St. Andrews, Scotland: Teas, tees and Celebri-ties

Enjoying a pot of Earl Grey at vintage hotel overlooking the Old Course at St. Andrews

"The rain seemed to never go away this past weekend in Scotland, which shortened the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship to a 54-hole event." (SB.Nation, October 10, 2023).

We know this personally to be true - we were there and we were drenched. But, it was not a complete "washout".  While getting soaked by torrential rain, we also soaked in the history and aura of the oldest golf course in the world, St. Andrews.

Chris at the 18th hole of St. Andrew's Old Course. Pro-Am tournament delayed.

Soggy, but undeterred, we not only trod on the historic grounds of the Old Course, but spotted a celebrity whizzing by as a VIP passenger on a fast-moving golf cart.  Then, we capped off the afternoon inside the Rusacks dining room enjoying pots of Earl Grey with spectacular views of the legendary links. 

Chris on the border of St. Andrews - North Sea and Golf Museum in the background

Our journey began at the Golf Museum that borders the North Sea and St. Andrews. Here we learned that the original stick-and-ball game became popular in Scotland in the 15th century. Two versions evolved:  the first, a short game played in enclosed streets and churchyards using home-made clubs and balls; the second, a long game played by the gentry that used elegant (and expensive) equipment suited for playing in open parklands or coastal links. While the former died out, the latter continued to grow and flourish with the enthusiasm and support of politicians and elites.

Scottish royals played golf, but banned their subjects from playing. It was felt that the game distracted them from practicing their long bow skills, which were much needed for battle. It would be a few more centuries before company golf leagues replaced the archers needed to defend headquarters. 

Early golf balls made of stitched leather filled with feathers

On display at the museum were some of the very early versions of golf balls. They were made of stitched leather filled with feathers. They flew about 200 yards, but were easily damaged and went soft in the rain. (They'd wouldn't have had a chance the weekend of our visit.)

Chris takes the putting challenge.

The pressure is real.

An added interactive attraction at the museum is the Championship Putt challenge. The stage is set for an uphill putt, but with the simulated pressure (via video countdown and crowd bellows) of the championship at stake, one gets to hit the ball with choice of putter, ranging from ancient to modern (Chris selected an "in between") and await the results. Chris sunk the ball and the crowd cheered. (Thankfully, no virtual reality rain or wind gusts accompanied the experience).

Success and the crowd cheers!

From the museum, we walked the border of the Old Course, in brutal slanting rain and wind. Not only was the liquid sunshine pelting down, but gale winds were so fierce, our umbrellas were inverting and it was a struggle to walk forward. It was also a challenge to stop and take pictures without getting hit with a purse strap or wrist-tethered bumpershoot. 

In this climate, not surprisingly, the famed Alfred Dunhill Links Championship was delayed during our visit. This tournament is a Pro-Am challenge, so we were on the lookout for celebrities in the midst of unrelenting rain. On the treacherous trek to the Pro Shop to pick up a few souvenirs, in a passing, speeding golf cart, I saw a familiar, cheerful face framed with wildly flying white hair. Bill Murray! I was positive it was him, but by the time I got my phone out to snap a photo, the cart was too far away to capture the evidence.

Bill Murray in the golf cart way down the path???

However, once inside the Pro Shop, I mentioned to the manager, who was ringing up our assortment of logo loot, that I thought I saw Bill Murray a few minutes ago. He only responded with a polite "oh?" But one of the young clerks comically poked her head around the counter, clearly out of her boss' peripheral vision, and shook her head "yes" to affirm my celebrity sighting. I knew it!

Rusacks overlooking the Old Course

Earl Grey never tasted so good.

What was left to do after fighting all the elements and catching a passing glimpse of Bill Murray? It had to be tea time, of course. We found refuge at Rusacks, a charming 19th-cenutry hotel on the edge of the Old Course. We scored a lovely table overlooking the links, and ordered two pots of tea. Truly, Earl Grey never tasted better or was more welcomed. 

Despite the weather, a great tea and tee experience.

To the timeless saying, "into every life, some rain must fall" we add: while it may delay a tournament, it needn't hamper tea time or tee time history. . . or a close encounter with Nick the Lounge Singer. 

