Afternoon Tea Etiquette With American Women Of Surrey

I recently enjoyed a trundle down to Cobham in Surrey for a special afternoon tea etiquette event. The American Women of Surrey are a group of friendly entrepreneurs, explorers, stay-at-home mums, professionals with one thing in common - they are an international group, all looking to meet new people, make good friends and learn about their new country of residence. The group offer their members exclusive events and general networking meetings, shopping days, family get togethers and couples cocktails, all geared towards helping to welcome new families to the UK and help them to settle in with valuable information to get them acquainted with their new surroundings - they even help their members with the British lingo so as not to get confused when it comes to the old fashioned post office queue or what a jumper actually is, topics we may take for granted as Brits ourselves! As well as these sort of events, they also offer their members classes and skills sessions to help them learn new tips and tricks as they socialise. Within their events they also have the chance to buy items from local suppliers of garments, crafts, jewellery and so on, supporting local businesses by offering them stands within their regular meet ups at this hotel. I was recently invited to join this super friendly group for afternoon tea at the Hilton Hotel in Cobham, not too far from Thorpe Park in Surrey, to host a talk as a guest speaker for the ladies. It was a beautiful sunny day and I was welcomed with the warmest of smiles from the room of around 60 AWS members, offered a fantastic cup of tea to steady my nerves before I set off teaching these ladies how to behave at afternoon tea. As always, my talk was ever so slightly tongue-in-cheek, teaching this group with my ready-made presentation on how to enjoy your afternoon tea in a traditionally "British" way, advising on the best way to hold your dainty porcelain teacup & saucer, how to break your scone and how to stir your tea correctly. The Q&A session after my talk was fascinating, as we discussed within the room how everyone calls mealtimes different things such as "dinner", "tea" and "lunch" all potentially meaning the same mealtime, but can confuse the heck out of many different people any which way - it was a hilarious conversation and a very interesting topic in equal measures. After my talk, the hotel served the ladies a beautifully presented afternoon tea tier with scones and dainty cakes and they put their newly learned manners into practice whilst I mingled and had some great conversations on our favourite topic (afternoon tea) and shared notes on the best high teas within the UK. This was a brilliant day, I loved every minute and I can't thank FloraLinda and the AWS team enough for their hospitality and for inviting me along as a guest speaker for their monthly event - I'd love to join them again in the future, it was a real pleasure. To find out more about booking me for afternoon tea etiquette talks or workshops, or to discuss adding this as a bolt on for your own afternoon tea event or offering, click here.   Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge" and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Please note - This visit was following an invitation to take part in the event on the day of my visit. I am in no means obliged to blog or write about their offerings, but I simply choose to share with my readers, should I enjoy the experience. Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com

