Dear Lord, pass me the sick bucket..
Dear Brenda's latest offerings....
'As we near the end of 2022, & take a glance back at what has been achieved with The Christmas Diaries, Advent series & The Chateau Diaries channel itself since it started in Autumn 2018, the growth is amazing.
With over 213k subscribers, 71 million views on the You Tube channel, charitable donations, providing employment & of course restoring the Chateau & Grounds,
This year's Advent series, has been the best yet, in terms of views, with almost 2.5million under its belt!
The growth is due to a number of factors, there is no denying Stephanie's determination to produce her vlogs every week regardless of any mishaps is a key point. The content is varied & interesting & of course the steady flow of volunteers & family members who contribute to daily life putting their twist to the script. Not forgetting our joy at seeing old faces returning for flying visits..it all adds to the charm & attraction.
Mummy's straight forward approach, frugal & sensible at all times...Stephanie's eccentricity....which brings out the part of us that has secretly wished we hadn't always made the "easy" choice...Tatinette, this petite character with so much love & encouragement to give, an Aunt & God Mother who has influenced Stephanie through out her life...introducing her to frivolous beauty, nurturing a love of all things nice...especially Christmas....Scotman/Gerald....Stephanie's brother in every way, whilst not a blood relative, he has taken the role of custodian which was placed on him as a teenager when he used to look after the baby Stephanie, A bond was created in those very early days.....that will never be broken!!. Always there....always on the sidelines if he is needed,for friendly advice, a reality check....or a cuddle when the day has been tough!.....Derek Jarvis will be very proud of how he has looked after the apple of his eye in his absence, the two college friends, Michael & Nic who supported her dream of living in a castle...they supported her when things weren't so promising...now she has the opportunity to return that loyalty by improving the chateau & fulfilling those dreams to reality. Amaury the supportive cousin who will tackle anything & protect her at all costs. Philip, the softly spoken volunteer, who has ended up being so much more...her support, her encouragement, her constant....her rock...& very clearly the love of her life.
Of course we also have the staff..Kirsty & her team in the garden, Natalia & the B& B team, Nick the groundsman etc....all contributing to the success.
Of course you, the followers & patrons play the biggest role. Without your continued support, there would be no Chateau Diaries. Your ongoing interest & viewing of Stephanie's vlogs is a tremendous bonus to her channel, she is very aware of this, & is eternally grateful for your support.
The new has lots to offer, Amaury will be undertaking the structural work....phase 1 of the heating installation will begin, the Chapel Restoration stage 1 will commence, the garden plans will evolve & in between rooms & areas will be tweaked.....so much to keep us occupied & interested.
Some day in the very distant future, when we are sitting in our rocking chairs on the porch, we can reminisce how we contributed to the restoration of a 16th century chateau in France, called, Chateau de Lalande, that will be enjoyed by many more generations because of our help!!!!!
Team work makes dreams work.......well done everyone xx'
I still can’t believe that, after more than a decade of cold winters, the new heating installation will start this month, and it’s thanks to all of you who have made it possible
he’s completely qualified and can fix the lot 
‘s
