Downton Abbey comes to the Townsend Hotel: Celebrating a "new era" for DA and BTS

Barb Gulley and Rachel Brown of BTS present a DA tea at The Townsend

Last Sunday, Barb's Tea Service presented a "Downton Abbey-inspired afternoon tea talk" at The Townsend, ushering in a new era for both the movie and BTS at Birmingham's luxury hotel.  Like the 1920's of the new Downton Abbey movie, we had a roaring good time at the sold out event.  We enjoyed the great tea and tea fare, the excellent customer service and getting to know the most wonderful guests in attendance.

Sold-out event the tea lobby was filled with delightful guests

Rachel and I donned our vintage dresses and "set up shop" in the beautiful Townsend afternoon tea lobby with its welcoming fireplace and glittering crystal chandeliers. After the challenging conditions of last two years, it was wonderful to be back The Townsend.  Having presented a number of Downton Abbey-inspired teas over the years at this elegant venue, it felt like we were back home, but this time with inspiration from "Downton Abbey:  A New Era" (we revealed no spoilers!) and a lot of new material from BTS.

Guests came as far as Midland and Downriver - paired with significant others or mom/daughters and a number of bffs - all coming together for fun, food and fabulous Downton Abbey. 

We shared a "scoop" with our new (and "old") friends about an upcoming BTS trip out east (will disclose more shortly!).  In turn, we learned about some tea trips our guests were planning and spilled the tea with a delightful couple who had amazing stories of their own.

DA attire changes with the era

Afternoon tea fare at The Townsend

We've been hosting teas at The Townsend since 2014 on a variety of topics -  and Downton Abbey-inspired talks for almost as long. Our dress styles have changed as Downton Abbey made its way from pre-World War I to the jazz age, but our fondness for the Crawleys and their extended families, both upstairs and downstairs, remains unwavered. 

Barb's Tea Service and Downton Abbey are ready to embrace the new era. It was truly special to celebrate it at The Townsend with its awesome guests!