ALARMING NEWS - ARDUAINE

[johnw]

WHAT CAN WE DO AS A GROUP ON THIS MATTER?

JOHNW


A friend asked me to forward this to rhody people:

--- On Fri, 3/6/09, Maurice Wilkins <maurice@arduaine.fsnet.co.uk> wrote:

From: Maurice Wilkins <maurice@arduaine.fsnet.co.uk>
Subject: Bad news

Date: Friday, March 6, 2009, 6:30 PM

I had some astonishing news this afternoon. I knew I was
expecting a visit from my old boss, now the Director of
Properties and Visitor Services, but I didn't expect
that he would have driven down from Glasgow to tell me that
the Trust's Board of Governers had announced that
Arduaine would be closed, one of many changes under the
severe cost-cutting that the Trust has to make. It seems so
totally counter-productive in so many ways. This could mean
that they have considered locking the gate and walking away!
It seems unbelievable that this has even been thought about,
but it was announced on the news tonight - have a look at
this link. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/7929328.stm

So now we have a fight on our hands! I never thought it
would come to this - if the garden is closed then I doubt if
it will ever open again. Apart from the disaster of losing
the garden I'll lose my job and home though I would have
had to leave at some point, I know. But I would want to go
knowing the the future of the garden was assured! I'm
pretty sure that there will be a huge amount of publicity
and I'm going to make sure that as many people around
the world know about it! We have until the end of April to
convince them otherwise, but it's obviously being looked
at in a purely economic sense! We have our garden committee
meeting on Monday so all hell will break loose then! Do tell
as many people as you can - spread the word if you think it
would help please!

More as it comes out!

Maurice.

--
JOHNW

[Susan Band]

That's really bad.
We as a group were there 2 years ago (see 'Perth group go camping' somewhere on the forum )and it was really looking good, the best I have seen it. I see from the link that they are also planning to close the visitor centre at Ben Lawers, does that mean that mean they are going to lose the ranger? Last year he spoke at one of our meetings, telling us about the replanting etc.

Susan

[Maggi Young]

The National Trust for Scotland has announced a large number of closures or drastic revisions of opening hours, access, etc for many of its properties. For instance, Haddo House in Aberdeenshire, a hugely popular visitor attraction with over a quarter of a million visitors a year is being closed except for functions and private tours. The grounds will remain open, but for how long? Other local Trust Gardens will be greatly affected also.
 
What a nonsense! These places will need to be upkept in any event or the Trust is failingin its duty and the cost savings will be minimal at the end of the process.... there are , in my opinion, as in other institutions and businesses, far too many managers , soaking up the revenue to little effect.

If the Trust want to combat financial difficulties I believe they would be better employed reducing admission costs and so increasing the opportunity for ordinary people to afford to visit these places and then increased visitor numbers would make a great contribution. When people cannot afford to use a facility at the prices charged, is it not common sense to drop that price?  I am only too aware of the number who cannot afford the Trust membership, or admission prices, and I do believe that there is a bigger audience for Trust properties out there ....and in the current credit crunch there could be a greater demand for local attractions.

[David Nicholson]

I thought the whole raison d'etre of The National Trust and The National Trust for Scotland was to keep special gardens and houses open and active?

[Maggi Young]

Well, indeed, David, that's what we all thought!
 Including the Marquess of Aberdeen, whose family gave Haddo House to the Trust.... he is LIVID! He's just been on the radio, bemoaning the mismanagement and attitude of the Trust .

[TC]

Absolutely shocking news !  Arduaine is one of the best Rhododendron gardens in the country and its impending closure would be a disaster.  I agree what Maggi says about pricing.  We were at Culzean yesterday and I noticed that it was £20.00 for a family ticket to the gardens and almost double that if you wanted to go into the castle.  To my surprise, they had a member of staff at the barrier collecting admission charges.  This usually only happens at weekends in the winter season.  I thought that this was a bit of a cheek considering the shops, toilets, restaurants and Castle are closed until Easter.

