THROUGH THE LOOKING GLASS – The Country Trader in Wonderland
Geoff Clark celebrated Christmas 2009 and the 25th birthday of The Country Trader Emporium in the most extravagant way on Sunday the 15th of November, beating all his previous events.
Click to enlarge After weeks of preparation, he portrayed Lewis Carroll’s amazing story of “Alice in Wonderland”.
The occasion included the release of the new collection of whimsical items from all around the world.
The whole showroom became a live image of the tale. Alice, Tweedledum and Tweedledee, the Queen of Hearts, the White Rabbit, the Mad Hatter and even live ducks, goats, sheep, ponies, hens and a rooster, commemorated the happy “unbirthday” of 25 years of The Country Trader, with more that one thousand clients that came to the Tea Party throughout the day.
Multicolour lights blended with cacophony music and sounds following every anecdote of Wonderland. Squirrel cages, crystal chandeliers, banquet tables and an iron conservatory with garden statues completed the theatrical event.
A collection of stylish hats hanging from chandeliers recreated the Mad Hatters Tea Party and French black mannequins with playing cards and no head formed the Queen of Hearts’ devoted army.
Guests arrived to the showroom and walked through two significant forged iron gates, starting the marvellous sunny day with scrambled eggs on brioche that were cooked on the spot and served in a recreation of the Duchess Kitchen, which includes copper pans, cheese and bread boards, glazed confit pots and French white china soupiers and ladles.
At lunch time, a Parisian street cart filled with chicken sandwiches appeared all of a sudden in The Country Trader Wonderland, followed by The High Tea Party with hundreds of colourful macaroons in superb facetted glass bowls, mini cakes on large collection of 19th Century enormous silver trays and jellies on a white and gold china service… all set on a more than five metres long mahogany dining table with illumination in an ever-changing rotation of colours during the event.
And, as usual, The Country Trader provided an endless flow of Moet&Chandon, served into crystal Champagne flutes during the whole day that emerged from a new section especially created for wine fanatics.
All guests were transported to Wonderland and enjoyed the trip and its craziness, playing with the characters and the piglets, bunnies, baby ducks and little chickens.
Once again, Geoff Clark nailed the event with his everlasting imagination and creativity.
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