The Chateau Diaries #108 Crazy, strange, eyes wide shut, in the middle of nowhere

[Clara Burnett]

Interesting timing...
Funny, FRK is looking for a new owner.

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She's not looking for a new owner, she's looking for a way to get the money back she paid for those subscribers. I have personally never believed FRK had changed her life around after leaving the HMN, but also did not expect her to show her true colors this quick. Despicable creature.

 

[Sparrowsfart]

First, thank you for prefacing with your intentions. I do think there has been some misunderstandings in tone and attitude which led to some push back. Anyway, I suppose youre right. I'm not a Patron and was under the assumption that she has gone through projects planned with vague numbers but I must be thinking of that darn target list... Seems that did a fine job in confusing some that she's gone over financials before. After her mentioning the accountants , she got questions and answered one on a live chat or YouTube comments that she'd provide a report (not sure of exact words and I know I'm not imagining this one! lol Someone else here must recall this also?). I will see if I can search for that on here as I believe it was copied here, but not certain. But obviously saying she would doesn't mean she will. I guess I try to still have some faith in people, rightly or wrongly. I know , I know in this case wrongly.

Update from Lalande & Janssen's Temptation!

Believe it when we see it.

 

[john eccles]

Everytime Fanny mentions the garden restoration I have to do deep breathing exercises. Yes, there was a functioning fruit and vegetable garden there originally, but it certainly was not Versailles. That eijit is so far up her own ass, it's unbelievable. Capability Brown meets Incapability Jarvis.

 

[Marquis de Potpourri]

Comments from CD's latest flog...

The Chateau Diaries
8 hours ago
Hi Dan, I realise you’re not one of our patrons, so you don’t have the same information that they have. My patrons do know that I’m employing many people from the Patreon account. It costs me well over €15,000 per month to employ Ian, Amaury, Dan, Kirsty, Nick the Tree Surgeon, Matt, etc. (Nati, Philip, Mary Poppins and Dave are employed, not by Patreon, but from my YouTube revenue). The rest of the monthly account is for materials, equipment (digger, etc), paneling, wallpaper - anything fixed (no furniture). The rest is put aside for the lake fund. As my patrons know, no Patreon funds are used towards my travels, clothes, etc. It’s only for work being done to the chateau, including the wages of those working on the chateau. Patreon does not cover any of the chateau’s running costs, which are paid for by me from my YouTube revenue. Sadly, far from lying in bed all day, I spend my time making as many videos as possible in order to renovate Lalande and continue to pay everyone’s wages. I used to do much more physical work around the chateau, but, as you can imagine, my job is now to provide content through filming and editing, to keep everyone around me in work.

Oooh, someone is defensive.

"I work hard."
"I employ people (using other people's money)!"
"I work really hard to keep food on other people's tables."
"I work really hard."

 

[Lady Avonlea]

Chateau de Lalande is no longer the casual shabby, chic holiday party pad they once enjoyed. It’s still shabby, but Youtube has changed the chateau’s status for better or worse. So it’s time Fanny, and indeed Nic & Potty, step up & reconsider their approach to the chateau, to ensure the current business model & income stream is sustainable.

So, here’s a little something to help them set Chateau de la Lande's 2022 business objectives:

1. 263 vlogs – way too many & definitely quantity over quality. Maximum 150 vlogs per year comprised of:

• 1 patron video + 1 CD video per week.
• Monthly Q&A with patrons to update on projects & financials
• 24 Advent vlogs which are shorter, better planned & more entertaining
• 10 additional vlogs on special topics (ex: trip to an historic sight)

2. Stop Cadeaux in Q1
3. SJ resume responsibility for filming/editing/publishing vlogs
4. Terminate Videographer/Editor role. If Philip is deemed an employee, SJ has made this termination more challenging & potentially more costly by engaging in a personal relationship, but his employment status must end asap
5. Since Office Manager no longer needs to track Cadeaux, this frees up 50% of Natti’s time to focus on improved financial tracking/bookkeeping.
Obtain necessary training & accounting software as required.
6. Focus on & complete any 3 substantive renovation/restoration projects in a professional manner (ex: Grand Salon panels, chapel windows, terrace
stonework & steps)
7. If continuing on Chateau DIY, ensure projects are properly pre-planned & completed on time and to a high standard

Also, postpone starting a European travel vlog with Oli as it will only dilute much-needed time & attention from Chateau de La Lande.

 

[KyBourbon]

Oh good lord. This is his description...

Come thrift with me in South Africa - we're hunting for antiques and I find amazing Waterford Crystal pieces!! I also explain the difference between decanting and aerating wine and try a South African 'Sherry' for the first time


So, how many years has he been drinking legally??? He is not someone that viewers should take advice from.

