Did you know that it’s Afternoon Tea Week from the 12^th to 18^th August?

It’s a chance to celebrate this wonderful tradition.  For there’s nothing like sharing a cup of tea or coffee with a loved one, whether they’re a good friend or family member.   It’s a chance to sit and chat, to catch up and share a moment.

There is something in the nature of tea that leads us into a world of quiet contemplation of life
Lin Yutang

Perhaps it is while drinking tea that I most of all enjoy the sense of leisure.
George Gissing, The Private Papers of Henry Ryecroft, 1903

Virgin Experience Days have LOTS of afternoon teas all over the country, including of course, Afternoon Teas in London.    In fact, if you’re looking to treat someone to an Afternoon Tea in London, you could look at their blog, called 18 of the Best Afternoon Teas in London, to help you decide which afternoon tea you’d like to treat someone to. 

Tea time is a chance to slow down, pull back and appreciate our surroundings.
Letitia Baldrige

They’ve got Afternoon Teas at Fortnum and Mason, The Petersham in Covent Garden, which offers a sanctuary from the crazy world that’s London, The Stage at The Londoner, the Ochre at the National Gallery, SUSHISAMBA, where Asian flavours meet British classics, and a Jurassic Afternoon Tea for Two Adults at The Ampersand Hotel.  There’s also a Bottomless Champagne Afternoon Tea for Two at the 5* Rubens at The Palace Hotel.

A cup of tea is an excuse to share great thoughts with great minds.
Cristina Re

Take a look too at the Free-Flowing Bubbles Afternoon Tea for Two at The County Hall Hotel and a MAP Maison Tapas Style Afternoon Tea with Free Flowing Cocktails for Two.

Don’t forget The Langham and The Lanesborough, the Melody Restaurant, and The Washington Hotel, as well as the TĪNG Restaurant on the 35^th Floor of The View from The Shard., and Harrods which has a number of different options.

And Virgin Experience Days also has a number of Afternoon Teas in London under £75.00.  Taking tea is a great way to escape the pace of life in London or anywhere else!

Tea:  a moment of peace from the constant battles of life.
Terri Guillemets

There’s also a wide choice of Traditional Cream Teas, Gin Afternoon Teas, Spa Days and Afternoon Teas, Vegan Afternoon Teas and Afternoon Teas exclusive to Virgin.  With over 450 experiences to choose from, you won’t be short of choice.  

For garden lovers, there's a Visit to Kew Gardens with Prosecco Afternoon Tea at The Botanical for Two
in Richmond. 

And there are lots of options if you want Tea for Two under £50 with lots of geographical locations to choose from. 

How about a Piglets Pantry Afternoon Tea at Home for Two?
See more Hamper ideas here.

Afternoon, a time for reflection, a time for calmness, a time for renewal.
Lailah Gifty Akita

Some of them offer a bit of a theme – for example for big cat lovers, how about giving them a Paul Hollywood themed Afternoon Tea in Kent – you can sip your tea and tuck in whilst looking at some amazing big cats at the Big Cat Sanctuary!

No matter where you are in the world, you are at home when tea is served.
Earlene Grey

There are Afternoon Teas (and Cream Teas) you can enjoy together with a visit to somewhere such as Bletchley Park, Port Lympne Safari Park in Kent, Kew Gardens, Blackpool Tower Ballroom, and the Swinton Estate.   Or you could combine it with an activity such as a spa day, a walk with alpacas or llamas, or a creative activity.  So there’s plenty to browse!

In Yorkshire, there's a Traditional Afternoon Tea for Two at The Swinton Estate

The cup of tea on arrival at a country house is a thing which, as a rule, I particularly enjoy. I like the crackling logs, the shaded lights, the scent of buttered toast, the general atmosphere of leisured cosiness. P.G. Wodehouse, "The Code of the Woosters," 1938

Head off to Virgin Experience Days to browse their Afternoon Teas!

RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show

The RHS Wisley Flower Show in Surrey takes place from 3^rd to 8^th September 2024 and what an opportunity to experience a great floral day out!

