Beatons Blog

Beatons Chester: Ringing Bells for Gracious Hospitality

Here at Beatons Chester we ring the bells of service every day 364 days a year - as indeed every Beatons does. We're Steve and Elaine and as Tearooms Owners it's our pleasure to welcome you to this online glimpse of what we're all about: to me summed up by 'gracious hospitality'.

To find us, head for the Cathedral Bell Tower in Bell Tower Walk. Celebrate the wonderful City of Chester with a pot of our house blend, the deliberately chosen 'Dong Ding' loose leaf tea and a large slice of our signature carrot cake from our bell shaped domes. In fact, if you'd like to hear the Cathedral bells on a Sunday afternoon we're the perfect place!

Full contact and location details here.

We always like to give potential visitors a snap-shot of interesting places about the community we find ourselves in. Chester is quite a City. First and foremost, Chester Cathedral are our kind and long established neighbours. Chester's also home to a zoo, boasts the only circular racecourse in the world, the only strange phenomenon of the black and white 'Rows' and has the only female beadle to keep order! It's also the only Beatons to be located in a City...

Many people across Cheshire and as far afield as Manchester and Birmingham come to Chester for a special day out. Our three tiers of deliciousness in the shape of our Quintessential Afternoon Tea makes it really memorable. And gives you time to rest 'shoppers' feet'!

Why not make a date with your tastebuds and book Afternoon Tea with us so you can really enjoy everything Chester has to offer and know you've factored in a restorative break?

Steve and Elaine Roberts

Franchise Business Owners

#beatonstearooms: Beaton pops up everywhere!

On a rare day off from 'thinking Beatons' yesterday, Chris and I headed off to a National Trust property, Benthall Hall in Broseley in Shropshire... But it seems Cecil Beaton's ghost had other ideas!

Benthall is one of those lovely small 'lived in' houses - reminding us slightly of Croft Castle (a favourite). Noticing some books in the library marked Old Vic, and with my 'Mr Darcy' being an actor, we asked about them and discovered that Michael Benthall (then deemed black sheep of the family on account of being gay) was Director of the Old Vic (53 - 62) and had been presented with the three volumes about the productions during his period of office when he retired.

Thanks to the very helpful volunteer who offered to let us see inside one of the volumes.

Imagine our delight and surprise, when the page he turned to had that unmistakable signature and unmistakable touch of hand: Beaton!

And it turns out Michael Benthall was Director when Cecil Beaton designed the costumes for Love's Labours Lost! We were allowed to take this picture and just wanted to share it.

This would be good day trip out from Beatons Chester!

#Blandford : 'Mischief Making' Fay Weldon In Conversation!

Photo Credit I Bella West

I must be one of Fay Weldon's newest (if not youngest) fans.

And I may become one of her noisiest as we are both singing from the same hymn sheet when it comes to the pleasure holding books in your hands and the conflict of the e-book! But first, things first - let us invite you to meet her.

One of the perks of being House Poet for Beatons is getting occasional review copies - and stealing from the blurb from Fay's publishers, Head of Zeus, about her latest book - 'Mischief'... they say, 'Now, here is Fay Weldon in her own words.'

'Of course, they're talking about reading her words, but if you come to Beatons Blandford Forum one Sunday in mid-March you can HEAR Fay, indeed meet her - thanks to some superb organisation by Helen Cooper - at an event in aid of the Corn Exchange Challenge to raise funds for Blandford's Regeneration Project

What: Fay Weldon in Conversation

... and of course reading and signing copes of her new book, Mischief

When: Sunday 22nd March 2015, 4.30 to 6 pm

Cost: £6.99 per person (limited numbers)

This also entitles you to £2 off the cover price of Mischief!

(note: tea and cake NOT included in ticket price!)

Tickets: From Beatons Blandford, Blandford TIC, the Council Offices

or by e-mailing: helen@heraga.co.uk.

Jacket Design by Charlotte Jade

Mini-Review Number 1: Before I spread some Mischief, can I just mention that I'm fingering the hardback edition and that I want to SCREAM very loudly that it has THE most stunningly beautiful jacket by illustrator, 'Charlotte Jade' as you can see (in what I think is tea-spill-free material). For the vibrant matching turquoise end papers and greyscale title pages and introduction the designers at Head of Zeus Publishing have to be applauded. See Fay's quote at the end about the aesthetics of paper - it really is a book to treasure.

So, to the contents of Mischief!

It includes a new novella - 'The Ted Dreams' which has me fighting off my own as I try to read just one more page before going to bed... and four decades' worth of short stories. Of these, I've indulged in 'A Gentle Tonic Effect' so far (very occupied with Beatons Chester launch preparations at the mo). So glad that's where my fingers landed. It's wicked, brilliantly crafted - eight un-put-downable pages multi-layered with uneasy truths about the human psyche. And a must for all therapists and counsellors to read!

I'm enjoying the book enough to have earmarked it for a full review in our Summer Reads feature in July.

Oh, and I am green with envy for all you lucky Dorset and Wiltshire fans who are snapping up tickets. I can't make the event - and nor will you unless you get your tickets quick! But who knows, may be my path will cross with Fay's and we can share a pot of Beatons Brew together.

In the meantime, I leave you with a snippet of 'Fay Weldon in her own words':

'And then the e-book came along, the naked text without the frills of publisher's advocacy, jacket, blurb, writer's photo: Look at me! Read this book! ... 'Good' writing is so much to do with an aesthetic, with a resonance of language which is more apparent on paper than on a screen.'

Ironically, 'The Ted Dreams' was published as an e-book before going into this volume - and it's so plot-rich that it no doubt sings from the screen in its nakedness. However, give me a physical book to contemplate upon, feel, finger and slowly relish undressing every time...

