Operation Tea Cosy

In kitchens across Arcadia kettles are being boiled, dogs and cats are being kissed, Elgar is on the radiogram, gin is being guzzled, songs are being sung and the flags are being put out after the official entry for the Port Eliot Festival Tea Cosy Competition from The Empress & Andrews of Arcadia won 1st Prize at a beautiful and wild festival amongst friends old and new over the weekend.  The winning entry was handmade using Milwards needles and sewn together with rod whipping silk by The Empress from a number of treasured old rod bags which were then adorned with woven labels of significance and a couple of retired pilot floats.  A vote of thanks is given to our old mucker Mr. Paul Cook of Bushey who at the eleventh hour supplied one or two vital labels without hesitation.  He shares in the glory of the victory.  The winning entry along with a large number from the field will be exhibited at Fortnum & Mason in the autumn where they will be auctioned off in turn, the proceeds going to the The Royal Brompton and Harefield Trust.   The photograph below was taken by our very good friend and comrade the Arcadia-at-Arms photographer Mr. Neil R. Thomson, whose record of the weekend may be seen on his Tumblr site: here.