Escape to the Chateau (2016–2019): Season 3, Episode 1 - Only 20 Rooms to Go - full transcript

- [Narrator] Once upon a time,

there was an abandoned
Chateau in France.

Where no one had lit a fire

or run a bath for
years and years.

Then one day, an intrepid couple

unlocked it's giant front door.

- Turn, turn turn turn.

Wow.

- [Angel] It's
pretty Incredible.

- [Narrator] And instantly
fell under it's spell.

- Everything's gorgeous.



- [Narrator] Engineer
Dick Strawbridge

and his wife, designer Angel.

- [Angel] Drop me
your locks darling.

Were determined to make it
into a magical family home.

- So incredibly important
to bring it back to life.

- [Narrator] But
despite their hard work,

their dream often
resembled a nightmare.

- Thick dust.

Found a bat's nest.

Behind every romantic
story is the reality.

- [Narrator] Now for
better or for worse,

Dick and Angel's french
fairytale continues.

(upbeat music)

- Dick and Angel always
dreamed of living in France.



Little did they know

that their budget of
280 thousand pounds,

could buy them a spectacular
five floor chateau,

12 acres of land,

seven out-buildings.

An orangery.

And even a moat.

So two years ago,
they packed their bags

and moved with their
Children, Arthur and Dorothy

to the Pays de la Loire.

On paper, it was the
ultimate house swap.

A two bedroom flat in South End,

for a 45 room 19th
century landmark.

- [Angel] Oh wow.

Look at that.

- [Narrator] Since
their arrival,

they've put in
heating and hot water.

- [Angel] Look at that.

- [Narrator] And transformed
20 of the 45 rooms,

including two sumptuous bedroom
suites for paying guests.

- [Dick] Choose the floor.

- [Narrator] They
even installed a lift

to get them up there.

Now, it's winter,

and while there are no
visitor to the chateau,

it's the season for
repairs and restoration.

Many parts of the house

are still in a serious
state of disrepair.

A crumbling barn must be turned

into a home for angel's parents.

- [Dick] Now, that's a window.

- [Narrator] And Dick
is desperate to restore

a 2000 square
meter walled garden

to it's former glory.

But today, work is on hold,

as two year old Dorothy
has a big day ahead.

- So grown up.

My little girl's
going to school.

I'm gonna be absolutely
happy about it.

There's no problem.

- [Narrator] French
children are offered

free schooling from
the tender age of two.

- Let me see how
beautiful you look.

Give me a little swizzle.

You're definitely ready
for school, aren't you.

- [Arthur] I found it.

- You found your coat!

- Can I keep it this warm?

- Be clever darls.

I cannot believe the
last time we had rain.

What did you do?

What did you do?

- I bumped my head.

- Door shut.

What do you say when you're
saying hello to people?

- What's hello in french?

- Bonjour, yeah.

Bit long.

- [Narrator] Dorothy's
school is two miles away

in the local village of
Martigné-sur-Mayenne.

- [Angel] March,
march, march, march.

- [Narrator] She'll
be joining her brother

and 250 other children

aged between two and 11.

- [Angel] Mummy will
catch up with you

very very soon my darling.

- She's two.

She's tiny.

I started school in September,
I was five in September,

that's a huge
difference from the UK.

What do you think about
leaving your little girl?

- Good.

- [Dick] Really good?

- When Arthur went to school

I was, sort of, quite excited

to spend a little bit
of time with Dorothy,

'cause I didn't feel
like I had a lot of time

just for Dorothy.

But what are we gonna do?

- We're gonna go and
frolic in the chateau!

Come with me, come with me girl.

It'll be all right.

- [Narrator] But there's
no time for frolicking.

Dick and Angel desperately
need to catch up

on projects that
are long overdue.

Top of their list,
their own bedrooms.

- 'Cause Arthur
lays in bed with me,

and he says mummy, the
ceilings coming off.

I want it known.

And I said but mummy does like

a bit of dilapidated
things, darling.

- [Narrator] When Dick
and Angel first moved in,

they learned from the original
plans that it was customary

for the master and
mistress of the house

to have separate
living quarters.

- I'm just laughing at this

because it says
chambre de madame.

- And this is
chambre de monsieur.

