The Chateau Diaries #12 Carry on grifting

[FrannyBee]

P

And don’t forget she didn’t even get the side with the natural light. That was reserved for Oliver who hasn’t been there painting at all because there is a pandemic! She really is abused by SJ.

Pno Post 3682071 OO! OO! OO! -new idea for SJ. (Sorry MojoDublin and NorrisCS) If Marie'is going velvet sofa shopping, how about opening the space Marie was using for the storage of hedgerow flowers, AS A BROCANTE - "Treasures of LaLaLande" - Member suggestions for a catchy name? All the unwanted stuff received for CATC can be sold and BJJ would make a perfect shop assistant as his sense of style, artistic flair, and display skills could be utilised - after all, with SJ spending half the day in bed, his duties as Page of the Back Stairs can't be too onerous.

If there is enough room, also a furniture restoration area (more work for BJJ and to draw on his upholstery skills, plus all that toile fabric sent in the gift grab could be sold at a mark up for restoration projects) Picture framing department, (pick up frames from local thrift shop, put in prints photocopies from old books and sell as "Historic Visions of LaLaLande") All the old clothes she sorted out and the scarves. bags, dresses etc all from CATC -set up a "Boutique" When Mummeee comes back she could be put to work potting up all those seed packets and there could be a Gardening shop including all the gardening gloves, hats and candles, wind chimes etc (drop hints on vlog - summer's coming Mummee needs new gardening hats, sunscreen (only top brands as Mummeee's skin is so sensitive) - OO OO - Tea rooms? You must have enough China by now (not the Spode, Oh please God not the Spode) Selma could make his Apple and Banana pies, MPK could make his Rose cake - MPK could run the tea rooms or at the very least help BJJ. Can Ma Petherick et al cook for the tea rooms? Could any of the P's help out or assist - I'M ON FIRE - Somebody stop me.

 

[Mand]

Jeeves Post 3681010 - I know MojoDublin is going to be cross with me for passing on more terrific ideas, but I suggest Joanne Lumley in the role of SJ. I see her as a cross between Patsy and a younger Hyacinth Bookay. I'm sure Joanne could pass as a 45 year old (or more importantly after a night on the tiles SJ could pass as a 75 year old) and I think she speaks French (or she can act that Frenchified rolling of R's and squealing of Mummeeee). I'm working on MPK, BJJ and Brenda ( Imight need some help with her as I never saw her on a vlog - was she camera shy?). Maybe Judy Dench for Mummeee but might be out of our budget as Production costs not yet set (ie how much it's going to cost to rent LaLaland as SJ can be notoriously difficult with money matters as she has to sell the idea to Mummee. Long way to go yet but just wanted to let MojoDublin I'm on to it and I'm after cocktails and DB's.

I am totally up for a virtual fantasy Lalande Panto. Loving the Joanna Lumley Patsy, though I’m not seeing mini apron Isabelle as Judi Dench. I think Helen Mirren could do a great Mummy. And Peter Mullen or Limmy as Gerry. The possibilities are endless....

 

[NorrisCS]

Indeed he does, but according to French law, he does not qualify. He needs to have a minimum of three official clients, not SSB and one or two fake invoices to the Ians or whatnot. He is dancing with danger if he does not solve this problem, as the locals will hardly employ him; his credentials are insufficient to be employable as a proper tradesman in France.

Selmar is living under a false sense of security and I am sure she knows it - she just does not want to pay employer's insurance; very sneaky indeed.

I also hope he doesn't get silicosis working with those flagstones.

I think his paper said (in the vlog Selmar big news or some title like that) that he is a ‘Handyman’.

 

[Definitely Maybe]

I could picture the late great June Whitfield as 'Mummy' . Maybe all of the cast could be from 'Ab Fab' ?

 

[sailonsilvergirl]

For those of you who understand French I've got an example here (found on a French taxation forum) of someone who's received Patreon money and doesn't seem to know how or where to declare it. It all seems to be completely unregulated.

I think some clarification is needed as I don't see why I and everyone else should work and pay tax while these people get paid a fortune for making a few videos and don't seem to pay any tax at all.

Wow. Here in the U.S. I make about $600 a year from Google ads on my blog. Clearly, I don't work the begging bowl enough! I don't care, it would never be a substantial income source, and I have other better options in life for income. But even with $600, I get a declaration of my earnings from Google, and I have to claim it for income tax. This is end of January, the time of year when all these income notices come in the mail. Years ago I even got notice for $50 I got paid for a guest blog. That was reported to the U.S. government. I wonder how Patreon and Google handle this income reporting, in the U.S. and other countries. Does France require the souce of income like Patreon and Google/YouTube to report to the French government?

 

[Rory]

From today's vlog. "We have all had covid tests" drive 6 hours. Stop at supermarket for food and flowers (ie public mixing). Arrive chateau. "We will eat seperately as we don't have our results until tomorrow". JMJ (catholic thing) how dumb are these people.

 

[Pansygirl]

On live chat while waiting for the vlog this evening someone asked (Loki I think) where Philipe was. SJ,replied he was doing a zoom audition for a musical. I’m sure that’s what she said?

 

[Get6alife]

It's legal. His decision to sleep in his camper doesn't come out of necessity. There's a room in the house for him.

I read his reply on FB to a comment that he has been living in his camper for 10 years now. I am not sure what the deal is. I know he likes the freedom to move and go freely whenever he wants too, but how does he live, financially and most importantly the health insurance issue. He is a kind man and knows some handy work, a tango instructor, but we don't know much about him besides coming to La Lande the night before the lockdown as workaway individual.

 

[Frances Nicole]

if only Marie could tell us how she really feels ...

