Sunday 2nd September - a 'tragedy' averted

Almost a year ago, a kind friend gave us the most amazing fortieth wedding anniversary present; a voucher for a Full Cream Tea at a local Very Smart Hotel.

The capital letters are required.

Today, almost a year later, we redeemed the voucher. We went there for 1pm; a full cream tea makes a very satisfactory lunch.

I was quite tempted to take photograph of the table with the cake stand and teapots (I had White Peony Tea, he had Darjeeling) and tea strainer and everything. But I couldn't quite manage to bring myself to do so in the rather lovely surroundings of the dining room, so you will have to be content with a rapid scribbled sketches;

I had to sketch all the food from memory as we had eaten it all, including an extra plate of sandwiches, offered free of charge and gratefully accepted.

There were

sandwiches - a finger each of smoked salmon, cream cheese and cucumber, superior version egg mayonnaise, and ham and mustard on brown, or white, or granary bread, fresh as fresh could be and the crusts carefully trimmed

cakes - one each of blueberry and elderflower tart, chocolate brownie, passion fruit macaron, strawberry cheesecake

scones - a fruit and a plain one each, supplied with just the right amount of clotted cream and jam

I felt a bit like one of the judges on Bake-off Creme de la Creme, looking at the delicious little cakes, all layered and decorated and set out so temptingly.

Afterwards we wandered around, inside and outside the castle (had I mentioned that it was a castle?) enjoying the views and the atmosphere.

 
It was a perfect day out, and a brilliant last-day-of-the-holidays for me.

An the 'tragedy'? It would have been too, too awful to have missed this opportunity. I had a reminder on my phone to make sure that we would use the voucher before it ran out. It has been a present that has lasted nearly a whole year in anticipation, three hours in indulgence, and will last for many years in memory.