Latest news with #Chateau
Daily Mail
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
The stunning part of Escape To The Chateau stars Dick and Angel Strawbridge's sprawling estate we never saw on Channel 4 show
A stunning part of Escape To The Chateau stars Dick and Angel Strawbridge 's sprawling estate we never saw on the Channel 4 show has been revealed. The reality show, which ran from 2016 to 2022, followed the British couple as they bought and renovated a 19th-century French chateau. The pair juggled doing up the manor in north-west France with raising two young children and running a wedding and event planning business. After a whopping nine series of the programme, the Strawbridges started a weekly podcast in 2023 called Dick & Angel's providing chateau life updates. But despite the wealth of content out there about their home life, there is one aspect of Chateau de la Motte-Husson we have never been privy to. A recent snap the family posted to social media shows off their gorgeous, tucked-away vegetable garden, surrounded by lush trees and climbing plants. In the Instagram post, Dick, 65, was seen walking alongside the abundant beds with his children Arthur, 13, and Dorothy, 11. The youngsters were helping their father pick the homegrown produce, with stunning views of the turreted property behind them. The secluded part of the chateau's sprawling 12-acre grounds is located close to the main house, presumably to provide easy access to the kitchen garden. But it is seemingly surrounded by tall brick walls and shaded by lofty trees, perhaps explaining why viewers have not seen so much of this part of the property before. It is a beautiful outdoor space, with a charming arched entryway, neat and tidy planters and walkways lined by gorgeous flowers and shrubbery. As well as the walled garden, the family's land boasts an enormous barn, lots of outdoor seating and a huge private lake. It looks just as good in winter as in summer, with another postcard-perfect snap shared by the family, in November last year, showing it covered in glittering frost. But despite the looks of their idyllic lifestyle abroad, all has not been plain sailing at the chateau in recent times. As well as the walled garden, the family's land boasts an enormous barn, lots of outdoor seating and a huge private lake In March, Channel 4 revealed there would be an Escape To The Chateau spin-off - and the pair are not involved in any capacity. Dick and Angel took to Instagram shortly after the news broke to share a snap of one of their house designs - opting not to address the new show at all. They wrote: 'A very good morning to you! We're busy…lots of changes and lots of activity at the Chateau! Any guesses? 'To keep up to date with what's happening in our world, sign up to our newsletter! Link in bio! Have a terrific Tuesday! Xxx.' But while they remained silent on the programme, some rushed to the comments section to urge Dick and Angel to create another series of their original show. One wrote: 'We definitely need a new series! Please.' Another added: 'We're gunna need more episodes.' 'We need to have a new series to find out!,' a third pointed out. Dick and Angel took to Instagram shortly after the news broke to share a snap (pictured) of one of their house designs - opting not to address the new show at all A fourth questioned: 'New series? Please make a new series.' Escape To The Chateau was dramatically axed in 2022 shortly after bullying accusations were made in 2021. But earlier this year, Channel 4 revealed it was joining forces with Spark Media North to work on a daytime show called Chateau DIY: Win The Dream. The programme will give one of 12 pairs the chance to win their own chateau in France. It follows on from Chateau DIY, which is associated with Escape to the Château. Chateau DIY, which hit our screens in 2018, follows the lives of families who are renovating their properties in France. There have been eight seasons, with the last on our screens in December 2024.
