Holidays 16.7 - The Middle Class At Leisure

National Trust membership is de rigueur for the ageing middle class, or so it would seem. OG and Groupie have, of course, been members ever since they were young fogeys, which was, naturally, shortly after they were amongst Thatcher's chosen few - the original yuppies.

I have already championed the rhododendron garden at Plas Newydd and the remarkable mural in the dinning room at that property. But we have been getting full value from our membership this week so today the story of two more gardens and one quite arresting property.

The laburnum arch at Bodnant

First of all a garden which comes without a house - well not quite accurate because there is a house at Bodnant but it is not in National Trust care. It is only the gardens that have been bequeathed to the nation. They are enough. I'm no expert so won't essay a description except to say that there is a photegenic laburnum arch; there is a photegenic series of water features; there are photegenic formal gardens; there are photogenic massive trees; there are - well, you get the picture.

A river runs through it

Bodnant is testament to man's penchant for accommodating and improving mother nature. As a postsctript: if using satnav, ensure that yours is not set to avoid all tunnels. It transpired that our was so disposed - why would this be - are Koreans ubiquitously tunnel-phobic?

Treardurr Bay...  Nice.

Before I return to National Trust properties, a word for Trearddur Bay where we walked pleasingly yesterday and got sun-burnt. A stunning coastal resort. I think we have to admit that the south of the island has even better vistas than the north where sits the OG country estate. Oh well.

Today it was the turn of Penrhyn Castle. This huge folly is gloriously bonkers. Don't let the name fool you. This was not built for miltary purposese. It is a mock Norman fortress established at the behest of Richard Pennant (1739-1808). It always puts me in mind of the fictional Xanadu, lair of Charles Foster Kane in Citizen Kane. It is impossible to imagine anything quite so grandiose being attempted by a potentate of modern British industry. Just at the moment (and credit to the National Trust for this) there is an 'installation' on show which draws parrallels between Penrhyn and the architectural adventures of Las Vegas. It does not avoid the awkward truth that some of the Pennant fortune that paid for the building (most of which came from the local slate industry) had the taint of the slave trade upon it. No matter, go and have a look and be awed by what can be achieved. It does have gardens which, if you want to be hyper-critical, are looking faintly tatty but this place is all about the bricks and mortar.

In Xanadu did Kubla Khan / A stately pleasure dome decree