9 Bloggers' Afternoon Tea at Sketch

 Laura, of Happy Homemaker UK, put up a post for an afternoon tea she was organizing in London. I was interested, but not sure how I would fit in going down to London one week before our flight out.  I began (gently!) harassing Becky to go with me, so that I wouldn't be walking into a room of total strangers- and when she agreed (which only took a small nudge!), I bought a train ticket and RSVPed. Since our temporary apartment let is in town, I walked over to Harrogate rail station at 7:30AM and caught the train down to London. While this is the first time I've gone to London just for the day, I realized how much I'm going to miss train service and the ability to go to one of the world's greatest cities on a whim. Watching the rolling hills of recently cut hay, seeing church spires, rail  car yards, and seeing livestock grazing in the fields, I fought back tears- but did my best to just soak it all up one last time. 

Anyway- back to the fun! Becky and I walked over to Sketch, located next to East India Company with a rather unassuming and deceptively simple entrance.  Our group was in the Glade room, which provided us with ample conversation to break the ice!

Despite being entirely walled, it had the feel of a screened in porch, which delighted my Southern heart! The sunlight ceiling added to the tamed-jungle feel of the room.

 The wallpaper was fascinating!

The room was dotted with cozy areas set perfectly for conversation.

The bar, adding a modern twist to the outdoor themed room.

Top left: Liz, Sarah Jane, Becky; Top right: Sarah, Sophie, Belinda;
Bottom left: Belinda, Selena, and Robynne; Bottom right: Charlotte and Laura
(see bottom picture for links to these fabulous blogs!)

The afternoon flew by as we discussed blogging, our personal lives, and, of course, our favorite bits of England! Blogs represented cover home decor, gardening, travel, and everyday English life- from English, American, and Australian perspectives!

 The table when we came in. The champagne helped us get over any nerves!

 Delicious fruit scones.

We had several tea trays, in fact, so much that we all had a good lunch and there were leftovers!

The food was just as tasty as it looked!

The ladies:

Clockwise, from top left: Charlotte, Sarah Jane, Becky, me, Sarah, Selena, Robynne, Laura, Liz, and Belinda

not pictured, as she had to get back to work: Louise

I had the best time meeting these other women and finding further connections to keep England alive in my daily life- not to mention seeing Sketch, which was a clever find on Laura's part!!

We were given a quick tour of some of the other rooms, so come back tomorrow to see them!