The Chateau Diaries #5 Gin, sin & presents in the bin

Espe said:

I take the point about Aloysius, thank you, I must have missed that vlog. Yes, I did get up late and enjoy socialising as a student but afraid we didn't manage much champagne, oysters and quails' eggs. I could just imagine Steph and co living a more Sebastian Flyte-type existence at Oxford but, I can hear you say, Why not if she could afford it? I do, however, think the excessive materialism and acquisitiveness don't sit well with the amount of money and gifts being lavished on her at a time when so many are living on the breadline and this money could be used in other ways. She clearly has the means to spend on countless very expensive outfits, and on travel, etc., while encouraging other people, many of whom, may be less well to do, to fund Chateau projects that she could probably well afford to pay for herself.

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I don't even begrudge her the things she has, the luxury items, the designer clothes, all the expensive candles and other knickknacks. I mean, go for it if that's what makes ya happy. But her narrative is dishonest, always portraying herself as having lived through financial hardships when clearly she is very used to luxury and privilege. You can always tell a "forever rich" person by how easy and natural it is for them to spend crazy amounts on luxury items.

It also infuriates me how her volunteers all sleep in unheated, sometimes sort of semi-finished rooms and she just won't allocate funds to make their living situation better. Just...fix the damn heating! I remember how her mother, supposedly oh so precious to her, was running around in 10 coats and 20 blankets, with hot water bottles strapped to her body last winter - fix the heating Stephanie! You have the money for it! Less candles, less champagne, less useless overpriced porcelain to drive poor Cat mad, and more money for the people you pretend to care so much about to not get sick. AND for the chateau you pretend to care so much about to not crumble around you in a few years.

Thanks, Lululime. Sounds like the ram's name was influenced by both St. Aloysius in the chapel and Evelyn Waugh!

One great problem with the heating of the chateau is that they only have simple windows. Double windows make a great difference. Her heating bill would be huge if she heated the rooms correctly.......
Wonder how she can wear a dress with a hole in the back like the one in yesterdays vlog, I would freeze.

Hemerocallis said:

One great problem with the heating of the chateau is that they only have simple windows. Double windows make a great difference. Her heating bill would be huge if she heated the rooms correctly.......
Wonder how she can wear a dress with a hole in the back like the one in yesterdays vlog, I would freeze.

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The Dyson heater was pressed into service I noticed!

witchgrass said:

I don’t get it?

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Regards

It’s in reference to the post from the guardian
Click the link on the post

Espe said:

I was imagining what LOTL's life at Oxford might have been like and now I can't get the image of Sebastian Flyte of Waugh's Brideshead Revisited out of my head! I am not suggesting SJ is very like Sebastian but there are a few similarities. La Lande is not nearly as grand as Brideshead but it does have a chapel. Sebastian was a very rich, but very troubled, young man. At Oxford, he lived a hedonistic lifestyle, lunching on oysters, quails' eggs and oodles of champagne with his entourage of friends and hangers on. He met the artist, Charles Ryder, who became his lifelong reliable friend and who travelled with him, including to Venice, where Sebastian's father had a palazzo. Of course, poor Sebastian, the very privileged young man, was doomed as he was addicted to alcohol and had been very damaged by his early upbringing by his very religious and over-controlling mother (I am NOT associating Isabelle with her, by the way). The person who showed him love as a child was the old nanny who stayed on living in the house (could be associated with Gerry?). I am also willing to bet that Brideshead is where SJ found the idea when naming her ram. Sebastian, who was an adult-child, named his long-lasting Teddy Bear, Aloysius! I can imagine LOTL at Oxford, spending hours in bed reading (she did English, I believe) but maybe not doing a great deal of other work, and then living a hedonistic life, surrounded by champagne and lots of doting male companians, rather like Sebastian.

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Superb comparison I thought the same when she mentioned the ram was called Aloysius. There are definitely shades of the hedonistic but vacuous lifestyle portrayed by Sebastian Flyte, being channelled by SJ at Lalande which surely is a ‘lite’ version of Brideshead. However, I’m sure LOTL would love the grandeur of the comparison.
SJ is incredibly privileged and was clearly spoilt by her father but she does seem to have had a challenging relationship with Isabelle. It can’t have been easy to grow up with such a demanding, perfectionist for a mother.
For a 45 year old woman she displays an almost arrested emotional development at times .... squealing over a painted squirrel on a plate, or shrieking with delight when someone gives her chocolate or makes her a cup of tea. On one hand she can be serious and sophisticated (ie interviewing owner of La Mirande) but on the other she behaves with an immaturity rarely seen outside of primary school (let’s all put on gowns and rake the gravel outside !)
It’s a bizarre contrast, occasionally charming but more often annoyingly irritating.

