As a parent of two absent members-one in Australia, the other in Africa, I agree with the comments opposing changes to absent membership. I suspect a lot of absent members are not able to take up the existing allocation (this will have been exacerbated by the pandemic). It therefore seems unfair to increase their fees and reduce the frequency of their visits. Much of the debate over membership categories relates to concerns about overcrowding on busy (summer and sunny) days. By their nature, absent members do not generally contribute to overcrowding.
Julian Holloway