Escape to the Chateau (2016–2019): Season 7, Episode 4 - Orangery, Daybeds & Unexpected History - full transcript

(birds chirping)

- [Narrator] In the heart
of the French countryside,

a magnificent Chateau stood
uncared for and abandoned.

Then, six years ago,
everything changed.

- Wow, oh, look at that!
- When an intrepid

British couple-
- Turn, turn, turn, turn!

Wow!

- [Narrator] Unlocked
its front door-

- Everything is gorgeous.

- [Narrator] Fell in
love with its grandeur

and embarked on an adventure.



- It's so incredibly important
to bring it back to life.

- [Narrator] Since
they moved in,

engineer Dick Strawbridge,

and his wife, designer Angel,

have transformed
almost all 45 rooms,

including four
sumptuous guest suites

for their wedding
and events business.

But despite their hard work,

their dream often
resembled a nightmare.

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

- Behind every romantic
story is the reality!

- [Narrator] This year,
life at the Chateau

has been rather different.

(Angel laughing)



- I'm on Heron Island!

- [Narrator] With no
weddings and events to host-

- I think we need a
roof garden up here.

- O-Level mathematics from 1975.

- [Narrator] They can tackle
bigger projects than ever.

- This, I'm thinking,
is a big swimming pool.

- I've got a headache!

(Dick laughs)

- [Narrator] And there are
lots of surprises in store.

(they scream)

- Come on, let's
have a little look.

- Will it open?

- [Narrator] As the Chateau
reveals more secrets.

- I love it!

It's so me!

- [Narrator] It's time to
find out what happens next

in this 21st-century
French fairy tale.

- I think this is a good
reason to buy a horse!

(Angel laughs)

- [Narrator] The Chateau
de la Motte-Husson

was originally built in 1874

as a place of entertainment for
the wealthy Baglioni family.

150 years later,
entertainment is still

at the heart of Chateau life,

but this year, with Dick
and Angel's events business

on hold, not always quite
in the way you might expect.

- Hello!

Let me see them, wow!

- [Narrator] Today,
the Strawbridge family

is preparing for an
adventure into outer space.

- Let me see your rocket,

let me see, Arthur.

Lovely.
- Next stop, the moon.

- [Narrator] To
reach for the stars,

or at least a near 25 meter
height of the Chateau,

Dorothy and Arthur will be
launching home-made rockets.

- Three, two, one, rocket shape!

(camera clicks)
Gorgeous.

- [Narrator] And it's
almost time for liftoff.

- Dorothy's going first.

I'm gonna put water in here.

It's gonna be half
full of water.

I'm gonna put a plug
in the end of it,

and we're gonna
push air in there.

The more air that goes in,
it's gonna go, urrrrgh, boof!

This now, Dorothy,
is on the launchpad.

I can't believe we're
aiming at our house!

- Whose idea was that?

- Right, everybody ready?

- [Narrator] With
Dorothy's rocket connected

to Dick's air
compressor-based launchpad,

countdown can commence.

- Trios!
- Trios!

Deux, un!

- Everybody stand clear!

It's gonna go off, oh no!

Whoa!

(Dick laughs)

Well done, Dorothy's rocket!

- [Narrator] Astronaut
Arthur is up next.

- Good luck, mate.
- Here we go!

We're going!

Oh!

Oh, look at that one!

That was a great one!

- [Narrator] With both
rockets successfully launched,

several times over-

(they scream)

- Come on!

Well done!

- [Narrator] It's
mission accomplished.

- That was amazing!

(geese honk)

- [Narrator] Keeping the family
entertained is one thing,

running a wedding and events
business, quite another.

- There we go.

- Right, so canapes.

(people applauding and cheering)

- [Narrator] But
family or business,

there's always been one building
at the center of the party.

The Orangerie.

From the first moment Dick and
Angel saw it six years ago,

it captured their hearts.

- Oh, my God!
- Right this is the Orangerie.

- [Narrator] Originally
built as an aristocratic

status symbol by the Baglionis,

the Orangerie was not only a
place to grow tropical plants,

but an exotic location
to entertain guests.

A point not missed by
Angel's mother, Jenny.

- This might be part of your
wedding business, as well.

- [Narrator] And Jenny's
prediction came true.

It played host to Dick
and Angel's own nuptials.

And, since then, thousands of
guests have been entertained

under its roof.

(lively music)

But today, that
original Victorian roof

and the building it's meant to
protect, is showing its age.

(birds singing)

So, with no guests this year,

it's the perfect time to bring
it back to its former glory.

But to do that, Dick and
Angel need specialist help,

so have enlisted the expertise
of roofer mate, Steve.

- Have a look at this roof.

This has to look
good, doesn't it?

