Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 1, Episode 15 - The Pethericks 5 - full transcript
Dick, voice-over: That's me
Dick Strawbridge,
my darling wife Angel,
and our two beautiful children.
Angel: Save that!
Dick, voice-over: Nearly
3 years ago, we upped sticks
for a whole
new life in France
and bought
this magnificent chateau.
Angel: Oh! Aah!
Dick, voice-over: We've been
doing it up ever since.
Angel: Baby, ah, you're
so strong.
Dick, voice-over: Turns out
we're not the only ones...
Angelina: Oh, yeah, yeah.
[Clatter]
Oops.
Dick: Dozens of Brits
are taking the plunge
to rescue these
stunning buildings.
Karen: Ohh!
What amazing colors.
Jonathan: We need to get
on top of it,
get on top of the goats.
Dick, voice-over: In this
series, we'll reveal
more on how we're running
our chateau as a business...
Oop! Ahh!
Back on dry land!
Angel: I'm still finding things
that I haven't seen.
Dick, voice-over: and we'll help
these daring families
run theirs...
Angel: Here's to the meeting
to two like-minded couples.
- Yes, cheers.
- Cheers.
Dick, voice-over: as they face
the highs...
Billy: I'm absolutely
terrified.
Dick, voice-over: and lows...
[Engine sputters]
Woman: It's extremely expensive.
It's financial suicide.
Dick, voice-over: of running
these gorgeous buildings
as everything from B&Bs
to beautiful wedding venues.
Tanya: Owning a chateau
isn't glamorous.
Ahh!
Tanya: Anyone who thinks
it is delusional.
Aah!
Dick: Today, Angel helps
one family
with its chateau's
interior renovation...
Michael: See, that's already
looking much better that.
Angel: I've only just started.
Ha ha ha!
Dick: while outside...
Billy: It's quite daunting.
Dick: there's plenty
more to do.
Billy: Dad, there's nothing
underneath that corner.
- Shut up.
- I'd have sacked him by now
if I was paying him.
Dick: A troublesome wall
causes a bit of a pileup...
Have to go back.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
That's his new lorry.
185,000 Euros.
Dick: and there are
little jobs...
- Put that up so it stands up.
- Like that?
No. Flatten your plank.
Dick: and big jobs to get
done at another chateau.
Suppose there's no point
in going back now, is there?
Paul: Go!
Karen: Oh, my God!
Dick: Chateau de la Basmaignée.
built in the 18th century,
this beautiful building
has 40 rooms over 6 floors
and sits in 60 acres of grounds,
including woodland
and a lake.
Billy and his fiancée
Gwendoline live here
with Billy's
older brother Michael.
They bought it
for 1,000,050 Euros
with a loan and some
inheritance money left
from Gwendoline's mum.
Billy: You get a lot more
for your money over here.
You couldn't afford a property
like this in England.
Gwendoline: When we first
bought the chateau
with everybody saying,
"Yeah, you're too young,
you're inexperienced,
you're a bit mad,"
you start questioning yourself
and thinking, "Am I mad?
Are we crazy?
Are we gonna make it?"
But then now it's been
about 8 months,
and we've achieved so much.
Dick: As well as living here,
they want to run the place
as a wedding location
and holiday lets.
It was nearly derelict
when they first bought it.
Since then, they've fixed
everything
from chimneys...
I'm absolutely terrified.
Dick: To stained-glass
windows...
Michael: Are you supporting it?
You just sort of
edge it slightly
mainly from the top at first.
Dick: and have welcomed
their first paying guests.
[Cheering]
Dick: They're on track
for next year's
holiday and wedding season,
but there's plenty
to keep them busy.
Michael: Long road ahead,
and we've got a lot more
to do still.
I want to see this place,
you know, open for business.
so today, she's popped around
to help Michael
with his latest
renovation project,
a mural on the wall
of their guests lounge.
On the way, she notices
something familiar.
This is a really interesting
room because
the paint is exactly the same
as our paint in the salon.
- It's identical.
- Well, the guy that painted
this was the caretaker
for the chateau
before we bought it,
and before he worked here,
he worked at your chateau,
at Chateau de la Motte-Husson.
He worked for the--is it
the Baglioni family?
- Yeah.
- Yeah. They were his employers.
- Are you serious?
- Yeah. Painted the walls
and everything, so...
- Oh, my gosh.
- maybe it was--
maybe he painted--
well, he painted yours, as well.
Ha ha ha!
Angel: But I've got some paint
if you need to touch this up.
Dick: The chateau world here
in France is small indeed.
So this is the mural
I've started.
Angel: Oh, my gosh.
I love this.
Michael: We're in the process
of redecorating this room
at the moment.
Angel: Yeah. Really, really good
color combination.
It's sort of two
of my favorite actually,
this off white
and then the sage green.
We imagine this place
will be somewhere
where you can sit
and have a cup of tea,
admire the view,
and then that inspired the idea
to sort of do a bit
of a chinoiserie style
on the walls.
It's absolutely stunning.
Is this all the inspiration?
It's just a bit
of inspiration that
I've taken from, yeah.
It's just beautiful, isn't it?
Dick: It looks great to me,
but Michael
isn't happy with his copy.
I've outlined them.
It has made it look a bit
more sort of
- like an illustration...
- Yeah.
and there's something nice
about this
that doesn't have
the black outlines.
- It's softness, isn't it?
- It's more subtle, yeah.
Would you like me to take
some of the lines out for you?
I think it'd be
a good idea, yeah?
What are you gonna work on?
Should we do it together?
Michael: Yeah. Let's do it
together, yeah.
Angel: I'm just gonna start
doing he outlines.
I won't do the outside.
Michael: See, that's already
looking much better that.
Angel: Ha! I've only
just started. Ha ha ha!
Dick: Michael's design is
in a style called chinoiserie,
which is a European take
on traditional
Far Eastern decorative art.
Angel: Nice color. Good mix.
Dick: The style was
hugely popular
in the grand, stately homes
of 18th century Europe,
so it'll suit the chateau salon
to a T.
It looks better when it's
more subtle like that.
- Yeah. It's softer, isn't it?
- Yeah. Much softer.
You've done all the work.
I'm just dulling down for you.
No, no. There's a lot here
for me to paint,
so you helping out is saving me
a bit of time, yeah.
Dick: Michael's got big plans
for this mural.
I might have some branches
almost sort of
coming down from the ceiling...
- Oh, I love it.
- as if it's sort of like
you're under the canopy
of, like, a tree or something.
Angel: You know, just
my personal taste,
but maybe add a little bit
of texture,
you know, like a real
pheasant
or, um--in fact, I've got
something in my car for you.
- Oh, really?
- I'm gonna get it.
You can make me a cup of tea.
Promise me. Ha ha!
Michael: Ha ha ha!
Dick: This hardly seems fair.
When I visited,
I hauled a 20-kilo chandelier
30 feet above their staircase.
Angel and Michael do a little
bit of painting,
and now they're sitting down
to tea.
Angel: Good timing.
Michael: Ha ha ha!
Angel: Oh, I'm very excited
about this.
I have not had a cream tea
in quite a while.
- So this my gift to you.
- Oh, wow.
They're absolutely beautiful.
If you do decide to sort of,
you know, put some around--
because they're great to have
in all the places.
They can really sort of
add a different dimension
to your beautiful artwork,
and, I mean, I don't know
if we're gonna put
any up on the wall today,
but I'm gonna leave you
with some glue.
- Oh, thank you so much.
- Well, you're very welcome.
Dick: Angel has used
butterflies like these
in the entrance hall
to our chateau,
and they're certainly
a hit with the guests.