 

A UK road trip from Southampton to St. Andrews includes all our favorites: Tea and tee times, Jane Austen, Bridgerton, Downton Abbey, Castles and Family!

A UK road trip from Southampton to St. Andrews, 40 years in the making

We just wrapped up a two-week road trip in the U.K. that, one might say, was forty years in the making. This month, my husband, Chris, and I, celebrated our fortieth wedding anniversary driving over 1,400 miles around England and Scotland, stopping at "wish list" destinations and, the icing on the cake, (or as we prefer  to say here at BTS, the clotted cream upon the scone), meeting up with family for a few days in middle of our stay for even more celebration.

But, how best to describe all the highlights? Well, as one of our tour guides in Bath told us, with the appropriate amount of condescension, Americans tend to say the same three words: awesome, interesting and really? Maybe I fall prey to such stereotypes, as I can tell you all, this two-week UK vacation WAS awesome and interesting. Really!

First stop, Windsor Castle

In future blogs, I'll detail some of the castles, tearooms, tours, restaurants and other historic venues we visited, but for today, just a smattering of our road trip adventures.

As noted, we'd been planning this trip for some time. Chris and I had both been to England four times before, three times together. Chris first came to England with his buddy back in 1975 and they biked across the country for two months. Fast forward to 2011, I accompanied our daughter Rachel to London a week before her six-week study-abroad (through MSU) started. 

"Becky's Cottage" in Crawley, where Chris and fellow biker, stayed a few nights in 1975

Along the way, with family and friends, we have hit many of the "must-see" places like The Tower of London, Stonehenge and Harrods, but this year, we wanted to explore more via rental car and cozy inns. Chris had his set of desired stops, as did I, and then there was a hefty overlap in our Venn diagram of venues.  Actually, I think we'd agree, most fell into the latter category.

But before I list off the premium choices, a few words to the wise who may be planning a similar sojourn. First, the driving takes a little getting used to -  the Brits using the other side of both the road and car. My husband mastered the roundabouts quickly, but the parking lots are a whole new set of treachery. They are tiny, narrow and places of cutthroat competition. Pack your patience along with your suitcases.

Driving on the other side, narrow roads

Driving side where passengers sit in US.

The other item worth noting, if you are taller than me (just shy of 5'5") and staying outside standard Hilton or Holiday Inn accommodations, watch your head.  Chris has a few battle scars atop from a couple of unforgiving low-beamed ceilings. Many of the pubs and inns were built several centuries ago, when being my height would have been viewed as "statuesque".  

Watch your head if you are taller than me. Some beams do have some protective cushioning.

So, with keys in hand, and a loosely structured itinerary, we hit the "other side of the road" with a quick stop at Windsor Castle before heading to Southampton. Here we located the small village of Crawley and the charming cottage, with a William Thackery connection, that Chris and his buddy stayed in for a few nights back in 1975. 

Staying at Austen home in Bath

Tea at the Pump Room

After that, we were onward to Bath for three days of Jane Austen/Bridgerton immersion. And, speaking of abodes with literary connections, Chris and I stayed at No. 4 Sydney Place, a one-time residence of the Austen family. We also had tea at the Pump Room and had a Bridgerton tour of filming locations where I, without the appropriate amount of humility, am excited to report, won first place in the Bridgerton Triva Quiz. (I summoned up a ton on the ton). 😉

Bridgerton Tour 

From Bath, we headed to the Peak District, staying at a working farm, and taking a walk to town in true Lizzy Bennet form (a mile in muddy terrain, leaving the hems of my garments rather unbecoming). 

Peak district, B & B on working farm

Walk to down, messy but like Lizzy B.

But, the peak of the trip was not just in the countryside.  We met up with our New York couple, son and partner, Matt and Jenna, in the lake district. The sole purpose of this location was to dine at a three star Michelin restaurant, featured in a movie we saw in 2010. It was -well, okay, it really was- awesome.

Meeting up with our NY family at fancy restaurant in the Lake District.