- Yes.

- [Narrator] Top of
Angel's wish list

for the new roof is for it
to have the weathered beauty

of the old one.

- I'm worried that it's
gonna be all new and clean

and I'm gonna feel
slightly, you know,

it's like a lovely patina
wall to a new plastered wall.

- Yeah.
- I feel like

there's got to be a
bit of compromise.

- Okay, we could get a
second-hand Welsh put on it,

and it would look very
similar to how it does now.

- What's all the
green stuff on there?

- Lichen, effectively.
- Lichen.

You know, I just love it all.

- The other slates
will come with that on.

- Good.

- You really know
how to play the game

with this girl, don't you?

- [Narrator] The salvaged
slate will satisfy Angel,

but never one to
waste the pennies,

Dick's keen to know if
pre-loved comes at a discount.

- So is it gonna be
cheaper or more expensive

than buying new?

- I think it will be
slightly more expensive.

- Ooh!

Really, it is, isn't it?

That's the way of it.
- Lots of work involved.

- It's fine.
- But there are some

advantages to old Welsh slate.

It's very durable.

- It's gonna see me
out, that's for sure.

- Okay.
- It's gonna see you out too.

- Yeah, it will.

Oh, don't make me cry!

- Arthur and Dorothy do
not want to be thinking

about this for the next 10-
- Yeah, I mean, gosh,

Arthur's already got this
earmarked for his restaurant!

- It's a good investment.
- It's a good investment!

(bright piano music)

- [Narrator] A few days later,

the Orangerie
overhaul is under way.

And with the bare bones of
the roof being revealed,

Angel's keen for a closer look.

- Right, are you ready for
your first driving lesson?

- [Narrator] This
six-ton cherry-picker

will lift her around
the seven meters

needed for a bird's-eye view.

- For you to work the joystick,

what you have to do is put
your foot on the pedal.

- Yeah.
- Take hold of the joystick.

- Yeah.
- Pull the trigger

at the back, pull it towards you

and you'll start
to move that way.

- It's not moving.
- Now push it to the right.

- I am.
- Your right.

- That is-
- You want to turn-

Hold on, stop.

Right, watch.

Oh, sorry, you have to
press the button first!

Press the button.

- Are you serious?
- I didn't know there

was a button on it.

- There's a button to press
that you didn't tell me about!

(Dick laughs)

- Watch these wheels,
watch these wheels.

(playful music)

Hi, Steve!
- Hiya!

- Here we go.

The girl's going up.

- It's like being at Disney.

I like this, I think we
need a roof garden up here.

(Dick laughs)

- Oh, dear God!
- Oh, wow.

Darling, honestly,
this is a view.

It's so gorgeous.

Beautiful.

I'm so in love
with this building,

just the shape and
even the joists

look gorgeous, don't they?

Look at all of this root!

That's the wisteria, isn't it?

Oh, my goodness me!

Dick, the wisteria is
out of control in here.

- [Narrator] But it's
the near 100-year-old

intricate detail on this
beautiful cross-gabled roof

that really catches Angel's eye.

- You know, when you're up here,

you can really see
the beautiful pattern

that comes with age with them.

It is absolutely stunning.

- [Steve] See on the
ridge course at the top?

- Yeah.
- The last course

has all been scalloped?
- Yes.

- We can do that again.
- And Angel can't resist

getting involved.

- Is that something that
we can help you with?

- [Steve] Yeah,
you can cut them,

I can show you how to do it,

and then you can just
cut all the eve course

for the scallops.

- Oh, I'd love to
learn how to do that!

(they laugh)

I love it, you're
doing a great job.

- Thank you.
- Great.

- [Narrator] Angel has always
loved bringing the past

back to life and never likes
to miss an opportunity.

Over in the Chateau's
attic, though,

there's something
she's had her eye on

for the last six years,

but hasn't found a
use for, until now.

- These beds have
been very patient

and I've always thought I'm
gonna do something with them.

But we've got two cots
and we've got this daybed,

and now I'm looking
at it, it's gigantic.

It's not the right
thing for the Orangerie.

Hmm, I wonder.

I'll just get one up.

They are very, very heavy.

Okay.

- [Narrator] Angel thinks
this old cot has the potential

to become a daybed for the
front of the Orangerie,

but first some improvisation.

- Hmm.

Obviously, that comes up and
that makes you a little cot,

which is nice.

So I wonder if that
can be the chair?

It sort of makes it ornate.

Is that too low?

Hmm, I wonder if the...

Oh, yeah, it's really low!

I wonder if one of
these will work.

The structure's
actually quite good.

Ugh, manky.

I do not have my brave
gloves on me right now.

There we go, perfect.

I'm genuinely surprised
that that fits!

