The Chateau Diaries #11 Shat o shenanigans

[FrannyBee]

Lake, not necessary.

As long as you just watch for free then it is fine. But it is the manipulation of potentially vulnerable people which is wrong. To present an image of being down on her uppers, creating empathy & generating £$£$ for her to fund her lifestyle choices is disgraceful IMO. I am guessing that most of the workaways didn't sign up to be reality stars (Philippe being the exception) so perhaps them being described as dull cast of characters is not their fault as they didn't realise they would have to perform as bit part actors?

PrincessandthePea Post 3563159
It's not for free here in Oz. We only have ETTC original series and that's being repeated ad nauseum. There are on our cable tv (Foxtel here) and that costs $$. Mine is $100 Aus a month (about 75 US$ 80 Eu and 50 UK Pound) One of the free to air channels has just started showing ETTC but again the earliest ones. We see none of the shows mentioned on this Forum and I've only found other stuff by stumbling around and finding links, so very time consuming and the comments don't make sense to me until I've seen the shows first. I've not seen a lot of the earlier CD so I don't know who a lot of the early people are and I can't stomach going back and having to listen to her anymore. I actually don't mind Michael Petherick (what one would call a "sweet kind boy" prior to 1965) and it would be nice to see him make a go of it with a nice guy as a partner but he needs to get out of the clutches of SJ and other influences in his life and grow some cahunes (?spelling)

 

[Rory]

Re the purchase of the Chateau. According to several SJ statements in vlogs - It was never intended to be a business hence location wasn't really a consideration for guests/visitors. It was meant to be "flipped" within 5 years. However she/they realised they couldn't sell it as they loved it.
I think they were hugely naive, not realising the amount of funds needed or the work to be done. In patreon interview, MP describes arriving for first time with Nic. Nic was to sign the sale contract (he hadn't seen it in advance). The 2 courtyards and (now) vegetable garden were fields (ie grass and wild flowers). They jumped in not really thinking about the funds which would be required.
The Trotters, Angel & Dick - they had a business plan. (I do think the Trotters overpaid for their place too).

 

[FrannyBee]

You wouldn't need the 5 layers of clothes as the chateau isn't open to guests until after Easter when generally the weather is warm and even hot. The fact that inside the temperature is cooler may be a relief and the fact that there is no need to install air conditioning is all to the good.
The weather isn't like that in UK especially in the North but I know that and still choose to volunteer.
I accept that this is no longer a historic house as changes have been made over years but I doubt the basic beams, roof timbers, upstairs flooring etc were replaced and it is those that need protecting from harmful effects of full central heating.

Workingclassgrl Post 3563351
Hot I can handle - it gets to 50C where I live but only about 10C in winter.

@Fannybee

Just back on thread 10

Not a penny did I send DB
Possibly very in cheek of me

However - as I always acquire a Christmas mug
Here’s 2020 edition s

Mums on left Gaelic translates
Mammy Christmas

On right - I love Santa

I’ve no doubt they will become heirloom s

MojoDublin Post 3564271
Does that mean 18 of your friends missed out on the Christmas Mug gift you were giving them? Didn't BG even have the courtesy of checking your order was still required as your payment wasn't received. Slack business practices. I'm Buddhist so safe from Christmas although I like seeing happy children's faces when it's all happening.

I was once told when I was real young that you have to have at least double as much when you intend to buy a house to be sure you can really afford it. Maintainance, repairs,...) So if she paid 600 000 for the château did they have another 600000? Don't think so.

66carola Post 3564657
No wonder they had a Revolution and chopped a few heads off.

 

[Mrs O]

There has been lots of comments re heating and the cold at the Chatooo.
A). Does anyone remember a vlog some time ago where MPK was shown the attics where SJ pointed out the ‘defence’ windows? There were similar to arrow openings in ancient castles, but wider and longer. Most of them didn’t seem to have any glass or coverings. They looked wide open. I would have thought that SJ would have Selmar make coverings and double glazed glass ASAP. Certainly would make it a lot warmer.
B). When MPK was there one Christmas he fixed and started up the old cooker in the kitchen. It obviously works so why, in the winter, is it not fired up? It would make the kitchen warm and also some of the downstairs rooms, especially if it was loaded up before bedtime. There is certainly plenty of wood from all the fallen trees in her extremely dangerous forest/woodland!!!

EXTRA: SJ normally doesn’t worry too much re cold in the winter as she leaves volunteers there whilst she jets off to SA or Vietnam or other sunnier climes!

