Another bad result

I read somewhere yesterday that the National Trust is getting itself into a twist because its long period of growth is coming to an end. People have had enough of stately homes, although they do have appetite for more gardens. In which, I might say that I am entirely in accord with the people.

But the National Trust is agonising about what to do about this. Will turning their sites into fun fairs do more harm than good? What about more dressing up? What about bigger and better restaurants? I think it a pity that the Trust has fallen prey to this original sin of capitalism, that of never being content with what you have got. You always have to be bigger and better, there is always another competitor which needs zapping, rather than deciding on one's place in the market and sticking to it. And the Trust has no need; it is a trust not a publicly listed company with shareholders to answer to.

Waitrose, another outfit without shareholders, is also showing signs of succumbing.

PS: regarding the previous post, I have been wondering about whether the Dignity in Dying people did the right thing in accepting the Parliamentary challenge when they did. They must have had, or at the least they ought to have had, some idea that the numbers were not with them. My conclusion, for what it is worth, is that while the timing might have been unfortunate and a few years later might have been better, it would have looked weak to decline the challenge. A looking which would do as much damage to the cause as losing.