laurawaterford
Thu 17-Aug-06 16:33:59
We have just returned from Brittany and stayed at this 'site'. We booked it in February after fairly extensive searching, accessing their website, speaking to them etc.. When we arrived, expecting a ninehole golf course, go-kart track, tennis, private swmming pool, restaurant, as well as our accommodation which was a converted 16th century chapel, our accommodation had bat droppings on the bed daily, and bats flying around our bedroom at night, a dead GOAT in the unusable go-kart tract, our private swimming pool was a raised plastic tub. The general indoor heated swimming pool didnt appear to exist, there was no tennis court, we only found 3 golf holes, the restaurant didnt open at all, open cesspits, burning hot water out of the taps, no water in showers or loos for hours, on different days. The setting was idyllic, on the edge of a lake. However the chateau had been demolished in the 1970s and what is referred to as the chateau is in fact a poorly converted stable block. Our furniture was shabby and there was lino on the floor, and broken door handles, doors that couldnt close, leaky showers, broken handrails on the stairs, the list goes on and on . The owners, I think, are probably nice people but cannot cope, and are dishonest about the way they market the place: I dont think they deliberately lie - just use poetic license. We are shattered from lack of sleep, too much usual cooking (no restaurant and no barbeque as promised), and the sheer disappointment of coming all the way from Ireland to that. We paid 2600 euro for the accommodation alone for the two weeks. Not cheap.
plupervert
Sun 16-Jan-11 21:47:23
Isn't "murder" a little premature? And possibly prejudicial?
Good crikey, what a sad story. 
Poor children indeed - and poor woman.
TheFoosa
Sun 09-Jan-11 11:32:41
just read the Guardian article then googled and this thread was top search 
amazing story, so sorry for their children
it is to do with this thread bluebump - isn't the Laura of this thread the Laura in the article? Jon Ronson must have contacted her from here
I was just searching for this thread to link to the article but you're there ahead of me. All very sad.
I thought that article in the magazine today was something to do with this thread!
coastgirl
Sat 08-Jan-11 17:47:48
When I read that article I didn't expect to end up back at MN. Terrible story.
Very interesting and macabre story indeed
sux2bsanta
Sat 08-Jan-11 00:43:10
And here is his article in todays guardian which linked back to here...
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/08/expat- dream-turned-sour-jon-ronson
By the way, hello Jon Ronson 
. Best way for you to contact those posters would be to private message them - click on "message poster" on the line where their name appears and they'll get an email notification. Hope that's not a patronising explanation (patronising means "to talk down to someone")
horrifying turn of events
ilovedplaydays
Fri 15-Oct-10 10:25:19
bloody hell!! Just read it quickly, about the murder. Wow! Poor, poor, poor kids.
ilovedplaydays
Fri 15-Oct-10 10:17:19
Hi. I'm intrigued to see chateau de crape resurrected! Have not read all the messages yet, so have to do that. I am laurawaterford, unfortunately I cannot log under that any longer for some reason - think cos I can't access my old email site. Anyway, hence my new name.
Happy to be back!!
jonronson
Mon 04-Oct-10 10:51:07
Hey. Nervous to come back onto mumsnet - my previous appearance didn't go brilliantly. But I was wondering, if laurawaterford and mrsplant read this, can they possibly email me - jon @ jonronson dot com - because I'm hoping to ask you a question about the Chateau.
Thanks
Jon
TheDuchessOfNorks
Thu 09-Sep-10 18:13:35
mrsplant, 'marking' means the thread will come up on "threads I'm on" later when the marker can read all the details at their leisure. :smile:
The Hall's do sound like alcoholics, terribly sad for their children.
mrsplant
Thu 09-Sep-10 11:51:05
Can someone tell me, what does "marking" or "place marking" mean? 
tpsontour
Wed 08-Sep-10 15:20:55
Message deleted by Mumsnet.
mrsplant
Wed 08-Sep-10 10:06:02
Hi, I stayed here in Summer 2006 too, with a group of friends and totally agree with Laura's comments. The whole place had gone to rack and ruin through neglect and lack of maintenance and management.
Joanne and Robert Hall were very obviously heavy drinkers though, very possibly alcoholics, although they were amiable hosts, to us at least.
I was very shocked to hear about this incident (as were my friends). It's very sad, but maybe a testament to what alcoholism can do to lives.
I love the way the comments have steered away from the actual murder, and are now discussing the high cost of living.
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