Backlash over ‘sexist’ hat on sale at National Trust mansion

THE National Trust has been dragged into a sexism row after one of its stately homes was found selling pink “future footballers wife” hats for girls.

The hats, complete with the lack of apostrophe, were sold in the gift shop at Tatton Park, Cheshire, but were removed from the shelves yesterday after a barrage of criticism on social media.

Laura Goss, a creative director at a digital agency, photographed the “stupid” hat and published it on Twitter, telling the trust: “Your young female visitors deserve better merch (+ better grammar).”

The post attracted a stream of comments from disgusted trust members, who branded it “everyday sexism” and “an appalling lack of judgment”.

One said the hat “put the Tat into Tatton” whilst another added: “Trying to imagine the hat… ‘future footballer’s husband’ for all the little boys aspiring to marry well.”

The National Trust thanked Ms Goss for highlighting the hat in its shop and said it would be contacting Tatton Park about it. However, it noted that although the historical estate was bequeathed to the charity in 1958, it is financed and maintained by Cheshire East Council which does not consult the trust about what is sold in the shop.

Graham Jones, Tatton Park’s visitor and commercial operations manager, said the hat was withdrawn as soon as they were made aware of the complaint.

The trust has endured a tricky summer, during which it has faced criticism for requiring volunteers to wear Gay Pride badges, the public “outing” of Robert Wyndham Ketton-cremer, former owner of Felbrigg Hall near Cromer, and a change in the recipe for its celebrated flapjacks.