Once upon a time, every high street in England had its tea shop. While sadly that’s no longer true, tea-time tradition is still very much alive and thriving in towns and villages across the UK.
When Linda Rogers was five, her father Ronald bought her a Victorian glass photo slide for one penny. Enchanted by the pictured lady’s clothing and surroundings, little girl Linda wondered who the lady was and what her life was like. From that day on, she’s nurtured a lifelong love and fascination for vintage everything. Today, tea room Vintage LindyLou, which Linda runs with husband Brian and a close and dedicated team of bakers in a secret corner of Crayford, South-East London, surrounded by water gardens and reed beds, is the successful embodiment of that love as well as a chunk of living history.
And a big success it certainly has been, fully booked daily with customers aged 2 to 102. They’re here not just for the freshly-prepared, delicious and affordable homemade cakes, sandwiches and scones, but also for the warm atmosphere and an environment where customers are encouraged to share memories and memorabilia, to touch, talk, explore and add their own old photos, postcards, tea-ware and trinkets to LindyLou’s displays, albums and old-fashioned memory boxes.
Every nook and cranny of the tea room is filled with nostalgia. Here you can listen to comforting and familiar music from the 1930s & ‘40s, read original newspapers, books and magazines donated by customers and reminisce in the remembrance garden. The purposely mismatched tableware and china are not a gimmick, says Linda, but a chance to admire the beauty in each separate piece. There’s child-size china and a special menu for younger visitors and a ‘Cozy Corner,’ where you can sip and nip on comfy sofas covered in crocheted cushions and throws. The tea room also hosts special events, like cake-tastings, a Father Christmas breakfast, charity fundraisers and jazz afternoon tea dances.
Pride of display in the Cozy Corner is a stylish knee-length crepe dress, lovingly hand sewn and painted with orchids by Linda’s newly- married mum Bianca. She wore it one day in 1947, when she boarded a train arranged by the Red Cross and forever left a life and family in post-war Italy to meet her English bridegroom at Paddington Station.
And oh yes, there are cakes! Magnificent, daily-changing sweet temptations, like coffee and walnut, chocolate fudge, lavender, Victoria sponge and the aptly-named LindyLou’s Lemon Eat-Me, are set out under domed glass on a long counter. Linda’s personal favourite is the moist and tasty courgette, lime and pistachio cake, while, unsurprisingly, top customer favourite is the Sharing Cake Platter, a selection of half portions of cakes and scones so you can try a bit of everything. Tasting feedback and recipe suggestions are warmly welcomed. But for Linda, the greatest compliment is from customers who tell her, “This is just like my Nan’s house!”
Joy, calm, music, nostalgia, scrumptious cakes, comforting cuppas and the feeling of being amongst old friends: we think today’s world could do with a whole lot more LindyLou’s.
Vintage Lindy Lou, Crayford, Kent
Afternoon Tea £7, Cream Tea £5, Sharing cake platter £4 per person
Article by Judith Schrut. Email Judith.