Text by and Photography Courtesy of Vida Bickford
I began my tea journey when I was around 4 years old, which I vaguely recall as being a very special children’s afternoon tea to celebrate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II. We were all gathered on long tables in the large square in the center of our flats. My flat was called Wedgwood House, and the whole estate was called China Walk Estate, so even then, china and teacups were very much a part of my life.
I grew up in the heart of London, and having tea was second nature to me, coming from a totally British family and upbringing. Although the USA has been my permanent home for more than 50 years, I’ve been lucky enough to visit England and, most of all, my hometown over the years. When I’ve returned, I am reminded of such wonderful and sometimes very exciting moments when the simple task of having a cup of tea has opened up a whole new world to me and created lasting friendships. I have had many special tea moments in my life, but let me try to share just a few that spring to mind.
One of my greatest thrills was having afternoon tea, along with other young girls, at the Elstree Studios when I was 15. If truth be told, I don’t remember what I ate, but the tea was perfect, as my mouth was so dry I couldn’t have talked without it. I was so very nervous and starstruck meeting Roger Moore.
Just after that, I left school and got my first job working at Harrods and remember having the most welcome cups of tea and London cheesecakes on the rooftop there. I’m not sure about the rules currently, but in those days, staff were not allowed in the tearoom.
I lived close to the Garden Museum next to Lambeth Palace. The Garden Museum was called St Mary-at-Lambeth, and I was baptized there and sang in the choir. It has a fantastic history dating back centuries, and now you can have tea there. It’s a brilliant way to spend a few hours. Then, you could also go to the little café at Lambeth Pier and have another cuppa and enjoy the best view of the Thames and Houses of Parliament. I loved doing that as a child with my mum and dad and, a few years back, with my husband.
My mum’s side of the family came from Northern England, and each summer, my parents would send me to spend the summer holidays with my grandmother who lived in Failsworth, Manchester. I remember having tea on the train that left from Euston. It was so very special, as being a young girl traveling alone, I was well taken care of. It would rival any fancy teas given on the Pullman trains today. Oh, how I miss those times! Now, alas, the trains are all modern. When I recall that time, it felt almost like a trip on the Orient Express.
Here’s one last teatime story that links together happy memories from the past to now. Captain William Bligh lived for some time in Lambeth in a house a stone’s throw from my flat and was buried in St Mary-at-Lambeth. I remember taking walks with my mother past his house and then going to see his tomb in the graveyard and little garden. Then—you guessed it!—we would finish our outing with a lovely cup of tea and a cream bun at the café at Lambeth Pier.
Tea has always been such an integral part of my life and has somehow woven itself tightly into my everyday life. It has helped me to grow, learning about history and places, but most of all, it has been a great comfort in sorrow but has also brought the joy of friendship and love shown by fellow tea drinkers.
Born in London, Vida Bickford left her home when she was 19, met her husband of 55 years in Bangor, Maine, and settled in Buckingham, Pennsylvania, where she enjoys the comforts and pleasures that tea allows with treasured friends.
