Navigating Difficult Family Dynamics

I'm Greg Richard. It is hot outside and now it's time to cool down. At PC Richard and Sun, we have the largest selection of air conditioners all at the guaranteed lowest prices. Come see our knowledgeable salespeople to help get you the right air conditioner today. and welcome to the luxury podcast. My name's Jonathan Vernon Smith, and with me is William Hansen This is the pododcast that helps you live a more luxury Hello, Jonathan and I here to help you create everyday moments of luxury that make life worth living whatever your budget. So welcome to another bonus episode of the Luxury podcast where William and I trade tips and stories from our own luxury lifestyles, as well as delving into our lovely great big male sacks. So William How is your weak being? I'm gonna ripe the plaster off G teased it at the end of yesterday's apocalyptic episode. Is this about the forthcoming Spanish holiday Do I need to be sitting down for this? Wellere you are? Well, I am, it's lucky outight The balcon to Europ is full Oh my go no William It's fullh William You see, I told you should have booked it ages ago Now we're not going to get in the balcon. Should I write to them and ask to be on a cancellation list? Oh Is it completely full allow me to work. Have you called them? Cold them Sall we rec call them now pull them out P the bell com Explain who you are. I'm not doing that Well, who are you going to tell me you are then? I'm just a paying punter We got the number No Pone them up and ask for one of your nicer gs With a sea view With a sea view. That's the hotel That's the hotel right? Be I want to make sure I'm calling the right. place Right, contact. Now, if you need anyone to translate, Roderyo Fluent Spanishak Do reception clress three. Was that one? in other cases Now be charming, what it see on the anlet in thebola Oh hello, do you speak English Oh hello. I was wondering if you have a room available in The website doesn't seem to be working Usually that's because we do't Which days would you like to go? Checking out on Three nights B classrooms. Ideally one of your better rooms is An interior room with no CVU and no balcony and it's a bit narrow Do you have a cancellation list for any of your better classrooms? to continue checking our website in case any cancellations come up Okay, and do you think it's likely that there would be a cancellation relations, but it's not often Oh Eespecially not when it's still nice weather. Maybe in winter, we might get them but ye. If Is there another hotel nearby you could recommend that is similar to the high quality standard of yours Yeah, I would recommend you either the Mh hm Lovely. Okay, I will try those. but thank you so much for your help. You've been very helpful Thank you, Craccius. Thank you Just imagine what you've missed out on I was so cross. Paula. You could have been there, your front of house throughout your stay providing you with an experience for a better Classer podcast host Have you at least Le your reservation in Frigliada. Yes. Oh thank goodness. It's okay. Well we'll have to make the best of it. Well what was wrong with the two hotels she suggested? Well, I didn't know what the first one was she said. Well, the good news is we've recorded that call as well I do think should I' writing this down, I went, Oh now I've got the draft. Oh, but she was lovely. She was like what a lovely level of service they give you at the Balcondereie or Oa. Yeah, it's a shame you won't be there to enjoy it. I will be checking for cancellations. I mean, we'll go there. throughout our sty' what you could have won Well, I will take you there, but I do like to go there for a coffee. I do like a coffee at the Balcon. Now look. Can we just have a hardot time Did I say to you when we first talked about going on holidays? This isn't a heart heart, this is a telling us I said to you Get yourself booked in the bllc Didn't I? I said you and the Bablcon are a marriage made in heaven. Did you take that any notice? No, you booked some hotel up've in Friggliana down a dirt track by the time and by the time you've got round to boo in the Hotel Balcoonde Europa all sold out. Sorry. Well it's clearly very popular. Well, yeah. Well, they've got lots of rooms available sururprise. Yeah So there is that. Okay, well we'll keep looking. Yeah. Yeah. we'll keep looking. In other news, we have had our high security alarm system round to do our service. Oh, have you? Fully service pass with flying colours Very quick time because we're not a legacy system many js do. Yes. And I'm waiting for the shopping list of things that they can do for us. Now you talked about a proximity tag Yes. So cururrently our cleaner does not, I mean, she does have the alarm codes, but she's very she's alarm shy. So we normally don't put the alarm on when she's coming Or if we're away for a week, we have to set a reminder on our phone to turn it off I know It's going to go wrong one day. So I said to Mikey, I wasn't actually there when we were being serviced I said Could you ask them for because our fobbs are panic buttons as well. All right. I don this is just one of your look at my new smart system compared to your Mankkey old legacy system. I didn't want the cleaner to have a panic thing because she's the sort of person that might try. She' panic. She would panic when she presses the wrong button So