The show is supported by Access Garden Products, Bonne Maman (I love their jams!)  and Hello Fresh.   Not only that, but there are over 40 specialist nurseries, who’ll have growers on hand to help you choose the right plant for your growing space so this is a great chance to ask lots of questions!  Tradestands are aplenty at the show, selling garden and homeware.   The RHS asks that you please bring bags to take your goodies home with you!

There are fantastic displays, specialist nurseries, expert talks and of course the opportunity to do lots of shopping… and eating and drinking…

Browse a fantastic range of tradestands too, selling garden and homeware from pruning tools to garden art and outdoor ovens. Where possible please bring bags to take purchases home.

There are talks and demos as well at the new Hilltop Live Theatre which was only opened in June – costing £35 million – and the programme of talks is here (you need to scroll down after you’ve clicked through).  Find out about no-dig gardening, growing mushrooms and Medieval gardens, meadows and growing dahlias. 

RHS Hilltop – The Home of Gardening Science is the RHS’s new centre of horticultural excellence, a place for us to inspire the next generation of scientists and officially opened on 24 June 2021. Encompassing RHS Hilltop are three gardens brimming with ideas that reflect the latest research for people to take away and incorporate at home, in schools and in communities:  a Wildlife Garden, a Wellbeing Garden and a World Food Garden.

By the way, aside from the RHS Garden Wisley Show, Hilltop Live is a series of free daily talks, demonstrations and interactive sessions that take place in the RHS Hilltop building and there’s a programme of talks here. 

There’s the National Dahlia Society Show’s marquee, where you can enjoy a wonderful display of garden dahlias, and cut flower and container displays.  The National Dahlia Society Show is from 3^rd to 5^th September in conjunction with the RHS Wisley Flower Show.  The very informative website for the National Dahlia Society is here

There’s also floral art from the Surrey Area of the  National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies.  The National Association of Flower Arrangement Societies have a magazine subscription which could make a lovely gift for someone who loves flower arranging. 

Now, tickets for the RHS Garden Wisley Flower Show must be booked in advance, which you can easily do here. 

Flowers, eating and drinking, and relaxing – what a perfect combination!   Enjoy!

Buy your tickets for the RHS Garden Wisley Show here.

The 1^st August is Yorkshire Day and a great chance to celebrate the beauty and wonders of Yorkshire and its history.  There's lots going on around the county, and if you want to visit, you're spoilt for choice as to whether you go to a city - York? - or towns, or choose a place on the beautiful coastline.   Find out more about visiting Yorkshire here.

So here are a couple of gift ideas which willl last longer than the opening of an envelope and give them the chance to enjoy Yorkshire in all its beauty!

There are lots of wild places to explore, too, so why not give a gift membership to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust who are working hard to keep Yorkshire wild?  The Trust is committed to creating a Yorkshire which is rich in wildlife, saving both wildlife and wild places to bring people closer to nature.  And they have a vision of a wilder future!

The Trust has 45,000 members and membership is a way to help it give Yorkshire’s wildlife a voice, and to inspire future generations.

Discover all about the wildlife and wild places of Yorkshire

Find out about the wildlife of Yorkshire here – the birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, freshwater fish, marine animals and invertebrates.  And discover too all about the the wildflowers, fungi, mosses, trees and shrubs.   Have a look at the State of Yorkshire Nature's Report here.

The county has habitats such as heathland and moorland, wetlands and woodland, rocky habitat and farmland, and both coastal and freshwater habitats. And of course there are hedgerows – find out why hedgerows are important here. – and stone walls.  Why are stone walls so important to wildlife?

And there are over 100 nature reserves in Yorkshire - so lots to explore!  The Trust has tips on best reserves for families, best ones to see butterflies and wildflowers, best birding hot-spots, and hte topmost reserves for accessibility.   Find a reserve here!  You can use their search facility to find a reserve here.