[Rob]

Has anyone been watching the series on BBC4 about Sissinghurst?

'A delightful look at the beautiful estate and gardens of Sissinghurst in Kent. Shaped by the poet and gardener Vita Sackville-West and her husband Harold Nicolson in the 1930s, the estate is now owned by the National Trust. But Sackville-West’s grandson, the author Adam Nicolson and his wife, the food writer Sarah Raven, have now been allowed back to live there with their family.'

It's relevance to this thread is that Sarah Raven has been trying to change the menu in the cafe using fruit & veg produced on the estate. At one meeting between the National Trust management and Sarah Raven, the voice over said it was the 63rd meeting so far, and the cafe still wasn't serving the new recipes.

The head chef refused to go to the meeting, because he said they took 3 hours to decide what could be decided in 2 minutes!

63 meetings with several managers present, it is easy to see where the money goes.

[Joakim B]

I understand that the managers have to be many and well paid if they go into details in all the runnings of the trust to the degree of chosing the menues 
I would say that that would be decided by the one in charge of that park or the head chef and not the whole trustee.
Hope the ones paying (members of the trust and ticket holders) will do some changes on the board since there must be some democratic governing or..... must there not?

[Lesley Cox]

Re the Sissinghurst debacle - in a time when whole nations are trying - usually in vain - to up the ante for their citizens' health and well-being, thus lowering the huge cost of public health systems (if for no better reason) the National Trust should surely have embraced Ms Raven's plan with enthusiasm. As said above, it's easy to see where the money goes. So far as I can see, NO organisation, once it establishes its own bureaucracy, runs profitably or even to a break even budget. Whether it's a govt dept, a hospital board a charitable trust or whatever, the AIMS of that organisation get lost in the need to keep so many employed in the paper shuffling dept. If all administrative staff numbers were cut by 75 % the work would still be done and the aims of the organisation would be achieved properly, to the benefit of all.

I've not been to Arduaine but it certainly sounds, from those who have, that its closure will be a great shame, and why, after all, do the National Trust and NTS exist, except to keep such places up and running? If they still have to do this, surely closing the place depletes income entirely.

[ichristie]

Hi to all, this intended closure of Arduaine gardens is indeed a disaster, as one of the best Rhododendron gardes we know and the last refuge to some of the most mature specimens tended with love and care. I urge every forum member to register a protest here on this forum and we will print all the replies and send to The Trust ( some trust) We have little time but every effort must be made to save this garden,  cheers Ian the Christie kind.

[David Nicholson]

I rather think that a less gentlemanly course of action may be necessary in order to provoke the National Trust for Scotland into reconsidering their decision. Surely, within the organisations in Scotland interested in gardening and environmental issues, there is someone well versed in appropriate legal issues, who would be prepared to take on a judicial review, or similar, of the Trust's intentions? 

[Luc Gilgemyn]

I visited Arduaine 3 or 4 years ago and since then, it is high on my list for a "revisit" the very next time I can come to Scotland.

I would be very sorry and upset to find a closed gate ! 

[David Shaw]

I understand that most of the membership subscriptions for NTS go to paying for the upkeep of the ivory tower HQ and its staff. By and large the properties have to generate a lot of their own income for normal running costs. In order to reduce expenditure they need to get rid of a few fat cats from the top, without massive golden handshakes and pensions.

[Luc Gilgemyn]

My God - is it that bad David ? 
For a minute I thought you were discussing a bank... 

[johnw]

Hi to all, this intended closure of Arduaine gardens is indeed a disaster, as one of the best Rhododendron gardes we know and the last refuge to some of the most mature specimens tended with love and care. I urge every forum member to register a protest here on this forum and we will print all the replies and send to The Trust ( some trust) We have little time but every effort must be made to save this garden,  cheers Ian the Christie kind.

Ian - So let's get going.  Should members send a PM to you or Maggi as they should include their full names and address?

johnw