Abergeldie Castle – could it be saved from the Dee?

Page three of the watch thread

I think you’re confusing me with someone else.

I didn’t say you had used it this week, just that it had been used.

Righto, that wasn’t very clear. Apologies!

Those Hebden looters need to get in there sharpish, while there’s still time.

No worries, and like I say i’m not here to offend anyone, sorry if it came across personal.

Piemonster that map is an absolute hoax, no way would any tory leave Liverpool above sea level 😀

Refugee camp for Newcastle innit

Ah, good old trickle down economics. I presume if that money was spent on something more directly for the public benefit instead it wouldn’t trickle down in the same way?

Refugee camp for Newcastle innit

I think any self respecting Geordie would rather move to Scotchland TBH!

Big old f’ugly house that belongs to a real life aristocratic version of Mr Twit; get in the sea Dee!

(Just felt the need to exercise my chip 😉 )

dragon » As I doubt the £100k will be spent on him personally wading into the river to fix it, then surely this money will end up in the local economy and be recycled into the shops etc.
Ah, good old trickle down economics. I presume if that money was spent on something more directly for the public benefit instead it wouldn’t trickle down in the same way?

Odd, I could have sworn people were making much the same comments about Hebden Bridge, waxing lyrical about how they will be spending their holidays and cash there to “do their bit” and yet not one snarky comment was put their way. Wonder why?

Is it still standing this morning ?

squirrelking – Member

Odd, I could have sworn people were making much the same comments about Hebden Bridge, waxing lyrical about how they will be spending their holidays and cash there to “do their bit” and yet not one snarky comment was put their way. Wonder why?

Because the 2 things are really very different?

squirrelking – Member

Odd, I could have sworn people were making much the same comments about Hebden Bridge, waxing lyrical about how they will be spending their holidays and cash there to “do their bit” and yet not one snarky comment was put their way. Wonder why?

People in Hebden Bridge etc. are suffering real hardship. Some of them will have no insurance due to previous floods. Some of them have been given £500 to help. The guy in the “castle” has been granted £100,000 from a “charity” to help preserve one of his homes. Do you really see any similarity?

Odd use of “quotes” ?

Unless the £100k is a short term bridging loan, it does seem utterly unacceptable. I’ve emailed SBC to ask if they’d confirm the BBC article. Perhaps if others do the same they might rethink how they hand out large lumps of cash to the already extremely wealthy.

GrahamS – Member

Odd use of “quotes” ?

It’s hardly a castle is it?

castle
?k??s(?)l/
noun
noun: castle; plural noun: castles

1.
a large building, typically of the medieval period, fortified against attack with thick walls, battlements, towers, and often a moat.
“Edinburgh Castle”

I put charity in quotes as my understanding of charity is a body that helps out people who need it. This guy is minted, he doesn’t need charity.

#edit: Although his moat is pretty damn impressive.

It’s hardly a castle is it?

if you hit the expand button on google dfine you’ll get a couple more definitions:

castle
?k??s(?)l/Submit
noun
noun: castle; plural noun: castles
1.
a large building, typically of the medieval period, fortified against attack with thick walls, battlements, towers, and often a moat.
“Edinburgh Castle”
synonyms: fortress, fort, stronghold, fortification, keep, citadel, fastness, tower, peel, palace, chateau, donjon; alcazar
a magnificent and imposing old mansion.
“Castle Howard”
CHESSinformal
old-fashioned term for rook2.

It’s hardly a castle is it?

It seems to tick off most of the requirements in your definition.

“A large building”?

Check.

“typically of the medieval period”

Built circa 1550.

“fortified against attack with thick walls”

The walls are four foot thick.

“battlements, towers”

Not much in the way of battlements remaining, but the whole thing is a four-storey tower and it was sufficient enough to be fought over and sieged during the Jacobite uprisings.

“often a moat”

Ruddy great river.

https://canmore.org.uk/site/31138/abergeldie-castle
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abergeldie_Castle

The long, noble and sometimes terrifying history of Abergeldie Castle

Unless the £100k is a short term bridging loan, it does seem utterly unacceptable. I’ve emailed SBC to ask if they’d confirm the BBC article. Perhaps if others do the same they might rethink how they hand out large lumps of cash to the already extremely wealthy.

I also wonder if (as their current charitable aims and programmes suggest) be supporting the many small businesses and communities across Deeside and Scotland that are suffering total loss already, with such quickly available help?

Dunno about SBC, but below is a link to some info on Prince Charles and charity help for flood victims. BERG have previously helped in Ballater when the old station was fire damaged.

P&J Help for flood victims[/url]

There’s pictures now on Press & Journal website showing lorry loads of rocks being tipped over the bank to help support it.

Because the 2 things are really very different?

Are they? Money in the local enconomy is money in the local economy, no matter the source. Why does it matter if it’s you buying a sticky bun or his lordship buying a few trucks worth of boulders? I fail to see the difference provided the money is spent locally (which may well be a condition).

Presumably you’d think it just as reasonable for him to get a huge grant to redecorate the interior when he decides he doesn’t like the colour, because that money would be spent with local decorators – as it would be for the same amount of money to be spent on grants to many people with flood damage to their properties who need to redecorate to make them inhabitable?

