VGCC schedules “Afternoon Tea” class in March

Vance-Granville Community College will offer a course on “Afternoon Tea,” the tradition that is enjoying a renaissance as fine hotels, inns and tea rooms across the country give guests an opportunity to retreat from the hurried pace of their lives. 

 

The course, called “Let’s Have an Afternoon Tea,” will meet on VGCC’s Main Campus in Vance County, on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 until 4 p.m., starting March 18. The final class and “graduation” ceremony is an actual afternoon tea party planned and facilitated by the students at Magnolia Manor in Warrenton on April 1.

 

“Tea is good for your health, and this fun, informative class is a way to recapture civility and learn etiquette in a friendly setting,” according to the instructor for the class, Constance Lue of Oxford (pictured above), who has studied under the foremost authorities on Afternoon Tea in Great Britain and the United States. This will be the twelfth time that such a class on tea has been offered at VGCC since 2006. Lue added that many members of the community have taken this class since then and enjoyed it immensely.

 

Students will learn about the history of tea; the difference between an afternoon tea party, a royal tea party and “High Tea;” and the proper way to make the best pot of tea. They will have tastings of a wide variety of teas (black, white, green, Oolongs and herbal) at each class meeting. Participants might use what they learn to hold their own tea parties for children as well as their adult friends. Afternoon Tea also can be a way to raise funds for churches and clubs.

 

The cost of the course is $58 for four class sessions, plus $20 for the final tea. Students will receive a valuable resource manual with recipes for tea time, tips on flower arranging, and a section on etiquette.

 

The deadline to register for this class is March 11. Prospective students can now register and pay for this and other personal enrichment/continuing education courses online ( vgcc.springerstudios.net/ped ). For more information, contact VGCC Continuing Education at (252) 738-3427 or ped@vgcc.edu .