Back at work

I had a lot of time left at the end of my leave year, so I’ve been out of the office for what seems like ages. Not posting either. Back now. Happy New Year to you all.

It was a close run thing, but the Trust’s poll for Green Father Christmas or Red Santa Clause was won by the Greenites our green FC at Standen was very well recieved, so I think we’ll be kitting out more of the region’s Father Christmases with green togs for next year.

Today, apart from doing a bit of administration for my team’s Personal Development Reviews,  I’m also looking at: our final brief for a pilot of updated tills; commenting on a partnership idea between one of our properties and a local mental health charity; trying to fix a meeting with Go Ape, t talk about the possibilities of future partnerships.

I’ve also had a look at a prototype site our central web-team have created, which shows how we might share user generated content, to create a far more personal and interactive interpretation of some of our places. It’s a bit clunky in this early stage, and uses the blog aesthetic, which somehow isn’t yet working for me in this context, but I’ll watch with interest as it develops.

Green Father Christmas, the debate begins

My post below quickly attracted a disapproving comment, and I’m happy to hear more opinions, but don’t just tell me. Our central press team are launching a national debate about whether Father Christmas should be red or green. We argue that for four hundred years Father Christmas, in the UK at least, has worn a range of different natural colours including green, and although he cropped up in red in the late Victorian era it wasn’t until the twentieth century that this became his dominant colour. He permanently adopted the bright red outfit that we all know and love after a 1930s advertising campaign for Coca Cola. Since then it has come to dominate grottos around the world. But whatever your opinion of our bid to bring today’s Christmas experience closer to its roots, have your say or if you are a member of Facebook why not join the green Santa group?

Father Christmas pays a visit

While at the National Maritime Museum, I got this photo from Michelle who was at Standen to meet Father Christmas. He paid a flying visit in an old Green gown of his, which I and many others think is particularly appropriate for his National Trust visits.

But not everybody.

In these last few months of the financial year, we need to work hard to attract visitors to our properties, against a public perception that the National Trust is closed for winter. One wheeze that our central office came up with was to turn all our Father Christmas’s green and make a big media splash with it. It’s not a new idea of course, but with the National Trust doing it, with FCs all across England and Wales, and with our reputation for being Guardians of the country’s heritage, I think it’s worth a column inch or two. I and my marketing team supported the idea, as did my colleagues in Devon and Cornwall, but most other regions turned it down.

Of course, if it’s not the whole Trust, or at least the majority, doing it then we loose the press impact. And without nationwide support, one by one our properties dropped out. All except Standen. But Standen are so excited, it feels so right for the Arts and Crafts house, and they were over the moon yesterday with the costume, which my fundraising coordinator made in her own time over the weekend (thank you very much, Lesley!).

Anyway, it looks lovely, and here’s a sneak preview.