TEA DANCES

Anna, 7th Duchess of Bedford, is reputed to have originated the idea of afternoon tea in the early 1800s. She conceived the idea of having tea around four or five in the afternoon to ward off the hunger pangs between lunch and dinner.

Earlier, the Earl of Sandwich had the idea of putting a filling between two slices of bread. These habits soon became a good reason for social gatherings, and started a trend that is still very much a part of British life.

As the popularity of tea spread, it also became an essential part of people's entertainment outside the home. By 1732 an evening spent dancing or watching fireworks in Vauxhall or Ranelagh Gardens would be rounded off by serving tea. Tea gardens then opened all over the country on Saturdays and Sundays, with tea being served as the high point of the afternoon.

Dancing was included as part of the day's festivities, so from the tea gardens came the idea of the tea dance, which remained fashionable in Britain until World War II when they lost popularity.

Tea dances are still held in Britain today - these are some of the events I found on the internet:

The Winter Garden Tea Dances are one of the towns most established, and offers dancers the benefit of the biggest dance floor in Eastbourne.

The ever popular Chris Mannion returns and evidence points towards The Winter Garden Tea Dances being the towns most established regular Tea Dance in the Town with the discovery of a show programme by a local patron dated Wednesday 18th April, 1934 which included an advert for the Winter Garden Tea Dances.

With the huge surge of interest in dance after the phenomenal success of BBC's Strictly Come Dancing, patrons old and new are welcomed to the event, so dust off those dancing shoes and come to the Winter Gardens!

Museum of Transport (Glasgow) Oral History Project - we want your memories!
Do you remember the Coronation Trams? Do we have your first car in the museum? If you have memories of any of the vehicles on display in Museum of Transport, we would love to know. We are currently trying to collect oral testimonies specifically related to our collection and we need your help!

Tea Dances are free. If you would like to take part in the project, please contact Jennifer Webster on 0141 287 2653.