Oh, that's a lovely height.

I think the only way to
know if it looks right

is to give it a bit of love.

Okay, right, I've
got to get this off.

Right, brave gloves.

- [Narrator]
Unfortunately for Angel,

she's not the only one
that's taken a shine

to the mattress.

- Oh, there's a spider on there!

I was gonna take it
into my workroom,

but I'll do that later

when the spider's gone
somewhere else, ugh!

(van beeping)

(bright music)

- [Narrator] After a
journey of nearly 400 miles,

seven tons of Welsh slate
has finally arrived.

- Look at this!

- [Narrator] Dick can't wait
to inspect their purchase.

- Right, talk to me
about these slates.

That is substantial.

If I compare that to the ones
that have come off the roof,

there's a huge difference.

- These are French, and
French slates don't last.

Because these are Welsh,

that's a ringing slate, yeah.

- [Narrator] The Welsh slates,

though perhaps less elegant,

are thicker cut and more robust.

- [Steve] You can
hear the ring on it.

- I once did some
work with a bloke

who tuned engines for V8s

and he used to
smell the dipstick.

- Okay.
- So mechanics that smell

the dipsticks and roofers
who listen to the ring.

(Steve laughs)

- [Steve] Considering that's
probably already 50-years-old,

they're gonna look
amazing when they're on.

- As far as I'm concerned,
you're a happy man,

you got slates?
- Yeah, okay.

- [Narrator] The
roofs of the Chateau

and its many outbuildings cover
hundreds of square meters,

demanding maintenance
on a massive scale.

But now the Orangerie's
cross-gabled roof

is beginning to take shape,

Angel's excited to see
the building's elegance

start to return.

- As you're doing it, like,
it's looking so gorgeous!

- [Narrator] Particularly as
the 19th-century Orangerie

has always had a special
place in her heart.

- Outside of our home, Dick
loves his walled garden,

and, for me, it's the Orangerie.

We've had a roof fund
basically since day one.

I just didn't think I'd
be spending it so quickly!

And this is just the start.

This area needs a
little bit of TLC.

When we start our
weddings again,

we need to have
brides to be able

to walk into the Orangerie

and not have mud on
their wedding dress.

I'm excited for what
this place is gonna be.

(Angel chuckles)

- [Narrator] The
Orangerie roof replacement

is well under way,

and true to his word, roofer
mate Steve has let Angel

in on the secrets of scalloping.

- When Dick, Steve and
I talked about the roof,

Steve mentioned
about all the detail,

I could see Dick
rolling his eyes,

'cause, you know, it
takes, it takes time,

but it's that finish that
is just so important.

- [Narrator] Using an
original curved slate

from the ridge as a template,

the Orangerie's new roof will
still have all the character

of the old one.

Angel, though, as always,
can see room for improvement.

- Feel like I want to
get the nail file out.

Hey, Steve, is
there a slate file?

- [Steve] No, we
don't get that detail.

- Really?

I think I've just come
up with an invention.

'Cause that's, look.

- That's perfect.
- Good, yeah?

- Yeah, that's great.
- Great.

I could be your new apprentice.

- [Narrator] With over
100 slates to shape,

Angel's got plenty of time
to perfect her technique.

- I'm fanning them so I
look like I've done more

than if I stack them.

Look, there's a lot to do, so
I need to get a bit quicker.

- [Narrator] Right on cue,

Dick's come to
check on progress.

- What's the apprentice like?

- She's doing really well.

- Shall I show you?
- Go on, show me.

- Right.

Okay, so I've got my mark.
- Yeah.

- Okay.
- You're snibbling.

- Yeah.

- These are thick old slates
you're cutting, aren't they?

At the end of it you're
gonna have a hand

that can crush walnuts.

- You'll have to be careful.

(they laugh)

- You're loving it, aren't you?

- I am.
- I know when my girl

is happy.

And look at that, I wish
I'd realized this sooner,

we could have had each
individual slate scalloped

and I had such peace
for the last month.

I didn't say anything.

- Don't you go
upsetting the employee.

- Okay.

(Angel laughs)

- Keep smiling.

Make her work hard.
- Bye.

- Yeah.
- Bye.

- Mwah.

(birds singing)

- [Narrator] A few days later,

Dick's hoping to uncover
some Chateau history

that may lie just
beneath the grass

in front of the Orangerie.

Old friend and
neighbor, Jean Bertrand,

whose family has lived
locally for decades,

has shared important
insider information.

- Jean Bertrand's uncle,

he remembers that there's
a sort of a pathway

that goes that way,
this gravel granitic,

and it goes that way as well.

So they can excavation
archeologique.

- No, exploration.
- Exploration.