Angel: Let's sit down,
have a cup of tea.
- Yes.
- I'm gagging.
Ha ha ha!
Angel: So did you make
these scones?
I made them. Yes. I made
them last night especially
so we could have
a nice cream tea.
Michael, we're gonna be mates.
I know it.
- Thanks for having me.
- You're welcome.
- Very inspiring today.
- No. It's been really lovely.
Dick: 300 miles east,
Abbaye de la Bussiere
is a 900-year-old abbey run
as a high-end hotel
by Brits Clive
and Tanith Cummings.
Located in the heart
of Burgundy's
world-famous wine region,
this vast historic property
was just the challenge
Clive and Tanith
were looking for
when they were working
at Clive's parents' hotel
in Sussex.
Clive: Tanith and I were
the general managers
of my parents' hotel.
It was their standards.
We had been looking in the UK
for a business of our own,
and we had no thoughts
about moving to France.
It was the property
that brought us here,
and once we saw it,
we were like, "Wow!
What a place this could make."
Dick: So far, the year
has gone very well.
Guest numbers have risen,
and as the summer season
comes to an end, Clive's parents
should be proud.
They're now retired and live
here with their son,
but having worked
in the hotel business
his whole life,
Clive's dad Martin
can't resist rolling
up his sleeves
and getting stuck in
whenever possible.
Martin: I love projects,
and I love building,
and I love seeing
the end product
when you've finished it,
and that's how I keep
myself occupied.
Dick: Which is why Martin
couldn't help himself
when he and a local farmer
took on the task
of dredging the hotel's
beautiful lake of silt
once it started to become
an eyesore.
We did it ourselves with two
whopping great diggers,
and the diggers vibrated
so much that
the poor, old wall gave way.
Ha ha!
And I couldn't believe it.
The whole wall had fallen in.
Dick: The lake is no longer
quite as beautiful,
so dredging done,
they now need to fix
the bank and wall.
We then had a quotation
from a local guy,
and he wanted 76,000 Euros,
and I said, "On your bike."
Dick: Martin reckons he can
do the job himself
for about £10,000
and is busy clearing the debris.
Clive: My father has spent
the last week or two
cleaning the area up,
trying to prepare the base
for the stones.
Dick: Martin's plan is
to use gabions,
which are metal cages
packed with rocks,
as the basis for his wall,
and the truck delivering them
has just arrived,
but it has to negotiate
a bridge to get to the lake.
Obviously, it's a 32-ton truck,
and it's a very, very
old bridge,
so it's not actually
that wide, but...
Dick: The bridge is only
7 feet wide.
Clive: Reversing, Dad.
Dick: And it's proving
a struggle.
Man: The best option, uh...
- Shift this?
- Yes. Shift this,
and we'll try again.
Dick: It seems the monks didn't
have 32-ton trucks in mind
when they built the abbey
in the 12th century.
Martin: Oh, hang up.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
They'll have to go back.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Dick: But after clearing
a few more stones,
he finally manages
to squeeze it through.
Well done.
Dick: But not without
some damage.
Clive: Oh, he's scuffed
his van, as well.
Brand-new one.
Martin: That's his new lorry.
185,000 Euros. Ha!
We've christened it!
Ha ha ha!
Dick: Let's hope they manage
to get the gabions in
without any further damage.
This is the mid-19th century
Chateau de la Perriere.
Husband and wife
Paul and Karen Horne,
who live in England, bought it
for £500,000 back in 2005.
We came here, and we both fell
in love with it,
and we didn't need to convince
either of us.
Dick: The modest 8-bedroom
chateau is now
a luxury holiday rental,
but located
in the Loire Valley,
competition between
holiday homes here is fierce,
so to widen its appeal,
they're transforming
their old water tower
into a luxury office.
It's nice to be able
to offer to guests
the ability to be able
to come on holiday
with their family
but still be able
to carry out their job.
Dick: Paul and handyman Neil
have already removed
the 3-ton water tank.
Karen: Ohh!
Dick: And Paul repointed
its walls
in a sweltering 33 degrees.
Paul: The hottest day
of the year so far.
Dick: Today, he's come out
ahead of the rest of the family
so he and Neil can finish
the office floor.
Neil: OK. Want to measure
them both again?
Paul: Yeah. As you say,
measure twice, cut once.
- 1-7-0-3.
- Yeah.
- Yeah?
- Right.
It's going really well.
We're just trying
to lay the wood floor today
because we got--
well, Karen's coming
in about 3 hours,
so I really want to finish that
because Karen's bringing
the desk and stuff,
and we just want to get
this finished today.
Dick: Karen and children
Tom and Katie
are nearing the end
of their 8-hour drive,
bringing a trailer full
of furniture for the office
all the way from their home
in Berkshire.
Karen: So a couple of days ago,
the emphasis was
about making sure that we
had everything for the office.
Everything was bought,
everything had arrived,
been delivered, packed in,
hadn't left anything behind.
Dick: But there's an even bigger
job waiting at the chateau,
removing a damaged pine tree
that overlooks it.
Karen: We've just received
the news that we've
managed to find somebody
to take down one
of the really tall trees
at the chateau
that got hit by lightning
some time ago.
The tree's a 36-meter tree.
It's leaning towards
the chateau at the moment,
so, uh, it's a little stressful,
so I'm...a little worried
about it coming down.
If it falls, it's gonna fall
on the chateau,
and we have
a busy rental season,
lots of guests in,
so we can't take that chance
of that tree being hit
by lightning again and falling.
Paul: Hey, guys.
Katie Jasmine!
Paul: Ohh! Hey there. Ahh.
Tom: Hi, Dad.
Paul: Good journey, good time.
Karen: Yeah.
- How stressed are you then?
- Superstressed,
feeling a little bit sick.
Paul: The big one's coming down.
Karen: I've got the butterflies
in my tummy.
Paul: Yeah?
Karen: Yeah.
- No. You'll be fine.
- Feeling a little bit stressed.
Driving up and seeing
just how big it is.
You forget until you're here
how much it towers
above the chateau.
Paul: I know, and it's leaning
towards the chateau.
It's got to come down, though.
It's a shame.
They've always said it.
You know, it's been hit
by lightning at least
once or twice,
and that split's getting worse.
It's a shame,
but it's got to come down.
We've got guests arriving
on Saturday.
Dick: The office refit
will have to take a backseat
as the priority now is to stop
that 36-meter, 10-ton tree
crashing down on their chateau.
If this falls the wrong way,
then it could be
a bit of a catastrophe.
Dick: 120 miles northwest
at Chateau de la Basmaignée,
it's the next day,
and Angel has left.
Today, Gwendoline is going
through the health and safety
regulations
they still need to satisfy
before they can open
the chateau to weddings.
This is the list that I got.
A lot of things to do.
Some of them are
quite simple things
like emergency exit signs
or fire extinguishers,
things like that.
Other things are a bit
more tricky,
so what I've got to do is
get Billy and Michael
and go around the chateau
with them
and tell them what
needs to be done.
I think Billy's not gonna
like it at all,
but we've got to do it, so...
Dick: Even though it's gone
10 A.M.,
Billy and Michael haven't
actually emerged yet.
Gwendoline: Billy.
Billy: Yeah?
- Are you up?
- Yeah.
Oh, good. What about Michael?
[Dog barking]
Ha! They're not really
morning people,
so it's not always easy,
but, I mean, it's all right
because usually they work
in the evening
when I'm in bed, so--oh.
- Morning.
- Ha ha ha!
There he is. He's alive.
- You all right?
- Yeah.
- Where's me coffee?
- Downstairs.
Dick: He's going to need it.