Clearly Snorts doesn’t understand his target audience or market. His viewers, on average, are twice his age (or more). For Squirrel to pretend to be knowledgeable or the expert on anything, including alcohol, is laughable…it really just comes across as patronizing to the viewer. Most of his viewers have been drinking alcohol longer than he’s been alive! He’d be better off just filming his daily activities and life (whatever that is?) instead of trying to film “educational vlogs.”

SJ…you are to blame for unleashing this mess on the unsuspecting viewing public!!!

 

[KiKiGee]

Well.

So, I've stumbled across this site by accident and realised this was the so-called hate site the MP called out in his vlog. I started reading it out of curiosity and for the past month or so, I have to say, I found the gossip here is far more entertaining than watching The Chateau Diaries.

Full disclosure, I don't watch TCD. I find the vlogs dull and aimless. There's no...entertainment factor. It's just a person bringing their phone around with them constantly and filming everything. Just because SJ vlogs...doesn't actually mean there's anything worth vlogging. The Pethricks have the same problem. I watch youtube to be entertained. And watching people going about their daily lives is not entertaining, at all.

Anyway, all this brings me to the reason why I'm posting today (my original plan was to lurk forever. Oh well). I'm not sure if anyone's noticed this, but as of today, the Fleuries have passed SJ in subscriber count.

Ever since the BBC published the article about French chateau owners using Youtube to pay for their chateau, SJ has gained 3K subscribers and the Fleuries...have gained 46K. And, they're still going. In fact, I've started noticing the Fleuries gaining more views and subscribers in the last week or so. You'd almost say they're going semi-viral. Their 2 years looking back video has gone past 1 million views and, in comparison, SJ's 'How Youtube is renovating my chateau' is sitting at 158K.

So why are the two channels, both chateau channels, and both featured on the BBC article, having such different responses? Well, if you asked me, one has content and actual direction in the vlogs (however boring the Fleuries may be) and the other is kinda aimless, plotless and pointless. When I bake a cake, however long the process, at the end, I want to be able to eat a cake. Watching SJ's vlog doesn't make me feel like I'm getting a cake.

Uh, anyway, enough talking about cake....back to the original question that sparked this post.

There's been a lot of discussion about SJ getting her comeuppance - losing her patrons, the scales falling off the eyes of her fans or the tax man come collecting. I had a thought, what if it's none of the above? What if her viewers and patrons simply...lose interest? Will her superfans and patrons hold on until the end of time? Or will they gradually lose interest as they realise that every video is just life, love and laughter on repeat?

(On the side note, as I was typing this, I realised the BBC didn't use the title 'Save their chateau' as SJ does but rather, they say 'to pay for their chateau'. I think they see past the bullshit, just like Tattlers do.)

Welcome.

 

[JackSpratt]

When she found those shutters and said 'so it did have internal shutters' as if all surprised. Now am I imagining it or wasn't it mentioned in a flog way back, the first time snorts uttered the immortal word 'we', that tipped us all over the edge that Aumary was making up internal shutters. Or am I going mad!

You could just tell that Snorts hated every second of being up there, his poor perfect manicured nails getting all icky. Thought he was going to spit the dummy when he showed Fanny that awful wall light with the fake candles and she says to send to Emmaus and he said 'but I like it'. Boo Hoo

 

[Trollda]

The Marquis' Fiancee here:

Not sure how many of you follow Downton Abbey's and Disney's Cinderella's, Lily James on Instagram.
I bet many chatelaines are jealous that a real-life Hollywood actress stayed and dined at LaGorce and called it "the most dreamy place."
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The similarities...

 

[MarquisOfNadaillac]

I don't understand the high heeled boots - he is already quite a tall boy. It must just be a style preference... or are they costume boots from one of the Narnia wardrobes?

I genuinely think he likes to pretend he is Louis XIV - they even have the same hair!

(Hi Tattlers! Miss you all and have finally caught up! Great comments and many funny moments, thanks for the laughs!)

Nobody asked and call me cynical, but I suspect that the dear old Marquis MAY have seen her coming. That place was not worth a penny more than Steph paid for it after it was re-valued after 15 years - 2 years ago after spending £300,000. OK so loss of the lake may have affected the value. @Clara Burnett may know more. Is it not possible that he invented the competition for the purchase to ensure he had the full price and quickly? She has never mentioned a survey. Threatening her with another local French buyer, who he favoured, may have ensured she signed fast. Remember Nic had not even seen it before purchase. Extraordinary. The real story so far: Buys a chateau at an overinflated price. Adds £300,000 in value with renovations (which begs the question: Where did all that money go when it didn't go on roof repairs, windows, shutters, rendering, garden, kitchen?. Does a chapel roof and 50 pairs of curtains cost that much? Then it seems loses the £300,000 added value by draining a lake without consulting the mayor, getting anything in writing or consulting her co-owner. She is not, in reality, more adept at renovating a chateau than Selmar would be. Yet the public deem her worthy of $33,000 a month.

