Coronation fun around the villages...but some had rain and some had sun

Traditional Afternoon Tea Rooms, with a fairy tale theme, set in an old, character building in the heart of the village

Your local magazine for Redbourn,

The Queen of Herts is not just an ordinary tea room, it is a place to escape into the magical world of Alice in Wonderland whilst enjoying top class, home made lunches and teas. The themed eatery in Redbourn offers exquisite afternoon teas of handmade cakes and savouries and a full range of loose-leaf teas, specialist coffees and if you fancy a tipple, there is a fully stocked licensed bar.

Dear Readers,

Each room joyously depicts characters or themes from the classic Lewis Carroll novel Alice in Wonderland, ranging from the White Rabbit, stopped clocks, the Queen of Hearts and even Alice herself in suspended animation! All of this has been lovingly created by the owner Andrea Harford who is supported by her husband Neil, niece Amber and her super cake making dad, Dave. After a successful start, Andrea and Neil have also branched out by hosting functions such as comedy nights (the first Tuesday of every month) and live music with ‘open mic’ nights. The next Eat Me, Drink Me, Jazz event will be hosted on 22nd Sept and tickets are selling out fast!

The Queen of Herts is fully licenced and each event includes optional wine, traditional grazing boards and cheese boards.

Charles has had his big day, he has been crowned King Charles III and at the age of 74, he is now our sovereign. Can you imagine getting your biggest promotion when you are eight years older than the state retirement age? He has got servants and gofers galore, but it is still a big responsibility. Wouldn’t he prefer to talk to his plants or concentrate on turning his numerous homes into eco-palaces? And who would have thought Camilla, the most hated woman in the UK in the 1990s would become Queen? Poor Diana would be turning in her grave but being pragmatic about their relationship, he always loved Camilla years before he met Diana, so it is a twist of fate that he got ‘the woman I love by my side’ at the end of the day. These are the words of the abdicated King Edward VIII when describing Wallace Simpson but the sentiment is the same. The irony is the Institution didn’t allow the heirs and spares to marry the partner of their choice if they weren’t high-born enough or if they had been divorced, but this denial often ended badly. Think of Princess Margaret, Edward VIII and Charles. Now the rules are more relaxed and they can marry who they choose; so far Kate and William look rock solid but what about Harry and Megan? They look to be on a downward path of self-destruction and if not both of them, Harry does

The Queen team have various functions rooms to hire for your next event, all set in a beautiful grade Il listed building believed to be over 500 years old. Book now for your next birthday, christening, baby shower, business meeting or wake. The team are on hand to create a bespoke catering menu for you and the whole tea room can be hired for your exclusive use.

We look forward to welcoming you soon. After all, it’s always tea time!

for sure.

Whether you are a Royalist or a Republican or someone sitting on the fence, the Coronation weekend was well celebrated in the villages. Caddington’s on the Green was a bit wet as they picked Coronation Day but everyone had fun. Redbourn’s picnic on the Common on Sunday was lucky with the weather and the sun shone all day. For both events, the live music, games and novelties for the children, and charity stands, all made lots of fun and a chance for the communities to pull together. We have dedicated several pages to the local celebrations and I thank the local photographers for providing some special moments, caught on camera. Redbourn got going on Help Out Day and a large group of volunteers spent the day litter-picking. It is important to keep Redbourn sparkling this year as they have qualified for the final of Britain in Bloom! Good luck to all the Redbourn in Bloomers - you do a great job.

The Queen of Herts

A traditonal Afternoon Tea Room in Redbourn with an Alice in Wonderland theme

One last thought. Are any of you in need of a dentist and can’t find one? Look outside of the box and get yourself treated soon. See our article on page 8. You will be pleasantly surprised.

Sue Mitchell Editor

• traditional afternoon teas

• private functions

• comedy nights (1st Tues each month)

• live music with ‘open mic’ nights

• fully licensed bar

• 22nd Sept Eat me Drink me jazz event at 71 High Street, Redbourn www.thequeenofherts.co.uk Tel: 07359 538454

This product is made of a material from well-managed, FSC®-certified forests and other controlled sources. FSC® is dedicated to the promotion of the responsible forest management worldwide.

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