Hello and welcome to Tuesday Cuppa Tea! I hadn't planned to do this post, but my week went haywire when my husband ended up in emergency last Monday with an infection and necessitated several days in doctor's offices and labs instead of planned activities including a tea party. But...good news! Within 24 hours of beginning an antibiotic he began to improve...enough that we still plan on going on our overnight to Victoria, BC for Cirque du Soleil...WooHoo!!!! BUT the tea party didn't happen. So....
June 2nd, Tuesday, is the anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II...June 2, 1953...beginning the 62nd year of her reign...a record in English history, and most of the world. Congratulations Ma'am! Now on to:
Welcome to a nautical themed Tuesday Cuppa Tea! You will see why in a bit....
My teacup for this week was made in the 1930s by Gray's Pottery, England and is a combination of a black transferware sailing ship...I am calling it a tea clipper...and mulberry with copper luster.
A. E Gray began in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent in 1912 and in 1961 was taken over by Portmerion and basically ceased to exist. It made some wonderful earthenwares and ironstone, but was famous for it's transferware and luster designs.
The marks used by the pottery always included a sailing ship. For more info on the teacup on Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos. The sailing ship motifwhich is why I thought about them as I tried to decide what I could do for this week's Tuesday Cuppa Tea....because this month was a celebration of 3 Queens...
Cunard cruiselines celebrated it's 175 anniversary in month, and May 3rd all of their ships met in Southampton...Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Victoria...which doesn't happen very often....
Their website features Queen Mary 2 and their first ship, the Britannia....a sailing ship from 175 years ago. I have a soft spot for Cunard, having sailed on the Queen Mary 2 several times to and from New York and Southampton, England...and here are some of my photos from those crossings....
We sailed Queen Mary 2 out of New York Harbor heading to our annual English visit 2 weeks after Sept. 11, 2004, an anniversary of 9/11. The ship observed 5 minutes of silence as we headed past the Stautue of Liberty and out towards the Verrazanno Narrows Bridge...we were outside at the front of deck 11 where there is a viewing area...and everyone was in tears...I will never forget that few minutes....
The photo above is our closest point as we sailed by the Statue of Liberty....
Now...onto the ship. One of my favorite spaces was the Atrium, with it's huge metal sculpture of the ship in pride of place.
The interior theme is art deco, in keeping with the illustrious first Queen Mary...
The walls and elevator doors have fabulous art deco mixed metal paneling...
With directional maps and deck plans all over...which you need as the ship is a large and a bit wierd in configuration....
On this cruise we were in an oceanview, and the next year they upgraded us to a balcony...called sheltered, because it is set into the hull. We really liked it...better for the North Atlantic than a regular balcony....more protection...
Here are some of the other public rooms....
The Commodore Club at the very front of deck 9 and a great viewing area...
The library at the front of deck 8...and an interesting place during a hurricane...we crossed on one trip between 2 hurricanes with 25 foot seas....
The 2 level dining room...again with the Cunard ship motif....
But my favorite room was the Queen's Room where a lovely afternoon tea is served every afternoon....with musicians...a string quartet, pianist, etc...
The Queen's Room also host parties in the evening like the Black and White Ball...
The ship also has a planetarium called Illuminations...which is very fun...and the Royal Academy Of Dramatic Arts in London actors and students that hold acting lessons and give performances...
And of course, a pool and spa...
June 2nd, Tuesday, is the anniversary of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II...June 2, 1953...beginning the 62nd year of her reign...a record in English history, and most of the world. Congratulations Ma'am! Now on to:
Welcome to a nautical themed Tuesday Cuppa Tea! You will see why in a bit....
My teacup for this week was made in the 1930s by Gray's Pottery, England and is a combination of a black transferware sailing ship...I am calling it a tea clipper...and mulberry with copper luster.
A. E Gray began in Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent in 1912 and in 1961 was taken over by Portmerion and basically ceased to exist. It made some wonderful earthenwares and ironstone, but was famous for it's transferware and luster designs.
The marks used by the pottery always included a sailing ship. For more info on the teacup on Antiques And Teacups, click on the photos. The sailing ship motifwhich is why I thought about them as I tried to decide what I could do for this week's Tuesday Cuppa Tea....because this month was a celebration of 3 Queens...
Cunard cruiselines celebrated it's 175 anniversary in month, and May 3rd all of their ships met in Southampton...Queen Mary 2, Queen Elizabeth 2 and Queen Victoria...which doesn't happen very often....
Their website features Queen Mary 2 and their first ship, the Britannia....a sailing ship from 175 years ago. I have a soft spot for Cunard, having sailed on the Queen Mary 2 several times to and from New York and Southampton, England...and here are some of my photos from those crossings....
We sailed Queen Mary 2 out of New York Harbor heading to our annual English visit 2 weeks after Sept. 11, 2004, an anniversary of 9/11. The ship observed 5 minutes of silence as we headed past the Stautue of Liberty and out towards the Verrazanno Narrows Bridge...we were outside at the front of deck 11 where there is a viewing area...and everyone was in tears...I will never forget that few minutes....
The photo above is our closest point as we sailed by the Statue of Liberty....
Now...onto the ship. One of my favorite spaces was the Atrium, with it's huge metal sculpture of the ship in pride of place.
The interior theme is art deco, in keeping with the illustrious first Queen Mary...
With directional maps and deck plans all over...which you need as the ship is a large and a bit wierd in configuration....
On this cruise we were in an oceanview, and the next year they upgraded us to a balcony...called sheltered, because it is set into the hull. We really liked it...better for the North Atlantic than a regular balcony....more protection...
Here are some of the other public rooms....
The Commodore Club at the very front of deck 9 and a great viewing area...
The library at the front of deck 8...and an interesting place during a hurricane...we crossed on one trip between 2 hurricanes with 25 foot seas....
The 2 level dining room...again with the Cunard ship motif....
But my favorite room was the Queen's Room where a lovely afternoon tea is served every afternoon....with musicians...a string quartet, pianist, etc...
Our plates and my husband at work with scones, REAL clotted cream and English strawberry jam...very different from the American version. I actually have somewhere a recipe for Queen Mary 2 scones from the chef on the ship...which arrived in my cabin mailbox hand written...in proportions for 1,000 scones! I need to find it and try to cut it down to a more manageable size...
The Queen's Room also host parties in the evening like the Black and White Ball...
The ship also has a planetarium called Illuminations...which is very fun...and the Royal Academy Of Dramatic Arts in London actors and students that hold acting lessons and give performances...
And of course, a pool and spa...
And lots more...like the Winter Garden sunroom with rattan furniture, and Golden Lion pub...
Because we have sailed Queen Mary 2, I just loved Susan Branch's book..
A fine Romance...which starts with a similar crossing...it was like she had written about our experiences! Wonderful!
so...happy anniversary Cunard!
Thanks so much for joining me! Below is the list of some of the blog
parties I will be part of and there is the linky for your tea related
posts...please remember that it is SSSLLLOOOOOOWWWW but if you are
patient...it's there! And I love to read your comments, and can find you to
visit!