Review: Gentleman's Tea At Dorothy Clive Gardens

I recently blogged about the "Gentleman's Tea", which is is growing in popularity across the UK. This is an afternoon tea in keeping with an all "British" theme to proceedings, one of which more and more hotels and afternoon tea venues are offering "manlier"afternoon tea tiers to appeal to the gents, as well as the ladies. After an invitation to join Julia and the team at Dorothy Clive Garden for #NationalCreamTeaDay to speak about afternoon tea etiquette to celebrate this exciting day, I was also invited to enjoy their very own version of the "Gentleman's Tea" whilst visiting. Well, who was I turn this down? I was joined by my mum, Lynn Hill from The Clandestine Cake Club and my furry canine friend for a sun-drenched afternoon tea within our stunning garden surroundings. The Dorothy Clive Garden is set amidst beautiful rolling countryside between the borders of Staffordshire, Cheshire and Shropshire, very close to Nantwich. This 12 acre garden was initially conceived by Colonel Harry Clive for the love for his wife (Dorothy) in 1940 and is a much-loved destination to this day for people locally as well as visitors from further afield. There is an edible garden and a waterfall featured within these extensive gardens, plenty of nooks and crannies to explore alone or as a family. There is a cute little tearoom and gift shop here, boasting the most beautiful tearoom lawn to enjoy an alfresco treat on a glorious sunny day - it's the perfect setting for a cream tea. It is open from 11am to 5pm daily throughout the summer season and you can enjoy a full lunch, including sandwiches, soups, quiches and jacket potatoes or a cream tea with homemade scones made freshly on the premises. You can also choose to sample a plate of two Staffordshire oatcakes with various fillings, should you fancy trying a local dish - I've had these before, almost like flat pancakes and they are delicious if you fancy trying something a little more unusual whilst visiting. If you are craving an afternoon tea, there are plenty of choices, including a simple cream tea, an afternoon tea tier with finger sandwiches, fruit scones with jam & Roddas clotted cream and a selection of miniature cakes. You could add a glass of refreshing Prosecco for a "champagne tea"  or as I did, opt for the more rustic version, ordering the Gentleman's Tea. This tier offers a mini Cheddar scone, scotch egg, pickled onion, a slice of pork pie, three counties cheese and chutneys, plus homemade cakes and scones - it was all delicious, although I'm not a huge fan of cheese, I did enjoy the Wensleydale on offer, not too strong for me so I enjoyed this wedge of cheese. The team were also trailing some cute mini cakes for this event, as usually it would be a big wedge of cake, so we got to nibble on little pavlovas with fresh cream, gooey chocolate tortes, fresh cream eclairs and a teeny Battenburg, so perfectly cute for a dolls house! You can also choose between Lymestone Brewery real ale, a Gin and Tonic or Whisky and Soda if you prefer some harder stuff with your food. We opted for tea, enjoying the Jasmine tea, Rose infused tea and English Breakfast between us, they were all fantastic loose leaf selections, complete with real silver tea strainers. The china for this event was vintage, beautiful pieces laid out by Pollyanna Vintage China for this particular day, but usually it would be served on white bone china. In between nibbling this fantastic afternoon tea, I enjoyed listening to my fellow guest speakers, learning tips on tea and its' history from Gemma at The Tea Drop and how to match different types of Prosecco to our afternoon tea with Julia at Just Perfect Wines. I also had my hair done up in a superb vintage "up do" and I can't thank Melissa at "Hair Styling At Home" and Julia for arranging for this to be done for my visit, I was thrilled skinny with my new style. I didn't take it out to the next day, I was secretly hoping it would last the weekend, but I couldn't quite fix it after a night rolling around on it, a real shame. It was a fantastic way to celebrate our mutually favourite mealtime, great company and a great event, where we celebrated the fact that #NationalCreamTeaDay was trending on Twitter throughout the day, it was great news indeed! The Dorothy Clive Garden is dog friendly, so it was the perfect place to bring my pup for a day trip, he loved every minute of his visit, just as much as I did. You can see my full Facebook photo album here. If you fancy your very own lesson with Miss Sue Flay, you can book me for an afternoon tea etiquette workshop/talk here. Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Please note - This visit was complimentary following an invitation to take part in the event on the day of my visit. I am in no means obliged to blog or write about their offerings, but I simply choose to share with my readers, should I enjoy the experience. The service team that work on the day or duration of my visit are not aware of my reasons for visiting, to enable a fair review. Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.

What Is A Gentleman's Tea?