I wanted something like an on off for the alarm that she can Anyway, they don't do such thing, but they do do a proximity tag. Now I haven't actually asked Mikey how the proximity tags work. But I assume when you get close to the property It turns it off Oh You come in and you wave it across the. I can say, isn't that like my tags that I use proximity tag? Well, that's what I said to you yesterday. So said zero' a proximity tag. Well, I don't know I've never heard that expression I just call it a paid eleven pounds and eight pence for one. Oh that would be like mine, actually. Yeah It just goes on the key ring and you touch it on system. Great and it turns it on. And does it turn it on again Yes,, you hold it on for about two seconds then it starts it going. Fine Okay great Right. very nice. And what other features are you having added? Well, I don't know, because I was't there so I'm waiting for the shopping list. I want a camera out the front Also going to have a new front door We had someone around the other day. Right? What are you going for? and that opens. It's all about fashion. But you're going for a solid timber. Yes, hardwood, I think. so you can see the grain I think that's right. softwood you can't see the grain. Hwood you can see the grain. Okay Uh We are having stained glass Will it be security reinforced? What do you mean? To and above British standards? Obviously. The price we're probably going to pay, then yes. We're getting another company out to give another quote next week I did send you didn't know the details for that company down street store. You did But I didn't think they did our sort of do I couldn't see on their website They do secure it No, I'm not talking about the company that made my front door. I'm talking the company that make the number ten downowning Street door No did he sent me that Yeah oh, I found a company can do steel reinforced High gloss downowning street style doors And I thought I don't any gloss though. It is that spuring me, but I don't know if gloss might be not very in keeping with the style of property Well, I need a door that looks similar to next doors Okay Well,, if I can find the company I'll send them to, I thought I'd send that to you. Where'd you stand on a red front door Red Not sort of, you know, not sexted red sort of in the room Red front door no knickers Thank you. by saying this is what. I'm not going to say who But someone is suggesting Thank you. I Mikey wants a red front door. You may think that I can possibly comment Color is difficult though to get it right. You see, I want a sort of a smart sort of sagy green. Yeah, that would look quite nice similar to next door as well. What about a British racing green? wouldould you consider any form of green? And I'd rather have has mat yellow than red, if I'm honest. Yeah, red. Particularly a Burgundy Red. There's a lot of the cheap composite front doors come in burgundy reed. And you know what the salesperson said to us when that was suggested she went and I thought this was the kiss of death, but I'm not sure Mikey picked up picked up on it, and she went Yes they're very popular at the moment M Say no more. Yeah, no, no Absolutely not. And black you wouldn't have? No Why not No one has a black front door in Mink of the woods Well, maybe you should stall I mean gloss black. Yes. no W Stein Cross Okay It looks very smart, works for Downing Street. Why change it? What about a natural timber What about a varnished timber Yeah True There are some sort of natural wood doors on our street. That could look very smart. Yeah. We're going to go to the showroom and sort of have a look. And she's ordered some color samples. alth they Mikey has approved all these color samples so I'm not sure until they turn up What we gonna this get? Yeah Well, would I would think about that I think your green is fine. Even a blue, a dark blue I would consider. Yeah Yes and no Yes and no Maybe yours is sort of a grey anthrocyyte grey? It's definitely not anthrocyte grey. As I mentioned to you before, I'm not a huge fan of anthrocyyte grey. Well what colour is it? I feel it's very, you know twenty fifteen anthrocyycraes. I' not stop you before. It's no, I like a Schwartz Brown Are you brown? shorts brown, yeah. Black brown Okay, well it okay, so it looks blacky black. Yeah Backy brown. Yeahah. That's right. That's what I like. But I don't like for me personally I like that kind of dark. You know, a lot of my furniture shortz brown as well Is it? Okay. Yeah, I like that black brown furniture. Lovely. With cream. I think it's very small Devilish some would say. Talking of devilish, you've been watching rivals, I believe. Oh my word. I haven't watched series two yet I'm only a few episodes into season one. Oh, you're onit, you've gone back? Well, I've never seen it before. Okay. And I've started watching it and I have to be honest, it's absolutely disgusting Absolutely disgusting I'd heard about Jilly Cooper. being a bit of a goer. and This program's just constant sex. Yeah, there is a lot of it ye. They're just constantly having sex. you know, in an airplane toilet, then in a cupboard constantly doing it areren't they on that program? But you're persevering with the series? Well, it's too much though. I find myself the whole time I'm watching out I'm going Here they go. There is a bit of gay sex in it as well. It's quite, you know There's