Miv Watts

French Chateaux were built by French aristocrats for the gentry to live in. Seriously a French Chateau would not have ever known an MDF faux bois shelving unit, a flat pack anything, plastic windows, doors or moulding, let alone polyester curtains, stapled fauteuiles or some of the cheap and tacky wallpapers that the incumbents so proudly stand back and admire while they plan the next abhorrent undertaking they will act out for cheap reality TV. These programmes so obviously cater for the mass culture. Chateaux were never for thus. Would it be beyond your integrity to actually restore these beautiful old houses using artisans well trained in these areas rather than someone’s uncle, a retired telephone engineer. Is it not in your thinking to understand that you are ruining a culture and replacing it with another instant, quick fix based, on pure image, shallow values, ignorance, lack of curiosity and sheer lack of finesse. It is shameful and very sad.What a joy it would be to see a beautiful French chateau restored with taste, quality materials incorporating the methods taken by artisans that still take the time to learn these crafts. How sad is a culture that has learnt to take the easy route.... what is this saying to future generations. It is your responsibility to pass on honourable values. I dare you. Miv Watts PS. None of the above is directed at the original family. They are delightful and obviously have a conscience about what they are doing. It is the spin offs that have followed in the rush to keep milking the golden calf. Honestly there are already enough beautiful old houses in France that have been bastardised by retired British bank managers ripping out original floors, doors, beams etc and replacing with cheap materials from Castorama etc. Retaining the ubiquitous stone sink in the corner filled with silk flowers in a tin jug is not enough . Seriously France needs to add a clause in the mandate that forbids Brits to purchase unless they have a degree in the history of architecture or design.