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Broadening the appeal of the Lake District

(156 Posts)
inkycog Sun 29-Dec-19 17:27:39

The Lake District is seeking to broaden its appeal, amid concerns that swathes of the population feel excluded from national parks.

Richard Leafe, head of the Lake District National Park Authority in Cumbria, told Sky News that the parks' visitors are overwhelmingly older, able-bodied white people.

( great name for somebody with his job btw)

Davidhs Tue 31-Dec-19 10:25:03

Lake District expensive, rubbish, you can go camping, self catering or caravaning for very little cash, of course in the peak season hotels charge what they can get. Low season there are always good discounts, that’s exactly like every other tourist resort, if you’re on a budget take a coach trip.

GrannyGravy13 Tue 31-Dec-19 10:24:06

MerylStreep I agree with your post.

inkycog who mentioned a "Muslim friendly theme park" only you.

I was trying to point out that people make choices according to their pocket and their preferences.

This whole thing is The Nanny State going into overdrive.

inkycog Tue 31-Dec-19 10:14:38

Oh God, unbelievable....nobody but nobody was suggesting making the Lake District into some sort of Muslim friendly theme park.

Has anybody actually read what was said?

MerylStreep Tue 31-Dec-19 10:11:22

Inkcog
Think what you like.
Here's another piece from the article.

"Yet once again the anxious rhetoric feeds into the theme of Ethnic- Minority victimhood, with the implication that, like children, *we people of colour have to be guided by the benevolent hand of the state*"

GrannyGravy13 Tue 31-Dec-19 10:07:09

I love the Lake District, in fact one of our AC Christmas Gift to Mr.Gravy and myself is a trip there.

The area is outstanding in its natural state, no more tarmac please. This might sound harsh, but I have to accept that there are things I cannot do and places I cannot go to it is just a fact of life.

People will go where they can afford to and to a place that suits them regardless of ethnicity.

Can you imagine some of the tourist attractions in other countries (mosques, temples etc, UAE Countries) saying "white people in general do not like taking their shoes off, and do not naturally cover their heads and shoulders so we will just change the rules /rituals to make it more inclusive?

inkycog Tue 31-Dec-19 09:50:23

I don't think bringing the DM into the discussion is gong to help.

The original comment ( which of course has now been mangled by the right wing) was about reaching out and including underrepresented groups.

SirChenjin Tue 31-Dec-19 09:49:48

Nor

SirChenjin Tue 31-Dec-19 09:49:38

I doubt that there will be a theme park, not will it be covered in zip wires. Zip wires are very popular elsewhere and take up a fraction of the area - the white, middle aged, middle classes have nothing to fear. Who knows, they might even enjoy such a thing! I’m all of those tho gs and I love a zip wire - far better than traipsing through mud while avoiding dog poo.

craftyone Tue 31-Dec-19 09:45:57

lake district theme park and zip slides coming up to pander to a minority who cannot get off their backsides to walk into the empty landscapes. The lake district is open to all, this is yet another bad idea from snowflakes

I am glad we lived there for years while it was unspoilt. There will be no going back to wilderness once it starts

Harris27 Tue 31-Dec-19 08:34:21

We used to go frequently for weekends and anniversaries birthdays etc it was our go to place but the hotels got very expensive and out of our price range. We sign up for deals but haven’t had any for a while.

SirChenjin Tue 31-Dec-19 08:25:48

Any particular parts of those 2 entire countries?

Davidhs Tue 31-Dec-19 08:14:08

The problem with the Lake District is that it is too popular, the roads and towns are overwhelmed with traffic on any busy period. No point in trying to broaden the appeal, there are plenty of other similar areas that could probably do with more visitors, Wales and Scotland I’m sure would welcome more.