(bright music)

- [Narrator] And what better
way to find the remains

of the original
Victorian terrace-

- Here we go.

I'm loving this,
I'm loving this.

- [Narrator] Than
with the gentle touch

of Jean Bertrand and his digger?

- 2020's been a
very different year.

Can you imagine me starting
to do this in April,

just before the wedding season?

What is the thing about
breaking eggs to make omelets,

you know, the bottom line is,

we have to make a real mess.

Arret, arret, arret.

- [Narrator] If he
likes what he finds,

Dick hopes to restore
it to its former glory.

- That's actually terrace
we've found straight away.

We were told there
was a memory of ladies

having tea out here.

Now that must have
been 120 years ago,

110 years ago, at least.

Je pense ne pas possible.

How do you say save it?

To save it, to keep it.

- [Narrator] Sadly, what
was once a white expanse

of fashionable terrace allowing
enjoyment of the Orangerie

and its botanical delights,
is now too damaged to save.

- Chalk, it's concrete.

It looks like concrete with
chalk on the top of it.

Look.

It would be nice if it
was nice little bits

of pubbles or something.

Beggars can't be choosers.

At least it's solid.

- [Narrator] While they
can't restore the terrace,

they can recreate it.

And this will
provide a good base.

- There's some gravel
underneath, it's very flinty.

Arthur'll like it.

He likes the stones does my son.

Dorothy likes the pink ones,
Arthur like most of them,

especially the
ones that are gold.

I'll keep that for him.

- [Narrator] Angel's
found a spot outside

for the messy job of
cleaning the old cot frame,

destined to be a daybed

for the overhauled Orangerie.

- Not sure if it's
little bits of rust

or just years and years
of dust coming off.

It has been painted
before, but really badly.

This would never, ever be
acceptable in my school.

- [Narrator] But there's
nothing Angel loves more

than a spruce up.

- I'm not convinced
'cause it really looks

like a cot right now.

But if I have a
thought process, I,

I genuinely am stubborn-minded

enough to finish it just
'cause that's who I am.

And I keep having
to remind myself,

you know, that this
is gonna be down

and there's gonna be an
attractive mattress on there.

And we'll sit there and
smile in the moonlight.

Or, I'll just put it in the
house for the kids to sit on.

(bright music)

- [Narrator] But
there's no time, though,

for Arthur and Dorothy to rest.

The intrepid explorers are
heading out on an adventure.

- I want you to look
out for fresh signs.

- [Narrator] Dick and
his diminutive detectives

are on the hunt for wild beasts

lurking in the
Chateau's grounds.

- Mind the brambles
and the holly.

I'll be in trouble with Mummy.

- Look!
- Look at that tree.

Look, Arthur, see that
circle of deadness.

- Yeah.
- There's a path

around it. Do you know
what's happened here?

- What?
- Have you ever seen

the film, The Jungle Book
with the big bear, Baloo?

Goes like this.
- Yes.

- Have you seen him
scratching his back?

What do you think's been
scratching that tree

and making it all?
- I know, I know!

- Wild boar!
- Wild boar.

Now, if the wild boar
scratched up to here,

it means the wild boar
was probably this size.

Do you know what that means?

Do you know what?

It's probably as heavy as Daddy.

- [Narrator] But the
only way to know for sure

is by setting up some
secret surveillance.

- Ah, look, one trail cam.

Okay, we're gonna go
like this, children.

Okay, that's
pointed at the tree.

Right.

Dorothy, lead the way
to the marshes please.

It's important we
don't get lost.

(bright music)

- [Narrator] Angel is taking
her own exciting discovery,

the dusty old mattress
she found in the attic,

to her tresorie for some TLC.

- The top does look a bit
worn, I'm not gonna lie,

but I'm gonna cover it up,

and if I was doing
this professionally,

I wouldn't be able to.

But it's just for
us, so it's okay.

- [Narrator] The cover and
stuffing have both seen

better days, but
ever resourceful,

Angel has a plan to
restore its oomph.

- I have these left over
from the wedding chairs.

I need to stick
all these together

and that's gonna be my
first base for this.

Contact glue,
where did I put it?

(bright music)

- [Narrator] With the
first layer in place,

Angel moves on to her next
transformational trick.

- This stuff, you put it on
over any foam or any shape

and it just softens it and kind

of gives you that shape and
often kind of the sort of,

you know, that
puffiness that you want.

Just need to be able to
staple it to the underneath.

It is now resembling something

that I would put my bottom on.

Or more importantly, let
Dick and the children

put their bottoms on.

- [Narrator] Satisfied
with the substance,

Angel turns her
attention to the style.

- Pale curtains.

(Angel laughs)

This already looks like
something you'd sit on.