Or do you think there is an infinite pot of money and that spending this money on protecting one of his houses doesn’t affect the money available to support those in greater need?

You presume wrongly because that’s not really essential to keeping the fabric of the place together is it?

Your outrage also seems to be severely misplaced, the pot this came from isn’t for domestic applications, it’s a business development charity who’s aims are to sustainably increase profitability of local businesses. Given the estate is a business which presumably brings employment to the local area, why would it be in their interests to see it fail? And with that in mind, would it not be in their interest to see that whatever they contribute is then dispersed amongst other local businesses? Taking his title and anecdotes regarding his character out of the equation, would you still feel the same way?

Once again the big hitters are away on a crusade built upon presumptions and supposition without even bothering to establish any of the facts. But so long as some toff didn’t get taken down a peg or two it’s justified, right?

BTW, found this little snippet which may upset you:

The 21st Baron of Abergeldie hit the headlines in 2009 when he broke a leg after being attacked by his cows. Ten years before, he was in the news after manually hoeing 10 acres of swedes at the age of 60, a job which saw him work 13 hours a day for 10 days.

I wonder, how many of you could claim to work as hard?

Me, I work in Banking.

I work that hard 😛

squirrelking – Member

the pot this came from isn’t for domestic applications, it’s a business development charity who’s aims are to sustainably increase profitability of local businesses. Given the estate is a business which presumably brings employment to the local area, why would it be in their interests to see it fail?

Why would having the house collapse cause the business to fail?

So he’s an ex-naval masochist doing jobs he could pay someone else to do (the skinflint). Did you find the article about how much some fraudsters were paying him in rent too?

He wouldn’t pass any kind of means test and should not receive charity or public money, simple as. Digging up swedes does not qualify him for subsidies. I wonder why the cows attacked him.

The 21st Baron of Abergeldie hit the headlines in 2009 when he broke a leg after being attacked by his cows.

See, even his own cows don’t like him!

Edukator, how do you know how much turnover he has? Once again a distinct lack of facts here…

I presume the house would be considered an integral part of the estate and the shooting “experience” as opposed to a 21st century eco cottage. Yes, assumption but it’s about all anyone can manage around here.

The 21st Baron of Abergeldie hit the headlines in 2009 when he broke a leg after being attacked by his cows. Ten years before, he was in the news after manually hoeing 10 acres of swedes at the age of 60, a job which saw him work 13 hours a day for 10 days.

This is somewhat contradictory with your “trickle down” economic theory. An extremely wealthy man who won’t pay a local worker to tend his neeps. He’s probably out there dragging rocks from his own quarry to dump in the river himself.

What’s that got to do with it? I thought the only thing which mattered was whether the money was spent in the local economy and now you’re bringing other considerations into it. Are you now suggesting that some other sort of test should be applied to determine the best way to spend such money?

He’s probably out there dragging rocks from his own quarry to dump in the river himself.

He’s 76, somehow I doubt it!

He is supervising though.

I thought the only thing which mattered was whether the money was spent in the local economy and now you’re bringing other considerations into it.

No, you’re doing that on your own.

You asked for my reasoning, I gave it to you. If you don’t like it fine, no skin off my back.

You obviously have your position on the matter and that’s fine, I just wish you and your cohorts could be a little more intelligent about it rather than getting frothed up about something you know actually very little about.

I’m pretty leftwards myself, probably more so than some of you who love to remind everyone about it, but even I can see that whether you give money directly to a business or indirectly, so long as the money ends up where it is intended then it doesn’t make any difference in real terms.

I’m simply pointing out that your reasoning is flawed and you don’t seem to like that. Your reasoning apparently being that it doesn’t matter whether grant money goes to people who have plenty of assets to raise money themselves or it goes to people who have no way of raising money themselves, because it all ends up in the local economy. Except when challenged on that, apparently you do have other criteria.

Congratulations on the subtle ad hom BTW

And as already pointed out if he could pull the money out his arse I’m sure he would have. And as similarly pointed out nobody knows if it’s a grant or a loan he has recieved.

And no, it’s not so much my reasoning that is flawed but rather you keep looking for holes to nitpick. I have already laid my cards on the table and said that I’m merely speculating, you on the other hand seem to be convinced that you’re talking facts.

I’m sure he w could have.

FTFY.

Really? I suggested earlier that he’s played a blinder of brinksmanship – and plenty of others have pointed out the lack of difficulty he’d have had in getting a loan off the bank – he does after all have plenty of assets, that is a fact and even nowadays banks are quite happy to lend money to people with assets. If somebody else will pay for the work then why would he dip into his own pocket?

And no, it’s not so much my reasoning that is flawed but rather you keep looking for holes to nitpick

There you go again – you could address the argument instead of belittling it and those arguing against you.

Last night’s TV coverage showed a large and suspiciously ‘British Army green’ 360 excavator working to tip rocks alongside the house. It looks like we taxpayers might be providing more support than the cash sums described above… The army does keep some heavier kit around Balmoral for use in emergencies.

Today’s P&J (which hides behind a paywall online) suggests that this funding is open to all businesses in the area and perhaps others. While I never trust a journalist too much they are perhaps basing their article on facts rather than judgement calls as above.