The Chateau Diaries #105 The grift that keeps on giving

[KiKiGee]

I just realised we never got to see Oliver (the part time daubler) leave the shitto, come to think of it we didn’t get much from him after his car key fiasco in a neighboring town. I wonder if he was reluctant to be filmed any further after our trolling his arrogance?

With all of his education and experience, he is unable to fix, lazy Lalande... Perhaps, the grifting is difficult to frame in a positive light???

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[Perplexed bee]

Lalande is not a medieval castle.

Its oldest part dates from the 17th century. Maybe some foundations can be found being from the 16th century but that's it.

The rest of the building has been rebuilt in mid 19th.

About the gardens being open to the public, they need to be historical and spectacular in terms of gardens architecture. Which is not the case at Lalande - even with Davey's plans.

There are many many châteaux in France with beautiful listed gardens open to the public. It would take decades to Lalande to reach the same result...

YES to this, and that would need dedicated and skilled gardeners, working full-time. Nope, that does not include Dan, he can do the digging at best, but a gardener he is not.

Nutti's generic IG posts lasting only a few seconds are just annoying. I had hoped to see more of their travels and more of the real Argentina. Why bother posting at all, except to flaunt their romance?

Well, that's the IG world: 99% (? my gut feeling) is about selfies & couple selfies, with luck you can find others, I like plant, nature and travel ones...

 

[Kotare]

I wonder if Gerry packed his gifted, plaid v-neck, from BJJ parent's. It does match the SA beach house décor.
I still can't wrap my head around footage. It was beyond weird...


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Talk about it. Snorty is an obsequious little prat and the gift for Framingham’s most famous cab driver given ON CAMERA was proof his parents are equally as unctuous. Completely unnecessary footage. The ultimate in ingratiating and insinuating oneself into a familiarity and intimacy.
I‘m beginning to think the honking bag carrier is an altogether more sinister creature than the dim and aimless twit I took him for originally

 

[ggyahoo]

@Perplexed bee Agreed, there are some great IG posters out there. It was the stupid few second length with Nutti's that I'm mainly finding annoying at the moment.

 

[Trengilly]

It’s quite frustrating for us Tartlets with SJ & co. in SA away from the Shitshow as Clara’s mole will now have no intel to spill as to her goings-on. But, on the plus side for our SJ, it’s paaarfect for her timeline hopping and controlling the narrative. She’ll be able to set the tone for the next few weeks, but she won’t be able to escape the lack of work taking place at the HMN for the whole of December and most of January. We see you SJ and we will hold you to account.
It’s interesting to note she has filmed a few weeks in advance for the chateau diaries, whilst away with Mummy - it certainly raises questions what she’s hiding now? Ordinarily, in years gone by, she’s been very forthcoming, and immediate, with her holidays, she’s never been afraid to reserve her “look at me” attitude. I smell a rat and I don’t think it’s just that suspicious stain on the armchair, or the golden bedspread.

 

[KittCatt]

I'm not a fan of the Fleuries but I guess they are saints when compared to SJ in terms of renovations & I think they were trying to send a message to her (or get more patrons) by releasing a similar video with better results. I think the Fleuries have a different way of manipulating the audience by doing (& showing) the opposite of what SJ is criticised for (finished projects) & they are winning. SJ is arrogant & has an ego & needs competition from more chatelaine's like her who are not yet on Ytube. Even though most of the chateau owners were inspired by SJ to join Ytube & patreon, she's not setting a good example with the way she handles her projects (with other people's money). Most of them bought homes they couldn't afford & would wish to get £30,000 per mth for renovations. SJ doesn't use french workers & professionals because she wants to cut corners & save for luxuries (expensive hotels, wine, travel etc) this is why Dan & Amoury are used for everything. I think the other 2 owners of Lalande are hardly involved because it is not them raising funds to renovate the place & she has helped them save money. The Fleuries gained 2,000 more subscribers in 2 days & 4,000 in 2 weeks.

@ KiKiGee said Chateau DIY did not include Chateau de Lalande, (again). Have they been dropped by channel 4???
I don't watch CDIY but I think Ch4 should replace Chateau de Lalande with de Bourneau one of the owners is from UK & is popular on insta. It will help promote her business.

I don't know if this has been mentioned but Gwen's Family own a baking product business called Lesaffre which is described as the world's largest yeast producer & manufacturer by Wikipedia. I think it makes 2bn euros a ysar. They have branches all over the world but I don't know how much of the company the family still own. Billy showed his son one of their products in one of his videos.

And here's the Top 50 French Chateau's compiled by someone on YT. None of our chateau friends made it. youtube.com/watch?v=w9fJ2WzyR5I

 

[WMGL]

Congrats to @oooLaLande for a fantastic new title, and I hope you are feeling better! And thank you @MojoDublin for a fresh new thread!

