National Treasures?

Bloomin' Heck! I forgot about this thing!

I know I've not been here for a few days. It's not because I've not been up to anything interesting, I've had plenty on lately. I've still got some comments from my holiday I wanted to get across, I've seen the new Wembley and I've generally been enjoying myself.
I've followed the on-going summer soap-opera that is Leeds United's administration, tried to get my money's worth from my Bodyline gym membership and basically, tried to take advantage of the fact that I no longer work evenings or weekends.
I just don't feel that I've had the time over the past few months or so to add to this thing.
I'm only just settled into a new job, a new routine and there's been plenty that I've wanted to get out of the way. Perhaps writing for a living has diluted my enthusiasm for blogging somewhat? I hope not.

Anyway, back to business.

See the place on the left, that's Stonehenge.








It's one of the 27 World Heritage sites in the UK and is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world.

It attracts tourists from all around the world with around 750,000 visitors making the journey to Salisbury in Wiltshire.

Now all of that is fine, until you actually get there and my gripe is this.

In the UK, it was decided that our "national treasures" should be just that, something for the nation to enjoy. Walk into any museum in the country with the word "National" in the title (amongst others) and the chances are that you won't find a single ticket booth. Instead, they are almost completely government funded so that anyone, regardless of their wallet size, can sample a piece of history or in some cases, the most modern innovations of our time.

Within a short drive from the place I'm currently typing, I've got the choice of seeing the Royal Armouries in Leeds, The National Railway Museum in York, the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television in Bradford and the National Coal Mining Museum near Wakefield and I could see any of them, in fact, I've seen three of them already, for nothing more that my petrol costs and a few hours in a pay and display car park.

And this is where the link with Stonehenge comes in. For a so-called "site of world importance", I was quite taken aback to see that, for the privilege of seeing something that belongs to the nation, I would be expected to part with nigh-on £7.00. Perhaps not a massive amount at first glance, but when you have a party of four to consider, £28.00 to see something that, whilst it has a lot of mystic and history behind it, isn't that much to look at all things considered.

Perhaps I'm not the only person who feels that way. The site was recently voted as one of the most disappointing tourist destinations in the world.

Now you might be reading this and thinking "Ah-Ha - When I go, I'll just drive past and look over the fence whilst taking photos!" Well, not so fast.

English Heritage, who are tasked with preserving the sight, have realised the flaws in their business plans and have plans afoot to put that right.

There are two roads that surround Stonehenge. One of them, which leads to the car park, will be closed. The other, which is the A303 trunk road, will be roofed over, putting the road in darkness where the henge was once visible. A new visitor centre is being constructed - two miles away - and tourists will be charged for the train-ride up to the site. It's such an elaborately villainous scheme, I couldn't possible make some sort of libelous and derogatory comment about them. Even a Dr Evil would have been proud of that. Oh - and guess whose paying?

But Stonehenge isn't the only target of my gripe either.

See this building here? That's Shakespeare's old gaff.









He was born at his very house in Stratford Upon Avon and it is from here, that he started his devilish plan to irritate every single GCSE English student.

Now again, you'd think that the birthplace of someone who is unquestionably the greatest play-write England has ever produced would be considered a site of national importance.

Well, it is important, but only if you're willing to stump-up the £7.00 entry fee.

I appreciate that these sorts of places have to be maintained and looked after, but given that anything remotely breakable is fenced-off from prying hands, it makes you wonder how big the financial 'black-hole' is at these sorts of places.

That said, don't let it put you off visiting Stratford, it's actually a very nice town.

I won't say much more, I'd only be repeating what I've said a few paragraphs prior but you get the general gist of what I'm trying to say. Perhaps it's just the rantings of a stereotypically tight Yorkshireman, or perhaps this 'national importance' thing isn't all it's cracked up to be.


PS: Oh, and the date, ignore that - I've had this idea saved as a draft for ages now!