St. David's Day Visit Post Reprise 3 Royal Ladies at Fortnum & Mason's

Hi there! It's a celebrating things Welsh, Wales and Fortnum and Mason's for St. David's Day.

St. David is the patron saint of Wales, which is a part of the United Kingdom. Prince Charles is the heir to the English throne and is called the Prince Of Wales...

In my post today, I include some parts of a post I did in 2012 which was very popular, for the Welsh National holiday of March 1st...a celebration of Saint David's Day, the patron saint of Wales.

Daffodils and Leeks are the symbols of Wales.

I didn't have a lot with a Wales theme for St. David's Day, but remembered I had this Shelley China, England rested China souvenir creamer...

The creamer features the coat of arms of Wales..so that is appropriate!

The creamer is in the Dainty shape, and is hand applied enamel colors on black transferware.

Crested China meant that it had some sort of o symbol, landmark of coat of arms. They were very popular Victorian and Edwardian souvenirs and were made by several potteries, although Shelley made the best quality items.

 

 

The mark identifies it a Wileman, which made Shelley starting a few years later. This creamer has the Rd#, or British Design Registry number for 1896, meaning that is when the design was registered, so we know it can't have been made any earlier than that.

The Foley China at the top means it was made at the Foley Pottery Wileman had in the district of Foley in Stoke-on-Trent...like Limoges isn't a specific pottery, but a city that potters worked in.

On Thursday (March 1, 2012), Queen Elizabeth II, Camilla Duchess of Cornwall and Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge went to one of my favorite places in London for tea and to dedicate a new tea room at Fortnum and Mason's on Picadilly celebrating Queen Elizabeth's Diamond Jubilee.  Because of the day they were presented with bouquets of daffodils, jonquils and narcissus.

This was the first public engagement of the 3 ladies together after William and Catherine's wedding in 2011. The occasion was the unveiling of a plaque that will hang on Fortnum and Mason's commemorating the revitalization of the area of Picadilly and the renaming of the Fortnum, & Mason tea salon as the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Tea Salon.

Fortnum & Mason for tea is always a must do for us. We stocked their wonderful tea blends when we had our actual antique shop and tea items business before going exclusively online. The company has been owned by the Weston family for over 300 years. My husband is a Weston, but pretty distant relatives of the tea part of the family. Sigh...

Fortnum and Masons has always been famous for over 200 years for their fabulous hampers or baskets that can be stocked to order with wonderful treats and were de rigeur for any type of a picnic, outing or travel. The royal ladies were each given a hamper with individually chosen goodies for the visit, many drawn form the new line of Diamond Jubilee limited edition food items  FandM created for the Queen's special year.

Catherine sampled tea and of course, the chocolates! She admitted to the tea sommelier that she needs to improve when dealing with tea leaves instead of tea bags.

Fortnum and Mason's is one of the several fab food halls in London that we go to every visit. Not only to pick up treats and have tea or find take away if we are staying in a flat, but just to marvel at the artistry of retailing like art and just to see what's there. The others are Harrods, and on a lesser scale the Marks and Sparks (Marks and Spencer's) as well. The photos here are from various visits.

 This was a display of Emma Bridgewater ironstone...a contemporary English potter I love!

 This is Burleigh Asiatic Pheasants, a famous English made pattern of transferware.

And of course, we always have tea. The tower was from a trad tea and the other is a smoked salmon plate with scones and clotted cream my husband had on one visit and I forgot to photo my Coronation Chicken with scones and clotted cream for dessert!

The photo above is from a tea time close to St. David's Day, and I don't know if you can tell, but there were Welsh Cakes along with the scones on the middle tier...

My husband had the smoked salmon appetizer as well...there are lots of choices besides the regular normal English tea menu...

I hope you enjoyed our teatime for St. David's Day!
Have a wonderful week!
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English Women's Suffrage Anniversary 100 Years

This week was an important anniversary for women in the United Kingdom...

 Suffragette tea cozy by

by Susan Cowper. For more info or to get the pattern,

click HERE

200 years ago, on February 6, 1918 the Representation Of People Act was passed, and women finally were granted the vote...

under certain circumstances....

having to be over 30 and own property.

Full voting rights took a few more years

1928 to be exact.

Emmeline Pankhurst being arrested outside Buckingham Palace in 1914

over 1300 women were arrested during the demonstrations for the vote.

 A milestone to be recognized.

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Happy 206th Birthday Charles Dickens!

Today, Feb. 7th is the 206th anniversary of Charles Dicken's birth

In 2012, for his 200th birthday celebrations, there were lots of special festivities...

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla participated in a service at Westminster Abbey in London, England today honouring one of the most famous novelists of all time. A wreath was laid on the novelist's tomb in Poets' Corner. rince Charles and Camilla then visited the Dicken's House Museum in London.

As part of the commemorative day, Dicken's novels were read in public places in nations all over the world, plays are staged and many TV reruns of plays were over several few months. Many leading actors from Dicken's productions were at the Abbey for the service.

 

Lots of china has been made with designs from Charles Dickens wonderful novels. From my archives, here is a Rosina, England teacup that was made in the 1950s to be sold at The Old Curiosity Shop in London, famed for the novel of the same name by Dickens.

I have had all sorts of pieces in the pattern. I just love it. And this is not the only Dicken's china there is:

A Lancaster & Sandland, England cheese dish from the 1920-1930s with Oliver Twist saying Oliver Twist Asks For More.

 A Sam Weller character jug from The Pickwick Papers by SylvaCeramics.

A Lancaster dish from the 1930s in purple luster that says Sairey Gamp Entertains Betsy Prig from Martin Chuzzlewitt.

Another rendering of Sairey Gamp from Martin Chuzzlewitt by New Hall pottery also from the 1930s.

And Mr. Pecksniff from Martin Chuzzlewitt also by New Hall in the 1930s. 

 

Some of these and more are available at Time Was Antiques. Just click on the photos.

 

Charles Dickens had a dramatic effect not only as a writer but as a crusader for improved conditions in England, and laterally of the world. His depictions of poverty, child labor, child crime, the workhouse and the social ills of his time were a voice for change and improvement. He lives on as a writer of incredible depth, humor and pathos...the supreme storyteller...and as a man ahead of his time in working for those who were often preyed upon in English society.

Happy Birthday Sir! 

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