SAPHIRE

 Victorian Party

Hello and welcome to the Victorian Party Easy Access point.

The first thing I have to recommend is actual footage of Queen Victoria.

Queen Victoria Arrives at a Royal Garden Party (1898) | British Pathé

Her Majesty Queen Victoria. Last visit to Ireland. The only "Victorian" film.(1900).

She looks really nice and she obviously loves her people and they love her.

Hope this gives you a feel for Victorian Times.

Just to make this legal ~ some advertising

clive Christian 1872

Can't believe I found this, Victorian perfume is still available to purchase today.  The lid of the bottle is styled from Queen Victoria's crown.  This is a great find for

a perfume junky or a Victorian history society member.

click the link below if you would like to purchase or just browse out of interest.

clivechristian.com/products/1872-feminine

Have to say rose is one of my favourite fragrances which was one of the Victorian  favourites.

The Victorian Party

The Food 

Wasn't sure how to do Victorian food then remembered 

Avis Crocombe

You can purchase this cookery book to try out Victorian recipes at the link below.

english-heritageshop.org.uk/how-to-cook-the-victorian-way-with-mrs-crocombe

We have ordered it.  Hopefully, as this goes around I will get to cook some of it and review it.

Saturday 27 April

Wasn't sure what to choose with food in limited supply so chose a picnic ~ you could go out for the day, (possibly to somewhere with Victorian History), or do an indoor one, (discovered indoor picnics on the Tele Savalas show sponsored by Kraft ~ put the show in picnics and weekend TV, plus a link to Kraft salad dressings which we love),  it is easy to adlib this with food from the shops.  This is where Brits are still Victorian as we love our picnics, Americans love their picnics too and from watching a vintage program, I feel they are better equipped at picnics and hoping to source some American-style picnic equipment.  The picnic is then rounded off with a selection of desserts.

Until food comes back the picnic seems the most do-able idea.  It is like the 70's party if you think about it.  Just anything you would put in a picnic.

If you want to try something a bit foody, you could finish the buffet with champagne jelly and chocolates.

Champagne jelly

I have been trying to find this recipe for ages ~ looking forward to trying it.

Found a modern version below by Antony Worrell Thompson

wow just 36 calories

awtrestaurants.com/pdf/awt-sparkling-elderflower-jelly-recipe.pdf

You can print the recipe out at the link above and check out his other recipes.

Victorian chocolates

charbonnel.co.uk/collection/the-victoriana-collection

The link above are actual Victorian chocolates, found some more on Pinterest if the post still isn't working ~ wonder if the chocolates with rose and violets at gift shops on days out are from Victorian times?  Another to do thing was to learn how to make handmade chocolates.  Think I might have jelly and chocolates ~ very luxurious and ladylike!!!

Conclusion

Saturday is just like an indoor picnic which is basically a 70's buffet.  Have put all the ideas in pinterest link below.  

pinterest.co.uk/saphireblack/a-victorian-party/saturday-picnic/

Saturday night TV

I recommend this film as I had never seen it and we both really enjoyed it.

There are more film choices in the link below

pinterest.co.uk/saphireblack/a-victorian-party/saturday-tv/

Saturday Night Gigs

Victorians liked Folk Music and drank a lot of beer, Billy Whitelaw's character has a tankard of some kind of Ale in the above film.  They also drank gin  I'll opt for wine and gin.  You may prefer pale ale there are individual bottles still available to purchase.  If you are a whiskey drinker you are in good company as Queen Victoria Enjoyed Whiskey.

The link below has the Victorian party drinks options for you.

pinterest.co.uk/saphireblack/a-victorian-party/alcohol/

Fairport Convention Live 30 June 1971 Ainsdale Beach Southport England

Steeleye Span - Electric Folk (BBC Four) 1974

Steeleye Span Live 1975 TV Concert

Pentangle - Captured Live 1972 (Full concert)

Fairport Convention. Vienna Folk festival 18th Aug. 1985. feat. Richard Thompson

Steeleye Span at Shrewsbury Folk Festival 2018

Fairport Convention : 'Celebration' Granada TV (UK), 1981

Fairport Convention - Alive in New York (Full concert)

Fairport Convention - Live At The Brasenose Arms 2021

Just add your Victorian Fayre and enjoy!!!