 

[Lululime]

On live chat while waiting for the vlog this evening someone asked (Loki I think) where Philipe was. SJ,replied he was doing a zoom audition for a musical. I’m sure that’s what she said?

Must be a remake of Hair....

 

[Mand]

From today's vlog. "We have all had covid tests" drive 6 hours. Stop at supermarket for food and flowers (ie public mixing). Arrive chateau. "We will eat seperately as we don't have our results until tomorrow". JMJ (catholic thing) how dumb are these people.

I had a Covid test 2 weeks ago in France. Stopped off at the Mairie. Showed my Carte vitale. Had my nose investigated. Waited 15 mins in the adjacent room. Got my results. (Negative. Woohoo) Rural areas like Lalande have no queues. Busy cities are a nightmare of bustle and queues. There’s no reason for them to have had to wait for results. There’s a huge “depistage” campaign in France. It’s really easy to get tested and get almost instant results.

 

[sailonsilvergirl]

And actually if you read the threads (sorry I am a bit cross now) there is a universal view that Marie is being used doing all the cooking and she has a poor deal with renting unheated and elsewise unusable STABLES. In terms of her artistic capabilities, yes reviews on this site are critical..

... in all fairness, all our thoughts about what Marie thinks about cooking, or her rent or working arrangement at Lalande, are our guesses and our theories and ideas. The only one who truly knows is Marie. There is no proof of any of our theories and thoughts unless Marie says something to confirm or deny. It doesn't seem right to criticize people's contributions here based on things you think, when there is no proof. We may be right, we may be wrong.

I am not white knighting for Marie, I just have a research background and get triggered by confusions about ideas and personal opinions vs confirmed facts with evidence.

 

[Lululime]

Do you think she’s clearing out her wardrobes so Lord Nostrils can fit his stuff in......

I have a research background and think it’s fine to hypothesise.....but each to their own...

 

[The Soloist]

So they took Covid tests and drove across the country even though they hadn't gotten their results back yet. Lol, alright.

I'm not really happy about this chateau crossover either if I'm being honest. I understand it's a small community but I wish Anna and Phil would have kept their distance for now. No one needs to drive across France for flower arrangements in a pandemic.

Wondering what the reason that they couldn't work from home or have a Zoom call hardly essential travel was it? I can't watch the Jarvis any more. Assume social distancing was being observed when the two groups mixed together.

 

[NorrisCS]

So they took Covid tests and drove across the country even though they hadn't gotten their results back yet. Lol, alright.

I'm not really happy about this chateau crossover either if I'm being honest. I understand it's a small community but I wish Anna and Phil would have kept their distance for now. No one needs to drive across France for flower arrangements in a pandemic.

Really bad decision on The Fleuries part. I’d say they did not initiate the gathering. I’d say she who must be obeyed and can do no wrong ever and people should be so thankful for her presence sent news to the Fleuries that the LaLaLanders were coming.... then went rummaging through her knicker drawer for her Hello Boys wonder bra from the 90’s (cause it still fits her) to try take poor Italian Philip’s eyes with the sadly aging little knockers.

 

[Jeeves]

I could picture the late great June Whitfield as 'Mummy' . Maybe all of the cast could be from 'Ab Fab' ?

Alice Tinker from The Vicar of Dibley as Marie Roadkill Flowers.

 

[maximreed]

Alice Tinker from The Vicar of Dibley as Marie Roadkill Flowers.

Ooooh the late Emma Chambers.

 

[Jeeves]

Really bad decision on The Fleuries part. I’d say they did not initiate the gathering. I’d say she who must be obeyed and can do no wrong ever and people should be so thankful for her presence sent news to the Fleuries that the LaLaLanders were coming.... then went rummaging through her knicker drawer for her Hello Boys wonder bra from the 90’s (cause it still fits her) to try take poor Italian Philip’s eyes with the sadly aging little knockers.

I'm sure Phil of the Back Passage (sorry, Back Stairs) is fully acquainted with her knicker drawer.

 

[Sandton]

Do you think she’s clearing out her wardrobes so Lord Nostrils can fit his stuff in......

I have a research background and think it’s fine to hypothesise.....but each to their own...

lord nostrils is gay he doesn’t hide it. But people seem to want to constantly pair him of with sj.

 

[FrannyBee]

Gotta rant here....

I'm sorry, this may just be me being pissy but why is it only "stupid Americans" that you're targeting here? They receive packages from all over the world and, gleaning from the comments, her Patrons are from all over the world, also. I am NOT a Patron but I am an American and I'm personally offended by this remark. And I do NOT get offended easily!

Rant over...sorry.

Phoenix Richards-Bingham Post 36886400. I've watched most of the "Cringe at the ShatO" gift grab and I have to admit that it appears that a large % are from US. OZ and NZ not so much (except Jill maybe) 'cos we haven't seen ETTCDIY yet - it starts in Feb sometime. It may be that to the rest of the world, US is so rich, although that perception after the past 4 years and the Covid numbers, has drastically changed. I know it's low hanging fruit and I have posted alluding to Grannies and Great Aunt Agatha's china cabinets being raided for Spode etc, but do these misguided people even know what Spode (even the modern stuff) is worth? Google Antique Spode for sale and you will be shocked at the value of Same with Limoge and any of the high end names - they were exclusive and expensive 100 - 200 years ago and only increase in value. Can you see SJ at the china outlet if it was just for the hoy polloy? I've just had a flash go through my head of Chevy Chase and family, lost in the back roads of Limoge, finding LaLaland late at night whilst Sj's gang are in the middle of one of their extravanganzas (think Rocky Horror Show meets European Vacation), all played to the sound of SJ singing in operatic mode "Hotel California" (cue lawyer for The Eagles drafting "cease and desist" letter)