7NEWS
14-07-2025
- Entertainment
- 7NEWS
Tammy Hembrow shares dramatic weight loss following split from husband Matt Zukowski after seven months of marriage
Tammy Hembrow has unveiled a complete body transformation following her split from husband Matt Zukowski after seven months of marriage. The Gold Coast influencer revealed she had focused on toned and sculpting her physique following her painful separation. On Instagram, the 31-year-old shared a number of before and after photos. 'Guys I'm starting to feel like myself again. I don't even recognise myself in those first videos, to be honest,' Hembrow, who is a mother-of-three, wrote in the caption. Tammy looked sensational in a skimpy purple bikini, as she put her bodybuilders physique on display. 'You won't always feel motivated, but you will never regret staring and investing in YOU,' she added. Hembrow's followers praised the fitness queen. 'Strong then but even stronger now,' one follower wrote. 'Nothing like a good breakup to get you back on track,' yet another wrote. 'Too good and too much discipline and drive for any man,' another added. Last month, Hembrow confirmed she had split from her former Love Island star husband, Zukowski, following months of rumours the pair had called off their union. The couple became engaged in December 2023 after just three months of dating. The couple tied-the-knot in November last year at the upmarket Chateau Du Soleil in Byron Bay, in northern NSW. Hembrow broke down in tears, telling her 17 million followers about the split. 'I don't want to get into the details and I want to be sensitive to everyone involved,' Hembrow said. 'Obviously, when you marry someone, you do it thinking that it is going to be forever and I blame no one but myself,' she added, clearly emotional. 'I've made not the best choices when it comes to relationships. I'm good at putting on rose-colored glasses. 'Obviously the worst part for me is that I have kids. I don't care about me, I know I will be ok but I feel awful.' Hembrow has two children, son Wolf and daughter Saskia, with fellow influencer, Reece Hawkins. She has a second daughter, Posy, with Gold Coast sports identify, Matt Poole. Hembrow said she was in therapy amid the relationship breakdown. 'Therapy — life changing,' she said. 'I feel like there's been periods of my life where I've gone to therapy and I've never stuck with it. 'This whole experience has just made me feel like I still have a lot of growing to do. A lot of work to do but I'm giving myself grace and well I'm trying to … it's a bit hard right now. 'There's a lesson in everything and hopefully this time I learn it.' Speculation has been rife that the pair's relationship was over. Zukowski was noticeably absent from Hembrow's 31st birthday, Posy's birthday party, and the family's Easter weekend celebrations, just five months after tying the knot. The Gold Coast-based star has become a huge name in the online space, with numerous brand deals, which sees her promote products. Hembrow regularly has her fortune estimated at $50 million.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- The Independent
What are your top day trips to escape Paris?
Q Could you recommend a couple of day trips from Paris? K Jones A Versailles is so close to Paris that I'm not sure you can count it as a day trip; trains from Montparnasse station in the capital take just 12 minutes to reach this pretty town and its formidable chateau. So I shall instead recommend locations that are distinctively outside Paris yet easily accessible by rail. Compiegne, 50 miles northeast and an hour by train from Gare du Nord, is a joy: a compact, elegant city. It has a palace to rival Versailles, except in terms of crowds. The grounds are spectacular. A few miles to the east of Compiegne is the forest location central to the 20th-century conflict. You can visit the 'Armistice Carriage' – a replica of the wagon in which the German surrender in 1918 and the French surrender in 1940 were both taken. It is part of a sombre and informative memorial to the events and their consequences. Back in town, you can find plenty of agreeable places to lunch at prices much lower than in the capital (or Versailles). Fontainebleau, 40 miles southeast of Paris, is served by fast (40 minutes), frequent and low-cost trains. The highlight is the Chateau de Fontainebleau, which Francis I transformed from a 12th-century medieval castle into an Italianate palace. As a royal residence, it pre-dates Versailles. After the French Revolution, the chateau became the Imperial Palace, much enjoyed by Napoleon Bonaparte; it houses the only Napoleonic throne