Wonderful royal wedding tea

Co-ordinator Maggie Farmer, centre, with guests seated round the table and volunteer drivers, standing

Some guests donned decorated hats and others wore flashes of red, white and blue at the gathering on Sunday.

Everyone was looking forward to the big day, when Prince Harry will marry Meghan Markle in St George’s Chapel at Windsor Castle.

Volunteer Maggie Farmer, the group co-ordinator, said: “The group has been really looking forward to this special occasion. Guests brought along hats and flags, and loved seeing all the bunting decorating the room.

Evie and Holly Brookes, the hosts' daughters, getting involved with the tea party

“We all had a good chat about the upcoming wedding and even voted for what colour we think the Queen will wear on the big day. Blue, green or apricot came out on top with our guests, so we’ll wait and see if they’re right.

“Our hosts Melissa and Colin Brookes, along with their two children Evie, eight, and Holly, six, went to so much trouble to make the place look lovely and they put so much thought into the food they provided.

“The monthly afternoon teas mean so much to people who don’t get out very often and it was so wonderful to see them all celebrating such a special event.”

Guests were treated to tasty British and American fare. To celebrate the best of British, they were served roast beef sandwiches, egg and cress, and, of course, cucumber sandwiches. For the American side, it was BLTs and smoked salmon and cream cheese bagels.

The sweet treats were split equally, too, with guests enjoying chocolate chip cookies and key lime pie from across the Atlantic, alongside British favourites Victoria sponge and scones with cream and jam.

The aim of Contact the Elderly, which is a national charity, is to help combat loneliness and isolation for the elderly living alone.

Each older person is collected from their home by a volunteer driver and taken to a volunteer host’s home for the afternoon.

The Shoreham and Lancing group offers friendship between guests and volunteer drivers. Each month, on a Sunday afternoon, they enjoy afternoon tea together, so they can meet others and share life experiences.

Visit www.contact-the-elderly.org.uk for more information.