 

[frenchessence]

Dr lucy Worsley is the chief curator of the royal historic palaces, author ,curator and lastly a tv presenter. SJ has a degree and looks pretty , it’s unsulting to say she would do a better job. On one of her Sunday vlogs they visited a museum . Her comment about Dutch paintings was “ they all seem so dark and brown” she has zero knowledge about history or the arts. .

I don’t doubt any of that, it’s more that her delivery / style doesn’t to appeal to me at all. To me, she has a very irritating manner that just rubs me up the wrong way and makes me want to change to another program. But we all have our likes and dislikes and I respect yours.

I came to this site believe it or not, because I was a fan of SJ but even bearing that in mind, couldn’t understand how someone in her position was taking in such funds.

I actually enjoy her researched vlogs the most ... La Mirande, porcelain etc., I appreciate she is a lightweight in comparison to Lucy Worley, but I’d ratherlook at LOTL and learn a bit than not watch LW at all and learn nothing.

If SJ had a presenting job she’d also have others filling in the gaps of her knowledge (I understand there is a team of researchers behind LW) . She IS a pretty face, but not just that. As a presenter, with some experience and guidance, I think she would be fantastic and ultimately probably get more viewers than Lucy Worsley.

Lake, not necessary.

As long as you just watch for free then it is fine. But it is the manipulation of potentially vulnerable people which is wrong. To present an image of being down on her uppers, creating empathy & generating £$£$ for her to fund her lifestyle choices is disgraceful IMO. I am guessing that most of the workaways didn't sign up to be reality stars (Philippe being the exception) so perhaps them being described as dull cast of characters is not their fault as they didn't realise they would have to perform as bit part actors?

I like what you’ve written here

 

[Rory]

There has been lots of comments re heating and the cold at the Chatooo.
A). Does anyone remember a vlog some time ago where MPK was shown the attics where SJ pointed out the ‘defence’ windows? There were similar to arrow openings in ancient castles, but wider and longer. Most of them didn’t seem to have any glass or coverings. They looked wide open. I would have thought that SJ would have Selmar make coverings and double glazed glass ASAP. Certainly would make it a lot warmer.
B). When MPK was there one Christmas he fixed and started up the old cooker in the kitchen. It obviously works so why, in the winter, is it not fired up? It would make the kitchen warm and also some of the downstairs rooms, especially if it was loaded up before bedtime. There is certainly plenty of wood from all the fallen trees in her extremely dangerous forest/woodland!!!

EXTRA: SJ normally doesn’t worry too much re cold in the winter as she leaves volunteers there whilst she jets off to SA or Vietnam or other sunnier climes!

Yes good pick up. One problem is no insulation at all in any attic areas. On lower levels they have only now put in double glazed doors in one area (entry hall). The next areas to get double glazed windows will be china plate room and washing up room off kitchen.
On patreon she did describe her bedroom suite of rooms as being ones which were the most warm. Her now closet was the tv room for her and Nic when they lived there. Maybe she got in habit of spending most of her time in her suite of rooms then.

 

[frenchessence]

Filming & editing a vlog would take up no more than 2 days maximum. She has spent a lot of time away from the chateau so who is hosting the volunteers when she is away? The volunteers do all the chores, what does she actually do? I think I saw her make some soup in the Thermamix once and flounce into the garden in a robe to pick some basil. Hardly a hard knock life IMO.

That’s a bit unfair .... I also saw her pick some flowers for the breakfast table

True, but also not, because people see only parts of the life style, not the real stuff she edits out.


You are asking the wrong people. Great question for SJ though.


No, part of the exchange program she's in with the chateau, so doesn't cost her.

Thanks for calling that comment out. Not least because I think I haven’t intentionally hurt anyone in my entire life. Motivated to comment here in light of the people who I believe will be hurt by donating financially to someone who simply isn’t showing/giving the real picture.

As you say, that question should be directed to SJ not me

 

[PurplePatchouli]

PurplePatchouli Post 3563446 Sorry don't understand your question as to "who was it" Please clarify.

Who was the guy you spoke of who was on the news?

