What is wrong with John Lewis?

Although John Lewis do a bespoke service don't they which employ people in this country to make soft furnishings and upholstery. They do really nice wallpaper too...oh I have just had a thought...Osborne and Little

Quite apart from the morality of the whole thing, what sort of idiot spends the best part of 10 grand on a sofa when they've got a small child, a Jack Russell and a bloke who can barely dress himself?

Apparently Boris thinks that the public aren't interested in the whole issue of redecorating the flat because they have other things to concern themselves with, apparently we can't think of 2 things at once. I suspect that is how he thinks.

JaneJudge and MerylStreep
Thank you for the ad!

Actually I am disappointed as I thought this thread would be a whinge fest about John Lewis and was going to vent about their chaotic after sales technical service!

I think the flat at No 10 should be treated like an army quarter. Marched in with an inventory check, marched out in the same way at the end of the tenancy. Good Lord, after nineteen years of doing just that, I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy! Have a heart!?

Deedaa

Quite apart from the morality of the whole thing, what sort of idiot spends the best part of 10 grand on a sofa when they've got a small child, a Jack Russell and a bloke who can barely dress himself?

god that really made me laugh.

John Betjamin was an awful snob Whitewave ? he would likely call on friendly bombs to fall even on Wantage these days, were he still alive.Maybe even on John Lewis stores!
Regards furniture: JL would be fine by me, but I wouldn’t expect it to be the retailer of choice for anyone with real money.
I must say I don’t understand the need to spend mega amounts on the flat at number ten or eleven, because they may only live there for four years.Stamp your own sense of decor etc on it, but why anything more? You can’t take wallpaper with you ( or can you?)

I have a feeling of dèja vu, the word wallpaper reminded me of something.

Opposition MPs, newspapers and DIY stores have joined forces to attack the Lord Chancellor after he described spending £650,000 of public money on decorating his flat as a "noble cause".

Lord Irvine of Lairg said the investment on his official apartment in the House of Lords would be appreciated by future generations.



Former chancellor Kenneth Clarke said: "He might acknowledge that it was rather unwise to rush into a programme of this kind."^

^The Lord Chancellor's residence at Westminster
Lord Irvine told the Commons Public Administration Committee on Tuesday he had no reason to apologise for spending £59,000 on wallpaper^
"The wallpaper is not like something from a DIY store" he said.

They just don't learn, do they.

It's paid for by us!

You can’t take wallpaper with you ( or can you?)

What happens to the furniture? Is that left for the next incumbent or are they allowed to take it with them? Then we pay out all over again.
If it stays, who wants an expensive sofa perhaps soaked in red wine and covered in dog hairs?

Zoe Williams on the redecoration

www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/apr/28/john-lewis-nightmare-boris-johnson-flat-refurbishment

Carrie should be self isolating, as isn’t one of the COVID symptoms loss of taste?

Blossoming

Carrie Antoinette is a frightful snob who likes to sneer at the common people. There is nothing wrong with John Lewis.

I feel quite snobby about her, actually.

Downing St 10 is hardly likely to be some ones '*forever home* Neither Cameron or May and others throughout the centuries lased that long so why then spend thousands on décor ?.

Sorry Downing St 11

Our Prime Minister, whoever they are, should have a home that reflects their status. Other Prime Ministers have palatial residences. Ours has a third floor flat above their workplace. I think that's the disgrace not money spent on refurbishment.

They do have the use of Chequers as well where they can entertain foreign dignitaries or just relax. It's rather nice

The No 10 or No. 11 flat is just the 'flat above the shop' and probably quite handy for work!

Aveline

Our Prime Minister, whoever they are, should have a home that reflects their status. Other Prime Ministers have palatial residences. Ours has a third floor flat above their workplace. I think that's the disgrace not money spent on refurbishment.

Have you seen Chequers?

No 10 has many reception rooms, all grand enough for official entertaining, There are also other suites of very grand rooms in government buildings immediately adjacent in Whitehall.

Other countries do it their way, we do it ours.

Chequers is lovely but it's in the country. The Prime Minister of the UK should have a central London residence that reflects his/her position.
British ambassadors have more prestigious settings in other capital cities that our PM has.
SNP FM just spent £1.5 million doing up Bute House, her official residence. Tax payers money so who cares!

Aveline

Chequers is lovely but it's in the country. The Prime Minister of the UK should have a central London residence that reflects his/her position.
British ambassadors have more prestigious settings in other capital cities that our PM has.
SNP FM just spent £1.5 million doing up Bute House, her official residence. Tax payers money so who cares!

Really? I though that essential repairs had been carried out and that anyway, NS had spent much of lockdown living in her own home to reduce the need for unnecessary contacts with staff etc at BH. Also I’d rather the money was tax payers money then some grubby little party donor’s who’s after a peerage/ contract whatever.

They have £30,000 of taxpayers money to spend on refurbishment. It is only a small private flat - a pied-a-terre, if you like, for folk that have other homes and the free use of Checkers.

https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202104/medium-18456--20210429-190622.jpg https://www.gransnet.com/uploads/talk/202104/medium-68869--20210429-190648.jpg

The French Prime Ministers residence. Location in Central Paris.
Surely we can do as well.

Boris's inamorata, is a modern independent woman with a career and a well paid job. Why isn't she making a big financial contribution to the redecoration costs? She lives there with their son.

German Prime Ministers residence. The more I think about it the worse it seems.

Why Aveline, are we competing with France in some way? The ‘flat’ at 11 Downing Street is perfectly adequate, or more than, for a large family.