He and Michael have got to be
on the ball this morning
because Gwendoline
means business.
In this room, we've got
a lot to do first.
The alarm, fire alarm.
We need to make sure
it's working
in back and in order,
so we've got to have,
um, emergency exit signs
above the doors.
That door has to open
outwards and just
with basically just pushing it
so people can just push it,
get out, and be safe.
Any kind of furniture
that comes in here
has to be fireproof
or not easy to catch fire.
OK.
Dick: I'm not sure Billy's
actually woken up yet.
Gwendoline: We have to keep,
as well...
[Speaks French]
in French, basically
a safety register.
Right.
Ideally, that door would
have to open outwards, as well.
It's never gonna happen.
The door will have to stay
exactly as it is
because it's original.
Gwendoline: Yeah. I mean,
I do understand
what you say.
We can't really use
the chateau's spirit.
Well, it can stay open
when there's an event.
Yeah, or we can find
another emergency exit.
- Yeah.
- We just need to have two.
Billy: That sounds better.
Dick: Out on the terrace,
the news doesn't get
much better for Billy.
Gwendoline: Here to avoid
any kind of tripping hazards
or so people in wheelchairs
can actually use that terrace,
it has to be leveled,
it has to be flat.
Billy: Yeah. That's
a really big job.
- Yeah.
- You think you can do it, or do
you think you're gonna have to
get someone else to do it?
I think it'd be too expensive
to pay someone
to come and do it.
Dick: Fire extinguishers
and safety doors are one thing,
but leveling off this terrace
is a serious bit
of construction work.
The list is getting bigger
and bigger.
This terrace job here
is monumental, it is.
I mean, the chateau's
not too bad,
but now that we've got
all these regulations
to go--to follow by,
it makes everything
twice as much work,
so it's quite daunting.
Billy's dad:
Lovely day, isn't it?
Dick: Luckily for Billy,
his mum and dad
retired to France
a few years ago
and live less than
an hour away,
and dad Mick knows a thing
or two about construction.
Billy: I got me dad in
to help me.
He's an old contractor,
so he knows how
it's all done properly.
Mick: So we got to start
from here, Billy.
- Yeah.
- Take them out.
The same there.
They all got to come out,
that corner,
the whole lot of them.
Billy: Mm-hmm.
Dick: When they start
hosting weddings here,
this terrace will make
the perfect spot
for a champagne reception
but only if they get it fixed.
What we really need to do
is get all the slabs up,
sort out what's underneath them,
make it all level again
because people
will be tripping over them.
Even before they've had a drink,
they'll be falling over.
Dick: But this is
no simple task.
These slabs are made
of solid granite.
The biggest will weigh
about 50 kilos.
In fact, even the small ones
seem to be a bit of a strain.
Billy: That's heavy.
Mick: Just like that. That's it.
See, it's soil in there
originally.
- Yeah.
- That's why it sunk.
Billy: Ooh! Ugh! Ooh! Ugh!
Dick: This job's
going to take a while.
Back in Burgundy
at Abbaye de la Bussiere,
Clive and his dad Martin
are trying to repair
the lake's retaining wall
by using steel cages packed
with rocks called gabions.
Clive: We've got this
overhanging lip
with the drain on it,
and what my father
was just saying to me is
with the first gabion
when we put it in
can we try and push it under
so it can support that lump
of concrete that overhangs.
Dick: Each gabion weighs
1.7 tons,
so maneuvering them
with pinpoint accuracy
is no easy task.
[Speaking French]
Martin: This is the trickiest
one, this one.
Dick: Fortunately, the crane
operator Matthias looks
like he's done
this kind of thing before.
Clive: Come up.
[Speaks French]
Martin: Down, down.
Clive: Oui.
Martin: Fine. Stop.
Perfect. Ha ha!
That's number one. Ha ha!
Dick: Only another 9 to go.
OK. That's as good
as it can get.
1.7 tons, eh? Hoo hoo!
Dick: These 10 gabions
Martin's ordered cost
just £2,500.
The quote they had
for a contractor to do the job
was more than 70 grand,
so they're on their way
to a significant saving.
Clive: It's nice having
my dad here.
Like me, he's not tight,
but he's cost-conscious.
You know, it's our money
we're spending,
or sometimes the bank's money,
but it's our money
we're spending,
so we're spending it sensibly.
Dick: Even so, rebuilding
this entire wall
is by no means simple.
Once the gabions
are installed,
they'll need to be sprayed
with waterproof cement
before the old stones are laid
back on top
and the lake can finally
be refilled and returned
to its former glory.
Clive: So how long this
is gonna take, I don't know
because I didn't want to be
committed to a date
just in case we had a problem
with this.
Dick: For now, Martin seems
to be in control,
so whilst the gabions go in,
Clive's enlisted
the help of his son Louis
to tackle another job.
Clive: This is the orangery,
and we're gonna start work
on this in a month's time
and renovate it
into a house
for my parents.
Louis and I, eldest son,
we're coming up
to check out the loft
because we've got
a rather unexplained
mass of hay or straw
up in the rafters,
and it looks like
a nest of some sort.
Come on, Louis. Mind your
head as you come through.
[Grunts]
Right. Let's get plugged in.
Dick: That nest is huge.
Clive: Right.
There she is, Louis.
- What do you reckon?
- You're going up first.
Clive: I'm going up first, am I?
Ha ha! Thanks.
Get this ladder up.
Dick: Whatever that is
up there,
it doesn't look like
a regular bird's nest to me.
Clive: It's bizarre.
It's not manmade.
- It's been put up there.
- Also got shells.
Yeah. There's kind of
chicken eggshells down there.
Dick: If there's discarded
chicken shells on the floor,
who knows what could be lurking
in the rafters?
Clive: Louis, you hold
the ladder for me?
Dick: At Chateau
de la Basmaignée,
Billy has roped in
73-year-old dad Mick
to help dig up, level,
and then relay his patio
so that it can pass French
health and safety regulations.
Billy: Ooh! Ugh! Ooh! Ugh!
Mick: Let me loosen it now.
Dick: Stand back, Billy.
Us old guys know
what to do.
Billy: Yep. You've got it.
Mick: I've been
in the building industry
since I was 17.
Laying slabs for curbs.
20 years ago, it'd have been
no problem at all coming,
but at the moment,
it comes a bit hard.
Dick: Don't worry, Mick.
The youngins
have got their uses.
Ooh! Ugh! That's heavy.
This is quite hard work,
but we'll get them up
slowly by surely.
Dick: After they've dug up
all the patio stones,
they'll lay them back down
with fresh cement,
making sure they're level.
Mick's got a trick to work
out the horizontal level.
Billy: Yeah. He's a clever,
old sod, he is.
He's been doing it for years,
so he knows his way
around a bit of old rock.
- Voila!
- There you go.
Mick: You can see the difference
where it's dropped.
Billy: Yeah.
It's dropped about 4 inches
by looks of it,
so it's gone down
quite a way.
Yeah. It's a bit more of a job
than we thought it would be,
but what can you do?
All right then. Should we
get the cement and sand?
Mick: Yeah. We'll go and get
the cement and sand.
Billy: All right then.
I let him crack on
with the mixing
because he's the expert.
Dick: Cement mixed.
Now comes the really hard part,
putting all the pieces of
the jigsaw back together again.
Mick: Put a big one in.
Billy: All right then.
Mick: Best maneuver in
that one, too.
Billy: Which one is that then?
Mick: Eh?
Billy: Which one
is the corner?
- That's there.
- That's there.
- That one is, uh--
- No. It's not that one.
That one goes there.
Which one is it then?
- Under there.
- No, it ain't.
It is. Definitely.
