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VIRGINIA BEACH As I entered the room at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, the upbeat sounds of a jazz quartet caught my ear. They made me want to shake a white handkerchief in the air to the beat. I settled on a two-step.

It set my mood for a Saturday afternoon of fruity teas, finger foods and fashion, the Virginia Beach History Museums Elegance & DiviniTea.

This was the latest in the museums annual tea events. The first, in December, was Victorian themed, with Christmas carolers in ankle-length skirts and festive capes. This tea, on May 14, was hat-inspired and grounded in African and African American culture.

It just seems to fit what we are the Virginia Beach History Museums and Cultural Affairs, the museums director, Annmarie Reiley-Kay.

One of the partnering organizations for the event was the Princess Anne County Training School-Union Kempsville High School Alumni and Friends Association, the only school for Black people in what was then Princess Anne County. Black and white images from the graduating classes decorated the lobby. In the tea room, women greeted each other with colorful fascinators pinned behind their ears, and purple hats with wide brims and matching bows set high on their foreheads.

Gathering for the tea. (Bill Tiernan/Freelance)

Some tables included vintage headdresses, provided by the Little Theatre of Virginia Beach, on top of the floral arrangements. Other centerpieces of greenery, babys breath and pops of color from carnations also made me smile.

In the center of the room, seven strobe bars formed a runway. As I took my seat, I admired the hats in the room, such as a yellow satin pleated hat with an inner diamond circle. Another was turquoise with a matching ribbon, and another was pink felt with three strings of pearls wrapped around the band.

Gold tablecloths draped each four-seat table. An orange vanilla cream rooibos tea bag sat in flowery china cups, and a watermelon hibiscus tea bag and Ceylon black tea bag waited on the saucers. A silver-plated tea bag holder was included to hold the used teabags. The organizers thought of every little detail, including the gold plastic utensils wrapped in thick white napkins with a gold paper band to secure them.

The table couldnt hold any more goodies, so vibrant yellow and purple church fans, displaying the program on one side and the tea menu with their histories on the other, waited on the cushioned chairs.

With host Bonita Billingsley Harris at left, Otealia Jennings of Virginia Beach sings "America the Beautiful" at the beginning of the Elegance & DiviniTea event. (Bill Tiernan/Freelance)

I started with my rooibos. It had a subtle flavor profile with delicate vanilla aromatics. The menu contained a brief history. Rooibos, or red bush, is a herb native to South Africa. It was cultivated by the indigenous bushmen, the Khoisan people, and has been cultivated for more than 300 years. Rooibos began to rise in commercial popularity between 1904 and 1968. It could barely be imported to the United States before 2000 because of sanctions during South Africas segregationist apartheid era.

The timing was perfect. Model Mikel Fuller of the ss community which practices the religion and spirituality of the Yoruba of West Africa hit the runway with a showstopper. She wore a stunning tall, red Nigerian head wrap called a gele. Golden tones reflected in the light as she sashayed down the runway.

Professor Omiyemi Artisia Green from William & Mary, a priestess for the ss spiritual community of Hampton Roads, walked to the podium in her green gele. She talked about the history of the gele. In Africa, a gele symbolizes social status. African Americans now wear the head wrap or hat to connect to their spiritual crown.

The program host, Bonita Billingsley Harris, reminded the audience of the adage: The higher the hat, the closer to God.

The name of the event became clearer and aligned with the purpose elegance and divinity.

Models from Teens with a Purpose wore derby and church hats, a few vintage offerings from the Little Theatre. Then Stark & Legum, one of the oldest local haberdashers, showcased mens and womens hats.

They ranged from black or white fedoras with decorative bands to a summertime panama hat with blue-black ribbon a brown suede cowboy hat. If the leading male model looked familiar to some, it was the longtime area coach Elisha Cadillac Harris, and husband of the host.

Zion Smith Designs featured some incredible pieces, giving us a peek into the future of headwear. The crowd admired a model wearing the red satin ribbon all-year material accented with Swarovski crystals. I pulled out my camera.

I was seeing red and sipping it. I switched my tea to the watermelon hibiscus with its ruby liquor, my favorite of the day. It gave me subtle sweet notes with a juicy tart finish. The Hibiscus sabdariffa is native to North Africa, Southeast Asia and grows in tropical climates. In some African countries, its used for medicinal purposes. Its popular in West Africa, Central Africa and the diaspora. Hibiscus plants were on ships with enslaved Africans in the 1500s.

As the event ended, people collected their dessert boxes: a strawberry lemon tart with lemon cream, fresh strawberries and whipped cream, and a French macaron, perfect bites to end an afternoon tea. The lightly sweetened macaron, with its buttery crust, would have complemented the earthy boldness of a cup of the Ceylon black tea.

