200p Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) The National Trust is drawing up plans to leave rooms in its historic properties unstaffed because modern retirees are too busy to volunteer as unpaid tour guides. “Older people are travelling around the world, they are doing the babysitting,” Dame Helen Ghosh, the director-general of the trust trust told The Independent. “In an ideal world, we would be bringing in more of the next generation but they are not necessarily in the same mould as their parents.” http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/national-trust-drawing-up-plans-to-leave-rooms-in-historic-properties-empty-as-they-run-out-of-older-volunteers-10384052.html Polarised - richer ones are going on cruises. An OAP recently told me he was on his 34th cruise two weeks ago! Well I'd be doing the same too (one day, hopefully ) - I live in Southampton, and the cruise ship business is booming. We see one liner go out and another come in - well two or more at a time sometimes. Then also people can't afford child care - so grandparents are used to babysit. So what will happen to these big stately homes that no one lives in and take up a lot of land? Edited July 14, 2015 by 200p Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Thousands of people do many hours of volunteering work.....they are not recognised at all by the state for the good work they do.....the work they do does not count towards their future pensionable years entitlement......so they may as well enjoy themselves spending their house, whilst they still can.....what pleasure is there sitting in a mansion unable to move or travel, cut the grass, wash or dress themselves or cook a dinner?.....none......do what you can while you can or forever regret it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spyguy Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Convert them into HMO for younger people then. Or pay a wage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dorkins Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Then also people can't afford child care - so grandparents are used to babysit. They would need less childcare if it didn't take 2 full time wages to buy a house. Then parents could spend more time raising their own children instead of contracting it out to strangers. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
danlee74 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 They would need less childcare if it didn't take 2 full time wages to buy a house. Then parents could spend more time raising their own children instead of contracting it out to strangers. Boom. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StainlessSteelCat Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Partly the price of the things too. My nearest NT property costs £12 to visit so I've never been, and therefore zero chance of ever volunteering there. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest eight Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Partly the price of the things too. My nearest NT property costs £12 to visit so I've never been, and therefore zero chance of ever volunteering there. They've also got some scam going with English Heritage where nearby sites are split between the two, so you end up paying twice or going home. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fairyland Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Younger generation is so much in debt that they hardly have any money left for any cultural activities. Many young families cannot afford to go to a cinema, local theatres, museums parks and other entertainments. Most of them sit at home and see repeat telecasts on iPlayer as they can't afford to pay for TV license. Rent/mortgage has squeezed them completely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Bear Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Besides babysitting grandchildren, a lot of retired people are also looking after decrepit elderly parents, and that is only going to get worse as more and more people are living longer. Quite a few NT properties now have grounds that are free to enter - you pay only if you want to go into the house. We went to one not long ago in west London - vast park-like grounds, free to enter, in what is a very urban area. There were masses of young families there, having picnics and enjoying the space to run around in. I suppose the NT makes its money from the cafe and the shop etc. The house itself was to me a hideous monstrosity - I didn't go inside. But despite the M4 being so close, the grounds felt like being in the countryside. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dkujsbap Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Besides babysitting grandchildren, a lot of retired people are also looking after decrepit elderly parents, and that is only going to get worse as more and more people are living longer. Quite a few NT properties now have grounds that are free to enter - you pay only if you want to go into the house. We went to one not long ago in west London - vast park-like grounds, free to enter, in what is a very urban area. There were masses of young families there, having picnics and enjoying the space to run around in. I suppose the NT makes its money from the cafe and the shop etc. The house itself was to me a hideous monstrosity - I didn't go inside. But despite the M4 being so close, the grounds felt like being in the countryside. Osterley Park? I went there recently too, great place for a stroll. On National Trust, I already pay someone to look after their property. Why would I do the same for somewhere that kicks me out at 5pm? Think they are screwed to be honest. I won't exactly shed a tear. Aren't they usually the biggest corporate NIMBYs? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
“Nasty Piece of work” Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 The 2 wage wheeze is the biggest scam. People stuck in unhappy relationships, with feral children. Double shyte sandwich. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Timak Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 National Trust membership is great if you have them near to you. We pay £90 a year and have unlimited access to 100's of places to go all around the country. We use them instead of service stations when on long journeys around the country. Generally there will be one within 10 minutes of road we are travelling on and it is great for the children to run around in a nice garden rather than a Welcome Break. Demographic is about 50% middle class people in their 30's with kids and 50% pensioners. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mrs Bear Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Also a demographic thing, young people just aren't into NT stuff (or golf clubs,etc) - I'm 51 and looked at the local golf club, I would have been the youngest player there other than juniors. You really have to wonder what will happen to all these golf clubs, NT houses, bowling greens,etc in years to come. The cruise industry knows this and started targeting younger people and families a few years back. Not just young people. We had friends already mid/late 60s who shuddered at the thought of joining the NT. Said it would feel like putting one foot into the grave. They were half incredulous, half cracking up, to see a NT sticker in our car. We agreed to differ. Edited July 14, 2015 by Mrs Bear Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) You go round these stately homes and it's just rubbing your face in historical inequality. Downton Abbey and the like have done their best to romanticise upstairs/downstairs class divisions but I'm not going to spend my leisure time oohing and aahing at how the toffs lived before the wars. It looks like feudal times are coming back - I don't need the National Trust to explain it to me. Best use of these places is as wedding venues or hotels. Edited July 14, 2015 by irrationalactor Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Allegro Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 One solution would be to provide grace-and-favour apartments in NT properties rent free, in exchange for tour guide duties. It wouldn't attract oldies, most of whom own six BTLs anyway, but 'hard working families' might be interested. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
