Page 3 | Grand Designs anyone?

SlantyBaws · 2021-01-06T21:09:57+00:00

Anyone else watching? New series started tonight. Bonkers toff from SW London wants to convert a building in a cemetery.

ssd · 06/01/2021 23:59

What was his family background, I missed that bit?

duckinatruckwithmuck · 07/01/2021 01:00

Really enjoyed tonight's episode and I must admit, found the guy bonkers but incredibly gorgeous 🙈 I so would.

Powaqa · 07/01/2021 01:40

His girlfriend was on Bake Off the Professionals

Standrewsschool · 07/01/2021 08:14

His cousin is Lady Catherine Maxwell Stuart.

Lady MS

I actually quite liked him and thought the finished property was lovely. He did a good job.

I kept wondering where he got his money from, though. They went into quite detail at the beginning, saying how much money he had saved, loan from his mother etc, but that totalled £2-3 million? How on earth can he afford £4million, especially as there’s an ex-wife and boarding school fees to consider as well.

From quick google, he runs these business:

fishing holidays

shadow flies

And he’s ex-army.

I also thought a dog was going to appear at the end. Probably unfairly I was a little cynical at how he had to justify the chef and dinner party comment.

And @duckinatruckwithmuck. - I agree with you!

Standrewsschool · 07/01/2021 08:15

Oops, just read @Powaqa. Apologies to girlfriend

SoupDragon · 07/01/2021 08:32

I think the money came from family which is why they didn't mention it. I think they bailed him out at the end to finish it.

duckinatruckwithmuck · 07/01/2021 09:21

@Standrewsschool

His cousin is Lady Catherine Maxwell Stuart. Lady MS

I actually quite liked him and thought the finished property was lovely. He did a good job.

I kept wondering where he got his money from, though. They went into quite detail at the beginning, saying how much money he had saved, loan from his mother etc, but that totalled £2-3 million? How on earth can he afford £4million, especially as there’s an ex-wife and boarding school fees to consider as well.

From quick google, he runs these business:

fishing holidays

shadow flies

And he’s ex-army.

I also thought a dog was going to appear at the end. Probably unfairly I was a little cynical at how he had to justify the chef and dinner party comment.

And @duckinatruckwithmuck. - I agree with you!

The money came from him mortgaging the house being built, remortgaging the house he owned across the road and also his apartment in his ancestral house. How he was going repay that with all his business drying up remains to be seen- he'll clearly receive help from his family.

ssd · 07/01/2021 09:26

Yes, I always find it a bit annoying on grand designs when the people are in debt and clearly struggling for cash and suddenly they pull through and a gorgeous home is completed....and then its clear its financed from the bank of mum and dad...whatever age they are.

BornIn78 · 07/01/2021 09:29

I thought he was delightfully bonkers and I also thought he was going to bring out a dog at the end, when in fact he brought out a new girlfriend. That was a bit cringey, Kevin's face was hilarious.

I was surprised that it actually looked quite comfortable and not at all how I'd imagined he would decorate. I was very disappointed that we only got a fleeting glimpse of the wine cellar! And DH and I were saying that if it were us, we would wait about a year and then just quietly get the gate into the cemetary, the style that just blends into the fence. We've got one on our back fence into some woodland and unless you knew it was there you wouldn't know it was there, it just looks like part of the fence.

OhBollocksToIt · 07/01/2021 09:32

DH also thought he was going to bring out a dog. 😂

CaptainMyCaptain · 07/01/2021 09:33

@1990s

Introducing his girlfriend with such ceremony at the end was SO weird

DH is convinced the girlfriend is a beard.

ssd · 07/01/2021 09:34

He was kind of formal about introducing his girlfriend but that was clearly his military background and his upbringing. He seemed a decent enough guy.

The house was gorgeous.

CrystalMaisie · 07/01/2021 09:43

Did anyone else pick up on hm saying at th beginning that he’d had a loan from his mother (1.4 mil I think), and then when he was in the family crypt he said something about his mother being in there?

HildegardNightingale · 07/01/2021 09:44

Absolutely loved what he did to the house. Thought he was a thoroughly nice chap. Oh and that wine cellar...what’s not to like.

DoubleHelix79 · 07/01/2021 09:46

I did like the house more than thought I would. Some interior designer had clearly been spending a lot of time decorating it though. Shame they've been focusing more on the drama in recent years rather than interesting / innovative construction techniques or challenging build conditions.

Pigeonsareclever · 07/01/2021 10:08

@OooErrThor

That bloke was properly bonkers and when he said he's like to introduce Kevin to someone, I thought it was going to be another dog

So did I and I was really disappointed when it wasn’t.

Pigeonsareclever · 07/01/2021 10:11

I got confused as I had the impression that his mother had died. I loved the house but wondered about the girlfriend being a beard too. It must be hard living up to family expectations, the family seat and Sandhurst etc.

I found him endearing and sweet, seems a lovely father, shame the eight year old is in full boarding.

SoupDragon · 07/01/2021 10:16

@CrystalMaisie

Did anyone else pick up on hm saying at th beginning that he’d had a loan from his mother (1.4 mil I think), and then when he was in the family crypt he said something about his mother being in there?

His mother loaned him money to buy the property. The date at the start of the programme was 2016 so he might have bought it before then with planning delays etc. I don't know when they filmed the part in the crypt but she could have subsequently died.

SoupDragon · 07/01/2021 10:27

She died in 2016 (she is google-able!) so presumably after the purchase. She also left a sizeable inheritance which probably explains a lot!

Pigeonsareclever · 07/01/2021 10:29

@SoupDragon

She died in 2016 (she is google-able!) so presumably after the purchase. She also left a sizeable inheritance which probably explains a lot!

Aah, indeed, thank you. The house looked as if it had an amazing interior designer which didn’t add up as he said he ran out of money. Those lampshades in the kitchen were not BHS.

annevonkleve · 07/01/2021 11:51

@OooErrThor

That bloke was properly bonkers and when he said he's like to introduce Kevin to someone, I thought it was going to be another dog

Me too :)

annevonkleve · 07/01/2021 11:54

I though the house was amazing, but if you're going to have your own swimming pool make it better than that one. It was naff.

Years ago DH and I went to Traquair House (his family pile) but I couldn't quite work out how he got from there to Dumfries - they are not that close - but perhaps that was where his mother was from.

Maerchentante · 07/01/2021 12:14

Another one here who thought he was calling a dog :)

I found the house really beautiful and something I could easily see myself living in, alas, I am lacking several million pounds.

TodgerStrunk · 07/01/2021 12:17

I've been down a hole on google - looks like the Laird of Traquair has been a woman many times - are there different rules about inheriting titles in Scotland?

I guess he paid for the rest with inheritance as it went from 'oh dear it's all going wrong' to 'looky, finished' without Kevin really having an opportunity to talk go on and on about how he would never have done it like that and we all know how annoyed Kevin would have been at not having a chance to suck his teeth about the bad choices people have made.

But yes, delightful toff, totally confused at how he'd managed to send his 8 year off to boarding school and spend 4.5 million like neither was an actual choice he'd made.

Smidge001 · 07/01/2021 19:02

Being nosy now, but did they say what had happened to his wife/the boy's mother? (not sure if he was married to her)