2023 Award Winners 'HAPPY PLACE' AWARD 2023

Vintage Tea Trips Dublin

Now if it’s a Happy Place you’re after, what’s not to love about a Vintage Tea Trip? Afternoon tea on a bus driving around Dublin’s Georgian streets and Phoenix Park may sound like a crazy idea but it works. The brainchild of Karen Nixon (who, for transparency, happens to be my daughter-in-law), Vintage Tea Trips teams up a vintage vehicle with a proper Afternoon Tea, giving Dublin a unique outing for individuals or events. It was famously selected for the 109th birthday celebration of Dubliner Máirín Hughes and fellow residents of Maryfield Nursing Home last summer (proof that age is no barrier to having fun), and the growing number of buses in the fleet is testament to its popularity. The first was a 1961 Routemaster called Pauline, named after Karen´s granny, and it’s since been joined by sisters Kitty, Molly and Jean - a grand little fleet. Staff give a bit of history but it’s as much about food, chat and the feel-good 1950s background jazz as the route. A great outing for guests visiting Dublin, with the festive fare Twinkling Lights trip a particular family favourite.