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...
From curated tours of private gardens to architect designed gardens reflecting the fashions of centuries gone by, indulge the senses in a horticultural discovery with Dream Escape in UK and Ireland.
These very different regions are a treasure trove for nature lovers and gardening enthusiasts and the grounds of castles, private estates and private houses provide the opportunity to see some of the rarest plant and tree species in the world - there is even a Poison Garden at Alnwick Castle.
Dream Escape were delighted to be invited by the Consul General of Ireland in Scotland, Mark Hanniffy, Tourism Ireland and Enterprise Ireland, to attend a reception to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. 🍀🇮🇪
The event was held tonight in the beautiful Georgian Assembly Rooms in George Street, Edinburgh where Dream Escape was represented by Planning, Operations and Guiding - Annika, Helen and Rosie. They were delighted and honoured to be introduced, by Caroline Mulligan of Tourism Ireland, to Brendan Griffin, Minister of State for Tourism and Sport, Republic of Ireland.
The convivial event opened with the Irish National Anthem sung by a choir from Cork, Cor Geal. Speeches highlighting the warm and close connections between Ireland and Scotland were followed by Irish Dancing performed by Edinburgh based Siamsoir Irish Dancers.
Edinburgh, prepare to turn green for Edinburgh’s Festival of Ireland with celebrations across the capital until 23rd March. 🇮🇪
At Gleneagles Hotel’s Grand Opening Gala Ball on 7th June 1924 the music was broadcast nationally by the BBC - the first ever outside broadcast of dance band music in Great Britain - “The Glorious Playground” was born.
Today the resort provides maximum standards of comfort and luxury and some of the most exciting and diverse leisure facilities in the country.
Fabulous championship golf courses designed by golfing legends James Braid and Jack Nicklaus. Outdoor activities galore including Clay Pigeon Shooting, Off Roading, Archery, Riding, Argocats and Falconry. Sublime culinary experiences including 2* Michelin Restaurant Andrew Fairlie and the new American Bar taking us back to the Roaring 20’s.
Work for us. We are always looking for creative and enthusiastic people to join our team. Our vision is to enrich lives through travel, employment and opportunity. We offer the valued members of our team real opportunities to develop professionally and personally.
This summer, we are looking for applicants for our short-term placement programme. Participants are generally students from colleges or universities looking to gain practical experience in a work environment for several months over the summer. The programme gives placement students the opportunity to build on their existing skills, acquire valuable insight into the travel business and develop observational and organisational competence. Our staff will work with each placement student to develop a programme tailored specifically to his or her needs and provide ongoing supervision and evaluation. For further information about 2019 placements, please contact nicola@dreamescape.co.uk or call +44 (0) 845 260 1085.
dreamescape.co.uk/about/#work
Good morning Edinburgh Castle. What a view to wake up to this morning in this stunning iconic hotel of Edinburgh. Thank you Melissa Raffaelli and Richard Cooke #dreamescapeltd #balmoralhotel
