We spent two sunny days at the Game and Country Fair at Powderham Castle near Exeter. We had our backs to the estaury and the railway line and every morning a steam train came by that gave us a good hoot. It was freezing every morning but if you found a spot in the sun and out of the wind really quite warm. The show compere Mr Eagle was very good, running around the place in shorts like the postman, introducing all the trade stands and singing along to the music. They started every morning with ‘Look on the bright side of life’, impossible not to sing along to that.
The place was awash with dogs and several times a day there was a Funny Bunny competition when the punters were invited to bring their dogs into the ring to chase a lure. There were some game little terriers who inevitably were beated by the lurchers, whippets and greyhounds who went like the clappers. Our stand was on the main ring so we had plenty to watch all day including scurry racing – little carts with a driver and groom behind pulled by two ponies. They had to race around the ring going through narrow gateways made of traffic cones with a tennis ball on the top at breakneck speed,
There was plenty of interest in the alpacas – we took three boys along who were a bit nervous on Day 1 but by Day 2 had absorbed the work experience and totally ignored the squillions of dogs and all the humans hopefully offering them bits of hay. As we were taking down the marquee they shot into the trailer and sat down clearly of the mind that they were not going to be left behind. They were so pleased to be home on Sunday evening and kicked up their heels when they got back into their field.
We were very good and ate up our home made egg rolls only succumbing briefly to the glorious ring doughnuts stuffed with fat and sugar. On day two we took a thermos of hot water as the tea was either hopelessly weak (one stand) or made with UHT milk (another stand) so we made our own and took a bottle of wine along too for the five oclock moment when you really want to go home but are not allowed to leave.