Sweet surprise

The blazing sunshine has gone but we have been having lots of dry, warm, busy days.
Today we hosted an 80th birthday tea for ten. We had to use specific tea cups and saucers as when they'd first visited us a couple of years ago they fell in love with the crockery.
When they booked a few weeks ago the husband of the birthday girl took me on one side and asked me if I could provide a chocolate birthday cake, with "Happy 80th Birthday, Mum and Grandma" iced on it.
I passed that particular buck to Naomi who, naturally, came up trumps.
The cake was a BIG hit. The man who'd ordered it was over the moon that he'd managed to do something he'd never done before by surprising his wife.
The smile didn't leave his face.

The rain is due for the next couple of days. Time to take stock and reorder stock.

Tea shirt

We now have uniforms.
Sort of.
Coloured t-shirts in green, blue, white and pink.
Most of the staff members have gone for green or blue.
As is evidenced here:

Early birds

10.10 A lady opens the door and sticks her head in.
"Are you open? It says 11 on the gate but we were just wondering..."
I told them we'd be happy to serve them just as soon as the kettle boiled.
"I'm sorry we're so early," she added, "but I've just taken my mother to the hospital for an appointment. Turns out we got the day wrong. It's next year."

Yes. Right day, wrong year.

Kaput

One of our large fridges gave up today.
It took a good deal of double cream with it when it finally died, having struggled valiantly against the heat of the week.
I just hope its condition isn't catching.

Euphonium euphoria

There was a wedding in the church today. Shortly beforehand a choir of fourteen came to relax their singing muscles by drinking (mostly) coffee and eating (mostly) cake. 

They were preparing to leave when the 80th birthday party organiser arrived with bunting and two gazebos (gazebi?) - one for the small band (Master Butchers Band) who were going to entertain them and ended up entertaining us all, the second for gifts and glasses and bags and boxes. 

We had put up our family's red gazebo on the tennis court in a panic over the potential heat in the conservatory. In fact everywhere was used. 

It looked like a mini fete. 

It felt lovely. 

There were lots of warm comments as they left. 

They can come again. 

Baking

Still very hot.
The forecasters keep mentioning thunder storms but we haven't had a sniff of one here yet.
Sunny, hot weather means three things: lots of customers, lots of staff needed and a reluctance of my brain and body to function properly.
It's a fun combination.

Tomorrow we have a large family group (48) coming to celebrate an 80th birthday.
The conservatory will not be a forgiving place for sandwiches, anything chocolatey or anyone like me.

Summer has arrived

A week ago it was pouring with rain and I sent staff home.
Now it's over 30 degrees and the shaded area under the trees is sought out by customers who linger long into the afternoon, reluctant to give up the prize tables and venture into the sun.
Those tables which are usually busy, the ones with umbrellas and a chance to catch the sunshine are empty.
Parasols just don't cut it.
It's VERY hot.

New Broom

Yesterday was Theresa May's first as Prime Minister.
So far so good. It was a busy day. A good day for business. And everyone was lovely.
Of course this may have had something to do with the sunshine and the weather forecasters advising people to make the most of it.

Cultural revelation

On Friday we hosted 40 Chinese teenagers for sandwiches and cream teas - our fifth year in a row.
The first time we played a part in the local school exchange we took the jam and cream to the tables.
By the time we'd returned with the scones the jam and cream had pretty much gone.
One teacher told me they'd added it to the sandwiches.
So I hatched a plan.
Since then I have demonstrated how to adorn the cut scone BEFORE delivering anything to the tables.
Every year there's still a surprise.
This time the group had never drunk tea with milk. Once they'd tried it they kept asking for more and more jugs and by the end of the afternoon the cups contained a splash of tea filled up with milk.
But they don't like cheese sarnies.

Media

Lizzi, one of our young staff, says I should have an Instagram account so that I can take photos like she did of Afternoon Tea in the garden (complete with Wimbledon Cake):

My sixteen year old son says I shouldn't be on Instagram.
I must question him further about his reasons. Does he think me too old? Or not adept as a photographer? Or does he fear I'd post photos of him?

Simple things

I delivered an egg sandwich and a ham sandwich to a couple in the garden on a warm, sunny day.
"Can I please move in here?" he asked, "you have everything that I need and want."
His was the egg sandwich.