Served along with three kinds of tea and a catered boxed lunch: history and abundant creativity. Church fans, arrayed on each chair, had held the menus. (Bill Tiernan/Freelance)

As I reflected on the days event, I plotted my order of indulgence for the savory boxed lunches, which contained traditional tea party favorites. I enjoyed the freshness of the chicken salad on wheat bread. The roast beef on a mini brioche with cranberry chutney tasted like quality beef meeting a hint of sweetness. I loved the smoked salmon salad with fresh dill on wheat bread so much that I went to the companys website to see if it was a regular menu item. No such luck. I savored the fresh, smooth, herbaceous bite. The cucumber and cream cheese with fresh chives on white bread didnt disappoint my palate either. It had a thin layer of creaminess with a little crunch. Then I tried a moist blueberry scone with its burst of fruity flavor.

Hillary Plate, the cultural program and grants coordinator for the Virginia Beach Cultural Affairs Department, wants a tea series with a taste of history that brings the community together. She accomplished this with Elegance and DiviniTea.

Rekaya Gibson, rekaya.gibson@virginiamedia.com, 754-295-8809

The rest is here:
Tea, hats and history: Women gather to celebrate all three at Elegance & DiviniTea - The Virginian-Pilot

In celebration of the Queens Platinum Jubilee, Pensthorpe nature resereve, will be hosting its own royal tea party (with a twist) for May half term.

From Saturday, May 28 to Sunday, June 5, families can take little princes and princesses on a regal stroll through the park to find natures royalty on a brand-new trail.

In celebration of the Queens Platinum Jubilee, families visiting Pensthorpe Natural Park between can take little princes and princesses on a regal stroll round the 700-acre park to find natures royalty in a brand-new trail.

From kingfishers to a red crowned crane which is the second rarest crane in the world, visitors will need to search high and low to locate guests for a tea party thats fit for a king.

The trail, which weaves across Pensthorpes four stunning gardens, will feature captivating facts about these noble birds including which bird has the most unhygienic nest and which rare crane is a symbol of immortality.

Free arts and crafts for guests will be on offer so little ones can make their own nature crowns and flags and pretend to be royalty and there will also be a mini trail to explore at the parks award-winning outdoor eco-playground, WildRootz, in the search for objects to make the perfect tea party.

Deb Jordan, owner of Pensthorpe Natural Park, said: "Its not every year we get to celebrate such a momentous milestone for Queen Elizabeth II and with an extra bank holiday for families to enjoy too, we wanted to mark the occasion with an exciting new offering here at Pensthorpe.

"As always, we want to educate our visitors about the fascinating side of nature and the incredible animals that we have here in the UK, and what better way to do this than tying this in with the Platinum Jubilee."

The Courtyard Caf will be serving themed tea party treats and there is also the parks indoor play area, Hootz House, to enjoy, as well as interactive trails, seven bird hides and several charming boardwalks that weave through the wilderness of the reserve.

Pensthorpe will be open every day between 10am and 5pm for the duration of the royal tea party trail.

The rest is here:
Nature reserve's tea party to toast Jubilee - Lynn News

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA. This summer at Spring Theatre, audiences will travel through the looking glass with a cast of colorful characters in a family-friendly production of Alice in Wonderland.

This version of the classic tale, written by Janet Yates Vogt Book and Mark Friedman, is a Triad premiere and is sure to delight kids and grown-ups alike.

Making her Spring Theatre directorial debut is theatre artist Morgan Southard. As a new resident in the Triad, I am very pumped to dive in with the Spring Theatre family, says Southard. Their community's passion, drive, and integrity are infectious, and I am so grateful and honored to be a part. I cant wait to crash through the looking glass with Alice and her whimsical, hilarious, and magical friends.

The show was chosen to put dead-center in Spring Theatres Season of Perspective following Marchs smash hit Children of Eden, and is the perfect production to literalize Springs 2022 season theme.

In addition, on Saturday, June 25th at 4pm, Spring Theatre will be hosting a Mad Hatter Tea Party with some of the cast members. Young guests will be invited to interact with their favorite Wonderland residents, take goofy photos, play silly games, sing tuneful songs, and drink plenty of tea with the Mad Hatter himself plus a slew of special guests. Tickets for the tea party will be $10, with all proceeds going to Spring Theatre for their upcoming productions.

Founded in 2011, Spring Theatre was built to cultivate people of courage and communities of joy through youth-inspired theatrical experiences. Spring Theatre helps established and aspiring theatre artists reach their full artistic potential through mentoring, main stage productions, theatre camps, workshops, and master classes. As a result, Spring Theatres youth are confident community members who are prepared for leadership roles including, but not limited to, performing, writing, directing, and staging their own productions. The family of Spring Theatre fuels the creative spirit of the entire Triad and beyond.

You can catch Spring Theatres Alice in Wonderland at the Reynolds Place Theatre on Friday, June 24th at 7pm, Saturday, June 25th at 2pm and 7pm and Sunday, June 26th at 2pm. Tickets are $15 and are on sale now. The ticket link can be accessed on http://www.SpringTheatre.org.

See the original post:
SPRING THEATRE'S SEASON OF PERSPECTIVE CONTINUES WITH ALICE IN WONDERLAND - Yes! Weekly

Bruce Fein, American lawyer to Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has said the Nigerian government ought to be the ones on trial, not Kanu.

Fein in a release obtained by SaharaReporters on Thursday stated that what the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, was doing with his troops in Ukraine was tea party compared to what the Muhammadu Buhari government is inflicting on the Biafran leader and Biafra.

