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I wouldn't join any club that would have me as a member.
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Read Ian Mitchell's book 'Isles of the West' for an interesting view of the RSPB.
British Geological Society, MX5 owner's club, National Trust And RSPB for me. Would swap RSPB for the Wildlife Trust if they weren't such backward stick in the muds with regards to access.
Going back to crows at lambing time, they peck out the eyes of lambs while the mother is sleeping. The lamb will then die and the crows eat them. I don't object to a few crows being killed to stop that.
crows at lambing time, they peck out the eyes of lambs while the mother is sleeping. The lamb will then die and the crows eat them
Now that's what I call a carefully thought out plan. I wouldn't put it past them to make gentle cooing sounds just to encourage the mothers to fall asleep. Clever ****ers.
NIMBY and FOYC
Ernie, you may say no animal is evil but pecking out eyeballs certainly isn't a nice way to get a dinner 🙁
But it's clever and very tricky. What happens if the lamb makes a noise while it's having its eyes pecked out and wakes up his/her mother? What happens if the farmer doesn't leave a blind lamb in a field to
die ? That's a lot of wasted effort by the crow.
And how long does it take for a blind lamb to die ? Bearing in mind that it only needs to find its mother's nipple to survive, and many young blind mammals can do that without any problem, it could take a very long time I imagine.
Yep, crows certainly like to play a long game, it's a bit like shopping - buy now eat later. But then crows are very clever indeed. And some humans are a bit daft.
At present, the SVAS. Not convinced that the Shuttleworth Trust are going in the right direction any more so this may well be the last year. I used to volunteer monthly in the winter until the distance I had to travel and the percieved lack of interest in the work we were doing made me decide to stop.
Higher Education Academy
University and College Union
Dennis the Menace Fan Club
Can those who've quoted initials of organisations please expand for the benefit of us who, er, haven't a clue.
Thanks. 🙂
Sorry. Shuttleworth Veteran Aviation Society (SVAS). The Shuttleworth Trust owns and operates the largest UK airworthy collection of veteran and vintage aircraft. My first main area of interest as a kid, before bikes even.
The oldest is a 1909 Bleriot, the newest is a 1965 Piper Super Cub, but most are in the 1910-1945 era
Thanks jim, very helpful, and that sounds terrific. I guess you get to take to the skies?
I belong to the CTC as well as the Churches Conservation Trust.
I'll open this out a bit, I'm a member of other clubs too but I posted the RSPB membership in part because we had a garden full of birds last night, and tonight as it happens.
I do wonder about the National Trust. Is it really worth it? I'm not a massive fan of dusty stately homes and gingham, but surely there's more to them than that ? Is there ? I did read somewhere they offer Hotels and Guest Houses of some quality and in nice places, that appeals.. But are these full of Chinz? That would put me off, and the gingham 😆
So, worth it or bin the idea ?
I wish one could get to fly in them, unfortunately unless you are a "celebrity" or an historian , or preferably both (e.g Dan Snow) you have no chance, CIvil Aviation Authority rules.
jim - oh, bad luck. Not sure what part of the country you're in but this starts tomorrow and Dan Snow will be there amongst other well-known people.
Chalke Valley History Festival, Wiltshire
bb - to my mind the NT has always been for the braying middle classes as certainly poor people couldn't afford to visit these places, let alone getting fleeced in the cafe and gift shop. Their 'protection' is not for the benefit of the nation, only those with disposable income.
CG - I made a post earlier to a similar effect, but tongue in cheek.
Their politics aside, NT membership is well worth it if you live in a reasonable distance from some of the locations.
You're not forced to get buggered for a slice of £5 lemon drizzle & tea, served by a well-meaning but frazzled student; grab a flask and just enjoy what's on offer from the membership - fabulous outdoor locations and free parking 😉
FWIW walking around stately homes bores me to tears!
[i]Not convinced that the Shuttleworth Trust are going in the right direction any more [/i]
I've had some lovely times at over there with my dad 😀 , could you say a bit more about why you think they're going in the wrong direction?
Spanish mountain sports and climbing federation. Mainly as it gets me cheaper (running) race entry, although I do sort of support their aims.
Nickc, there have been a few strange purchasing decisons that seemed, from the outside at least, to have been made for reasons that don't necessarily fit the Trust's stated aims, to be more on personal whims. Sorry, can't be more specific than that. Also the relationship between some members of the SVAS, which historically provides a substantial portion of the operational and spares cost and the Trust,which actually owns and operate the aircraft and the Swiss Gardens etc. is a tad strained at the moment as a result.
They are currently advertising for a chief executive to run the trust , at a £90,000 salary which has also raised a few eyebrows, but their argument this is the going rate to attract a suitably experienced person.
In the perhaps understandable aim to make the Trust financially secure, the concessions for SVAS members and volunteers are less generous, and the rules underwhich the volunteers work are less flexible. This is what I am refering to.