room still in existence. The surrounding forest used to be prime hunting territory for French royalty, but is now the preserve of cyclists, hikers and rock climbers. For lunch (or an early dinner before heading back to Paris), I recommend the convivial, tasty and good-value La Petite Ardoise bistrot. I have also heard good things about Provins, a fortified medieval town southeast of Paris. It is on the Unesco world heritage list, and on my must-visit list. Q I have been watching all your reports about the changing rules of cabin baggage. For the last 12 months or so, on a number of flights with British Airways, ground staff have instructed that cabin luggage of certain boarding groups should be placed in the hold. How could a change of legislation impact that behaviour, if passed? Paul B A The background: pressure is mounting in Europe to increase the free cabin baggage allowance for every airline passenger. Consumer groups across the EU are demanding that every passenger should be allowed to carry a wheeled suitcase, as well as a 'personal item' such as a handbag or laptop bag, free of charge. MEPs at the European parliament have voted in favour of the concept. They say allowing two cabin bags on board 'would enhance transparency and consumer protection for all air travellers'. The budget airlines say making two free bags mandatory would do exactly the opposite. It would remove the option that every passenger has to take only one, fairly small bag on board without paying extra. They add that their charges are entirely transparent; the basic fare is available to anyone, but for more than minimal baggage, you will pay extra. While I sympathise with their view, the low-cost carriers have brought extra attention to their policies by upping the cost of baggage to an absurd degree. On 1 October, for example, I can buy a Ryanair flight from Manchester to Cork for £16.99. But taking a larger piece of cabin baggage will cost an extra £17 – more than doubling the cost. The basic fare is too low, and the charge for taking a trolley bag on board is way too high. If the European Union presses ahead with a new law, by default, it will be imposed in the UK, I believe. The consequences will be messy. As you describe, British Airways – which has a generous two-bag limit – often has to consign the wheeled cases of lower-spending passengers to the hold. All the airlines would end up doing something similar, slowing down the boarding process and adding to costs. But I predict the EU will see sense and leave things as they are. Q I travelled to South America fairly frequently in the 2010s, usually changing planes in Madrid or using the Avianca nonstop from London Heathrow to Bogota. For my first post-Covid visit I'm interested in something a bit different: travelling via Africa or the Atlantic islands. What are the options? Daniel C A Hundreds of daily flights link Europe, the US and Canada across the North Atlantic. But precious few cross the South Atlantic between Africa and Latin America. I can muster only four – all of them heading from Africa to the Brazilian city of Sao Paulo, which is the main aviation hub in South America. The most accessible from a UK perspective is the Royal Air Maroc link from Casablanca, which operates three times a week. Further south, Taag Angola connects the capital, Luanda, with Sao Paulo – once again three times weekly. And South African Airways flies on alternate days from Johannesburg and Cape Town to the Brazilian hub. Fares are high, reflecting the limited supply of seats. If you are tempted to avail of one of them, I suggest you use a good travel agent. They may be able to leverage the alliances to which Royal Air Maroc and South African Airways belong: Oneworld and Star respectively. You also mention the Atlantic islands. Unfortunately, I can see nothing from the Canary Islands, the Azores or the Cape Verde archipelago to South America, despite the strong heritage links. Tenerife was once connected with Caracas in Venezuela – the country known as the 'eighth isle' of the Canaries because so many islanders settled there. But the implosion of the Venezuelan economy brought an end to the link. I can see a slightly greater chance of one of the Cape Verde islands being connected to Brazil. Both are former Portuguese possessions; Sal to Recife is under 1,900 miles, representing a four-hour flight to a key Brazilian city. But with a worldwide shortage of planes, I do not predict that route will be announced anytime soon. And neither will either of the former Air France Concorde routes be resurrected: Santa Maria in the Azores to Caracas, and Dakar to Rio.
