Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 1, Episode 13 - The Pethericks 3 - full transcript
Voice-over:
I'm Dick Strawbridge, and along
with my wife Angel
and our two children,
we left the UK for
a whole new life in France
and bought
this magnificent château.
We haven't ever regretted
what we've done.
It is so worth it.
We've gradually been
making it into our home,
as well as running it
as a business.
That's a long way up.
But it turns out
we're not alone,
as dozens of Brits are doing
exactly the same thing.
[Child giggles]
Sometimes you have
to pinch yourself
to think, "I own that."
Dick, voice-over: In this
series, Angel and I will
reveal more about
our journey as château owners...
Dick: Quite a lot of scrap here.
It's worth money.
Might be able
to pay you this time.
Dick, voice-over:
and guide these daring Brits
where we can...
Dick: It's a solid
old bridge, matey.
Dick, voice-over:
as they renovate...
Philip: This is looking good.
I'm quite happy with this.
Dick, voice-over: repair...
Billy: I've never
done this before,
so it should be all right.
Dick, voice-over:
and struggle to transform
these buildings into
their homes and businesses.
Jonathan:
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
Absolutely magnificent.
Philip: This is
the glamorous château life
that everyone's been planning.
Just trying to avoid
getting my face
nearer the toilet here.
This is not the way
to make money.
Dick, voice-over:
But however hard the going gets,
these plucky Brits
can always say they're kings
and queens of
their very own castles.
Woman: Cheers.
Chin-chin.
Dick, voice-over: Today, whilst
a trio of château rookies
get their home ready
to move into...
Michael: This stuff
absolutely stinks.
Dick, voice-over:
one of them goes AWOL.
Gwendoline: Michael!
Michael! Michael!
Dick, voice-over: two château
owners find playing Cupid...
He wants to propose
to his girlfriend,
so he's asked us
to help him.
Dick, voice-over:
is easier said than done.
Man: I need to very discreetly
get the gentleman on his own.
Just a case of loitering
with intent.
Dick, voice-over:
Things fall apart
for a novice builder...
Man: OK, gently let it down.
[Thud]
Woman: Oh!
Dick, voice-over:
and, whilst Angel and I go
bargain-hunting at
a brocante...
Angel: I love it.
Dick: It's so wrong.
Dick, voice-over: Angel finds it
hard to stay focused.
Dick: What do you fancy?
Angel: You. Ha ha ha!
Dick: You're so
full of twaddle. Come on.
Dick, voice-over:
Young château rookies Billy,
Gwendoline, and Michael have
taken on the challenge
of restoring the 18th-century
Château de la Basmaignée.
Gwendoline:
I don't really like heights.
Michael:
Especially that high.
- Yeah.
- Ha ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Situated in
the Pays de la Loire region
of northern France,
the beautiful but neglected
château sits
in over 60 acres of woodland.
Michael, voice-over:
I never imagined that I'd live
in a château
or be renovating one.
I like it in France.
In England,
it's a bit more...
hectic and...
rush everywhere,
and it's better here.
We can really enjoy yourself
a little bit more.
You've got more time
to do things.
Dick, voice-over:
Over the last 3 months,
they've got the heating
up and running...
Billy: That's it.
It's drawing,
it's not smoking
at all, is it?
Dick, voice-over:
started decorating...
Billy: Still got to do
a second coat
all over the blue woodwork.
Dick, voice-over:
and fix the giant chimney.
Michael: Have you managed
to finish it, then?
Billy: Yeah, it's all done.
Michael: Oh, brilliant.
Dick, voice-over: But now,
they've just a day left
to make the château livable,
so they can move in
and leave their current home--
the guest house opposite--
empty for their first
paying guests.
Michael: Even though, you know,
this guest house that we're in
and I'm in, is really
comfortable, it's not
the château that I thought
I'd be living in.
Dick, voice-over: But before
this momentous move can happen,
the château's kitchen
must be finished.
After weeks of preparation,
the final phase of the work
is due to happen today--
the fitting of the handmade
kitchen units.
Gwendoline: Yeah, it's
very exciting. It's, uh--
We've been talking
about that kitchen for weeks.
Michael: Kitchen is really
the first step of getting
the house ready so that we can
actually live in it as a home.
Dick, voice-over: Having paying
guests stay in the guest house
will be a vital way
of raising money
to pay for the restoration
of the château.
[Gwendoline speaking French]
Dick, voice-over: And their
first booking is a big one.
A group of 14 girls,
I think,
for a hen night.
Quite exciting. It's going to be
the very first one,
and for them, it has to be,
like, really good
as well because one
of them's getting married.
It has to be
an amazing weekend.
She's also pregnant,
so they're gonna
throw a baby shower
for her as well.
They're coming in this house,
where we live at the moment,
so we need to get out of it--
heh!--and get it ready.
Dick, voice-over: They've got
a mountain of stuff to move
before the guests arrive
tomorrow,
but now something else urgently
needs their attention.
Gwendoline: Oy!
Kitchen's here!
Michael:
Look how amazing it is.
Gwendoline: Yeah.
Michael: It's so well-built.
Come have a look at this.
Gwendoline: It's really
gorgeous, isn't it?
I love it.
Billy: Have you got it?
Dick, voice-over: The carpenter,
John, hand-built the cabinets
and worktops from scratch,
using a combination
of beech, elm, and pine wood.
Billy: Looks like it's a really,
really good-quality kitchen,
and we're really pleased
with it so far.
Just by looking at it in pieces,
it's really impressive.
- Put it back, back.
- All right, yep.
[Indistinct]
Are you excited about
the kitchen?
Michael's happy to take
a breather and escape
to his own pet project,
the château's greenhouse.
Michael: It's definitely nice to
go and get away from everything.
To have a space
like this, dedicated
to growing fruit and veg,
it's just--it's amazing.
Dick, voice-over: Whilst Michael
gets back to nature,
brother Billy's flat-out
helping to fit the kitchen.
Billy: We're just using
a laser level
to get the right measurement
for the worktop because if it's
not perfectly level,
the windows probably won't open.
Dick, voice-over: Michael's
dream is to grow
enough fruit and veg
to make the château
self-sufficient.
Michael: I really enjoy it
in here; sometimes you can spend
hours in here and not realize
that time has passed.
Dick, voice-over: But before
planting his first crop,
these beds desperately need
fresh fertilizer.
Luckily, he knows
a large stash nearby.
Michael: 'Cause the loft was
inhabited by hundreds
of pigeons, and they've
been there for years.
Thankfully, we didn't throw away
all the pigeon manure,
and apparently it's one of
the most amazing fertilizers
that money can buy.
Dick, voice-over:
Pigeon poo does contain masses
of nitrogen, which makes it
ideal for feeding plants,
but it's strong, and it needs
to be mixed with compost.
This stuff absolutely stinks.
There's a dead pigeon there.
I don't think we want
to plant that.
Dick, voice-over: Michael's
pigeon plan has worked a treat,
but in the half-fitted kitchen,
there's a problem.
John: 9.
I'm trying to line up
the units
so there's not too much of
a gap at the other end.
Dick, voice-over:
John the carpenter is worried
that once his units have been
fitted, there won't be
enough room for the cooker
that Michael's ordered.
Gwendoline: You should
ask him, really.
Billy: Yeah.
All right, then.
Shall we call Michael?
Gwendoline: Call Michael.
Billy: Michael!
- Oh, like that.
- Michael!
Dick, voice-over:
Michael is the only one
who knows how big
the cooker is.
Without him checking
the measurements,
the kitchen can't be
finished...
but just when he's
needed the most,
he's heading to the far edge
of the vast estate.
Michael: Just off down to
the bottom of the forest,
there's a massive pile
of old leaves
that have rotted down into
the most amazing compost.
Michael!
Michael!
Dick, voice-over: With no time
to spare, and more than 60 acres
of land to roam,
finding him could be tricky.
Gwendoline: Michael!
Dick, voice-over:
100 miles south, in the heart
of the Loire Valley,
is Château la Perrière.
A stroll away, on the banks
of the Vienne River,
stands Chinon,
a medieval town
steeped in history,
rich with culture,
and the wines aren't
bad, either.
It generally does all
taste good.
Dick, voice-over:
This is Paul Horne,
proud joint owner
of Château la Perrière
with his wife, Karen.
Karen: The château was
love at first sight.
Paul: It was.
Karen: We weren't love
at first sight.
- I--wa--I--
- No, you didn't.
No. You're lying now.
Paul: Ha ha ha ha!
The château's
relatively modest.
I think it's 400 square meters.
It's got 8 bedrooms.
Dick, voice-over:
The Hornes, who live in England,
bought the mid-19th-century
château for £500,000.
Having renovated all 16 rooms,
they've turned it into
a luxury holiday rental.
[Children shouting]
Paul: Pool's literally
just been opened,
and although it's only
22 degrees, you've got to go
in there 'cause you got to make
the most of it, really.
Dick, voice-over: This week,
there's a gap in bookings,
so Paul, Karen,
and their kids, Katie and Tom,
have a chance to enjoy
the château and crack on
with the next stage
of renovation.
Paul has a plan
to give the château
a unique selling point,
a new luxury office space.
Paul: Next project we're
looking to do is,
one of the lovely outbuildings
is the original water tower
from the 1850s.
What we're looking to do is
completely strip out
the first floor and then put
an office in there.
Man: Hey, voila.
Right.
I'll set this out.
Paul: One window down,
two to go.
Dick, voice-over:
The first job
is to remove
the tower's shutters.
Karen: With a little bit
of sanding up
and a paint, they'll be
absolutely fine.
I've always wanted
some internal shutters.
Ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over:
Removing the shutters was easy.
A much bigger problem is
the tower's massive
10,000-liter
steel water tank,
which needs cutting out
piece by piece
with an angle grinder, a tool
Paul's never used before.
Paul: Looked it on
the Internet,
I've taken a few tips
from people,
and it can't be that hard
to remove 3 tons of steel.
Karen: I don't think Paul has
had an angle grinder.
Think Seeing him use--use that
is a little bit nerve-racking.
Dick, voice-over:
But first,
he needs to get
the angle grinder started.
Paul: So, Neil--
where is Neil?
I'm here, Paul, I'm here.
In or out?
Dick, voice-over: Thankfully,
he's got professional help...
Neil: You just want
to swivel this round
to the other side now.
Paul: Sorry.
