Newsround, austerity and a Castle Howard folly

We’ve always loved Newsround at YorkMix, having been brought up on knitwear fetishist John Craven’s panda updates.

But when they screened this item about Castle Howard, the Newsround team got it all wrong.

We’ve nothing against Castle Howard youngsters Merlin and Octavia, who seem fine despite those names. It’s just that this went out a few days into a year which is being touted as one of the most financially austere for decades.

There will have been a lot of children watching it who had little at Christmas, and have less to look forward to in 2012.

And they had to sit and endure two children flaunting their privilege on four-poster beds and in racing cars.

Newsround producers should sit on the naughty step.

(And who edited that soundtrack? Get a grip on the volume someone).