D'Gemwick - Princess of Peril
Acte 1
A Tea for the Tillerman
Wickedly Delicious and Delightful
Years ago while doing research for a boring university project I stumbled across old archives for the Glamorgan Gazette from the pre-Great War 1900s.
A story entitled ‘Tea Party Misadventure’ caught my eye.
It was of interest mostly because my mum likes to put on elaborate dress-up tea parties of her own doing in our almost one-hectare backyard garden at home.
There was not much to this old story really, only reporting that at a certain fancy Tea held at the manor house recently the hostess and several guests reported jewels had turned up missing. I was suspiciously under the impression that they were wearing said jewels at the time, for no mention of them being nicked from rooms was made.
This piqued my curiosity because, due I’m sure to some quirk in my DNA, I get perilous shivers thinking some uncommon thief could be that skilled, he/she could undetected, nick the very jewels I’m wearing. Would love to know if I’m unique in that feeling.
That said ….
No mention of an investigation, the cause, or any outcome was given. Nor could I find a follow-up story.
I hate it when I cannot find answers to stories. And this one certainly piqued my rather offbeat interest over how something like that could occur.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Then, much more recently, I had been out with Ginny to see the movie “Cruella.” She had “commandeered” her older Brother’s twin 8-year-old daughters for the occasion.
The movie basically sets up how Cruella became a thief, starting out with these tendencies as a young child.
I will admit that as we sat drinking at the pub afterward later that same evening (after seeing the giggling twin girls off back to thief mum) my mind pictured some of my own Mum’s past fancy tea parties.
I soon combined third memories with that long ago newspaper story of ‘misadventure at a similar function.
Certain scenes of that movie clicked in my alcohol-induced mind as to how the ladies at the fancy tea may have lost their jewellery.
Soon I came up with the seeds of the fictional story below using bits of those tea parties and my ideas on how dropping in a resourceful thief amongst the dressed-up guests' midst them could play out the unanswered questions in the Glamorgan Gazette’s missing jewellery storyline. Sort of filling in the gaps.
The descriptions of that tea described below are taken from years of tea parties Mum has hosted. The details are accurate including the settings, clothing, and jewels worn by the hostess(Mum) and her guests, including Ginny and I at various times.
The character studies of Estella, the wooden bead lady, and the Shannons are also loosely based on past tea party guests.
I guess any posh affair of that sort if carried on for enough years will have its odd occurrences and occasional uninvited guests. Which we have…
And of course, the story as told is a work of fiction.
No actual robbery-related misadventures have ever occurred at one of my Mum’s teas. They were always known to be sensible affairs.
I need to say that because mum still popularly puts them on, and I don't wish to scare anyone off. They are such fun.
The story below may seem far-fetched, but is it really? For something indeed quite odd had happened at that tea in Glamorgan to warrant a reporter’s story?
Next up :
Acte 1
My Tale
A Brief Characterization
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
A Tea for the Tillerman
Acte 1
A Brief Characterization
Like her Mum before her(my Gamma), mine liked to hold these once a fortnight dress up “High” tea affairs with her friends. Held either inside the sunroom, or larger parties carried out in the backyard gardens during warmer months.
The invited were pretty much just ladies our mum knew, which was extensive. But during the summer months, these friends were more than welcome to also invite along daughters, relatives, and such.
They all would certainly get in the mood and have fun with the ongoing theme of a posh tea, trying to outdo one another in the dress-up department.
Elegant evening attire mixed in with cocktail dresses, silk and satin blouses with formal long skirts, and even the occasional repurposed wedding or bridesmaid gowns were the unwritten attire required to attend.
Copious displays of pearls and rhinestones were displayed with added panache. And many a real gemstone was snuck in to show its glitter and gleam off.
It was like they were expecting a member of the royal family to attend, Mum’s affair had grown to be simply that posh.
Tea (and stronger drink) was served and by the time the soirée died down by twilight, our yard(or house) contained a very happily cheerful lot. A laughing and huggy group of well-dressed, inebriated ladies.
A pickpockets dream, I always fancifully told myself as I watched it all play out many times.
This time it was no different, with soon giggling ladies, whom it became very apparent on the day of this tale, would have presented easy marks for the tomfoolery of someone without convictions (As the Culture Club song goes)!
