tea at Molly's

One morning I was late for my walk and saw Molly already home, sitting behind the gate at a large gorgeous house called The Old Plough. The next time I saw Gordon I confirmed that was indeed his house and, being a pushy American, asked if I could get a tour sometime. Gordon, being a typical Brit, invited us to tea with him and Sue. So Tuesday afternoon at 3:00, in the pouring rain, John and I arrived to partake of this traditional British ritual.

The house was really beautiful and built in the early 1600's. Originally it was a farm house, and the bottom floor had the typical animal stalls. At some point the records seem to indicate it might have changed into a pub, but then one family moved in, had 5 kids, none of them got married, and the house stayed with them until the final family member passed away, so around 100 years. Then a specialist in medieval furniture bought the house, and made no changes because I guess he liked to mimic medieval conditions? I shudder thinking about the cold, wet winters. When Gordon and Sue bought it, they had quite a bit to do to bring it up to date.

When we got there Molly was very excited to greet us. But once we were served tea and apple cake Molly got bored and wandered off. After the afternoon sustenance we toured the house and admired the old beams, built-in window seats, detailed carvings in the old shutters, and got to imagine life 400 years ago in this huge home. I was glad I was a pushy American and had asked for a tour, though I could really get used to apple cake in the afternoon....