The IPOB leader has been detained in the facility of Nigerias secret police, the Department of State Services, for over 10 months having been arrested since June 27, 2021.

He had been arraigned several times before the Federal High Court, Abuja over charges of treason, treasonable felony, terrorism, and illegal possession of firearms, among others, with the latest court sitting on Wednesday.

The court, on Wednesday, had declined to grant bail to the detained IPOB leader.

Justice Binta Nyako had held that Kanu must explain the reason why he breached the previous bail that was given to him before he could enjoy another favourable discretion from the court.

Reacting in a statement on Thursday, Fein said Kanu should not be the one facing trial; rather it should be the Nigerian government.

He said, The Fulani-controlled government of Nigeria should be on trial, not Nnamdi Kanu. The formers prosecution of the latter turns the law on its headfrom an instrument of justice to a weapon of oppression.

Judicial notice can be taken of the following: The Nigerian government attempted to assassinate Nnamdi Kanu in September 2017 for exercising his constitutional and international law right to self-determination by the people of Biafra.

The Abia High Court has awarded MNK N5billion in damages for the violation. The attempted assassination disqualifies the Nigerian government from prosecuting MNK for lack of impartiality required by due process and international law.

The Nigerian government continues to deny the people of Biafra their unalienable right to self-determination enshrined in jus cogens (mandatory) international law and Article 1 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.

The Nigerian government conspired with the Government of Kenya to kidnap and torture Nnamdi Kanu in June 2021. The Nigerian government conspired with the Government of Kenya to subject Nnamdi Kanu to extraordinary rendition to Abuja, Nigeria, in violation of international law and relevant extradition treaties.

Since his criminal extraordinary rendition, Nnamdi Kanu has been denied access to counsel of his choice in violation of international human rights law and the Nigerian Constitutionincluding myself on multiple occasions.

The Nigerian government speaking through Chief Judge Tosho had authorised a secret trial of Nnamdi Kanu in hopes of concealing its planned criminal judicial murder of the defendant.

The Nigerian government has denied MNK a universally recognised presumption of innocence by punishing him with 11 months of cruel imprisonment without a crumb of admissible evidence of guilt submitted to a court of law. The Nigerian government has denied MNK a right to a trial within a reasonable time after detention despite its army of law enforcement resources by compounding delay upon delay for nearly a year and scampering away from a hard trial date.

To underscore the stupendous magnitude of the Buhari-Malami-Nyako triumvirates denial of MNKs international law and constitutional rights, a comparison with the due process received by Nazi leaders accused of the most unspeakable crimes in the history of mankind by the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg is instructive.

The Nazi leaders enjoyed access to counsel. MNK has not. The Nazi leaders enjoyed a presumption of innocence. MNK has not. The Nazi leaders received fair notice of the crimes alleged by the IMT prosecution team. The accusations against MNK are expressed at an infinite level of generality that confounds preparation of a defense.

The accused Nazi leaders (some of which were acquitted) were tried based upon volumes of authenticated evidence and testimony subject to cross-examination. The Nigerian government has failed to adduce a shred of authenticated evidence or testimony subject to cross-examinationthe greatest engine every invented for the discovery or truth.

The accused Nazi leaders were prosecuted within 8 months after the conclusion of World War II. MNK has yet to receive a trial after 11 months of agonizing detention.

Nigerias merciless lawlessness against MNK should thunder every day like a hammer on an anvil throughout world corridors of power until justice is done. What Russian President Putin is doing in Ukraine is a tea party compared to what the villainous Nigerian triumvirate is inflicting on the Biafran leader and Biafra. International ostracism and boycotts should be forthcoming accordingly.

See original here:
Putin's Assault On Ukraine Is Tea Party Compared To Buhari's Treatment Of Nnamdi Kanu, IPOB US Lawyer, Bruce Fein - SaharaReporters.com

Staff and residents at Churchill Retirement Living celebrate the Jubilee with a tea party

People living in Bridgnorth joined Churchill Residential Living to celebrate the Queen's 70 years on the throne.

A special tea party, with fizz, refreshments, music and a Jubilee goodie bag, took place at the Mortimer Lodge development on Innage Lane.

Bernadette Hennelly, Churchills regional marketing manager said: We were delighted to welcome everyone to our special Jubilee Tea Party to celebrate The Queens extraordinary reign.

"There was a host of treats and great entertainment on offer, as well as some special Jubilee goody bags, and the chance to chat to our owners and meet our friendly sales team.

"It was a wonderful opportunity for people to enjoy the friendly and fun community atmosphere on offer here.

Mortimer Lodge is a collection of one and two bedroom privately-owned retirement apartments for those who enjoy an active, independent lifestyle.

Each apartment has been designed for those in their retirement years and has a number of safety and security features, such as a 24 hour emergency call line and a video entry system.

To find out more about the new apartments and further social events taking place throughout the summer, call 01746 708737 or visit churchillretirement.co.uk.

Read more from the original source:
Churchill Retirement Living celebrate the Queen's Platinum Jubilee with a tea party for residents, family and friends - Shropshire Star