SHAME ON YOU GLASTONBURY ABBEY
Disgusted with Glastonbury Abbey with the way that they have treated my family, who have lived in Glastonbury for over 70 years.
My Mother worked at the Abbey for over 13 years, as did two of her daughters.
We purchased a bench to Commemorate my late father and also scattered his ashes in Glastonbury Abbey grounds in 2010 (this did not come cheap as we had to pay a significant amount of money to do so).
We always visited my fathers bench and spent a while in the abbey where his ashes are scattered to quietly remember him.
When my mother passed 5 years later we again paid to update the plaque on the bench.
We are not a large family and only visited a few times a year and got free access into the grounds as was our unwritten understanding when we arranged this.
Last week the abbey e-mailed us and said that we could only have 1 free visit per year on a nominated date for 2 adults and up to 6 children.(even though there are 3 sibling and adult grandchildren)
I contacted the abbey and said this was not what we had agreed and their response was well things change and you need to purchase a yearly ticket to visit your fathers last resting place for every person who wants to visit.
It costs the abbey NOTHING to let us in and it does not impact on their capacity as they are never at capacity. We always spend money at the café in the grounds when it is open.
This seems very unfair and contrary to the spirit in which we purchased the band and scattered the ashes, so that family members could peacefully spend time with our memories.
Nobody would every place a bench or scatter ashes without first knowing that you need to pay to visit, especially 16 years later when the rules suddenly change.
SHAME ON YOU GLASTONBURY ABBEY