The Chateau Diaries #288 Stephanie has the life everyone dreams of and everyone else pays for

[CountessPompidoo]

Sooo, I was just thinking....
I'm an old naive woman, but:

Billy was convicted on Monday. The English newspaper article was then, too. How did they - the English - know about it? It's not that Billie is a world famous celebrity with paparazzi all around. Nobody on here had known or read about the theft before it appeared in the Daily Mail. I wouldn't think about it any further, if the article had appeared later in the week, after the French newspapers wrote about it. Escessially when England had their BIG news about Charles' cancer announcement at the same time as Billie's conviction. Are Billie and Charles of the same importance?
Did somebody tipp them off? Who told them? On whose radar - newspaperwise - had they been for some time?
I find it a bit confusing.

Well, that begs a question they fell out with the UK Channel 4 and The Strawbridges about the same time.
Before the theft trial, The DM reported Billy’s AWOL.
Maybe a researcher from there tipped off The DM.
Or anyone else that they pissed off
I’d imagine Brits near The Pethericks and even beyond, gossip about them. Gossip can trickle back to all sorts of places.

 

[NotAChatelaine]

Fanny is so ignorant. She knew the saint associated with the Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage as she knew his symbol was a scallop shell but didn't know that he is Saint James in English. The Camino route goes through France on the way to Spain and Fanny was presumably brought up as a Catholic so she should be better informed. If she had had any interest at all in the chapel, other than as a party venue, she would have found out all about the statues in it.

But, but, but…she did/does know that St. Jacques is St. James.

In July 2022, Steff and the prancing twerp did a road trip to see Ollie and Camilla’s less-than-magical mansion in Spain.. Patrons were treated to some footage of the drive, which included an overnight stay in Valendré with a bit of sightseeing (and an expensive lunch) the next day.

An extract from the transcript, with part of the Stephanie Soliloquy about the Pont de Valentré

“…and you see the little shell set into the floor…this a scallop shell. In French, scallops are called cookie sanjak [closed caps! Coquille St. Jacques] which means the shell of St James, and they're the marker to show pilgrims the way to Santiago de Compostela, the shrine of St James in Spain. In medieval times, pilgrims would come from all over europe to walk to Santiago in Spain, and whenever you see a scallop shell on a path or a building it is a symbol that they're on the right track…”

Shoehorns a reference to the crumbling heap:

“…In fact, during the renovations of Lalande in the 19th century the new tower was rebuilt with a scallop shell at the top, just over the very top window, and i think that that was probably done by the [de Nadaillacs] who are an extremely religious family, as a symbol that château de Lalande is very close to the pilgrim trail to Santiago…”

She omitted the nitty-gritty of why the scallop shell is linked to St. Jacques/James - probably not mentioned in the tourist guide.

 

[Le Baiseur]

We’ve spent a good bit of time on the morality of the latest Billster news, but I am curious about a couple other things. Did the articles indicate when he was caught? I think the AWOL thing was 2021-22? We’re the thefts 2020? Remember when Michael started out and Billy didn’t want to be in the vlogs much? Was he already caught yet? When he started the Pethericks he must have surely been caught by then. I seem to remember he started then quit for quite a while. Gwen was really shy about being filmed. She’s always been a bit shy until lately.

Looks like he and Ryan were thick as thieves in the time period of the thefts? Was he involved? He did say that he and Billy used to buy and sell stuff. Wonder if Ryan made himself unavailable in Thailand for nearly a year on purpose? It’s quite incredible to think all of these issues were going on in the background while either Michael or Billy were posting videos. Maybe some of Michael’s anxiety was related to these issues? They were having kids when all of this was going on. The stress must have been horrible.

I feel like he must have been doing this before the money Gwen inherited came into play. I think 2014 would have been when they first started dating/living together. Ryan was their roomie. They lived in Rennes. She worked in a clothing store and he was doing electronics installs and stealing church tit.

It takes balls to be on tv with desertion hanging over your head. I’m guessing he probably knew he’d skate out if caught. I find it interesting that the thefts were pursued for so long. It took six years to get them and ten for it to be public.

