I'm willing to bet no-one tried tasting them to find out how "immaculately preserved" they actually were. "A tin of mince pies baked during World War Two has been put on display after being discovered immaculately preserved under the floorboards of a hotel. The festive treats, which were a wartime gift from a mother to her sailor son, were uncovered at the Loch Hotel in Douglas on the Isle of Man. They were found during the hotel's 1998 renovation but later left forgotten in storage at the Manx Museum. The pies have now been placed on display for the first time. It is thought that air-tight conditions under the hotel floor may have helped preserve the treats for almost 80 years. They were addressed to Able Seaman Phil Davis and accompanied by a letter signed "best, love from mum". Matthew Richardson, curator of social history for Manx National Heritage, said they were a "unique" reflection of the "human" stories behind the war. Christmas was "the right time for them to shine", he added. Hotels and boarding houses along Douglas promenade were used to house soldiers and sailors during the war. Mr Richardson said the pies may have been concealed under the floorboards to prevent them from being stolen by other soldiers. "If you're in a shared room with five or six other men you don't know, the only way you could be sure of protecting what was yours was to find a place to hide it," he said." www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-46638212