 

[Sandton]

Re the purchase of the Chateau. According to several SJ statements in vlogs - It was never intended to be a business hence location wasn't really a consideration for guests/visitors. It was meant to be "flipped" within 5 years. However she/they realised they couldn't sell it as they loved it.
I think they were hugely naive, not realising the amount of funds needed or the work to be done. In patreon interview, MP describes arriving for first time with Nic. Nic was to sign the sale contract (he hadn't seen it in advance). The 2 courtyards and (now) vegetable garden were fields (ie grass and wild flowers). They jumped in not really thinking about the funds which would be required.
The Trotters, Angel & Dick - they had a business plan. (I do think the Trotters overpaid for their place too).

very strange to buy a shito chato to flip in five years if she was going to travel and spend casts amount of time in warmer places. Also for nick to work from home when 15 years later she couldn’t even upload a video on their internet.

and renovation projects are always bigger than one think but how can such educated people get it so wrong? Didn’t daddy go view it before she bought it? Surely withthem renovating granny farm he might have had a better indication of the scale of things.

wonder if Gerry inherited the 1 bedroom flat in Glasgow. Surely if he was taken in as family at a young age then daddy would have left him something.

my guess is that sj would have gotten everything whilst daddy was still alive that’s what rich people do to escape having to lose loads in tax. And the majority would have gone to mummy. Wonder if mummy is more sensible and leave her entire estate in her will to an orphanage or animal rescue.

 

[lolander]

I spotted this but it doesn't allow me to open it. Gerry was born in 1960, so would have been 23 years old. He has mentioned that he "trained as a residential social worker." So was Gerald managing the home until it was sold and if so, where was he in the years between that and starting his taxi firm? I wonder why he changed career?
Gerry grady escape to the chateau diy
gnavizu.mip39.site › gerry-grady-escape-to-the-chateau...

1. Gerry grady escape to the chateau diy. ... I moved to Cransford Hall in 1983, where I managed a residential home for ladies and gentlemen with dementia.

He has been a director at his taxi service for 17 yrs. (2003)

He ran a soup kitchen in Framlingham before his taxi firm.

Agree with Princess and the Pea, they are pretty shrewd, proof again that not everyone who buys a chateau is an idiot.

Is that the new direction of the discussion now? That the problem is that she bought property? I don't agree with that point of view at all.

Just a side note. Why buy a Shat-O if you can't afford to renovate it with your own money?

Yes good pick up. One problem is no insulation at all in any attic areas.

So crazy, they have an open staircase all the way up to the attic.

 

[Pno]

It can only be a matter of time before she’s on mainstream tv. Channel 4/BBC channels are full of lightweight historical documentaries and female presenters such as the all too ghastly Lucy Worsely who also likes to dress up (ie as king Henry 8 scoffing medieval grub) and tbh SJ and her quirky cheesy visual is a lot easier on the eye than irritatingly-twee Lucy.

I could also see SSB on a bad interior design programme such as the old Changing Rooms, where the dreadful ‘interior designers’ frequently made the client cry with their awful bad taste make-over. She could be a female Lawrence Llewelyn Bowen (and look how well he has done on the back of a full head of hair and no talent). When I think of some of the hideous rooms Stephanie has done at Lalande, she’d be fantastically well-qualified to do this. Or even one of those ‘Find your new home abroad’ shows that are prime afternoon viewing for retireds. They’ll love her and there seem to be no end of repeats on those shows so imagine the royalties LOTL could take it. Although, she would have to get of bed and do a proper days work .

See, she doesn’t need Patreon at all. She could buy her own presents and make donations to charity out of her own earned income. Like most people chose to do.

SJ has been on TV for a couple of seasons now and no new producers have come round. And I think we all forget she hasn’t only been on a UK program but a French one as well. She is clearly a talented presenter but at present no one is interested which makes me think they are digging in her ‘fantastical’ past.

 

[66carola]

Filming & editing a vlog would take up no more than 2 days maximum. She has spent a lot of time away from the chateau so who is hosting the volunteers when she is away? The volunteers do all the chores, what does she actually do? I think I saw her make some soup in the Thermamix once and flounce into the garden in a robe to pick some basil. Hardly a hard knock life IMO.

I believe there isn't many that stupid, but she could be more gracious and say "Secure your own oxygen mask first before you assist others"

She does say it in the info box

 

[Pno]

He ran a soup kitchen in Framlingham before his taxi firm.

Just a side note. Why buy a Shat-O if you can't afford to renovate it with your own money?

So crazy, they have an open staircase all the way up to the attic.

And how does someone with such an altruistic background (read not racking in the big money) afford to take Princess on such lavish ‘once in a lifetime’ vacations? And before I hear about how cheap it is in VietNam you still have to get there and back and there certainly were not backpacking from youth hostel to youth hostel.

 

[lolander]

She does say it in the info box

Where?

 

[66carola]

Re the purchase of the Chateau. According to several SJ statements in vlogs - It was never intended to be a business hence location wasn't really a consideration for guests/visitors. It was meant to be "flipped" within 5 years. However she/they realised they couldn't sell it as they loved it.
I think they were hugely naive, not realising the amount of funds needed or the work to be done. In patreon interview, MP describes arriving for first time with Nic. Nic was to sign the sale contract (he hadn't seen it in advance). The 2 courtyards and (now) vegetable garden were fields (ie grass and wild flowers). They jumped in not really thinking about the funds which would be required.
The Trotters, Angel & Dick - they had a business plan. (I do think the Trotters overpaid for their place too).

