Afternoon Tea Etiquette - Presentation Style!

The Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club is a fast growing clay shooting and cake loving club. What more needed to be said before I would say yes to joining their first annual conference to talk?! I would like to thank Victoria Knowles-Lack, the organiser and "Head Girl" for the club (and amazing events hostess to boot) for inviting me to speak at her very first conference. This lady is more than inspiring, she has done the shooting world proud, introducing women to shooting and helping them with advice and tools to get them into a serious (and male-dominated) world. It was very exciting to be a small part of it all and I would do it again in a heartbeat. Even dogs were welcome at this event and it was very surreal to see a little Chihuahua and a Cocker Spaniel wandering around, but I loved this, as a dog owner myself, I can't say I've ever been to a dog friendly conference before. This addictively enthusiastic and affordable club is on a real mission to get thousands of women involved in clay shooting and everybody is genuinely welcome to join them. In fact, I wasn't the only novice there on the day, there was an interesting mix of members and levels of experience so I was in great (and extremely welcoming) company. Off I hopped to Wales on the the Midland Expressway, which actually sounds so exotic doesn't it?! Like route 66, but in the UK, no?... In all seriousness, considering this was a Saturday morning, I had a pleasant and peaceful journey on a quiet route with the radio playing some fab songs to get me in the mood, I even managed to pick up a Birmingham-based Rock station en route, I was a happy camper. It's always nice to see a mountain or two in front of you as you arrive at a venue, it's been a long time since I saw one of those! One of the talks on the day actually had us all educated as well as highly entertained, simply titled "The seven deadly sins - how to lose your shotgun license", which was hilarious and hosted by Bill Harriman, known for his expertise and his work with BBCs Antiques Roadshow. He was also joined by the clever, but entertaining Peter Glenser, a Barrister at 9 Bedford Row, London. He specialises in firearms licensing, firearms related crime, courts-martial proceedings and other serious criminal matters. They discussed importantly the main reasons and ways to lose your license and talked about some very interesting cases that they had dealt with over the years when it came to people and their guns - I'm now officially scared of my gun-loving friends to say the very least! Bill had also mentioned that never in his work life had he given a talk where he was dealing with girls called "Head Girl" and "Glitzy Tits"... these ladies have a wicked sense of humour as well as a love for cake, I loved them so much for their nicknames alone. Cheryl Hall also gave a talk on her experiences in the shooting world and she was so inspiring to hear even as a non shooter to see such a career driven woman is doing so well not only in her job, but in her shooting career too. Having won various titles over the last few years, she has also trained at an Olympic level and was a very interesting lady to hear speak, just amazing and made me personally feel proud to be a women, even if I don't get on my feminist soap box too regularly, I could have genuinely listened to her for hours. One of the speakers, Phil Coley talked about training in the shooting world (His "Simple steps for success") but I actually listened to him in a business sense, listening to him talking about how people learn was interesting as it could in fact be applied to anything you learn, not just shooting, it was genuinely interesting to consider. You could be one of the following when it comes to learning a new skill (which are you?!): An Activist - Learning by doing Likes to shoot a number of targets many times (Or likes to do a task many times to get it right) A Pragmatist - Learning by trying ideas Likes to try different methods of shooting styles (Or likes to try different methods for completing a task to get it right) A Reflector - Learning by discussion Will question and visualise A Theorist - Learning through structure Structured target presentation information (Or learning through structured procedures) And after so much intriguing information, of which I wasn't expecting to take in from this event, it was time for some tea (in vintage china cups with mis-matching saucers no less!) and my talk on "Afternoon Tea Etiquette" complete with a Powerpoint presentation, all I needed was a laser to point at slides with and I could have been talking to an auditorium of serious students... although I'm glad I wasn't haha. I waffled for a good 40 minutes on the "Do's and Don'ts" of afternoon tea and how to be the perfect guest next time these ladies and gents had their own afternoon tea pit-stop at a shoot. Thanks to the lovely Debbie Wallwork and her fabulous photo shoot (and to my models, loved that day, it was great fun!) we had conducted especially for this event, we had some chuckle-worthy photos to show off the visuals and I (think that I) educated them with some history and fun elements of our favourite mealtime. In fact, afterwards I was approached by a lady who said that her husband had wanted to go home before my talk, but they stayed on as she had wanted to hear me. She said that he was so glad they had stayed as even he enjoyed my talk, hurrah, great feedback indeed - I was thrilled! Bill (off of the Antiques Roadshow) had also come up to me for a natter afterwards and was extremely encouraging about my passion, with some great books to take a look at later on. He had also asked me in my Q&A after my talk if wiping his hand on his mouth was a big no no, of which I did say was true. HOWEVER, I have since learnt that men would indeed once upon a time do this at afternoon tea, as they saw napkins as too feminine and ridiculous for their manly stature. Women would have once carried a handkerchief around with them, just in case napkins were not available to them, so there would be something to dab their mouth with, however men would forgo this to use what nature intended. So, Bill... if you are reading this, I take back my ticking off, you are indeed free to wipe your jam and cream from your mouth with your hand, I give you (quiet and amused) permission ; ) Throughout the day they had also run a "Bake Off" style cake competition, with an array of cakes over a very long table, I was in my own cakey heaven, however my current diet says no to cake (shocking, I know!) so I was a very good girl and just sniffed them instead - they all looked amazing and prizes were given out at the end of the day including rosettes and little "Top Bird" trophies, it was brilliant! On Victoria's itinerary for the day along with her notes to her helpers (of which I spotted whilst setting up my table ready for my talk) I couldn't help but notice the final line on her to do list... "All Done girls - Let's have a piece of cake, pack up and head to the pub" - I couldn't agree more, it was well deserved. Now to see if these ladies remember their manners next time they have afternoon tea at their respective clubs up and down the country.... or if they invite me to host a physical afternoon tea etiquette lesson if all else fails... in fact, not just the ladies, the men could do with some manners instilling too! http://misssueflay.com/workshops-consultation http://shotgunandchelseabunclub.co.uk http://www.debbiewallwork.com For my full Facebook photo album for this event, please click here.

