Two tiered tea
(High tea in Kelvingrove Park: Glasgow, UK)
This is afternoon tea, Glasgow style; scones with jam, vanilla cupcakes and assorted sandwiches – not necessarily consumed in that order. Last week, Ying and I traipsed over to a café, ‘An Clachan’* at the very edge of the park. Afternoon tea is a rare occurrence for me, and we made short work of the food. British afternoon tea usually consists of well, a pot of tea, firstly. There are always sandwiches cut into triangles – often salmon, ham, cheese or cucumber (though I like to have something else in cucumber sandwiches, otherwise it’s just water in bread really). Scones are a must and so is the jam. One can assume that butter will also be provided, but cream is not always offered. I personally feel that although I will make use of cream if provided, it’s a bit too indulgent, especially if butter is also involved. Then again, isn’t afternoon tea rather indulgent by definition? Then there’s the fourth element, the ‘sweet’. In some places, they leave the choice to the customer, but in this case, it was a simple iced vanilla cupcake. More often than not it can be an empire biscuit, slice of cake or wedge of fruit loaf; whatever that particular establishment supplies. The best part is the presentation, I love these two tiered ceramic cake stands, they’re so evocative of elderly ladies with bubble perms and aprons, doilies and cut flowers. Afternoon tea without them isn’t really afternoon tea at all. I mean the stands, not the elderly ladies…
You can see that right outside the front doors there are a few scattered tables for those customers braver than us, followed by a well appointed children’s playground. As we sat munching these delicacies, the equipment was crawling with youngsters, each with hat and mittens, chasing each other around and all over it. It’s both surprising and lovely that Kelvingrove is utilised all year round, not particularly dependant on weather, it feels like a real community base that everyone has a part in. Visually though, the park is barren in a way that only a crushing winter like this one can manage. Usually I can identify some different species of tree, but now they are no longer oaks or beeches but witches hair or broken limbs. I don’t know them without their leaves, without their trademarks, they are unrecognisable shadows of their summer selves.
* I looked this term up as it is obviously a Scottish Gaelic word. For interested parties, it basically means a small settlement with amenities.
– Today Rosie is going to the dentist in Glasgow, UK –
jealous!!!