So you would live over there

and I would live over here.

Not happening.

- [Narrator] Today
the family of four

occupy the whole of
the chambre de madame,

with Dick and
Angel at the front,

Dorothy and Arthur
sharing at the back,

and a bathroom in the middle.

- This was the first room that
we actually got functional.

I've nearly forgotten
what it was like,

but there was
actually a wall here

that had to be knocked down,

stud wall up,

and Dick put the bath
in and put a toilet in.

To be honest, I'm gonna
miss this stud wall.

It's been a perfect
shelving unit.

- [Narrator] While
the work is going on,

the family will decamp
to the honeymoon suite.

- Oh, Dorothy's hair
clip, I need that.

- [Narrator] Unfortunately,
paying guests are due

in just four weeks
time, so it's essential

everything is finished by then.

- We do it ourselves,
we're gluttons aren't we.

'Cause we got a
bit of chaos again.

I quite like a bit of chaos.

- [Narrator] Since
they moved in,

Angel has devoted herself

to bringing the
chateau back to life.

Her imagination is present

in all the rooms that
they've renovated.

And that freedom to create

is something she wants to
pass on to the children.

So, Angel's vision for the
Strawbridge's family suite,

is going to reflect her
love of fairgrounds,

the circus, and wild adventure.

- I brought this light in
my favorite charity shop.

I think it was three euros.

But I love it,

I love all the stripes on it,

they're quite gentle,

it's just cute and
I've managed to find

some really, really, really
beautiful stripey tiles

and they're gonna
be in the bathroom

to sort of keep the fact

that there is a little bit
of a striped theme going on.

But, it's gonna be subtle,

it's gonna be really gentle,

it's not gonna be
too in your face.

- [Narrator] Angel also
wants to take her family

on an African adventure.

- I've found this
really beautiful,

kind of, safari print fabric,

and I'm basically gonna
cover everything that moves

with that, in our room.

I'm only joking, I'd
cover the kids with it

if they stood still
for long enough.

- [Narrator] While Angel
chooses the color schemes,

Dick gets going on the bathroom.

Unfortunately the
taps are British,

and the pipes are french,

which means Dick and
his builder mate Steve

have a major
compatibility problem.

- Pull the tap off.

Is it off?

Both taps off?

- No that's on.

- [Dick] It won't go off.

- I'm going to pick
the kids up now.

I'm a little bit nervous,

because I hope it's gone okay,

I really hope it's gone okay.

You know, we'll see.

I kept looking at my phone

making sure the school
hadn't called me.

That'll get easier I think,

once she settles.

Once I've settled

Did you speak any french today?

- No.

- Did you have a nice
time though, at school.

- Yes.

- Yeah?

Good!

And did you look
after your sister?

- Uh-huh.

It's a bit windy.

- It is a bit windy.

Shall we say wind wind go away?

- Don't come back.

- Come on, let's go.

- [Narrator] But
it doesn't go away.

Violent winds of 100
kilometers an hour

are rolling in
from the Atlantic.

The Pays de la Loire
is on orange alert.

And 2000 homes are
already without power.

All Dick and Angel can do
is batten down the hatches

and snuggle up in
front of the fire.

- [Dick] Sleep?

- Yes.

- Do you want a drink?

- Yes.

(thunderclap)

- [Narrator] All too
soon the winter break

will be replaced with the
busies year of their lives.

They have eight weddings,

and 15 food lovers
weekends booked.

But like a lot of
fledgling businesses,

Dick and Angel have
yet to turn a profit.

- [Dick] We haven't optimized
our performance yet, have we?

- No, we absolutely haven't.

I'd like to make the
food lovers weekends

be a bit more profitable

because everybody
that comes loves them,

but, I don't think that
they're working financially.

- Do you know what?

This year will be successful

if you haven't strangled me,

I haven't strangled you

and the kids are still smiling.

- I love that.

Baby this year's gonna
be a walk in the park.

(wind howl and thunderclap)

- [Narrator] It's
winter at the chateau,

and Dick is concerned
that the harsh weather

has taken it's toll on
his 150 year old home.

- Had a cracking
storm last night.

The wind was ferocious

and every time we have a storm,

I gotta go round and check

and see what's happened.

What a pain.

