BIRTHDAY TEA:

We are all here from our tea group, we are dressed in our finery of satins, velvets, silks & linens, in polka dots, florals & stripes. Upon our heads we are all wearing our tall Welsh hats, even the ladies who are not Welsh, today we are all Welsh, & our hats are not the traditional black, no, today we each have a hat of either, scarlet, purple, emerald, bold bright colours of defiance & liberation from all our feminine issues, because we are walking with a purpose, towards a celebration. We are singing, with red lippy lips & dancing shadowed eyes, smiling & joyous. We walk through the green valleys, our voices echoing in the surrounding hills. We come to a clearing where a long tressle table has been laid with the finest vintage china, the snowiest table cloth bedecked with shining silver. We sit down and feast our eyes on what is before us. There are breads of currant, lava, nutty seeds & more. There are baps, scones, tea cakes galore. The cream cakes in coffee, strawberry, lemon, chocolate, & too many to mention. Jams, conserves, fresh whipped cream, yellow churned butter, the aromas tantalising, our mouths watering. At the head of the table a magnificent cake, a birthday cake so beautifully made, encrusted in iced flowers & birds, swathed in sugar ribbons. On the top it had no candles, this a sign that the beholder of this piece de resistance is a lady of discreet age, a lady of mystery, & why not? it is her special day." Happy birthday," is delicately scribed upon the crystal sugared top, & a name, Stephanie. We have met up to celebrate your birthday today my dearest cousin, & we raise our cups of steaming tea & toast you. A VERY, VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU. The champagne will come later.