Paw and I took out membership of the NT over 40 years ago do that we could traipse round beautiful old houses and gardens, enjoy superior scones and cakes in their excellent tea rooms and invariably find lovely products and other things to buy in their shops which would guarantee that the Broon But an Ben would gleam like Mentmore Towers. We also felt it was a worthy cause.
For the last few years I have made only occasional use of my membership but still regarded it as a worthwhile charitable donation even if the houses were shut much of the time.
But this latest is stretching my loyalty
The National Trust has told volunteers at an 18th century palace to don face paint and glitter to mark Pride month despite growing backlash from members over its “woke” policies. Volunteers at Ickworth in Suffolk have been encouraged to dress up in colourful clothes, wear rainbow flowers in their hair, wear multi-coloured make-up and have their face or body painted when they turn up at work on Friday.
It is part of celebrations across the National Trust, which is encouraging its properties to support Pride and says on its website that they will be “inviting the teams at our places to wear their rainbow colours ”.
It is not the first time that the charity has been criticised over its requests for staff and volunteers to wear the gay pride symbol. In 2017 it was forced to U-turn on an instruction that those working at Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk who refused to wear rainbow lanyards and badges had to take on backroom roles
Now I am not pro-slavery or indeed intolerant of freedom of sexuality , but WTF (sorry, but I am cross) has this got to do with the original aims of the NT which was “established for the purpose of promoting the permanent preservation for the benefit of the nation of lands, and buildings, of beauty or historic interest and lands for the preservation so far as practical of their natural aspect features and animal and plant life.”
It certainly seems to be losing the plot.