I just finished watching the Fleuries "Before and After" video, and I know it was discussed on the previous thread, but WOW! What they have achieved on a shoestring budget over the past 2 1/2 years is absolutely incredible! Anna and Philipp must not get very much sleep- with renovations, raising children, videoing/editing, the B&B, and regular cleaning and upkeep, I can't begrudge them for having a Patron account nor for their adverts for language software- they don't go on lavish holidays, their wardrobes are quite simple (and Anna often chastises Philipp for wearing his good jeans when working on something filthy), they ask viewers to not send them gifts, they harvest fruit and veg from their garden and eat them, and hire local French tradesmen (Benoit is a gem carpenter, and even the teenage Nathan, who mows the lawn and assists Philipp, is wonderful), and the Fleuries love their local community and its history. Both have amazing parents who go straight to work when they arrive. The girls are ridiculously adorable, and go to local school- they speak multiple languages, and are very polite little people (suspect Anna is strict with them, and Philipp is the "fun parent.") In contrast to CLL, which reaps in a tonne of Euros from Patron and YouTube every month, Fanny is an utter failure. Fanny wakes up at noon, stays in her tatty robe most of the day, one of her minions brings her tea and a croissant at lunchtime, has an Army of unpaid volunteers at her beck and call, yet whines she must spend the day editing videos (after making so many of them, one would think it'd get easier by now.) There is no heat in the Shitoo (which confounds me, as Mummy's apartment has heat, but only very special people are allowed to stay there), but Fanny is all snug under the electric blanket she snatched up. But Fanny will eventually rouse herself from her bed to eat dinner that one of her minions has made and consume copious amounts of alcohol, because, hey, let's live every day in this crumbling abode like it's 1999!

Thank you for this great account T Rex. Well written, and I am happy that ;like me you admire Anna and Philipp and their family.Re Fanny...truer words never written!!

 

[Clara Burnett]

Ruby was left out. WHY???

I suppose SJ will hold on to the fantasy that Ruby isn't technically her cat, as Selmar has decided to take him with him on their adventure. Poor cat, from one dump to another.

 

[MidCenturyMadOne]

The Chateau Diaries #104 it was all claws on deck!

That's what I thought. I bet she'll be livid when she sees that 🤣 Not a problem - it's outside. She'll never see it.

tattle.life

Yes, another vintage diva here (obvs!) , I flit about with eras, but love going to anywhere I can don a fifties frock! I collect and make things to sell from vintage fabric as part of my work.

 

[Clara Burnett]

A question for the Tattle academics: I used to go to the university to meet my girlfriend for lunch, (she was doing her PHD), whilst I waited for her to appear, I regularly took a book with me and would sit and read it. Now, would the Fanny's of this world say I was entitled to boast that I went to university where I read literature?

Definitely. The Fanny's would build a bigger lie around it too, if it would benefit their agenda.

Yes, members of an association have the right to see annual reports but since Laland association was established just about a year ago, the accounts are not quite yet due.

Wasn't the association started in 2020, so two years ago?

 

[Definitely Maybe]

My favourite renovators are Tim & Rebecca at Chateau de La Ruche. I just love their taste

 

[Clara Burnett]

It’s quite frustrating for us Tartlets with SJ & co. in SA away from the Shitshow as Clara’s mole will now have no intel to spill as to her goings-on.

You should know me better than to assume I'm betting on one horse only...

 

[Maple fairy]

Perhaps Oliver left partly because he does not like BJJ. And if it is so that BJJ gets rid of his detractors then perhaps he expedited his departure. I would also think that Oliver had to get back to his family in Spain.
Oddly though SJ did not show his leaving while exclaiming “Oh I hate this!, Oh don’t go!” Bla, bla, bla and so on.

 

[Clara Burnett]

Tess Hoffman must be bored out of her wits: she has started a new instagram account @babyhasafabulouslife, reigniting the fire under her baby doll gimmick that got old years ago. Does she really think people are waiting for her snapshots?

 

[Trollda]

In one of my first posts I commented on my frustration that when Potty and Nic or her army of friends arrived in the past there were no working bees. Eg Having a group of people work on a room (painting) or clear out the stables or do some gardening. The men do nothing.
I am also puzzled as to why SJ is spending so much money on wallpaper if she has no real intention of living in HMN and she can’t take it with her. She could have chosen cheaper paper or just painted. She could have used plain white subway tiles in the bathrooms (like Anna and Ed). This would have saved her thousands for the Venice fund. Even as a grifter she is quite stupid.

Even if Fanny said she paid for the wallpaper, I have a difficult time believing it. I can certainly understand why she would want people to believe that she actually pays for expensive gifts things.

 

[Jikki2]

Wasn't the association started in 2020, so two years ago?

The Lalande association papers were filed on December 29, 2020.

 

[Freesia54]

You should know me better than to assume I'm betting on one horse only...

No one trick ponies with our @Clara Burnett, fingers in pies, irons in the fire, eyes behind the panelling

 

[Trengilly]

You should know me better than to assume I'm betting on one horse only...

Clara, the thorn in our evil SJ’s side

No one trick ponies with our @Clara Burnett, fingers in pies, irons in the fire, eyes behind the panelling

Clara has clearly fitted her Souleiado carry on bags with listening devices. That or Gerry has defected

 

[LaFrancaise123]

Wasn't the association started in 2020, so two years ago?

That's my understanding too.

Ooooops, didn't see your answer.

Anyway, it should be done now ?

 

[MidCenturyMadOne]

Even if Fanny said she paid for the wallpaper, I have a difficult time believing it. I can certainly understand why she would want people to believe that she actually pays for expensive gifts things.

I doubt she paid retail for that Designers Guild paper. It’s super easy to find some with a trade account. Through my interior friends I never pay full price for any fabric or wallpaper.