Guest Post: The Tea in London Story
October 14, 2009 by jonathan
Filed under Guest Posts, Travel, british products, tea
Editor’s Note: Denise is one of our fabulous advertisers here at Anglotopia. She runs specialized and intimate tea themes holidays to London. She’s recently locked the itinerary for next year’s trip and there’s still plenty of time to join her to discover the best tea London has to offer. Denise has been kind enough to write up her story and it’s a great way to learn all about Tea in London!
Do you have a passion for something, or perhaps a passion for several something’s? Hello! My name is Denise LeCroy and I have several passions – tea, travel and London.
Several years ago, I married a man from London and left the United States to live with him in that most glorious of cities. I had visited London before with friends, but living there was a dream of a lifetime. I think I dragged my poor husband to every tearoom, tea shop and tea event in London during those years!
When we returned to the states, I settled into married life on this side of the pond and the days and weeks proceeded smoothly until a routine mammogram showed an abnormality that turned out to be breast cancer. Early detection saves lives. Surgery and radiation followed immediately, all went well, and today I celebrate being four years cancer free.
Throughout those soul-searching months of recovery my illness forced upon me a new perspective on many things…life, relationships, what matters and what doesn’t matter. I was given a second chance and was reminded that it was time to dust off my dreams and goals and aspirations that had been neglected for far too long.
I thought about my passions and how I wanted to further pursue them. I already had been a local tea educator for quite some time and although I was also a seasoned traveler, I studied to become a London Destination Specialist. I realized that London’s rich tea history was being virtually neglected by the travel industry, and so I started Tea in London tours – the perfect combination of my love for tea, travel and London.
English Afternoon Tea at traditional and non-traditional venues is a daily event on our tours, together with a combination of other unique activities that include guided walks through areas in London where the tea trade once ruled England’s commerce; visits to museums and galleries to discover old and new tea treasures; journeys to gardens and ancestral homes of early English tea drinkers; and much more. (I can assure you that if one digs deep enough – and I have – one can find a tea-connection to almost anything in London!)
We use a charming hotel in Bloomsbury as our base. It’s a great, quiet location. All of our transport is on a private, comfortable air-conditioned coach and my favorite London Blue Badge Guide, Sarah, accompanies us every day. She loves tea, and you will love her.
But Tea in London is not strictly for tea lovers as we encounter many of London’s famous places and landmarks. Opportunities for shopping are built-in, as well as a free day to privately experience London.
The next Tea in London tour is scheduled for September 13-18, 2010 and I am happy to announce that it will include an optional full-day Tea Masterclass with tea expert Jane Pettigrew. I invite you to visit our website for more information about the Masterclass and about the tour.
I hope 2010 will be the year that you have Tea in London!
Check out the Tea in London Website here!
Author Info - Jonathan is a consummate Anglophile with an obsession for Britain that borders on psychosis. He keeps Anglotopia running in his spare time, always dreaming of his next trip to England, wishing he lived there - specifically Dorset - and is always trying to figure out a way to move to England. It will happen one day. Keep up with him on Twitter here. Read more from this author
What a lovely story Denise, thank you for sharing and I hope you stay healthy and happy!
What an a wonderful post. Your story is a true inspiration. Keep doing what you love.
Cheers, Jackie. One of my favorite quotes is by Rumi: “Let the beauty of what you love be what you do.”
Tea! I just haven’t been able to get into it yet! I am looking for tea rooms or other famous “tea things” for when friends and family visit though, so thanks for sharing the website and your blog!
Hey, Miss America, no prob! I remember being astounded at the number of Brits (including my lovely inlaws) who rarely drink tea, choosing c***** instead.
So if you make it into the UK, you will be in good c*****-drinking company!
LOL…c*****… Thanks for the laugh!
Wow, Denise, these tours sound so awesome! My own personal goal is to visit London every year once a year, and I’m strongly considering this tour, if not in 2010, then maybe the next time you do one. Thanks for sharing, and congrats on being a survivor!
Would, of course, love to have you come along. I will most likely lead a 2011 tour but will probably stay away from London in 2012 due to Olympics and focus instead that year on my Tea in Charleston [S.C.] tour.
Always happy to share, Jon, and thank you for the opportunity to share my story!
Ahhh, tea. If you’re cold it warms you up, if you’re hot it cools you down. If you’re down in the dumps it picks you up and if you’re having a great day it allows you a moment to feel smug. And now I have a little one, drinking tea means…she’s fast asleep and I have a moment to myself.
I do like coffee, but oh I couldn’t have a day without tea! Well done Denise for doing your best to help people discover this cupful of bliss.
On your itinerary, is there time to stop off at a supermarket and buy the kind of tea we all actually drink at home (Sainsbury’s Red Label, Yorkshire, Waitrose Assam, Clipper and Twinings)?
Hope the tour is a success. Woburn is great – we go there all the time!
Anna.
Hello fellow tea-enthusiast Anna!
Indeed, I’ve scheduled in a Tesco (or some other) stop on our return from Bedfordshire. I’ve always thought supermarket’s are one of the best places to shop for “souvenirs” !
We are PG drinkers – fortunately, easy to purchase here in the U.S.. Also like Yorkshire and several Twinings teas.
Interestingly enough, we fell in love with Billy Connolly’s “Tickety-Boo” tea, but it is no longer made as far as I am aware.
Our favorite Earl Grey is from Darvilles of Windsor. Used to buy it from the lovely Windsor Farm Shoppe. (Oh! We miss England!)
Thank you for your kind words,
Denise
Loved the story, and very jealous- married an English man and lived there- just my total dream. Glad you are well.
Hi Denise,
So lovely to read your story. Well done for going with your heart and doing something you’re so passionate about. And well done too for celbrating something that us Brits seem to have forgotten to celebrate!
I followed my heart 2 years ago when I set up my own tea company in Bristol, UK. Fed up with the lack of choice, provenance and quality I launched Lahloo (www.lahlootea.co.uk) to wake people up to just how good tea can make you feel! Cup by cup I hope to change peoples’ perceptions of tea and have lots of fun doing it!
If you ever fancy swinging by the South West, it would be lovely to meet you.
Have a great trip next time.
Kate