council dweller Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Its the £2 parking charge that puts me off so I drive to a nearby village, get bicycles out of the van and ride to `the big hall`. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boughtin95 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 It wouldn't attract oldies, most of whom own six BTLs anyway. Your posts are usually interesting and appear to be thought through, the broad brush statement above makes you sound like a nob. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveinHope Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Loathe the NT. The NT has been left swathes of coastline around me and now every possible patch of grass that can serve as an access point has a parking fee box and every really popular site has a member of the NT Stasi in a hut extorting money. Pay to visit your own coast. Evil. Apparently, they need to fund 'upkeep'. Well, it was doing just fine before, for centuries. Edited July 14, 2015 by LiveinHope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LiveinHope Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 (edited) Double post Edited July 14, 2015 by LiveinHope Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Austin Allegro Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Your posts are usually interesting and appear to be thought through, the broad brush statement above makes you sound like a nob. I was being somewhat hyperbolic, but perhaps it didn't come across well. My point was that older people in general don't need accommodation as much as younger people, so if NT 'thought outside the box' they could utilise their properties to provide accommodation in exchange for labour. I suspect though that there are probably all sorts of covenants, rules and regs etc preventing them doing this, even if they wanted to. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Agentimmo Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Loathe the NT. The NT has been left swathes of coastline around me and now every possible patch of grass that can serve as an access point has a parking fee box and every really popular site has a member of the NT Stasi in a hut extorting money. Pay to visit your own coast. Evil. Apparently, they need to fund 'upkeep'. Well, it was doing just fine before, for centuries. This. The NT extract every last penny from the visitor. Parking, access to land/large gardens, etc. On some states, you can no longer walk in the gardens unless you have already bought the "manor visit" ticket. They are a bloated organisation whose leaders are richly paid. What started as a great idea 100 years ago has now become a gravy train for the good and great. Charlie Elphicke MP, who sits on the Public Administration Select Committee which oversees the charity sector, said: "I worry that out of control salaries and pay rises bring the whole voluntary sector into disrepute. “It’s an objectionable culture that can only dismay voluntary workers, discourage donors and harm the front line.” Nearly half of the executives who are on £100,000 a year worked at the National Trust, where the numbers increased from 11 to 21 over the three year period. Analysis of the Trust’s annual report and accounts showed that it also spent the most on a single unnamed employee in a single year - £219,999 in 2012. The figure included a redundancy payment. The Trust’s said that its former director-general Dame Fiona Reynolds who left in November 2012 saw her pay increase from £160,000 - £169,999 to £170,000 to £179,000 between 2011 and 2012 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
winkie Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Visted some wonderful NT places....many of them completly free, no house, park on the road for free, walk for free.......I would much rather the public can have access to some really wonderful gardens than they be owned by a rich family that would choose to keep the riff raff out....the more people that get to visit and learn and enjoy the better imo. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boughtin95 Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 I was being somewhat hyperbolic, but perhaps it didn't come across well. My point was that older people in general don't need accommodation as much as younger people, so if NT 'thought outside the box' they could utilise their properties to provide accommodation in exchange for labour. I suspect though that there are probably all sorts of covenants, rules and regs etc preventing them doing this, even if they wanted to. Understood, I agree. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
libspero Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Loathe the NT. The NT has been left swathes of coastline around me and now every possible patch of grass that can serve as an access point has a parking fee box and every really popular site has a member of the NT Stasi in a hut extorting money. Pay to visit your own coast. Evil. Apparently, they need to fund 'upkeep'. Well, it was doing just fine before, for centuries. +1 My gran used to live opposite a beautiful little plot of land called Ulverscroft (known locally as "the rough"), it was left to the national trust a few years ago by the old lady who owned it specifically so that people could continue to enjoy access to it after she had passed away. After taking ownership of it the NT have since banned all access to it for visitors and locals alike. If the old lady knew she would turn in her grave. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
crashmonitor Posted July 14, 2015 Share Posted July 14, 2015 Thousands of people do many hours of volunteering work.....they are not recognised at all by the state for the good work they do.....the work they do does not count towards their future pensionable years entitlement......so they may as well enjoy themselves spending their house, whilst they still can.....what pleasure is there sitting in a mansion unable to move or travel, cut the grass, wash or dress themselves or cook a dinner?.....none......do what you can while you can or forever regret it. It's a chariity I would give to ( I am a member) simply because it is run mainly on volunteers. The renovation costs run into the millions, but I like old buildings so I can take that. I'd rather see my hard earned money going to builders and joiners than some office bound job dealing in concepts that are difficult to quantify how useful they are. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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