Fellowship and Cream Tea

Taking a few days out to visit the south west of England just doing nothing was most rewarding. All week long my wife had been looking at places to enjoy a Devon cream tea.  Despite enjoying scones and tea, I must admit it’s not something I really wanted to do.  I’d rather be walking along a canal looking at locks and weirs or watching trains go by or something equally important.  Every time we almost found a place for lashings of cream to do it’s thing with scones and jam we managed to drift past. Hilary is very patient as she waits for my excessive interest in all things ancient and mechanical to eventually yield to a less selfish if more fattening alternative.

What a lovely time we had once I sat still long enough to let the tee steep.  The wait for the scones to come from the oven to the table was totally enjoyable.  The location wasn’t bad either.  Quite a view from the tea table.

On a more serious note, why is it that we can happily sit for an hour drinking tea and having great fellowship while looking out of the window at a great old church but couldn’t sit in the church looking at the tea shop?  Perhaps if they served something enjoyable and worthwhile in the church I’d be less likely to drift past!  It would have cost twice as much to just walk in the door of the Cathedral than to enjoy the cream tea. There’s something fundamentally wrong with this arrangement.  I know old buildings need upkeep but the tea shop is well over 500 years old and somehow manages to survive without charging admission!  Perhaps if the church did it’s job as well as the tea shop and served up something worthwhile it would be in a better state financially. I know I risk a flood of annoyed email writers pointing out the flaws in my logic.  Hey - while I’m at it - I’d buy a cream tea in church!  Why not? Throw the doors open!