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You have arrived at a propitious moment, coincident with
your country's one indisputable contribution to
Western civilisation - afternoon tea.
Hugo Drax - villain of the film 'Moonraker'
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Saturday, 17th August 2013 - Mulberry Hall, Stonegate, York
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Tea Takers
Sarah Ryan
Paul Ryan
Olivia Ryan
David Bednall
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Today marks half way towards the 21st anniversary of the London congestion charge, and also to the birth of Olivia. A good day for the half way tea, then. After some very entertaining summer travels, also a very pleasing opportunity to enjoy some end of holiday time in York.
Mulberry Hall is essentially a china shop, situated in Stonegate one of York's older and most picturesque thoroughfares - it sells much more that that though, crystal, silver, cookware, jewellery - many lovely (and, correspondingly, expensive) things, (alongside many more dubious (and, disappointingly, expensive) things). The building is typical of its 15th century origins and is attractively higgledy-piggledy, both inside and out.
If you can make your way up one of the narrow winding staircases, and through the assault course of sloping floors and (very) low beams without toppling any of the multitudinous displays of fragile and pricey goods, you will find the cafe. This has been in situ for many years and was a place that I came as a child and teenager with family and friends, and of which I have very fond memories.
The nature of the shop being as it is, the china here has always been rather finer than that of the average cafe, and the current silver stripy affairs are very pleasing, not to mention the very satisfying teapots.
It was very fine to share this tea with Dave Bednall, an old friend from Sherborne, who was serendipitously involved in the RSCM summer school here this week. In his entertaining company we reminisced about choir tours and concerts past, caught up on news of mutual acquaintances and reflected upon the genius of Alan Partridge. He is a very talented organist, and increasingly emminent composer, but of far more cachet to Olivia, the son of Mrs Bednall, one of her first piano teachers.
The menu offered many pleasing items - and whilst there was only 'cream tea' rather than full afternoon tea, there was easy opportunity to augment with sandwiches/cakes/baked goods of your choice. Olivia and I took advantage of this to incorporate toast and muffins which we particularly enjoy as a tea element.
(No prize for identifying which school name Paul was saying as this photograph was taken...)
The lack of clotted cream was the most serious weaknesses of the repast, and the scones, whilst pleasant, might have been a little lighter, but, that said, it was most commendable and in a very congenial setting.
Dave's inimitable assessment of the occasion as 'richly jocund' seems only fitting.
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Twentieth Tea - Twentieth Year
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York
We bought our house in York in August 2009 - a step on the housing ladder and the opportunity to have a bolt hole away from boarding school life. It was one of our better ideas and both the house and the city have both become a much loved home despite, or perhaps because of, the fact that we cannot be here all the time.
York is beautiful and historic, a city large enough for an interesting and varied culture, but small enough to walk around and feel comfortably familiar very quickly. It is a wonderful place to visit, to live in and to think longingly about when you are deep in the middle of another fraught term in the South East.
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