RETURNING TO HISTORY IN VIRGINIA

Last week I went "home" to visit my elderly mother and step-father in Virginia.  I flew into what I had always known as the Patrick Henry Airport but now called Hampton, Newport News, Williamsburg Airport.

My birthplace, Hampton, is known as the oldest continuous English speaking community in our nation.  It was Blackbeard the Pirate who ravaged the shores of Hampton, Virginia in the 1700's.  As a warning to other pirates, his head was put on display in Hampton after a battle with the Royal Navy in Okracoke Sound in November of 1718. This year Hampton will celebrate 400 years of history!

On the lower peninsula, we drove north on Route 17 passing York High School where I had attended from  grades 7 to 12 during the 1960's, graduating in 1966.  York County was originally established in 1634.  Next, we headed north across the York River at Yorktown.  Remember this is where the Revolutinary War ended in  1781 when Cornwallis surrended to George Washington. 

 Then on to the middle peninsula.....Gloucester, Virginia which is 359 years old.....

I have never lived on the middle peninsula which is called Gloucester but I will be sharing some photos for the next few days and talking about my visit there!   I hope you enjoy these photos of the Virginia State Bird, the cardinal....                                          

PHOTO GALLERY OF OUR JANE AUSTEN AND ELIZABETH BENNETT TEA EVENT

Bernideen's was thrilled to have a dramatic presentation by Katrina Harris (right) who portrayed  the author, Miss Jane Austen and Elizabeth Simpich (left) who portrayed Miss Elizabeth Bennet one of Jane's characters from her book "Pride and Prejudice".

KING HENRY'S MAIDS OF HONOR

It's believed that King Henry VIII named these lovely tarts over 300 years ago.  Legend has it that when he saw Anne Boleyn and other "maids of honor" eating them, he decided that  the recipe be kept a secret.  Most all secrets have a way of escaping and by the early 1700's they were being sold at a bakery in Richmond, England.  Robert Newens opened the Maids of Honor Tea Room in l850 and relatives from the same family continue to bake and run the tea room today. 

 This information and the recipes were taken from "The Great Tea Rooms of Britain" by Bruce Richardson (now in it's 5th edition) which is sold at Bernideen's.