Dick, voice-over:
the château's handyman, Neil,
who looks after the estate
when the family are away.
Neil: When you're
ready to start,
tell me.
Plug yourself in.
The plug's round that side.
Paul: Right, OK.
Neil: Start round that side,
and we'll fire the fan up.
It's gonna be very loud
and very smelly in a minute.
[Grinder whirs]
Dick, voice-over:
Ooh, classic rookie error!
Never start the grinder when
it's already touching the metal.
Neil: Need to have
the blade spinning
before you put it
in the crack.
[Grinder whirs]
Dick, voice-over:
The tank is 3 meters tall
and weighs over 3 tons.
Cutting through 1/2"-thick metal
is hard work.
Karen: Have you worked out
how long it's gonna take
to actually get
the whole thing out?
'Cause it looks
quite lengthy.
About that much left to go,
first panel. Heh!
[Grinder stops]
Wow!
Oh! There you go.
Pretty easy, wasn't it?
First bit, first bit.
Dick, voice-over: If Paul
continues cutting at this rate,
he'll still be there
in a week,
but the château's next
paying guests arrive
in just 3 days,
and Paul's angle grinder
isn't going to help
the ambiance.
Neil: Oh, you'll fly
through it this afternoon,
now you got experience,
you got confidence...
haven't you?
Dick, voice-over: Whilst Paul
battles the water tank,
Karen and Tom are
also busy.
Karen: Oh, look at all
those bugs! Too many.
This shutter has
probably been
on that water tower
200 years, and it's still
in very good shape.
Dick, voice-over:
Restoring these shutters
will provide a cheap,
but charming original feature.
Karen: Where possible,
it's really nice
to be able to recycle.
Dick: Oh, wow.
Dick, voice-over: Renovating a
château is a never-ending job,
and every penny counts...
Angel: Good eating, matey.
Dick: Grandma's chicken soup.
Dick, voice-over:
so we're no strangers
to a spot of upcycling.
Dick: Your hands are
nice and warm.
- Oh, really?
- Right.
- Feels cold.
- Is that a loo?
Angel: Huh?
Look. Who did that?
Dick, voice-over: We love
scouring reclamation yards,
like this one at La Gravelle,
20 miles from our château,
and no one can spot a bargain
like my Angel.
Dick: We haven't got
very long, but we're looking
for a birthday present.
They have lots of old stuff.
[Angel mouths "me"]
- Yeah, well--
- It's my birthday.
- 47.
- Ha ha ha ha!
[Dick chuckles]
So we're galloping around
to have a quick look,
see what we can find.
Angel: Ha ha ha!
- What do you fancy?
- You. Ha ha ha!
Dick: You're so full
of twaddle. Come on.
You want a fountain,
don't you?
Angel: Yeah, I do.
- Look how ridiculous that is.
- Where?
Where, where, where, where?
Dick: Keep looking,
keep looking.
- Oh, I love it.
- It's so wrong.
- Ha ha!
- [Chuckles]
- But it's not a water feature.
- It is.
Angel: Is it?
Oh, it is!
Ha ha ha! Aw.
I quite like all
of these, like,
just wrong Cupid things.
Dick, voice-over:
When on a salvage hunt,
spotting a diamond in the rough
can take a while.
Dick: There's lots
of nice stuff here.
Angel: Ooh!
Dick, voice-over:
Amidst a sea of rust,
Angel spotted something.
Dick: Double-ended?
Angel: Ha ha! Hmm.
Dick, voice-over: This old bath
has real potential
and is a tenth of the price of
a fully restored one.
Dick: I got to tell you,
that is not a bad bath.
- Yeah, I know.
- It's a deep bath.
Angel: It's in quite
good nick, actually.
See the outside, obviously,
it's very--
Dick: No, but the outside's
dead easy.
- Yeah.
- You air-brush that off,
and then you can...
Angel: Yeah.
Dick: you can [indistinct]
that any way you want.
This bit here,
surprisingly, is...
Angel: This is not
bad nick, is it?
Dick, voice-over: Restored,
this would be perfect
for our château.
Time to close a deal
on this cast-iron bargain.
Dick: Bonjour, Madame.
Dick, voice-over:
We also find a second
very promising bath
at the same brocante
with a combined price tag
of less than £350,
including home delivery.
Already restored,
these baths could easily cost
over a grand each.
Angel: I think
that re-enameling,
and sanding the side down
and painting
is gonna bring
this bath back to life.
We could be saving quite
a lot of money,
so I'm very, very excited
about it.
If we get these back to life,
they are gonna be just part
of this whole big adventure
and journey.
They're gonna be a bit
of a talking point,
and I just think they'll be
a bit more soulful
than something new.
Dick, voice-over: But to get
these rusty baths shipshape...
Angel: I don't like
these things. Heh! Gotta be...
Dick, voice-over:
Angel's got her work cut out.
Angel: They'll make
great plant pots
if you can't get them
back to life.
[Spray hisses]
Dick, voice-over:
This is Abbaye de la Bussière,
a monastery for 900 years.
It's now owned and run
as a hotel
by Brits Clive
and Tanith Cummings.
Clive: I think a lot of
the locals probably looked at it
as, like, being
a hostile takeover.
Those Anglais have arrived.
Dick, voice-over:
They gave up life in Sussex
to start the hotel,
which is nestled in lush
Burgundy countryside, close to
the region's capital, Dijon,
and where competition for guests
is especially fierce.
Tanith: It's basically
very up and down.
We can have a really good year,
and then the next year,
for reasons that are
very hard to pinpoint,
it can be not so busy.
Dick, voice-over: And with
the huge overheads of running
a luxury hotel,
for Clive and Tanith,
every summer is
make-or-break.
We're up to...
is it 4 loans?
Tanith: I think so.
Clive: Four loans,
with our French bank.
It is very, very seasonal,
so we have to
make our money in that
very short space of time.
Still very much a work
in progress,
and we have to be really,
really tight with everything.
Dick, voice-over: Clive
and Tanith's exclusive resort
hosts everyone,
from Hollywood stars
to Porsche owners' clubs.
I'm a bit of
a petrol head myself,
so I do like seeing
nice cars.
Clive: Welcome.
Bonjour. Bienvenue.
Man: Thank you.
Clive: Envy.
Porsche envy.
Dick, voice-over:
Today, a VIP guest
has made
a romantic request.
Clive: Right.
Tanith: He wants to propose
to his girlfriend,
so he's asked us to help him try
and find a way of making it
really special and doing
something really lovely
that she's not gonna forget,
so they're flying in
by helicopter, which is
gonna be an amazing start,
so we're just trying to find
somewhere that would just
make it really romantic
and not somewhere
where every hotel has, and not
many hotels have a crypt,
so this could make it
really special.
Dick, voice-over: For centuries,
this crypt was used
as a burial vault
and a place for the monks
to store holy relics, but Clive
and Tanith reckon that by
tomorrow, it'll be the perfect
place to propose marriage.
Tanith: I would have
as many candles as possible
because I think that will just
make it really romantic.
The idea will be that he'll
take her for a nice walk
round the garden,
they'll discover the crypt,
so he'll go, "Let's have
a look in here,"
and then he'll bring her in
and then he'll pop the question.
Fingers crossed she'll say yes,
and then there'll be champagne
and then they're gonna have a
private dinner up in the lounge
and just make it
as romantic as possible.
Like me, when I did
my romantic proposal to you.
Tanith: You never did
a romantic proposal.
[Clive chuckling]
I don't think--you've done it
for other people, but you're
not very good at doing it
for yourself. Ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: The guests'
helicopter is expected
in about 20 minutes.
It's general manager Michael's
job to make sure
the landing goes smoothly.
I don't know too much
about them.
They're very important, VIP,
from the United States.
We've gotten our tables
and chairs out of here,
we've taken the parasols down,
so everything is safe.
Minute by minute,
until he lands,
we're here,
watching him in.
[Helicopter approaching]
Clive: Here we go.
OK, Michael,
walk back now.
Dick, voice-over:
With their VIP guest expecting
the perfect venue
for a proposal,
Clive and his staff must
keep their heads.
I mean, you never approach
until the blades have actually
totally stopped.
Just wait for him, Mike.
Just duck your head.
Michael: I know when it
bumped your head, yeah.
[Both laugh]
Dick, voice-over:
As the big moment draws nearer,
the pressure's on
for Clive and Tanith.
Michael: Good morning.
Dick, voice-over:
350 miles west in our château,
my wife Angel is tackling
a less romantic problem.
Angel:
These are the two baths
that we picked up
in the brocante.
I love the feet.
They are feet
that you just don't find
on new baths nowadays.
They're just amazing.
Dick, voice-over:
Fixing up both baths ourself,
instead of buying them
fully restored,
could save us over £1,500,
but there are several
tricky stages.
Angel: Our man has been a hell
of a lot of work,
lots of sanding, definitely hurt
a couple of my nails. Ha ha ha!
I'd like to say I've done it
all myself, but--heh heh!
"Dick!" Ha ha!
He's helped out a bit.
I mean, you sand--
you could sand forever.
Dick, voice-over:
It's the crucial moment.
Angela's applying
an even undercoat.
Angel: But you know what?
We'll get there.
We will get to a bath
that looks good in the end.
Dick, voice-over: And whilst the
primer dries on the first bath,
Angel turns her attention
to the one she painted earlier.
Dick: Right. Whoo!
Getting there. Legs on?
Angel: No, it's just--
I'm just putting them on.
I just wondered if you would
help me lift the bath.
Angel: He's always got
a tool for everything.
Dick: We're treating her
real nice.
Angel: Oh, baby, we are.
You're so strong.
That is heavy. Right.
Where do I need to go to?
Dick: Nowhere, not yet,
not till I get it on this side.
Angel:
Now for the enameling.
Dick, voice-over: To get
this scratched old tub looking
like new again,
Angel needs to re-enamel it.
I don't think that's
gonna be an easy job.
Dick, voice-over:
This special paint will set
into a hard,
brilliant white finish.
Angel:
Feels very runny.
Dick, voice-over:
This is the tricky part.
Angel needs to roll
the enamel on thickly
without leaving
any run marks.
Angel:
It's covering it.
That's a good start,
isn't it?
Dick, voice-over:
And it sets quickly,
so she has to apply the coat
as fast as possible
to stop the roller getting
stuck to the bath.
Angel: I'm definitely expecting
to do two coats of this.