See, this is a slate
that's come off the roof.

Loosing one slate's not
the end of the world,

the big thing is,
what does that say

about the condition of the roof?

- [Narrator] Of the
hundreds of jobs

that need to be done
around the chateau,

Dick is dreading on
more than any other.

- Replace the roof.

Man, it's expensive.

There'll be no change out
of 150K to do a new roof.

The pain's too much.

A crumbling roof
is the one thing

every chateau owner fears.

- It's quite scary,

because we don't have
100 grand right now.

Guess that's the problem
with big buildings like this.

- [Narrator] For Dick
and Angel, a new roof

will be an enormous expense

and could seriously
affect their business.

- I haven't even mentioned
to Angel, course,

if we replace the roof
and we put scaffolding up,

does that mean that we

have to have a season
without weddings?

Who wants to get
married at a chateau

that's surrounded
bu scaffolding?

- [Narrator] The 340
square meter roof

is a feat of 19th
century engineering.

25 oak trees were used to
make the vast wooden beams,

and over 29 thousand slates
protect it from the elements.

Or at least they used to.

- You should not be able to
see the sky out of your roof.

There's quite a serious problem.

I need to get some
advice on this,

and I can't do this myself.

There's no way I can even
save money on this really,

'cause I have to pay.

(upbeat music)

- [Narrator] Down
on the first floor,

Angel is using the
few hours she has

while Arthur and
Dorothy are at school,

to decorate their bedroom.

- It always comes down
to time, stuff like this.

The way that our
lives are, you know,

with the kid management,

now the kids are at school,

even though we do get that
little pocket it the morning,

which is brilliant,

it's a few hours only.

- [Narrator] Angel's
creating for the children

a circus wonderland, with
stripey tent-like walls,

and even stripey cupboards.

- Hope it's gonna work.

The chateau is, I love it,

I just don't want
anything too shiny,

or as they say brilliante.

Lovely.

Paint over here is literally,
like, so expensive.

It is really taking the
pee pee, as they say.

That's all right isn't it?

I think it looks quite good,

although Dick says it
makes his eyes go funny.

- [Narrator] While Angel
creates a fantasy bedroom

for the children, Dick is
set on fulfilling his dream.

To restore the 2000
square meter walled garden

to it's former glory.

- I fell in love with this place

mainly because of
the walled garden.

The chateau's pretty,
but this is something

that is just like a dream for
anybody who works outside,

has a garden.

- [Narrator] But before Dick

can seriously start
working the garden.

- [Dick] No messing around.

- [Narrator] He needs to
clear the sycamore trees

that have self-seeded
across the whole area.

- Came in and saw the
massive big sycamore weeds,

and I knew they
had to come down.

Waited for two years,
this is exciting,

this is a big moment.

- [Narrator] As Dick's
both an engineer

and a keen gardener, one
of the things he loves most

about his walled garden,

is that it's designed to be
as productive as possible.

- All walled gardens have a
very similar feel to them,

in that there's a square,

divided into four main squares.

What that does, is that gives us

four distinct growing areas.

The south is down
here, the sun shines,

this hot part up here,

things should grow faster
than the bit down here,

because this is in
the shade of the wall.

Which means if I
plant a plum tree here

and a plum tree there,

there's a six week difference

in when they should be ready.

That's really extended my season

by just going to diagonally
across the garden.

- [Narrator] But before
he can grow anything,

Dick needs to completely
clear the site.

No small task, when it's
the equivalent in size

to eight tennis courts.

Inside, Angel has decided
to extend the stripes,

from the children's room
into the master bedroom.

- It's such a big
wall, it just didn't

take the wallpaper very well.

The pattern wasn't
strong enough.

It just didn't work.

So now, I've tied it
in with this paint

that is just a color that
I am totally in love with.

You know, you've
just gotta wake up

and you've just gotta
love where you are.

- [Narrator] While Angel
is busy painting stripes,

Dick and the tree surgeons

start pollarding the lime trees

that line the entrance
to the chateau.

The branches might provide
useful shade during the summer,

but their weight is
putting the trees at risk,

so they've all got to go,

and the winter is the
perfect time to do it.

(chainsaw buzz)

- We've got to use
this cold weather

before the sap rises.

