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August 4, 2010 · Volume I, Issue 5
My Summer Holiday
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 A Note From Jo:
What a fantastic two weeks in my home country. Saw SO much Shakespeare and theater
with friend Diedre. We ate too
much, drank too much and laughed a lot, walked miles, lost my tube ticket at
least 4 times (I blame it on the oversized handbag) and took some great photos
of our exploits, which of course I will share with you in this newsletter.
So, a whistle-stop tour of the theater we saw, starting with the Bard:
Henry IV Part One AND
Part Two at the Globe Theater, Shakespeare's original open-air theater. Lots of traditional costumes, medieval
music and great acting especially from Falstaff, loved the feeling of being
part of a 16th Century drama.
The Tempest and As
You Like It at the National Theater.
Wonderful use of props and great staging...downside: very jet-lagged,
which was a bit of a problem in the evening performance. Unfortunately I nodded off completely and
almost whacked the man sat next to me with my head... had to go outside for a
walk to wake up!
Macbeth in the
open-air at Regent's Park. So fantastic, drank Pimms while watching. Macbeth
and gang looked like the SWAT team, all in black and great use again of props,
including a graffiti wall and a lake in the middle of the stage!
Other theater:
 After the Dance at
the Lyttleton Theater. Magnificent production of Terence Rattigan's play about socialites
during the pre-war build up.
Benedict Cumberbatch has a voice like velvet and is in my opinion the
star of the show. All the cast put
on a stellar performance, my favorite play by far. Haunting 1920's music,
Avalon stays with you long after the night. Cumberbatch can be seen on BBC 1, in a modern day dramatization of Sherlock Holmes...he's
brilliant in that too!
 Love Never Dies, sequel to Phantom of the Opera. Music to
give you goosebumps, buy the CD! Better yet, book a flight to London and go and
watch it, you won't be disappointed.
 Aspects of Love in the old Chocolate Factory Theater. Again, a
wonderful love story and great music. Loved the quirky old building and
intimacy of a small theater.
 Prisoner of 2nd Avenue with Jeff Goldblum. Not my favorite play of the trip, all a
bit too dated, but good to see a famous person on stage! (I kept thinking about
Jurassic Park though, which may have ruined the mood somewhat.)
 New York Voices, jazz singers at Ronnie Scott's Jazz Club. Great
late night entertainment, Diedre was all star-struck and got everyone's
autograph and maybe a booking in the States to boot!
 "Thriller" Tribute to Michael Jackson. Great music and a
very convincing Michael double, however our seats were WAY up high, commonly
referred to as the GODS section. If we'd actually stood up to dance I think we
may have fallen onto stage and been part of the chorus line.
 Billy Elliott The Musical. I'm sure you've seen the movie, but you HAVE to watch the
play. Young boy dreams of becoming
a ballet dancer in a community full of coal miners. Really great dancing, hilarious comedy and such talent from
"Billy".
We stayed in a great flat in Chelsea while we crammed in as
much theater as possible, and then suddenly the first week was over and I was
waving goodbye to Diedre and saying hello to hubby at Heathrow.
Second week:
Toured the East End of London, a wonderfully
eclectic mix of cultures, music, art and street fair...all the sights and
sounds are in my photo album below. Stayed in Canary Wharf (that's Canary like the bird, not Cannary as in
San Francisco). Great views of the
Thames and old London, with a sky-line highlighting the modern age, including
the Tate Modern Art Gallery and the London Eye (the most enormous Ferris wheel
you have ever seen).
Interesting
subtle differences about holidaying with girlfriend as opposed to one's loving husband...
GF: Let's get
the Tube then walk to the theater
HB: HOW much walking?
GF: Let's eat after
the show.
HB: I'm STARVING,
when are we eating
GF: Come on let's
go...
HB: You go, I'll go
for a pint
GF: Oh the MUSIC was
SO wonderful, I'm buying the CD.
HB: Honey, can
you turn that music off, I'm trying to take a nap
GF: Take my picture by
the Thames
HB: Don't drop the
camera in the Thames
GF: Let's walk to the
Tube
HB: Let's take a cab
GF: I'm ready for a
cup of tea
HB: I'm ready for
another pint.
We did have a great week though, and returned home still
happily married. Mum and Dad came
up to London to join us and we all saw Jersey Boys, a toe-tapping production
about the life of Frankie Valli. Then we traveled down to Hampshire where we caught up on family and most
importantly, my Mum's cooking. She's the best.
So this newsletter is unashamedly influenced by my two weeks
in the old country.
Read and enjoy,
Jo
Jo Gemmill · Owner, English Rose Tea Room · 480-488-4812
201 Easy Street · PO Box 5865 · Carefree Arizona 85377
Summer Hours: Monday through Saturday 11am-4pm
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When In England,
Dial 999
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1 Lb. of Bon Bons Please
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Camden Lock
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The Great British Public
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Another Good Reason to Eat Meat
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Flower Market
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Sidewalk Cafes
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Better than Walking
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A British Pub
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Mum's Baking
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Victorian Pillar Box (British Mail Box with VR Monogram)
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| Taxi! |  |
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Dad and Mum
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Mum's Garden
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Me and My Niece Rosie-Mae AKA Annie
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Room with a View
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Jacket and Tie Required
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A Shop Like Mine
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Kensington Palace -
Princess Di's Former Home
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Regent's Park
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Our Digs in Chelsea
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Richard Branson's ROOFTOP Garden!!