Oh, I'm liking
this paint.
It's like, you know,
I've got two pecks. Heh heh!
I'm sweating.
It's hot. Hot work.
Dick, voice-over:
One coat down, one to go.
Angel:
Quietly confident.
I wouldn't mind bathing
in it myself.
I am super-happy.
I think that looks
quite good.
These baths, new, are
around £1,000.
We paid 150 and 185,
so, yeah, we've probably saved
quite a lot of money.
Dick, voice-over:
Saving money is always nice...
[Clicks tongue]
Dick-voice-over: especially when
the finished product
looks as good as this.
Angel: Super, super happy
with the bath.
I love it.
I bathed the kids in this.
It was quite a lot of work,
but we saved a lot of money
and it looks great,
so you could say
I am a bath expert.
Said very tongue-in-cheek.
I've even had a couple of people
send me pictures of themselves
in the bath,
and not dirty pictures,
like, you know,
just really beautiful,
like, romantic pictures.
Ha ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Back at
Château de la Basmaignée's
60-acre estate,
keen to get
his greenhouse
up and running,
Michael's deep
in the woods,
searching for
the perfect compost.
Michael: This stuff is
absolutely amazing.
I mean,
if you have a look,
it's got a beautiful,
crumbly texture,
and it's perfect
for what I need.
Michael!
Dick, voice-over:
He's blissfully unaware
Gwendoline is
searching for him.
Gwendoline: Michael!
Michael!
Oy!
Oh, did you hear that?
A woodpecker.
There's one that lives
in the cedar.
Michael!
Michael!
It's a really nice sound,
hearing things like that
in here, you know,
in the countryside.
You don't hear things
like that in the city,
so...
[Woodpecker pecks]
He's needed right now,
and he's not here.
Never here
when he needs to be.
Dick, voice-over:
They've got just hours left
to move into the château
and out of the adjacent
guesthouse,
where their first
paying guests--
a hen party of 14--are due
to stay in the morning.
All this depends
on finishing
the château's kitchen,
but without
Michael's measurement
for the new cooker,
work has ground
to a halt.
Michael:
Oh. Gwendoline.
Gwendoline: You're needed
in the château.
Michael: I'm needed
in the château? What for?
Gwendoline: Yeah, because they
need to know what size,
exactly, like, how wide is
the island gonna be
so they can...
Michael: Oh, all right.
Gwendoline: have the proper
measurements where
to put the units,
where to cut and all.
Michael: Right, OK.
Do you want to get on,
or you're all right
walking back?
Ha ha ha! All right.
There we go.
We need to take the habit
of taking the walkie-talkies
with us everywhere we go.
Michael: Oh, right, yeah.
Gwendoline:
All right.
Michael: All right.
Right, I'll see you
in a minute.
Gwendoline:
I'll go finish. [Indistinct]
Dick, voice-over:
To save money, the cooker
Michael's bought is
a reclaimed cast-iron one,
which is still in pieces,
but will it actually fit
in the new kitchen?
Michael: It's 70,
but the handrail
pokes out to 75,
and that's slightly below
the height of the worktop,
so I don't know if this cupboard
door is going to open.
Let's just check.
But, with the handrail bracket,
it's gonna be up here,
so the door will open
under the handrail brackets
without any problems...
John: No problem, yeah.
Michael: so it's perfect.
Voice-over: Bit of touch and go
there, yeah; I thought
the cooker wasn't gonna fit.
I mean, that would have--
mean we'd have to find
a whole new cooker,
and that wouldn't have been--
that would have been no good,
so, yeah, everything's fine.
No worries, yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
Crisis averted,
work on the kitchen
can resume,
but to get it finished,
there are still
many more hours of work.
[Saw whirring]
[Birds chirping]
After a very long night,
the bespoke kitchen worktop
is finally going on...
Michael: You got that edge on?
Billy: Yeah, I've got it.
Michael:
Oh, my hand.
Billy: You OK?
Michael: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
But in just two hours,
a hen party is arriving
to stay in the guesthouse
where Billy, Gwen, and Michael
have been living,
so they're facing
a packing nightmare.
Gwendoline: I don't know how
many pair of shoes I've got.
Too many, probably.
Dick, voice-over:
With 14 paying guests expecting
flawless accommodation...
Gwendoline: [Bleep].
Dick, voice-over: all their
belongings must be moved
to the château,
where they'll now be living.
Gwendoline: I'll have time
to organize it all later.
Dick, voice-over: With
a mountain of mess to sort out,
Gwen's badly in need of
furniture for the empty château
and some help from the boys.
Michael: Is it heavy?
Billy: Yes--
Michael: Oh, it
[bleep] is heavy.
Billy:
Really heavy.
Michael: Ought to
carry it without--
Gwendoline:
Put it...
Billy:
In our bedroom.
Gwendoline:
There's no room.
Billy: Oh, there will be if I--
Gwendoline: All right,
if you want, but it's
stupid towels and...
Billy:
Oh. All right.
Michael: I thought it would be
good for my clothes.
Oh, whatever.
Gwendoline, difficult,
she is. Can you--
Gwendoline: Not too difficult.
I'm trying to find room
for everyone--everything
at the moment.
Michael: Oh, it's better now.
It's not as heavy.
Billy: Right.
Just plunk it down
here for now...
[grunts]
until the boss tells us
where to put it.
Dick, voice-over: With lots
still to do, will Gwen,
Billy, and Michael be ready
for their first-ever guests?
Gwendoline: We're kind of
almost running out of time.
Dick, voice-over:
Back at Château Perrière,
the idyllic calm
of the Loire Valley
is still being punctuated
by Paul's angle grinder.
[Distant whirring]
After 5 hours cutting
the giant water tank,
Paul and his helper Neil
have removed
several large sections.
Neil: Nice one.
Paul: I finally made friends
with the angle grinder,
and we're going
quite well now.
Dick, voice-over:
Cutting out the 3-ton tank
is the first stage of
transforming this outbuilding
into a new office retreat.
Neil: Watching somebody
angle-grinding, the novelty
wears off real quick.
Paul: It does, doesn't it?
Neil: Yeah.
[Grinder whirring]
Dick, voice-over: Paul needs
the noisy metal work finished
before the next paying
guests arrive
in just two days.
In the château,
Karen also has a project she's
rushing to complete.
Karen, voice-over:
My intention is to screen-print
some fabric to make
some blinds
for our guest bedroom,
so our guests don't
have to wake up at the
same time that the sun rises.
Dick, voice-over: But making
the stencil to screen-print
her blinds is a long
and tricky process.
Karen: The emulsion is
being applied
in a very messy fashion.
[Chuckling]
So I have
my negative prints.
These areas that are clear
are the areas
where the ink should
go through.
That is, of course,
if I've done it correctly.
Dick, voice-over:
To burn this design onto
the light-sensitive screen...
Karen: Let's go where it's
nice and bright.
Dick, voice-over: Karen exposes
it to direct sunlight
for 3 minutes.
Karen: We'll see.
Dick, voice-over:
Now for the moment of truth.
Karen: OK, now I'm
getting worried.
You know what I've done?
Tom: What?
Karen: I've actually done
the reverse
to what I actually wanted.
Dick, voice-over: Poor Karen's
got her template wrong.
This screen will print
the area
outside her pattern,
not the pattern itself.
Karen: I've done...
[chuckles]
it the wrong way round.
I laid at night worrying
that I'd done this.
Dick, voice-over: And with just
a day to finish the blinds,
it's back to
the drawing board.
Paul: So now we've done
the easy bit, we're gonna do
the hard bit, and we're gonna
get the roof down.
Dick, voice-over:
Outside, Paul and
handyman Neil have reached
the last and most
dangerous part
of removing the tank.
We want to rotate it
around so that this is
pointing towards
the doorway.
Paul: Hopefully, not acting like
a guillotine at the same time.
[Metal scraping]
Neil: Whoa,
steady, steady.
Well, shake it round again.
Paul: Right.
I'm gonna go outside
the door, then.
Neil: You ready?
Paul: Yeah.
[Metal rubbing]
Don't stand there, OK?
Neil: No, no, just bear
with me for a minute.
Paul: OK.
Neil: OK, gently
let it down.
[Crash]
Karen: Oh!
Katie: Oh,
it's so scary.
[Metal rubbing]
Katie: Oh, my.
Neil: If I hadn't lost the end
of my finger already,
I may well have done
just then. Heh heh heh heh!
Paul: You should have put
the other one.
You could have got
a matching pair.
Neil: Yeah.
Paul: We're down.
Neil: 'Cause I've got
a really dusty throat now,
obviously, being inside...
[chuckling]
and I think I've got slightly
soiled underwear, as well,
after that.
Ha ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: The top of the
water tank may be vanquished...
Paul: I'm just seeing if it
attached to anything.
Dick, voice-over: but with time
running out, Neil
and Paul still need
to remove the base.
A hundred miles north,
at Château
de la Basmaignée,
Billy, Gwendoline, and Michael's
first guests--
a hen party of 14--
are due
in just two hours,
and their accommodation, the
guesthouse, is still not ready.
Michael: The whole building's
got to be completely cleaned
and prepared
for the guests.
It's a bit rushed, a bit
last-minute, but we're--
we're gonna get it done.
Dick, voice-over: Whilst Billy
and Gwen concentrate
on the guesthouse, Michael's
discovered something outside
that may not be of help.
Right. You're going
in here for the day.
Dick, voice-over: With this
messy problem sorted,
it's time
for the final push.
Michael: How many men does it
take to change a light bulb?
Billy: Two. Heh heh heh heh!
Oh, lovely.
We're kind of almost running
out of time now.
The guests are gonna
be here really soon.
Dick, voice-over:
And, with that,
with just minutes to spare, the
guesthouse is finally ready.
The guests are due to arrive
at any minute.
Michael: I want to hide out
of the way because, uh,
Gwendoline is probably
best-suited for the job
of greeting the guests;
I'd be standing there a bit
like a lemon, going,
"Bonjour, bonjour,
bonjour,"
and that would be it.
Dick, voice-over: Whilst the
château's first paying guests
begin to let their hair down...
[women clamoring]
Billy: Oh, what's that
you've got?
Gwendoline: Well, we need
to celebrate a bit, don't we?
Billy: Oh, lovely.
Michael: Lovely.
- Yeah.
- More fancy little bit there.
