National Trust ticket release

[EloiseTheFirst]

Our local NT is opening this week and you have to book in advance. All of this week is already booked up. It says on the website that they release the slots on a Friday.

Any idea what time? Is it a matter of staying up until midnight on Thurs night? Or will it be later in the day?

If anyone knows, I'd be grateful.

I'd like my money's worth please. I'm sorry if that makes me sound insensitive. I'm not
It's possible to want what you've passing's for and to worry about Covid simultaneously. The two feelings are not mutually exclusive

Ok, but they can't give you priority, as explained by numerous others.

They are trying to reopen as quickly as possible.

Do you want them to keep your money and exist after this? You must actually like using the NT if you've gone as far as to pay for membership?

Or they could return everyone's membership and go bust.

Anyway... we've been able to book two places so far and hoping for some more next time it opens. Such a nice day sitting in the sunshine on a lawn - felt just a little bit like things were changing after lockdown, and the place was almost empty and very well managed.

I'm sure no ones going to lose any sleep over Enlightened Owl cancelling her membership.

I do just have to comment on the irony of such as username as EnlightenedOwl. Crikey.

My friend works for the NT. All the lost income and cancelled memberships mean they are making staff redundant. She works in the tearoom, on minimum wage and is furloughed as tearooms aren’t open. And she isn’t able to visit either as staff and volunteers don’t even have priority. She’s early stressed and down thinking she’s going to lose her job soon.

Cancelled today 😁

I know it means nothing in practice but I’m really sorry for your friend and all those affected, Hmmph. It’s so grim.

Hmmph, I'm sorry to hear about your friend, we will be back as soon as we can.

We managed to get four tickets for Wimpole Hall on Saturday. Just hoping that it doesn't rain now.
The place has woefully inadequate toilet provision at the best of times so can't get much worse - we're local though so a morning of tea restriction and should be fine.

Cadw emailed everyone at the beginning of the lockdown to explain they'd be extending people's membership by 3 months, they have since updated offering 6 months extension.
Was very impressed.
NT membership may not be much money for some for others it may be the only way to justify those days out. Our membership started two weeks before lockdown and we live in Wales so nowhere is open yet I do find it disappointing they haven't contacted offering something in the same way Cadw did.

Our local property has said that the toilets are open. Going to try and book again this week, I miss it. The gardens are glorious at this time of year. That's one reason I don't mind that I have been paying in lockdown, people will have been maintaining the gardens, that requires money.

I was a bit annoyed about not getting member priority until I found out they can't.

All problems were however solved due to the simple method of staying up until 12 Thursday night

We went to Stowe on Saturday and they had portaloos in the car park as the normal toilets are inside the building which was closed so it looks like toilets are being provided, the week before we went to Houghton mill and toilets were open in car park. We have booked Canons Ashby for next Sunday, I just have to get up early on Fridays to book

How early did you get up Len? Ours were all sold out by 7 when I remembered.

Yes, I have tried on the last two Friday mornings and everything near me has already sold out. I agree that a certain mover of spaces should be allocated to members - we pay a lot for membership and use these places when others choose to go elsewhere, not just when they are the only options (I do realise that some non-members use them too, but YKWIM).

One of our locals is co-run by another organisation and they are running the bookings. People with the membership directly with the attraction are getting priority, and then left over tickets are released.

First week about 7 then about 5 or 6ish after that

When I look at about 7 or 8 and most are sold out it justifies my early rise.

@Equimum - as has been explained ad infinitum on this thread, they are not allowed to offer members priority booking because they are a charity.

@mamapants - cadw is run by the Welsh government so you're not really comparing like with like. And particularly crass of you to post that immediately after someone posting that their friend has been made redundant because the NT has zero income.

I've set my alarm for 23.58 on Thursday night to book tickets for Dunham Massey this week. I don't want to miss out!

I just wish Speke Hall would reopen as we love it there.

@EnlightenedOwl

Well given haven't been able use membership since March you'd think they would give us some incentive...

You have the chance to go and suspend membership for the duration, it's on the website.

@ExpletiveDelighted

As I see it, we only need to go about 4x a year for the membership to pay for itself. Ours renewed in March, we will easily be able to go 4x by next March, any more visits are free so having a couple of months closed is neither here nor there. Looking forward to going back to some of our favourite properties.

This is it entirely. I doesn't actually take many visits to cover the cost of membership, so those who are claiming membership is a waste of money are just harrumphing for the sake of it.

We went to Belton House last week. Clear signs for social distancing, toilets open, and they have set up plcnic tables in the stable yard, all socially distanced. It was well managed, and it felt like very few people were there.

I have no problem with not being given priority as a member, I view it as a donation to maintain the buildings and gardens anyway. I haven't even frozen or suspended my membership, as is possible from their website. After all, they will be opening up more as time goes on, and I'll easily cover the cost of membership with visits later this year.

multicoloured that's just for monthly direct debit though isn't it?
Mine was an annual ticket.
It might only take about four entries to break even but some people are buying it having already worked out that they were likely to go much more often than that making the individual entry price much lower and affordable to them.

@Clymene many many people are sadly going to be made redundant possibly why some people are upset at losing the benefit of their membership.

Having read this thread I am going to join to support them. Never go to properties but do spend a lot of time on nt coastal walks and land.
This thread has made me remember other charities too.
Perhaps this heron can balance out owl’s leaving. ??

THEY CAN GIVE PRIORITY.

Sorry for the caps, bit pp have been shouting that they can't. People who know more than me on other threads have said that yes, they do have to comply with charity law, but there are a range of ways of doing this. Stating they can't is NT's interpretation of the law, but seemingly not critical for compliance.

As I went online to join this from their website faq. Apols if someone else has already posted.

51. Are you giving members priority on booking or giving them exclusive access?

Charity tax law means our places must be available to everyone - not just members so we're unable to offer exclusive access or prioritised booking to anyone. Even if we allowed members priority booking, we would still need to hold back a small number of tickets for non-members so they also have an opportunity to visit. With well over 90% of tickets booked are by our members, priority booking wouldn't results in any more member slots being available.