too much sex in it. We don't need all that sex. Why are they doing all the sex? I want the storyline, not all the sex be ye, well. constant sex. There's no need for all that sex There is no need for it I love your phone in sorry, pivoting topics. I love the fact the other day you did an entire phone in on Jane McDonald' it was a very successful phone man What made you think about that after the rivals and Sx Just I don't know, just I don't imagine having sex with Jay MacDonald just for Right. Just for clarity. Yeah. Jay McDonald hugely popular with my audience And I would imagine probably hugely popular with our audience on this podcast. Yes as well. Absolutely. when we did our festivals episode, we said that she could headline. Frigfest. Right Be she she did Mighty Hoopla a few weeks ago now. Wow. Yeah. apparently went down very well. And she did Apeta or whatever. Oh Apeta, ye. By the way, we've had quite a few buckethe listeners on my radio program How do you know they?? Well Be they tell the production team. They said, Ohh, I listened to the luxury podcast And my producers said We can always tell when it's one of your podcasts becausecause they're not in the three count. No, because they well, that, and also they're just so lovely. I said all of your podcast listeners are such lovely people Are you surprised? That's nice. We have listeners trained to and above British standards. We're well done listeners. Yes.. So I' l n. I love it when bucket headads phone into my radio program and listen. I love it. Yeah Welcome back buckethe heads. We're going to start reading your questions, so let's dive into our heaving bags of posts, shall we do remember, if there's something on your mind that needs a luxury touch Hostman at luxurypodcast dot co dot Uk is the place for your queries and questions open twenty four hours a day but not monitored for hs. Unlike our alarms. The emergency services. Yes. The luxury service. This is from Abbey with they. Dear Willy and Jonathan I recently hosted a leaving party, which has caused a bit of a dilemma for me. Many people very generously boughtght me a gift and I, of course, would like to send a thank you card However, I don't have their address and now that I have moved away I will not be seeing them anyimes soon to hand deliver them For context I amm twenty five and so sending letters is not really something my generation do But I want to do it because I think it's important to carry these meaningful touches on. In your opinion, is a thank you text good enough, or is sending a letter or card more appropriate Also, how do you go about asking for the addresses of people whose house you have never visited I feel as though texting and asking them might be a bit weird or get their expectations up that I'll be sending them a gift It would be greatly appreciated if you could help me teach us G Zs on how to build up our address book coming across like weirdos, kind regards, happpp Oh Well, if you haven't got their address, sure are you going to have to text them Yes. orr you text them and say Thank you very much for the gift. I would like to send you a proper thank you letter Would you feel comfortable providing me with your postal address? And if they say no, then fine and say will you have an email? and I'll write you our email? It was sounding a bit stalkery though Sounds a bit desperate, doesn't it Can of have your email, your snapchat. What's your Instagram handle You know, I think' not very modern there. You've got to be a little bit careful, ha't you? Yeah Or if they say no, then then you just responded with, well, you know, please accept this text as my a token of my sincere thanks. It' such shy gesture. Yeah. Or you could just text them. I mean, I'm obviously going to advocate for a proper handwritten thank you letter. Yeah. But I think a text will be fine. And if they're colleagues, then I think that's fine versus a friend. I mean, I think if a friend doesn't want you to where they live, that is odd. Yeah. But a colleague I can see why there is a little bit of Professional distance. Yeah Bradley hass been in touch with William. He says, Dear William and Jonathan, thank you so much for your podcast. Most people around me From my mother to my boyfriend, of course Bradley, you devil thinkink I'm absolutely mad for listening. Oh, how rud Change your boyfriend But I have never felt quite so at home when listening to your dulcet tones each week In the words of the youth I've never felt more seen I spend a lot of time thinking about planning an executive funeral Even though I'm thirty one years young And I'd be grateful for your advice. A horse drawn hearses luxury or common On the one hand, the addition of a horse to any occasion adds an aristocratic ambiance I'm thinking Polo the local Boxing Day Hunt meeting, and of course, Roal Askot However, I would rather not use the same mode of funereal transport Eggy Mitchell and Pat Butcher Coleman I also noted that even her late Maesty Queen Elizabeth, her funeral gun carriage was not drawn by any horses, just men. Please help with this conundrum as soon as possible, in case I should peg out prematurely or have the misfortune of coming across one of the many bucketheads who seem to have a dark preoccupation with murder Keep going with this excellent podcast. It's the highlight of my week. Hindragard's Bradley from Harrogot. Well Yeah, you are