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Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
National Trust angers its members by covering up feminist artwork after JK Rowling's name was removed
The National Trust has enraged its members by covering up an art piece about female empowerment when an activist restored JK Rowling 's name after it had been stitched over. The public were invited to sew inspiring words and the names of women they would like to celebrate into some fabric as part of an art piece called A Virtuous Woman, commissioned by Leeds University and the Trust. It was held at the charity's building Hardwick Hall, in Derbyshire. The artwork invited visitors to 'express their choices through participation'. Names on display include Kamala Harris, Queen Elizabeth, Mary Berry, Tina Turner and Marie Curie. But the controversial children's author's name was spotted stitched over with blue and pink thread to cross it out. It's not clear who stitched over Rowling's name and if it was a different person to who sewed it on. Jean Hatchet, a women's rights activist, walked over rope blocking the artwork and cleared up JK Rowling's name so it could be clearly visible once again. In a post on X that has been viewed close to 120,000 times, she said: 'Injustice to JK Rowling corrected. Don't erase the names of women from art or life. 'Your member of staff calls the artwork "damaged" by us. Have you lost your goddamn minds? Apologise to women immediately.' The Trust said: 'We are deeply disappointed that visitors tampered with this piece of art on Saturday. 'It has been closed to new contributions since the end of November last year. While the artwork encourages consideration, debate and discussion, we ask that this is carried out in a respectful way.' Just days after the activist 'corrected' the name, the charity had completely covered up the art with a white sheet and a sign that reads: 'Unfortunately, the artwork has been tampered with by a member of the public. Please bear with us while we assess the piece and decide on the best course of action.' The activist added: 'So, there was no issue that someone 'tampered' with the embroidering of a woman's name. 'By contrast a woman - me - very carefully removing that hateful stitching with the correct tool and taking great time and care as can be seen - is guilty of something they need to cover up.' The Trust's response has been dubbed 'stitchgate' and has sparked outrage from members who have threatened to cancel their membership. 'It was not respectful to deface JK Rowling's name in the first place. It was right for the defacement to be removed. We have been members for over 30 years. I will be cancelling my membership,' one took to X to say. Another said: 'During the pandemic, I took out membership of @nationaltrust. I am now cancelling it. Stitching over @jk_rowling name because they disagree with her support of women's rights is the last straw.' 'And as such I have "respectfully" cancelled the family membership that I've had for the last decade. Honestly, how dare you?,' a third complained. Olympian silver medalist Sharron Davies weighed in on the debate: 'I cancelled my membership to the years ago when they started apologies for Britain's history & achievements.' Workers at the foundation have stormed out in protest too: 'You've managed to lose two volunteers in Devon this morning who have spent years helping preserve the holiday home of one of our most famous female authors - all because you have attempted to erase another of our most famous female authors.' Derbyshire and Staffordshire's Women's Rights Network, who the National Trust is a member of, said they were 'upset' her name was crossed out but when their member saw this stitch work they raised a verbal complaint with the Hall's curator. They were told 'because it was someone's view they felt the stitching should stay to respect that one person's view. When asked where the respect was for the person who originally stitched the name, she could not answer,' according to Gender Blog. 'Why it is acceptable to erase the name of renowned charity donor and women's refuge provider JK Rowling, but then to cover up this piece now that her name is fully visible to all? An explanation is needed,' the said on X, calling on the Trust. The activist group protested at the site placing stitching over their mouths and holding up a poster that says 'National Trust strikes out JK Rowling'. The National Trust have been contacted for comment. Derbyshire and Staffordshire's Women's Rights Network, who the National Trust is a member of protested at the site placing stitching over their mouths and holding up a poster that says 'National Trust strikes out JK Rowling' It comes after a long history of rows involving the charity where tens of thousands of National Trust members have quit their memberships as the public have grown fed up of their ' woke ' antics. It lost a staggering 89,000 members last year which will set you back £96, after they increased its prices this year by nearly six per cent. In April, members were 'appalled' by the decision to hand back the running of a Tudor mansion to its previous owners after a £3.3million restoration was carried out. It had been owned by the charity since 1946 before the Throckmorton family had requested to take back the running of Coughton Court in Alcester, Warwickshire, from February 2026. But the announcement sparked a furious backlash from members who have been told they would then no longer be able to visit the country estate for free. Customers also complained when in 2023 its calendar excluded Christmas and Easter, while including other religions' festivals. The 'inclusivity and wellbeing' calendar, which was provided for volunteers, includes Hinduism's Diwali, and Islam's Eid and Ramadan - with no sign of Christian holidays. The National Trust's chairman even blasted the organisation's 'woke' direction and vowed to not get embroiled in political rows. It follows the Trust's embroilment in controversy in 2020 when accusations from rebel members said it was 'trampling on our history' by publishing a report into the colonialist history of its houses that was 'littered with inaccuracies '. The charity was in a battle with splinter group Restore Trust, whose members were enraged by the way some of its properties had been 'blacklisted' over alleged links to colonialism and slavery. The homes of Winston Churchill and Rudyard Kipling are among almost 100 National Trust properties which the charity called out to have links to slavery and colonialism.
