It’s Official! PBS has announced that Season 4 of Downton Abbey will premier in the U.S. on Sunday, January 5, 2014, and will run on Sunday evenings through February 23, 2014. And, yes, it will premier in Britain in September 2013. PBS is counting on the hype from the reviews to boost their earnings. Last year there were several stories about Downton Abbey premier parties. And this year is sure to have its share. You’d love to do one yourself, but you just aren’t sure how. Now is the time to begin preparations. Yes. Now. Anticipation is half the fun. Preparation is most of the work.
Of course, Downton Abbey’s dining room is resplendent with china, silver, crystal and linen. Expensive. Not necessarily. Look around. Did you receive a candelabra for your wedding that you’ve never used? What’s tucked away in the basement, the attic, the back of the closet? Shop flea markets, yard sales, antique stores, auctions and second hand stores for the accessories you want to carry off such a party. Just today I visited a nearby flea market. There was a silver tea pot, sugar and creamer all for under $25. Maybe borrow from Mom or Grandma or a wonderful aunt. Don’t forget the costuming. Dresses, hats, gloves, furs, tiaras, jewelry (costume and otherwise.) Season 4 is to cover 1922-23, but I would think anything from the Edwardian period would be just in style.
Plan ahead by gathering pieces together and planning your party using what you have. The menu can vary as you add pieces. Will it be sit down or buffet? An evening meal or afternoon tea? Where will it be?
Perhaps you will not be doing a premier party, but a party to recap the first three seasons and get up to speed for the fourth. A shower for the babies or a funeral tea for the loss of one or more of the characters is another option. The party may evolve throughout the next couple of months so keep notes. Or you may gain enough notes to throw more than one party. After all, you’ll have the needed dining pieces.
Do you belong to a woman’s club? Fundraisers are always needed. If you would throw a shower, donated items could be given to a local agency such as a domestic shelter. Maybe the club would want to partner with the local museum for a program on the fashions of the day, WWI or the Roaring 20’s. If you have the funeral tea, items could be donated to a charity that might have been supported by the deceased, such as the Red Cross.
A search through those flea markets, used book stores and charity book sales may yield recipe, etiquette and entertainment books from the time, as well. An internet search will lead you to blogs devoted to the show. Online bookstores such as Amazon or Barnes and Noble will have DVD’s of the show, CD’s of music and even books about castle where the series is filmed.
The theme is perfect for trivia games, personality games (which character are you, which job would you hold), even murder mysteries. Can’t wait for January? How about a Halloween party? It’s your party. Have fun.
Tea at the Unicorn Wine Guild 
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