Every single piece of goodness
is stored in the root system,

right back down there,

because it's chilly.

And then when the sun comes out,

it'll all pop up.

We want to start
chopping these off

before all the sap flows.

The tree is sleeping,

so we're giving it a
haircut while it sleeps.

That's what
pollardings are like.

- [Narrator] In spring the
trees will come back to life

and start sprouting again.

To Dick, pollarding
means healthy trees,

and tons of free firewood.

But Angel sees things
very differently.

- [Angel] I am freaking
out a little bit.

- [Dick] Why?

- I haven't really
understood this fully.

Like, honestly when you said
they were gonna be pollarded,

I thought they were gonna
have a little hair cut.

- It's very different.

- They look really
bald baby, honestly.

Like, seriously are they
gonna grow back enough

in time for the wedding season?

This area here is kind
of where I've proposed

that everyone sits to eat,

because if it does rain,

we can't have everyone
eating in the orangery

or the house really, and
it'll probably be warm

in the summer months, so,

when will they start sprouting?

- All they energy off the
trees is stored, yeah,

in the roots and in here.

When they start to grow,
all the sap will rise,

and we'll have shoots
coming out of the top here.

- When?

- March.

- Our first wedding's in may.

- I know, I know.

- How high will they be?

- I don't know, I can't
give you the answer.

I know you're panicky,
she's panicky.

But, darling, it has to be done.

- [Angel] Yeah.

- [Dick] It's nature.

- Trust nature.

- Those trees want to live.

They want to grow
big and strong again.

- I know.

It's done now.

- [Dick] It's done
now, it is done now.

- [Angel] It is done.

- [Narrator] Even
though Dick is already

in quite a bit of trouble,

his day could be about
to get a lot worse.

Roofing expert Ian Barnes,

has come to check the
state of the chateau roof.

- [Ian] It's the health check.

- [Dick] Okay, thank you.

- [Narrator] First
they have to climb

all 80 steps to the very top.

- [Ian] Good exercise isn't it?

- [Dick] Sadly, yes.

Straight through.

- [Ian] Oh crikey, yeah,

that is quite a large hole.

- [Dick] Okay, how do
you wanna get up there?

- What we're gonna do, we're
gonna inspect this ladder here,

what sort of condition is it in?

- [Dick] You just stick
this out the window?

- [Ian] Yeah, yeah.

Looks fairly sound.

- Sorry, you did say
pretty sound didn't you.

- Yeah, yeah.

- Well, I'm not going
to say anything,

it's just that my
body was not built

to stand on a ladder like that.

I'm really quite interested,

when you've been up there Ian,

to get a real,
sort of, assessment

as to how long you
think we've got

until we need a new roof.

- [Narrator] If the
roof needs replacing,

it could cost them around
150 thousand pounds.

That's more than half

the original purchase
price of the chateau,

and it's money they
just don't have.

The chateau roof has been
damaged in a recent storm.

To find out the
extent of the problem,

and the size of
the bill to fix it.

- [Dick] Watch your top end.

- [Ian] Okay yep.

- [Narrator] Dick has
asked Ian, a roofing expert

to take a closer look.

- [Ian] It's a bit awkward.

- [Narrator] If they can get
the 20 foot ladder up there.

- [Ian] Bit more.

It's steep.

That's it.

- [Dick] You got it?

- [Ian] Yeah, got it.

That's it.

That's it.

- There's one thing for sure.

I was never meant
to go on that roof,

have you seen the
size of that hole?

- [Narrator] Armed
with a camera,

so Dick can also
see what's what,

Ian carefully levers himself

out onto the roof.

- [Dick] Careful of the slates.

- [Ian] Don't want to
knock any of them off.

- No, exactly.

This is the scary mystery
about buying any property.

It's a lot of engineering
making a roof like this,

and chateau roofs are renowned
for being the problem areas.

We looked at so many
chateaus and most of them

were being sold because
the roof was in bad nick,

and we saw lots of them
with huge holes in the roof.

- [Narrator] As well
as fixing the hole,

Ian will assess whether
it's just one or two slates

that need replacing.

- [Ian] That's better, we
can see what we're doing.

- [Narrator] Or 29 thousand.