Next up the Acte 2
Tea Party Misadventure
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Acte 1
A Tea for the Tillerman
Wickedly Delicious and Delightful
Years ago while doing research for a boring university project I stumbled across old archives for the Glamorgan Gazette from the pre-Great War 1900s.
A story entitled ‘Tea Party Misadventure’ caught my eye.
It was of interest mostly because my mum likes to put on elaborate dress-up tea parties of her own doing in our almost one-hectare backyard garden at home.
There was not much to this old story really, only reporting that at a certain fancy Tea held at the manor house recently the hostess and several guests reported jewels had turned up missing. I was suspiciously under the impression that they were wearing said jewels at the time, for no mention of them being nicked from rooms was made.
This piqued my curiosity because, due I’m sure to some quirk in my DNA, I get perilous shivers thinking some uncommon thief could be that skilled, he/she could undetected, nick the very jewels I’m wearing. Would love to know if I’m unique in that feeling.
That said ….
No mention of an investigation, the cause, or any outcome was given. Nor could I find a follow-up story.
I hate it when I cannot find answers to stories. And this one certainly piqued my rather offbeat interest over how something like that could occur.
^^^^^^^^^^^
Then, much more recently, I had been out with Ginny to see the movie “Cruella.” She had “commandeered” her older Brother’s twin 8-year-old daughters for the occasion.
The movie basically sets up how Cruella became a thief, starting out with these tendencies as a young child.
I will admit that as we sat drinking at the pub afterward later that same evening (after seeing the giggling twin girls off back to thief mum) my mind pictured some of my own Mum’s past fancy tea parties.
I soon combined third memories with that long ago newspaper story of ‘misadventure at a similar function.
Certain scenes of that movie clicked in my alcohol-induced mind as to how the ladies at the fancy tea may have lost their jewellery.
Soon I came up with the seeds of the fictional story below using bits of those tea parties and my ideas on how dropping in a resourceful thief amongst the dressed-up guests' midst them could play out the unanswered questions in the Glamorgan Gazette’s missing jewellery storyline. Sort of filling in the gaps.
The descriptions of that tea described below are taken from years of tea parties Mum has hosted. The details are accurate including the settings, clothing, and jewels worn by the hostess(Mum) and her guests, including Ginny and I at various times.
The character studies of Estella, the wooden bead lady, and the Shannons are also loosely based on past tea party guests.
I guess any posh affair of that sort if carried on for enough years will have its odd occurrences and occasional uninvited guests. Which we have…
And of course, the story as told is a work of fiction.
No actual robbery-related misadventures have ever occurred at one of my Mum’s teas. They were always known to be sensible affairs.
I need to say that because mum still popularly puts them on, and I don't wish to scare anyone off. They are such fun.
The story below may seem far-fetched, but is it really? For something indeed quite odd had happened at that tea in Glamorgan to warrant a reporter’s story?
Next up :
Acte 1
My Tale
A Brief Characterization
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
A Tea for the Tillerman
Acte 1
A Brief Characterization
Like her Mum before her(my Gamma), mine liked to hold these once a fortnight dress up “High” tea affairs with her friends. Held either inside the sunroom, or larger parties carried out in the backyard gardens during warmer months.
The invited were pretty much just ladies our mum knew, which was extensive. But during the summer months, these friends were more than welcome to also invite along daughters, relatives, and such.
They all would certainly get in the mood and have fun with the ongoing theme of a posh tea, trying to outdo one another in the dress-up department.
Elegant evening attire mixed in with cocktail dresses, silk and satin blouses with formal long skirts, and even the occasional repurposed wedding or bridesmaid gowns were the unwritten attire required to attend.
Copious displays of pearls and rhinestones were displayed with added panache. And many a real gemstone was snuck in to show its glitter and gleam off.
It was like they were expecting a member of the royal family to attend, Mum’s affair had grown to be simply that posh.
Tea (and stronger drink) was served and by the time the soirée died down by twilight, our yard(or house) contained a very happily cheerful lot. A laughing and huggy group of well-dressed, inebriated ladies.
A pickpockets dream, I always fancifully told myself as I watched it all play out many times.
This time it was no different, with soon giggling ladies, whom it became very apparent on the day of this tale, would have presented easy marks for the tomfoolery of someone without convictions (As the Culture Club song goes)!
Next up the Acte 2
Tea Party Misadventure
<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<