There’s been no change in his subscriber numbers yet. I’m sure they will stay at their current level at least until he posts a video again. After the video, who knows? Also, I’m wondering if Ryan separated himself/channel from Billster’s to avoid losing subscribers when the tit hit the fan. I think all his friends knew the tit was going to hit the fan for a while now.

According to the article @Pyke posted yesterday, this is something they've been dealing with for a few years. I found this quote interesting:

"In this case, the man had already served three months in pre-trial detention. The couple was also banned from seeing each other for several months and placed under judicial supervision until 2020."

Thefts in churches in Brittany: a youtuber and a chatelaine sentenced | Vitré's Journal (actu.fr)

 

[KyBourbon]

Well, that begs a question they fell out with the UK Channel 4 and The Strawbridges about the same time.
Before the theft trial, The DM reported Billy’s AWOL.
Maybe a researcher from there tipped off The DM.
Or anyone else that they pissed off
I’d imagine Brits near The Pethericks and even beyond, gossip about them. Gossip can trickle back to all sorts of places.

The timing is interesting. Seems like when Michael talks crap about the Strawbridges, a salacious story about Billy finds its way to the Daily Mail.

“Angel stole my design” - followed by Billy’s military desertion story
“Dick Strawbridge ‘broke’ the chandelier” - followed by Billy and Gwen convicted of theft story.

Michael…maybe it’s best you move on from the Strawbridges. Your grudge might be causing a lot more harm!

 

[Seeingitasitis]

Something that I noticed…shortly after Michael released his “cry me a river” video about how Angel Strawbridge “stole” his wallpaper design and how the Strawbridges got them kicked off Channel 4, the story came out about Billy’s desertion from the military. A lot of us wondered if Billy’s AWOL was the real reason they were dismissed from Channel 4 (Dick Strawbridge wouldn’t have been happy about Billy’s desertion given his background). Then…in the last video Michael released on Doing It Ourselves (Chandelier Disaster), he poked fun at Dick Strawbridge…even included a video clip of Dick working on the chandelier and implying he was the reason for the issues. No more videos from Michael after that…and now the story comes out about Billy’s theft conviction. Both stories (AWOL and theft) in the UK Daily Mail. So…Are the Strawbridges behind the tip offs? Are they, not so subtly, telling the Pethericks (specifically Michael) to quit bleeping with them? Just a guess…but interesting thought.

I do hope so.

 

[M&MsMom]

Sooo, I was just thinking....
I'm an old naive woman, but:

Billy was convicted on Monday. The English newspaper article was then, too. How did they - the English - know about it? It's not that Billie is a world famous celebrity with paparazzi all around. Nobody on here had known or read about the theft before it appeared in the Daily Mail. I wouldn't think about it any further, if the article had appeared later in the week, after the French newspapers wrote about it. Escessially when England had their BIG news about Charles' cancer announcement at the same time as Billie's conviction. Are Billie and Charles of the same importance?
Did somebody tipp them off? Who told them? On whose radar - newspaperwise - had they been for some time?
I find it a bit confusing.

Where I live, court dockets are posted on Friday evening for the following week. Reporters/newspapers/television watch court dockets when they come out, to see if anyone they're interested in is going to be in court, then they show up at the trial or pay someone to tell them what happened at trial.

 

[Seeingitasitis]

So with Billy's criminal conviction, does this impact YouTube and Patreon? Can he be kicked off either site?

I do hope so.

 

[Hercule P]

Gwen's parents were wealthy, therefore when she was a student they paid for uni, accomodation, food, car, pocket money, etc
So why would the couple steal ????? Drugs ?????
Or did her parents only give her the minimum because they were very angry and disappointed with her affair with Billy who was not considered to be the perfect son-in-law ???????

Her mothern was buried in July 2015. There was a service in church.
Her sister's partner is named in the announcement, but nothing about Billy.
According to the French news paper, they commited the thefts in 2014.
How awful if her mother knew about the thefts before dying.

For the moment they must be busy removing the comments and having meetings about crisis communication.
Shall he resume his videos pretending nothing has happened or....