While Dick is wondering

how they could possible
afford a new roof,

Angel has been doing a
bit of online shopping.

- I was just, a little
bit too much on eBay,

I guess I accidentally
bought a van.

- [Narrator] The van
that's caught her eye

is a rusty 40 year old Citroen,

which has spent
it's life selling

toys and snacks to tourists,

along the coast of
northern France.

- It used to go
around the old beaches

or the bays of the Somme,

and it was a shop.

I mean, this isn't just any van,

it was a (beep) shop.

- [Narrator] Despite it's age,

Angel thinks it will be perfect

for converting into
a mobile drinks bar

for their weddings and party.

- Last year's wedding, Rich
and Charlotte, amazing.

The difficulty behind
the scenes, was the bar.

It really was.

You know, the turnaround,
keeping everything cold,

this year, we're
gonna be organized.

We're trying to make our
life a little bit better.

I'm so excited about this,

'cause I can just see me
with my lemons and limes,

and all my tea cups in here.

It's just brilliant.

- [Narrator] Angel's delighted
with her latest purchase,

but upstairs in the attic,
Dick is very worried.

The roof is not looking good.

- [Ian] It looks a
bit manky doesn't it.

- [Dick] Looks a bit old.

- [Narrator] Now
Ian has pulled up

the lead flashing that
runs along the ridge,

the reason the slates
are falling off is
much more obvious.

- Somebody's walked
along the ridge,

on the lead, the stop slates
under the lead were crushed.

You've got new slates
so I'll put them on.

- [Narrator] Ian works on alone,

but it wasn't like that in 1869

when the roof was first built.

According to the records,

the head roofer, a
Monsieur Marseilles,

paid 14 skilled laborers the
equivalent of 280 pounds a day,

to lay all 29 thousand slates.

While 19th century
roofing didn't come cheap,

a 21st century
restoration will cost

Dick and Angel a fortune.

Their only hope is
that they're given

a bit more time
to save up for it.

- Well hopefully he'll say

it's got another
five years in it.

- [Narrator] For now though,

all Dick can do is wait
nervously for Ian to come back

and deliver his verdict.

- [Ian] That's it.

- [Dick] Brilliant job

- [Ian] Thank you

- [Dick] Come down and be safe.

- [Narrator] The hole is fixed,

but now Dick needs to face
up to a much bigger problem.

- Come on down.

When must I replace the roof,

because that means,
we know that's a big,

big, big, big bill coming.

- So long as it's
kept up together,

and the slipped
slates are put back,

I think the roof
will go for another

10 maybe 12 years.

- Are you serious?

- [Narrator] Dick now
has the next decade

to save up 150 thousand
pounds for a new roof.

To do it, both he and Angel
will have to be prudent.

But it's hard when you're
launching a new business.

And Angel reckons a two
thousand pound rusty old van

is the perfect investment.

- It's a lovely van,

and to be honest,
nobody wanted it.

- [Narrator] Today
the whole family

is going out to inspect it

as soon as Dorothy's
finished packing.

- And my TV.

- [Dick] How many pairs
of shoes have you got?

- One, two, three, four five.

- Right, we're going.

- Dick's a little bit grumpy

because, you know, I
don't do geography,

and it's not around the corner.

- What else have we gotta pack?

We've gotta pack some scooters.

- [Narrator] In fact,
the van is near Diem,

two hundred miles away.

So the trip has now
been reclassified as
a family adventure.

- I'd like to say
I'm going over there

to have a little veto,
and have a little look,

but we've already
paid money down,

so whatever happens
we'll make it work.

What's mummy bought that
we're going to have a look at?

- [Arthur] A lorry!

- [Dick] A Lorry!

- [Arthur] Is it as
big as our house?

- It's nearly as big as our
house, that's how big it is.

What I think we should do,

is see if we can
get a little sleep,

because if you sleep,

you always get there quicker.

Unless it's daddy.

Bonjour.

- Bonjour.

- Hey, bonjour.-

- [Angel] Jackie.

- Bonjour Michel.

- Bonjour Dick.

- Oh, ooh la la.

- It's huge.

- I think it's a bit
bigger than I thought.

- Fourteen meters.

Which is, 30, 42, 45 feet long.

- Great.