YEPPP that's exactly how I planned it to go down!

 

[SloanSabbith]

Am I a bad person for being somewhat amused that SJ is spending her "vacation time" responding to inquiries about her money management?
Shouldn't she be focusing on quality family and boyfriend time? Bahahahaha

 

[MojoDublin]

Capability Brown meets Incapability Jarvis.

Title thread
Author @john eccles

Capability Brown meets Incapability Jarvis.

 

[Jules100]

i somehow have the feeling she is always a sour puss off camera..

Why would you say such a thing?

 

[MrsNeelie]

It costs me well over €15,000 per month to employ Ian, Amaury, Dan, Kirsty, Nick the Tree Surgeon, Matt, etc. (Nati, Philip, Mary Poppins and Dave are employed, not by Patreon, but from my YouTube revenue). The rest of the monthly account is for materials, equipment (digger, etc), panelling, wallpaper - anything fixed (no furniture). The rest is put aside for the lake fund. As my patrons know, no patreon funds are used towards my travels, clothes, etc. It’s only for work being done to the chateau, including the wages of those working on the chateau. Patreon does not cover any of the chateau’s running costs, which are paid for by me from my YouTube revenue. Sadly, far from lying in bed all day, I spend my time making as many videos as possible in order to renovate Lalande and continue to pay everyone’s wages. I used to do much more physical work around the chateau, but, as you can imagine, my job is now to provide content through filming and editing, to keep everyone around me in work.

Posting this for future reference. I would assume Ian as her contractor makes a pretty good bit of dough. Also, it was pointed out by The Chateau Sisters that materials are way more expensive in France. I have no idea how the money all works out but I will still be shocked if she actually shows any *real* numbers.

Well that's nice and vague isn't it. Ian? I'm sure he is a self employed builder not on the payroll. So no regular monthly payments just the price for the job I would assume. Dan was originally employed as a part time gardener on video money. Since when did he become part of the restoration team? Gardening is NOT restoration. Kirsty was introduced as a part time gardener to help out Dan. Again, gardening is NOT restoration. Amaury, on a full wage but free board and lodging? That smacks of nepetosism at the Patreons expense. Nick the tree surgeon, again, price for the job surely? Not to be listed as a monthly expenditure. And who the hell is ETC??? So these characters get a share of 15,000 a month. 2,500 a month for each. Kirsty is very part time, so surely the rest get more! NO they are not being paid that each month. If she was a proper renovator she would be getting people in, getting a price for the job. Not monthly amounts. She is f***g clueless. Or she's not and she thinks all her viewers and patreons are as stupid as she is. I've done a fair bit of renovating houses and selling them on and I'm amazed at her level of stupidity and complete lack of coordination of works required.

 

[KiKiGee]

FUNDING UNSUCESSFUL it is official Selmar and Tats failed Kickstarter, let's wait for the tears on their next vlog and what they come up with next, how about their own money !

zip, zilch, nada,
ZERO...

 

[ComtesseRose]

Chemistry....

 

[KiKiGee]

THANK YOU @Jikki2 I appreciate you.
Great title @Maple fairy.

 

[Clara Burnett]

I watched it as well and I definitely missed it when I went back to watch the older vlogs last year. And yep, I thought the same exact thing about those Vogue pages

I also am wondering if it is just a coincidence that Stephanie's ex Michael Potts is from South Africa and her mom's new husband,Percey, is also from South Africa? What are the chances of that happening! Where did Stephanie meet Michael Potts? I know Isabelle met Percy on an airplane.

Please read previous threads, it has all been explained before. Stephanie knows Michael from London, visited Michaels family in SA with her parents because he became hger boyfriend, IJ and DJ liked it so much up there they bought the beach house IJ still owns and where they are staying now (Michael's mother Judy, who has been in the vlogs, lives not far from there). When DJ died IJ took La Lande's old gardener Bernard who had a huge crush on her on a holiday to SA and o the plane she met Percy and dumped Bernard, who kept hoping she would get back to him but had a miserable holiday filled with home sickness.

 

[NotAChatelaine]

Brace yourselves..."BJJ on tour: the movie"

 

[Clara Burnett]

Everytime Fanny mentions the garden restoration I have to do deep breathing exercises. Yes, there was a functioning fruit and vegetable garden there originally, but it certainly was not Versailles. That eijit is so far up her own ass, it's unbelievable. Capability Brown meets Incapability Jarvis.

Capability Brown meets Incapability Jarvis.

That will annoy the hell out of her (because it is true...)
Sorry @MojoDublin just saw you suggested it too!