Sunday 28 April

Realising I'm a Victorian girl.  As I'm from Yorkshire ~ Sunday Roasts never went away.  In Merchant Ivory films rich ladies ate Roast dinners, (like the lady at Audley End).  You can do low-fat versions of roasts.  It was the lard that was unhealthy.  This is where the confusion about olive oil may of come from.  British people used to cook everything in lard which proved to be really unhealthy.  Someone discovered Italians cooked with olive oil and were healthier and didn't have the same health problems as the British.  If you roast or fry food, using olive oil instead of lard is definitely healthier for you.  The claims are true about olive oil if you compare it to cooking with lard.  If you prefer lard it is alright to use a little now and then, but advisable not to cook everything in lard.  To be honest I prefer olive oil personally.

Conclusion

As time is running out and nothing seems better ~ this year I'd suggest doing a roast chicken.  We have been doing chicken for the last few weeks.

Even if you just get chicken breasts you can slice them, and serve them with boiled and roast potatoes, seasonal vegetables, paxo stuffing, Aunt Bessie's Yorkshire puddings, and bisto gravy.

When food comes back M and S used to sell game, so next year game could be an option.

Then dessert can be pudding or trifle ~ put a link below for some I sourced for you

pinterest.co.uk/saphireblack/a-victorian-party/sunday-foodtraditional-sunday-lunch-and-plum-puddi/

If you can get beef try pickled beetroot or red cabbage for a Victorian twist.

Hope you like these ideas and get a good feed!!!

Roast beef and plum pudding

A Good bottle of Victorian wine will accompany this meal very nicely.

pinterest.co.uk/saphireblack/a-victorian-party/alcohol/

If you manage to get some port serve it with a good stilton at the end of your meal.

Then finish your dinner with a de caff coffee and an after-dinner mint.  Bendicks are actually Victorian,  I recommend you treat yourself to some, we love them.

victorianhouse-shop.de/en/buiscuits-sweets/bendicks

Sunday TV

pinterest.co.uk/pin/214132157275410462/

Thought this film was brilliant and I couldn't stop watching it so chose it as the recommended film for Sunday evening.

pinterest.co.uk/pin/214132157275391016/

Had to recommend this as I'm a Carry-on fan

There are more film choices in the link below

pinterest.co.uk/saphireblack/a-victorian-party/sunday-tv/

Sunday Night Concerts/Music Hall

Tonight is Victorian Music Hall, classical, opera, Andre Rieu and James Last.

Starting off with the first concert in the playlist.  You can save the playlist to your YouTube and share it on social media.  If you switch to autoplay you can just watch the good old days all night.

Click the link below for the playlist

pinterest.co.uk/pin/214132157275385639/

If you want some variety I have collected some Victorian Classical Concerts and opera.

Edward Elgar - Enigma Variations (Warsaw Philharmonic Orchestra, Jacek Kaspszyk)

Tchaikovsky: "Queen of Spades" (PBS, 1971)

or this version

The Queen of Spades - Pyotr Tchaikovsky

Harp concert by Sophia Kiprskaya , soloist of the Mariinsky Theater.

Andre Rieu & His Johann Strauss Orchestra - Love in Venice Classical Concert 2014 Full HD

James Last - Mein Leben Ist Musik 1990 / ....Spielt Johan Seb. Bach 1987 - DVD Part. 1 - 1

Now you have an excuse to dress in pretty lacy Victorian-inspired dresses to sit and watch these concerts dowsed in feminine rose and violet perfumes.

You don't have to wear loads of makeup, and your natural brow is acceptable.

Just add your Victorian fayre and enjoy.

Can't believe I found so much in Victorian times ~ hope you love this too and are equally surprised.

Just Add your Traditional Victorian Roast, Victorian pudding, port, and stilton, your favourite tipples and enjoy!!!

The next Party is the 50s party.