Bloody National Trust turned us away from lovely gardens with lake because...

[LyraSilvertongue]

...there was a bit of a breeze.
We turned up at Claremont Gardens in Surrey with our picnic and two hungry boys only to be greeted by a man on the gate who said the gardens were shut because it was too windy.
Their rules state that they have to close down if winds get above 40mph and the forecast said they might reach a whopping 43mph just after lunchtime.
So we had to go somewhere else and pay £17 to get in (NT membership would have got us into Claremont for nothing).
AIBU to be annoyed that this silly rule spoiled our day out?

not at all. i think you should hire a plane and drop litter all overhe area.
bastards

we went to Hampton Court which I think is nearby and it wasn't that windy !

sounds a tad jobsowrth-y to me. maybe give the membership dept a ring in the morning and see if they are willing to do anything???

They wouldn't let us into an Easter hunt at Scotney castle for the same reason earlier this year.

can't type jobsworth either, sorry

Health & Safety gone MAD!!!!!
I'dve been tempted to set my picnic up there and then, right in front of the gate!!

is it because they would be responsible if branches came down and injured someone?

Maybe because of the little boy who died a few years ago when a part of a tree hit him on a very windy day at Dunham Massey?

There's lots of trees there so I suppose a branch could blow off and hit you and then you'd sue them (possibly).

Still rubbish though

Safety I suppose. Maybe they were worried a pinecone would fall on our heads and we'd sue
I think I'll email them but i bet they don't do anything.

Hummm, I'm 5 mins down the road & it wasn't that windy, was it?
There are some large/old trees (they took down 2 massivo cedars earlier in the year...) so I guess there's a H&S rule.

It is a lovely place for a picnic - next time

Really Clayhead?
Funnypeculiar, we've been a few times and it's lovely.

My mum got a free coffee and cake voucher when she complained at how rude the entrance person had been to us at Belton one Easter.

I could understand if it had been really high winds but 43mph?

HSE & the National Trust after Dunham Massey.

Yes - I live near Dunham Massey and it was a couple of years ago.

Wasn't there another death last summer - in Norfolk somewhere - a tree rather than a branch falling on some kids?

I'd prefer them to shut the park tbh. Better to be safe etc etc.

Yep, I guess that the 40mph thing is what their public liability insurance has imposed upon them tbh. I don't think it's jobsworthness (yes yes, I know that's not a word ).

Keeping some of these places going must be an absolute nightmare.

Reading that article I can see why they're so jumpy about a bit of wind but still, the chance of a tree falling on someone and killing them are 25 million to one.
They don't need to overreact every time there's a strong breeze.

They must be really pissed off too - they'll lose loads of money not opening at the weekend

Interesting article StG - can't really blame the NT there I'd say...

funnypeculiar you must live pretty close to me!

I'm not too far from there either - about 15 mins drive up the Portsmouth Road.

I heard loads of NT properties were shut today for health and safety reasons - probably decided to shut all properties in certain areas, region by region. To be fair there are a lot of humungous old shaky trees at NT properties though. Not good if in gales!!

I live just off the Portsmouth rd!