Darlings, if you haven’t been to Betty Blythe then you are doing yourself a great disservice!

Lulu (pictured above) has created a honey soaked slice of vintage pleasure with this fine food pantry, and when the Qype ladies tripped in, clip clopping their kitten heels and swishing their skirts, they were more than ready for all things sugar and spice. And, who can help but warm to a lady that greets you with a fresh tube of red lippy?

We have seen what happens when we let the men from Qype even near cake, so it was expected that we would follow the lead of a woman who knows the importance of presentation. I had my own visions of what to expect, and I wasn’t disappointed.

Enter Fluer de Guerre, not only a vintage model and pin-up girl, but a blogger, vintage clothing and hair connoisseur. In her presence we were gently decorating the buttery biscuits and fluffy cupcakes with icing and sprinkles, sipping tea from antique tea cups nestled in matching saucers, and posing like 5 year olds for ‘ladies having tea’ pictures. (Before you ask, no there isn’t any sneaky gin in those cups!)

After completing the sugar fest we moved down into the ‘secret garden’, a beautiful alcove area with pebble flooring off to one side, and ample space for the introduction to the Betty Blythe Society (think flower arranging, etiquette, letter writing and such), completed with tips from Fleur on how to bring the vintage look into our everyday lives.

I must admit that when I looked back as I left, and the windows were a little steamy as if it all might blur into the night, I thought this would be something that Betty herself would have endorsed, where a woman could really be the Queen of Sheba, even if it was only for one day.