Constance “Connie” Lue, also known as “The Southern Tea Lady,” pours tea. (Submitted photo)
Vance-Granville Community College will offer a course on “afternoon tea,” the tradition that is enjoying a renaissance as fine hotels, inns and tea rooms across the country give guests an opportunity to retreat from the hurried pace of their lives.
The course, called “Let’s Have a Tea Party,” will meet on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 until 4 p.m., starting March 31. The final class and “graduation” ceremony is an actual afternoon tea party planned and facilitated by the students at Magnolia Manor in Warrenton on April 14, thanks to the generosity of owners Sheila and Larry Carver.
“This fun, informative class is a way to recapture civility and learn etiquette and grace in a friendly setting,” according to the instructor for the class, Constance Lue of Oxford, who has studied under the foremost authorities on Afternoon Tea in Great Britain and the United States. This class has been offered at VGCC many times since Lue started teaching it in 2006. “Many members of the community have taken this class and enjoyed it immensely,” Lue said.
Students will learn about the history of tea; the difference between an afternoon tea party, a royal tea party and “High Tea”; and the proper way to make the best pot of tea. They will have tastings of a wide variety of teas (black, white, green, Oolongs and herbal) at each class meeting. Participants might use what they learn to hold their own tea parties for children as well as their adult friends. Afternoon Tea also can be a way to raise funds for churches and clubs.
Students who complete the course are eligible to join the Old North State Tea Society.
The cost of the course is $60 for four class sessions, plus $20 for the final tea at Magnolia Manor. Students will receive a valuable resource manual with recipes for tea time, tips on flower arranging, and a section on etiquette.
The deadline to register for this class is March 11. Prospective students can register online at www.vgcc.edu/ped or in person at Main Campus, Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.
For more information, contact Emily McCormick at (252) 738-3300 or ped@vgcc.edu.