Florida: Paradise Lost ITV 26th August 9pm *On Tonight*

[PoppyAnna]

We watched it, i thought it was quite intresting, most people seemed happy except that couple that moved for the home cinema buisness.....they didnt seem all that clued up to me, they didnt do there homework and look at figures etc and were only unhappy because of the buisness etc, also the wife didnt seem very committed, i mean who goes home by themselvesthe week before christmas.......they seemed to have no money yet money for flights and deposit on that house....wierd!

The whole e2 visa is a wierd one, but they know what there getting into before they go, i think for couples its fine, but families, its just too rigid in its rules.

I agree Terri, why did she desert him?
They seemed to do very little research with regards to their business before purchasing it.

Watched this last night, very interesting viewing! I thought the couple with the 3 young children who bought the home cinema business seemed quite naive and, dare I say, a bit greedy Nothing wrong with wanting to succeed in life of course but if you're taking on a new business it's usually going to take a bit of time to become successful so perhaps buying an expensive house/committing to the mortgage that goes with it immediately isn't the best idea Seemed like they were accustomed to a middle class lifestyle in the UK and thought they'd have the same or better straight away in Florida.
The London B&B/afternoon tea place was fab I thought, kudos to that couple for making the concept work! I'd love to run a business like that
So glad that the ice-cream guy's wife and daughter got their E2 visas approved in the end

DH's cousin and husband went to Orlando about ten years ago. Their two children were about ten and twelve when they went. In a nutshell he bought a cleaning business, she worked for a Holiday home management company, about three years ago their marriage, their work and their children became troublesome.
Neither of them now reside in the US, he had to sell his business, she lost her job, their daughter is a straight A student who is struggling to stay in the US, whilst they are both remarried and live in the UK, after he had an affair with her best friend (who he isn't married to) Their underage son got an underage girl pregnant, lives in a trailer park and has had a conviction for minor drug offences. He did marry the girl but she has recently left him to bring up the baby with her mum out of state.
What a crazy mess

 

[PudseyChancer]

I thought it was a bit too contrived to be a balanced viewpoint on what seems to be quite a common dream... (mine included!!!)

The family that bought into the home cinema company did not illicit one ounce of sympathy from me - to get in a position where they had such a beautiful house in the UK obviously required some sort of business/financial nous - yet they bought a company and landed in the States five days after getting their visa without carrying out any form of due diligence? And to carry on and lose half a million before they began to think that things weren't going to plan? And to then decide that the only solution was to live seperately (and film the children's response to the horrific news???)

As for the Londoners running their B and B, are we really saying that the only way to make it in the States is to exploit the American's interest in our Royal Family and mince around serving cucumber sandwiches?

I think I'll go back to watching re-runs of 'A House in Florida' - a much more rose-tinted viewpoint of life for the English in the Sunshine State methinks!!!

 

[joolz1910]

I couldn't believe they filmed the children's responses either! I also thought the couple running the Londoner were really rude about their customers. They seemed to treat them with disdain - let's hope the programme is never aired in America or they could find themselves out of business.

 

[alisonbestford]

I also thought the couple running the Londoner were really rude about their customers. They seemed to treat them with disdain - let's hope the programme is never aired in America or they could find themselves out of business.

I thought that too

 

[Jenny@thelondonerB&B]

Please do not use our forum to ridicule someone's grammar, especially when that person has nothing to do with these forums !

 

[Netty]

The last part of your reply is quite rude - not exactly 'light hearted'

 

[kieras nana]

i found that reply,to be quite rude & it makes you come across,as a,not very nice person.i'm sure thats not the case,but you haven't done yourself,any favours,by posting your reply,as i'm sure most people,will have the same view.
tracy

 

[joolz1910]

Irony anyone?

 

[Netty]

Irony anyone?

 

[alisonbestford]

Well that's a whole bunch of folk won't be booking

 

[darthtatty]

Cant understand this thread, a person called Julia saw the programme on tv and emailed.
50 emails and only 1 negative...yet thats the one that gets mentioned.
Why do we need to see the patronising reply?
you did have some nice comments from the lovely Dis people

 

[Booknut]

I guess i'm in the minority because I didn't find Jenny and her husband patronising at all, they are hard working people who have done well and I do wonder if there is a bit of jealousy in some of these comments.

Of course they are playing up the touristy ideal of England, why do you think people come to visit England, because they want to know about our gazillion CCTV cameras and visit our lovely town centres with drunks falling about everywhere at 1am? They come here because they want to see routemasters and castles and have tea and scones and see thatched cottages and try to experience a tiny bit of the history and wonders of this country even if they don't really exist that much today.

She is only giving them a small taste of that and I think good on her.

I grew up in Canada and I was one of those people who had a very idealised view of what England was like. I'd have loved to have had tea in a place like Jenny's B&B, it would have been such a treat.

