Tuesday Cuppa Tea, A Macdonald's In Bath, UK? What would Jane Austen say???

Welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea! So glad you could join me and the other wonderful blogs listed below for a tea related blog party! The list of blogs and the linky for you to join the party are at the end of the post...which has turned out to be a bit long! I have so much to share with you today!


I have a Royal Albert Crown China, England cup and saucer for today. The pattern is not named, and is not in any of the pattern references that I have. I even checked with a couple of RA specialists, and they don't know either, except it's a variation of the Primrose pattern but in panels. 

The Royal Crown China is an early mark of Royal Albert which was made by Thomas Wild. The mark dates the teacup to the 1920-1930s, when they changed to Royal Albert. I really love the elegant and cheerful pattern. For more info on the teacup at Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos.


I like so-called English village mysteries, or Cozies as they are sometimes called. I was reading on yesterday which reminded me of something from our last visit to the city of Bath, England.

The book is The Only Good Lawyer by Hazel Holt and features Mrs. Malory, the widow of a barrister in the village of Taviscombe.  Quite a bit takes place in the city of Bath which is always a favorite place of ours to visit.  Closely associated with Jane Austen, the city of Bath with it's Roman roots and Georgian crescents is a photographer's dream.

This is the weir by the Pultney Bridge on the river Avon which runs through Bath.  One of our favorite photo ops.

Even if the weather isn't always sunny...it IS England, you know!
I recently read a travel diary of an ex pat Brit who lives in So California. She loves coming and visiting the far west of the Olympic Peninsula Hoh rain forest and small town of Forks (of Twilight fame) because she said the rain, mist and greenness of the rain forest there reminds her of what she misses of England in California!

This is a Georgian Crescent. Built during the rain of George III and George IV in the Regency period depicted in Jane Austen's books.

One of our favorite landmarks for tea in Bath is Sally Lunn's by Pultney Bridge.

Sally Lunn's is famous for her soft, slightly sweet Sally Lunn bun which we often have.

This is a split Sally Lunn with clotted cream and lemon curd, and below is Sally Lunn's with jam and clotted cream from 2 of our visits.

Another famous place in Bath with great tea opportunities is the famous Roman Baths and Pump Room. The hot, spring fed mineral baths were first built by the Romans. By the Regency they were reputed to heal all manner of ills and were visited to bathe or drink the waters...which are quite nasty sulphurous and bitter to taste. 

The pump Room became a place for the quality to meet, flirt and make plans for social engagements. You had to be approved before you could be introduced to other members and before you could be invited to attend the social gatherings by the Master Of Ceremonies. There is a great example of this in the movie version of Persuasion with Anne Elliott and Lady Russell promenading in the Pump Room.

This is one of the decorative fountains providing the mineral water. The spouts are fish.  We tried it the first visit, but not again. Like our first visit to Ashland, Oregon and their  mineral springs, one taste is quite enough, thank you!

The Pump Room has a wonderful tea service. The only drawback, is it is quite busy during tourist season, and with the wood floors and stone walls is actually quite noisy. The acoustics are wonderful for the concerts given in the evenings though. Here is a Pump Room Afternoon Tea server. We couldn't eat it all! But is was excellent!

Now that you have a feel for Bath, you will understand my joy in coming across this quote from the mystery novel above, pictured at the top of the post. Betcha thought I'd forgotten!!!!

"Oh, do look, David! There's a MacDonald's here now! All done up in the local stone, but definitely a hamburger joint, here in Bath. What WOULD Jane Austen have said? Or her characters? Think how sarcastic Mr. Knightley would have been, or Mr. Darcy!"

"Oh, but think," David replied, "how Lydia and Kitty Bennett would have loved it! Hanging out at MacDonald's would have been so much more fun than trailing into Merryton to catch a glimpse of the militia!"

I hope you will join the wonderful blogs below, especially Sandi at Rose Chintz Cottage for her Anne Of Green Gables Tea on July 9th.

Common Ground ~ http://commonground-debrasvintagedesigns.blogspot.com

Monday Marketplace

Terri~  http://artfulaffirmations.blogspot.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday

Trisha~  http://sweetology101.blogspot.com/ 
Tea Party Tuesday

Sandi  ~  http://sandimyyellowdoor.blogspot.com

Teatime Tuesday

Kathy~  http://blissfulrhythm.blogspot.com
Victoria - A Return to Loveliness

Martha~  http://www.marthasfavorites.com/ 
Teacup Tuesday 

Ruth  ~ http://timewasantiquesfamily.blogspot.com

Tuesday Cuppa Tea

Angela  http://teawithfriends.blogspot.com/

Tea With Friends

Miss Kathy ~ http://thewritersreverie.blogspot.com/

Celia ~ http://attitudeivlife.blogspot.com/  Afternoon Tea

Wanda Lee ~ http://theplumedpen.blogspot.com/

 Tuesday Teatime 

Bernideen’s ~ http://bernideensteatimeblog.blogspot.com/

Friends Sharing Tea Wednesday

Ivy And Elephants ~http://ivyandelephants.blogspot.com/

What’s It Wednesday