Espe said:

I take the point about Aloysius, thank you, I must have missed that vlog. Yes, I did get up late and enjoy socialising as a student but afraid we didn't manage much champagne, oysters and quails' eggs. I could just imagine Steph and co living a more Sebastian Flyte-type existence at Oxford but, I can hear you say, Why not if she could afford it? I do, however, think the excessive materialism and acquisitiveness don't sit well with the amount of money and gifts being lavished on her at a time when so many are living on the breadline and this money could be used in other ways. She clearly has the means to spend on countless very expensive outfits, and on travel, etc., while encouraging other people, many of whom, may be less well to do, to fund Chateau projects that she could probably well afford to pay for herself.

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Completely agree with what you have written here and previously. An Oxford / Cambridge university experience, especially as described in Brideshead Revisted cannot be compared to say, uni life in a red brick uni. It is so much more. Yes, lay-ins, parties etc but that pales into insignificance in comparison to Ox/Cam student life.
Stephanie is very well-read & personally, I love your mention of Brideshead/Lalande. Methinks LOTL’s dreams are interweaved with illusions of grandeur

pettyicequeen said:

I don't even begrudge her the things she has, the luxury items, the designer clothes, all the expensive candles and other knickknacks. I mean, go for it if that's what makes ya happy. But her narrative is dishonest, always portraying herself as having lived through financial hardships when clearly she is very used to luxury and privilege. You can always tell a "forever rich" person by how easy and natural it is for them to spend crazy amounts on luxury items.

It also infuriates me how her volunteers all sleep in unheated, sometimes sort of semi-finished rooms and she just won't allocate funds to make their living situation better. Just...fix the damn heating! I remember how her mother, supposedly oh so precious to her, was running around in 10 coats and 20 blankets, with hot water bottles strapped to her body last winter - fix the heating Stephanie! You have the money for it! Less candles, less champagne, less useless overpriced porcelain to drive poor Cat mad, and more money for the people you pretend to care so much about to not get sick. AND for the chateau you pretend to care so much about to not crumble around you in a few years.

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The tall tales is another classic sign of a narc, the woe is me card and I had it so rough nonsense. When the stories don't add up, there is something a miss. You're telling me her parents had very lucrative careers and she couldn't afford to go to the zoo? HUH? Who would want to stay in a place with no proper heating. I mean how many other youtube channels have a gift grabbing channel as well? I can't think of that many. Uber tacky, She should set goals for proper windows, and such.

MojoDublin said:

U.K. and ireland have special arrangements if your grandparents or great grandmother was born Before 1930 were allowed to hold both passports
It will benefit her for travel once Brexit is done deal or no deal - she can move freely though the Eu - no visa requirements on an Irish passport

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But surely she can do all this on a French passport!

emay said:

Just spotted BG has her calendar finally for sale(£19!!!!!!), be quick only 10 left!!!! Someones asked again if any of the money going to LaLande....she's yet to reply!!

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I'll give it a miss..lol

Espe said:

I was imagining what LOTL's life at Oxford might have been like and now I can't get the image of Sebastian Flyte of Waugh's Brideshead Revisited out of my head! I am not suggesting SJ is very like Sebastian but there are a few similarities. La Lande is not nearly as grand as Brideshead but it does have a chapel. Sebastian was a very rich, but very troubled, young man. At Oxford, he lived a hedonistic lifestyle, lunching on oysters, quails' eggs and oodles of champagne with his entourage of friends and hangers on. He met the artist, Charles Ryder, who became his lifelong reliable friend and who travelled with him, including to Venice, where Sebastian's father had a palazzo. Of course, poor Sebastian, the very privileged young man, was doomed as he was addicted to alcohol and had been very damaged by his early upbringing by his very religious and over-controlling mother (I am NOT associating Isabelle with her, by the way). The person who showed him love as a child was the old nanny who stayed on living in the house (could be associated with Gerry?). I am also willing to bet that Brideshead is where SJ found the idea when naming her ram. Sebastian, who was an adult-child, named his long-lasting Teddy Bear, Aloysius! I can imagine LOTL at Oxford, spending hours in bed reading (she did English, I believe) but maybe not doing a great deal of other work, and then living a hedonistic life, surrounded by champagne and lots of doting male companians, rather like Sebastian.