The only difficult
bit are the corners.

You could cut something,
you could stitch it,

but actually I'm
gonna fold it in.

So I just want to push
my fabric underneath.

A little tack in there.

That's my one I
just want to get in.

Lovely.

(gentle music)

- [Narrator] The Orangerie
roof is almost complete.

- That's the last
piece of that ridge?

- Yeah, this is it,
the final piece.

- Makes me happy.

The lead's on the ridge.

Da-da-da-dah!

Well done.

Weatherproof.

Thanks, Steve.
- That's all right.

- [Narrator] With
the roof finished,

Dick's focus can
return to ground level.

- Parfait la, parfait.

- [Narrator] He plans to
recreate the original terrace

using leftover slabs
from last year's creation

of the Chateau's patio.

Stage one, a firm foundation
involves five tons

of rough sand.

- A little water.
- A little water.

- Not soup.

Pas soup!

- [Narrator] And just
the right amount of water

before compacting it down.

(playful music)

- Like all things,
it's never easy.

- [Narrator] Just
as the Orangerie

will be a place for loved
ones to come together,

Dick's making its
renovation a family affair

by calling in Papi
Steve to help.

And with nearly 100 square
meters of ground to pave,

roofer mate Steve's
mucking in too.

- Angela has said we do
not have to be square.

These are random packs.

When we did the Chateau,

because the Chateau isn't
pointed at the gateway,

it's pointed offline,
we had to make it random

and we had to make our
own, it was really hard.

We had all big lines of join.

- [Narrator] With care
and precision required,

Colonel Dick rounds
up his troops.

- Jobs, Quinten, you're gonna
finish giving this flat.

If there's any bumps, see
the little raises like that?

Just knock the tops off them,

because as long as it's
sort of relatively smooth

we can lay on it, okay?

After that you're on
mix, nice and stiff.

Do not worry too
much about the edges,

but they can stick out a
little bit with the grass

growing between it to get
it so it goes into nature.

Did I do that right?

- [Narrator] Instructions given
and compacter running again,

it's all hands on
deck to lay the base

for Dick's perfectly
planned, yet random paving.

- The first half
dozen are the slowest.

And the last one's
a pain in the butt.

(Dick chuckles)

(bright music)

(geese honk)
(dog barks)

- [Narrator] As autumn colors
cascade around the Chateau,

leaves aren't the
only things falling.

- Just get a feel
for how bad it is.

- Oh, oh, yeah, right, I get it.

(Angel laughs)

- Okay?
- Yeah.

- [Narrator] The once
opulent Orangerie's

now somewhat rustic
render needs to make way

for a smooth new facade.

- You want me to be
vicious and sort of?

- No, just doucement, doucement.

Just get rid of the loose
and leave the rest there.

- [Narrator] Wisdom
imparted, Dick decides

to share the latest task to
protect this old 19th-century

building for
generations to come.

- I'm quite getting
into this, babes.

- Good.
- And when I look up it,

I'll be like, "This is my bit!"

- If this looks bad,

everybody will
know it looks bad,

because people are gonna see.

Oh, there's lumps coming down.

- People get scared, don't they,

of the outside of houses?
- Yeah.

- If it was the inside, people
would get a little filler

and have a go.

You know, every time
you see something

from a different angle,
there's another job to do!

Dick, I need to prune back here.

- [Narrator] With the
wisteria finding its way

into every nook and cranny,
Angel takes swift action.

- I love wild, overgrown things.

But not when it eats your roof!

I can actually remember the
first bit of pruning that I did.

It was here, and honestly,

I might as well have
had toenail cutters!

I was like, it was
like a bonsai tree!

- [Narrator] While Angel's
approach might have changed

over the years-

- It does have to
be savaged back.

- [Narrator] The
climber has grown

only more precious to her.

- The gnarliness of the trunk,

I will never, ever tire of this.

I mean, there's part of me
that wants to, you know,

coat it in gold!

It's stunning, I love it.

- [Narrator] There's
something else, too,

that's pleasing to Angel's eye.

- I'm so excited
at our flagstones.

It feels exciting that we've
got a bit of energy here.

Although we don't know when
our events are gonna start,

we're getting ready for it.

And that is just making me feel
so happy, I can't tell you.

- [Narrator] With Angel
winning the wisteria war,

Dick, Arthur and Dorothy
are settling down to see

if their trail cameras have
captured any wildlife on film.

- Move over!

Come on, move over.

Right.

Let's have a little look.

Are you ready?

Oh!

I can't see anything
there, can you?

When you're looking
for wildlife,

sometimes you
don't get anything.

- This is my thing,
always if you want things,

you never get things.

- Well, do you know what,
if it's meant for you,

it won't go by you.

