National Trust calendar - no Christian festivals

I don’t think I’ve ever been to an NT property that doesn’t spend time on the ‘Downstairs’ lot - but there’s so much more beyond that and colonialism that propped up the system, and I’d love to see that focused on as well.

The system may not have been good for all but it did provide a lot of employment!

Marmin

Should anyone be interested in this, a quick visit to the Trust's home page shows a range of Christmas celebrations at many properties as always. A search for calendars shows a similar range of traditional publications, including advent calendars.
If the Trust has also published a calendar for non Christian members of other faiths then well done I say.

Why would they publish a non Christian calendar.
On my calendar for next year, I have every blooming holiday going, even to thanksgiving. I don't practise any other religion, so why a different one for non Christians. Just another stupid idea from overpaid officialdom. Or are non Christians offended by our celebrations. Most aren't I'm sure. Those that are, well tough. Can't please all the people all the time can we.

Freya5

Marmin

Should anyone be interested in this, a quick visit to the Trust's home page shows a range of Christmas celebrations at many properties as always. A search for calendars shows a similar range of traditional publications, including advent calendars.
If the Trust has also published a calendar for non Christian members of other faiths then well done I say.

Why would they publish a non Christian calendar.
On my calendar for next year, I have every blooming holiday going, even to thanksgiving. I don't practise any other religion, so why a different one for non Christians. Just another stupid idea from overpaid officialdom. Or are non Christians offended by our celebrations. Most aren't I'm sure. Those that are, well tough. Can't please all the people all the time can we.

Have you read any of the thread, Freya?

The NT HASN'T PUBLISHED A NON CHRISTIAN CALENDAR

It was a document for volunteers.

I have checked the NT on-line shop. There are no such calendars on sale.

If anyone is worried about non-Christian goods - the Red Cross wouldn't sell Christmas cards which mention the word Christmas at one time, although they do have a couple now!

Primrose53

nanna8

Virtue signalling ? What good little people they are. Pass the sick bucket ..

Whatever your creed, colour, sexual persuasion, religion, you’re welcome.

The only people it doesn’t “include” are those who would like to visit but simply cannot afford it! So you are excluded if your family are on a low income.

I visited a NT property last month and it cost £5 to park. For that we got to visit their shop and wander around the garden. Entry to the house was about £15 extra and half that for kids. Lots of the rooms are closed off. We were disappointed that you still had to pay £5 to park even though we only wanted to stay about an hour and walk in the garden.

Surely at this time of year the NT are starting to shut down the houses because they do most of the cleaning and renovation and repairs ready for the start of the next season.

Surely at this time of year the NT are starting to shut down the houses because they do most of the cleaning and renovation and repairs ready for the start of the next season.

No way, they are busier than ever. Our local NT house has the gardens all lit up, and the inside is decorated with traditional Christmas trees and garlands. The fireplaces are lit and they serve mince pies and mulled wine. DH is a chorister and sometimes sings at NT houses at Christmas, they have traditional family games for the kids based on old customs. The compulsory shop is open, and full of decorations and produce to purchase. The entry price is the same as normal.

Poor old NT - so many things that it apparently does incorrectly, according to some of the above posts.

Surely we already know how the servants lived and that hundreds of people laboured on the estates and in the grand houses. I was watching Monty Don in America recently and he featured a grand house, built in the Italianate style on marshes south of Miami. At one time there were over 1000 employed on building the house, and the drainage needed in order to create the gardens. That little series of visits to American gardens was eyewatering, as was the amount of money involved, most of it earned during the latter half of the 19thC and the first of the 20thC. Those people weren't enslaved but Jefferson, on his Monticello Estate had around 80 enslave peopled people at any one time. He also had slaves on his other estates.

The only stately home that I can think of that was built in the last 100 years or so is Eaton Hall, totally rebuilt in the 1960s.

According to Lost Heritage around 2000 large country homes have been demolished since 1800 so, to my mind, we should be glad that the NT and other historic houses associations are taking care of them. We are very lucky because in France few of the chateaux have much in the way of contents, because of the Revolution. Some have none apart from the odd table or chair and some old weapons.