Helping At The Cake & Bake Show - Come & Say Hello!

As co-hosts of the Cambridge Clandestine Cake Club, Deepa & I will be joining some other members as well as the creator of this fantastic national cake club, Lynn Hill, at London's Earls Court on Saturday 14th September 2013. The CCC stand will be there from the 13th - 15th September, so do go and say hello to Lynn and the team and wave at me if you see me there on the Saturday, it would be great to meet some fellow foodies whilst there. I went to the Cake & Bake Show last year in London and it was all a little too much about cupcakes and sugar craft for me, however their team took these sort of comments on board and have a much more varied line up this year as a result, this is fantastic to hear and I am genuinely excited to not only be going along as a guest, but to be helping out on a stand on the day I'm visiting too. There will be demos, book signings, live interviews and even a competition theatre this year, it looks a lot bigger to say the very least. We will be on the CCC stand chatting to cake lovers, helping to judge a little competition that Lynn is running and to help recruit the next wave of members for our clubs across the country, it's very exciting indeed. The CCC team were up at the Cake & Bake Show in Manchester earlier in the year and the "for fun" competition on that particular weekend was judged by Peter Sidwell, co presenter of Britain's Best Bakery who will be joining us in London to help taste the entries again. The cakes on display even enticed the likes of Eric Lanlard, Dan Lepard, Mich Turner (from Little Venice Cake Company), Natasha Stringer and Brendan Lynch, both from the Great British Bake Off. So, who knows what (or who) Earls Court will bring to the stand?!... If you are coming along to the Cake & Bake Show on any of the days, you must enter this fabulous cake competition, of which has some amazing prizes from the likes of Yorkshire Tea, Lakeland and Squires Kitchen. Click here for more on this. And if you weren't planning on coming along, but now you want to, Lynn is also giving away 5 sets of tickets for this event, just visit her website here to learn more. Hopefully we will see you there! http://clandestinecakeclub.co.uk http://thecakeandbakeshow.co.uk/london