I wonder how people who inherited so much money go and spent it all and even take credit to get themselves a money pit. Billy does not seem like that kind of a person to have dreamt about having a chateau. (unless SJ who fits exactly in the role ) They don't even seem to enjoy it actually, neither Gwen. With this kind of money I could live a nice life and not work at all.

 

[Pno]

On

One would consider with your number of degrees you state that you currently hold, you would easily be capable of doing the research for yourself, rather than attempting to gain investment from amateurs.

Hanni doesn’t seem to be in a good mood today...

 

[66carola]

And how does someone with such an altruistic background (read not racking in the big money) afford to take Princess on such lavish ‘once in a lifetime’ vacations? And before I hear about how cheap it is in VietNam you still have to get there and back and there certainly were not backpacking from youth hostel to youth hostel.

You can book 10 days of a river cruise in Vietnam for 2000 if you book in advance. All inklusive in a decent hotel. That's not that lavish. And SJ is an experienced traveller. She seems to rather stay 2 nights in a better hotel than a week in a cheap one. Lavish would be if she is 5 weeks in a lux hotel.

 

[Pno]

You wouldn't need the 5 layers of clothes as the chateau isn't open to guests until after Easter when generally the weather is warm and even hot. The fact that inside the temperature is cooler may be a relief and the fact that there is no need to install air conditioning is all to the good.
The weather isn't like that in UK especially in the North but I know that and still choose to volunteer.
I accept that this is no longer a historic house as changes have been made over years but I doubt the basic beams, roof timbers, upstairs flooring etc were replaced and it is those that need protecting from harmful effects of full central heating.

So have you volunteered at the Chateau?

 

[66carola]

very strange to buy a shito chato to flip in five years if she was going to travel and spend casts amount of time in warmer places. Also for nick to work from home when 15 years later she couldn’t even upload a video on their internet.

and renovation projects are always bigger than one think but how can such educated people get it so wrong? Didn’t daddy go view it before she bought it? Surely withthem renovating granny farm he might have had a better indication of the scale of things.

wonder if Gerry inherited the 1 bedroom flat in Glasgow. Surely if he was taken in as family at a young age then daddy would have left him something.

my guess is that sj would have gotten everything whilst daddy was still alive that’s what rich people do to escape having to lose loads in tax. And the majority would have gone to mummy. Wonder if mummy is more sensible and leave her entire estate in her will to an orphanage or animal rescue.

Actually, if this is not to extreme to say, I find there a similarities between G. and D. (especially when you saw that pic, where D. is painting the sign).... If you know whereI am heading

 

[Princess and the Pea]

PrincessandthePea Post 3563159
It's not for free here in Oz. We only have ETTC original series and that's being repeated ad nauseum. There are on our cable tv (Foxtel here) and that costs $$. Mine is $100 Aus a month (about 75 US$ 80 Eu and 50 UK Pound) One of the free to air channels has just started showing ETTC but again the earliest ones. We see none of the shows mentioned on this Forum and I've only found other stuff by stumbling around and finding links, so very time consuming and the comments don't make sense to me until I've seen the shows first. I've not seen a lot of the earlier CD so I don't know who a lot of the early people are and I can't stomach going back and having to listen to her anymore. I actually don't mind Michael Petherick (what one would call a "sweet kind boy" prior to 1965) and it would be nice to see him make a go of it with a nice guy as a partner but he needs to get out of the clutches of SJ and other influences in his life and grow some cahunes (?spelling)

Ah, I didn't realise you couldn't watch it online free via YouTube in other countries. I too can't stomach watching anything she puts out any more & if I do look back it is just to see something again which when you watch in retrospect (of reading all the comments) just seems so obvious now. I think it was a slow burn with me. When I watched the initial programmes I thought she was a bit vain & faux - I mean who really clears peacock poo & climbs up a ramp to an overhead barn wearing heeled boots & a full length sheepskin coat? I too don't mind Petherick. I think his material is quite dull & the family are obviously cashing in on the whole chateau/YouTube phenomenon but I don't see them as manipulative as SJ has been in her personal life as well as now her professional one. I think he probably has realised that he can go it alone as no cross over now between them I don't think?

On

One would consider with your number of degrees you state that you currently hold, you would easily be capable of doing the research for yourself, rather than attempting to gain investment from amateurs.

Thanks again for your input Hani. Or is it Mr Potts running the account today?