Who says afternoon tea has to be a sedate affair? Certainly not London's decidedly rakish Goring hotel. Every Thursday from now until Aug. 26, the delicate chink of teacups on its terrace will be accompanied by the distinctive whack of mallet on ball as the Goring offers the spiffing combination of afternoon tea and a round of croquet on its lawn.
In the socially conservative 1860s, when the game first took England by storm, croquet was considered somewhat risqué as it was frequently played by men and women together. Retrieving a ball that had been hit into the shrubbery offered amorous youngsters the perfect chance to snatch a few moments of private conversation. Nowadays, croquet — the object of which is to hit a ball through a series of hoops embedded in the grass — has the most spotless of reputations. But games can be fiercely contested affairs, with knocking your opponents' balls into difficult positions being a common tactic.
At the Goring's croquet afternoons, an expert from Jaques, the family firm that has made traditional wooden croquet sets since the sport was introduced to England, is on hand to explain the rules and give advice. But first you partake in afternoon tea, elegantly served on triple-tier cake stands with a glass of champagne to lend extra verve to your swing. Expect cakes and sandwiches of smoked salmon, Coronation chicken and cucumber, as well as scones served with clotted cream and quintessential English grocer Fortnum & Mason's rose-petal jam. Don't entertain thoughts of a Mad Hatter's tea party, however. Unlike Lewis Carroll's depiction of croquet in Alice in Wonderland, using a flamingo borrowed from neighboring St. James's Park as a mallet is strictly outlawed. See www.thegoring.com for more.