right. The late Queen did not have horses. She had members of the arrmed serervices. posossibly off the top of my head the navy Yeah that drew the carriage is her. funeral. can they can do big plopps and well there is that ye. The trouble with a horse as imagine Imagine you're being towed away from the House All of a sudden The projectile plop comes straight out of one of the back of one of the horses. It's not a luxury look. That's always the risky face Gues Plus Um, I don't know. I mean, But all the sort of silly plumes they put on and the feathers and the No no, no, no. it does, it does look a bit commommon I wayare of sugarccasy man. Always So when my mother died I was very keen that her hearse and the limousine as Rolls Rce And it was a lovely it was a kind of old Rolls Royce, veryery, very smart And I think that was very that was very fitting I would like a volvo And I did look it up and there are some funeral directors across the UK that have a Volvo hearse. Any in the three Couters area? No, I couldn't, I'm going have to get a shipped down from the north. But they have a Volvo hearse and a Volvo limousine And I just think that that gives a more JVS luxury twist. Yeah And I'd like, as I've said before, I'd like a couple of morning children in front of the Volvo leading the way, crying Crying sobbing. Your niece and nephew Perfect. Yes, yes They will be leading the way as the Volvo comes up and there I am in a simple and classy coffin. But you're not going to have any flowers that say JVS are you? Definitely no flowers that say JVS. No. Just maybe a very small arrangement on the top that you could oversee. Yes. I'd have confidence that you'd do something simple and classy. Tasteful But fitting. Yeah. But definitely no horses. No, no plops for me. No. This is from perplexed daughter in law De Willam, Jonathan I wonder if you help me navigate rather delicate mother in law issue. Whenever my husband and I visit my in laws, my mother in law insists on handling all the cooking, serving and clearing up herself When I offer to help, she almost always declines. Ordinarily, this wouldn't bother me, except that she seems visibly flustered and put upon while serving everyone In an effort to be useful, I've recently stopped asking and started helping proactively, setting the table, pouring drinks, and clearing tables. Unfortunately, my in laws are creatures of habit to an extraordinary degree. They have multiple sets of cutlery, glasses and plates and each prefers different ones. More than once I have laid the table incorrectly, only for my mother in law to sigh get up and rearrange everything Rather than laughing it off as one of their quirks, she appears genuinely irritated I'm left feeling both inadequate and confused, part of me thinks I should simply stop helping if my efforts only create more work. yet another part worries that standing back entirely would seem rude and ungrateful. How would you handle this? yours faithfully, perplexed daughter in law? My mother in law sounds like a monster. Yeah, but equally. perplexed. you've tried helping She's declining it. Stop. I think you shouldn't feel obviously you want to help. You're being nice, that's lovely. And I think with family you can offer to help more than let's say, going around to a friend's house for dinner where you can offer, but probably the friends got it all under control. but family probably there is a little bit more sharing of the labour But you've tried, they've said no, they're clearly getting annoyed about it for whatever silly reason. Move on Sit there, do nothing. I think I'd have to make a little sarcastic comment reallyally? I think let's imagine she's called Ming. And I'd say Maureen, I'd love to help you lay the table, but I've noticed I always use the wrong cutler in much to your irritation. Do you want me to help or not Or you could say Maureen, I'd like to set the table, which set of cutlom you wouldd like to use today. Well you could do that. That's a slightly more pular version. Yeah, but then aren't you basically just letting Maureen call the shots? She sounds like a What's her house? Sounds like a pain in the neck. Y it is her house Yeah. in her site defense Well, that's true. Okay, we'll go with your mode Family, you know unity. Unity that absolutely. Or you just sort of sit on the sof and say If you need me to do anything, let me know. Yeah. And you leave it at that. I'm happy to help, Maureen, but I always seem to get on your nerves. So maybe I'll just sit watching cash in the attic. I'm not a psychologist, but I would say there's probably more at play here than just using the wrong set of cutltery at the table. Oh gosh But I think that's more than enough luxury for this week, William. Yes, I think. We've given an awful lot this week. We haveven Some of us more than others. Oh you really am. We will of course be back next Wednesday you Oh, you're going on holiday, aren't you? You're going to the Balcom. I'm going to the Balcom I'm not going to Balcon actually, but can you go via the Balcon Storm their doors. You tell them who I am. I can't I can't say. Right because that would be a modest I've got my luxury podcast co presented. plugged you to death on this podcast, please He wants an exterior room You to sea view I'll do my best, but I can't guarantee. You don't want some narrow interior room. No, you definitely don't want one of those.