Does NT management check whether its ‘historians’ are qualified?

Dear Editor,

A young female contestant who appeared on ITV’s The Chase a few weeks ago described herself as working for the National Trust, and currently undertaking a PhD in history.  When pressed on what aspect of history, this turned out to be on gender, sex and identity, so sadly, in addition to being modish nonsense, it had nothing to do with what the National Trust should be properly concerned.  Then, when confronted with a question asking which of three dates in separate centuries marked Emmeline Pankhurst’s founding of the Women’s Social and Political Union, she responded she didn’t do dates, only themes.  In other words, this PhD student of gender and identity didn’t even know in what century the Suffragette movement had been active.

Unfortunately, I didn’t catch the young lady’s name, though I suppose it would be unfair to identify a person in her obviously junior position.  It did, though, only too dispiritingly further illustrate the perverse direction in which the current management of this national institution is determined to steer it.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen Tobin
Wandsworth, London