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Diedre and I, Cheers!
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Twining's Head Office (I put my business card thru' the door)
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A Windy St. Paul's Cathedral
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I'll Keep MY Tea Room, Thanks!
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Big Brother
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MISSING GRANDMA
Grandpa George Speaks Out
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 In
the weeks since her disappearance from outside the English Rose Tea room in
Carefree, despite extensive investigations to try and locate Grandma Rose, she
has evaded all attempts to bring her home. In an exclusive interview, Grandpa
George her usually mild-mannered companion had this to say:
"In the beginning I was a little concerned, she just simply vanished
and I began to think she had been kidnapped! However, I am more than a little
embarrassed at the company she has been keeping. I don't know how that
arthritic hip allowed her to clamber into the lounger with those "pool
boys" and now I hear she's dancing with complete strangers. Grandma Rose,
if you read this, for goodness sake come home and start acting your age. The
dog's on a hunger strike and the neighbors are all muttering about the floozy
in the flowery hat. I'm having a hard time explaining to customers why I'm the
poor lonesome old guy sat outside the Tea room. Come to your senses and stop
all this nonsense!"
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A Funny Little Story Picked Up in England
(English spelling included!)
A Cup of Tea - A Beautiful Story
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One day my mummy was out and my daddy was in charge of
me.
I was about 2 1/2 years old and had just recovered from an accident.
Someone had given me a little tea set as a get-well gift and it was one of my
favourite toys.
Daddy was in the living room engrossed in the evening newspaper so I brought
Daddy a little cup of tea, which was just water. After several cups of
tea and lots of praise for such yummy tea, my Mummy came home.
My Daddy made her wait in the living room to watch me bring him a cup of tea,
because it was just the cutest thing! My Mummy waited, and sure enough,
there I came down the hall with a cup of tea for Daddy and she watched him
drink it up.
Then she said (as only a mother would know):
'"Did it ever occur to you that the only place she can reach to get water is the toilet?"
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English Breakfast - The Meal, Not The Tea.
If
you want to have a hearty breakfast in England, something
to start the day off right, try this for size.
My mouth is already
watering!
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 A Traditional English Breakfast should consist of the
following:
Fried eggs, sunny side up
Bacon, not too crunchy
Baked beans, Heinz variety preferably
Mushrooms,
Cooked tomatoes
Sausages, pork please
Toasted English muffins with butter
Optional extras:
Black Pudding (Caution: This is NOT a dessert. Google it!) · Fried Bread · Toast & Marmalade
Mandatory:
A cup of strong tea with milk. (We recommend Assam tea, and of course
we sell it at the Tea Room. To purchase yours, call 480-488-4812.) | And there you go, a nation of Brits were
raised on this
meal giving credence to the old adage, Breakfast like a King, Lunch like
a
Prince and Dine like a Pauper.
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Eton Mess - Making a Mess Out of Dessert
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 Eton Mess, a British classic, is
a delicious combination of fresh strawberries, whipped cream, and meringue
cookies.
Its name "Eton Mess" pays tribute not only to the place
where it was invented, Eton College (which is one of Britain's most famous
public schools whose alumni includes 18 Prime Minister's of Great Britain), but
also to the fact that the cream, strawberries and broken meringue cookies are
all just mixed together in one big bowl that looks, frankly, like a bit of
a mess."
This yummy
dessert was served in almost every pub we visited, and we visited many. And
the best thing about this particular creation is, it's gluten-free which seems
to be a popular choice lately.
To make at home:
Smash up meringues, either
homemade or store bought
Whip up heavy cream
Chop up strawberries and add some
sugar to taste.
Throw it all in a glass
Top off with mint | If all that sounds too
taxing,
come to the Tea Room, it's now on the menu!
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Don't miss Tea and the Art of Flower Arranging with
Girl Friday Laura Mahoney of ABC 15 Sonoran Living
 Saturday, August 21st, 3:00 p.m.
Only $20 · Limited Seating
RSVP Today by Calling 480-488-4812Meet Laura Mahoney, aka Girl Friday, who has done amazing arrangements for Jennifer Lopez, Halle Berry and other Hollywood celebrities! With Laura's friend and special guest, Jane McCann of Just Jane Handbags
and Accessories.
You won't want to miss this exclusive Tea Room event which is sure to be a sell out! Laura will show you how to make the precious pie and cupcake floral arrangements that are popular with the stars.
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There's nothing like gossip with a good friend.
If you want your friends to get the latest Tea Room gossip and news, forward the newsletter to them and have them click on the link below:
Or, click here if you'd like to visit us on the web at CarefreeTea.com.
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