The National Trust is under attack

The best element of the National Trust’s work as far as I’m concerned is the conservation work, upkeep and improvement of the land it owns. Enabling access to the countryside for the public is so important. I think all my visits this year have been to beaches, parks and gardens - they do a fantastic job in duplicating rare species plants and trees to conserve varieties. I’ve definitely paid for my membership in carpark fees saved.

Suppression of facts/denial of history.

Not an organisation I wish to belong to.

The National Trust doesn't just own country houses, does it? It owns small dwellings associated with famous figures from the past and large tracts of countryside.

In fact, a staggering variety of properties:

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_National_Trust_properties_in_England

Just because its product in some areas has become bland and 'samey' doesn't mean that one should vote for the nutters who want to deny the less savoury aspect of Britain's past. Or does it?

Sorry - that should be in the photo thread - not sure how it ended up here. Gremlins.

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

I am absolutely not on the side of 'Restore Trust, that rather murky and sinister organisation behind the protests.

BUT I am totally fed up with the NT and we visit their properties less and less. It is nothing to do with wokery, its the way they have dumbed down and emulsified their product - a bit like M&S. M&S are in a huge range of buildings, from warehouse parks to old building sin high streets, but once in the door, they are all the same.

I am fed up with being overwhelmed by NT branding whereever I go in and around their properties. The way that all the add ons - dressing up for children, somewhere to read etc etc, each house thinned down to just one story are identical in every house. We are members of the Historic Houses Association and love the sheer variety of their houses, their quirkiness and indivdiuality, all completely wiped from NT properties.

The NT is also becoming deeply undemocratic, under the guise of doing the opposite. For their election of Trustees, they have an 'approved list' they want you to vote for and to lure you into doing so, they give you the opportunity to vote for them all with just one vote.

This means that those who do not have the time or do not care can just vote for a group of people whose names they do not know, whose opinions they have not read, but all of them NT insiders. This should not be allowed. It enables the NT to stuff its board of trustees with HT approved insiders. It is the kind of thing you expect to find happening in countries like Russia and the post-war Eastern European states. It is a travesty of democraCY.

Again, whatever has Farage to do with this? He wasn't even an MP! I've visited an NT property which contained a couple of carved statues representing black men in chains. There was an explanatory notice, quite apologetic, putting things in context and just outside the room where the statues were, so that people could avoid them if they wished. I think that was a perfectly reasonable compromise, not in the least extreme. Coloured people do visit these places - I saw a young mum with her little boy in the cafe - and I can easily imagine that such depictions of slavery might be found offensive. It's a question of good manners and consideration for others.

I don't know why people object so much to the story of the origins of the wealth of those who owned the grand properties and big tracts of land.

I've always enjoyed country house visiting for the beauty of their architecture, of the artefacts in them and the splendid grounds and gardens. But for many, many years I've always been conscious of the fact that it was all maintained by an army of poorly paid servants who could only earn in a year the sort of money that the wealthy would consider to be a bit of loose change. Their working conditions weren't always particularly good, either.

Adding the fact that much of the wealth was procured on the back of slavery (which is the bit that the 'Restore Trust' particularly dislike), doesn't detract from the aesthetic experience. It just adds an opportunity for reflection on the fact that the past was very far from a bed of roses for everyone.

fancythat

*(do they know what it means) *

I find that anyone who asks that, are woke.

Sorry?

(do they know what it means)

I find that anyone who asks that, are woke.

They’ve discussed the National Trust on TRIP’s in the past but I didn’t really understand what was going on. It’s very close to Rory’s heart so I’d assume they’ll be discussing it this week. Why is this government destroying everything some of us hold dear?