Last night, Laura Silver and I were invited to attend a fabulous, vintage,1920s-style tea party in a sun-drenched Covent Garden. To say the least, it was amazing. (Or should I say "Smashing, darling!")
As part of the Covent Garden Night Market, which is amazing in its own right, the "Tea Party on the Piazza" took place on the east side of the Piazza. Amongst the the abundance of rich olive oils, delicious pies and wafts of sausage-scented smoke (not to mention the droves of bewildered looking tourists) sat a large rectangle covered in bright green Astroturf, surrounded by a gleaming white picket fence.
White, wrought iron tables were adorned with vintage, mismatched tea sets and colorful vases filled with long stemmed flowers of various shapes and colours. Everyone sat at the tables was grinning ear to ear, as if the most naughty thing one could do was drink tea out of fancy cups and munch on Victorian sponge cake at five in the afternoon. IN PUBLIC!
The Tea Party was hosted by the fabulous Angel Adoree and her fellow "tea maids" from The Vintage Patisserie. (Which, by the way, gives all new meanings to the world fabulous.)
The Vintage Patisserie says that they can"turns your party dreams into reality", and this is exactly what they did last night in Covent Garden.
If you managed to beat the rush of curious bystanders and nab a ticket, you could have purchased a "tea and cake" ticket for £5, or a "Prosecco and cake" ticket for £8. Laura and I were treated to Prosecco, in a vintage bone china tea cup, no less, which we've decided is the only way we're ever going to drink booze again.
Guests of the tea party were offered either Victorian sponge or polenta lemon cake, and then your choice of cupcake. (Yes I said "cupcake". Please contain yourselves, people.)
With '20s music blasting, The Vintage Patisserie maids rushing - and occasionally dancing - about, and a dress-up chest filled with pearls, feather boas and flapper-style headbands, the atmosphere was positively decadent.
The "Tea in the Piazza" event was a one-off, but we're hoping that due to it's popularity and the crowds of people taking photos and staring in amazement, that they'll that good folks of Covent Garden will do it again.
The Vinage Patisserie ladies looked absolutely fabulous, and the entire set-up was as gorgeous as it was fun. Plus, it was fantastic seeing the awestruck faces of the tourists who must have thought that this is what Londoners do all the time!
"Look, y'all! They're so old fashioned here. They still have tea parties and everything! Ohmigawd how precious!"
If you're interested in throwing a vintage tea party of your own, check out The Vintage Patisserie's offical website. For more information on Covent Garden Nigh Markets, check out www.coventgardenlondonuk.com