Hold on, so this is longer
than an articulated lorry.

- [Angel] Look, wow.

- [Dick] Angela, Angela, watch.

- [Angel] Look at
daddy, look at daddy!

I can see all the, you know,
the spirits hanging down.

- Basically, this bit's a bit
of Citroen that's been bought,

and the rest has
been made, last one.

This is a rare beast.

(honk)

- Oh look what you found Arthur?

This is the sort of stuff

that they probably
used to sell in here.

Look, 5.50.

I wouldn't pay 5.50 for that.

I mean, I'm so excited.

- I don't think you've
actually got your head around

how much work there is.

- All I'm gonna say to you

is what you said when
we bought the chateau.

You take one bight of
the elephant at a time.

- [Dick] Darling.

- No, let me speak.

I think, I've kind of got
this idea at the moment

that this is gonna
have a little bit here

for the bar to give the drinks.

- You've already gone all arty,

and oh, the bars here.

- No, I'm not doing
arty at all yet.

- We've got fundamental
stuff, okay.

- I think it's gonna make
things so much easier for us,

I'm thinking of our welfare,

I'm not thinking of
giving you more work.

- Oh, that's okay,
there I was worrying.

Do you like it Dorothy?

- Yeah.

- [Dick] Let's buy it!

- Thanks baby.

- [Narrator] Now Dorothy
has given her approval,

it's time to head home.

But first a reward for
making a 400 mile round trip.

- What do we want?

- I want vanilla.

- Vanilla, chocolate, fraise.

Vanilla, okay, there you go,

what is it you like Dorothy,

tell me if you like the taste.

- I have to say babe,

there's something
about the seaside

that is just amazing, isn't it.

- You don't need
sunshine to go the beach,

and do you wanna know something?

It's actually not that cold.

- [Angel] Arthur's
lost his ice cream.

- [Narrator] Fresh from
her travel to the seaside,

Angel now wants to go global,

at least with the lighting

in their new Strawbridge suite.

- I was looking at our bathroom,

and it's a bit too grown up.

It's a bit too nice,

it's not fun enough
for the kids.

So, I did some research

and I bought three globes,

and I'm gonna try and
make 'em into lights,

and we're gonna put little holes

in every country
that we've been to,

but I'm gonna need
Mr Strawbridge

who's gonna tell me
what I can and can't do,

because we've only got one

actual electricity fitting,

and I've brought three globes.

- Where are these going?

- The plan is that
they hang from

the single electrical
cable that you did me.

- I asked you, categorically,

how many lights
are you gonna have?

And you said, categorically,
I only want one.

Cause you did talk
about two or three,

but you said you
only wanted one.

- Yes, well it was very
hard to make a decision

when I didn't know what
was gonna be there.

- [Dick] Okay.

- And the other thing is
putting the countries in

that we've been to.

- So we need to
drill holes in there.

You know, I've been
all over Ireland,

shall we just cut this all out?

- I knew that you were
gonna be really competitive.

- Of course I am.

- [Angel] Right, you do Belfast.

- What parts of America
have you been to?

- I've been to Miami.

- Well we, count one two.

- [Angel] Oh gosh, press on.

- 'Cause we've been
all over that one.

- Oh, that's really
neat, I love it.

And there's part of me
that's a little bit sad

that I've not seen
so much of the world.

- I've never been
down here at all.

We'll have to go places
to go get extra holes.

- [Narrator] As one crafting
project is completed,

another much more
ambitious one arrives.

Angel's vintage Citroen van.

- It's here.

It's looking brilliant.

- [Narrator] As the
van is so decrepit,

it has to be transported
on the back of a trailer.

- Casper, hi!

How are you?

- Good to see you.

- Nice to meet you.

Oh, it's great.

- It's fantastic.

- [Narrator] Now it's here,

Angel hopes that Dick
will not only fix it,

but also one day even like it.

- I wonder if it can go here,

how do you do that?

- I have to turn, yes,

it's a long, long one.

- He knows what he's doing
and I'm just gonna watch.

It's really, probably,

my biggest purchase
from imagination.

I don't think
anyone's gonna get it,

certainly not Dick,

until that moment when
the lights are twinkling

and the bar's rolling.

Casper, can I help?

- No, it's all electric.

