RUMFORD—The Rumford library invites you to their Downton Abbey Tea party on March 3 at 3 p.m. Tamara Butler, Director of the library, says “We’re trying to build community support, involve patrons, and give back.” It’s also a way to bring new users to the library, she adds.
Downton Abbey, the PBS series, is in its sixth and final season, with the last show airing on March 6. The series has a large U.S. fan-base and many people enjoy following the romances and crises of the British Crawley family and their servants.
Another appeal to viewers is the clothing, hairstyles, home furnishings, and food, as well as the views of the English countryside of the early twentieth century characters.
The library’s event will recreate an authentic afternoon British tea, serving a variety of teas, scones, teacakes, truffles and sandwiches, Butler says.
“We’re trying to put some authenticity to it. Sue’s (Susan Marshall, Childrens’ Services librarian) done a ton of research on what they ate and drank, so that’s what we’re trying to match as much as we can.”
Marshall will dress as one of the Downton Abbey maids, with a plain black dress and frilly but crisp white apron and cap. She’s fascinated with the history of the British afternoon tea and she’ll speak about the tea’s history during the party.
Jane Shuck, president of the Friends of the Rumford Library, is in charge of getting some 50 cups and saucers. She plans to borrow them from her church. Along with the cups and saucers, silverware and bud vases with flowers will be placed on the tables.
A trivia quiz, fashion presentation, and crafting of a potpourri sachet are also planned for the tea party. Door prizes and a book about Downton Abbey, donated by James Meader of St. Martin’s Press, will be awarded. All are welcome to dress in time-period costumes, but costumes are optional.
The Friends of Rumford Public library received a $45K grant last fall from the Stephen and Tabitha King Foundation and some of the funds are now being used to restore the ceiling in the library’s reference room. More work will be done in the near future to restore the building to its original historic state, Butler says.
The library offers a wide variety of services including help with computer skills, how to use your smart-phone, and print outs of tax forms. Scanning, faxing, and copying services are also available at the library for $1 for a first page of scanning or faxing, and 50 cents for each page following. Photocopying costs are 10 cents for black and white pages and 25 cents for color.
You can also borrow all of the past seasons of Downton Abbey DVDs from the library if you’d like to know what the excitement is all about.
mhutchinson@sunmediagroup.net
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