Dick, voice-over: Gwendoline,
Billy, and Michael
can now toast two
life-changing moments...
[Pop]
Billy: Hey!
Dick, voice-over: getting their
business off the ground,
and even better, their first day
living in the château itself.
Billy: We're in the château
now, all of us.
Gwendoline: We're here, the
guests are in the guesthouse.
And to our future
in the château.
Billy and Gwendoline: Yeah.
Michael: Cheers. Heh heh!
Dick, voice-over:
With the tiles done,
the cooker in, their beautiful
bespoke kitchen
is now ready to use...
but they've still got
39 more rooms to go.
Michael: We'll get there
in the end.
Gwendoline: Yeah, not today.
[Sighs]
Michael: Not today, no.
Gwendoline: Right.
Billy: Lunch?
Gwendoline: Yeah.
Shall we eat something?
Dick, voice-over:
So that's one new château
finally open for business.
400 miles away in Dijon...
Clive: Rose petals
on the floor?
That will just give it
a nice bit of color as well.
Dick, voice-over:
experienced hoteliers
Clive and Tanith
are ready to welcome
a high flyer.
Clive: Good morning!
Man: Hello, Mr. Cummings.
Clive: How are you?
Welcome to the abbey.
Man: Nice to finally meet you.
Clive: And you, too.
How are you? Welcome.
Woman: Pleasure.
Clive: Yes,
so come on through.
Come on through.
Let me take you in.
Dick, voice-over:
Their VIP guest, Frank,
has told Clive he wants to
propose to his girlfriend Tammy
before dinner
this evening.
At Clive's suggestion,
he's popping the question
in the abbey's crypt,
but Frank's never actually
been here before,
so he doesn't know
the layout of the grounds.
Clive: I need to very discreetly
get the gentleman on his own,
so I can show him where
the crypt is.
Just a case of loitering now,
loitering with intent,
as I keep saying; I'm just gonna
hang around and wait.
Hopefully he might need
to go to the toilet.
When he does need to go
to the toilet,
I'll quickly whip him over to
the crypt, show him the crypt,
and I'll need to know the time
as well; that's important for me
so I can get the candles lit
and the champagne.
Dick, voice-over: Clive just
needs a couple of minutes
alone with Frank...
Clive: I'll bet she catches me
sneaking a peek.
Dick, voice-over:
but he's got to be discreet.
Clive: Ooh. Nearly.
Why risk it?
I'll stay inside and wait.
Dick, voice-over: But an
hour-long lunch comes and goes
without a single trip
to the bathroom.
I'm sat here,
patiently waiting
for one of them to move.
And they've both moved,
so they've both now
gone for a walk.
[Clive hums, sighs]
Loitering, loitering,
loitering.
Dick, voice-over: Clive and
Tanith can't risk the couple
stumbling across the crypt
when it's not proposal-ready,
so they're going ahead
with the finishing touches.
Tanith: We're just gonna try
and make this really pretty
and really romantic, so we've
got lots of red rose petals,
obviously, it's a nice bouquet
of roses, which she'll be able
to take away with her,
and then just lots of candles.
But I've sort of got
vanilla ones, so that it's
a nice smell as they walk in,
so we'll make sure that we
light them a good hour
before they're due in,
so hopefully it'll give it
a nice, nice smell.
You can never have
too many candles.
The more candles the better,
as far as I'm concerned.
I haven't been able
to get him alone,
so we're lighting
the candles a little bit
premature at the moment.
Tanith: So we're just hoping
that he does find it
'cause it's a little bit
tucked away, but we
couldn't really say anything
in front of her, so we're just
gonna have to cross our fingers
and hope he finds it.
Fingers crossed it will go
as according to plan.
Clive: Shall we have
a trial run?
Tanith: Ha!
Clive: No? OK.
See, I did offer her.
Tanith: OK, good.
Quite happy with that.
- Right, I know. Let's go.
- Happy with that.
Dick, voice-over:
The crypt is ready.
All they need now
is the couple.
Tanith: Shall we go and hide?
[Whispering]
There they come,
through that way there.
Clive: Yeah.
Tanith: I need to go
for a wee.
Dick, voice-over:
And 90 minutes later,
the big moment arrives.
Clive, whispering:
Nice dress.
Nice dress she's got.
There they go.
[Chuckling] Could be standing
here for a long time.
[Ice rattles, cork pops]
Tanith: Ooh,
there goes the cork.
- That wasn't the cork.
- That was the cork.
[Clive chuckling]
[Tanith chuckling]
Clive: Yes?
Frank: Bravo.
Heh heh heh!
Clive: Congratulations.
Well, well done.
Tammy: Thank you.
Clive: Congratula--and--yeah.
Good. Ha ha!
Tammy: Yes, he did well.
Oh, fantastic,
fantastic.
We're gonna leave you
in peace with the champagne.
[Glasses clink]
Clive: Ah.
Good day's work.
Frank: It's a happy day
for both of us.
Happiest days
of our lives.
Mwah. I love you.
Tammy: I love you.
Dick, voice-over: 250 miles west
in the Loire Valley,
at Château Perrière,
with guests arriving in
the morning and renovation work
behind schedule,
the whole Horne family
are pitching in.
Karen: I'm gonna get all
the toiletries out
and in the cupboard,
and I need to reply
to the email from the people
that are coming tomorrow.
And need to pack,
and we need to cook.
I think it might be
a late night.
Paul: See if we can
fold this down.
Ready?
Dick, voice-over:
In the outbuilding,
Paul's angle-grinding marathon
is almost at an end.
Neil: Whoa, big hole.
Dick, voice-over:
The final challenge for him
and handyman Neil
is to cut out
the water tank's base.
Dick, voice-over:
In the château,
despite her disastrous
first attempt,
Karen's persevering
with her screen-printing.
Karen:
Voila. Perfect.
That's exactly what
we want.
Dick, voice-over: She's created
a new design template,
and this time,
it's the right way round.
Karen: I'm happy, although
it is really blotchy.
[Blow dryer whirring]
Dick, voice-over: Karen hopes
to screen-print her pattern
onto a set of blinds
and hang them
in a guest bedroom, but she's
going to have to wait.
It's still very wet...
and I'm not sure I've
got any hope
in this drying
anytime soon.
Dry a bit quicker,
and I'll probably end up
with a disaster as well.
Dick, voice-over: While her
troublesome template dries,
Karen goes to inspect Paul
and handyman Neil's work
in the new office.
Paul: Just got to try
and cut up the last bits
of the floor
of the water tank.
[Saw whirring]
Neil: You have survived
the disc cutter experience.
Neil: Mate, well done.
Karen:
God, it's enormous.
Paul: Actually quite easily,
I think.
Karen: I can't believe
you done it.
Paul: I know.
Karen: Two days?
- Yeah.
- That's impressive, isn't it?
Bet you didn't think that
when you started.
Paul: No, I thought I'd
be here for a week.
[Birds chirping]
Paul: The view is
just fantastic.
There could be
worse places to work.
Karen: It looks fab.
Dick, voice-over:
With Karen suitably impressed...
Paul: Oh,
difficult, right?
Dick, voice-over: The boys get
on with removing the floor.
After slashing through
over 3 tons of steel,
Paul certainly mastered
the angle grinder.
Paul:
Now, this one is...
heavy.
[Grunts]
Dick, voice-over: But with
new masonry, plumbing,
and electrics
all still to do,
he's got a lot more to learn
before the office is finished.
Paul: So that's the original
valve for the water tank
for the whole of
the château and estate.
That'll definitely be polished
off and put in the office,
just to remind me of my, uh,
angle-grinding days.
Dick, voice-over:
It's been a long day,
and there's still
one job left to do.
It's now Karen's last chance
to get the screen-printing
right on her blinds.
Karen: I only have one piece,
and it's exactly the right size
for my window,
and I don't have any more.
I've only got tonight to get it
finished and printed,
so there's a lot counting on me
not making any mistakes.
I'm really nervous. Heh!
[Exhales]
Paul: No pressure.
Karen: OK, here we go.
I'm really nervous.
Katie: Oh.
Paul: Voila.
Karen: Wow!
Katie: Oh.
Karen:
That's amazing!
Doesn't that look beautiful?
I love the mottling.
I love it.
Absolutely love it.
That's so beautiful.
Dick, voice-over:
Magnificent.
A finish to be proud of.
Karen: This fabric
will be unique
because it's not
digitally printed,
so every one
is slightly different.
Tom: Yeah.
Karen: And that's what is
the beauty
of printing by hand.
Just sewing the last
few seams together
so that I can get on and
actually hang these blinds.
It's a little bit stressful,
as I am running out of time.
Dick, voice-over:
All that's left is to get
the blinds hung,
ready for tomorrow's guests.
Neil: High up
on the ceiling?
Karen: Can you come down
a little bit?
[Drill whirring]
Karen: Wow. Let's see
what these beauties look like.
I think the guests are
gonna love it because I
think it adds a little bit
of warmth to the room.
I love the idea
of reusing fabrics.
It just adds a quality
you can't buy.
Dick, voice-over:
It's been a productive trip,
and the family can now enjoy
their final evening
in the château before
their guests move in.
Karen: Mmm.
Paul: What do you think, Tom?
Karen:
Absolutely delicious.
Dick, voice-over: But there's
still a huge amount
of work to do on the office,
and with the château
booked out for most
of the summer,
there are only a few
free days to do it.
So, cheers.
Enjoy the meal,
'cause for in half an hour,
we'll be packing
and finishing
and getting ready
for the guests tomorrow.
Karen: You've ruined it for me.
We're not there yet.
Cheers. To la Perrière.
Karen: Cheers.
Katie: Hmm.
Dick, voice-over:
Next time, I receive an SOS
from some
château neighbors...
Dick: How are we doing?
Lovely to meet you.
Dick, voice-over:
and wind up
with a serious challenge
on my hands.
Dick: Are you ready?
Michael: This isn't
gonna work, is it?
Dick, voice-over:
Out in the woods, the hunt is on
for some unwanted
visitors.
Michael: Really got to
keep away from them
'cause they're quite
dangerous.
Dick, voice-over:
And in the Loire Valley,
the heat is on to repair
a crumbling wall.
[Exhales sharply]
It's hot.
I'm expiring here.
I don't think
I could be hotter.
Dick, voice-over:
Plus, Michelin-starred food
sourced from
the back garden.
Clive:
Look at this, look.
All the strawberries.
