I have a fascination with afternoon tea because I associate it with a romantic date concept. Moreover, I am attracted to the elegant crockery, such as bone china and porcelain tea sets, in which it is served at luxury hotels and restaurants in London. You may also see these lavish tea sets in cute cafes in many villages and cities in the UK.
The afternoon tea is rich in history, and its origin has an intriguing story, which you can read here: The origin of luxury afternoon tea in Britain.
The Great British Afternoon Tea Bus
Recently, I had an exciting afternoon tea date with my husband at the Great British Tea Bus. It’s a vintage double-decker British bus where you can enjoy several cuppa of tea and a three-tiered menu while touring London’s major attractions from your seat for one and a half hours, and the guide tells the story behind each spot.
So, the thrilling story behind the tea date begins with the London Underground Tube Strike. The suspense isn’t about whether we could make it to the reserved tea date; otherwise, how would I be writing this post? It lies in the journey that we had to take to reach our destination.
We didn’t know about the strike until 12:30 pm, and our plan to leave was at 2 pm, but we had to go earlier. Now, imagine the swiftness with which I had to dress for this date.
Not even the chosen dresses were supporting me, and I am not talking about the fittings, but the appearance (my female fellows can relate to this). I had to change two dresses before I could finalise the look.
My husband and I left home two hours before the 3:30 pm arrival time. The climax was entirely filmy, and I had already imagined that we would miss the bus.
The Great British Afternoon Tea bus was parked outside the Embankment station, and we had to arrive at 3:15 pm.
Since the District Line that we had to take was closed, we considered booking a cab, but to our disappointment, none were available. We decided to board a bus, but when we reached the station, one had already left.
The two scheduled buses didn’t stop at the station, so we waited for another thirty minutes. The clock was ticking fast.
Finally, a bus arrived, packed with people, but we still managed to board and find space to stand. Due to massive traffic on the road, the bus was moving too slowly.
After getting off the bus, I decided to call the tour staff and tell them about my situation, requesting them to wait a little longer. But we had to run to board the Underground Tube because the waiting time for the next one would be longer.
We changed two Tube, and it was already 3:15 pm. There was no signal, so I couldn’t call and inform the staff. We reached the Embankment station at 3:27 pm and sprinted as if our lives depended on it.
Thankfully, the bus was still there. We were whizzing badly, but somehow I managed to show our tickets to the staff and from here the exhilarating date began.
The lady staff at the bus, who was also our guide, welcomed us and took us to our table on the deck. She had already served food on the table, and then she took our order for drinks.
I ordered Raspberry and Mint tea, and my husband ordered a Cappuccino. She asked us to tap our feet on the floor whenever we would like to place our next drink order, or want anything else.
The bus driver started the engine, and our date began rolling on the wheels. I may not tell you about all the sights, because I was busy eating, drinking, and chit-chatting.
After reviewing the food on the table, I acknowledged that I should have called the staff to inform them that we are vegetarians. Nevertheless, soon I noticed that it was a set menu and we couldn’t make any changes. There were cucumber sandwiches in the food along with pastries and desserts, so we were good.
The food menu entailed cucumber sandwiches, chicken sandwiches, pork burgers, croissants, brownies, seed cake, scones with clotted cream and raspberry jam—everything in a quantity for two.
We reached St. Paul’s Cathedral, and the lady guide gave us the reference to the Mary Poppins and Paddington movie, which was filmed there.
Next, we passed by the original London Bridge. Many people still think Tower Bridge is the London Bridge due to that school poem, ‘London Bridge is falling down’, but it’s not.
It was a bright, hot day in London. I am glad that the staff also considered this situation and gave us Japanese paper fans.
I enjoyed seeing people greet us and take pictures of the bus. That day we saw so many tour buses on the road.
When we reached the Tower Bridge, it was opening for a ship to pass, so the traffic stopped and we had to wait, which gave us more time for our chit chat. Amidst the blue and white railings of the bridge, numerous pedestrians began walking over it once the bridge gates were closed.
Then the Afternoon Bus crossed Westminster Bridge, showering us with a beautiful view of the London Eye, and oh boy! What an unforgettable scene it was! A couple dressed like Hawaiians were getting snapped by their photographer on the busy Westminster Bridge.
At last, we reached the final stop, which was outside Embankment station. The staff gave me a paper bag to pack the leftovers, and with this, our tea date ended on a cheerful note.
Although I was initially sceptical about eating on a moving bus, I am glad to say it was a smooth ride, and I didn’t feel any butterflies in my stomach.
The Afternoon Tea Bus Tour was sponsored by Get Your Guide.
If you liked the idea, then you can book your own tea date in London through the given link ⬆️.
Additionally, you can download the Get Your Guide app to book your day trips and activities anytime, anywhere.
Get 5% discount on your bookings through the GYG app using TRAVELTOMUSE5 code.
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