Business Insider
07-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Business Insider
The glamorous life of Alva Vanderbilt Belmont, the millionaire socialite whose life inspired HBO's 'The Gilded Age'
Born Alva Erskine Smith, Alva came from a wealthy family in Mobile, Alabama, in 1853 and married William K. Vanderbilt in 1875. Alva's family spent summers in Newport, Rhode Island, and moved to New York City in 1859. She was educated at a boarding school in Paris before marrying William K. Vanderbilt, the grandson of railroad tycoon Cornelius Vanderbilt and heir to his fortune. Together, she and Vanderbilt had three children: Consuelo, William Kissam Jr., and Harold Stirling. In 1882, the couple spent $3 million to build a mansion on "Millionaires' Row" on Fifth Avenue in New York City. Designed by architect Richard Morris Hunt, their home was known as "Petit Chateau" for its French chateau-inspired architecture. It was located at 660 Fifth Avenue along " Millionaires' Row," where other prominent members of society built their estates. The home took up an entire city block. The 60-room, three-story, white limestone mansion was looked down upon by "old money" families like the Astors, who resented those with "new money" for what they considered attempts to buy their way into elite status. Alva was shunned by the Astors and other members of high society until she hosted a legendary ball of her own in 1883. Caroline Astor excluded the Vanderbilts from her guest list of acceptable New York City families known as "The 400." To win her over, Alva threw an extravagant masquerade ball for 1,200 guests, but would not invite Astor's daughter Caroline until Astor came to visit her home — a plotline that was adapted for Bertha Russell on HBO's "The Gilded Age." For her 39th birthday in 1892, Alva's husband gifted her a summer home in Newport, Rhode Island, known as Marble House. The mansion cost a total of $11 million to construct in 1892, the equivalent of around $387 million today. Marble House was named for the 500,000 cubic feet of marble furnishings within. Marble House also featured a dining room modeled after the Palace of Versailles, a Gothic room displaying a full collection of medieval and Renaissance art, and a grand salon with walls covered in 22-karat gold leaf. She divorced William K. Vanderbilt in 1895 and married one of her neighbors in Newport, financier Oliver H.P. Belmont, a year later. It was rare for women in high society to divorce their husbands during the Gilded Age. If they did, their reputation usually didn't survive the scandal. Alva, however, maintained custody of their children, ownership of Marble House, and received a hefty settlement when she divorced Vanderbilt on the grounds of adultery. In 1895, she forced her daughter, Consuelo Vanderbilt, to marry the Duke of Marlborough. Consuelo was in love with another man and had already gotten secretly engaged, but wrote that Alva "would not hesitate to shoot" him if she tried to run away with him, according to the audio tour at Marble House. Consuelo acquiesced to her mother's wishes and wed Charles Spencer-Churchill at Marble House, becoming the Duchess of Marlborough. After a 26-year unhappy marriage, Alva testified that she had forced her daughter into the arrangement, and the marriage was annulled in 1921. On the HBO show "The Gilded Age," Bertha Russell also intends for her daughter to marry a duke despite her love for another man. After her second husband's death in 1908, Alva became an activist in the women's suffrage movement. She leveraged her fortune and Newport home to help advance the cause of women's suffrage. At Marble House, she hosted suffrage gatherings and served tea on a set of dishes that read "Votes for Women." She also wrote the libretto for a women's suffrage operetta, which was performed at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel in New York City. The 19th Amendment was ratified in 1920, granting women the right to vote. She bought a headquarters for the National Woman's Party in Washington, DC, in 1929, and served as its president. Alva Belmont served as president of the National Woman's Party from 1921 to 1933. Upon purchasing a federal-style home on Capitol Hill for the National Woman's Party headquarters, the group named it "Alva Belmont House" in her honor. The National Woman's Party donated the house to the National Park Service in 2016. President Barack Obama dedicated the site as the Belmont-Paul Women's Equality National Monument. She spent her later years in Paris and died in 1933. At her funeral, she had all-female pallbearers and had Susan B. Anthony's quote, "Failure is impossible," adorn her coffin.