Billy: You don't know
which one it is, do you?
Mick: It is, it is.
- It's this one.
- That one, yeah.
That's what I said, didn't I?
Heh heh!
Dick: Now that's settled,
the first stone goes in.
Looking beautiful
like it grew there.
Dick: But maneuvering
the bigger 50-kilo slabs
requires a different tactic,
and Mick's got an idea.
Some ancient caveman trick
by the sounds of it.
Dick: Looks like a pretty smart
piece of kit to me.
Mick: Oh, ho ho ho!
What a beautiful machine.
There you go.
Old caveman trick.
Dad, there's nothing
underneath that corner.
Mick: Shut up!
Billy: I would have sacked him
by now if I was paying him.
Perfect. Just the job.
Dick: Two slabs down.
Only another 200 or so to go.
120 miles southeast
at Chateau de la Perriere
in the Loire Valley,
the Hornes are about to deal
with an urgent and rather
large problem,
cutting down
a 36-meter pine tree.
Paul: It's a big, old tree.
The way that it wants to fall,
which is
where all the weight is going,
that will take
half the chateau down.
If it does fall
the wrong way,
then it's gonna be
a bit of a problem.
Dick: The tree was damaged
after being struck twice
by lightning,
and the Hornes don't want to
risk leaving it standing.
Tom: It looks like it's
been burnt, Dad.
Paul: It's been hit
by lightning.
Do you reckon it's like
this all the way up?
Paul: I don't know.
It'll be interesting to see
because the lightning's
literally come down the tree.
Karen: Lots of dead in there,
isn't there?
Paul: That's actually
rotting inside.
If it wasn't pointed
towards the chateau,
you could risk it
for a bit longer,
but if that comes down,
that'll take
a third of the chateau,
maybe even half the chateau out
because it literally is
pointing straight towards it.
What I want to know is how
they're gonna get
that tree--how they're
gonna do that, I don't know.
Dick: Paul will soon find out
as the local tree surgeon
is almost here,
and Karen's getting nervous.
- It's what I do best. I worry.
- Relax.
- No!
- Relax. You're OK.
Neil: You got to remember
he does do this for a living.
I'm not panicking at all.
I've got perfectly
straight hands.
I'm not stressing.
Paul: We can video this
from 100 meters way, can't we?
I'm not standing
anywhere near it.
Paul: Bonjour, monsieur.
[Speaking French]
Dick: After brief introductions,
the tree surgeon gets
right to it.
He's just gonna move the tractor
a little bit this way,
and then he's gonna connect
his cable to the tree,
and then when he's prepared,
we'll...go.
Dick: And without any
further ado
or health and safety gear,
he's off.
Paul: I suppose there's no point
in going back now, is there?
Paul: Go!
Karen: Nice!
Dick: About 250 miles east
at Abbaye de la Bussiere,
owner Clive is hoping
to turn the old orangery
into a home
for his mum and dad
but has discovered what looks
like a huge nest.
Clive: If I do jump, I want
a bit of stability down there.
Dick: With his son Louis
looking on,
Clive approaches
the ominous mass of straw.
Dick: Ooh la.
That is bizarre.
It looks like about 5 or 6
different depressions of nests.
One corner of looks like
it's their toilet.
Now this beam here,
there's poo inside this beam.
I'll tell you one thing,
it's quite humid up here.
It's quite warm.
Lovely environment for them
whatever it is.
- That was odd.
- What did it look like to you?
It's a nest of some sort.
It's quite big,
and there's
a central compression,
and there's about 3 of them
around the outside of it,
so it's a family.
Dick: It's going to be difficult
for Clive to convert
this place into a home
for his parents
with a family of whatevers
living up there.
Raph, it's Clive.
Animals, wild animals.
What do you know about them?
Dick: Clive calls
the gardener Raphael
for his opinion on what
the nest might be.
Bonjour.
Clive: Bizarre, huh?
Martin: That's bizarre.
[Raphael speaking French]
Clive: Ferret.
Raphael: Yeah. White like this.
Martin: Yeah. Pine martin.
Raphael: And they killed
the chicken.
Dick: Raphael thinks the nest
was taken over by pine martins,
which look a bit like
large weasels.
This would certainly explain
the broken eggshells
on the floor.
Clive: We put chickens
on our island,
trying to think
about doing eggs,
and slowly over the course
of a month,
all the chickens were killed.
Dick: Fortunately, Raphael
thinks the nest
has been abandoned
for some time,
which means nothing
will be disturbed
by the renovations,
which Clive and Louis
hope to start next month.
This is gonna be
quite good fun actually,
nice bit of exercise
just before the winter.
Dick: Back outside,
all 10 gabions have been
safely installed to Martin's
exacting standards.
You've done very well,
very well.
Don't break the bridge
on the way out.
My pleasure. My pleasure.
Au revoir!
Dick: But whilst Martin gets on
with filling the gaps
with soil,
there's one obvious problem.
Clive: We did measure it
honestly,
and we thought we needed
only 10,
but as you can see,
we're 7 short.
40% short. Ha ha!
I thought we might be
one or two short
but not 7!
Dick: It'll take another month
for the remaining
7 gabions to be made
so they can finish the job,
not that Martin seems
to mind
because in the meantime,
he's got a new toy to play with.
Yeah. Look at him.
He loves it. Look.
He actually loves it.
Dick: But even when the wall's
finally built,
Clive's list of jobs here
at the abbey
is enough to keep him busy
for another 10 years.
Clive: There's the cabins
to build under the woods,
there's the treehouses
to get on with,
and there's a swimming pool
to get on with,
refurbishment, carpets,
wallpaper, furniture.
The list never stops.
The list goes on and on and on.
Dick: With a to-do list
like that,
it's a good thing
Mr. Cummings Sr.
is on hand to help out.
Clive: Not bad for 74. Ha ha ha!
Dick: Good luck
for the future, Clive.
I wish you and your family
all the best.
In northwestern France
at Chateau de la Basmaignée,
Billy's been trying to make sure
the chateau complies
with health and safety
regulations.
Billy: That looks about right,
doesn't it?
Dick: It's two weeks since
he and his dad started
working leveling off
the sunken patio.
They're hoping to
finish it today.
Michael: Come on, Lucy.
Dick: But first, Michael
wants a hand in the chapel
putting in a stained-glass
window he's repaired.
Michael: Hope it goes in
all right.
I'm really looking forward
to seeing it going back in.
It's been a long time
fixing it.
You know, it's one
of the things that really
let this chapel down is the fact
that the stained-glass window
was falling out,
and now it's finally fixed.
It can go back
in its rightful place,
and, yeah, the chapel
can be complete again.
I'm ready. Pick the window up
really carefully
and bring it over.
Billy: I will.
I'll do me best.
Michael: Be careful.
Here we go.
Michael: The bottom in first.
Oh, lovely. Look at that.
Billy: Looks amazing.
Michael:
Does it look all right?
Gwendoline: Yeah.
Billy: Amazing.
It looks really good.
You did a good job there.
Billy: Yeah. Thanks a lot.
Michael: It's definitely
really nice
to have it put back
in the chapel now,
and hopefully, it will stay
there for another,
I don't know, hundred years.
Billy: there we go.
Glad to see it back in.
Absolutely.
Dick: There's lots more to do,
so Billy rejoins dad Mick
to finish the terrace.
Billy: Ah. Let's carry on
with this one.
That one's pretty low.
It's been an hard
couple of weeks
because it's not just
as simple as taking them up
and relaying them.
You got to clean them
all off,
and they're all covered
over in cement.
Dick: Fortunately, they've
only got a few more stones
to relay.
