Tuesday, August 08, 2017

The Rainbow Trust?

I am a member of the National Trust.  This goes back to when my wife was alive - she was very interested in local history and enjoyed visiting historic houses, and so we became members of the Trust - and English Heritage - and when she died I maintained membership of both - partly in her memory, and partly because I thought they were both doing a good job, and worth supporting.  I have to say that I am having second thoughts about National Trust, who to my eyes seem to have lost focus on their primary purpose of protecting the landscape and historic buildings, and become more involved in politics which seem to have little or nothing to do with that purpose.  The latest example concerns Felbrigg Hall in Norfolk where volunteers (note that word) who dealt with the public were required (note that word too) to wear LGBT lanyards and badges.  The Trust's rationale was that the last owner of the property was gay (although this is disputed) and that the Trust was marking the 50th anniversary of the Sexual Offences Act 1967 which partially decriminalised homosexual activity in private between consenting adults.  But so what?  What has that got to do with the price of fish?  If I visit Felbrigg Hall it is to see the property. I am not in any way bothered by or interested in the sexuality of the previous owner (even if true) and fail to see any connection between my visit and the 1967 Act.  I should perhaps mention in conclusion that the Trust have withdrawn their requirement to wear LGBT colours - it is now optional.

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