The critically acclaimed TV Series, “Downton Abbey,” has renewed popular interest in the Edwardian era, when King Edward VII reigned in the United Kingdom.  It was a time of great disparity between the haves and the have-nots.  Wealthy aristocrats owned huge manor houses and revelled in luxury, leisure, and extravagant entertaining.  The rich expected their every whim to be indulged, and all their daily needs to be fulfilled, by the lower class of domestic servants.  This “Golden Age,” which was a reaction to the Victorian era (and actually began in the late 19th century), perched on a shaky foundation as the winds of change brought a time of greater social mobility within the rigid British class system.  Come learn about this fascinating time and the people who lived in it.

Though you don’t have to be a “Downton Abbey” fan to enjoy this program, devoted fans may take more notice of certain details in the show after attending.

Judith Krall–Russo has enjoyed a lifelong love of foods, especially embracing the rich agriculture of her home state – New Jersey. Also a tea expert and historian, she began studying the customs and traditions of this universal beverage 30 years ago and has earned certifications as a Tea Specialist by The Tea School in Pomfret, Connecticut and The Specialty Tea Institute of New York. Krall-Russo is currently studying the Japanese Tea Ceremony at Boukakuan Tea House in New Jersey and has studied at the Urasenke Chanoyu Center in New York City.  She has taken lessons in gong fu Chinese tea ceremony at The Tea Gallery in New York City .