Tea-rrific effort from Stanhope Morning Tea

By Jemma Jones

May 24, 2024

Attendees of the Stanhope Biggest Morning Tea were treated to tea, treats, and a talk from local author Tracee Spiby. Pic: Vikki Parker, Lesley Ould, and Rhonda Towan. Photo by Jemma Jones

Over 30 tea lovers gathered in Stanhope, continuing the town’s long-running tradition of hosting the Biggest Morning Tea to raise funds for the Cancer Council.

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Stanhope’s Biggest Morning Tea went off without a hitch on Thursday, May 23 when attendees gathered in the Stanhope Senior Rooms for tea and homemade treats, eager to fundraise for cancer.

The tea was served piping by Stanhope Committee members Christine Dicketts, Wendy Douglas, and Glenda Cowie, and an abundance of homemade treats filled the tables in the seniors rooms.

The formalities began with an introduction by Glenda Cowie, followed by the distribution of a quiz to be completed throughout the morning.

Glenda Cowie welcomed guests to the 2024 Morning Tea and thanked them all for their donations and homemade treats. Photo by Jemma Jones

The ‘Tea-rivia’ quiz was tea-themed, with questions like: How many litres does the largest cup of tea hold?

The answer, by the way, is 5000 litres; achieved by Global Village Dubai, UAE in 2018 with a cup 3.66m high and 1.42 m in diameter.

However, all eyes turned away from the delicious tea and treats when local author Tracee Spiby took the stage.

Mrs Spiby discussed her book, ‘One Hell at a Time’ – a personal recollection of the war through her grandfather’s letters.

“I never lost my pride or curiosity about Pa and what he was doing, and I thought his story really was worth telling – as is the story of every person who fought,” Mrs Spiby said.

“They’re all people with lives and personalities, with people that they loved, and that loved them.

“They all had things that made them laugh out loud, or that made them angry, and they all stepped out of a life and they knew that’s something they never could have foreseen.”

Local author, Tracee Spiby talked about her book ‘One Hell at a Time’ which recounts the war through the perspective of her grandfather’s letters home. Photo by Jemma Jones

From there, the morning tea transformed into a book club where attendees had the opportunity to ask Mrs Spiby questions about ‘One Hell at a Time’ and listened to a reading of the letters featured in the book.

The Stanhope Biggest Morning Tea raised $557 for the Cancer Council and raffle winners Susie Millard, and Pat Wakefield, walked away with a few goodies at the end of the day.