Time For Tea: Tea the Twelfth

Tea's proper use is to amuse the idle, and relax the studious,
and dilute the full meals of those who cannot use exercise,
and will not use abstinence.
Samuel Johnson

The National Cafe, The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London - 8th June 2013

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Tea Takers

Sarah Ryan

Paul Ryan

Olivia Ryan

Steven Farmer

Nick John

Gary Whitlock

Alessandro Spera

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Another opportunity to meet up with friends, and to enjoy tea as part of a day out in London. Thanks are due to my very kind colleague Jenny, who gave me as a birthday gift a book called 'Tea and Cakes in London' in which I found a recommendation for the National Gallery's unassumingly named 'The National Cafe'. The sun, having finally realised that it is June, came out and a bright and cheerfully busy Saturday found us in Trafalgar Square.

Individual cake stands for each person meant today has raised the record to six (although we did think that fewer, larger ones might have worked better), and accompanied by five teapots it was a busy table.

Tea was good. The scones were large (although only with fruit again - Olivia drank water, ate nothing and looked ascetic), and their crust a little thick.

There were pleasing sandwiches and some attractive patisserie (the chocolate, pistachio and mint offering was especially delicious).

The waitress who took our order, after getting over the shock of a child who wouldn't eat cake or drink hot chocolate, was friendly, but subsequent service was perhaps not in the 'national' stakes - guests in a restaurant should not have to mime their needs across the room to a shrugging assistant.

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The National Gallery

A collection of thirty-eight paintings owned by a wealthy banker bought in 1824 for the nation, was the starting point for what we now know as The National Gallery. In 1831 parliament agreed to construct a building for the collection in Trafalgar Square. The location was chosen with a very definite purpose - situated as it was then at the very centre of London, it was felt to be equally accessible to all, both rich and poor. This was also when the commitment was made to free admission, and it remains an amazing, and genuinely accessible, resource.

The original building was controversial and much criticised. (So the Twentieth Century furore surrounding the building of the Sainsbury Wing was really nothing new for the establishment). Additions and improvements, including the iconic dome, were completed by 1876, and gradually the building became a representative image of culture, art and education for the nation. It now contains over 2,300 works, dating from the Thirteenth to the Twentieth Century.

After a very enjoyable hour wandering around the Early Renaissance section in the Sainsbury Wing, it was very fine to sit down in the airy and attractive cafe and catch up with friends.

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Twelfth Tea - Twelfth Year

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Old Friends

Lovely to meet up with old university friends who we have seen shamefully little in recent years, when lives, careers, geographical spread have meant we have all been somewhat distracted. As anyone who knows them would expect, at a tea with Gary and Steven there was a lot of loud laughter.

In another record-breaking feature, this tea also had the highest Deputy Head count, with three of us (sadly unable not to talk shop for some of the time). However, now that Gary is a Consultant, he probably has the most unfeasibly proper grown-up job. We shouldn't be in charge of anything - where have the real adults gone?