See the amazing starling murmuration at Ripon City Wetlands



Give a membership to the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust
and help save Yorkshire's wildlife and wild places!
Image © Yorkshire Wildlife Trust

Their gift boxes contain an incredible range of benefits (and I quote, on 31 July 2024)! 

• "Unlimited free admission and parking at our visitor centres and over 2,000 Wildlife Trust reserves nationally
• A subscription to our quarterly Wildlife Yorkshire magazines
• A Wildlife Watch pack and subscription – bursting with posters, badges, quizzes and more!
• Discounts on some of our unforgettable wild events
• Invites to exclusive experiences
• A copy of Discover Yorkshire’s Wildlife – the most comprehensive guide to where, when and how to see wildlife in Yorkshire!"

If that's not enough, there are free great gifts as well - and you can find out about those here.

This is surely a win-win gift – your membership will be helping to fund vital work and a brighter future for the wild places and wildlife of Yorkshire.

Gift memberships are £69.99.  Find out more about the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust  Gift Memberships

 Alternatively, how about a calendar to celebrate all things from Yorkshire?

The Calendar Club have lots of Yorkshire-themed calendars.
View their calendars here.

And you could consider a magazine, such as The Yorkshire Dalesman Magazine.  The issues are packed full of stories about the landscapes, and places and people that make Yorkshire so very speical! There are articles on local history, nature, food, walks, the Yorkshire humour and puzzle pages as well, plus what to do and where to stay in Yorkshire. 

Find out more from Pocketmags

By the way, there's a new series on Channel 4 starting on Monday, 5th August 2024 at 8pm.  It's called Yorkshire by the Sea, and it follows the lives of local people living along Yorkshire's stunning coastline.   The programme on the 5th August focuses on locals making a living, most particularly the Robson family.  They have been fishing the North Sea for generations.   There's also a group of sea swimminers who are taking a full-moon dip - chilly!   Find out more here.

The National Trust has lots of things you can see and do on Yorkshire's coast with self-led walks, cycle trails, fossil hunting, wildlife watching, and incredible views, and of course there's lots more besides in this stunning county.  See all the National Trust places in Yorkshire here and find out about their membership here.

And don't forget English Heritage, too - they have lots of castles, abbeys, gardens, Roman sites, manor houses, priories and other places to visit!  

Visit RHS Harlow Carr, wonderful gardens!

Also - flower and garden lovers will love a visit to RHS Harlow Carr, just outside of the great Harrogate, a jewel in itself worth a visit (make sure you get to Betty's Tea Rooms!).   

Have you ever heard of 50 things to do before you're 11 and 3/4?  

It's a list that has been put together by the National Trust to get kids (and we're all young at heart) outdoors and connecting with nature.  

So with the summer coming up, I thought I'd remind you about them, because they could be a great way to get the kids doing something in the summer holidays other than looking at a screen.  Some would be great to do if you're on holiday in a new environment where things might be different to how they are at home. 

No 23 - get up for the sunrise
When was the last time you've done this?  Listen to the dawn chorus at the same time!

There are 50 things, and a lot of them can be done without leaving your home, such as stargazing, keeping a nature diary (what can you see out of the window in the sky, or on a walk to the shops?)  and getting to know a tree.  

No 43 - help a wild animal
You could put out some water in a bowl for wildlife.
Please make sure you give wildlife a way out of the bowl, in case they are really tiny!

Many of the 50 things don't require any spending - such as get up for the sunrise, or go cloud watching - and they could be great for the kids to build up in a folder over the summer holidays so that that can look back and see what they've done with nature whilst they were off school.  

No 48 - keep a nature diary
You could do drawings, write poetry, do some fact finding about birds you've seen,
write about what you've seen, write your thoughts about nature and wildlife...
almost like a nature diary.  

The National Trust have put the list together - you can see it here - and they have also got safety information for you too.  

However old we all are, there are times when it's good to escape from adult life with its responsibilities, and just go back to things kids love to do.  The National Trust's 50 things to do before you're 11 and 3/4 is a good place to start, and create lots of connections to the natural world.

See the 50 things to do here.