- Hey you okay?

- Sorry about that.

- Don't worry.

The out building seems
to have survived.

You okay?

- Gosh.

- [Narrator] The van has
definitely come off worse.

- It's just one of
those things, isn't it.

- [Narrator] Now Dick is
home to inspect the damage.

- You said it was
a little tiny dent.

- I was more upset
about the out building.

I wasn't that
bothered about this,

that's weird isn't it?

- Aw kid.

How did you do that?

It's a (beep) great building.

And it never moved.

- It just went.

And to be honest, I
don't think Casper,

he still doesn't
know what happened.

- Well done, lift that up.

Oh dear God, just look at it.

Well you see that's bashed.

- That's quite sad, isn't it.

- Well the sadness
is it's more work.

(upbeat music)

- [Narrator] But mending a
clapped out crash damaged van

is nothing compared to Dick
and Angel's next major project,

Arthur's fourth birthday party.

And he's invited all
his french friends.

- I need all the
children in here.

Okay.

- [Narrator] Angel finds
that herding children

from one room to
another in any language,

is not the easiest of tasks.

- I haven't got a
clue what's going on.

It's so difficult because I
can't just explain myself.

Language is quite problematic.

- [Narrator] Dick has wisely
decided to stay out of the way,

in the kitchen

- This is a bit like
any other event,

only with more anarchy.

- Go, in you go baby.

Come on, come on.

Okay.

Arthur is sitting next to
his favorite girl at school,

and honestly my heart is melting

- [Dick] Happy birthday to you!

- [Narrator] As winter
draws to a close,

Dick and Angel prepare
for even more guests.

A couple are arriving

for the first food lovers
weekend of the year,

and their bedroom
is far from ready.

Angel, Dick, and the
children have been camping

in the honeymoon suite
while their own rooms

are being renovated.

- [Narrator] The only solution?

Ultra fast turnaround.

- And now I'm trying
to get this place

into some sort of order.

Not kind of how we
like to work at all.

I just wanted to put
the last few bits out.

- [Narrator] Looking
equally splendid

is the new Strawbridge suite.

For the first time in two years,

the family has it's
own personal sanctuary.

- Having lived out of a
suitcase for a couple of years,

essentially that's what we have,

it's just gonna
feel really nice.

We've claimed the
house back now,

and you know,
we're living in it.

I love it, the place is playful.

And the fact that this
is something for us

and the kids and the family

is quite a special
moment, actually.

Now is the start of us

having a bit of
normality in our life.

And it's really needed
because we're busy.

We've got a busy
year ahead of us.

I'm always gonna have a little
bit of my fairground thing

forever because that's what
I love and that's who I am.

I think we've done well
on not a lot of money.

And I'm really really excited

for the kids to see
their room tonight.

- Going upstairs now,

this is our house forever.

- Forever!

- [Dick] Faster, your bedroom.

What do you think?

What do you see?

- Look!

A lion, and a tiger, and a
little tiger, and a horse!

- Do you see these
spots on the world?

Those are places
that we've been to!

How many dots are up there?

- [Angel] In french.

- Look at here.

Tell me what you
think about the floor?

What's going on with the floor?

The floor's warm!

We've got a warm
floor for the winter.

A thousand things that move.

So what animals can you see?

- A lion!

- [Angel] I can see palm trees.

- We got there in the end.

- [Narrator] Next time.

- Space that out, see
how many steps it is.

Bigger steps, bigger.

- [Narrator] There are
grumbles in the garden.

- Do I want to get
into the fruit and veg?

No, no I don't.

- [Dick] Grab the
thing, pull it.

- But you were holding that.

- You have to get
it, don't argue.

- [Narrator] Design
disagreements.

- Obviously that's coming down.

- Oh that's something.

- [Narrator] A
romantic rendezvous.

* Love is in the air. *

- [Dick] Come on puppy
dog, big truffle time.

- [Narrator]
Discerning dachshunds.

- You're such a clever boy.

- [Narrator] And a
very nervous Angel.

- I trust Dick.

I think they're gonna
grow back eventually.

- I just really really
really hope it grows.

If they don't grow back,

I'm probably gonna
have to leave France

and hide somewhere
until they do.

(mellow music)