Next up, was Edinburgh with our favorite New Yorkers, where we stayed for two nights just off the Royal Mile. We began with a 17th century underground city tour and ended with a visit to the castle on the hill, hitting as many fashionable woolen merchants and Scottish pubs as possible, treating ourselves to haggis and my newly acquired three favorite words: sticky toffee pudding. Oh, and one incredible tea room (more on that to come!).

Two days of shops, tours and sticky toffee pudding!

We then dropped off Matt and Jenna at the Edinburgh airport (as they were concluding their two week stay in Europe as well), and drove north to St. Andrews, for, yes, you guessed it, tea and tee times.

Elegant afternoon tea in Edinburgh

Unfortunately, weather did not permit us to walk much of the "old course" once we arrived at the famed golf venue. The celebrity golf tournament scheduled that weekend was delayed for a few days, but I did spot one on a passing golf cart.  However, tea time was not to be postponed. We found a vintage hotel dining room that overlooked the golf course, and we had a tasty, and very welcomed, pot of piping hot Earl Grey.

St. Andrews, rain and wind on 18

Tea time not delayed 

Leaving the rain and wind behind, we headed back to England, this time to explore areas in Yorkshire. We found two villages where Chris' ancestors lived, learned about the "mouse man" furniture maker from Kilburn (and purchased a tea trivet with his signature trademark) and made the trek to Harewood House. The latter was the home of Princess Mary with a bit of Downton Abbey ties (and a few surprises we'll be sharing in our future DA tea talks!).

Store and museum near our B & B in Kilburn with "mouse man" furniture

In our final few days in the UK, we parked in London and shopped and dined, and revisited a favorite "must see", Harrods, getting in one last cream tea before our flight home. Back to the land of appropriately-sized doorways and spacious parking lots, but, sadly, the mushrooming of roundabouts, which I think should stay across the pond. 

Harewood House, once home of Princess Mary with Downton Abbey ties

Aside from the few challenges, which truly didn't take much navigating, this trip, forty years in the making was, to shed some tired American descriptors and borrow from the land of our recent stay, positively brilliant! 

Our last cream tea at Harrods before returning home.

Another string of words we are fond of at BTS is "stay tuned". We'll be featuring different UK adventures worthy of their own blog story in upcoming blog stories.

Cinematic Couture at Somerset Mall: A serendipitous visit reunites us with Jane Austen costumes (and more!)

A bit of "serindipi-tea" brought us to another great costume exhibit at Somerset Mall

With less than a fortnight before we leave on our own Jane Austen adventure across the pond, we connected once again with costumes from the screen adaptions of "Pride and Prejudice" and "Emma" as we had over a decade ago at Somerset Mall. Although this wasn't a planned outing, and I was without my daughter and BTS Marketing and Ops Manager, Rachel, it was a worthwhile experience to take in this exhibit featuring over forty costumes, spanning forty years, of period dramas.  And, while Jane Austen films are well represented, they aren't the only ones featured in the "Cinematic Couture" collection.

Gwyneth Paltrow's Emma  (left)

Anna Taylor Joy's Emma

In a serendipitous adventure, or as we at BTS prefer to call it, "a bit of serendipi-tea", I had a regularly scheduled hair appointment this weekend with my favorite stylist, Mari, at the third floor salon in Somerset. While adding a bit of color to a few grey tresses, Mari asked if I had seen the costume display on the first floor.  I hadn't - at least this year. In fact, it was so long ago that I wasn't in need of Mari's color magic.

Barb next to Mr. Darcy's coat

Rachel points to Kiera Knightly's "The Duchess"

In 2010, Rachel and I planned a trip to Somerset Mall to see another costume display, this time, the focus was on wedding dresses from period movies  (see our blog: And the Oscar for the best Austen bride goes to. . .).  While the highlight for me was having such close proximity to Mr. Darcy's jacket, worn by the handsome figure of Colin Firth, what struck us both was the very petite sizes of most of the dresses. 

 "The Duchess" costumes - another Kiera Knightly dress in current exhibit

While there is no suit coat of the quintessential Mr. Darcy in the current display, there are still many gowns worn by women portraying Austen's leading ladies. Viewers can compare the dresses worn by both Gwyneth Paltrow as well as Anna Taylor-Joy's in their respective portrayals of "Emma".