The Lost Art Of Etiquette With Miss Sue Flay - Festivals & Open Air Concerts

With inhibitions thrown to the wind and potential tiredness, sweatiness and general dirtiness looming at a festival or open air concert, it's very easy for your good manners and common courtesy to be left behind, but it's important to be aware of others around you whilst having fun. There are no real rules "set in stone" for this topic, however, as a lover of gigs and festivals myself, I sometimes come across arrogance that will make me want to walk away rather than get into a fight personally, as I'm sure many others do. So how to behave? Read the rules before booking, or at least, before arriving and follow them. Most festivals will now have a detailed website or ticket information sheet detailing how to dispose of your litter, how to behave at the campsite and what not to do around the main stages and show areas. I am experiencing "The Secret Garden Festival" in Huntingdon for the very first time this weekend and it's simple rules to make for a pleasant life whilst partying both on their website and in their programme are easy to follow and purely common sense. Adhere to them to make life easier for the organisers AND your fellow guests! Live in the moment. These experiences can sometimes be once in a lifetime opportunities, with the rare guest appearance thrown in for good measure, lord knows we all get more than excited when Alice Cooper makes an appearance at a Foo Fighters gig (Or that may just be me!) but don't stand there on your phone and film it. Firstly, if you had read the rules, you will most likely have read that they ask you NOT to film any of the show as a general known rule. But this also gets in the way of the people around you and it's more than irritating - enjoy the here and now. Also turn your phone off, nobody wants to hear you explaining to your mum who Faithless are whilst trying to shout over their set - would it really hurt to switch off and recharge your batteries as well as the phones? This also goes for umbrellas. Don't stand in the middle of a large crowd and pop up your brolly for a little drizzle. Plenty of people around you will be tutting and detesting you for it. On the plus side of bringing it down, your hair will get a natural wash - win win. Don't be that "dancing diva" that digs elbows into everybody, bumps into dozens of people surrounding you and hopping around stepping on toes. Judge where you are would be my best advice, as if you are about to launch yourself into a mosh pit, I don't think your fellow ravers will care that you are jumping up and down somehow! However, if you are at a classical open air concert for example, stand at the back away from the seated guests to dance so that you don't spoil their viewing pleasure. You can't shout at people for having fun. One of the comedians at the SGP said just last night; " It's only at a festival that you will see a successful business executive wearing elf ears and a bushy fox tail shooting a cheap plastic pistol full of vodka into his mouth for 2 days before heading back to London to balance accounts for £millions" - it's very true and if that's how somebody wants to enjoy their weekend, unless they are harming you in some way, cannot be told off I'm afraid. If you need to ask somebody to not do or say something, the only thing you could do is to politely ask if they wouldn't mind doing said action. However, my feeling would be you may be subject to a rude barrage of rude comments back at worst, so just move away if it bothers you & let them have fun. If it's a family affair, again, you can't expect children not to be enjoying themselves. My advice would be not to go to a family festival or gig if you know you will get annoyed with kids laughing and running around. For families to afford these luxuries can sometimes be tricky to balance, of course this is just my experience, as I never went to such events as a child myself, so let them enjoy it for heavens sake. If camping or staying overnight, please be hygienic. Use the portaloo and showers provided, they aren't as dirty as using the spare grass patch next to you and nobody wants to see you squatting in a bush in full view, we aren't animals you know! Brush your teeth, or at least buy yourself some of those chewy disposable toothbrushes to freshen up, it's not tricky to do and just as important as putting on deodorant when festering in a cramped field with strangers. Share the love. If somebody looks in need of one of your hundred bottles of water, offer them one. Who knows, they may help you pitch your tent or give you something in return later on. Small and random acts of kindness are always pleasant to be on the receiving end of during these events. And introduce yourself to your tent neighbours, they may well become new friends as a result, get with the "all in it together" mentality. Take your litter with you. This goes without saying really, however lazy you feel at the time, take a moment to consider your surroundings and respect the event. Don't take BBQ's or make a fire and leave a scorched mark in the grass, be considerate to these sort of elements if you are encouraged to get cooking round the campfire at your event. And don't dump used BBQs in lakes or ponds, come on, do you really need to be told this?... I thought not. The most important rules of all? Remember your manners, as if you would anywhere else in your world, enjoy it and have fun, just not at the expense of others. Happy Gigging!

