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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To think James Middleton's marshmallows are doomed?

214 replies

NightWanderer · 17/01/2017 06:39

A friend (cough, cough) was reading in the Daily Mail that James Middleton is still trying to save his marshmallow business. If anyone doesn't know, they print out Instagram pictures onto marshmallows and sell them for 15 pounds for a box of 9.

They're marshmallows, sugar and gelatin. Who in their right mind would pay 15 pounds for 9 of them, even if they do have a photo on them?

I don't know why I'm so interested by the way. There is just something so WTF about the whole thing.

Apparently he already lost 1 million pounds through them. Does no one sit him down and say dude, it just isn't a good idea?

Here the DM link
www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4126498/Dragons-Den-pal-turns-Middleton-s-marshmallow-firm-around.html

OP posts:
Manumission · 17/01/2017 11:24

Ah, I stand corrected. Enough of a history of danger with the gorillas to fuel the furore about the baby thing though, I suppose.

HTKB · 17/01/2017 11:25

Didn't anyone read the Sunday Times interview with him a couple of months ago? He's mad as a box, lives in a big shed in the garden of Middleton Manor and tinkers with various inventions, breeds hundreds of dogs and occasionally shoots off to the other side of the world to do some spelunking for months and doesn't speak to anyone. He dropped out of school early on with no qualifications and just potters around with circuit boards and now and again Mum and Dad drop a wedge of cash through his letterbox. He sounded great actually and came across as completely eccentric and individual. Considering how firmly Pippa and Kate have fallen into line I think for him to eschew any kind of career is pretty brave. Very much got the impression he'd be equally happy in a flat on an estate as long he had time to tinker with his things and everybody just left him alone.

Manumission · 17/01/2017 11:26

He's mad as a box, lives in a big shed in the garden of Middleton Manor and tinkers with various inventions, breeds hundreds of dogs and occasionally shoots off to the other side of the world to do some spelunking for months and doesn't speak to anyone. He dropped out of school early on with no qualifications and just potters around with circuit boards and now and again Mum and Dad drop a wedge of cash through his letterbox.

I thought he was dyslexic and dropped out after the first year of uni?

BillSykesDog · 17/01/2017 11:28

Fair enough Pagwatch. I just think if that's his only market he's massively over invested. Companies that do well selling items in those expensive markets normally are quite small scale which also means they are rather exclusive which adds to the cachet that target market like. The size of JM's invest suggests he is looking at, if not mass market then at least widespread mid top end, think House of Fraser rather than Harrods. And I don't think it works there.

HTKB · 17/01/2017 11:29

Quite possibly Manu! Just riffing on what I remembered.

HTKB · 17/01/2017 11:30

I also have a quite funny really life JM anecdote but I'm too scared of the DM to post it. Anyway, DH comes across him via work occasionally and thinks he is a good bloke.

EatSpamAmandaLamb · 17/01/2017 11:31

What in the actual fuck? I was sure it was a fantastic wind up.

BillSykesDog · 17/01/2017 11:32

I think for him to eschew any kind of career is pretty brave

Wow, yes! How brave not to bother having a proper job when Mummy and Daddy fund you! I bet he's always worrying about how he'll pay the leccy bill!

Actually I think given the fact that none of his parents offspring have ever had a proper job he's fallen exactly into line. Perhaps he will find a rich lady to hitch his wagon to?

Manumission · 17/01/2017 11:33

It must be quite nice, if you have a 'square peg' kind of child to be able to fund them so very extensively well they experiment with inventing things and finding their metier.

PrivatePike · 17/01/2017 11:34

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Manumission · 17/01/2017 11:35

I'm not quite so sure that being extremely extensively funded is good for the adult DC themselves, though.

Which leaves you with I quandry, I suppose.

QueenoftheAndals · 17/01/2017 11:35

I also have a quite funny really life JM anecdote but I'm too scared of the DM to post it.

Oh go on. Apparently the key to the Fail not picking up your story is to intersperse it with lots of swear words. Eg, "I once fucking met JM. Arsebollocks. He was a shitting nice bloke. Cuntweasel" etc

PrivatePike · 17/01/2017 11:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

HTKB · 17/01/2017 11:37

It was an email he sent to DH the day before The Wedding. HIlair.

Manumission · 17/01/2017 11:38

Don't make us use pliers HK

HTKB · 17/01/2017 11:40

Sorry. It was confidential anyway (now I've made it sound also much more interesting than it is).

Pagwatch · 17/01/2017 11:40

I completely agree BillSykes.

PrivatePike · 17/01/2017 11:42

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

BillSykesDog · 17/01/2017 11:44

S'okay. I think it's been scientifically proven that anything that is described as 'hilair' rarely even breaks the mildly funny barrier.

Manumission · 17/01/2017 11:46

Bill Grin

PrivatePike · 17/01/2017 11:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

KittyBluePaws · 17/01/2017 11:50

I find the business name itself very irritating. One of those words that just grates on me for no reason.

HTKB · 17/01/2017 12:00
Grin
sallysparrow157 · 17/01/2017 12:04

It really, disproportionally pisses me off that they're advertised as 'multisensory' - how are they any more multisensory than any other marshmallows? You can see, smell, taste and feel them. You can still see, smell, taste and feel marshmallows without things printed on them. The only way they'd be more multisensory is if they played a little song or something...

SusannahL · 17/01/2017 12:09

I would never underestimate a Middleton though.

Kate with the help of old 'doors to manual' was absolutely determined to snare Prince William, even going to the lengths of changing universities when she found out which one he would be at!

And, where would we all be without the wisdom and advice of Pippa with her, 'for best results cook your turkey before eating' gems?!!