I agree that they have to restrict numbers at the moment, and I know they can’t, by law apparently, restrict access only to those with membership, but it is rather irksome when you’ve paid in advance for something you can’t get to use. We’ve had difficulty booking slots at several local properties too. If they are starting to close refreshment facilities also, they are, as someone said upthread, shooting themselves in the foot. They are currently spending megabucks on a big building project to extend cafeteria and visitor centre at one of our local NT properties (which is basically a car park with a lot of moorland attached to it, but very popular). If they can’t afford to pay people to staff it, you have to ask yourselves whether it will be money well spent. Noname I’m sorry to hear you are one of the ones who has fallen to redundancy. About a year ago, we visited the wonderful Oxburgh Hall in Norfolk, just as they were embarking on their massive six million renovation of the roof and windows. One of the guides, who took advantage of the fact that we were something of a captive audience, was at great pains to say that spending plans for other properties had had to be put on hold to fund this very necessary project. That seems like pleading poverty given that they appear to have billions sloshing about. It is also one of the properties the NT are opening the interior of on a trial basis. Given that the outside is now covered in scaffolding and plastic, it seems a bit daft to do this rather than close it for the duration and concentrate on somewhere with more visitor appeal. One of the greatest joys of Oxburgh is its wonderful exterior.
