthony Armstrong-Jones who was married to Princess Margaret....





Definitely my favorite of the coronation images! The next is a 2012 English bone china cup and saucer commemorating the Queen's Diamond Jubilee. It has a mature Queen Elizabeth with the national symbol flowers of the United Kingdom and a dedication from one of the newer Staffordshire potteries. Lovely workmanship though.









I am just so thrilled that there are currently small potteries carrying on in the tradition of their china manufacturing giant relatives that are no longer....



I added goodies...what's a tea party without that! Vegan Almonette cookies for me, chocolate dipped coconut macaroons for my Honey and a few vegan lemon wafers just in case...it's still pollen season, and I don't dare have chocolate...I'd have asthma immediately with the pollen overload...and I found these patriotic biscuits at the Tetley Tea website...




April 21st is the actual birthday of Queen Elizabeth II, although it is officially celebrated in June as the weather's more predictable. The Queen was born on April 21, 1926, and I have been wondering if her new great grandchild, expected by William and Catherine, Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, would be born to share her birthday...but no news as yet.





Elizabeth Alexandra Mary in a photo by Marcus Adams with her mother Elizabeth, then Duchess of York...





An official coronation photograph from 1953...





My favorite photo of the christening of Prince George, son of William and Catherine, with the queen gazing at her new great grandson....photo by James Bell/Camera Press...





And one of my favorite images of Queen Elizabeth....source unknown...


And, if that wsn't enough, April 21st was also UK National Tea day...
the above photo with the corgi is also from Tetley tea... and the following graphic is from Yordhire tea...do you can see which brew up you prefer...I am in the Tannin Salon...


April 23rd is also a special day... it's Please join me in wishing William Shakespeare Happy 454th Birthday on April 23!  Amazing!  He was born on April 23rd, 1564.
The most read, memorized, published and produced playwright in history! Now that's someone to celebrate! 


So, a thoroughly British week...and with a new royal baby expected this week, more to celebrate soon. Plus the upcoming nuptials of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle next month.


So thanks for joining me for tea! Things are still happening around here, good and not-so-good, but I always love joining you all for tea. Have a wonderful week!
I am joining:

Below is the list of some of the blog parties I will be part of and there is the linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there! And I love to read your comments, and can find you to visit!

Thursday, April 19, 2018

Our Prince Harry and Meghan Royal Wedding Mugs Have Arrived


In time for the Royal Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle on May 19, 2018, we have received the bone china mugs we ordered from England.



The mugs come in their own gift box and have a wonderful photo of the couple
with a dedication of date etc around. The photo is on both sides.


The pretty mugs are 4 inches high and were made by Leonardo, a famous British firm famous for their figural teapots.
Leonardo is a trademark of the English firm of Lester & Pavey.

If your are interested in more info, click on the photos to go to the mug on our website at

Getty Images

Royal Weddings are so fun!

Monday, April 16, 2018

Tuesday Cuppa Tea, Titanic China

Hello and welcome to a Tuesday Cuppa Tea remembering Titanic...the unsinkable ocean liner that sunk after hitting an iceberg on the night of April 14th thru 15th, 1912.




The famous White Star ocean liner Titanic sailed with custom designed china for first class passengers from the Royal Crown Derby pottery in England which were reissued for the centennial in 2012, so I am sharing a teacup and teapot from the Titanic china for 1st Class passengers...





I think the design is lovely...so elegant and classic. The cup and saucer is if I remember correctly 42 pounds, or about $60.

Click on the teacup or teapot to go to the Royal Crown Derby website to see what is available, or click this link: Royal Crown Derby Titanic China





Actual Titanic 1st Class dinner/supper menu...Getty



Cobh, pronounced Cove,  is now a part of Cork, Ireland the main part of which is about 20 miles away, is part of the Titanic story, because it was the last port Titanic touched before heading out and ultimately colliding with the iceberg. The ship had left her birthplace, Belfast just a few days earlier.  Many of the 3rd class immigrant passengers had gotten on here. We were fascinated by the remnants of those days still found in thew picturesque little town when we have been there for the day during several transatlantic cruises to England.



This is the White Star Line headquarters in Cobh about 4 blocks from where our ship was docked during our days here. The building is now a pub...notably named The Titanic...with some cases of memorabilia which was fascinating.



The little town hasn't changed much since Titanic left in 1912.






This is the Kennedy Park near the White Star offices, where many would have waited to board.
The tickets to the museum resemble passenger tickets... and there were tags with an actual passenger name attached, but I couldn't find that part of the tickets...



Cobh was called Queenstown when Titanic sailed from here in 1912, and the town has put together an interpretive and interactive exhibit called The Queenstown Experience that was wonderful. Thousands of Irish immigrants passed out of this port to try to find new lives during the potato famines and clearances. The exhibit, which is full of artifacts, life size recreations of onboard ship experiences and videos, newsreels and personal photo and memorabilia collections was a wonderful and poignant experience about how hard life was for many of the people passing through here.


The room where passengers waited to board is now an area of shops and a tea shop you enter after exiting the exhibit, one of the displays is seen here, and a link to there website is at the bottom of the post.




For some fabulous further interesting websites related to the Titanic disaster, here are:


The Titanic Trail – Guided Walking Tour of Cobh


On March 23, 2018 Prince Harry and Meghan Markle made a visit to Northern Ireland, and while there visited the Titanic Mueum in Belfast.


The museum is on the site of the builders yard where Titanic was built...Harland & Wolff...and includes original spaces as well as an hotel.


The building  was  designed to reflect  the Titanic, and is the same height as the ship...



The couple was presented with a Titanic model by a costumed docent...


Sort of a short Tuesday Cuppa Tea, but still haven't gotten computer totally restored, and we have had blinds break, garage door openers break and all sorts of time consuming appointments and things this week...
oh, and we had several storm related power outages too!
Well, just life needing a lot of attention, and clamouring for time...
and we only have so much, don't we?!
But thanks for joining me for tea. 
I will be joining...




Here is the Tuesday Cuppa Tea linky for your tea related posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are patient...it's there!  I am so looking forward to visiting you!