My mummy says that.

Oh!

(playful music)

What's it doing?
- He's rubbing his face on it!

- He might have an itchy beard!

Sometimes you get itchy beards!

Oh!

- There's three!

- See the size of its
hump? That's a boar.

The boars are the males and
the sows are the females.

And that's a big old boar there.

It's wiping its bum against it!

(they giggle)

- [Dorothy] Eew!

- Enough!

Enough, enough!

(they giggle)

- [Narrator] Restoration
of the Orangerie's

exterior still
far from complete,

Angel's parents Steve and
Jenny are lending a hand-

- They look amazing!
- To help preserve

this special place.

- [Steve] You'd probably
enjoy doing this, Jen.

- I think I might be here
another few years doing this!

(they chuckle)

- Pop it in there.

Thank you.

- [Narrator] For the next
stage of the makeover,

Dick and Angel are cooking
up quite the concoction!

- So we've got the flour
and demerara sugar!

- Looks a bit like
that, doesn't it?

- And what is it?
- One lime to three-

- Sand.
- Sand.

Give me some water.
- Yeah.

Sprinkle it in the middle?

- Yeah, just come
down like that, yeah.

I would say that's us.

It's a thing of beauty!

- [Narrator] Mixing
the lime render

might be redolent of baking,

but applying it certainly
isn't a piece of cake!

- You see under here?

You go like this.

If you go like this, you can...

See?
- Okay.

- Yeah?
- Yeah.

- Okay, so find your
holes, get it in there.

- I don't think you've
wet this enough, this bit.

- Well, wet it some more, then.

- I think mine's as
okay as yours, no?

- Good.

- Just having a
quick look at yours.

Not that it's not a
competition, or anything!

(Jenny giggles)

- It's just the feeling in here

of so much happiness
in this room.

You know, it's great.

You know, I'm happy to
be doing the sanding!

(Jenny chuckles)

(gentle music)

Well, when we first came here,

I remember saying to
my daughter and Dick,

"Oh, this could be a
room for the weddings."

And she said, "Yes, Mum!"

(Jenny chuckles)

- [Narrator] And while
Jenny is happy to see

the Orangerie's
aesthetics refreshed,

she knows it's this building's
ambience that really matters.

- There's been so many lovely
parties and weddings here.

You can actually
feel it in the room.

It's just amazing.

All the memories that this
Orangerie has got already.

And there's more to come.

- [Narrator] Dick has headed
over to his special hideaway-

- It's where we keep all of our
resources without a purpose!

- [Narrator]
Determined that nothing

from this renovation
will go to waste.

- These are offcuts
from the French slates

taken off the Orangerie.

And they break easily.

(engine rumbles)

- [Narrator] Once broken up,

Dick plans to use them to
pretty up the flowerbeds

in front of the Orangerie.

- It's only rubbish, we
have no more uses for it.

- [Narrator] Everyone is
working up a healthy appetite,

and Jenny's decided to
cook dinner for the family.

- Arthur, do want to
do some flatbread?

- [Narrator] And tonight, with
Arthur and Dorothy's input,

it's curry night.

- Okay, this is bread flour.

Just stir it with that end, yes.

Put some flour on your hands.

Go like this, and
then turn it round.

Let me see if you can do it.

I can see you loving that!

(Jenny giggles)

Right, Grandma's gonna
put some clingfilm on.

- [Narrator] With
the dough proving,

Grandma's sous chefs
are put on salad detail-

- [Jenny] Where's the
best parsley, Arthur?

- [Narrator] Heading out
into the walled garden

to select the best
of their crop.

- [Jenny] Is it nice and
fresh? Oh, that's beautiful.

- Grandma!

Do you want to get some
radish for your salad?

- [Jenny] Go on, then!

- Oh, my!
- Oh, my goodness!

Look at that!

- Look at this!
- Oh, it's ginormous!

That will feed us
all very nicely!

(Jenny laughs)

Come on, then.

(birds singing)

(bright music)

- [Narrator] As another
day at the Chateau

draws to a close,
Cafe Grandma is open

and ready to serve up a
well earned family feast.

- Evening!
- We're here!

- Hello!
- Hello!

- [Jenny] That's perfect timing!

- Mummy and Daddy
haven't stopped today

and I could honestly put some
butter on you and eat you up!

- Okay!

- [Narrator] And
at Cafe Grandma,

only the freshest
ingredients are served.

- Wow, who grew those?
- You did!

(all talk at once)

- It's amazing!
- You know, the children,

they made the flatbreads.
- Did they?

- Yes.
- They can't do,

it looks so professional!
- I know!

- Do you know what, it's
team effort, isn't it?

Absolutely team effort.