REVIEW: Balzano's Delicatessen & Cafe

For some time, an old colleague of mine in my last job had been telling me to get over to Balzanos for a great cup of coffee and a bite to eat as they had recently extended their premises and were no longer just an Italian shop, but a superb coffee shop too. I knew his recommendation was a trustworthy one as his girlfriend is Italian and this is the ONLY place outside of Cambridge city centre that she will go to for a cuppa. If its good enough for her, well.... As soon as I stepped foot through the front door I knew this was a place I wasn't going to leave (and stay I did...for 3.5 hours with some of the best writing I've penned in some time!) You can just visit this family run shop, with a huge selection of fresh fruit and veg as well as pasta, gnocchi, risotto, sauces, syrups, sweets, biscuits, cakes, pastries, wines and beers, oils, teas & coffees, meat, cheeses...the list goes on and on. This is a large Italian deli and a best kept Cambridge secret...of which won't be a secret for much longer that's for sure! Their large and airy coffee shop towards the back of the shop is decorated with clean and colourful wallpaper and the most interesting light fixtures hanging from the ceiling. It has a huge communal bench, as well as smaller tables, sofas and outdoor seating in a gorgeous little suntrap at the side of the shop. It's perfect for all weather, being light and summery at this time of year, but I could see it being warm and welcoming on a rainy day too! After spending a small fortune in the shop, I ordered myself a mocha (large, which was LARGE!) and a slice of Chocolate Nutella Cake homemade on the premises. This was so moist and chocolatey, not too rich, but one slice was certainly more than plenty! The barista made my mocha lovingly, it took him a while to get the coffee art just so and he wasn't letting me have it until he was satisfied with his masterpiece...so impressive! The service is friendly, smiley staff is always nice nowadays, especially with my recent experience of a particular local deli and it's terrible customer service. The only thing I would say is one of the waitresses was a little too eager to clear away my empties and literally grabbed my coffee cup from my hand as I downed the last sip.... Saying that, it was nice not to have dirty crockery festering around me in the heat of the day, so no bad thing. The odd builder came in and asked the staff if they did takeaway sandwiches, they do, but not the sort these guys were looking for. I'm sure they get this a lot, but they answer each query with a genuine smile, no matter if they know they won't be interested. This is a place I would come back for a business meeting or with friends for a relaxed catch up, it's a Cambridge treasure and I'm just unsure why it's taken me so long to visit, they even have customer car parking at the back which is an added bonus on this busy road. They also hold cakes and pastries made by the very talented Corrine at Gourmandises and I know for certain that her macarons are to die for, having enjoyed her Buch De Noel for my Xmas Tea Party last year as well as various cakes at the Clandestine Cake Club, as she is a fellow member. The attention to detail here is inspiring, it's clean and spacious both in the shop and the coffee shop,  with freshly picked flowers on the mismatching tables and local artwork adorning the walls, it's a supportive venue, full of local suppliers and produce and it deserves our support, that's for sure. It's also said locally that at Xmas time, it's, well... Like Xmas (!) with shelves covered in boxes of panettone to rival all panettone, I just can't wait to see that for myself. For my full photo album for this venue, please click here. www.facebook.com/Balzanos

Afternoon Tea Baking Lesson at Cambridge Kitchens

I was asked to teach an afternoon tea baking lesson with Erika and her team at Cambridge Kitchens on Mill Road as part of Independent Retail Week and I leapt at the chance of trying out a new kitchen, naturally. This was a stunning kitchen, one of the best I've personally baked in, fitted with "Great British Bake Off" style Neff ovens complete with sliding doors, we were all in love with these as the afternoon went on, I must say! Erika had 10 guests booked in for this 3 hour taster workshop, where we baked my Fruit & Spice Streusel Scones and my Retro Sweetie Layer Cake fit for our very own afternoon tea table (decked out with gorgeous china to sit down and enjoy later on). I split the group into smaller subgroups and had some making the cake whilst the others perfected their scones. After a minor glitch with some forgotten almonds (my fault, idiot ; ) we got back on track and had these perfect golden scones complete with a generous sprinkle of the crunchy topping baking whilst the layer cake was cooling. Once cooled, the groups all had a go at practicing some basic icing techniques, the layer cake was assembled and decorated as a team effort, it looked fabulous. It's always a challenge to get used to a new kitchen so quickly, but it works every time. This kitchen was no different, I learn to deal with any glitches fast and yet again, perfect baking, no disasters and some full bellies once we had finished for the afternoon. I loved teaching this class, they were a great group to work with as we listened to my French baking playlist in the background.. I can't bake without music bizarrely, so on went the Spotify Playlists! We laid a table, complete with tablecloth and poured the tea for our guests whilst giving some pointers on how to eat your scone correctly as we nibbled. This was simply a tiny taster of my etiquette workshops, of which I now host at John Lewis Brasserie in Cambridge, as it's a full 2 hours worth of conversation (and then some!) to touch on everything afternoon tea based when it comes to good manners! ... My guests will just have to book a session to see what this is all about ; ) The kitchen had everything we needed, lots of space, working plug sockets in the counter tops for my KMix hand mixer & the ovens which could be used one after the other for our baking elements and a friendly team to help and clean up as we went. It was the perfect afternoon, even at 30*c outside, this air conditioned kitchen shop kept us cool as cucumbers as we baked. We were asked by some guests if we were planning more workshops together and to be honest, I would be delighted to join forces again, so if the CK team will have me back, count me in for plenty more baking adventures! You can view my full photo album for this event by clicking here. www.cambridgekitchens.co.uk