So what if she has a laugh occasionally at what she has to say, what, you guys have never had a laugh at a client or your boss before at work? Seriously? And I cannot believe two idiots actually left negative feedback on Trip Advisor just because they saw the show and didn't like Jenny...showing really their lack of ability to understand what Trip advisor is all about...

I have lived in the UK for over 14 years now and I love it here even though it isn't what I thought it would be when I was younger. But for the majority of North Americans Jenny's B&B is what they hope England is and I say good on you Jenny, keep it up! If I had the money i'd go back to Alberta and open one up too!

And, btw, if I had a pound for every person in the UK who had a completely silly and ridiculous view of what Canada was like i'd be able to go to Florida first class twice a year eh??!!!

 

[Netty]

Her reply to the negative email wasn't very professional....

 

[Netty]

I guess i'm in the minority because I didn't find Jenny and her husband patronising at all, they are hard working people who have done well and I do wonder if there is a bit of jealousy in some of these comments.

Eloise, come on you can't seriously think that there is jealousy - that is so rediculous

 

[Jenny@thelondonerB&B]

Thanks booknut! We knew when we said we would do this program that things would be taken out of context... it is after all prime time "entertainment" on ITV, I work approx 16 hours a day and everyone who comes to the tearoom has a great experience and my guests always love there stay.... we have lively banter and it goes both ways.. sorry not everyone got it... but thats the chance you take, thanks fo being open minded its appreciated

 

[joolz1910]

I guess i'm in the minority because I didn't find Jenny and her husband patronising at all, they are hard working people who have done well and I do wonder if there is a bit of jealousy in some of these comments.

I agree - they have done very well and I actually thought the business was a great idea. I thought the business was presented very positively, but Jenny was presented quite negatively. Perhaps it was naive to imagine that an 'entertainment' programme wouldn't put a spin on the interviews with selective editing. Having said that, the email response posted here does her no favours.

People can make observations without being jealous!

 

[Pegasus928]

How many of us haven't thought about doing something typically English as a business in Florida - that's why there are a fair few fish n chip shops and British style bars over there.
Personally what I was impressed with as far as Jenny and the B&B were concerned was that she was who she was. She didn't put on a fake posh accent and had found a good business idea that the Americans were keen to experience. Do people who visit the local Indian or Greek restaurant in the UK really think that that is what it is like in their repsective countries??
And didn't I hear that they also have a few villas as a result of how well they have done for themselves.

 

[joolz1910]

How many of us haven't thought about doing something typically English as a business in Florida - that's why there are a fair few fish n chip shops and British style bars over there.
Personally what I was impressed with as far as Jenny and the B&B were concerned was that she was who she was. She didn't put on a fake posh accent and had found a good business idea that the Americans were keen to experience. Do people who visit the local Indian or Greek restaurant in the UK really think that that is what it is like in their repsective countries??
And didn't I hear that they also have a few villas as a result of how well they have done for themselves.

Agreed. The business concept was excellent. It's just the same as us Brits buying into 'Main Street' - an idealised version of a time/place. The fact that she had a cockney accent would have helped her business as it's called The Londoner.

 

[mikeIII]

I have to respond. My family members were the ones who owned the home theatre business. They did conduct due diligence. the programme makers decided to cut out 90% of their input because there is a huge legal case pending, that covers many interlinked parties. I'm not allowed to say any details but the programme didn't tell even 10% of their story and only a highly edited sob story was shown. It's a pity because the only reason they agreed to put themselves through filming at such a vulnerable time was to help other people avoid their experience.
Also their flights home were already booked when they first came out. they had an open return. They though they would be using it to come and visit us, not to come home. I just wanted to lay out a few facts because ITV didn't.

 

[tony64]

I have to respond. My family members were the ones who owned the home theatre business. They did conduct due diligence. the programme makers decided to cut out 90% of their input because there is a huge legal case pending, that covers many interlinked parties. I'm not allowed to say any details but the programme didn't tell even 10% of their story and only a highly edited sob story was shown. It's a pity because the only reason they agreed to put themselves through filming at such a vulnerable time was to help other people avoid their experience.
Also their flights home were already booked when they first came out. they had an open return. They though they would be using it to come and visit us, not to come home. I just wanted to lay out a few facts because ITV didn't.

WE noticed the little add on at the end of the programme and thought most people would not pick up there were proceedings pending. It was ashame that the programme didn't make more of this as there are companies out there that will sale a none viable company to make a fast buck. Even if you do your homework you can still come unstuck if someone is misrepresenting the facts.

Thanks booknut! We knew when we said we would do this program that things would be taken out of context... it is after all prime time "entertainment" on ITV, I work approx 16 hours a day and everyone who comes to the tearoom has a great experience and my guests always love there stay.... we have lively banter and it goes both ways.. sorry not everyone got it... but thats the chance you take, thanks fo being open minded its appreciated

Good for you Jenny, we saw how much hard work you and your husband had put in to grow your business.

Anyone that works 16 hours a day seven days a week and is prepared to make that level of financial commitment deserves to do well.