Billy: It was a really big
necessity for us
to have this terrace
nice and level
because it's gonna be used
for events and things.
Now it's almost done,
I'm very happy.
Dick: While they put
the finishing touches
to the terrace...
[Billy groans]
Mick: That's better.
Dick: Michael's heading off
to the greenhouse.
5 months ago, he cleared it out
and fertilized the beds
with pigeon manure
from the chateau's loft.
This stuff absolutely stinks.
Dick: Now his vegetables
are flourishing.
Michael: The amount of,
you know, growth
from these tomato plants
is ridiculous.
Like, I'm constantly
having to cut them back,
and I've got an absolute
surplus of tomatoes
that I don't even know
what to do with them all.
Dick: It's not just tomatoes.
Michael's got an abundance
of fresh chili peppers,
cucumbers, onions,
and carrots, too.
Michael: They look amazing.
Dick: And he's an idea
of what to do with it all.
Michael: Billy's finishing
the terrace today,
so, you know, I think
it's probably only fair
if we do them a nice meal
to celebrate.
I've got loads of tomatoes,
so we'll probably do,
like, a lasagna or something,
make the sauce from scratch.
I'm gonna go and get cooking.
Dick: Back on the terrace,
the finishing line is in sight.
Billy: All right, Dad.
Last one,
and that's it, done.
Mick: Oh, look at that.
Dick: It might have taken
them two weeks,
but I think that's a pretty
impressive piece of work.
Billy: We've managed it,
and it looks so much better.
It's like--it's
a transformation.
It even looks bigger now
that it's completely level.
So we just got to get the seal
of approval from Gwen
and see what she thinks.
- Are you done?
- Yeah. We just finished it.
OK. Ooh! Look at that!
Billy: What do you think
of it then?
Gwendoline: It's all flat.
Billy: It's lovely, isn't it?
Yeah, it is lovely!
I can't believe how much
it changed.
- You did a good job, darling.
- Thank you.
Dick: And the job is finished
just in time
as the weather takes
a turn for the worse.
[Thunder]
In the Loire Valley,
the Hornes nervously look on
as a tree surgeon finishes
sawing through
a damaged 36-meter pine tree
that's been threatening
to fall on their chateau.
I suppose there's no
going back now, is there?
Dick: Too late, I'm afraid.
Better hope he's got it right.
Karen: Oh, my God!
Oh, my God!
Neil: Hey!
Paul: He's done it
absolutely right.
Relief, I think, is my
biggest reaction at the moment.
I mean, God, the crack
from that.
So much weight.
The whole floor moved.
Karen: I have such
a massive sense of relief.
Good to be down, though.
That was dangerous.
When people start telling you
to take it down and...
You've been worried
about this for days,
stressed, huh?
C'est bon. Well done.
Merci.
Merci. Oui.
Spot on.
- Told you.
- Thank you.
Panic merchant.
He's gonna chop it up,
he's gonna debranch it.
Dick: Now Karen, Paul,
and handyman Neil
can turn their attention
back to the office conversion.
With only two days
before the next
paying guests arrive,
there's still plenty to do.
While Paul and Karen struggle
assembling the furniture...
Paul: Put that up
so it sands up.
- Like that?
- No. Flatten your plank.
Building furniture
without instructions
is definitely not my forte.
Dick: Neil takes it all
from his vantage point
in the office.
Neil: I kind of feel
a husband and wife
putting furniture together
is a bit like
a husband and wife teaching each
other how to drive, isn't it?
Ha ha!
Paul: It's not that way
around, is it?
You'd have thought this
would be--
It should just slot in.
OK. Try the other leg.
Does the other leg work?
Paul: The blind
leading the blind.
Dick: But after more
than an hour...
Not a problem.
No instructions,
and we did it anyway.
- You ready, Karen?
- Yeah.
Dick: they move
the furniture in.
Paul: Put it on an angle?
Karen: Yeah. Just a slight one,
not too much.
Yeah. That's good.
I'll go and get the chair.
Dick: Kids Tom and Katie
are on hand to help
with the finishing touches.
- Done?
- Yes?
Dick: And finally after working
all summer
between guest bookings, the new
luxury office is finished.
Paul: Fantastic. The guests
are gonna love this.
3 months' hard work,
and here we go.
- Really, really nice.
- It's a long way
since the rusty, old
water tower.
Karen: Amazing.
Paul: Yeah.
Karen: It's fantastic.
Neil: Does it work?
Karen: Perfect.
Paul: It works.
Neil: You feel comfortable?
Paul: This feels great.
Karen: Have you tried it
yet, Paul?
Paul: I haven't yet.
Time for the new HQ.
Ahh. That's quite nice actually.
Nice, comfy chair.
Not a bad view.
What do you think?
Dick: Thanks to the tall
pine tree being removed,
the added bonus is
an unobstructed view
of Chinon Castle.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
Here's to the restoration
of the water tower.
Karen: A lot of hard work
has gone into making
this room happen.
It's a beautiful place
to come and work.
Hopefully, we'll get
more people coming
and taking more time out,
so perhaps coming
for two weeks
rather than previously one week
because they can come
and work in the office.
Dick: It's the end
of a busy summer
for Paul and Karen.
Did they ever feel like
giving up?
Paul: Two days angle grinding
out a steel water tank
and then doing the rendering
in 32 degrees,
puhh, yeah, maybe it wasn't--
maybe I was questioning it.
Dick: And there was the chance
of that tree destroying
all their good work.
Paul: That was the one thing
out of our control.
You know, it was another guy.
We put the chateau
into somebody else's hands.
Dick: But was it all worth it?
Paul: I've now got
a fabulous off with,
well, arguably one of the best
views I could imagine.
Can't really ask
for much more, can we?
Dick: So what now?
- What next?
- Oh, yeah. What next?
- There's loads.
- There's loads.
Dick: Well, we wish them
good luck with it all.
Back at Chateau
de la Basmaignée,
Michael's hoping for some
good luck wit the weather
so he can serve up his dinner
made from some
of his homegrown produce
on the newly completed patio,
but that's not going to happen.
Gwendoline: Billy did
a lovely job.
It's such a shame we can't
actually have dinner
on it tonight because
it's raining.
This is supposed to be
the summer.
It's the middle of August,
and there you go, rain.
Welcome to Northwest of France.
Dick: Instead, dinner is served
in the grand salon.
There you go.
Billy: Lovely.
Gwendoline: Let's celebrate.
Billy: Let's drink
to our accomplishments.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
Cheers.
Michael: To the future.
Yeah, and to everything
we've done so far.
- Yep.
- To the chateau, as well.
Billy: Yep. Cheers to that.
Dick: I'm genuinely
impressed with what
Billy, Gwendoline,
and Michael have achieved
over the past few months.
It's been fun, hasn't it?
Yeah, it has been really fun.
Yeah, it's been fun,
exhausting.
Billy: Mm-hmm, but we've done
so much work.
I think we can be
quite proud of ourselves.
Michael: Everyone thought
you guys were mad
for taking on this project.
People thought you would
never do any of these things.
Billy: We are mad.
Gwendoline: Maybe in a way,
but I don't think
we're that mad.
Billy: The house used to be
a psychiatric hospital
in the Second World War,
and it still is.
Gwendoline: Ha ha ha!
Dick: I think they'll have
no problem
being up and ready to start
their wedding business
next year.
We've got a target,
haven't we, for next year.
Gwendoline: Well, we've got
a few weddings coming
if everything goes
as planned, so...
Yeah. So we've got to decorate
the big room.
- Maybe one room for B&B.
- Or a suite.
Dick: And make a place
for themselves of course.
