This is absolutely fascinating! High tea was a big part of my life when I was a small child, but I had no idea of its history. My maternal grandmother, who was from Yorkshire, used to prepare high tea regularly. The tea was served on very nice China plates, but there was no dressing up.
The food was usually slices of bread, lightly buttered and cut in half diagonally, with sliced meats, cheese and a salad of lettuce leaves, sliced cucumber and tomato and sliced hard boiled egg. And there was always a bottle of salad cream on the table! There were also cakes and scones.
I was a very picky eater, due to having had a serious childhood illness, and I really wasn't a fan of this meal. I hated cream cakes, I hated scones and I wasn't keen on ice cream. The only things I remember liking were the Angel Cakes, which had "wings" set in a dollop of buttercream. In general, I loved my grandmother's cooking, but I wasn't keen on "high tea".
I am so different these days! The days of my dainty, picky appetite are long gone! Your high tea looks absolutely delicious, and I LOVE those hats and fascinators! What a lovely idea.