The outfit of another imposing Austen character, Lady Catherine de Bourgh, is also featured. Worn by Judi Dench in the 2005 version of Pride and Prejudice, the director, Joe Wright, as noted in the exhibit, worked with costume designer, Jaqueline Durran, to adjust the fashions to a slightly earlier era than the novel's publication date of 1813. Wright found the empire style "very ugly", so looked to the time Austen finished her first draft, 1797.  At that time, the waist was lower and closer fitting which Wright found much more attractive. 

Bette Davis' dress (far right) from "Death on the Nile" (1978) is one of the oldest costumes on display.

And, while there are no gowns of Kiera Knightly as Elizabeth Bennet in the same 2005 "Pride and Prejudice", she is not forgotten. Two different dresses worn by Knightly in "The Duchess" were on view:  one in the 2010 exhibit and another in the current display.

Other period films in "Cinematic Couture" range from as far back as 1978's "Death on the Nile" (dresses of both Bette Davis and Angela Lansbury) to as recent as 2021's "The Electric Life of Louis Wain" (costume of "The Crown" actress, Clair Foy).

A recent add to the collection, dress worn by Claire Foy in "The Electric Life of Louis Wain" 

Kate Millea,  General Manager of The Somerset Collection, quoted in The Detroit Free Press (Julie Hinds/September 12) referred to "Cinematic Couture" as "reatailtainment", a mix of retail and entertainment.  The exhibit comes from Cosprop, a renowned London costume house, which was also responsible for previous displays at Somerset, including the bridal dresses Rachel and I viewed in 2010.

The Free Press article notes that with the popularity of recent blockbusters, "Oppenheimer" and "Barbie", there's a renewed excitement about going to the movies. It's a great time to connect with the costumes that contribute almost as much to the story as the writers and actors.

With that in mind, I'm thinking, could there a be a Barbie fashions experience on the horizon? If so, I'll surely plan to attend in advance - leaving less to serendipity and, surely, much more to Mari. 

The Cinimatic Couture on display at Somerset until October 1

Cinematic Couture  is currently on display at The Somerset Collection's North Grand Court and runs until October, 1, 2023.

It's Shark Week at BTS: Review of Broadway's 'The Shark is Broken'

The set of "The Shark is Broken" on its opening night on Broadway

It's shark week, my friends, at BTS.

Like Discovery Channel's shark-themed week in July, we at Barb's Tea Service are carving up some time this month to devote to this amazing big fish. Our inspiration:   "The Shark is Broken",  a play we saw on its opening night on Broadway last month.

Accompanied by our NY family, getting ready to see the story of behind-the-scenes of "Jaws"

"The Shark is Broken" is based on the experience of the three main actors - Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw - during the filming of "Jaws". Stuck daily for hours, over a span of nine weeks-plus, on a boat just off the shores of Martha's Vineyard, the three men battle fatigue, egos, boredom and each other while they wait for the big star of the movie, the mechanical shark, to be repaired. It's also a story about the bonds of father and sons: the sometimes-complicated relationship between grand expectations and being all too human. And, Ian Shaw, the play's co-author and featured actor, knows that story intimately. He's the son and striking look-alike of English actor/writer Robert Shaw.  

Celebrating BTS Shark Week with Shark is Broken souvenirs and shark steeper

An experience familiar to many fellow Boomers, I encountered "Jaws" in high school, first the Peter Benchley novel and, soon after, Spielberg's blockbuster movie adaptation.  Incredibly, almost fifty years later, it continues to play a major role in pop culture. When we hear someone hum the familiar opening back-and-forth notes of John William's movie score, we know trouble is brewing.

It also gave us the perfect phrase for when we've underestimated a project.

So, to get a  "peek behind the curtain" is a real treat for those of us who know the movie. "The Shark is Broken" tells us that, perhaps, the biggest drama of "Jaws" took place off-screen. 

And, now to tea. My plan was to steep some newly gifted tea in my recently purchased shark-shaped steeper. Alas, today I require more of the tea blend than originally thought.

I'm gonna need a bigger teapot.