Look at them all.
I'm Dick Strawbridge, and along
with my wife Angel
and our two children,
we left the UK for
a whole new life in France
and bought
this magnificent château.
We haven't ever regretted
what we've done.
It is so worth it.
We've gradually been
making it into our home,
as well as running it
as a business.
That's a long way up.
But it turns out
we're not alone,
as dozens of Brits are doing
exactly the same thing.
[Child giggles]
Sometimes you have
to pinch yourself
to think, "I own that."
Dick, voice-over: In this
series, Angel and I will
reveal more about
our journey as château owners...
Dick: Quite a lot of scrap here.
It's worth money.
Might be able
to pay you this time.
Dick, voice-over:
and guide these daring Brits
where we can...
Dick: It's a solid
old bridge, matey.
Dick, voice-over:
as they renovate...
Philip: This is looking good.
I'm quite happy with this.
Dick, voice-over: repair...
Billy: I've never
done this before,
so it should be all right.
Dick, voice-over:
and struggle to transform
these buildings into
their homes and businesses.
Jonathan:
Go, go, go, go, go, go, go.
Absolutely magnificent.
Philip: This is
the glamorous château life
that everyone's been planning.
Just trying to avoid
getting my face
nearer the toilet here.
This is not the way
to make money.
Dick, voice-over:
But however hard the going gets,
these plucky Brits
can always say they're kings
and queens of
their very own castles.
Woman: Cheers.
Chin-chin.
Dick, voice-over: Today, whilst
a trio of château rookies
get their home ready
to move into...
Michael: This stuff
absolutely stinks.
Dick, voice-over:
one of them goes AWOL.
Gwendoline: Michael!
Michael! Michael!
Dick, voice-over: two château
owners find playing Cupid...
He wants to propose
to his girlfriend,
so he's asked us
to help him.
Dick, voice-over:
is easier said than done.
Man: I need to very discreetly
get the gentleman on his own.
Just a case of loitering
with intent.
Dick, voice-over:
Things fall apart
for a novice builder...
Man: OK, gently let it down.
[Thud]
Woman: Oh!
Dick, voice-over:
and, whilst Angel and I go
bargain-hunting at
a brocante...
Angel: I love it.
Dick: It's so wrong.
Dick, voice-over: Angel finds it
hard to stay focused.
Dick: What do you fancy?
Angel: You. Ha ha ha!
Dick: You're so
full of twaddle. Come on.
Dick, voice-over:
Young château rookies Billy,
Gwendoline, and Michael have
taken on the challenge
of restoring the 18th-century
Château de la Basmaignée.
Gwendoline:
I don't really like heights.
Michael:
Especially that high.
- Yeah.
- Ha ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Situated in
the Pays de la Loire region
of northern France,
the beautiful but neglected
château sits
in over 60 acres of woodland.
Michael, voice-over:
I never imagined that I'd live
in a château
or be renovating one.
I like it in France.
In England,
it's a bit more...
hectic and...
rush everywhere,
and it's better here.
We can really enjoy yourself
a little bit more.
You've got more time
to do things.
Dick, voice-over:
Over the last 3 months,
they've got the heating
up and running...
Billy: That's it.
It's drawing,
it's not smoking
at all, is it?
Dick, voice-over:
started decorating...
Billy: Still got to do
a second coat
all over the blue woodwork.
Dick, voice-over:
and fix the giant chimney.
Michael: Have you managed
to finish it, then?
Billy: Yeah, it's all done.
Michael: Oh, brilliant.
Dick, voice-over: But now,
they've just a day left
to make the château livable,
so they can move in
and leave their current home--
the guest house opposite--
empty for their first
paying guests.
Michael: Even though, you know,
this guest house that we're in
and I'm in, is really
comfortable, it's not
the château that I thought
I'd be living in.
Dick, voice-over: But before
this momentous move can happen,
the château's kitchen
must be finished.
After weeks of preparation,
the final phase of the work
is due to happen today--
the fitting of the handmade
kitchen units.
Gwendoline: Yeah, it's
very exciting. It's, uh--
We've been talking
about that kitchen for weeks.
Michael: Kitchen is really
the first step of getting
the house ready so that we can
actually live in it as a home.
Dick, voice-over: Having paying
guests stay in the guest house
will be a vital way
of raising money
to pay for the restoration
of the château.
[Gwendoline speaking French]
Dick, voice-over: And their
first booking is a big one.
A group of 14 girls,
I think,
for a hen night.
Quite exciting. It's going to be
the very first one,
and for them, it has to be,
like, really good
as well because one
of them's getting married.
It has to be
an amazing weekend.
She's also pregnant,
so they're gonna
throw a baby shower
for her as well.
They're coming in this house,
where we live at the moment,
so we need to get out of it--
heh!--and get it ready.
Dick, voice-over: They've got
a mountain of stuff to move
before the guests arrive
tomorrow,
but now something else urgently
needs their attention.
Gwendoline: Oy!
Kitchen's here!
Michael:
Look how amazing it is.
Gwendoline: Yeah.
Michael: It's so well-built.
Come have a look at this.
Gwendoline: It's really
gorgeous, isn't it?
I love it.
Billy: Have you got it?
Dick, voice-over: The carpenter,
John, hand-built the cabinets
and worktops from scratch,
using a combination
of beech, elm, and pine wood.
Billy: Looks like it's a really,
really good-quality kitchen,
and we're really pleased
with it so far.
Just by looking at it in pieces,
it's really impressive.
- Put it back, back.
- All right, yep.
[Indistinct]
Are you excited about
the kitchen?
Michael's happy to take
a breather and escape
to his own pet project,
the château's greenhouse.
Michael: It's definitely nice to
go and get away from everything.
To have a space
like this, dedicated
to growing fruit and veg,
it's just--it's amazing.
Dick, voice-over: Whilst Michael
gets back to nature,
brother Billy's flat-out
helping to fit the kitchen.
Billy: We're just using
a laser level
to get the right measurement
for the worktop because if it's
not perfectly level,
the windows probably won't open.
Dick, voice-over: Michael's
dream is to grow
enough fruit and veg
to make the château
self-sufficient.
Michael: I really enjoy it
in here; sometimes you can spend
hours in here and not realize
that time has passed.
Dick, voice-over: But before
planting his first crop,
these beds desperately need
fresh fertilizer.
Luckily, he knows
a large stash nearby.
Michael: 'Cause the loft was
inhabited by hundreds
of pigeons, and they've
been there for years.
Thankfully, we didn't throw away
all the pigeon manure,
and apparently it's one of
the most amazing fertilizers
that money can buy.
Dick, voice-over:
Pigeon poo does contain masses
of nitrogen, which makes it
ideal for feeding plants,
but it's strong, and it needs
to be mixed with compost.
This stuff absolutely stinks.
There's a dead pigeon there.
I don't think we want
to plant that.
Dick, voice-over: Michael's
pigeon plan has worked a treat,
but in the half-fitted kitchen,
there's a problem.
John: 9.
I'm trying to line up
the units
so there's not too much of
a gap at the other end.
Dick, voice-over:
John the carpenter is worried
that once his units have been
fitted, there won't be
enough room for the cooker
that Michael's ordered.
Gwendoline: You should
ask him, really.
Billy: Yeah.
All right, then.
Shall we call Michael?
Gwendoline: Call Michael.
Billy: Michael!
- Oh, like that.
- Michael!
Dick, voice-over:
Michael is the only one
who knows how big
the cooker is.
Without him checking
the measurements,
the kitchen can't be
finished...
but just when he's
needed the most,
he's heading to the far edge
of the vast estate.
Michael: Just off down to
the bottom of the forest,
there's a massive pile
of old leaves
that have rotted down into
the most amazing compost.
Michael!
Michael!
Dick, voice-over: With no time
to spare, and more than 60 acres
of land to roam,
finding him could be tricky.
Gwendoline: Michael!
Dick, voice-over:
100 miles south, in the heart
of the Loire Valley,
is Château la Perrière.
A stroll away, on the banks
of the Vienne River,
stands Chinon,
a medieval town
steeped in history,
rich with culture,
and the wines aren't
bad, either.
It generally does all
taste good.
Dick, voice-over:
This is Paul Horne,
proud joint owner
of Château la Perrière
with his wife, Karen.
Karen: The château was
love at first sight.
Paul: It was.
Karen: We weren't love
at first sight.
- I--wa--I--
- No, you didn't.
No. You're lying now.
Paul: Ha ha ha ha!
The château's
relatively modest.
I think it's 400 square meters.
It's got 8 bedrooms.
Dick, voice-over:
The Hornes, who live in England,
bought the mid-19th-century
château for £500,000.
Having renovated all 16 rooms,
they've turned it into
a luxury holiday rental.
[Children shouting]
Paul: Pool's literally
just been opened,
and although it's only
22 degrees, you've got to go
in there 'cause you got to make
the most of it, really.
Dick, voice-over: This week,
there's a gap in bookings,
so Paul, Karen,
and their kids, Katie and Tom,
have a chance to enjoy
the château and crack on
with the next stage
of renovation.
Paul has a plan
to give the château
a unique selling point,
a new luxury office space.
Paul: Next project we're
looking to do is,
one of the lovely outbuildings
is the original water tower
from the 1850s.
What we're looking to do is
completely strip out
the first floor and then put
an office in there.
Man: Hey, voila.
Right.
I'll set this out.
Paul: One window down,
two to go.
Dick, voice-over:
The first job
is to remove
the tower's shutters.
Karen: With a little bit
of sanding up
and a paint, they'll be
absolutely fine.
I've always wanted
some internal shutters.
Ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over:
Removing the shutters was easy.
A much bigger problem is
the tower's massive
10,000-liter
steel water tank,
which needs cutting out
piece by piece
with an angle grinder, a tool
Paul's never used before.
Paul: Looked it on
the Internet,
I've taken a few tips
from people,
and it can't be that hard
to remove 3 tons of steel.
Karen: I don't think Paul has
had an angle grinder.
Think Seeing him use--use that
is a little bit nerve-racking.
Dick, voice-over:
But first,
he needs to get
the angle grinder started.
Paul: So, Neil--
where is Neil?
I'm here, Paul, I'm here.
In or out?
Dick, voice-over: Thankfully,
he's got professional help...
Neil: You just want
to swivel this round
to the other side now.
Paul: Sorry.