The Shotgun & Chelsea Bun Club & Etiquette Workshop

I recently read a feature in Cambridge-based "Style" Magazine about a local clay shooting club for cake-loving women. It's a national brand called "Shotgun and Chelsea Bun Club" and run by an enthusiastic lady called Victoria Knowles-Lacks and her team of gun toting women across the country at various clubs spread nationwide. The whole idea behind the club is to welcome everyone, especially absolute beginners, with a mission to get more girls involved in shooting whilst being about reputable instructors, low recoil guns, fine china and having your cake and eating it too! Being a farm girl who never quite left my own back garden, learning to shoot the odd pheasant or too, but then not having the interest at a young age to get into it with my dad, my interest has now crept back, but this could be the mention of tea and cake, I'm not sure! And now I have some exciting news to share with my readers, I am getting involved and eased into this club slowly, by offering an afternoon tea etiquette workshop for their members (and wannabe members)... I will be teaching the tea and cake lovers of this event how to set their table correctly, how to pour and stir their tea properly and hopefully entertain them with my tips and tricks for being the perfect guest or host at afternoon tea. The team are currently planning the first S&CBC Ladies Shooting Conference on the 3rd August at Harper Adams University in Shropshire. The plans have been made, the agenda has been set, the cake competition (yes, their very own "bake off" style competition will be hosted at this event, exciting!) categories have been decided and they have now announced their fabulous list of guest speakers! -Registration and trade stands- Welcome and overview of the S&CBC from Victoria  An informative talk from BASC, their work and what they can do for you The work of the CPSA, how to get involved and more -Coffee & Biscuit break- Phil Coley on Clay Shooting Success Cheryl Hall on her story and your questions Peter Glenser & Bill Harriman on 'how to lose your licence' Rachel Carrie on being a Huntress! -Lunch, trade stands from gorgeous companies such as Ali Valentine, Maude & Fox and lots more!  Cake judging- After lunch there will be the choice of these wonderful workshops (choose 2): 1.The benefits of game shooting and why you should have a go
  1.Practical gun care from a gunsmith (including misfires, gun cleaning, keeping cartridges separate etc) 2.Cartridge Master Class, which, what and why
   2.The route to competitive clay shooting with Caroline Povey -Coffee & Cake Break- 3.Game Shooting etiquette, do's & don'ts
     3.Phil Coley Clay Shooting Success workshop 4.Workshop on Tea Party Etiquette from 'Miss Sue Flay'
       4.Pigeon shooting/rough shooting seminar The lecture will finish off with closing thoughts, panel Q&A, The S&CBC mini awards and the all important cake competition! The day will be such good fun and I've been told that there a few seats left for anybody interested in coming along to this event. As my reader, you are entitled to gain a ticket for just £35 (usually £45, which includes, coffee, cake and a scrummy locally sourced lunch) should you fancy getting into a new hobby & sport. To book your tickets, please contact info@ladies-shooting.com or call Victoria on 07742793977 And hopefully I meet one or two of you there - I will be the "lady" pretending to be there for my workshop, but really trying out a gun or two for size! http://shotgunandchelseabunclub.co.uk