'Coles Vintage Tea Rooms' ... another hidden gem in Rayleigh

'Anyone for tea?'

Greetings Ladies and Gents,

Today's blog is all about the delights of Rayleigh, Essex! I wrote a blog on Lindy Lou's (which is in Rayleigh) in March and I can't express how super this shop is. It sells primarily replica patterns for men and women from the 1940s along with some original vintage pieces. The great part about this shop is that there is no pressure to buy anything but I bet you don't leave empty handed! 

After our journey to Rayleigh we needed to re-fuel so we 

Decorative lamp shades

headed straight to Coles Vintage Tea Rooms. When we came to Rayleigh in March we saw this little cafe but decided to head home instead as it was so cold! This time we made sure we had plenty of time and went for a snack-let. On entering the cafe you are hit by the attention to detail. It's decorated like a 1940s tea-room with art-deco lights, old newspapers, vintage tea sets, bunting and even an art-deco bathroom! We sat down and ordered some lunch - I ordered ham, fried egg and bubble and squeak and husbandy ordered Cumberland sausage sandwich both with lashings of tea. 

Afternoon Cream Tea

The food arrived and we tucked in - I haven't had bubble and squeak for an age and it was divine - I even managed to grab a mouthful of sausage and it was scrumptious. After eating our lunch we were toying on whether to have cake now or later... but as I'm weak the decision to eat cake was now! There was a counter displaying a vast array of different cakes from chocolate to coffee and walnut to scones. I ordered my favourite cake which is the lemon drizzle cake and husbandy ordered the Afternoon Cream Tea. The Afternoon Cream Tea came with two scones, jam and clotted cream plus strawberries and small pieces of chocolate brownie all beautifully presented on a cake stand with a pot of tea. The lemon drizzle cake came with a sprinkling of icing sugar and a strawberry. The cake was just so light and moist - my mouth was having a little party and it did not want to end! My husbandy said that they were the

Lemon Drizzle Cake

best scones he had ever tasted (and he has tasted a few!). The tea at Coles Vintage Tea Rooms (which makes a damn fine cuppa) is there own infusion and the tea selection is endless - you can even buy the leafs to make your own at home! The food was delicious, the cafe had a relaxed atmosphere and the staff were friendly - my idea of a perfect cafe

My Handsome Husbandy

After all the indulgence we thought we best stop otherwise we would need to buy bigger clothes! With full bellies we waddled up to Lindy Lou's where the search to cloth my man began. My husbandy is a tall, slim fella (6ft 4in) and has trouble finding trousers that are long enough... so with some thorough searching through the racks we found a good selection of 33 inch leg. He tried them on and it was like they were made for him! He also wanted a jacket, but didn't have the one he wanted and we thought 'bum', but to our delight the owner said she could make a made to measure and even in the same fabric - smiles all round! We were in Lindy Lou's two hours...the time just flew by. We walked away with two pairs of trousers with a jacket on order... plus a head-piece for me!


Rayleigh is a true hidden gem in south Essex. Not only does it have a great vintage shop and splendid tea room but it is has plenty  more to offer... I could spend a whole weekend there and still need longer. It has a lovely high street with shops you normally find on a high street plus other shops you wouldn't expect to find. I wanted to rummage through the charity shops and fabric shops but ran out of time! There is also a healthy vintage scene in Essex - especially in Southend-on-Sea - so come on; what are you waiting for... 

Happy Indulging x

P.S. Nearest Train Station: Rayleigh (trains leave London Liverpool Street approx. every 15 mins). Only a 8 minute walk from the station. 90 minutes in the car from West London and ample of parking.

The Perfect Cuppa

Hello Ladies and Gents.... 

Now, whilst I am waiting for my more fabric for my next project I thought I would write a blog on a subject that I am somewhat an expert in..... tea bags! I love tea and over the years I have tried hundreds of different brands in pursuit of the perfect cup-a-tea. If you want to know more and want some pointers on the perfect tea bag, please read on.