As a visitor to the collection, none of the above is likely to be apparent, and indeed the Trust does need to be run on a more professional basis to survive, and many of the changes are likely to improve the visitor experience, but inevitably it will be more expensive.
bear - just found your comment! If you're <shock horror> parking in the grounds of a stately home, does usage of that parking space actually give you the right to just bu$$er off somewhere else, perhaps with your bike? Sorry, just being a bit pedantic!
The best 'stately' homes are the non-NT ones in my experience. 🙂
Edit: £60 a year membership!!! No reductions for seniors either as reported in the press recently.
thanks jimw, sounds like it's a painful experience for you, I hope it's resolved soon.
Cinnamon_girl, that festival looks facinating, and the aircraft due to attend look good as well.
I'm a member of the Coordination of United New Teachers and Students.
Membership is automatically renewed each year, decent organization to be part of if you are in education.
My Mrs just joined us in the NT for £99 for 2 of us for a year.
We live near Fountains Abbey & non members pay £12.50 each to get in! (no way I'd even pay that) So it's a cheap membership AFAIC.
Wrong thread.
Don't forget that those with close foreign ties may choose to support the national trust of their own country of origin or emotional connection, in which case there is often a reciprocal agreement with UK national trust sites while they are visiting...
I'm a member of Hinckley Canoe Club and the BCU. That's it.
Geol Soc London, NTScot, two steam railway socs. The NT membership gets me free car parking lots of places, and the Cornwall coast footpaths are superb, over land that the NT protects. I have little interest in the big houses, but like the gardens and grounds.
Someone commented on the NT's acquisition policy - Tyntesfield seemed yet another Victorian country house, one too many to me, but they did have help. They do have a legacy of big country houses taken over in the fifties and sixties.
And someone else commented about the RSPB and other wildlife. The latest Brit Wildlife mag has an article about the re-introduction of lost bumblebees on the south coast, supported by the Bumblebee Conservation Trust, the RSPB and others.
to my mind the NT has always been for the braying middle classes as certainly poor people couldn't afford to visit these places
What are you comparing it to as a day out though?
I wouldn't say the cinema is only for "the braying middle classes" and that's more expensive than most NT places - so I think there [i]may[/i] be something more at play than just price.
Don't forget that those with close foreign ties may choose to support the national trust of their own country of origin or emotional connection, in which case there is often a reciprocal agreement with UK national trust sites while they are visiting...
It's cheaper too!
National Trust are quite a bit more than posh houses, they just happen to be more obvious. The property I work at looks after a bit over 40,000 acres and not a single big house / tea shop / gift shop in it. Large areas of land are held and managed for conservation and access.
CADW = no idea what the letters are, Welsh equivalent of English Heritage
RFS = Royal Forestry Society
I'm with Groucho on this one
I don't see the issue with the Parakeets in Greater London, they add a bit of colour to an otherwise grey, drab, giant steaming shitheap.
Workwise:
IMechE (student, institute of choice)
NI (student, relevant industrial institute)
GMB (unwilling participant, if Unite decide to stop supporting Labour I'll probably switch)
Outside of work:
Hmm, looks like I'm a sad **** and have no memberships outside of work. Oh well.
I'm a member of the Coordination of United New Teachers and Students.
Bravo, although it appears no one else has spotted that!
I did, I just wasn't dignifying it with a response.
😛
I'd not say that the National Trust was only for the well off middle class- we pay £75 for two of us for a year but that's 90% of what we do on our holidays paid for, and a few trips to places near us and that we pass a year. Last year I think it worked out as less than £2 a visit each to everywhere we went. We joined specifically because we aren't well off and wanted stuff to do that didn't cost the earth.
You do have to avoid the cafes, though. And they really need to open up a lot, if not all, of their rights of way.
Welcome to the braying middle classes.
AA, SAS and RSPB
Cloudnine, I thought you were supposed to keep SAS membership secret?? 8)
I once did a gig at a fundraiser for the RSPB, you know the kind, 3 courses, charity auction, band (us) and disco etc
the main course was Duck 🙂
^^ thats (not) funny 😆
Ok, so from what you are saying it's 60/40 in favour of the NT. I'm a little undecided about this one TBH. In the last few years I've not been to an NT property (house or land) I kinda can't think of one in Hampshire that I know of or would visit either... which is kinda why I'm asking. Also, I can't think of one in London either, nor Harrogateshire.
I think I'll leave it for another year.
Ta for your help.
Cloudnine, I thought you were supposed to keep SAS membership secret??
I'm guessing that's not his real name.
Probably his "call sign" or codename when he's on black ops.
Cloudnine, I thought you were supposed to keep SAS membership secret??
He's bluffing. Ask him what colour the boat house is.
Clackmannanshire United (North) Trailfinders Society.