We've all heard of afternoon tea, the traditional cream tea, high tea, low tea, even a champagne tea, but have you come across a "Gentleman's Tea" before? This is a rising trend here in the UK, in keeping with an all "British" theme to proceedings, more and more hotels and afternoon tea venues are offering "manlier" afternoon tea tiers to appeal to the gents. Many venues are taking inspiration from the classic Gentleman's Club (a members-only private club set up within the British upper class men in he 18th century), such as Whites's, Brook's or Boodle's which provided an outlet for gambling, witch would have been illegal outside of these clubs at this time. Many of these Gentleman's Clubs were very prestigious, some with waiting lists of over 16 years to become an approved member. Each club had very different sets of rules, waiting lists and facilities or services on offer to their members, but they were in most cases a "second home" for men to relax, socialise with friends, eat good food and even sleep overnight. It is said that the Gentleman's Club was a sanctuary for the man of the house to escape from his family world. Nowadays, we have the likes of the private members houses, following the same ideals of the Gentleman's Club (offering fine food, drink, meeting places and accommodation) such as Soho House or the Groucho Club. Many private members' clubs are now the perfect way to conduct professional business whilst enjoying the perks of the club in question. With the resurgence of this luxury members' club style dining, the Gentleman's Tea can be found on many menus across the country alongside the usual afternoon tea. The difference being that amongst the wedges of Victoria Sponge and finger sandwiches, you can find treats such as miniature fish & chips, burgers or sliders, hot pies, mini Yorkshire puddings, pork pies, sausage rolls, scotch eggs and steak sandwiches. Not only are these sort of menus offering great and unique food options, they are offering pints of real ale, malt whiskey and tailored cocktails to match the food. The Sanctum Soho Hotel is even said to serve a tankard of Jack Daniels and a cigar - much more "Rock n' Roll" according to their owner, Mark Fuller. Men love tea and cake just as much as the ladies, but not all men love rose petal finger sandwiches and floral vintage china to drink their Earl Grey tea from. With more men than ever indulging in afternoon tea for business and pleasure, hotels, restaurants & bars are upping their game - it's really quite exciting. Some gentlemanly themed afternoon teas are now also offering a game of backgammon, chess or poker alongside it to while away a few hours. I recently asked Twitter what my followers thought about the idea of a "Gentleman's Tea" and would appeal to them in place of dainty cakes and finger sandwiches - here's just some of the responses I received (and yes, I managed to correct myself to say *thoughts* instead of *tights* haha), a HUGE thank you to everyone who responded with their thoughts, this is just fantastic: Personally, I think "the Gentleman's Tea" is a superb idea, I'm a girl (last time I looked) and I don't see why this can't be a new fashion in itself. This is a trend that will grow in popularity over the coming months, you mark my words! Afternoon tea is always being adapted and explored with venues across the world, so I'm more than happy to embrace this new offering and sample any that might come my way - the more the merrier I say. (And if I can sample my own dedicated "Gentleman's Tea" very soon, I will be one very happy afternoon tea aficionado!) So, my question to you is this... Have you sampled a Gentleman's Tea?  If so, where? And how was it?  If you haven't, then tell me what does/would appeal when it comes to afternoon tea?   Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.  

#NationalCreamTeaDay With Dorothy Clive Garden

If you haven't yet heard, it's officially "National Cream Tea Day" on 26th June! It's a day to show recognition to the humble scone (with lashings of jam and clotted cream) with many celebrations take place across the nation. This is a celebratory day dreamt up by The Cream Tea Society (sponsored by Rodda's and Tiptree) and they have a new cream tea-loving ambassador in the form of Frances Quinn from The Great British Bake Off to help everyone get excited. They are encouraging you all to host your very own afternoon tea, sample & support a local cream tea or get baking for your very own weekend treats. No matter what the weather, get out there this weekend to celebrate #NationalCreamTeaDay, it's a fantastic way to spend an afternoon alone with a good book or with family & friends away from technology for a few hours. What will Miss Sue Flay being doing to celebrate this fantastic, fun-filled day I hear you ask? Well, I will be traveling up to Shropshire to join many afternoon tea experts and fanatics for a 1940's vintage themed afternoon tea event at The Dorothy Clive Garden. They are holding a vintage tea party to celebrate National Cream Tea Day & also to commemorate the 70th year Anniversary of VE Day with a 1940s theme. Guests will be invited to indulge in a delightful tea party on their tearoom lawn, where they can choose from a selection of three different afternoon teas served on beautiful vintage crockery from Pollyanna Vintage China Hire plus the option of a Gentleman's Tea! They will also be offering high quality loose leaf tea supplied by The Tea Drop & a glass of delicious Prosecco supplied by Just Perfect Wines - not forgetting my talk on afternoon tea etiquette alongside this stunning offering roughly the day. There will also be live music vintage flower arranging demos, baking demos, garden games and vintage hair styling on offer, it's going to be a superb day and I'll be sharing this fab sounding day with friends. I'll be hosting two afternoon tea etiquette talks throughout the day, teaching visitors how to eat their scones correctly (yes, we are going to get geeky whilst we have fun playing with food!) and I'll be touching on the history of afternoon tea throughout the day - I cannot wait. You can choose from different cream tea options on the day, ranging from £6 to £20 per person. This event will be taking place at The Dorothy Clive Garden in Staffordshire on Friday 26th June from 1pm to 8pm. No booking is necessary, you're very welcome to just turn up. Admission to the garden is at the special fundraising price of £3.50 per person. To find out more, click here. And to find out what else is happening for National Cream TeaDay, check out The Cream Tea Society website. If you are plotting to come along to this event, please do drop me a line to let me know - it would be fantastic to see you there!  

