Author Topic: Re: Ageism at Longleat (Read 781 times)

Chrisjay · « **on:** March 26, 2011, 04:45:55 PM »

Lovely but I shall NEVER visit Longleet in protest at their ageism

cheddar-caveman · « **Reply #1 on:** March 26, 2011, 04:56:34 PM »

Way to go Chris. IF the facebook site is set up I'll certainly be trying to persuade our age group to boycott Longleat! Did you see Hobie sneak onto my signature strip?

Chrisjay · « **Reply #2 on:** March 26, 2011, 04:57:53 PM »

Yes I did little devil we should have a login for Hobie and Jac then they can post :-)

Maywalk · « **Reply #3 on:** March 29, 2011, 04:16:30 PM »

Lovely photos CC.
What's all this about ageism at Longleat?

Hugh · « **Reply #4 on:** March 29, 2011, 05:02:20 PM »

All workers over 65 being laid off

Maywalk · « **Reply #5 on:** March 29, 2011, 05:04:27 PM »

Oooh the lousy beggers.

That REALLY IS ageism I must agree.

cheddar-caveman · « **Reply #6 on:** March 29, 2011, 07:18:27 PM »

We have a new CEO called David Bradley, ex Legoland, and the first thing he did was to "fire" all over 65's as part of his "modernisation" program! I happen to be one of those affected so am somewhat peed off having given them the last eleven years of loyal service!

Maywalk · « **Reply #7 on:** March 29, 2011, 07:28:23 PM »

I am not surprised you are narked CC.
I would have felt the same.

bromers · « **Reply #8 on:** March 30, 2011, 11:00:17 AM »

I used to deliver bread and cakes in Warminster,Horningsham and Longleat House. Lord Baths late father was in charge then and i found him to be a nice man, if he was around when i was delivering at the house he would always ask how my family was and say we could visit anytime free of charge. But when you are working 6days a week you don't want to go on your day off, it was'nt as developed back then and if i remember rightly several men in the village worked on the estate well past retirement.I also remember one day iwas stopped at the bottom of a hill at the start of the village were i used to have my lunch break ,when round the corner came a gipsy caravan pulled by a large horse. It started up the hill but before it even got halfway it came to a stop, a man got of and walked towards me and i saw it was the now lord Bath. He asked if i could help and as i had some empty cardboard boxs in the van i drove up behind the caravan and he put the boxes inbetween to protect the paintwork of both vehicles and i gently pushed him up the hill. He the went on his way but shouted back i owe you one. So C C if you see him tell him i wan't him to give you your job back.

avalonmpk2 · « **Reply #9 on:** March 30, 2011, 11:08:20 AM »

There are two sides to every argument - I have worked well past retirement age- stopped now - too many of our young people without jobs. . .

Chrisjay · « **Reply #10 on:** March 30, 2011, 11:16:07 AM »

Does anyone mind if I try to split this thread and move the non photography post to discussion - I am not sure how to split is so please don't be mad if I get it wrong

Chrisjay · « **Reply #11 on:** March 30, 2011, 12:28:20 PM »

Well I split it and moved it so now we can join in protesting this ageism that has forced CC to be out of work soon on the Discussion Board.

If you have a good private pension you do not need to worry about topping it up but if you either need the money or the outside activity for sanity it is appalling that people are being forced to retire and Longleat is bringing this in before it is illegal to do it anyway.

As people are being forced to work till they are 66 by 2020 freeing up jobs for young people is not an option.

The majority of jobs that will be blocked to young people will be by then held by women whose retirement age will go up from 60 to 66 and most young people particularly men will not do those jobs.

I still believe there is work out there for people who a) have the ability to do it and b) want to work and will do anything to get on the jobs ladder, if they cannot find work they should go back into education and improve their skills while a job becomes available. Even starting their own business and there is plenty of enterprise money out there, is difficult if they do not have the skills to put a business plan together or fill in funding application forms. Maybe more time should be spent in school studying how to get work and the standards required to be employed and less on sex education and atheism (which now forms part of religious studies).

Employers find it difficult to offer jobs because a) if they are not suitable you can't fire them and b) most applicants standards of literacy is so poor it makes them unemployable.

When I had my shop in the interview process I had coins available and gave them a figure and asked them to make change out of a £20 note. The number probably 90% could not do this the best of the 10% left got work. Why because if the tills broke down or the power went they needed to be able to add and make change without the till doing it for them.
On the other side older people found it difficult to get their heads round the touch screen tills and hated it when I changed the screens or added new products so I went to a bar scan system and made sure calculators were by every till

cheddar-caveman · « **Reply #12 on:** March 31, 2011, 07:31:07 AM »

Unfortunately I do not have a private pension, even though I was in the RN for 14 years, and therefore relied on my income from Longleat to top up my miserly pension! I did also thoroughly enjoy working with the team at Cheddar Caves, who became my second family. Their friendship and support will be sadly missed.

Chrisjay · « **Reply #13 on:** March 31, 2011, 08:07:03 AM »

I feel for you CC as I am in a similar position until the insurance for my business is sorted (over 18 months now) and I am having to consider starting work again as they way things are going it really is becoming a choice between paying the bills, running a car and eating as I have cut back to the bone everything.

If Easter weekend is a busy time at Longleat and you have already been given your marching orders why not all get together and picket what have you got to loose?

The public might surprise you with its support

cheddar-caveman · « **Reply #14 on:** March 31, 2011, 09:05:06 AM »

That is certainly on the adgenda later on. At the moment our boss at Cheddar is still trying alternate options to be able to retain us so we can't burn our bridges just yet (although knowing the kind of person Bradley is, we don't really hold out much hope)!

Unlike the previous estate manager, Tim Moore, who was a gentleman, greatly respected and managed by example, Bradley is foul mouthed, a bully and he manages by fear. He has torn the heart out of the whole estate with his bulldozing approach, and ruined many lives. His attitude towards the older people of this world begs the question " has he actually got parents himself"? Maybe they abused him? Who knows!