Dear Editor,
In a November issue of the Virginian Review, my husband happened to notice an article about a Christmas Tea to be held in December in Alderson, W.Va., at the Old Victorian Inn. The event is hosted annually, and proceeds benefit projects of Alderson Main Street,
particularly the town’s “Gem of the Hills” holiday celebration.
We have always favored tea, and our affection extends both to the social event as well as the beverage. Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to visit many tea rooms — naturally, some are better than others.
Alderson’s Christmas Tea was fantastic! In 25 years, and outside of England, we found it to be one of our favorite Teas so far! Everything was done to perfection; the service and the food were exceptional.
The Inn was festively decorated inside and out, and the Inn’s owner made us feel very welcome. We arrived to the sound of seasonal music performed on harps. There were four rooms of guests, and we were seated at an elegantly dressed table with six other guests, one of whom we discovered, to our surprise and delight, is the mother of this newspaper’s owner.
Hot pots of tea were delivered first, quickly followed by a tower of delicious finger sandwiches in at least five varieties. We sipped tea, enjoyed the sandwiches, conversation and music. Next, lovely scones were brought out, teapots were refilled and we were treated to a live reading of the book, “A Cup of Christmas Tea.”
Finally, we were presented with a platter of baked goods that included shortbread, ginger, molasses, wedding and other types of cookies and tarts. They were as attractive as they were tasty — all scratch-made by local home bakers.
Alderson is a mere 58 scenic miles from Clifton Forge, Va. The Old Victorian Inn, 301 Railroad Avenue, is located in the National Register Historic District of Alderson and is across from the Historic 1896 C&O AMTRAK Depot. The Inn is next to the Greenbrier River and is surrounded by the beautiful Appalachian Mountains and quaint shops.
Sincerely,
Michele Kahle
Clifton Forge, Va.
Editor’s note: The Virginian Review is owned by the owner and publisher of The West Virginia Daily News who also owns and publishes The Hinton News.