Review: NEOM Experience At YSpa

I've lived in Cambourne for years, tucked up just on the outskirts of Cambridge, but also perfectly placed just down the road from Huntingdon, Royston and even St Neots - all of these places get overlooked when it comes to dining out or spending some time relaxing. In fact, if somebody told me I could pop over to St Neots for one of the best spa experiences I've ever had the pleasure of sampling, I may have even chuckled to myself. But, it's true. Just down the road is the Y Spa at Wyboston Lakes, a sprawling leisure and conferencing centre complete with golf course, business units and even accommodation for its' visitors. I can't quite believe I've never been here before... I know plenty of people who have been, but somehow I haven't quite managed to pop in, that is, until now. One lady has been to the Y Spa 197 times so far since they opened their doors, yep... you rad that right, 197 times! I was invited to join two other lovely ladies to review the latest experience at Y Spa in partnership with Neom Organics, a luxury brand with a mission to offer you "scent to make you feel good". I was joined by Cally from the MK News and Natalia from Beauty Spot (in place of her sister, Laia, who owns and runs this fab blog) for the day. The new Neom Organics Wellbeing treatments are set to impress the spa industry across the UK, with this well-respected brand hand picking just a select few spas in the country to take on this new experience, Y Spa is my very closest, simply a few miles from home - very handy indeed. There will be four treatments offered to you within this experience and you will be allowing your senses to choose which one you actually choose on the day, so you won't actually know which treatment you are having until you've picked it, very unusual. Each treatment begins with a specific guided meditation, preparing your body and mind - it's a body & mind MOT for the soul.... I heard this saying from my fellow blogger whilst here and I'm stealing it, it's actually how it felt. So, the four treatments on the menu that you might choose from with a sniff of your nose are as follows (words from the Y Spa menu): Neom Sleep Treatment Nothing effects how you look or feel as much as sleep or lack of it. Enter a room, deeply scented with Neom Scent to Sleep™ Tranquillity™ fragrance. You are about to experience the Neom Sleep Treatment. Prepare to be lost in a blissful state, ready for a deep night's sleep Neom De-stress Treatment By 2020 the top 4 diseases will be stress related. Neom's complex Scent to Instantly De-stress™ blend of 24 first pressed essential oils, including lavender, jasmine & Brazilian rosewood creates a de-stressing environment the moment you enter the room. This treatment allows tension to drift away and for a calm new-you to be uncovered. Neom Energise Treatment Energy is the single most powerful fuel to accomplish anything in life. This wellbeing treatment is designed to allow you to stop, unplug and then reboot. Your senses will be awakened and your body and mind will be given a boost of natural energy. Neom Happiness Treatment Over 160 studies tell us that happy people are healthier. This purposeful combination of thoughtful touches will lift your spirits and leave you feeling like the best version of you. I sniffed out the "Energise" treatment, with my senses physically turned off right away by two of the others smells, it was a very interesting experience allowing your scent to pick the treatment... I can't stop thinking about just how clever this is. After choosing, I was shown to the relaxation room so my therapist could prepare the bed for me and I sipped on refreshing lemon water as I reclined. If you go for the Neom treatments, go with an open mind and try not to think too much into it, it's such an interesting exercise just seeing where your senses take you. My experience therapist was called Clare and she was fantastic, she even told me that she had recently experienced the new "Energise" treatment herself... just before a 30 mile