#Blandford: Open House Launch Review

It was the morning when many were nursing post-works-Christmas-Party-hangovers (including our team!) and the rest were off Christmas shopping so our numbers were few - but we made up for it in Quality...

... not least in the shape of Anna Birch, Dorset's most famous vet, who was signing copies of her book 'Call the Vet' and guest - and also local author - Jennie Rake. Jennie won a signed copy of 'Distinguished Leaves: poems for tea-lovers' by yours truly for being the closest to remembering what time the Great Fire of Blandford in 1731 re-ignited, prompted by David Bamber's winning poem from our Poetry Competition about the fire.

David read an extremely pertinent poem entitled 'Tea for Two' - hot off the press - but I'm sure he would agree with me that he co-starred with the carrot cake which everyone assembled wolfed down.

Photographer Jodie Whyte took some great photographs for Arkadia Magazine - and kindly gave us

these to share.

We look forward to stocking Jennie Rake's books, and seeing more book-lovers and writers at our next event.

Our signature carrot cake? You can enjoy that every day!

Liz Darcy Jones

#beatonstearooms: What's Inside a Beatons?

Curious? All these you will find...

High Tea, scones and gorgeous cake,
Bowls of soup or stew
Fine coffee, lots of loose-leaf teas
Our house blend - Beatons Brew

Come in for breakfast, lunch or tea
And lovely things on toast
Which of our daily specials
All home-made will you like most?

Fresh restorative food and drink
And books to feed the mind
With titles chosen to delight
All these you will find...
... inside Beatons Blandford

#Blandford: Beatons Blandford Launch!

MD Patrick welcomes & thanks everyone

The Dress Code said 'a touch of sparkle' and Blandford could have started a fourth great fire with the glints of diamonds and bling on Friday night!

We'll be creating some day-time sparkle on Saturday 13th December from 10 to 10.30 am and the chance to sample some of our signature Carrot Cake as well as hear the two winning poems from our 2nd Annual Poetry Competition... oh and a warning about what happens if you eat too much cake, Dorset's most famous vet signing copies of her book and a few tips about loose leaf tea!

In the meantime, here are a few pics from our Launch Soirée and Awards Ceremony. Thanks from Patrick and all the team here, to the guests who came and indulged, and gave us such a lovely welcome and to everyone who has been involved in the project. Especially the TNT man who delivered our new oven (with only hours before fresh miniature scones and hot canapés were due to be served!)...

Sparkling crowd at Beatons Blandford Launch Party

There's so much to tell, but you know, sometimes it's best to keep your own memories and just allow the pictures to convey what they will of the atmosphere.

We have stacks of photos of smiling faces holding glasses of sparkle, looking elegant and relaxed. Many of them have gone off to the local press and who knows, some may even grace the 'Society' pages of some of our local glossies...

The music from Sorrentino was beautiful and we managed to quieten the clinking of glasses and social chatter to nothing so we could all enjoy a medley of pieces from 'My Fair Lady' (Cecil Beaton designed the costumes for the 1964 film).

Regrets? Only that I didn't book a professional photographer to take better pictures (lesson for next ime)... And that I didn't take one of Beatons Blandford Manager Ben and his kitchen staff's amazing food - the talk of twitter - or our newly trained Front of House team navigating through the crowds with them! But here's a weary but proud Ben and our youngest investor in Beatons Blandford - Tisbury cook Harry Mcgookin - basking in the success of the evening as it drew to a close.

Winning Poems from Our 2014 Poetry Competition

David Bamber reads his winning poem

So here they are! The three winning entries on the theme of 'Restoration' - which we encouraged poets to interpret loosely (and they did!) Sadly, we only had half the entries we did last year (limiting entries to the UK and running the competition later in the year may have been a contributory factor).

At a splendid Launch Soirée and Awards Ceremony on Friday 5th December at Beatons Blandford David Bamber had the thrill of receiving his award from internationally acclaimed poet, travel writer and Blandford Forum resident Paul Hyland.

Hear the poem on Saturday 13th Dec from 10 to 10.30 am
at Beatons Blandford 2 Market Place

David Bamber's winning entry (adults) tells the Blandford based story of its Great Fire - throbbing with rhythm and rhyme.

David spent many hours researching and crafting his entry.

Judges said, 'This is a great description of Blandford's fire. Relevant, well written with a natural flow. Good metre.' 'A strong narrative and a well handled 'arc', I like the personification of the fire and the water and felt the conflict very effective'.

The runner up in the competition was Russ Berry of Coventry for his poem 'To the Blackthorn' (scroll to end to read) and we added an extra 'Highly Commended' prize and certificate to London's Charles Evans whose poem 'Restoration' vividly described a 'restorative experience' at bath time... slightly too adult for our website unfortunately!

Anna Wilson is the seventeen year old who entered our 'Young Aspiring Wordsmiths Category'. We're not going to hide the fact that she was the only one who entered. That alone makes her a winner in our eyes, although our judges looked critically at her entry before deciding to award her the prize.

Anna's entry 'The Returned Timepiece' is clearly influenced by the focus on the war in this Centenary period of WW1 and has a rich sense of nostalgia about it.

You can hear Anna's poem being read at our Free Open House on Saturday morning, 13th December 10 - 10.30

Judges said, 'Very relevant in this year... very emotive and well thought out.' 'A promising reflective poem.'

Runner up, Russ Berry wrote 'To the Blackthorn', reminding us of the nature poetry of John Clare and shifts the sense of Restoration to the seasons. Russ couldn't get down from Coventry to the launch but can't wait to get down to Beatons to use up his voucher!

Paul Hyland read the poem on Russ's behalf.