tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post7759135628524972118..comments2024-03-25T22:59:30.053+00:00Comments on Desperate Reader: Belton House Desperate Readerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comBlogger5125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-47158494334093361522018-04-25T20:07:52.678+01:002018-04-25T20:07:52.678+01:00It's not that I think they over charge - the k...It's not that I think they over charge - the kind of conservation and collection management the National Trust does isn't cheap, and has to be paid for somehow. It's more that Belton is the best example I've seen so far of how the tensions within their stated aims play out. As far as cost goes, membership is very reasonable if you have the money, but I'm aware that more and more people I speak to are really short, to the point that finding an extra £10 a month isn't really an option, never mind all the extras on top of that for a day out. <br /><br />Theatre tickets are a bugbear for me too, it really annoys me that they're heavily subsidised for the young and the old at the expense of people like me (middle aged and low income), why not more affordable tickets for everyone, why the assumption that people who like theatre will be able to carry on going when they age out of discounts? We can afford Stratford because of their cheaper preview nights - which are generally packed, full price tickets are more money than I have spare for a nights entertainment. <br /><br />I don't have answers to this - unless it's that everybody gets paid more - but I think it's worth thinking about, in my case until I'm clear about what it is that makes me feel a bit uncomfortable about it all. Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-23221785358864247882018-04-25T10:09:57.502+01:002018-04-25T10:09:57.502+01:00That is very true, and actually now I've bothe...That is very true, and actually now I've bothered to look at their website you can pay in monthly instalments which makes it very reasonable indeed. So I completely retract my comments above! Even the family ticket is only £10 per month: yes it is too much for some but for most people it is feasible.<br /><br />I suppose it does then come down to attitude, as you say, what you are prepared to pay for and what you consider to be a pleasurable activity. If NT houses are a middle-class playground - and I agree I think they probably are - then I think that's a wider cultural issue than NT ticket prices. It's like a lot of things - opera, ballet, Oxbridge - for various reasons people think and perhaps are encouraged to think that it's not for them.helenhttp://gallimaufry.typepad.com/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-2433232885891484262018-04-25T08:47:24.853+01:002018-04-25T08:47:24.853+01:00Well, the cost issue applies to almost any sort of...Well, the cost issue applies to almost any sort of entertainment. You pays your money and takes your choice. A day ticket to a National Trust property is £15 for an adult, which seems very good value compared to a day ticket to Alton Towers amusement park, or example, which is £55 for anyone over 12. My brother in law has a season ticket to a provincial football ground, where the cheapest ticket is £380 pa (or over £21 per match). Most supporters are working class. And my particular bugbear, one pair of London theatre tickets is likely to exceed the cost of annual National Trust membership! Michelle Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07499490029910905577noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-9661283371768360212018-04-24T16:35:28.231+01:002018-04-24T16:35:28.231+01:00It was interesting visiting just after reading abo...It was interesting visiting just after reading about what Hilary MacGrady, the new director general, had been saying about the trust and the challenges it faces. Belton was a really good example of a lot of them, and how you balance the needs of different users. It’s very close to Grantham so has a lot of people right on the doorstep, including a lot of families that I guess are more interested in using the outdoor space than the indoor. I think for them the set up was pretty good, but from my point of view the house had been dumbed down a bit, and the way the exhibition had been handled was disappointing. Maybe that will improve.<br /><br />Regarding cost, we got membership for 2 for £108 which is pretty good value compared to paying the same to both get a train to London to see something, and there are enough places within a 50 mile radius to make it worthwhile. But we have the money to pay for membership, to get to these places, and to have tea and buns when we’re there. For a family on a tight budget I’m not sure how practical it would be, with the result that it feels like a kind of middle class playground where the fee to get in keeps out the ‘wrong’ sort and it made me just a little bit uncomfortable. Probably feeling over sensitive on the day. Desperate Readerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15708411387912078122noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8011557877105021955.post-74271879181232268152018-04-24T12:46:13.082+01:002018-04-24T12:46:13.082+01:00I've never been to Belton and it does sound lo...I've never been to Belton and it does sound lovely, but I think you make good points. It sounds as if Belton needs to give a little more thought about how they present information, both about the permanent displays and the annual ones. It's disappointing that they haven't done this.<br /><br />Re the money, of course all these buildings and grounds are amazingly expensive to maintain, but I do think that if they kept the entrance fees quite high but dropped annual membership rates they could attract more visitors (who might not be paying for entrance every time but would be likely to spend money on coffee, ice creams etc.).helenhttp://gallimaufry.typepad.com/blog/noreply@blogger.com