run, this woman was clearly, ever so slightly, insane. But she was lovely! She started the treatment with a guided meditation, massaging my feet with some reflexology and spraying my face and pillow with a scented mist to help me unwind. She then used a lemon & basil sugar scrub all over my body, advising me that the sugar is much better for the skin than a salt scrub, as it actually hydrates the skin, whereas salt can dehydrate - really interesting, it's not something I would have even considered. Once the sugar scrub had been worked in and rinsed off, it was time for a clay mud wrap and an indian head massage whilst I was cocooned in warm blankets and covered in a creamy coloured clay. To my surprise, this clay (for the most part) soaked into my skin and hardly needed rinsing off at all, it was fantastic. Clare finished off with a mix of hot and cold towels to wash off the clay residue and then massaged in a mint & mandarin scented cream to nourish my body. Whilst all of this was going on, I still managed to zone out and almost fell asleep a couple of times, it was heaven. A scented candle burned all the way through my treatment and the subtle ingredients within it helped me to breath and completely chill out. With this treatment, there is a lot going on, but it's all very subtle and it really did energise me... to the point where afterwards I headed to the Thermal Spa to enjoy some sunshine in the outdoor hot tub and I literally couldn't lay back to relax - I was buzzing. My fellow blogging companion also managed to pick the "Energise" treatment, but because she had already relaxed in the spa beforehand, she had done her relaxing and was now ready to be revived - personally, I think I'd like to do it that way around next time myself. On leaving, you are actually provided with a miniature NEOM gift box to take home with you so that you can continue to use the oils and scents for a while afterwards (and I have been using every few days since to help me de-stress a little before bed). As part of this experience, I was also given access to the restaurant for a 2 course buffet lunch, with so much food on offer, it was tricky to know where a girl should start. There are so many healthy options, including salads, fish, cooked and cold meats, vegetables and I particularly enjoyed the Thai green curry on offer with steamed rice, just delicious. In fact, the main was so filling, I didn't go for a pudding or I may have sunk in the spa pool, but if I had fancied I could have chosen a beautiful bowl of fresh fruit or a triple chocolate mousse. The facilities here are superb, I was provided with a fluffy white bathrobe and spa slippers, there were plenty of showers and towels around the spa to use and the vanity mirrors with hairdryers and power sockets for straighteners (should you need it) are a great touch. They also had close up mirrors with a backlight, something I haven't yet come across in the other spas I've been lucky enough to visit, this was a nice addition to my own little beauty pod. The NEOM Wellbeing treatments launch at the Y Spa on the 1st July 2015 and I suggest you get yourself booked in quick sharp, you are going to love it. This experience package costs £79, which includes: Full day's use of Thermal Spa Robes, slippers & towels 2 course buffet lunch Neom gift set 1 x 50 minute body treatment experience You can see my teaser video from the day here. If you want to see my full Facebook photo album from this visit, click here. www.yspa.co.uk  Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Please note - This visit was complimentary following an invitation to view this venue and meet the team. I am in no means obliged to blog or write about their offerings, but I simply choose to share with my readers, should I enjoy the experience. The service team that work on the day or duration of my visit are not aware of my reasons for visiting, to enable a fair review. Any questions or to discuss a "Secret Stay" or review, please do email:hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.  

