Scone of contention! National Trust in a jam
FROM scrapping easter to demanding its volunteers wear gay pride badges, the National Trust has had a torrid year.
But nothing has angered its supporters in Cornwall as much as a tweet promoting a Mother’s Day cream tea at one of its properties.
The problem? The advert came with a photo showing a scone dolloped with clotted cream – with jam on top.
And this, as everyone west of the Tamar knows, is the way Devonians do it. In Cornwall, it’s jam first – then cream.
The uproar was immediate. The advert was branded ‘shocking’ and ‘disgusting’ after it was posted on social media by Lanhydrock house and Garden.
Cornish followers threatened to boycott the conservation charity, which blamed the error on a member of staff.
One Trust member said: ‘It’s jam first your [sic] fools. My membership is well and truly over.’ Another said: ‘Wow … just wow … no one would pay for that, it’s just all wrong.’
Jeannette Preston added: ‘Only by understanding the nationalism of the Cornish and their traditions can you understand the need for Lanhydrock to apologise.’
Lanhydrock house said it was sorry and added: ‘The member of staff responsible has been reprimanded and marched back over the Tamar.’
It comes after the National Trust was accused of ‘airbrushing faith’ for replacing ‘easter egg Trails’ with ‘Cadbury egg hunts’ last year. In August volunteers were in mutiny after the charity made them wear badges to mark 50 years since homosexuality was decriminalised.