- I've got to tell you,
it looks absolutely yummy.

- Jennifer was a
super cook, always,

since we've been married.
- Aw!

- But since she's
moved to France,

she's become a super duper cook!

- [Narrator] Jenny's
curry looks set to fuel

another day of hard work
and adventures tomorrow.

- Cafe Grandma!
- Cafe Grandma!

Way, love you!
- Thanks, Mum!

- Love ya.

- [Narrator] It's been a busy
few weeks at the Chateau.

The autumn overhaul of
the Orangerie's exterior

is almost complete.

- Well, this is
a nice day, babe.

- [Narrator] And in
homage to the Orangerie's

horticultural heritage,
Dick and Angel have donned

their gardening gloves.

- I think it's clear
down and the start

of what we want it
to be in the future.

- [Narrator] As it's
a wedding venue,

Dick and Angel are
sowing the seeds of love.

- So we're gonna just
put some roses in

and everything else is out.

- Do you think that that's
a good starting point?

- Yeah, I'm very
happy with that.

Right, what I'm
gonna do is then,

I'm gonna get rid of all the
plants that are not roses.

- Yep.
- One there, one there,

one there.
- Yeah, lovely.

I love it there.

That looks nice.

- I'm glad you're happy.

- [Narrator] It seems
the roses are already

having the desired effect.

- I know I say it quite
a lot when we work,

but it does actually
feel like a date.

- It's quite nice, isn't it?
- Yeah!

- It's 'cause of
the lovely summer.

- [Narrator] And
it's reminiscent

of an autumn day five years ago.

- Our wedding day was
exactly this weather.

I mean, I managed to
wear a tiny little dress

and lace cape and
I was not cold.

- I can't see a
cloud in the sky.

How good is that?

Wow.

Yes, we like that.

Right, bamboo, big bamboo.
- Yep.

- [Narrator] Whilst roses
provide the romance,

bamboo, plentiful in
the Chateau's grounds,

adds structure and contrast.

- I think it comes
over this way a bit.

- Yeah.
- Like, I don't know,

ten inches.

Right.

There we go, perfect.
- Where it was.

- That's not where it
was, I promise you.

- Right.

Let's get it in.

- Is that one poorly or
does that just need to be?

- No, it's bendy.
- It's bendy.

Do you need a bamboo
to keep it up?

(Dick chuckles)

- Smarty-pants.

How's that look for you?

- That's good.

It's lovely.

I just feel like it
sort of just frames

the side of the building lovely.

- [Narrator] Wasting
nothing, Dick and Angel

top the flowerbed off with
a slate chip mulch made

from the original roof tiles.

- What do you think?
- Yeah, I think it's lovely.

It's gorgeous.

- [Narrator] With the
Orangerie at the heart

of celebrations in the Chateau,

a family event is being planned

to mark its external makeover.

And Dick's in charge of
competitive entertainment.

- What else have
we got for arrows?

Any more you see?
- Oh, here, here!

- [Narrator] The inaugural
Strawbridge archery tournament,

for which Arthur is going to
need his first bow and arrow.

- Just gonna take this
little bad boy here.

- Oh.
- Well done.

You're my sort of draft horse.

Keep walking out,
go to the left.

That's right!

(Dick laughs)

- What?
- With their quiver of arrows

from the bamboo forest,

Dick and Arthur set
off in search of a bow.

- See, we're looking
for something

about the thickness
of your thumb.

I think this one
might be interesting.

- [Narrator] Sycamore
branch selected,

the boys set up camp
in a familiar spot.

- Do you remember the first time

we came and sat
here, you and me?

- Yes.
- What did we do?

- We camped, we made
some scrambled...

Wait, no, baked beans.
- And?

- I ate all of the sausages!

- We had baked
beans and sausages,

and you ate all the sausages.

Do you remember?

We built a little fire here.

But now we just sit
and hang out like men.

(Dick chuckles)

- [Narrator] Still not
quite ready for machetes

and knives though,
seven-year-old Arthur learns

the basics of bow construction
through observation.

- What's the verdict, guv?

- It's really good.

- The twang of an
English longbow.

- [Narrator] With the
bow tuning up nicely,

Dick turns his
attention to ammo.

- Have you ever
launched an arrow?

- Yes.

I think we fired about 300
or 400 meters, which is...

- That's more than
a quarter of a mile.

- Quarter of the mile
is 400 meters, isn't it?

You're so clever.

Hold it in that hand, like that.

Hold it, big long pull.

Wow!

Arthur, considering that was
your first shot, mate, not bad.

What do you reckon, Petal?

Good man.

- [Narrator] It's time
for Dick and Angel

to put the finishing
touches to the Orangerie.

- I just want a couple
of twinklies, really.

