AIBU to think the RHS didn't need to close immediately and boot everyone out as a mark of respect?

[SurreyMumOfOne]

As a mark of respect to Prince Philip, the RHS have decided to close all of their gardens immediately today. Any people already inside have been herded out. Tickets are incredibly difficult to get hold of because they are so limited at the moment. There are reports on social media of families using it as a place to meet (as permitted) who haven't seen each other for a year now having to leave; no covid safe measures at the exit; traffic tailbacks as people arriving are being turned immediately away. Lots of upset and confusion.

They have also said they will close on the day of the funeral and I have no issue with this.

AIBU to think this is an ill thought through and unnecessary move? Surely there are better ways to show respect? What about respect for the visitors?

Most organisations are terrified of negative publicity these days so maybe they were worried they'd be slated for being insensitive by staying open? But yes, totally bonkers I agree.

@Onthegrid

This is ridiculous as is the wall to wall coverage on BBC1, BBC2 and ITV

Thank God CBeebies is still on!

@Crinkle77

I think the problem these days is that organisations are so frightened of a social media backlash if they're not seen to be doing the 'right thing' so they make daft decisions like this.

Yes and it only takes one manager panicking.

Unless he died on the premises, I fail to see why they needed to close.

Absolutely mad decision. Feel for the poor people chucked out or not allowed in. I'd be so cross.

Bizarre

I should think it's the last thing Philip would have wanted.

How utterly stupid. My work have hardly phoned me and told me to down tools immediately as a mark of respect. Especially as these are hard to get tickets and like you say people are meeting up with family they may not have seen for ages.

I think they may have over estimated the upsetness of the British public.

My elderly DM thinks it's sad, needed an announcement, but also she is stuck alone in lockdown and only has her TV for company and would like her programmes back please.

She doesn't understand why BBC1 and 2 need to be showing the same thing which ran out of stuff to say in 20 minutes.

He wasn’t their boss and they weren’t his gardens!
I imagine this was a plan made pre covid at a time when tickets weren’t like gold dust, the gardens weren’t likely to be the scene of so many significant meetings and there were more other places open you could go.
I would still consider it overkill in normal times but less unkind to visitors than this will have been.
I can see that rewriting the ‘death of a senior royal’ plan might not have been top of the priority list this year. But still, sad to say it’s not like there will have been no inkling this might have happened.

@Cuntryhouse I’m on Jazz fm now 🤪 - fucking Bbc are short of giving Philip a sainthood. Yes it’s sad but we have all been through a lot this year and it is hardly a shock at 99yrs old.

Isn't the Queen the patron? I expect that's why but it does seem rather OTT.

@Fallsballs it must be sad jazz though

@TempsPerdu

(Should’ve known better than to argue with a bunch of arch-royalists really )

You don't have to be any sort of royalist to be sorry for a widow of such a long marriage?

I was at Hyde hall today and we had to leave, luckily we had been there a couple of hours but I would have been very disappointed if we were just arriving. They have emailed to say we will get a refund

It is so terribly sad, especially so close to his 100th birthday but.....

We've just been out to a National Trust garden, it didn't even occur to me things would close. How on earth would sending everyone home show respect, lifes to short and this is my only day off this week.

I was also surprised to find the first dozen tv channels all still showing news specials, some up to 8 tonight. Are we not allowed to think of anything else ?

YANBU. We’ve only been to one RHS place and that was last year as a halfway meeting point to meet family 90 minutes away. Neither of us would have been impressed to have pre-booked, kids excited to see cousins to be kicked out during the visit.

@Cuntryhouse jazz is always sad ! But at least I don’t have to listen to the bbc.

@LadyIsabellaWrotham

That’s really annoying.

I’m pissed off that Radio 3 (my regular daytime background music) is carrying the same news programme as the rest of the BBC. Seriously, how hard is it to switch to Solemn Music Megamaix.

Solemn Music Megamix

Ludicrous over-reaction all round, really. I shudder to think how OTT Operation London Bridge will be when HMQ goes. Will the police be sent round to check we're all in mourning in our homes?

I would count myself as a monarchist, btw.

I just can't think on what planet it's deemed the best way to show respect? Close for the funeral, yes. Deem a corner a quiet/reflection corner, fine, but this is weird.

Either it's a young social media concerned PR PR PR person, darling, or an old fart in a smoking jacket somewhere in Pall Mall or wherever the RHS are headquartered behind it.

And seemingly unrehearsed with staff doing their best but no real good people of traffic management plans in place (certainly for Wisley), with a good point raised that thank goodness it isn't a genuine emergency with need to evacuate.

I didn't know that jazz was always sad!

You don't have to be any sort of royalist to be sorry for a widow of such a long marriage

I do feel sorry for the Queen, and the rest of his immediate family. But no more than I would for Doris down the road at the loss of her husband, and I don’t see why it merits wall-the-wall coverage that distracts everyone and blocks out other more important stories (like the rioting in NI).

twitter.com/RHSWisley/status/1380498152936120320

Oh I thought they were his and the Queen's Gardens sorry.

Drove an hour to Hyde Hall only to be turned away at the entrance. No email notifying us until half an hour after our arrival time. Very disappointed. I haven't been able to use my membership up till now as we have been forbidden to go outside our local area. Struggled to get a ticket. Seems like an excuse for an ad hoc day off.

Absolutely ridiculous and very unfair to those people there.

Many of them will have supported the RHS throughout lockdown, and are now being treated like pariahs. Many will have travelled for some distance, as OP says, for an opportunity to meet up with family.

Have they had their entrance fees refunded? Or been given tickets for a day in the future?

Totally OTT reaction.