Time Out
18-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Time Out
I had dinner at the iconic Chateau Marmont—and it was surprisingly worth it
With nearly a century of celebrity-studded history under its belt, the Chateau Marmont is the living, breathing embodiment of Hollywood, old and new alike. In 1929, the French-inspired hotel opened on Sunset Boulevard; in the decades since, the Chateau has earned a well-deserved reputation for glamour and mystique. Entire books have been written on the famous actors, musicians, industry execs and other creatives that have slept, partied and even died within its walls. Recently, Miley Cyrus hosted a private concert at the Chateau for close friends, family and a handful of lucky superfans; prestige TV showrunner Ryan Murphy redecorated two different suites; and Doja Cat was snapped sitting inside the lobby, deep in conversation. Every year, countless high-profile parties and magazine launches are hosted in the lobby, including Beyoncé and Jay-Z's annual Oscars afterparty. The restaurant and bar attached to the hotel are far more recent additions. In 1995, current owner André Balazs added Bar Marmont, a cocktail bar down the street, which reopened at some point after the pandemic but remains closed as of writing. The ground floor restaurant followed in 2003. In 2020, Balazs briefly considered converting the entire hotel into a members-only club and laid off the majority of the staff after they attempted to unionize. (A deal was eventually reached in 2022, and the hotel is still in operation today.) Honestly, there's more scandal, gossip and tabloid fodder related to the Chateau Marmont than I could possibly summarize here. As a food and drink editor, however, what intrigued me most about the hotel was the on-site restaurant. Was the food as uniformly mediocre as the equally iconic Sunset Tower across the street? Were the celebrities as abundant as online reports claimed? How much of a scene could it possibly be? I decided to find out. Wedding and other private event bookings notwithstanding, dinner remains the last frontier of exclusivity for the Chateau Marmont, which now offers daytime reservations on Resy. Despite the hotel's snobbish aura, just about anyone can visit the Chateau Marmont for the relatively low cost of a pricey hotel restaurant meal. (Technically, you could also book an overnight stay at the hotel, which starts at a nightly rate of $695 on weekdays and an eye-popping $4,000 a night on weekends.) My first attempt at scoring a dinner reservation started the old-fashioned way: a phone call. The person who answered politely informed me that the Chateau takes reservations two weeks in advance. I called 15 days in advance of the day I wanted to book, so I called back the next night and was able to secure a relatively late 8:45pm dinner reservation for a Wednesday evening. 'You're also welcome to come half an hour early for drinks,' the reservationist said. In the grand scheme of L.A. reservations, this was remarkably easy. I imagine snagging a table might be more difficult on weekends, and is likely a complete nonstarter when the ground floor is booked out for magazine parties and the like. Despite my L.A. native status, I've only visited the Chateau twice before. Years ago, I spent the better part of an evening hanging out in a suite of a friend of a friend who had flown in from Berlin. More recently, last summer, I assembled an entire michelada poolside at a brand activation party organized by Dos Hombres—the mezcal label owned by Breaking Bad 's Bryan Cranston and Aaron Paul. Both experiences were quite fun for me, but neither of them reflects what the average non-guest can reasonably expect on a visit to the Chateau. The night of my reservation, my friend and I arrived, standing in the cobblestone driveway of the storied hotel. We walked up to the host stand stationed outside, where the first thing anyone asked as we attempted to set foot on the premises was if we had a reservation. We did, and thus were granted access to the fairly small entrance hall, where faded Persian rugs and other vaguely Old World pieces of furniture give way to another host stand guarding the actual lobby and courtyard. Across from the host stand, you'll find the lobby bar (not to be confused with Bar Marmont, which is entirely separate) and the bathrooms. While discretion and privacy have long been part of the Chateau's reputation, no member of the staff informed me of any particular photography policy. It's possible that the definition of what those terms mean has evolved in the age of smartphones and social media—and while I did my best to avoid taking pictures of anyone's faces during my stay in the name of general privacy, I was able to take discreet photos of the actual space, my friend and our meal. I was hoping for a chance to soak up the scene at the bar before our meal, but the host immediately led us to our outdoor bistro-style wicker table. It was a slightly chilly evening in early June, and the entirety of the courtyard was still enclosed. The plastic covering did little to detract from