THERE'S something delightful about sipping tea from a delicate china cup.
Whether it's the nostalgia or elegance, it beats drinking from a mug or Styrofoam cup.
Add a floral cake stand, hand-embroidered tablecloth and linen napkins and it's perfect for an English afternoon tea party, weddings, birthdays and any other special occasion.
The idea to hire out vintage china came to Gill Hewitt and Rosie Cotton, after they met while recovering from breast cancer.
The two sat next to each other at Trent Vineyard Church four years ago and have been friends ever since.
They set up Lily and Rose Vintage China Hire – "it sounds better than Gill and Rosie" they say – to bring the wow factor to special occasions.
It also provided a welcome distraction from their illness.
Mother-of-three Gill said: "When you've had a horrible disease it takes a long time before you think about something else when you wake up in the morning. Now it keeps me awake thinking about china cups! It has been a positive distraction."
So far they have supplied a wedding, hen party, anniversary, baptism – even a funeral.
Gill, who lives in Sandiacre, said: "One of the motivations was because of what we'd been through, you start to think about the things that really matter and for us that was our family, faith and friends and spending quality time and creating a memory.
"Now we want to help others make special memories for themselves."
Their eclectic collection, which includes teapots, sugar bowls, milk jugs and tongs, has been picked up from charity shops, markets and antique shops.
Relatives, including Rosie's mum Lydia Mitchell, have donated pieces.
Lydia gave a cake stand, napkins and a tablecloth, which were wedding presents when she married in 1955.
She said: "It has brought back a lot of memories for me. I remember my childhood and on Sundays all the best things came out."
Gill and Rosie, of Chilwell, now have a big enough collection to cater for 100 people – but equally they will provide chinaware in a basket for a romantic tea for two.
Rosie said: "The women all love it but we have been surprised by the number of men who say they love it and how it reminds them of their grannies'."
Mother-of-four Rosie, also makes floral bunting, and for the wedding reception they created floral arrangements in teapots for the tables in a village hall.
"The caretaker said she went home to get her camera because she'd never seen it looking so nice," said Gill.
They are devoting their spare time to the china hire, which is a contrast to the sometimes stressful nature of the rest of the week.
Both are volunteers at The Arches Project, an outreach centre for homeless and vulnerable people in Lenton, run by their church.
Rosie also works as a personal care assistant at a school for children with special needs.
Because of the help the two received from Breast Cancer Care when they were undergoing treatment, they are donating five per cent of their profits to the charity.
To find out more visit www. lilyandrosevintagechinahire.com.
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