Gwendoline: Get our home,
our family home
well-established here
and to build our family here.
Be able to live off of it
and just--
how do you say again?
Billy: Enjoy life.
Live a long and happy life.
Billy: Yeah.
With a lot of children.
- Yeah.
- Ha ha ha!
Dick: And what about Michael?
Can he stay?
Am I allowed?
[All laughing]
- I don't know.
- Kick me out.
If you work
a little bit harder,
you might get to stay.
If you finish
your mural.
Yeah. I'll finish the mural.
If you get up early
every morning, I don't mind.
Dick: Good luck, guys.
Next time...
Man: That's where you need
someone like Dick Strawbridge.
I mean, he'd understand
something like this.
Dick: one couple's
chateau expansion plans
are threatened by bees...
[Buzzing]
Man: Look at that.
They're swarming.
Dick: and a troublesome tractor.
Can't believe I've
just done this,
but it was an incredibly
stupid thing to do.
Dick: There's disagreement
about the design
of a chateau's
renovation project.
Woman: Can you do it
with a glass roof?
Man: Abso [bleep], yes,
we will do that.
I'm actually being serious.
Dick:
And at our beautiful chateau,
my mind is on food...
You could put cheese in here,
you know, all sorts of salamis
and meats and things
can go in here.
Dick, voice-over: building
a food smoker.
Dick: This is the subtle way
of lighting.
Dick Strawbridge,
my darling wife Angel,
and our two beautiful children.
Angel: Save that!
Dick, voice-over: Nearly
3 years ago, we upped sticks
for a whole
new life in France
and bought
this magnificent chateau.
Angel: Oh! Aah!
Dick, voice-over: We've been
doing it up ever since.
Angel: Baby, ah, you're
so strong.
Dick, voice-over: Turns out
we're not the only ones...
Angelina: Oh, yeah, yeah.
[Clatter]
Oops.
Dick: Dozens of Brits
are taking the plunge
to rescue these
stunning buildings.
Karen: Ohh!
What amazing colors.
Jonathan: We need to get
on top of it,
get on top of the goats.
Dick, voice-over: In this
series, we'll reveal
more on how we're running
our chateau as a business...
Oop! Ahh!
Back on dry land!
Angel: I'm still finding things
that I haven't seen.
Dick, voice-over: and we'll help
these daring families
run theirs...
Angel: Here's to the meeting
to two like-minded couples.
- Yes, cheers.
- Cheers.
Dick, voice-over: as they face
the highs...
Billy: I'm absolutely
terrified.
Dick, voice-over: and lows...
[Engine sputters]
Woman: It's extremely expensive.
It's financial suicide.
Dick, voice-over: of running
these gorgeous buildings
as everything from B&Bs
to beautiful wedding venues.
Tanya: Owning a chateau
isn't glamorous.
Ahh!
Tanya: Anyone who thinks
it is delusional.
Aah!
Dick: Today, Angel helps
one family
with its chateau's
interior renovation...
Michael: See, that's already
looking much better that.
Angel: I've only just started.
Ha ha ha!
Dick: while outside...
Billy: It's quite daunting.
Dick: there's plenty
more to do.
Billy: Dad, there's nothing
underneath that corner.
- Shut up.
- I'd have sacked him by now
if I was paying him.
Dick: A troublesome wall
causes a bit of a pileup...
Have to go back.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
That's his new lorry.
185,000 Euros.
Dick: and there are
little jobs...
- Put that up so it stands up.
- Like that?
No. Flatten your plank.
Dick: and big jobs to get
done at another chateau.
Suppose there's no point
in going back now, is there?
Paul: Go!
Karen: Oh, my God!
Dick: Chateau de la Basmaignée.
built in the 18th century,
this beautiful building
has 40 rooms over 6 floors
and sits in 60 acres of grounds,
including woodland
and a lake.
Billy and his fiancée
Gwendoline live here
with Billy's
older brother Michael.
They bought it
for 1,000,050 Euros
with a loan and some
inheritance money left
from Gwendoline's mum.
Billy: You get a lot more
for your money over here.
You couldn't afford a property
like this in England.
Gwendoline: When we first
bought the chateau
with everybody saying,
"Yeah, you're too young,
you're inexperienced,
you're a bit mad,"
you start questioning yourself
and thinking, "Am I mad?
Are we crazy?
Are we gonna make it?"
But then now it's been
about 8 months,
and we've achieved so much.
Dick: As well as living here,
they want to run the place
as a wedding location
and holiday lets.
It was nearly derelict
when they first bought it.
Since then, they've fixed
everything
from chimneys...
I'm absolutely terrified.
Dick: To stained-glass
windows...
Michael: Are you supporting it?
You just sort of
edge it slightly
mainly from the top at first.
Dick: and have welcomed
their first paying guests.
[Cheering]
Dick: They're on track
for next year's
holiday and wedding season,
but there's plenty
to keep them busy.
Michael: Long road ahead,
and we've got a lot more
to do still.
I want to see this place,
you know, open for business.
so today, she's popped around
to help Michael
with his latest
renovation project,
a mural on the wall
of their guests lounge.
On the way, she notices
something familiar.
This is a really interesting
room because
the paint is exactly the same
as our paint in the salon.
- It's identical.
- Well, the guy that painted
this was the caretaker
for the chateau
before we bought it,
and before he worked here,
he worked at your chateau,
at Chateau de la Motte-Husson.
He worked for the--is it
the Baglioni family?
- Yeah.
- Yeah. They were his employers.
- Are you serious?
- Yeah. Painted the walls
and everything, so...
- Oh, my gosh.
- maybe it was--
maybe he painted--
well, he painted yours, as well.
Ha ha ha!
Angel: But I've got some paint
if you need to touch this up.
Dick: The chateau world here
in France is small indeed.
So this is the mural
I've started.
Angel: Oh, my gosh.
I love this.
Michael: We're in the process
of redecorating this room
at the moment.
Angel: Yeah. Really, really good
color combination.
It's sort of two
of my favorite actually,
this off white
and then the sage green.
We imagine this place
will be somewhere
where you can sit
and have a cup of tea,
admire the view,
and then that inspired the idea
to sort of do a bit
of a chinoiserie style
on the walls.
It's absolutely stunning.
Is this all the inspiration?
It's just a bit
of inspiration that
I've taken from, yeah.
It's just beautiful, isn't it?
Dick: It looks great to me,
but Michael
isn't happy with his copy.
I've outlined them.
It has made it look a bit
more sort of
- like an illustration...
- Yeah.
and there's something nice
about this
that doesn't have
the black outlines.
- It's softness, isn't it?
- It's more subtle, yeah.
Would you like me to take
some of the lines out for you?
I think it'd be
a good idea, yeah?
What are you gonna work on?
Should we do it together?
Michael: Yeah. Let's do it
together, yeah.
Angel: I'm just gonna start
doing he outlines.
I won't do the outside.
Michael: See, that's already
looking much better that.
Angel: Ha! I've only
just started. Ha ha ha!
Dick: Michael's design is
in a style called chinoiserie,
which is a European take
on traditional
Far Eastern decorative art.
Angel: Nice color. Good mix.
Dick: The style was
hugely popular
in the grand, stately homes
of 18th century Europe,
so it'll suit the chateau salon
to a T.
It looks better when it's
more subtle like that.
- Yeah. It's softer, isn't it?
- Yeah. Much softer.
You've done all the work.
I'm just dulling down for you.
No, no. There's a lot here
for me to paint,
so you helping out is saving me
a bit of time, yeah.
Dick: Michael's got big plans
for this mural.
I might have some branches
almost sort of
coming down from the ceiling...
- Oh, I love it.