That problem might be a trigger for a split up which I hope won't happen. Although I can't stand thefts, lies, shenanigans, etc, I hope it won't happen: 2 young kids, a whole family homeless, Billy jobless with no qualifications.....

An old French saying: "un moment de honte est vite passé" moment of shame quickly passed.
Kate Moss was caught sniffing drugs. She was lynched, lost her contracts, then she was back on work as if nothing has happened.
H Grant was caught with a prostitute; mugshot all over the media etc (IMHO they were 2 consenting adults and nobody was harmed, so WTH).
He never stopped working and In December he was bragging with Maxicon, the King and Camilla at Versailles.

People will not forget but will stop talking about it after a while but some scars will stay for ever.
Things will never be the same.
Would I do business with them ? No way.
If meeting him I would hold my bag tight

It is wise to have cameras at the château and the convent. On the other hand, it also shows he knows too well....

What happened to Sally ? Why did she wanish ?????

 

[M&MsMom]

Imagine how lovely that room could be with the refinished exposed wood, painted clean walls, pops of colour introduced into the soft furnishings and tasteful art work. Instead Fanny is going to clutter it up as usual.

Like this, maybe?
(Maurices House, Chateau de la Ruche)

 

[asumgal]

Gwen's parents were wealthy, therefore when she was a student they paid for uni, accomodation, food, car, pocket money, etc
So why would the couple steal ?????

This is the thing. They were driving around in a Porsche and a Mercedes. Definitely not in it for the money. I suggest innate thieving tendencies. The Trotters are chancers. Billy saw that churches were kept unlocked and he saw a chance to thieve.
We had a lot of fun in the early days of this forum, joking about the family being bodgers and almost loveable rogues like the Trotters from Only Fools and Horses or the Grundys from the Archers, but that was before Sadies comments came to light and the serious grifting by Michael began. And now this evidence of Billy's concerted and planned programme of stealing. Not a nice family at all.

 

[Fennelbug]

Like this, maybe?
(Maurices House, Chateau de la Ruche)
View attachment 2744107

Never will happen- not 80’s enough. That wallpaper ‘they’ chose is CorelleWare and muted tones of peach circa 1983. Very Barbara Cartland. Also surfaces in above photo way too useable and clear. Not nearly enough cheap ceramic crap. It seems like the rooms are deliberately cluttered to encourage very short uncomfortable visits

 

[Pyke]

You Tube comments asking The Pethericks where are you ?

 

[pink roses]

Pfffff... religious organizations have been conning and stealing from the masses for centuries... what's a measly 76 nik nacks off their books?

I don't condone theft, but I'm in no rush to clutch my pearls over this either. Billister and Gwen were stupid to do what they did and were tried, convicted and charged for it. All hail the due process!

Now, I'll go read to see what else I missed whilst I was chilling under the Pacific North West's sun...

View attachment 2743155

True, true about churches stealing from the masses ,But….. What kind of despicable human being steals from a church? I don’t care what your age ,I don’t care about your excuse of being too young ,I don’t care ! there’s right and wrong and stealing from a church is so wrong….You’re just a lowlife.. I don’t care what your background is, it’s just the lowest of the low…. Just my opinion.

 

[M&MsMom]

According to the article @Pyke posted yesterday, this is something they've been dealing with for a few years. I found this quote interesting:

"In this case, the man had already served three months in pre-trial detention. The couple was also banned from seeing each other for several months and placed under judicial supervision until 2020."

Thefts in churches in Brittany: a youtuber and a chatelaine sentenced | Vitré's Journal (actu.fr)

That was an interesting piece of info for me, too. I don't understand how France's judicial system works, but in the US, all of that kind of stuff would have been dealt with AFTER a conviction (except, of course, for pre-trial detention, which would only happen if you didn't have the money to post bail before trial) - almost like probation. Yet, in all articles, this story was presented as though the conviction occurred on Monday of this week. Then, you look at the date that they were under court supervision until, as this article states, 2020, and wonder why it then took 4 years to get to the point they were at on Monday. I know Covid delayed a lot of hearings and trials here in the States, but many proceeded online and are more than caught up at this date. It is almost as if they were already found guilty with these stipulations put in, and that Monday was more or less like a hearing to review whether they'd been on the straight and narrow before releasing them, like an expungement would be here in the US.