Freya5

Marmin

Should anyone be interested in this, a quick visit to the Trust's home page shows a range of Christmas celebrations at many properties as always. A search for calendars shows a similar range of traditional publications, including advent calendars.
If the Trust has also published a calendar for non Christian members of other faiths then well done I say.

Why would they publish a non Christian calendar.
On my calendar for next year, I have every blooming holiday going, even to thanksgiving. I don't practise any other religion, so why a different one for non Christians. Just another stupid idea from overpaid officialdom. Or are non Christians offended by our celebrations. Most aren't I'm sure. Those that are, well tough. Can't please all the people all the time can we.

Freya. Here it is from the horse’s mouth

nt.global.ssl.fastly.net/binaries/content/assets/website/national/pdf/everyone-welcome.pdf

The NT call it a calendar. See page 4. So a calendar it is! MaizieD is trying to split hairs by saying it is not on sale but who even said it was? We have yet to be provided with evidence that it is a “document”. 😉

Surely at this time of year the NT are starting to shut down the houses because they do most of the cleaning and renovation and repairs ready for the start of the next season

No, Christmas is a very busy season usually.
Christmas trees, carols, wreath making (how pagan! 😁), mulled wine, mince pies etc

How about this for a National Trust tree?

According to Lost Heritage around 2000 large country homes have been demolished since 1800 so, to my mind, we should be glad that the NT and other historic houses associations are taking care of them

Yes, indeed.

The NT call it a calendar. See page 4. So a calendar it is! MaizieD is trying to split hairs by saying it is not on sale but who even said it was? We have yet to be provided with evidence that it is a “document”

You can call it whatever you like, Primrose, but it isn't on sale to the public and it isn't anything to get agitated about.

I quite like the empty châteaux to be found in France, Dinahmo, especially the older ones, because they give the opportunity to appreciate the architecture. I think some of them add in furniture to make the rooms more authentic, but it doesn't always work! This one I visited in June even had fake food!

Not far from us, on Dartmoor, is what I think is the last UK castle to be built in the early 20th century. The owner was something to do with importing tea from India, but his uncle (?) was on the organising committee of the anti-slavery conventions. It's a NT Trust property, but I find it very dark and chilly despite it being a new build!

And, what’s more, no NT volunteer or staff member - for whom this guidance was produced - had a problem with it, unless you believe that one volunteer, six years later, complained to the Restore Trust.

Anyway, the whole bonkers thing has provided the NT Comms team with some great social media marketing opportunities, which they’ve taken with great humour.

Maybe the calendar is just a timetable or chart for volunteers, and you only pay attention to what actually concerns you.

Whoops, that was in support of MazieD’s last post.

Joseann

Maybe the calendar is just a timetable or chart for volunteers, and you only pay attention to what actually concerns you.

eg
1st December: Put up Christmas Tree
5th January: Take down decorations and organise New Year Cleaning
10th January: Take down chandeliers for cleaning (do not employ Trotters Independent Traders this year).

Yep.
My diary has a printed entry for Christmas Day next to the date, but I still write Christmas Day on the page with stars all around!

Callistemon especially the carpet cleaners for all those muddy Le Chameau Wellies which have traipsed their way through the place.

Joseann

Callistemon especially the carpet cleaners for all those muddy Le Chameau Wellies which have traipsed their way through the place.

Some of those carpets are extremely old!
And the drapes. (I won't call them curtains).

The thought of all that dusting makes me feel the need to lie down in a darkened room.

😁
Ha ha, just as I typed that the Countryfile reporter talks about the two weeks in the year when Dumfries House is cleaning for dusting and cleaning!

The conservators asked him to take his shoes off.

cleaning
Correction - closed

And they are just cleaning the chandelier and mentioned Del Boy 😂😂😂

Technically, Ramadan is a moveable festival as well! I think it depends on the sighting of the new moon at Mecca.

Your prejudices are showing ladies!!