Happy bank holiday weekend, readers. Whatever you are getting up over the next three days to celebrate the end of our last summer as part of the European Union, Society Diary hopes you have a lovely time. To help get you in the mood, Diary has a few tales of charities ruining good British people’s fun.
Nazis on a summer's day
First up, the National Trust has been criticised this week after it held an event where Nazi memorabilia was for sale and attendees reportedly wore Nazi uniforms.
The Lacock at War event, organised by the West Wiltshire Military Vehicle Trust (WWMVT), was held at Trust property Lacock Abbey in Wiltshire last weekend.
According to The Guardian, the event paid tribute to British military history with displays of real and replica vehicles used by the army in both world wars. There was also the promise of musical entertainment and “a selection of traders selling military and vintage civilian clothing and collectibles”.
But attendees said that they saw Third Reich emblem pins and Nazi uniform patches featuring the eagle and swastika insignia on sale. They added that they saw a yellow Star of David patch, which Jews were made to wear under the Nazi regime.
The WWMVT denied that any attendees were wearing Nazi uniform, saying instead they were just dressed as German soldiers. John Edward Wardle, the Lacock at War organiser at WWMVT, said: “Not all German soldiers were members of the Nazi party, those that were wore swastika armbands… not one of the re-enactors is wearing a swastika armband, therefore they are not Nazis.”
However, the National Trust said: “We will make it very clear to the MVT that these displays were insensitive, unacceptable and should not be repeated.”
Diary can of course understand the attendees’ outrage. You take the family out for a nice day of reminiscing about the glory days of the world wars and someone comes and ruins it by reminding you about all the Nazis. Can’t we just remember the good times, the smart outfits, the boisterous camaraderie, the Rupert Brookes poems, the Vera Lynn songs and dried tinned eggs?
But the National Trust just can’t seem to get it right. One moment it is accused of forcing its metropolitan liberal elite views down people’s throats by encouraging volunteers to wear LGBTQ badges to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the partial decriminalisation of homosexuality. The next, it is slammed for allowing the sale of Nazi badges on its property. Clearly, the action the National Trust must take is to ban badges of any kind from its property in future to avoid offending anyone from across the political spectrum.
Aggressive charity walkers
Also this week in #CharitiesRuiningOurGreenAndPleasantLand news, the villagers in the Yorkshire Dales have complained that increasing numbers of people walking the Three Peaks for charity are ruining their lives.
According to the Craven Herald, Horton-in-Ribblesdale residents Bryan and Hilary Bowman said their lives were being made "a living hell" by "irresponsible and aggressive" walkers.
"One day this year I was sworn at three times when people drove up to the station - where it states 'No Unauthorised Access' - to pick up people finishing the walk," said Mrs Bowman.
"They come across the railway line and past our home at all hours, sometimes almost treading on one another's heels there are so many. On one Sunday recently I counted 180 people in half an hour.
"I appreciate they raise a lot of money for charity but they could show some courtesy to people who live here whose lives they are making hell."
Mr Bowman added: "What has made things worse is when the walk started to be called the 'Three Peaks Challenge'. People are doing it for the challenge.
"Don't get me wrong, they have achieved a great thing. It is a difficult 24 miles, but most will only do it once so don't care how much they disturb residents.
"I am rather hoping that Three Peaks walks become unfashionable. I know of residents in the village who go away most weekends because they can't stand the noise and disturbance and it shouldn't be like that."
Diary often likes to escape to the countryside of a weekend to somewhere free from tower blocks, car pollution and Pret-a-Mangers. So it is encouraged to hear that those living in natural paradise feel the urge to get away from it all for a few days.
Perhaps the Bowmans would like a house swap with Diary for the bank holiday weekend? Diary’s flat is in a perfectly peaceful setting, if you ignore the screeching foxes and teenagers that like to ride their motorbikes around the estate playing drill music through the night.
The coolest cat
Finally, a heart-warming story about a cat named Skittles that has entered this year’s PDSA Pet Survivor Awards.
Skittles somehow managed to survive after being impaled on some railings (see grisly photo for evidence) in Cricklewood, London.
The ginger Tom was rescued by the local fire brigade, who had to cut through the railings to free him.
He was taken to a local vet where careful surgery removed the railings’ spikes from his body, which had miraculously missed all vital organs and arteries.
He was then taken to the RSPCA in Putney, where they were able to trace Skittles’ owner, Shanakei Forde.
He was then transferred to Hendon PDSA Pet Hospital for a further operation and follow up treatment.
Forde said: “When I saw the pictures I couldn’t believe my eyes that it was him. It was so shocking. It’s a miracle that he survived, and was still alert even with three poles stuck through him. He’s made such an incredible recovery – you wouldn’t know anything had happened to him now.
“He’s a tough cat, but we’re pretty sure he’s lost at least one of his nine lives. We’re entering him into PDSA Pet Survivor to thank all the people that helped in his rescue and recovery.”
The only question Diary has is HOW? The cat must have jumped from an incredible height to get impaled on the railing like that. There also doesn’t appear to be any blood. But most impressive is how cool Skittles looks. Considering the fuss the average tabby makes when you stroke its fur the wrong way, Skittles’ laconic display is particularly perplexing. He must be one of those pervert masochist cats. We’ll know for sure if Skittles enters next year’s competition after being saved from a bear trap.
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