Very odd.

 

[Jeeves]

True, true about churches stealing from the masses ,But….. What kind of despicable human being steals from a church? I don’t care what your age ,I don’t care about your excuse of being too young ,I don’t care ! there’s right and wrong and stealing from a church is so wrong….You’re just a lowlife.. I don’t care what your background is, it’s just the lowest of the low…. Just my opinion.

I don't have any strong feelings about the that being from churches. For me the disgrace is that Billy was (is?) a prolific thief. This wasn't a single temptation but a habit. Of course Gwen knew about it, as I am certain did the rest of the family and Ryan. I can't help but feel that there are plenty of tales that could surface about Michael from his time in Manchester. ( Michael is the one that I dislike most of the Petherick clan and certainly don't find him at all attractive. He looks like a sly little weasel IMO.). Pa seems to be the only decent one of the whole tribe. OIf it wasn't for the two innocent little boys involved, I happily watch the whole sordid mess crash down around them. @Pekey and I were correct from the outset when we referred to Teabag aa a spiv.
Interesting comment posted here earlier from someone who seemed certain that Billy had stolen from their home in France.

 

[M&MsMom]

True, true about churches stealing from the masses ,But….. What kind of despicable human being steals from a church? I don’t care what your age ,I don’t care about your excuse of being too young ,I don’t care ! there’s right and wrong and stealing from a church is so wrong….You’re just a lowlife.. I don’t care what your background is, it’s just the lowest of the low…. Just my opinion.

I'm just going to repeat what I said yesterday.
Stealing from anyone, any entity, whether a church or not, 40 separate times, is evidence of not being a good person. Whether it's a church or not, 40 DIFFERENT TIMES you took something from someone that WAS NOT YOURS.

Whew. I feel better now.

 

[Lady Avonlea]

Who thinks Fanny and Sebastian have already 'blessed the chapel' so to speak? (I bet Ruby knows)

Sebastian is always careful to be wearing gloves so don't know if he wears a wedding ring, but the chapel restorers are staying nearby during the week and only going home on odd weekends.

 

[Cleo's Asp]

But, but, but…she did/does know that St. Jacques is St. James.

In July 2022, Steff and the prancing twerp did a road trip to see Ollie and Camilla’s less-than-magical mansion in Spain.. Patrons were treated to some footage of the drive, which included an overnight stay in Valendré with a bit of sightseeing (and an expensive lunch) the next day.

An extract from the transcript, with part of the Stephanie Soliloquy about the Pont de Valentré

“…and you see the little shell set into the floor…this a scallop shell. In French, scallops are called cookie sanjak [closed caps! Coquille St. Jacques] which means the shell of St James, and they're the marker to show pilgrims the way to Santiago de Compostela, the shrine of St James in Spain. In medieval times, pilgrims would come from all over europe to walk to Santiago in Spain, and whenever you see a scallop shell on a path or a building it is a symbol that they're on the right track…”

Shoehorns a reference to the crumbling heap:

“…In fact, during the renovations of Lalande in the 19th century the new tower was rebuilt with a scallop shell at the top, just over the very top window, and i think that that was probably done by the [de Nadaillacs] who are an extremely religious family, as a symbol that château de Lalande is very close to the pilgrim trail to Santiago…”

She omitted the nitty-gritty of why the scallop shell is linked to St. Jacques/James - probably not mentioned in the tourist guide.

In the latest vlog, she knew it was St.Jacques but didn't appear to know it was St.James in English even though she had said that when she was with Ollie!

 

[Pyke]

Wait for the B&B child guest at the end talking to Snorts

 

[Frenchie0810]

Billy’s driving…Michael is making the hand gesture. They were much younger in the photo

Those two could easily be twins.. I cannot tell them apart in some photos. Billy usually bigger.