23rd August 2018
” There are few hours in life more agreeable than the hour dedicated to the ceremony known as afternoon tea.”
Henry James
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Having just celebrated Afternoon Tea Week, we delve into one of the most delightful of British traditions.
Explore the journey of tea; from the home of Earl Grey in Northumberland, to Woburn, where afternoon tea was popularized in the 1840’s when Anna, the 7th Duchess of Bedford would drink tea to stop that afternoon ‘sinking feeling’. Since then tea has become synonymous with the British, and the taking of afternoon tea has graduated from a respectable practice for fashionable society to a chance to experience a leisurely and elegant ritual, take a rest from a hectic shopping day or celebrate with friends or family.
Join Dream Escape’s expert guides and take one of London’s tea trails from Garaways Coffee House, where tea was first sold in the 1650’s, to the ‘tea clipper’ the Cutty Sark in Greenwich and the Chelsea Physic Garden with it’s links to the tea trade.
Of course, in modern times there are many ways to enjoy afternoon tea, from traditional to themed and elegant to entertaining.
Perfect for families young and old, the magnificent Mad Hatters tea is on the ‘must do’ list of London’s elite with Alice’s Exotic Fruits “Drink Me” potion and treats such as a Mad March Hare Vanilla Pocket Watch Macaroon and a strawberry flamingo with a white chocolate Laurent-Perrier Cuvée Rosé croquet truffle.
Take a fun twist on this traditional pastime with an Afternoon tea bus tour, which will keep everyone entertained with an endless flow of London’s iconic sights. Head on down to the potion room in a classic Soho bakery for a fully immersive Harry Potter themed afternoon tea. Spend a fun few hours mixing edible potions, drinking teas with names like “Elixir of Life” and “Unicorn Tears,” and Hubble Bubble – your very own cauldron with a lemon inspired potion.
Sample traditional afternoon tea at iconic London venues such as The Ritz and The Goring or perhaps travel to the west of Ireland and experience the splendour of a magnificent 13th Century castle and former Guinness Family home and the Connaught Room, where the ritual of afternoon tea has been preserved since 1868.
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“Tea tempers the spirits and harmonizes the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens thought and prevents drowsiness, lightens or refreshes the body, and clears the perceptive faculties.”
Lu Yu, Classic of Tea: Origins and Rituals
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Whether your clients are celebrating a milestone with a family get together or need some time to rest and recon...
Dream Escape are welcoming the new year with a celebration of film. With our unrivalled contact book securing private access to usually off-limits attractions, sights and activities, the Dream Escape team are master in conjuring the most creative of experiences for your clients.
The landscape becomes a main character in many movies - I wonder if you can recognise any of these locations in Scotland, England and Ireland and match them to the movies that they appear in?
Why not come Set-Jetting with Dream Escape and visit film locations featured in movies such as Ryan’s Daughter, Braveheart and Skyfall to series Outlander, Vikings and Game of Thrones to the latest blockbusters, The Favourite, Mary Queen of Scots and Mary Poppins Returns.
One of the best known figures in Scottish and indeed British history is Mary Queen of Scots and we eagerly await the premiere of the movie, Mary Queen of Scots, in the UK and Ireland on 18th January 2019. Some of us already have a golden ticket!
This historical drama of Mary’s, often tumultuous, life intertwined with that of her cousin Queen Elizabeth I of England, was filmed primarily in Scotland, often at locations connected to her real life.
Dream Escape look forward to bringing Mary’s dramatic story back to life for our clients with very special private visits to castles, palaces, islands, abbeys and country houses in Scotland associated with this unique monarch.
Follow Dream Escape on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter or contact us at enquiries@dreamescape.co.uk for a spot of set-jetting and film tourism in 2019!
This year the Tobin family are spending New Year on the Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland. I’m sure David is recalling his mammoth cycling charity fund raiser earlier this year and happy to be driving and not in the saddle again.
This morning they visited the Gallarus Oratory and later today they will be at the movies to see Mary Poppins Returns ☂️
The Gallarus Oratory is one of the most famous landmarks on the Dingle Peninsula. Completely made of stone it was probably built 7th/8th century and is the best preserved early Christian church in Ireland. It represents the culmination of dry-stone corbelling, using techniques first developed by Neolithic tomb makers. It is extremely well preserved and several archeological artifacts are to be found nearby.
According to local legend, if a person climbs out of the oratory via the window, their soul will be cleansed. A challenge as the window is approximately 18cm x 12cm!
Fifteenth century Gallarus Castle, nearby, was built by the FitzGeralds. It is one of the few surviving castles on the Dingle peninsula.
Season’s Greeting to our friends and colleagues worldwide from us all at @DreamEscape 🎄
“Winds in the east, there’s a mist coming in, like something is brewin’ and ’bout to begin” – yes Mary Poppins Returns!
Emily Blunt looked “practically perfect in every way” as she walked down the blue, yes blue, carpet at the British premiere of Mary Poppins Returns at the Royal Albert Hall, London last night. We loyal Mary Poppins fans at Dream Escape will have to be patient until 21st December when the movie will be released in British cinemas.
To quell their impatience members of the Dream Escape Marketing, Planning and Guiding Teams recently enjoyed the Mary Poppins Afternoon Tea at the Aqua Shard in Southwark. Inspired by the original P. L. Travers books the afternoon tea is a homage to the famous nanny. We sampled mini crumpets, Mary Poppins favourites, as well as scones from a carpet bag. Mary Poppins very own edible hat with a black cherry tree lane mousse covered in dark chocolate with an edible flower brim and a black cherry on top. To complete the magical experience raspberry candyfloss, what could be better! A bit more than “a spoonful of sugar” but it did all “go down, in the most delightful way!”
Fizz, Bang, Pop! Ahead of the opening of the film Harvey Nichols, London has transformed their flagship store into a marvellous “supercalifragilisticexpialidocious” wonderland where you can stroll down Cherry Tree Lane as well as see 4 of the original costumes!
Keep an eye open at the start of 2019 for Dream Escape’s very special ideas for a Mary Poppins themed tour of London. Mary Poppins herself will guide you round the city and you can do a bit of set-jetting seeing some of the film locations - The Tower of London, St Paul's Cathedral, the Victoria memorial in front of Buckingham Palace and the Royal Exchange.
“Sincerely” Dream Escape.