The range of teas over the last ten years has expanded beyond belief and on offer range from the weird and wacky flavours to the more traditional English Breakfast Tea. Tea for me (as in black tea, e.g. ceylon, assam, kenya, etc) is important to me as I probably drink more tea than any other form of liquid. On my quest to find the perfect tea bag I have dropped a few clangers but I feel now, after a long time searching, I have found the best tea bags. I supposed I should let you know how I take my tea. I love my tea weak to medium, quite milky and with one sugar. Caramel in colour is the best tea for me. Some people love their tea strong enough to put hairs on your chest; so thick and syrupy that you can stand your spoon in it! Some like it black with no sugar! Not me, I am very particular and in my opinion tea should be made with milk and one sugar.

Of course because I have milk in my tea this form any important part of the perfect cup. Obviously I have semi-skimmed and rarely full fat. My favourite milk is the Organic Duchy milk from Waitrose.. it's absolutely divine and sometimes I drink it straight. If I'm feeling a little saucy I sometimes go for Sainsbury's full fat Taste the Difference Jersey milk.

Obviously the other key ingredient is water. As I live in London I tend not to use tap water if I can help it, in fact when I'm at home I never use tap water (even though I boil it). I use bottled water, normally Evian or Volvic. My favourite water is Isklar but I haven't seen it on the shelves for a while.

One more thing must be added here before I talk brands is the mug or cup you drink from also makes a good cuppa. I prefer a mug to a cup that is not too large with a thick rim. Bone china thin is not good for me. I like a good size rim so when you take the first few sips you don't burn your lip. I have a couple of favourite mugs - and here they are: 

Everyone has their own brewing process. I put the bag in the cup, pour the water, add the milk (to gauge perfect colour) and stir for a little while before crushing the bag against the side of the mug. Then bag out and sugar in! Normally my brewing takes about 35 seconds then optimum colour is achieved. 

OK so now onto the tea bags! Hurrah I hear you cry!! I have tried many brands from the more generic Tetley and PG tips through to Duchy Organics Breakfast and loose Ceylon leaves from Orange Pekoe (a truly delightful tea shop in West London).

Now I do not want to come across as a tea snob but I am not a big fan of Tetley or PG tips or other standard teas. To me they taste powdery and strong in flavour and if you don't mind I'm going to rule these brands out straight away.

Ceylon loose tea leaves from Orange Pekoe

Remember this is my interpretation of the perfect tea bag. This tea is definitely worth a mention though because they're so nice. They offer lovely fresh flavour, good colour and all in all a very decent cuppa. The downside for me is that they are loose. I enjoy the experience of making it and drinking it but I do not enjoy cleaning the pot and faffing around. Although this is indeed a very tasty tea and one that I stock in my cupboard I can't mark it as it doesn't come in bag form.

My top four bags:

Duchy Organic Breakfast Tea

They make a good colour and taste good too although you are not guaranteed the same taste every time. Also the price tag is not that bad either at £1.79 for 40.

Colour: nice standard tea colour, a bit on the light side but remember I like my tea weak: 7/10

Taste: decent taste but not always consistent so one cup can vary from another: 6/10

Total score: 6.5/10

Tea Pigs Breakfast Tea

I totally love the packaging and the shape of these little bags. I also like they have a dunking string which makes them perfect for the mug. The tea itself is also good, making a light colour and having a smooth taste. The only snag I would say is the price is that they are £4 for 15 bags but that's a bit irrelevant as I'm not scoring on price.

Colour: lovely rich colour with these bags: 7/10

Taste: smooth tasty with no dry aftertaste 7/10

Total score: 7/10

Twinings

Now there are two from Twinings I'm going to tell you about - Breakfast and Afternoon. Now logic states you should have Breakfast in the morning and Afternoon, well, in the afternoon. That doesn't quite work out for me as I find the Breakfast bags too strong. I think it is so strong it gives the appearance of a weak cup of coffee. It's Afternoon version is a different story! It makes an excellent cup of tea with a near perfect colour and taste. 100 bags is £4.29.

Colour: 8/10

Taste: 8:10

Total score: 8/10

Betty's Tea Room Tea

My in-laws introduced me to this tea bag. The packaging is decorative which lures you to the box instantly. Life Twinings (above) you have the option of loose or bags. I have tried both but this review is based on the bag version. This tea consistently makes a wonderful light colour and always has the same amazing taste despite however long you let the bag brew. Betty's tea bags cost £3.95 for 80 which puts them in the higher price bracket especially as you have to get these mail order (unless you live near a Betty's tearoom).

