Alfred “Alfie” Farrand stands in front of a painting created by his wife, Barbara. The painting was on display at Generations Cafe in Columbiana, the town which the Farrands now call home.

COLUMBIANA — Alfred “Alfie” Farrand grew up in Manchester, England, traveled around the world, and lived in Winnipeg, Vancouver, Florida and Virginia. But when it came time for the 74-year-old to finally settle down, he arrived in Columbiana.

“As you get older, priorities change,” Farrand said. “I’ve been to so many cities in Europe, Canada and America, I couldn’t care less about cities anymore. With Columbiana, I’m surrounded by Mennonite farms and grocery stores. I really enjoy the farm markets. I know everybody in the farm markets and give business to all of them.

“I enjoy their way of living — putting up in the winter and growing your own food. So, I started growing my own culinary herbs. I stay home and cook my own food. My kitchen is a multi-country kitchen. I make food from all over the world with the ingredients that I can get in Columbiana. I enjoy that kind of living with tea and quietness and my kitchen.”

In his case, love influenced his decision. While he worked in the film industry in Vancouver, Farrand met his American wife, Barbara, who was a professor of social psychology at Western Washington University in Bellingham, Washington. They married underneath the Peace Arch, a monument that rests on the U.S. / Canadian border and symbolizes a long history of peace between the two nations.

Wanting to be near her family, the Farrands eventually moved to the Buckeye State. Leaving the booming Vancouver film scene behind, Alfie needed to figure out how to spend the rest of his working life.

Reverting to his English upbringing, he focused on the traditions associated with drinking tea.

Talking to Farrand brings up a history of tea and how its biggest users approach it.

“Americans have coffee in the morning; that kick to get ’em going. The English, and especially the Irish, drink really strong black tea in the morning for the caffeine — English breakfast, Irish breakfast, Scottish breakfast,” he said. “The English blend their tea. It’s not just one specific tea. It could be a mixture of three or four different black teas.”

Together, he and Barbara opened Barleytwist Tea Garden & Tea Rooms, 115 N. Main St. in Columbiana, which offered tea lovers a tranquil setting to enjoy the centuries-old beverage and its variety of blends.

Farrand pointed out that his desire with the tearoom was to offer an environment minus the outside noise of cellphones and TV screens. High tea presents an opportunity for conversation, while afternoon tea allows for less socializing and a relaxing atmosphere.

With a desire to expand to a larger building, Farrand found what he wanted, but it was located in Staunton, Virginia. With a tea room downstairs, the couple lived upstairs. While it made for a convenient commute, the long hours that started at 4 a.m. became grueling. Wanting only the best for his customers, he made a variety of pastries, clotted cream and small finger sandwiches fresh each morning for his visitors.

Named after Shakespeare’s wife, not the actress, Anne Hathaway’s Cottage Tea Room, he aligned his business with a nearby theater that focused on the legendary playwright’s works. One bus full of travelers after another enjoyed tea before seeing a performance.

Decades prior to treating customers to tea culture, Farrand began his working life as a cutter of jeans and suits in the Manchester clothing business. The English city was known during the Industrial Revolution as “Cottonopolis” because of its textile mills and one-time setting as the center of the cotton industry.

An advertisement for cutters in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada offered him a pathway out of town.

“The problem with England is it’s a class-structured society. So, if you’re in that class, no matter how much money you make, you’ll always be in that class,” Farrand said.

Besides cutter work, he became a top DJ at a local Winnipeg nightclub, Benjamin’s. With an ear toward the latest sounds coming to the dance floor, Farrand would return to his English hometown and check out what was available at local record shops and being played at the legendary Hacienda club.

Connections he made as a DJ led to Farrand’s transition to working in the film industry in Vancouver. His area of expertise dealt with the technical aspects of filming such as lighting and rigging on films such as “The Chronicles of Riddick,” “I, Robot,” “The Santa Clause,” “The Santa Clause 2,” “End of Days” as well as “The X-Files” television series.

He explained how he supplied the trusses and other equipment that were necessary for filming. In some cases, it enabled the special effects shots where actors are hooked up to wires in order to look like they’re flying through the air.

“It was 24 hours a day, seven days a week. You don’t keep Arnold Schwarzenegger waiting. You better have that stuff at nine o’clock in the morning. It better be there.

“There was one movie — I forget what it was called — they made me FedEx a truss from Holland to Vancouver. I gave it to them. They did the shoot, and then blew it up. That was part of the shoot. They then called me and said, ‘Can you get more?'”

He recalled that his job led to international trips, including stops in Paris and Rome.

“When I first met my wife, we went out to dinner and I said, ‘I’ll see you in two weeks. I’ve got to go to Milan.’ Then, I came back and said, ‘I’ll see you in another two weeks.’ I was living out of airports. I made a phone call on New Year’s Eve from Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam, trying to reach people to say, ‘Happy New Year.’ I couldn’t get anybody. I was the only person at the airport. That’s when I said to myself, ‘That’s it. I got to get out of here. I’m getting out of the movie business. I’m going into the restaurant business.’ I couldn’t take it anymore.”

That reassessment of his life resulted in the tea rooms.

After six years of giving customers the best experience possible at Anne Hathaway’s, Farrand had enough, sold the business and building and retired with Barbara to Columbiana.

Still enamored with instructing Americans on the history, proper drinking methods and enjoyment of tea, Farrand gives talks throughout the area that showcase his years of knowledge that includes special place settings and food — scones, small sandwiches and desserts.

Retired, with the additional time on his hands, Farrand continues to travel.

“I spent 16 years in kitchens and I never saw any of America because I was always bloody working. So, I bought myself a small Chinook RV and I’m exploring America,” he said.

At the time of the interview for this story, Farrand had just returned from an excursion in Arizona that lasted more than a month. He plans to visit Ohio’s state parks as well as the West Coast this year.

“America is a beautiful country,” he said.