Free Malaysia Today
29-05-2025
- Health
- Free Malaysia Today
Clownfish shrink to survive heat waves
Clownfish react to a sudden rise in water temperature by shrinking. (Envato Elements pic) PARIS : As the marine world heats up, clownfish are showing an unsuspected talent for adapting to increasingly extreme conditions. Faced with heat waves exacerbated by climate change, these little fish, made famous by the movie 'Finding Nemo,' adopt a surprising strategy to ensure their survival. In Papua New Guinea's Kimbe Bay, researchers from the Universities of Newcastle, Leeds and Boston, in collaboration with the Mahonia Na Dari Center, observed 134 clownfish (Amphiprion percula) over a five-month period. Each fish was individually identified and measured each month using a non-invasive capture device. Water temperature was recorded every four to six days using submersible sensors installed on site, enabling continuous monitoring of temperature changes during a marine heatwave. Their aim was to understand how these fish react to a sudden rise in water temperature. And the results were striking: 100 of the 134 clownfish decreased in size during the study period. A reaction that could increase their chances of survival by 78% during a marine heatwave. This discovery, published in the journal Science Advances, is a first. Never before has a coral reef fish been observed to shorten its body in response to environmental and social stress. Indeed, it's not just a matter of slimming down. 'This is not just about getting skinnier under stressful conditions, these fish are actually getting shorter. We don't know yet exactly how they do it, but we do know that a few other animals can do this too. 'For example, marine iguanas can reabsorb some of their bone material to also shrink during times of environmental stress,' said Melissa Versteeg, a PhD researcher at Newcastle University's School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, who led the study, quoted in a news release. Shrinking together to survive together The researchers took care to measure each individual repeatedly, month after month. The extent of the phenomenon surprised them. This ability to shrink even seems to be coordinated between breeding partners, further increasing their chances of withstanding the heat together. This form of synchronisation underlines the importance of social dynamics in the survival of the species. The morphological flexibility of these fish raises a broader question. What if this kind of shrinking explains why fish are becoming smaller overall in the world's oceans? For Theresa Rueger, a specialist in tropical marine sciences and co-author of the study, this hypothesis merits further investigation. 'Our findings show that individual fish can shrink in response to heat stress, which is further impacted by social conflict, and that shrinking can lead to improving their chances of survival. 'If individual shrinking were widespread and happening among different species of fish, it could provide a plausible alternative hypothesis for why the size of many fish species is declining, and further studies are needed in this area,' she explained. In the underwater depths of a changing world, nature invents unexpected solutions to survive climate change, and clownfish teach us more than we might imagine about the resilience of species.
Nikkei Asia
26-05-2025
- Politics
- Nikkei Asia
South Korea's six-month spasm will soon be over
Aidan Foster-Carter is honorary senior research fellow in sociology and modern Korea at Leeds University in the U.K. On June 3, South Koreans will elect a new president. And they will also breathe a deep sigh of relief.
STV News
22-05-2025
- STV News
Second Scot arrested in connection with death of teen in Leeds 'hit-and-run'
A second Scottish man has been arrested in connection with a fatal crash in England. Ashton Kitchen-White died after being struck by a red Ford Focus around 10.09pm on Middleton Ring Road near Beeston Park in Leeds on Friday. The car allegedly made off from the scene, leaving the 19-year-old to die at the roadside. Investigators issued an appeal for three men to come forward in connection with the incident. Regan Kemp, aged 26, from St Just, Penzance, and Liam Miller, aged 24, from Polbeth, West Lothian, were arrested after handing themselves in to police in their respective areas. Kemp has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving, while Miller remains in custody. West Yorkshire Police Ashton Kitchen-White West Yorkshire Police Both were expected to be returned to West Yorkshire for interview. Macauley Martin, 26, from Livingston, was arrested in connection with the incident following a police appeal and also remains in custody. Ashton's family described the teen as 'one in a million' who was set to begin studying at Leeds University. Their statement read: 'Ashton Kitchen-White was indeed one in a million. Loved by all his family and friends alike, and adored by his brother and two sisters. 'At 19, he was about to embark on his journey to become a doctor at Leeds University. He loved going to the gym and combat sports. 'We cannot express the sheer devastation we all feel. Although his life was cruelly taken from us he will always be remembered for the absolutely beautiful soul that he was. 'The family would like to thank everyone for their support and outpouring of love and ask that their privacy is respected at this difficult time.' Anyone with information regarding his whereabouts is asked to contact West Yorkshire Police's Major Collision Enquiry Team via 101 quoting Operation Pintford or crime reference 13250275852 or online via Information can be given anonymously to the independent charity Crimestoppers via 0800 555 111. STV News is now on WhatsApp Get all the latest news from around the country Follow STV News
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Yahoo
Man charged after teenager killed in crash
A man has been charged with causing death by dangerous driving after a teenager was killed in a crash in Leeds. Ashton Kitchen-White, 19, died after he was struck by a red Ford Focus as he crossed Middleton Ring Road in Beeston Park on Friday. Regan Kemp, 26, of St Just in Penzance, has been charged and is due before Leeds magistrates later. Mr Kitchen-White's family said the teenager was "one in a million" and had been about to "embark on his journey to become a doctor at Leeds University". Two other men have also been arrested in relation to the incident. Liam Miller, 24, from Polbeth in West Lothian, and Macauley Martin, 26, from Livingston in West Lothian, remain in custody following a public appeal for information, West Yorkshire Police said. Listen to highlights from West Yorkshire on BBC Sounds, catch up with the latest episode of Look North. West Yorkshire Police
