High Tea in Camden

What’s that? No, we haven’t gone all Home Counties English.

This Camden is the one down in the Cowpastures countryside, where wandering cattle from the First Fleet in New South Wales were found happy and well fed many years later as the colony tentatively moved away from the coast. It is also where Elizabeth Macarthur (nee Veale) helped establish the huge merino wool industry!

The day was Saturday 19 November, 2011, and the event was the Christmas High Tea – the final general event on the 2011 Calendar of the Cornish Association of NSW.

The venue was a very nicely appointed meeting room of Camden Uniting Church *.

The temperature was nudging 38C outside, or 100F, though some fine air conditioning was doing a fitty job.

On the tables were fancy cups and saucers, and traditional Australian decoration of Christmas Bush.

With 49 members, friends, and local family history reseachers turning up the room was abuzz with chatter.

Just nearby were groaning tables filled with cakes and other fancy treats **

After official duties by the President Joy Dunkerley it was time to have a nice  cup o’ tay, a  bit chat … and a plate of those yummy cakes, … or two, or even three!

The Cornish flavour was added to by singing of the St Day Carol, and Sweet Nightingale, played on the harp by John Coombs, and some readings for the season.

An enjoyable afternoon spend with friends, some of whom had travelled over 100km to attend.

A round of applause and thanks to the chief Organiser Del Clinton, Jennifer Meston, and all the ladies and gents who helped.

With only crumbs and grushans left, all bid farewell.
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*  A 1977 amalgamation of the Methodist, and many Presbyterian and Congregational Churches in Australia.
** No pasties … come on, it was a High Tea and it was 38C!
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Loaded to Cornwal24.net e-magazine by Kevrenor, for the CANSW, on 20 November, 2011