 

One of the finest museums I've ever MET: New York's Metropolitan Museum of Art is filled with treasures - Egyptian artifacts, Frank Lloyd Wright designs, Gilded Age-everything and Teapots!

Teapot exhibit in the British Gallery of the Met (my happy place)

New York is filled with many fine museums and, although I've been to several - and some a few times over - in my HMHO,  the ultimate is The Metropolitan Museum of Art, aka "The Met". It has several floors filled with paintings, ancient artifacts, period rooms, Gilded Age everything and, in the BTS world, the ultimate:  a grand teapot exhibit.

When we last visited The Met a few years ago, I headed straight for the American Wing which houses not only portraits of the Gilded Age, but actual rooms and furniture from that era. En route to the Worhsam-Rockefeller Dressing Room (from a home built on New York's West 54th Street in 1850), I admired some of the furnishings from another great Gilded Age titan, William K. Vanderbilt.

William H. Vanderbilt's desk

Rockfeller dressing room 

This summer's visit, accompanied by husband, Chris, our son, Matt, and his partner, Jenna, we hit some of the family's favorites, including the Egyptian Exhibit, the Frank Lloyd Wright room and the British Gallery. The former is where Chris walked like, yes, an Egyptian and the latter is the home to the multitude of teapots on display. 

Chris, in the Egyptian Exhibit, walking like, yes, an Egyptian

According to The Met's website, the museum, a creation of several influential Americans including lawyer John Jay, opened in 1870 at its first Manhattan location. That same year, the museum acquired its first object, a Roman sarcophagus, and added 174 European paintings.

The Met's Egyptian collection is the largest outside of Cairo

After a brief move to another location, The Met finally settled in at its current location on Fifth Avenue and 82nd Street. Since then, both its collections and its structure have expanded. While adding to its vast assortment of paintings and ancient artifacts (its Egyptian collection contains 26,000 objects, the largest assemblage of Egyptian art outside of Cairo), it's added wings and updates. The Beau Arts facade and great hall, unveiled in 1902, were designed by grand architect of the Gilded Age and museum trustee, Richard Morris Hunt. (Biltmore and Marble House were just two of the homes he designed).

Staircase by Stanford White, Gilded Age architect and now featured in HBO's  The Gilded Age

Stanford White, another famous Gilded Age architect and now featured in the HBO series, The Gilded Age, is also represented at The Met.  His firm's work is showcased in the stair hall from the stately Buffalo home of Erzella Stetson Metcalfe.  White was the lead designer and the staircase, with its carved oak and cherry woodwork, per The Met, "reveal his genius for intermingling disparate decorative sources into a coherent whole".  (Just as I suspected!).

Matt and Jenna in the living room designed by Frank Lloyd Wright

However, Gilded Age architects aren't the only ones on display at The Met. Frank Lloyd Wright, a favorite of Matt and Jenna's, also gets his due. Quite different from the ornate and ostentatious designers of the late 19th century, Wright's work emphasized simplicity and natural beauty, embodied in the "Prairie Style". The Frank Lloyd Wright living room at The Met was once part of a Minnesota summer home. As noted by The Met, the windows were a point of contention between architect and client. A compromise was met; a little less intricate leaded glass in the lower panes to allow for better lake views. (I don't think there'd be a wrong answer, only "Wright" ones 😜)

Van Gogh's Cyprus, current exhibit at The Met

And, bonus, a special Van Gogh exhibit was taking place while we were there: Van Gogh's Cyprus. Our second special VG immersion in the span of a year. 

Chippendale tea table in the British Gallery

But, back to that British Exhibit filled with teapots. The assembled items and art span the time between 16th and 20th centuries. There are Chippendale tea tables to be viewed along with Georgian goblets, Wedgwood jasperware and teapots made of silver, pewter and porcelain, in all sizes and shapes. A happy place to be, indeed.

Part of the teapot collection

Jasperware at The Met

So many tea things and references. These fascinating items will be subjects for future blogs. In the meantime, I'll be enjoying a souvenir from this amazing museum:  The Met's own "Taste of British History" tea blend from Harney & Sons. While my husband may be walking like an Egyptian, I'll be drinking like a Brit while remembering my delightful visit to The Met.