Things that go bump in the night....


You will no doubt have deduced that I'm describing a Hallowe'en party. The additional fun element was that we were all National Trust staff debriefing after a hard night's haunting on the woods and heaths of the Godolphin Estate. The National Trust runs ghostwalks annually on Hallowe'en at several properties in the region. The rangers here alternate the local event between Godolphin House and Penrose. This year was Godolphin's turn so Julie Hanson, the Area Warden, kindly allowed the Count House to be commandeered as a backstage dressing room stocked with masks, ragged costumes, plastic fangs, face paint and fake blood.


Mark Harandon, the part-time warden at Godolphin is also a professional storyteller and it falls to him each time to concoct a horrific tale and a tour punctuated by various characters along the way. Each of the wardens and volunteers were given their roles and a dusting of suggested lines and stage directions and given free rein to improvise costumes and polish their acts.
The success of the evening relies on Mark leading a bewildered band of stumbling children and their parents through darkened woodland paths while spinning his spooky yarn. The rest of us then manifest ourselves on queue - often having to disappear into the darkness again and change quickly into another costume in time for the next ambush.

Changing out of a dark boiler suit into a white disposable hooded overall by torchlight in a patch of brambles was an unrehearsed experience - but Smeagol was in position by the bridge just as the zombies gave their moan.
After the frights of the night, the volunteers headed down (in costume) to the Blue Anchor in Helston - a famed micro-brewery which boasts 4 different kinds of 'Spingo' ale. We joined the pub quiz at the beginning of round 3, won 4 free pints (which was useful as we ran out of money) and came a gracious 2nd by half a point.
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