- Right.

So, we want these to be
probably like that, yeah?

- Yeah.
- And there,

down over to here.
- Yeah.

Lovely.
- Along the side.

All these leaves are gonna
fall down on your nice patio.

- Stop.
- Oh, no!

- Stop it, stop it!

Stop making the patio dirty!

- Right, so tell me what's
happening with chairs.

- Let's get them on and then,

go on, Mr Strawbridge,
you're creative.

- You're just so
taking the mickey.

- I'm not.
- That means put them on

so I can move them.

(bright music)

- Okay.

It was tight before but...

- Wow!

That's amazing.

- I think I need
to sit on it to...

- Was it a cot?

- The kids are gonna love,

love sitting on this.

- We'll see if it works.
- Okay, hold on.

- That, oh, it's really comfy.

I like that.

- It holds us both.

- Cheeky!

Just stepping back here now,

have a look at the whole
thing, darling girl.

- Let me look, let me step back.

- Our sort of faded elegance

has been transformed
a bit, hasn't it?

- [Narrator] What was
already a beautiful building,

long overdue Dick and
Angel's love and attention,

is now an equally elegant
future-proof version of itself.

The challenge of replacing
the old weathered roof

with one that Angel can love
just as much has been met.

- Having 50-year-old
slates on there,

it just looks like they're
supposed to be there.

- Agreed, totally.
- Loads of wee scallops.

Your wee scallops.
- My wee scallops.

No, I feel quite proud of those.

(Angel laughs)

- [Narrator] The once
crumbling exterior

has been restored
to its former glory.

- New render, new pointing,

windows done up the roof,
the patio, the beds,

everything here.

There's a simplicity to it
which is actually quite special.

(bright music)

- [Narrator] The newly paved
terrace is the perfect spot

to soak up some sun at
any time of the year.

And beneath the
climbing wisteria,

the freshly planted
flower beds, verdant,

even now in autumn, are
bursting with promise

for next spring.

- I would've bought this
building on its own.

- You'd save me so much work
if you just bought an Orangerie

instead of a Chateau.

(Angel laughs)

- [Narrator] None of it
would have been possible

without the help of
friends and family.

- I like the fact
that Mum and Dad

have taken ownership
of this as well.

It felt quite nostalgic,
I have to say,

when we was all
beavering around,

'cause, you know, we haven't
had that same kind of urgency

this year and it
actually felt lovely

that we was just all
doing it together.

- Yeah.

(gentle music)

- Sunshine.

- 80 guests here,
everybody's milling around,

having a bit of
fun, having a laugh.

- Mm.
- Yeah?

The Orangerie deserves
that, doesn't it?

- It does.

- [Narrator] But today it'll
be a rather smaller gathering,

though hopefully just
as much merriment.

And the most important
guests are about to arrive.

(upbeat music)

Angel's daybed gets a
brief seal of approval.

- Oh, they love it.

These two look
really cute on it.

- [Narrator] But fun and games
are the order of the day-

- It's a little bit
more complicated

on here, though.

- [Narrator] Including
the archery competition.

- Right, I think we're
gonna have a quick

drink first, Arthur,
come over to the bar.

- [Narrator] Van de Vin,
the Chateau's bountiful

bar on wheels, has
been resurrected for
today's celebration.

- To the bow and arrow!
- To the competition,

who is Robin Hood?

Cheers, cheers, cheers
to the buccaneers.

- To the bow and arrow.

- I'm going to be the
judge and then at the end

I'm gonna have a go and
see if I can beat anybody

who's the winner.

Oh!
- Oh.

- Dorothy.

Oh!
- Oh!

Mummy's turn.

I love this.
- Oh, no, you've really

put me on the spot.

I've paid no attention either.

(Dick laughs)

- That's wrong.

Pull it and let it go.

- Let go, Mum.
- Nearly, nearly.

We'll do one more.

- Right, go on, then, Arthur.
- Arthur's go. You can do it.

(they cheer)

- [Narrator] Dick's hoping to
show the family how it's done.

- Right, here we go.

Arthur...

- Oh, so close!

Arthur, you're the
official winner.

- Who's winning?

- Arthur!

- Arthur, you have won
first place without a doubt.

- [Narrator] Next time, there's
a trip down memory lane-

- It's 10 years
exactly this week.

- [Narrator] Love is in the air-

- Could tell Angela and I
were a match made in heaven

when I won her heart with
some cooked pork belly.

- [Narrator] An anniversary
gift to top them all-

- Oh, it looks great.
- Do you know what?

The surprise is the
bad part about this!

Would you like to dine, madam?

- [Narrator] And a
night to remember.

- Dread to think what the
bill's gonna be like tonight!

(bright music)