- as if it's sort of like
you're under the canopy
of, like, a tree or something.
Angel: You know, just
my personal taste,
but maybe add a little bit
of texture,
you know, like a real
pheasant
or, um--in fact, I've got
something in my car for you.
- Oh, really?
- I'm gonna get it.
You can make me a cup of tea.
Promise me. Ha ha!
Michael: Ha ha ha!
Dick: This hardly seems fair.
When I visited,
I hauled a 20-kilo chandelier
30 feet above their staircase.
Angel and Michael do a little
bit of painting,
and now they're sitting down
to tea.
Angel: Good timing.
Michael: Ha ha ha!
Angel: Oh, I'm very excited
about this.
I have not had a cream tea
in quite a while.
- So this my gift to you.
- Oh, wow.
They're absolutely beautiful.
If you do decide to sort of,
you know, put some around--
because they're great to have
in all the places.
They can really sort of
add a different dimension
to your beautiful artwork,
and, I mean, I don't know
if we're gonna put
any up on the wall today,
but I'm gonna leave you
with some glue.
- Oh, thank you so much.
- Well, you're very welcome.
Dick: Angel has used
butterflies like these
in the entrance hall
to our chateau,
and they're certainly
a hit with the guests.
Angel: Let's sit down,
have a cup of tea.
- Yes.
- I'm gagging.
Ha ha ha!
Angel: So did you make
these scones?
I made them. Yes. I made
them last night especially
so we could have
a nice cream tea.
Michael, we're gonna be mates.
I know it.
- Thanks for having me.
- You're welcome.
- Very inspiring today.
- No. It's been really lovely.
Dick: 300 miles east,
Abbaye de la Bussiere
is a 900-year-old abbey run
as a high-end hotel
by Brits Clive
and Tanith Cummings.
Located in the heart
of Burgundy's
world-famous wine region,
this vast historic property
was just the challenge
Clive and Tanith
were looking for
when they were working
at Clive's parents' hotel
in Sussex.
Clive: Tanith and I were
the general managers
of my parents' hotel.
It was their standards.
We had been looking in the UK
for a business of our own,
and we had no thoughts
about moving to France.
It was the property
that brought us here,
and once we saw it,
we were like, "Wow!
What a place this could make."
Dick: So far, the year
has gone very well.
Guest numbers have risen,
and as the summer season
comes to an end, Clive's parents
should be proud.
They're now retired and live
here with their son,
but having worked
in the hotel business
his whole life,
Clive's dad Martin
can't resist rolling
up his sleeves
and getting stuck in
whenever possible.
Martin: I love projects,
and I love building,
and I love seeing
the end product
when you've finished it,
and that's how I keep
myself occupied.
Dick: Which is why Martin
couldn't help himself
when he and a local farmer
took on the task
of dredging the hotel's
beautiful lake of silt
once it started to become
an eyesore.
We did it ourselves with two
whopping great diggers,
and the diggers vibrated
so much that
the poor, old wall gave way.
Ha ha!
And I couldn't believe it.
The whole wall had fallen in.
Dick: The lake is no longer
quite as beautiful,
so dredging done,
they now need to fix
the bank and wall.
We then had a quotation
from a local guy,
and he wanted 76,000 Euros,
and I said, "On your bike."
Dick: Martin reckons he can
do the job himself
for about £10,000
and is busy clearing the debris.
Clive: My father has spent
the last week or two
cleaning the area up,
trying to prepare the base
for the stones.
Dick: Martin's plan is
to use gabions,
which are metal cages
packed with rocks,
as the basis for his wall,
and the truck delivering them
has just arrived,
but it has to negotiate
a bridge to get to the lake.
Obviously, it's a 32-ton truck,
and it's a very, very
old bridge,
so it's not actually
that wide, but...
Dick: The bridge is only
7 feet wide.
Clive: Reversing, Dad.
Dick: And it's proving
a struggle.
Man: The best option, uh...
- Shift this?
- Yes. Shift this,
and we'll try again.
Dick: It seems the monks didn't
have 32-ton trucks in mind
when they built the abbey
in the 12th century.
Martin: Oh, hang up.
Whoa, whoa, whoa.
They'll have to go back.
Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Dick: But after clearing
a few more stones,
he finally manages
to squeeze it through.
Well done.
Dick: But not without
some damage.
Clive: Oh, he's scuffed
his van, as well.
Brand-new one.
Martin: That's his new lorry.
185,000 Euros. Ha!
We've christened it!
Ha ha ha!
Dick: Let's hope they manage
to get the gabions in
without any further damage.
This is the mid-19th century
Chateau de la Perriere.
Husband and wife
Paul and Karen Horne,
who live in England, bought it
for £500,000 back in 2005.
We came here, and we both fell
in love with it,
and we didn't need to convince
either of us.
Dick: The modest 8-bedroom
chateau is now
a luxury holiday rental,
but located
in the Loire Valley,
competition between
holiday homes here is fierce,
so to widen its appeal,
they're transforming
their old water tower
into a luxury office.
It's nice to be able
to offer to guests
the ability to be able
to come on holiday
with their family
but still be able
to carry out their job.
Dick: Paul and handyman Neil
have already removed
the 3-ton water tank.
Karen: Ohh!
Dick: And Paul repointed
its walls
in a sweltering 33 degrees.
Paul: The hottest day
of the year so far.
Dick: Today, he's come out
ahead of the rest of the family
so he and Neil can finish
the office floor.
Neil: OK. Want to measure
them both again?
Paul: Yeah. As you say,
measure twice, cut once.
- 1-7-0-3.
- Yeah.
- Yeah?
- Right.
It's going really well.
We're just trying
to lay the wood floor today
because we got--
well, Karen's coming
in about 3 hours,
so I really want to finish that
because Karen's bringing
the desk and stuff,
and we just want to get
this finished today.
Dick: Karen and children
Tom and Katie
are nearing the end
of their 8-hour drive,
bringing a trailer full
of furniture for the office
all the way from their home
in Berkshire.
Karen: So a couple of days ago,
the emphasis was
about making sure that we
had everything for the office.
Everything was bought,
everything had arrived,
been delivered, packed in,
hadn't left anything behind.
Dick: But there's an even bigger
job waiting at the chateau,
removing a damaged pine tree
that overlooks it.
Karen: We've just received
the news that we've
managed to find somebody
to take down one
of the really tall trees
at the chateau
that got hit by lightning
some time ago.
The tree's a 36-meter tree.
It's leaning towards
the chateau at the moment,
so, uh, it's a little stressful,
so I'm...a little worried
about it coming down.
If it falls, it's gonna fall
on the chateau,
and we have
a busy rental season,
lots of guests in,
so we can't take that chance
of that tree being hit
by lightning again and falling.
Paul: Hey, guys.
Katie Jasmine!
Paul: Ohh! Hey there. Ahh.
Tom: Hi, Dad.
Paul: Good journey, good time.
Karen: Yeah.
- How stressed are you then?
- Superstressed,
feeling a little bit sick.
Paul: The big one's coming down.
Karen: I've got the butterflies
in my tummy.
Paul: Yeah?
Karen: Yeah.
- No. You'll be fine.
- Feeling a little bit stressed.
Driving up and seeing
just how big it is.
You forget until you're here
how much it towers
above the chateau.
Paul: I know, and it's leaning
towards the chateau.
It's got to come down, though.
It's a shame.
They've always said it.
You know, it's been hit
by lightning at least
once or twice,
and that split's getting worse.
It's a shame,
but it's got to come down.
We've got guests arriving
on Saturday.
Dick: The office refit
will have to take a backseat
as the priority now is to stop
that 36-meter, 10-ton tree
crashing down on their chateau.
