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Original poster

National Trust

181 replies

UncleBillyLostHisWilly · 21/03/2020 14:48

AIBU to think the National Trust have made the wrong decision to allow free entry in the current Covid-19 pandemic?

I live near a NT site and the place has been swarmed today, cars abandoned all over the place and mass swarms of people of all ages congregating in quite a small area.

Surely this goes against the advise of social distancing?

What were the NT thinking when they made this decision I do not know but there is a difference between going out to get some fresh air on a country walk as opposed the opening up well known tourist attractions for the masses to descend on and socialise.

OP posts:
Alsohuman · 22/03/2020 20:04

Our joint membership is £10.65 a month. I’m perfectly happy for non payers to use open spaces for nothing - they’re hardly going to wear the grass out. It’s a great shame that so many people pitched up and ruined it for everyone.

Oldieandgoldie · 23/03/2020 00:40

@stuckinthemiddlewithtwats
Lovely news. congratulations.

TabbyMumz · 23/03/2020 08:04

It was going to be open to all, all year, for free. I dont think its unusual to feel miffed when you've paid over a hundred and thirty odd pounds to use it. I'm pleased they've made the decision to close.

DappledThings · 23/03/2020 08:38

It was going to be open to all, all year, for free
In a very limited fashion. Far from their entire list of places being open

I dont think its unusual to feel miffed when you've paid over a hundred and thirty odd pounds to use it
Not unusual possibly, but still very petty

I'm pleased they've made the decision to close
Me too. But because people couldn't be responsible about gathering too much, not because I was still paying for it.

FrankieManca · 23/03/2020 08:53

It’s a great shame that so many people pitched up and ruined it for everyone

But who should and should not have been allowed to pitch up? Who should have stayed away so that ‘everyone’ else could go?

FrankieManca · 23/03/2020 08:55

I dont think its unusual to feel miffed when you've paid over a hundred and thirty odd pounds to use it. I'm pleased they've made the decision to close

So you’d rather be a paid up member and not be able to go than pay and others get in free?

BubblesBuddy · 23/03/2020 09:01

The bulk of membership goes towards entering the actual properties not the grounds. Many major properties have free car parking and you can wander around the open spaces. Membership gets free parking where there is a charge and entry to all houses and properties. Allowing free parking, where there would have been a charge, was possibly a mistake, but some places I know never charged anyway! Members didn’t lose much by the NT decision regarding car park charging! It’s very petty to complain a kit that.

BubblesBuddy · 23/03/2020 09:02

about that....

TabbyMumz · 23/03/2020 09:31

"It was going to be open to all, all year, for free
In a very limited fashion. Far from their entire list of places being open"

All the ones by me were.

"I dont think its unusual to feel miffed when you've paid over a hundred and thirty odd pounds to use it
Not unusual possibly, but still very petty"

I suppose it depends how well off you are £130 odd is an awful lot out of our budget that we put by so as we could have much needed days out. For a well off person £130 might seem like nothing and petty, but to us, it's a lot. I dont see how that's hard to understand really

I"'m pleased they've made the decision to close
Me too. But because people couldn't be responsible about gathering too much, not because I was still paying for it."
Good for you. I'm glad its closed because we wont be getting our moneys worth this year and we might get a refund now or an extension.

BettyIsMyFavouriteSquirrel · 23/03/2020 09:39

I dont think its unusual to feel miffed when you've paid over a hundred and thirty odd pounds to use it

This was my feeling, I pay for membership so we can have days out, the same way I might buy a Merlin pass or a cinema pass. If I was just going to give £120 to charity for nothing in return then my first choice wouldn’t be the National Trust.

Alsohuman · 23/03/2020 09:41

It’s got nothing to do with how well off you are and everything to do with how mean spirited you are.

DisasterousManagementPlan · 23/03/2020 09:41

The NT places are usually busy on mothers' day (and Easter Sunday) so I'm not surprised they were busy at the weekend.

I agree that people need to use a bit more common sense. If you drive somewhere and the car park is busy, then you should just drive on to somewhere less popular and get out there. There's plenty of countryside to roam around in. Pick the unpopular bits.

Floralnomad · 23/03/2020 10:33

To all those saying it’s petty how would you feel if the council decided to let all your neighbours not pay their council tax but you still had to pay - it’s exactly the same . Like the pp I don’t pay for NT and EH membership because I want to give money to charity , I do it because I want to go places , I give to charity separately and for things I think are more worthy .

Alsohuman · 23/03/2020 10:38

The reason it’s petty is because other people going to those places for nothing has zero effect on whether you can go or not. It makes absolutely no difference, you weren’t stopped from going because they hadn’t paid and you can’t go now despite having paid. Giving money to charity is a red herring. I’m hoping they’ll give us a discount in their cafes and shops after this - which really they should have done anyway.

DappledThings · 23/03/2020 10:53

To all those saying it’s petty how would you feel if the council decided to let all your neighbours not pay their council tax but you still had to pay - it’s exactly the same
Council tax isn't voluntary. It pays for essential services. It is in no way comparable.

fluffiphlox · 23/03/2020 10:56

Well I’ll look forward to getting my membership refunded. (Though I think they will be reluctant to do that. )

DappledThings · 23/03/2020 11:07

Well I’ll look forward to getting my membership refunded

And I'll carry on neither expecting or asking for that!

Alsohuman · 23/03/2020 11:40

Me too. My £10 a month is the very least of my worries right now.

BubblesBuddy · 23/03/2020 11:50

The NT is a charity though. Their "staff" in many houses are volunteers. They do not have a huge management structure in the houses. The money goes to upkeep, organisation of houses for visitors, conservation and buying new properties. It is not the same as buying a service. Generally NT members can afford to pay and keep their membership going to aid the properties in the portfolio. It is not all about going out to visit this year. NT members are overwhelmingly middle class! (And white!)

Lifesavesocialdistance · 23/03/2020 11:54

Frankie

This is marathon not a sprint.

I really wanted to go the nt this wekeend!
We are members and have not visited yet. I held back hoping that others would hold back and go at different times. Unfortunately not, now none of us can go.
I would for instance have gone today at 3...

Original poster
UncleBillyLostHisWilly · 23/03/2020 15:21

@BubblesBuddy
Why do you have to bring race into it?
What has being white got to do with having a national trust membership?

OP posts:
BubblesBuddy · 23/03/2020 15:29

It’s an observation that does matter in some respects but, I admit, perhaps not at the moment. However I do think that some ethnic minority groups think the NT isn’t for them. My DD volunteered at a house in our county near a town with a large ethnic minority. They were virtually invisible at the property. I do think the NT could do more to reach out to everyone but I can see that when they did, it wasn’t great. I hope in the future, the NT could think about widening participation. Nothing more sinister then that!

Original poster
UncleBillyLostHisWilly · 23/03/2020 15:45

I think the UK is something like 80% white British so obviously ratios of white members will be higher.
I don't think the NT need to reach out to any certain target areas as membership is available for all.

OP posts:
ffswhatnext · 23/03/2020 18:28

Some of the members here will hate me. I have been a few times to NT. Car parking was free, although we walked from where we were.
The grounds were free to walk around.
Didn't visit the cafe either.

Alsohuman · 23/03/2020 18:51

I don’t hate you. I pay to look round a huge number of properties whenever I want. My membership doesn’t mean I own them. I have absolutely no issue with anyone enjoying the beautiful grounds, that’s what they’re for.