Dick, voice-over:
the château's handyman, Neil,
who looks after the estate
when the family are away.
Neil: When you're
ready to start,
tell me.
Plug yourself in.
The plug's round that side.
Paul: Right, OK.
Neil: Start round that side,
and we'll fire the fan up.
It's gonna be very loud
and very smelly in a minute.
[Grinder whirs]
Dick, voice-over:
Ooh, classic rookie error!
Never start the grinder when
it's already touching the metal.
Neil: Need to have
the blade spinning
before you put it
in the crack.
[Grinder whirs]
Dick, voice-over:
The tank is 3 meters tall
and weighs over 3 tons.
Cutting through 1/2"-thick metal
is hard work.
Karen: Have you worked out
how long it's gonna take
to actually get
the whole thing out?
'Cause it looks
quite lengthy.
About that much left to go,
first panel. Heh!
[Grinder stops]
Wow!
Oh! There you go.
Pretty easy, wasn't it?
First bit, first bit.
Dick, voice-over: If Paul
continues cutting at this rate,
he'll still be there
in a week,
but the château's next
paying guests arrive
in just 3 days,
and Paul's angle grinder
isn't going to help
the ambiance.
Neil: Oh, you'll fly
through it this afternoon,
now you got experience,
you got confidence...
haven't you?
Dick, voice-over: Whilst Paul
battles the water tank,
Karen and Tom are
also busy.
Karen: Oh, look at all
those bugs! Too many.
This shutter has
probably been
on that water tower
200 years, and it's still
in very good shape.
Dick, voice-over:
Restoring these shutters
will provide a cheap,
but charming original feature.
Karen: Where possible,
it's really nice
to be able to recycle.
Dick: Oh, wow.
Dick, voice-over: Renovating a
château is a never-ending job,
and every penny counts...
Angel: Good eating, matey.
Dick: Grandma's chicken soup.
Dick, voice-over:
so we're no strangers
to a spot of upcycling.
Dick: Your hands are
nice and warm.
- Oh, really?
- Right.
- Feels cold.
- Is that a loo?
Angel: Huh?
Look. Who did that?
Dick, voice-over: We love
scouring reclamation yards,
like this one at La Gravelle,
20 miles from our château,
and no one can spot a bargain
like my Angel.
Dick: We haven't got
very long, but we're looking
for a birthday present.
They have lots of old stuff.
[Angel mouths "me"]
- Yeah, well--
- It's my birthday.
- 47.
- Ha ha ha ha!
[Dick chuckles]
So we're galloping around
to have a quick look,
see what we can find.
Angel: Ha ha ha!
- What do you fancy?
- You. Ha ha ha!
Dick: You're so full
of twaddle. Come on.
You want a fountain,
don't you?
Angel: Yeah, I do.
- Look how ridiculous that is.
- Where?
Where, where, where, where?
Dick: Keep looking,
keep looking.
- Oh, I love it.
- It's so wrong.
- Ha ha!
- [Chuckles]
- But it's not a water feature.
- It is.
Angel: Is it?
Oh, it is!
Ha ha ha! Aw.
I quite like all
of these, like,
just wrong Cupid things.
Dick, voice-over:
When on a salvage hunt,
spotting a diamond in the rough
can take a while.
Dick: There's lots
of nice stuff here.
Angel: Ooh!
Dick, voice-over:
Amidst a sea of rust,
Angel spotted something.
Dick: Double-ended?
Angel: Ha ha! Hmm.
Dick, voice-over: This old bath
has real potential
and is a tenth of the price of
a fully restored one.
Dick: I got to tell you,
that is not a bad bath.
- Yeah, I know.
- It's a deep bath.
Angel: It's in quite
good nick, actually.
See the outside, obviously,
it's very--
Dick: No, but the outside's
dead easy.
- Yeah.
- You air-brush that off,
and then you can...
Angel: Yeah.
Dick: you can [indistinct]
that any way you want.
This bit here,
surprisingly, is...
Angel: This is not
bad nick, is it?
Dick, voice-over: Restored,
this would be perfect
for our château.
Time to close a deal
on this cast-iron bargain.
Dick: Bonjour, Madame.
Dick, voice-over:
We also find a second
very promising bath
at the same brocante
with a combined price tag
of less than £350,
including home delivery.
Already restored,
these baths could easily cost
over a grand each.
Angel: I think
that re-enameling,
and sanding the side down
and painting
is gonna bring
this bath back to life.
We could be saving quite
a lot of money,
so I'm very, very excited
about it.
If we get these back to life,
they are gonna be just part
of this whole big adventure
and journey.
They're gonna be a bit
of a talking point,
and I just think they'll be
a bit more soulful
than something new.
Dick, voice-over: But to get
these rusty baths shipshape...
Angel: I don't like
these things. Heh! Gotta be...
Dick, voice-over:
Angel's got her work cut out.
Angel: They'll make
great plant pots
if you can't get them
back to life.
[Spray hisses]
Dick, voice-over:
This is Abbaye de la Bussière,
a monastery for 900 years.
It's now owned and run
as a hotel
by Brits Clive
and Tanith Cummings.
Clive: I think a lot of
the locals probably looked at it
as, like, being
a hostile takeover.
Those Anglais have arrived.
Dick, voice-over:
They gave up life in Sussex
to start the hotel,
which is nestled in lush
Burgundy countryside, close to
the region's capital, Dijon,
and where competition for guests
is especially fierce.
Tanith: It's basically
very up and down.
We can have a really good year,
and then the next year,
for reasons that are
very hard to pinpoint,
it can be not so busy.
Dick, voice-over: And with
the huge overheads of running
a luxury hotel,
for Clive and Tanith,
every summer is
make-or-break.
We're up to...
is it 4 loans?
Tanith: I think so.
Clive: Four loans,
with our French bank.
It is very, very seasonal,
so we have to
make our money in that
very short space of time.
Still very much a work
in progress,
and we have to be really,
really tight with everything.
Dick, voice-over: Clive
and Tanith's exclusive resort
hosts everyone,
from Hollywood stars
to Porsche owners' clubs.
I'm a bit of
a petrol head myself,
so I do like seeing
nice cars.
Clive: Welcome.
Bonjour. Bienvenue.
Man: Thank you.
Clive: Envy.
Porsche envy.
Dick, voice-over:
Today, a VIP guest
has made
a romantic request.
Clive: Right.
Tanith: He wants to propose
to his girlfriend,
so he's asked us to help him try
and find a way of making it
really special and doing
something really lovely
that she's not gonna forget,
so they're flying in
by helicopter, which is
gonna be an amazing start,
so we're just trying to find
somewhere that would just
make it really romantic
and not somewhere
where every hotel has, and not
many hotels have a crypt,
so this could make it
really special.
Dick, voice-over: For centuries,
this crypt was used
as a burial vault
and a place for the monks
to store holy relics, but Clive
and Tanith reckon that by
tomorrow, it'll be the perfect
place to propose marriage.
Tanith: I would have
as many candles as possible
because I think that will just
make it really romantic.
The idea will be that he'll
take her for a nice walk
round the garden,
they'll discover the crypt,
so he'll go, "Let's have
a look in here,"
and then he'll bring her in
and then he'll pop the question.
Fingers crossed she'll say yes,
and then there'll be champagne
and then they're gonna have a
private dinner up in the lounge
and just make it
as romantic as possible.
Like me, when I did
my romantic proposal to you.
Tanith: You never did
a romantic proposal.
[Clive chuckling]
I don't think--you've done it
for other people, but you're
not very good at doing it
for yourself. Ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: The guests'
helicopter is expected
in about 20 minutes.
It's general manager Michael's
job to make sure
the landing goes smoothly.
I don't know too much
about them.
They're very important, VIP,
from the United States.
We've gotten our tables
and chairs out of here,
we've taken the parasols down,
so everything is safe.
Minute by minute,
until he lands,
we're here,
watching him in.
[Helicopter approaching]
Clive: Here we go.
OK, Michael,
walk back now.
Dick, voice-over:
With their VIP guest expecting
the perfect venue
for a proposal,
Clive and his staff must
keep their heads.
I mean, you never approach
until the blades have actually
totally stopped.
Just wait for him, Mike.
Just duck your head.
Michael: I know when it
bumped your head, yeah.
[Both laugh]
Dick, voice-over:
As the big moment draws nearer,
the pressure's on
for Clive and Tanith.
Michael: Good morning.
Dick, voice-over:
350 miles west in our château,
my wife Angel is tackling
a less romantic problem.
Angel:
These are the two baths
that we picked up
in the brocante.
I love the feet.
They are feet
that you just don't find
on new baths nowadays.
They're just amazing.
Dick, voice-over:
Fixing up both baths ourself,
instead of buying them
fully restored,
could save us over £1,500,
but there are several
tricky stages.
Angel: Our man has been a hell
of a lot of work,
lots of sanding, definitely hurt
a couple of my nails. Ha ha ha!
I'd like to say I've done it
all myself, but--heh heh!
"Dick!" Ha ha!
He's helped out a bit.
I mean, you sand--
you could sand forever.
Dick, voice-over:
It's the crucial moment.
Angela's applying
an even undercoat.
Angel: But you know what?
We'll get there.
We will get to a bath
that looks good in the end.
Dick, voice-over: And whilst the
primer dries on the first bath,
Angel turns her attention
to the one she painted earlier.
Dick: Right. Whoo!
Getting there. Legs on?
Angel: No, it's just--
I'm just putting them on.
I just wondered if you would
help me lift the bath.
Angel: He's always got
a tool for everything.
Dick: We're treating her
real nice.
Angel: Oh, baby, we are.
You're so strong.
That is heavy. Right.
Where do I need to go to?
Dick: Nowhere, not yet,
not till I get it on this side.
Angel:
Now for the enameling.
Dick, voice-over: To get
this scratched old tub looking
like new again,
Angel needs to re-enamel it.
I don't think that's
gonna be an easy job.
Dick, voice-over:
This special paint will set
into a hard,
brilliant white finish.
Angel:
Feels very runny.
Dick, voice-over:
This is the tricky part.
Angel needs to roll
the enamel on thickly
without leaving
any run marks.
Angel:
It's covering it.
That's a good start,
isn't it?
Dick, voice-over:
And it sets quickly,
so she has to apply the coat
as fast as possible
to stop the roller getting
stuck to the bath.
Angel: I'm definitely expecting
to do two coats of this.
Oh, I'm liking
this paint.
