OK. I found the article and photos I did for the newspaper nine years ago (nine years ago exactly, it turns out: Oct. 3, 1999) about Sarah Ferguson's visit to Rich's at North Point Mall in Alpharetta. I won't bore you with the whole article, but here is the most heavily tea-related excerpt:
"The girls and I eat off fine bona china," she said, and she even travels with her own tea service.
The Duchess had an assistant bring out her oversized, "eccentric, completely mad tea set" for the audience to admire. Made for her by Asprey, the elegant, dome-shaped trunk housed a Wedgwood teapot and accoutrements. The teapot happened to be a wedding gift from Wedgwood to her and Prince Andrew, whom she married in 1986 and divorced a decade later. The pot was designed with a no-drip spout and is a favorite piece. "So when you pour the tea, it doesn't dribble," she said.
In the bottom of the trunk is storage space for a metal bottle to keep water hot, an Irish linen napkin, and an Inverness tartan plaid "rug," or blanket. The Duchess noted that another of her titles is "Countess of Inverness."
Her traveling tea trunk also contained some Twinings tea ("I like Earl Grey") and even a package of shortbread cookies, "because on Weight Watchers you can have shortbread," she said.
Something else in the story that I'd forgotten was that Sarah told everyone bone china is not as fragile as people think it is, and to illustrate her point she had a man come on stage and stand on top of two Wedgwood teacups, both of which came out just fine!
I remember this article! I enjoyed it then and now.
ReplyDeleteThat is fascinating about bone china being strong enough for a man to stand on two cups! Maybe I'll get Dear Hubby to give that a try on two of my china cups. (Then again, maybe not!!!)
ReplyDeleteJust seeiong these photos is a blast!
ReplyDeleteThis appears to be a very interesting article and certainly not boring. I'd like to read the whole thing. What a lux travel tea service! I'm not sure that I'd want to put two bone china cups at risk, but it is good to know that the china is so durable.
ReplyDeleteShortbread on Weight Watchers - I may have to check into their program.