In which we have tea. Finally.

A few years pre-Kitty, H went off for a hockey weekend to Canterbury, and my brother in law had some sort of cricketing shindig so Zee and I planned a day of frolics and entertainment in London. 

We were to go to an exhibition at Kensington Palace, take a trip to Liberty's, stock up on Persephone Books and have a good afternoon tea before going to see Calendar Girls at the theatre in the evening.  All was planned, the tickets were booked and nothing could stop us.  Except the noro virus (sadly not related to yarn). 

I was struck down half way through the week and spent the rest of it in bed, desperately trying to recover in time for the Saturday and we made it to just about everything, except for the tea.  Rather than scoffing delicacies in a warm cafe, we detoured to Russell Square and I snoozed while Zee read her new books.  I promised her then that one day we would go back to Theobalds Road for tea, and on Thursday I kept that promise.

We started the day with a stroll down Marylebone High Street, window shopping Rachel Riley and the cake shops until we reached the very wonderful and delectable:


VV Rouleaux - ribbons, pompom trim in every colour under the rainbow, and glittery feather butterflies.  I love the voluptuous sample bows all over the shop and it generally takes all of my will power to come away without a length of everything.

Kitty fell asleep in her buggy as we arrived outside Liberty's stunning autumn flower displays, so we gently coasted around the Christmas shop and then Zee settled down to browse the craft books with a snoozing Kitty by her side and I wandered around looking at yarn, and fabric, and all the lovely little haberdashery things like Liberty print bias binding, flowery letter shapes, and lavender bags.  Liberty's is food for my soul; I just drink it all in.


We had lunch in Kingly Court, just off Carnaby Street, sat out in the courtyard under the amazing upside down covers that drain all the rain down their centres and into the flower beds.


We shopped, we navigated by the maps on the Boris Bikes stands in the pouring rain, and eventually we reached our mecca.

Bea's of Bloomsbury's (at 44 Theobald's Road, Bloomsbury).  First recommended on Yarnstorm and tucked away in my brain, from the outside it doesn't look like much, a small unassuming cafe with a couple of tables out on a busy road, it was worth the wait.  We settled in to a table next to the counter, and parked the buggy up next to the window, to match their Halloween decorations.


We ordered a Sweet Tea apiece, Zee chose her Earl Grey and I had a St Clement's juice and then this arrived:



Scones with cream and jam (and yes small sister your heritage requires cream then jam, regardless of whatever unusual customs you may have acquired through marriage), meringues with a mango sauce, hazelnut madelines, mini chocolate brownies and blondies, chocolate marshmallows (they're the triangles on the top layer and they were incredible) and cupcakes; red velvet with creamy frosting and raspberry and vanilla.


Well after all of that, we couldn't just leave without taking a little something home for the boys as a treat from Kitty; cupcakes for Uncle D and a two inch thick slab of millionaire's shortbread and a rich moist chocolate Guinness cake.

It's just around the corner from Persephone, it has cake and comfy chairs - I think it may just be a slice of perfection.