It's like, you know,
I've got two pecks. Heh heh!
I'm sweating.
It's hot. Hot work.
Dick, voice-over:
One coat down, one to go.
Angel:
Quietly confident.
I wouldn't mind bathing
in it myself.
I am super-happy.
I think that looks
quite good.
These baths, new, are
around £1,000.
We paid 150 and 185,
so, yeah, we've probably saved
quite a lot of money.
Dick, voice-over:
Saving money is always nice...
[Clicks tongue]
Dick-voice-over: especially when
the finished product
looks as good as this.
Angel: Super, super happy
with the bath.
I love it.
I bathed the kids in this.
It was quite a lot of work,
but we saved a lot of money
and it looks great,
so you could say
I am a bath expert.
Said very tongue-in-cheek.
I've even had a couple of people
send me pictures of themselves
in the bath,
and not dirty pictures,
like, you know,
just really beautiful,
like, romantic pictures.
Ha ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Back at
Château de la Basmaignée's
60-acre estate,
keen to get
his greenhouse
up and running,
Michael's deep
in the woods,
searching for
the perfect compost.
Michael: This stuff is
absolutely amazing.
I mean,
if you have a look,
it's got a beautiful,
crumbly texture,
and it's perfect
for what I need.
Michael!
Dick, voice-over:
He's blissfully unaware
Gwendoline is
searching for him.
Gwendoline: Michael!
Michael!
Oy!
Oh, did you hear that?
A woodpecker.
There's one that lives
in the cedar.
Michael!
Michael!
It's a really nice sound,
hearing things like that
in here, you know,
in the countryside.
You don't hear things
like that in the city,
so...
[Woodpecker pecks]
He's needed right now,
and he's not here.
Never here
when he needs to be.
Dick, voice-over:
They've got just hours left
to move into the château
and out of the adjacent
guesthouse,
where their first
paying guests--
a hen party of 14--are due
to stay in the morning.
All this depends
on finishing
the château's kitchen,
but without
Michael's measurement
for the new cooker,
work has ground
to a halt.
Michael:
Oh. Gwendoline.
Gwendoline: You're needed
in the château.
Michael: I'm needed
in the château? What for?
Gwendoline: Yeah, because they
need to know what size,
exactly, like, how wide is
the island gonna be
so they can...
Michael: Oh, all right.
Gwendoline: have the proper
measurements where
to put the units,
where to cut and all.
Michael: Right, OK.
Do you want to get on,
or you're all right
walking back?
Ha ha ha! All right.
There we go.
We need to take the habit
of taking the walkie-talkies
with us everywhere we go.
Michael: Oh, right, yeah.
Gwendoline:
All right.
Michael: All right.
Right, I'll see you
in a minute.
Gwendoline:
I'll go finish. [Indistinct]
Dick, voice-over:
To save money, the cooker
Michael's bought is
a reclaimed cast-iron one,
which is still in pieces,
but will it actually fit
in the new kitchen?
Michael: It's 70,
but the handrail
pokes out to 75,
and that's slightly below
the height of the worktop,
so I don't know if this cupboard
door is going to open.
Let's just check.
But, with the handrail bracket,
it's gonna be up here,
so the door will open
under the handrail brackets
without any problems...
John: No problem, yeah.
Michael: so it's perfect.
Voice-over: Bit of touch and go
there, yeah; I thought
the cooker wasn't gonna fit.
I mean, that would have--
mean we'd have to find
a whole new cooker,
and that wouldn't have been--
that would have been no good,
so, yeah, everything's fine.
No worries, yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
Crisis averted,
work on the kitchen
can resume,
but to get it finished,
there are still
many more hours of work.
[Saw whirring]
[Birds chirping]
After a very long night,
the bespoke kitchen worktop
is finally going on...
Michael: You got that edge on?
Billy: Yeah, I've got it.
Michael:
Oh, my hand.
Billy: You OK?
Michael: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
But in just two hours,
a hen party is arriving
to stay in the guesthouse
where Billy, Gwen, and Michael
have been living,
so they're facing
a packing nightmare.
Gwendoline: I don't know how
many pair of shoes I've got.
Too many, probably.
Dick, voice-over:
With 14 paying guests expecting
flawless accommodation...
Gwendoline: [Bleep].
Dick, voice-over: all their
belongings must be moved
to the château,
where they'll now be living.
Gwendoline: I'll have time
to organize it all later.
Dick, voice-over: With
a mountain of mess to sort out,
Gwen's badly in need of
furniture for the empty château
and some help from the boys.
Michael: Is it heavy?
Billy: Yes--
Michael: Oh, it
[bleep] is heavy.
Billy:
Really heavy.
Michael: Ought to
carry it without--
Gwendoline:
Put it...
Billy:
In our bedroom.
Gwendoline:
There's no room.
Billy: Oh, there will be if I--
Gwendoline: All right,
if you want, but it's
stupid towels and...
Billy:
Oh. All right.
Michael: I thought it would be
good for my clothes.
Oh, whatever.
Gwendoline, difficult,
she is. Can you--
Gwendoline: Not too difficult.
I'm trying to find room
for everyone--everything
at the moment.
Michael: Oh, it's better now.
It's not as heavy.
Billy: Right.
Just plunk it down
here for now...
[grunts]
until the boss tells us
where to put it.
Dick, voice-over: With lots
still to do, will Gwen,
Billy, and Michael be ready
for their first-ever guests?
Gwendoline: We're kind of
almost running out of time.
Dick, voice-over:
Back at Château Perrière,
the idyllic calm
of the Loire Valley
is still being punctuated
by Paul's angle grinder.
[Distant whirring]
After 5 hours cutting
the giant water tank,
Paul and his helper Neil
have removed
several large sections.
Neil: Nice one.
Paul: I finally made friends
with the angle grinder,
and we're going
quite well now.
Dick, voice-over:
Cutting out the 3-ton tank
is the first stage of
transforming this outbuilding
into a new office retreat.
Neil: Watching somebody
angle-grinding, the novelty
wears off real quick.
Paul: It does, doesn't it?
Neil: Yeah.
[Grinder whirring]
Dick, voice-over: Paul needs
the noisy metal work finished
before the next paying
guests arrive
in just two days.
In the château,
Karen also has a project she's
rushing to complete.
Karen, voice-over:
My intention is to screen-print
some fabric to make
some blinds
for our guest bedroom,
so our guests don't
have to wake up at the
same time that the sun rises.
Dick, voice-over: But making
the stencil to screen-print
her blinds is a long
and tricky process.
Karen: The emulsion is
being applied
in a very messy fashion.
[Chuckling]
So I have
my negative prints.
These areas that are clear
are the areas
where the ink should
go through.
That is, of course,
if I've done it correctly.
Dick, voice-over:
To burn this design onto
the light-sensitive screen...
Karen: Let's go where it's
nice and bright.
Dick, voice-over: Karen exposes
it to direct sunlight
for 3 minutes.
Karen: We'll see.
Dick, voice-over:
Now for the moment of truth.
Karen: OK, now I'm
getting worried.
You know what I've done?
Tom: What?
Karen: I've actually done
the reverse
to what I actually wanted.
Dick, voice-over: Poor Karen's
got her template wrong.
This screen will print
the area
outside her pattern,
not the pattern itself.
Karen: I've done...
[chuckles]
it the wrong way round.
I laid at night worrying
that I'd done this.
Dick, voice-over: And with just
a day to finish the blinds,
it's back to
the drawing board.
Paul: So now we've done
the easy bit, we're gonna do
the hard bit, and we're gonna
get the roof down.
Dick, voice-over:
Outside, Paul and
handyman Neil have reached
the last and most
dangerous part
of removing the tank.
We want to rotate it
around so that this is
pointing towards
the doorway.
Paul: Hopefully, not acting like
a guillotine at the same time.
[Metal scraping]
Neil: Whoa,
steady, steady.
Well, shake it round again.
Paul: Right.
I'm gonna go outside
the door, then.
Neil: You ready?
Paul: Yeah.
[Metal rubbing]
Don't stand there, OK?
Neil: No, no, just bear
with me for a minute.
Paul: OK.
Neil: OK, gently
let it down.
[Crash]
Karen: Oh!
Katie: Oh,
it's so scary.
[Metal rubbing]
Katie: Oh, my.
Neil: If I hadn't lost the end
of my finger already,
I may well have done
just then. Heh heh heh heh!
Paul: You should have put
the other one.
You could have got
a matching pair.
Neil: Yeah.
Paul: We're down.
Neil: 'Cause I've got
a really dusty throat now,
obviously, being inside...
[chuckling]
and I think I've got slightly
soiled underwear, as well,
after that.
Ha ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: The top of the
water tank may be vanquished...
Paul: I'm just seeing if it
attached to anything.
Dick, voice-over: but with time
running out, Neil
and Paul still need
to remove the base.
A hundred miles north,
at Château
de la Basmaignée,
Billy, Gwendoline, and Michael's
first guests--
a hen party of 14--
are due
in just two hours,
and their accommodation, the
guesthouse, is still not ready.
Michael: The whole building's
got to be completely cleaned
and prepared
for the guests.
It's a bit rushed, a bit
last-minute, but we're--
we're gonna get it done.
Dick, voice-over: Whilst Billy
and Gwen concentrate
on the guesthouse, Michael's
discovered something outside
that may not be of help.
Right. You're going
in here for the day.
Dick, voice-over: With this
messy problem sorted,
it's time
for the final push.
Michael: How many men does it
take to change a light bulb?
Billy: Two. Heh heh heh heh!
Oh, lovely.
We're kind of almost running
out of time now.
The guests are gonna
be here really soon.
Dick, voice-over:
And, with that,
with just minutes to spare, the
guesthouse is finally ready.
The guests are due to arrive
at any minute.
Michael: I want to hide out
of the way because, uh,
Gwendoline is probably
best-suited for the job
of greeting the guests;
I'd be standing there a bit
like a lemon, going,
"Bonjour, bonjour,
bonjour,"
and that would be it.
Dick, voice-over: Whilst the
château's first paying guests
begin to let their hair down...
[women clamoring]
Billy: Oh, what's that
you've got?
Gwendoline: Well, we need
to celebrate a bit, don't we?
Billy: Oh, lovely.
Michael: Lovely.
- Yeah.
- More fancy little bit there.
Dick, voice-over: Gwendoline,
Billy, and Michael
can now toast two
life-changing moments...