SirChenjin Tue 31-Dec-19 07:28:03

The Cairngorms is rammed with folk from all over the world every year

Perhaps because they have an action plan? cairngorms.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/05/2019UpdateEqualityMainstreamingProgressV1.0.pdf

ladymuck Tue 31-Dec-19 06:36:33

Encouraging more visitors will destroy the very reason why people want to go there.
One minute they are complaining about all the visitors destroying the paths, then they complain that there are not enough visitors!
Methinks someone just wants to get his name in the paper!

mumofmadboys Tue 31-Dec-19 06:26:22

You don't have to walk far ( say, half a mile) and there are few people. Towns are busy but once on the fells there are not many folk around

Fiachna50 Tue 31-Dec-19 01:33:05

Well, if they don't want us there...... Seriously though we looked at hiring holiday accomodation in the Lake District and I probably could have gone a cruise for the ridiculous prices they were asking. Over £1000 for one week in some cases and more. Not in school holiday time either. On another note, I know a young family who went for a week there in March, they said it was expensive and everywhere was rammed with people. It was so busy they haven't gone back. Perhaps they should look at accomodation costs and parking. As for people from different ethnicities not visiting National Parks, sorry but the Cairngorms is rammed with folk from all over the world every year, as is Snowdonia.

Callistemon Mon 30-Dec-19 23:11:26

White working class boys are the ones which aee underachieving at school.

Trevor Phillips often cuts through the jargon and speaks sound common sense.

MerylStreep Mon 30-Dec-19 23:05:47

This from Trevor Phillips.
Schools too afraid to help white boys and the lakes deemed not ethnic enough........... this lunacy helps no one.
Full story in the DM.

Callistemon Mon 30-Dec-19 22:34:09

There are several Outdoor Adventure, Educational and Outdoor Activity Centres in the Lake District available for bookings by schools and other groups.

I don't know how many schools take advantage of these facilities but every school my DC and now DGC attended have arranged at least one trip to outdoor activity centres, more local to the schools, in Y5 and/or Y6.

GrandmaKT Mon 30-Dec-19 22:15:55

^I don't know how anyone can broaden the appeal of somewhere like the Lake District.
It is the natural beauty of the place which appeals.
You either like it or not.^

Lots can be done.I have a holiday cottage that I rent out in Windermere, so I know the area well. There are many visitors from China and Japan and other countries around the world, but very few ethnic minorities from the UK.
I think widening the ethnic mix starts with introducing people to the Lakes (and other National Parks) at a young age, as my DH and I were. I was lucky enough to also go with my family, but well remember some less fortunate class-mates just running and gambolling, amazed at so much open space. Schools need to open up these opportunities to all children. Some will like it and return many times, some will decide it's not for them.
Regarding disabled visitors, there are already some excellent examples. There is a viewpoint overlooking Windermere, Orrest Head, that has been made accessible to pushchairs and mobility scooters almost all the way to the top. There is currently a push to do that last little bit. At Tarn Hows (a stunning beauty spot), the National Trust has a mobility scooter hire scheme and you can get all around the tarn by scooter. In other places there are walks for visually impaired visitors.
It is much too complacent to say it's there, people will find it, there is always room for improvement!

SirChenjin Mon 30-Dec-19 21:35:30

I think it means coloured people from the poorer parts of the cities who are typical of every single coloured person from the poorer parts of the cities by the very fact that they’re not white and middle class.

(Disclaimer: I’m being facetious)

inkycog Mon 30-Dec-19 20:29:46

Oh well, one programme on the radio about 20 people, that's it, it's all over.

What the hell is another ethnic group?

watermeadow Mon 30-Dec-19 19:13:54

I’m white, middle class and middle aged (well, I used to be) but I’ve never been to the Lake District nor to many other beautiful parts of Britain.
I heard a programme on radio where they took several inner-city people from other ethnic groups to national parks. They disliked the experience intensely and said they would not go again. I’d feel the same about a day in any big city.

notanan2 Sun 29-Dec-19 23:18:00

Meant to add, I searched the lake district. There are plenty of YHA hostels but few that can accommodate a mixed age and sex family of 5. Too few to cycle/walk between.

So clearly they are focusing on other demographics, a lot of YHA places now cater to the exclusive use group booking market. Clearly the family on a budget market has been neglected.

That used to be a nice way to "do" an area as a family. You could do a couple of miles a day not big long cycles and still find a budget stop over.

notanan2 Sun 29-Dec-19 23:14:22

I've just done a search on YHA for a family of 5 with mix of sexes and ages for summer 2020. There are so few YHA hostels that can accomodate that kind of group that there is no way you could do a "loop" holiday the way people used to: (where you do a manageable amount of walking or cycling each day and stay in a different hostel each night. Starting and finishing at a rail or coach stop.

I think sometimes on here, people don't realise that options that were available in the past arent available any more!