Review: Polly's Pantry Royal Tearoom, Florida

If you go down to Wildwood today...you're sure of a big surprise. Well, at least I think you'll be pleasantly surprised! After my recent adventures in The USA, whilst staying at The Villages in Florida I got chatting to a stunning lady (both in beauty and in passion) called Trish and we found ourselves swapping notes on the city of Bath and my recent visit there to review this historic UK destination. She had visited years ago and had an equal love for this beautiful place. Over a family barbecue, compete with a stroke of some very shiny Harley Davidsons, we enjoyed some very "British" fish & chips and American beers and found ourselves chatting about afternoon tea as well as the etiquette around it - naturally! Trish told me that her friends don't usually tend to enter into this very British pastime, so she would usually sample her local offerings alone... or not at all. After mentioning of an afternoon tea place in Wildwood, just outside of The Villages (where we had been enjoying some fun times golf buggying around this extensive destination!), we agreed that this must be on our destination list before we left for home. I simply wasn't going to allow her to head there alone when it sounded like a fab place to enjoy my first (and only) British cup of tea whilst in the States. What I wasn't expecting was to be dressed up in my afternoon tea best the very next day and headed to a part of town that I wouldn't say was where I'd expect there to be a traditional British tearoom. Polly's Pantry is on the main route through Wildwood, a city in Sumter County and this cute antique-filled tea room is hosted by Tricia Bennett and her husband John. Tricia is a published author of "Polly Brown", "The trouble with Polly Brown" and "Princess Polly" as well as a popular guest speaker. This tearoom is themed on the "Polly Brown" book, providing lunches such as soups, salads and filled sandwiches, light snacks and full afternoon tea tiers for their guests on pre-arrangement. My new and lovely friend Trish had booked six of us in for a ladies lunch to get away from the boys for a few hours, it was the perfect retreat to enjoy a leisurely afternoon out of the heat of the day. When you walk up the porch steps and into the front tea parlour, you're welcomed with smells of freshly baked scones and the chink of treasured vintage china as Floridian ladies (and gents) who lunch on homemade quiches and afternoon tea tiers sip on Earl Grey Tea, chattering at leisure. They serve a superb afternoon tea , with us opting for the full works; the "Harrods High Tea". This included a pot of tea (or a large glass of flavoured iced tea), warm homemade quiche & salad, finger sandwiches, scones and a selection of dainty cakes & sweet treats. I went for a pot of Lady Grey tea, my very first cup of British tea since I had arrived and it was the perfect option for my afternoon, I actually stuck with it for the rest of my stay. Some of my fellow ladies went for peach or even raspberry flavoured iced tea, a great and refreshing way to sip on tea that afternoon - it was warm to say the least and it was only Easter, goodness how it'll be in the summer! I fell slightly in love with the tea chest carried out to us to pick our tea - it was a beautiful ornate chest with every flavour of tea you could possibly dream up. People who know me well enough by now would note that I usually scoff at Twinings as an option, however when you have lived on "lobby coffee" within a hotel for a few weeks, as good and strong as that may be, a cup of tea was very welcome indeed. The finger sandwiches included cucumber & cream cheese (a flavour combo new to Trish and I think she is now hooked hehe), Chicken Salad (almost like a creamy coronation checking, delicious) and egg mayonnaise with watercress, delicious. There were fruit and plain scones to choose from, with lashings of strawberry jam and clotted cream. We were actually given a choice of cream - either "proper" British Devonshire clotted cream or whipped double cream... of course we went for the proper stuff, it would have been rude not to. Tricia actually ships this in especially, as it's not easy to come across in America, so once you buy a pot, it's yours and we were allowed to take the rest of it home, fantastic. We let Trish take this as again, it was her very first experience of clotted cream... I'm not convinced she liked this as much as we do, but I can only imagine this is pretty alien to somebody who's never had such a rich element to their scone before, it can be an acquired taste. There was just so much food... you can see for yourself from the photos I managed to take between nibbling. It was fantastic value for money and I'd highly recommend it to anybody visiting this area in Florida, it's a GEM. I would also love to be able to tell how all the little cakes tasted, but we were so full by the time it came to the cake courses, we simply couldn't find the energy or space in our tummies to venture into them all. I managed to have a nibble on a deliciously creamy piece of New York cheesecake and a slither of gooey chocolate brownie later that day, but they were all boxed up and taken back to a family BBQ that night for munching - there were plenty of happy cake-smeared faces. We spent hours here, peeking into the stunning dolls house behind our table, nosying at trinkets for sale, chatting to the owners about all things "British" and 'Royal" and I even taught my fellow diners some afternoon tea etiquette as we tucked into each course. In fact, if Tricia and the team at Polly's Pantry ever fancied co-hosting an afternoon tea etiquette event, I'd be back in a heartbeat, I'd be just thrilled to work with such a passionate venue on something like this - a girl can dream. And lastly, I owe a HUGE thank you Trish for arranging such a lovely afternoon out for us all, it was a great way to celebrate my birthday whilst out here, although a few days prior to the actual day, I felt thoroughly spoilt and can't help but smile at how amazing life has got over the last few months - this was a visit to remember.  Polly's Pantry is on the 301 at 819 S.Main Street, Wildwood 34785, next door to the BB&T bank. For my full Facebook photo album from this visit, please click here. http://www.hopeinyourheart.com/THE_TEA_ROOM.html Read my new "About Me" page here! You can also read about Miss Sue Flay's "Around The World In 80 Stays Challenge"and other Secret Stays & Reviews here. See more of my travel videos here and more of my food review videos here. Or get in touch via social media through Facebook, Instagram & Twitter for a natter about life in general! Please Note - I paid my own way on this occasion and I am in no means obliged to blog or write about my experience, but I simply choose to share their offerings with my readers, should I enjoy the experience. Any questions or to discuss an independent review or "Secret Stay", please do email: hello@misssueflay.com All images © 2015 Miss Sue Flay, these may not be used or reproduced without written permission from the owner, many thanks in advance.