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blink twice if you are our long lost friend C

66carola said:

But this would mean anybody coming to the chateau is just a victim and has no say whatsoever in their relationship. Doesn't seem fair to them. It takes two to tango. I don't find the squirrel too bad. You don't know how Marie finds them. In the end she is the florist and has to satisfy the customer not herself. If she will be annoyed about clients not liking all of her decorations she soon won't have any. You could also say that Marie made fun of SJ to not give her the kind of display she for sure knew SJ would like.

The big wreath e. g. would have looked better with the big red bows. Only cinemon was lost there. I feel she didn't delivered what the customer asked for.


But isn't this what all of us did at university? Sleeping in, Reading in bed, going to classes only in the afternoon and hanging out and making friends in the evening? Having parties and in-between some exams? Can't blame her for it


It was also sweet to hear about he wants to create an atelier for artist. And to see that he is d'accord with SJ plans for the chateau (many here were wondering) He seems to be truely enchanted by lalande, too.

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it actually doesnt take 2, but we can live in denial to feel better

sandro37 said:

EU pasports (french or Uk ) are all burgundy

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Hemerocallis said:

The red bow

1. walked the path of all earthly things and there is
a) no money to buy a new one
b) oups, a bow, didn't think of that, we're so spontanously having fun

2. got left under loads of rubbish / peacock- or batshit in the attics / stables / cellar


3. was transformed bei SJ into a dress because she had "nothing to wear"

View attachment 341395

?????????


which one ?

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He sure did.. twice saying Michael was the only fairy on the tree... The second time Michael said no, I'm the star! Didn't seem to mind being outed!

sandro37 said:

it actually doesnt take 2, but we can live in denial to feel better

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You decide how you let people treat you, so it does take two

sandro37 said:

blink twice if you are our long lost friend C

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No, I'm an ageing UK resident!!

Tonights calendar was about the nativity scene. SJ ordered the holy family and shepherd with sheep from Napels.
Only the best....
They looked really expensive. And people donated money to chip in.
If you don't have money you order something less expensive.
At the end ,Cat, PP and SJ sang a christmas song in the chapel.
Cat and Philip have really good singing voices !

TheycallmeMimi said:

At the end ,Cat, PP and SJ sang a christmas song in the chapel.
Cat and Philip have really good singing voices !

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Cat can certainly give SJ a run for her money!

TheycallmeMimi said:

Tonights calendar was about the nativity scene. SJ ordered the holy family and shepherd with sheep from Napels.
Only the best....
They looked really expensive. And people donated money to chip in.
If you don't have money you order something less expensive.
At the end ,Cat, PP and SJ sang a christmas song in the chapel.
Cat and Philip have really good singing voices !

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And the family was not even beautiful I always enjoy their singing

MojoDublin said:

My Mum was watching ... laughing she commented
That one suffers from notions !!!

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Pour your Mum a drink from me That was my advent present

A never used in 15 years, worthless wretched wood worm infested creche is returned to attic as "it is original to the Chateau and part of its history." I've realised SJ is a delusional hoarder. They had a dry rot problem when they purchased Chateau. Note the state of attic - wasn't like that a year ago see vlogs with Oli and tour. Better episode. Selmar did a great job. PP using plural possessive pronoun again "we" will have these expensive statues for years. Sigh. He' staying.

arwensgal1975 said:

I mean how many other youtube channels have a gift grabbing channel as well? I can't think of that many. Uber tacky, She should set goals for proper windows, and such.

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You'd be surprised, you're obviously watching the wrong youtubers
At least she hasn't gone down the route of making an amazon wishlist for people to pick the gifts from (unlike Marie!)

BG's expanded her LaLande products and she REALLY needs to improve their photoshop skills,

emay said:

You'd be surprised, you're obviously watching the wrong youtubers
At least she hasn't gone down the route of making an amazon wishlist for people to pick the gifts from (unlike Marie!)

BG's expanded her LaLande products and she REALLY needs to improve their photoshop skills, View attachment 342498

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Oh Lord give me strength! LOL! I can't believe Marie is asking people that? So Brenda is on Etsy? I'll have to check it out, my she doesn't know when to quit. So I just took a look, it looks like a picture of Diesel in the calander and a picture of Mummy that was painted for her bday. And from what I remember in the summer another fan's artwork. Boy she really is outright "stealing" it's pathetic on her part.

Diesel? Or?