the downright enchanting, garden-like atmosphere. Several tables were empty, but the restaurant still felt lively. Part of me wondered if we'd lost out a little on not being seated indoors, within the lobby itself. A quick trip to the bathroom alleviated those concerns. The outdoor tables closest to the wall were occupied by a large party, and the ambience was much nicer in the courtyard proper. Though seemingly held for reservations, the lounge-style seating in the lobby was mostly vacant. Then again, the couches and armchairs would have made it difficult to sit down for an actual meal. For me, the closest visual comparison to the Chateau's courtyard might be Soho House in Paris, which I realize doesn't help most readers imagine the feel of the space. Other iconic L.A. hotel eateries like Tower Bar (inside Sunset Tower) and the Polo Lounge (at the Beverly Hills Hotel) also offer old-school cool vibes, but out of all classic Old Hollywood hangouts, my dark horse favorite is now the Chateau. The abundance of greenery, curtained dividers, and array of seating choices easily make it the most inviting among L.A.'s iconic hotel eateries. The Chateau doesn't post its restaurant menus online, but I'd gleaned an idea of what to expect from the hundreds of detailed online reviews posted about meals there. Like most other hotels, the fare here is familiar, pricey and aims to please. The full menu, which I've included below, encompasses classics like Caesar salad and yellowtail crudo, plus what I like to call the Four Horsemen of Hotel Dining: A chicken, a fish, a steak and a burger. The signature cocktails start at $20 and above, putting prices on par with those of other establishments on the Sunset Strip. We ordered two drinks from our friendly server: A $21 cocktail called the Tokyo Teese and a dirty vodka martini made with Belvedere (which turned out to be $29). By the time he came back to take our food order, we were slightly buzzed. I also had the game plan for our meal: the guacamole and chips ($18), the spicy tuna tartare ($33), the spaghetti bolognese ($39), the linguini and clams ($39) and a side of fries ($12). If it wouldn't have completely blown through my budget, I would have been tempted to upgrade to the 'Make it Fun, Get a Big One' version of the bolognese ($120), just to see what it looked like. Surprisingly, the food was good— both better than I'd initially expected, and better than it needed to be. The guacamole and chips were straight and to the point, and the nori crisps and some cucumber slices were a nice addition to the not-so-spicy but refreshing tuna tartare. Our mains and a side of fries arrived less than 30 minutes after placing our order. Both the bolognese and the linguini turned out to be delicious, faithful versions of the Italian American classics. The linguini boasted an ample ring of clams and our server shaved a small mountain of Parmesan cheese atop of the bolognese. The fries were also crispy and well-made. Once we'd polished off our apps and mains, my friend opted for the Dusk Til Dawn ($22), the Chateau's tequila espresso martini, and I ordered a chamomile tea ($14). We split the Nutty Chewy Sticky Gooey ($18), the most popular dessert on the menu. Consisting of peanut butter gelato, brownie bites, pretzels and hot fudge, the sundae is a pure, unbridled amalgamation of everything five-year-old you would've loved. Now that you're older, you can finally have it, at least if you visit the Chateau Marmont. While I saw plenty of multi-generational parties and immaculately dressed pairs at the Chateau Marmont on my visit, I didn't recognize any A-list guests.. The night I visited, the hotel compensated for the lack of star power in other ways. Partway through the evening, a trio of musicians began playing in the lobby, their music filtering into the courtyard and adding to the overall charm. On my trip to the bathroom, I lingered for a moment in the lobby bar, watching the stylishly dressed clientele lounge about with their drinks, and felt a little wistful that we didn't have time to hang out in the area. The handsome wood paneling, the glass shelves full of liquor and drinkware, the dim lighting—it's easily one of the coolest hotel bars in L.A. Like the restaurant itself, it's only accessible by reservation. I made a mental note as I returned to my table to find my way to the lobby bar another evening. In an altogether unexpected turn of events, I left the Chateau deeply satisfied with my meal. As a person who visits restaurants and bars for a living, I generally pooh-pooh eateries best known for their vibes, but the Chateau Marmont is one of the few exceptions. The hotel eatery is definitely a vibes-first institution, even someone with zero knowledge of celebrity culture or industry history would appreciate eating a simple meal in the courtyard. Plus, the straightforward menu was solid and the service was excellent. If you're a fan of Old Hollywood or in a parasocial relationship with a celebrity, even better—dinner lets you microdose the glamour of an actual overnight stay, all for a fraction of the price.
