LiberTeas 2015

Taking LiberTeas.

Everything stops for tea…well at did last Sunday at 3pm when there was a national mass tea drinking moment with tea cups clinking across the country.

LiberTeas, organised by the Houses of Parliament in partnership with the National Trust, encouraged people across the UK to take a moment to celebrate, debate and reflect on the freedom and rights we enjoy today as part of celebrations marking the anniversary of the signing of the Magna Carta.

I was commissioned by the Houses of Parliament to document the LiberTeas event taking place at the Commandery in Worcester. Worcester plays a special part in the story of England’s development of parliament and constitutional rights and has played host to several key points in history including the first and last battles of the English Civil War and the visit to Worcester of future American Presidents John Adams and Thomas Jefferson in 1786, who were keen to see where the constitutional liberties of Great Britain were bloodily fought for.

As well as traditional games, historical reenactors, dancing and ‘tea duelling’ (pictured below) the event culminated with President John Adams (pictured above and played by actor Rob Leetham) striding up Fort Royal Hill and delivering his historic speech declaring that “all England should come in Pilgrimage to this hill once a year”.