On holiday in Devon we seemed to be doing the rounds of The National Trust properties. (My son and his partner are members) As we were staying in Newquay for a couple of nights we thought we would visit Trerice. It is an Elizabethan manor house and set in beautiful gardens. It has retained its olde worlde charm and you can even still play kayling or slapcock in the grounds. (Kayling is a form of bowling and slapcock a type of shuttlecock game). On the day we visited they were having a fete day and they had stalls set up where we had to guess the number of sweets in a jar, a hoop la game and we were roped into an egg and spoon race and the sack race. There was a traditional (very un-politically correct) Punch and Judy show and in the house we were allowed to try on chain mail and armour. (How anyone even walked in this heavy stuff is mind boggling, let alone go off to fight!) The house has a lovely warm feel about it and you are free to wander around most of the rooms at leisure. In each room a knowledgeable guide is on hand to explain about the history of the place. If you are in the area, it is well worth a visit.
