10 ways to celebrate the 250th anniversary of the Boston Tea Party
It's exactly 250 years since tax-averse demonstrators boarded ships in Boston Harbour and hurled chests of tea into the water, triggering a snowball of protest which led inexorably to the Declaration of Independence. But where and how should we celebrate this global turning point? Here's my must-do guide to the ten best ways to commemorate the world-shattering events of 16th December 1773, two lumps, no milk.
1) Attend the sestercentennial commemorative re-enactment in Boston Harbour
This is the gold star event, a proper chest-chucking extravaganza in full period costume culminating after dark with The Destruction of the Tea. The best view of the Sons of Liberty boarding the Beaver will be from the Harborwalk. Viewers are encouraged to dress warmly and to yell “Huzzah!” as the dramatic recreation reaches its peak. Obviously if you're currently in the UK then reaching Boston may be an issue, but last minute flights are available from £700 and the actual tea-dump isn't until 8pm EST which is technically tomorrow.
2) Enjoy a special afternoon tea at the White Hart Hotel in Boston
That's Boston Lincolnshire rather than Boston Massachusetts, which for Britons should be a tad more accessible as a last-minute destination. The White Hart coaching inn would have been welcoming weary travellers with great hospitality in 1773, and dining options have only improved since. Today the Riverside restaurant is the ideal place to sit back and enjoy some of the finest food found in the area, including a Classic Afternoon Tea Experience with unlimited refills. No special American twist is planned, but finger sandwiches and scones are always a treat and at just £15.95 per person it's much cheaper than the poncier equivalent in London.
3) Join the crowds at Boston Manor station
For Londoners the obvious place to commemorate the events of 1773 is on the concourse of Boston Manor tube station. As the capital's sole suburb sharing a name with the American east coast city, this ArtDeco outpost on the Piccadilly line is sure to be the must-visit location of choice for hordes of re-enactors to assemble. Regrettably the semi-circular cafe out front is long closed, but given it's called Cup O'Joe and had a coffee fixation that's probably no bad thing. Please note that TfL have not encouraged this gathering, nor are they expecting it, but a right non-royal knees-up is a certainty.
4) Take tea at the actual Boston Manor
Not only is Boston Manor is a proper manor house but it's actually celebrating its 400th anniversary this year which makes it roughly the same age as the Pilgrim Fathers. The whole stately caboodle reopened this summer after a council glow-up and offers a properly fascinating insight into the admittedly non-American history of the manor and its former inhabitants. Tea can be taken in the contemporary terrace cafe, but try not to turn up before noon else the house will still be closed and you may be reduced to walking around the neighbouring park under the M4 motorway.
5) Seek a proper cuppa on Boston Road
Linking Hanwell to Brentford, the vibrant thoroughfare of Boston Road welcomes independent-thinking Americanophiles to the heart of TW8. Step outside the tube station (3) or the manor house (4) and you're essentially there. The best-located cafe has alas been named No.6 Coffee, but is plainly very popular and will do you a proper pot of tea for £3. Revellers on a budget should instead head to the Post Office which unexpectedly doubles up as the Manners Cafe. This has more of a queueing-for-parcels vibe so may not be ideal for a lengthy caffeinated sojourn, but at £2 a cup the brew is not to be sniffed at.
6) Visit the Bramah Tea Museum
Tea obsessive Edward Bramah opened his tea-focused repository at Butlers Wharf in 1992, then later shifted it to Southwark Street not far from Borough Market. Visitors could scrutinise cabinets stacked with novelty teapots and displays referencing Asian geo-economics before enjoying a warm beverage served in appropriate china. Alas the museum closed in 2008 following Edward's death and subsequent attempts to relocate his collection have all failed. Turn up today and all you'll find at number 40 is Leyland Specialist Decorators Merchants, a trade-focused hardware store and ironmongers. It's no tea mecca but they do currently have a special offer on 7½ litre tubs of matt white vinyl so you may leave celebrating.
7) Visit the Twinings Tea Museum
This historic repository on the Strand once included a small museum telling the tale of Twinings, the premier tea traders who've had a shop here since before Boston rebelled. Exhibits used to include vintage tea caddies and Queen Victoria's royal warrant, but alas the museum corner appears to have shrunk in a puff of capitalism and the very long, very thin space is now almost entirely a retail experience lined by a lot of tea in jazzed-up bags and boxes. Make your way through to the shelves at the rear and you'll find bespoke blends including 90g of First Flush Darjeeling 2023 for a mere £55, but do try to resist the temptation to liberate the overpriced bounty and chuck it in the Thames.
8) Go teapot-spotting at the V&A
Teapot Island in Maidstone is sadly closed until March, but if it's hundreds of pots you want then the V&A is the place to go because they're everywhere. Variations on the simple teapot are a staple of the Design galleries on the 1st floor and also of the amazing Silver collection round the back of the courtyard. Then weave your way across to Ceramics on the 4th floor and you'll find them in almost every cabinet, suggesting that all ceramicists do to show off their skills is manufacture spouted receptacles in increasingly freakish shapes and colours. Admittedly some are officially optimised for coffee, but don't let that spoil your celebratory thematic quest.
9) Take a teabag to Boston Place
Some might say holding a teabag beside a streetsign reeks of desperation, but padding out this list becomes increasingly essential as the end of the countdown approaches. Boston Place is perhaps best known as 'the road up the side of Marylebone station', or else as the place you come to apply for a Saudi Arabian visa. One side of the street is lined by characterful terraces, currently wreath-resplendent, and the other is a brick wall echoing announcements about platform numbers and train cancellations. Bringing a teabag is nutritionally pointless, there being no public supply of hot water, but taking a blurry photo is a relatively straightforward way of commemorating the Boston Tea Party so feel free to follow suit.
10) Brew yourself a nice cup of tea
To be frank this is probably the best idea of all, given you're likely to be doing it anyway. So today as your kettle boils remember that it's exactly 250 years since this humble beverage caused libertarian Americans to throw a hissy fit over taxation, while the leaves are brewing reflect on where that gravity-assisted insurrection has brought us, and as you sip the refreshing drink perhaps contemplate how different life might be had the Boston Harbour Debacle never happened. Such is the everlasting importance of a good cup of tea.