[Pop]
Billy: Hey!
Dick, voice-over: getting their
business off the ground,
and even better, their first day
living in the château itself.
Billy: We're in the château
now, all of us.
Gwendoline: We're here, the
guests are in the guesthouse.
And to our future
in the château.
Billy and Gwendoline: Yeah.
Michael: Cheers. Heh heh!
Dick, voice-over:
With the tiles done,
the cooker in, their beautiful
bespoke kitchen
is now ready to use...
but they've still got
39 more rooms to go.
Michael: We'll get there
in the end.
Gwendoline: Yeah, not today.
[Sighs]
Michael: Not today, no.
Gwendoline: Right.
Billy: Lunch?
Gwendoline: Yeah.
Shall we eat something?
Dick, voice-over:
So that's one new château
finally open for business.
400 miles away in Dijon...
Clive: Rose petals
on the floor?
That will just give it
a nice bit of color as well.
Dick, voice-over:
experienced hoteliers
Clive and Tanith
are ready to welcome
a high flyer.
Clive: Good morning!
Man: Hello, Mr. Cummings.
Clive: How are you?
Welcome to the abbey.
Man: Nice to finally meet you.
Clive: And you, too.
How are you? Welcome.
Woman: Pleasure.
Clive: Yes,
so come on through.
Come on through.
Let me take you in.
Dick, voice-over:
Their VIP guest, Frank,
has told Clive he wants to
propose to his girlfriend Tammy
before dinner
this evening.
At Clive's suggestion,
he's popping the question
in the abbey's crypt,
but Frank's never actually
been here before,
so he doesn't know
the layout of the grounds.
Clive: I need to very discreetly
get the gentleman on his own,
so I can show him where
the crypt is.
Just a case of loitering now,
loitering with intent,
as I keep saying; I'm just gonna
hang around and wait.
Hopefully he might need
to go to the toilet.
When he does need to go
to the toilet,
I'll quickly whip him over to
the crypt, show him the crypt,
and I'll need to know the time
as well; that's important for me
so I can get the candles lit
and the champagne.
Dick, voice-over: Clive just
needs a couple of minutes
alone with Frank...
Clive: I'll bet she catches me
sneaking a peek.
Dick, voice-over:
but he's got to be discreet.
Clive: Ooh. Nearly.
Why risk it?
I'll stay inside and wait.
Dick, voice-over: But an
hour-long lunch comes and goes
without a single trip
to the bathroom.
I'm sat here,
patiently waiting
for one of them to move.
And they've both moved,
so they've both now
gone for a walk.
[Clive hums, sighs]
Loitering, loitering,
loitering.
Dick, voice-over: Clive and
Tanith can't risk the couple
stumbling across the crypt
when it's not proposal-ready,
so they're going ahead
with the finishing touches.
Tanith: We're just gonna try
and make this really pretty
and really romantic, so we've
got lots of red rose petals,
obviously, it's a nice bouquet
of roses, which she'll be able
to take away with her,
and then just lots of candles.
But I've sort of got
vanilla ones, so that it's
a nice smell as they walk in,
so we'll make sure that we
light them a good hour
before they're due in,
so hopefully it'll give it
a nice, nice smell.
You can never have
too many candles.
The more candles the better,
as far as I'm concerned.
I haven't been able
to get him alone,
so we're lighting
the candles a little bit
premature at the moment.
Tanith: So we're just hoping
that he does find it
'cause it's a little bit
tucked away, but we
couldn't really say anything
in front of her, so we're just
gonna have to cross our fingers
and hope he finds it.
Fingers crossed it will go
as according to plan.
Clive: Shall we have
a trial run?
Tanith: Ha!
Clive: No? OK.
See, I did offer her.
Tanith: OK, good.
Quite happy with that.
- Right, I know. Let's go.
- Happy with that.
Dick, voice-over:
The crypt is ready.
All they need now
is the couple.
Tanith: Shall we go and hide?
[Whispering]
There they come,
through that way there.
Clive: Yeah.
Tanith: I need to go
for a wee.
Dick, voice-over:
And 90 minutes later,
the big moment arrives.
Clive, whispering:
Nice dress.
Nice dress she's got.
There they go.
[Chuckling] Could be standing
here for a long time.
[Ice rattles, cork pops]
Tanith: Ooh,
there goes the cork.
- That wasn't the cork.
- That was the cork.
[Clive chuckling]
[Tanith chuckling]
Clive: Yes?
Frank: Bravo.
Heh heh heh!
Clive: Congratulations.
Well, well done.
Tammy: Thank you.
Clive: Congratula--and--yeah.
Good. Ha ha!
Tammy: Yes, he did well.
Oh, fantastic,
fantastic.
We're gonna leave you
in peace with the champagne.
[Glasses clink]
Clive: Ah.
Good day's work.
Frank: It's a happy day
for both of us.
Happiest days
of our lives.
Mwah. I love you.
Tammy: I love you.
Dick, voice-over: 250 miles west
in the Loire Valley,
at Château Perrière,
with guests arriving in
the morning and renovation work
behind schedule,
the whole Horne family
are pitching in.
Karen: I'm gonna get all
the toiletries out
and in the cupboard,
and I need to reply
to the email from the people
that are coming tomorrow.
And need to pack,
and we need to cook.
I think it might be
a late night.
Paul: See if we can
fold this down.
Ready?
Dick, voice-over:
In the outbuilding,
Paul's angle-grinding marathon
is almost at an end.
Neil: Whoa, big hole.
Dick, voice-over:
The final challenge for him
and handyman Neil
is to cut out
the water tank's base.
Dick, voice-over:
In the château,
despite her disastrous
first attempt,
Karen's persevering
with her screen-printing.
Karen:
Voila. Perfect.
That's exactly what
we want.
Dick, voice-over: She's created
a new design template,
and this time,
it's the right way round.
Karen: I'm happy, although
it is really blotchy.
[Blow dryer whirring]
Dick, voice-over: Karen hopes
to screen-print her pattern
onto a set of blinds
and hang them
in a guest bedroom, but she's
going to have to wait.
It's still very wet...
and I'm not sure I've
got any hope
in this drying
anytime soon.
Dry a bit quicker,
and I'll probably end up
with a disaster as well.
Dick, voice-over: While her
troublesome template dries,
Karen goes to inspect Paul
and handyman Neil's work
in the new office.
Paul: Just got to try
and cut up the last bits
of the floor
of the water tank.
[Saw whirring]
Neil: You have survived
the disc cutter experience.
Neil: Mate, well done.
Karen:
God, it's enormous.
Paul: Actually quite easily,
I think.
Karen: I can't believe
you done it.
Paul: I know.
Karen: Two days?
- Yeah.
- That's impressive, isn't it?
Bet you didn't think that
when you started.
Paul: No, I thought I'd
be here for a week.
[Birds chirping]
Paul: The view is
just fantastic.
There could be
worse places to work.
Karen: It looks fab.
Dick, voice-over:
With Karen suitably impressed...
Paul: Oh,
difficult, right?
Dick, voice-over: The boys get
on with removing the floor.
After slashing through
over 3 tons of steel,
Paul certainly mastered
the angle grinder.
Paul:
Now, this one is...
heavy.
[Grunts]
Dick, voice-over: But with
new masonry, plumbing,
and electrics
all still to do,
he's got a lot more to learn
before the office is finished.
Paul: So that's the original
valve for the water tank
for the whole of
the château and estate.
That'll definitely be polished
off and put in the office,
just to remind me of my, uh,
angle-grinding days.
Dick, voice-over:
It's been a long day,
and there's still
one job left to do.
It's now Karen's last chance
to get the screen-printing
right on her blinds.
Karen: I only have one piece,
and it's exactly the right size
for my window,
and I don't have any more.
I've only got tonight to get it
finished and printed,
so there's a lot counting on me
not making any mistakes.
I'm really nervous. Heh!
[Exhales]
Paul: No pressure.
Karen: OK, here we go.
I'm really nervous.
Katie: Oh.
Paul: Voila.
Karen: Wow!
Katie: Oh.
Karen:
That's amazing!
Doesn't that look beautiful?
I love the mottling.
I love it.
Absolutely love it.
That's so beautiful.
Dick, voice-over:
Magnificent.
A finish to be proud of.
Karen: This fabric
will be unique
because it's not
digitally printed,
so every one
is slightly different.
Tom: Yeah.
Karen: And that's what is
the beauty
of printing by hand.
Just sewing the last
few seams together
so that I can get on and
actually hang these blinds.
It's a little bit stressful,
as I am running out of time.
Dick, voice-over:
All that's left is to get
the blinds hung,
ready for tomorrow's guests.
Neil: High up
on the ceiling?
Karen: Can you come down
a little bit?
[Drill whirring]
Karen: Wow. Let's see
what these beauties look like.
I think the guests are
gonna love it because I
think it adds a little bit
of warmth to the room.
I love the idea
of reusing fabrics.
It just adds a quality
you can't buy.
Dick, voice-over:
It's been a productive trip,
and the family can now enjoy
their final evening
in the château before
their guests move in.
Karen: Mmm.
Paul: What do you think, Tom?
Karen:
Absolutely delicious.
Dick, voice-over: But there's
still a huge amount
of work to do on the office,
and with the château
booked out for most
of the summer,
there are only a few
free days to do it.
So, cheers.
Enjoy the meal,
'cause for in half an hour,
we'll be packing
and finishing
and getting ready
for the guests tomorrow.
Karen: You've ruined it for me.
We're not there yet.
Cheers. To la Perrière.
Karen: Cheers.
Katie: Hmm.
Dick, voice-over:
Next time, I receive an SOS
from some
château neighbors...
Dick: How are we doing?
Lovely to meet you.
Dick, voice-over:
and wind up
with a serious challenge
on my hands.
Dick: Are you ready?
Michael: This isn't
gonna work, is it?
Dick, voice-over:
Out in the woods, the hunt is on
for some unwanted
visitors.
Michael: Really got to
keep away from them
'cause they're quite
dangerous.
Dick, voice-over:
And in the Loire Valley,
the heat is on to repair
a crumbling wall.
[Exhales sharply]
It's hot.
I'm expiring here.
I don't think
I could be hotter.
Dick, voice-over:
Plus, Michelin-starred food
sourced from
the back garden.
Clive:
Look at this, look.
All the strawberries.
Look at them all.