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Tea time

Gold Pan Grannues set an elegant table while raising funds for SLF
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The tables were set with care

The Gold Pan Grannies Raspberry Cream Tea on Saturday was an elegant affair complete with china cups and saucers, shiny silver, crisp linen napkins with elegant crystal rings, classic table linens, fancy tea pots and coffee decanters all set with fresh flowers, decadent sweets and of course raspberries and cream. The sold-out event was held at the home of Peter and Olive Walsh and despite the inclement weather, the 60 attendees (two sittings) found the Victorian-inspired event delightful from beginning to end.

“Everything we do as Gold Pan Grannies is designed to promote our one true purpose,” GPG Colleen Gatenby said.

“We exist to raise money for the Steven Lewis Foundation project Grandmothers to Grandmothers. These are women who are raising their grandchildren (sometimes unrelated children) because these children have lost parents and caregivers to the HIV/AIDS epidemic in Subsaharan Africa. But who says we can’t have fun while we’re raising money.”

Colleen and her fellow GPGrannies scoured friends and acquaintances cupboards looking for as many china cups, saucers, silverware and other items needed for the tea. They also baked 12 dozen scones, prepared the whipped cream (Colleen said she struggled with clotted cream, the traditional cream for this type of event, but settled for a successful whipped cream instead) and raspberries and brewed the tea and coffee.

Olive and her decorating committee found a way to turn their covered carport into a tearoom which did justice to the lovely ladies in their high tea finery.

The extremely successful Raspberry Cream Tea raised $752 for the Grandmothers to Grandmothers project and Colleen has already deposited the money in the bank.

“We’re already making plans for next year, so many of those who attended were insisting on another Raspberry Cream Tea,” Colleen said.

“We’re also planning a High Tea, complete with sweet and savoury treats for February, so dust off your fancy frock, don your best chapeau and prepare for a great afternoon.”