Colour: 10/10

Taste: 10/10

Total score: 10/10

So there you have a breakdown of my top four tea bags! I urge any tea lover to have at least one of the above in their cupboard and I especially recommend you make an order for some Betty's tea.

Now I bet you're dying for a cuppa - that goes for me too! So I'll leaf you with that for now while I attend to my whistling kettle.

The beginnings...

Hello Ladies and Gents…

One of my inspirations for doing this is the humble headscarf. I wear headscarves a lot but finding the right one can be tricky. I wear a headscarf the vintage way.. think Hilda Ogden (minus the rollers), the traditional land-girl look. For this method you need quite a sizable scarf as you need one to cover everything. The ideal size is 80cm x 80cm. However finding a scarf with these dimensions can be a chore. It is my plan to produce quality homemade headscarves for me to wear and hopefully one of the first things I'll be making.

As my creative gusto seems to be in full swing I am going to grab the sewing bug by the needle and get cracking. So to start myself off I spent a lot of time surfing the net and reading up on the exiting world of sewing. First of all I was amazed at all the information is out there on the subject and how simple or complex it can be – the choice is yours – and there are plenty of useful places for the novices.

To get me started I wanted to purchase the basic equipment – now you may think my first purchase was a sewing machine and you would be wrong. Before I take the plunge to buy my dream machine (which I am currently researching) I thought I would buy the basic equipment you would require if you were to hand stitch. This includes scissors; thread; needles; pins; tailors chalk; tape measure; and a book for beginners and of course, some dreamy fabric. I believe this is enough equipment to get you started and I hope I am not proved too wrong early in my journey. 

To select the brands of my specific equipment again took some research. As I am setting out on this adventure I want tools that are going to last without going over the top on cost. Now you could buy these items off the internet but then you miss out of the shopping experience and the smell of the haberdashery (that I am new too but all ready loving) plus how do you know if they are too heavy, too light, good quality – a photo on a computer screen says a lot but not the same as touching and feeling the item. So I pulled out my rollers, rolled up my faux bang, put my red lippy on and with hubby in-toe went into London for my first sewing expedition.

So where to go?? During my exploration I found some great places all across London. I would have loved to visit each and everyone but then time is an issue here so I selected Ray Stitch (Nr Highbury and Islington) and MacCulloch and Wallis (just off Oxford Street) as my choices of location. By the time I had traveled from Chiswick to the store I was like a kid at Christmas – I was so over excited at the prospect of purchasing some bits and bobs. Ray Stitch is a great sewing shop – easy to find and I love the fact it mixes the genres of sewing and a café! A cup of tea whilst pawing over gorgeous fabric and bits was heaven. I calmed down and went into the shop and suddenly realised I had forgotten my list! Luckily I had read it so often I know what I wanted and went through the shelves methodically. I purchased Coats 100% cotton thread; Pyrm needles; Prym pins; tailors chalk; tape measure; and of course, some cotton vintage flower fabric (how could I not buy the fabric!). This little lot came to £18.90 which I was pleased about as I had a £20.00 budget for this shop. I left with a big smile on my face and got on the bus to go to my next shop.

Forty minutes later I was in MacCulloch and Wallis. MacCulloch and Wallis is set over three floors of fabric and haberdashery wonderment. The stock was endless and filled with people buying all the necessities for their own projects. However I was specifically on the hunt for a decent pair of scissors as this is one of the crucial piece of equipment in your tool kit. They had a good range of scissors and in the end I went for Fiskar (Made in Finland) and for right handed 21cm scissors. They seemed a good weight, comfy for my hand and a good price point of £17.04 so went for them. Again this was a great success for me and in my £20 budget – my cheeks were hurting from smiling all day.

The only item not yet in my armory (on this particular day) was a good book for beginners. Now, again after exploring and asking fellow Twitters on this numerous responses came back. In the end I went for 'All you need to know about machine and hand sewing - Sewing Basics' by Sandra Bardwell which was £18.99. It covers all the basics from what equipment you need to threading your machine to undertaking complicated patterns to how to identify what stitch is required for what project. Perfect for me and my novice experience.

So a tip top day and very pleased with my purchases. A summary of my top tips perhaps as I have bamboozled you with info….

·        Research shops and products you need to buy

·        Try and buy the items from a shop – feel the products not just look

·        Take a list (my mistake!)

·        Budget where possible

·        Enjoy the experience… make it part of the magic