If this falls the wrong way,
then it could be
a bit of a catastrophe.
Dick: 120 miles northwest
at Chateau de la Basmaignée,
it's the next day,
and Angel has left.
Today, Gwendoline is going
through the health and safety
regulations
they still need to satisfy
before they can open
the chateau to weddings.
This is the list that I got.
A lot of things to do.
Some of them are
quite simple things
like emergency exit signs
or fire extinguishers,
things like that.
Other things are a bit
more tricky,
so what I've got to do is
get Billy and Michael
and go around the chateau
with them
and tell them what
needs to be done.
I think Billy's not gonna
like it at all,
but we've got to do it, so...
Dick: Even though it's gone
10 A.M.,
Billy and Michael haven't
actually emerged yet.
Gwendoline: Billy.
Billy: Yeah?
- Are you up?
- Yeah.
Oh, good. What about Michael?
[Dog barking]
Ha! They're not really
morning people,
so it's not always easy,
but, I mean, it's all right
because usually they work
in the evening
when I'm in bed, so--oh.
- Morning.
- Ha ha ha!
There he is. He's alive.
- You all right?
- Yeah.
- Where's me coffee?
- Downstairs.
Dick: He's going to need it.
He and Michael have got to be
on the ball this morning
because Gwendoline
means business.
In this room, we've got
a lot to do first.
The alarm, fire alarm.
We need to make sure
it's working
in back and in order,
so we've got to have,
um, emergency exit signs
above the doors.
That door has to open
outwards and just
with basically just pushing it
so people can just push it,
get out, and be safe.
Any kind of furniture
that comes in here
has to be fireproof
or not easy to catch fire.
OK.
Dick: I'm not sure Billy's
actually woken up yet.
Gwendoline: We have to keep,
as well...
[Speaks French]
in French, basically
a safety register.
Right.
Ideally, that door would
have to open outwards, as well.
It's never gonna happen.
The door will have to stay
exactly as it is
because it's original.
Gwendoline: Yeah. I mean,
I do understand
what you say.
We can't really use
the chateau's spirit.
Well, it can stay open
when there's an event.
Yeah, or we can find
another emergency exit.
- Yeah.
- We just need to have two.
Billy: That sounds better.
Dick: Out on the terrace,
the news doesn't get
much better for Billy.
Gwendoline: Here to avoid
any kind of tripping hazards
or so people in wheelchairs
can actually use that terrace,
it has to be leveled,
it has to be flat.
Billy: Yeah. That's
a really big job.
- Yeah.
- You think you can do it, or do
you think you're gonna have to
get someone else to do it?
I think it'd be too expensive
to pay someone
to come and do it.
Dick: Fire extinguishers
and safety doors are one thing,
but leveling off this terrace
is a serious bit
of construction work.
The list is getting bigger
and bigger.
This terrace job here
is monumental, it is.
I mean, the chateau's
not too bad,
but now that we've got
all these regulations
to go--to follow by,
it makes everything
twice as much work,
so it's quite daunting.
Billy's dad:
Lovely day, isn't it?
Dick: Luckily for Billy,
his mum and dad
retired to France
a few years ago
and live less than
an hour away,
and dad Mick knows a thing
or two about construction.
Billy: I got me dad in
to help me.
He's an old contractor,
so he knows how
it's all done properly.
Mick: So we got to start
from here, Billy.
- Yeah.
- Take them out.
The same there.
They all got to come out,
that corner,
the whole lot of them.
Billy: Mm-hmm.
Dick: When they start
hosting weddings here,
this terrace will make
the perfect spot
for a champagne reception
but only if they get it fixed.
What we really need to do
is get all the slabs up,
sort out what's underneath them,
make it all level again
because people
will be tripping over them.
Even before they've had a drink,
they'll be falling over.
Dick: But this is
no simple task.
These slabs are made
of solid granite.
The biggest will weigh
about 50 kilos.
In fact, even the small ones
seem to be a bit of a strain.
Billy: That's heavy.
Mick: Just like that. That's it.
See, it's soil in there
originally.
- Yeah.
- That's why it sunk.
Billy: Ooh! Ugh! Ooh! Ugh!
Dick: This job's
going to take a while.
Back in Burgundy
at Abbaye de la Bussiere,
Clive and his dad Martin
are trying to repair
the lake's retaining wall
by using steel cages packed
with rocks called gabions.
Clive: We've got this
overhanging lip
with the drain on it,
and what my father
was just saying to me is
with the first gabion
when we put it in
can we try and push it under
so it can support that lump
of concrete that overhangs.
Dick: Each gabion weighs
1.7 tons,
so maneuvering them
with pinpoint accuracy
is no easy task.
[Speaking French]
Martin: This is the trickiest
one, this one.
Dick: Fortunately, the crane
operator Matthias looks
like he's done
this kind of thing before.
Clive: Come up.
[Speaks French]
Martin: Down, down.
Clive: Oui.
Martin: Fine. Stop.
Perfect. Ha ha!
That's number one. Ha ha!
Dick: Only another 9 to go.
OK. That's as good
as it can get.
1.7 tons, eh? Hoo hoo!
Dick: These 10 gabions
Martin's ordered cost
just £2,500.
The quote they had
for a contractor to do the job
was more than 70 grand,
so they're on their way
to a significant saving.
Clive: It's nice having
my dad here.
Like me, he's not tight,
but he's cost-conscious.
You know, it's our money
we're spending,
or sometimes the bank's money,
but it's our money
we're spending,
so we're spending it sensibly.
Dick: Even so, rebuilding
this entire wall
is by no means simple.
Once the gabions
are installed,
they'll need to be sprayed
with waterproof cement
before the old stones are laid
back on top
and the lake can finally
be refilled and returned
to its former glory.
Clive: So how long this
is gonna take, I don't know
because I didn't want to be
committed to a date
just in case we had a problem
with this.
Dick: For now, Martin seems
to be in control,
so whilst the gabions go in,
Clive's enlisted
the help of his son Louis
to tackle another job.
Clive: This is the orangery,
and we're gonna start work
on this in a month's time
and renovate it
into a house
for my parents.
Louis and I, eldest son,
we're coming up
to check out the loft
because we've got
a rather unexplained
mass of hay or straw
up in the rafters,
and it looks like
a nest of some sort.
Come on, Louis. Mind your
head as you come through.
[Grunts]
Right. Let's get plugged in.
Dick: That nest is huge.
Clive: Right.
There she is, Louis.
- What do you reckon?
- You're going up first.
Clive: I'm going up first, am I?
Ha ha! Thanks.
Get this ladder up.
Dick: Whatever that is
up there,
it doesn't look like
a regular bird's nest to me.
Clive: It's bizarre.
It's not manmade.
- It's been put up there.
- Also got shells.
Yeah. There's kind of
chicken eggshells down there.
Dick: If there's discarded
chicken shells on the floor,
who knows what could be lurking
in the rafters?
Clive: Louis, you hold
the ladder for me?
Dick: At Chateau
de la Basmaignée,
Billy has roped in
73-year-old dad Mick
to help dig up, level,
and then relay his patio
so that it can pass French
health and safety regulations.
Billy: Ooh! Ugh! Ooh! Ugh!
Mick: Let me loosen it now.
Dick: Stand back, Billy.
Us old guys know
what to do.
Billy: Yep. You've got it.
Mick: I've been
in the building industry
since I was 17.
Laying slabs for curbs.
20 years ago, it'd have been
no problem at all coming,
but at the moment,
it comes a bit hard.
Dick: Don't worry, Mick.
The youngins
have got their uses.
Ooh! Ugh! That's heavy.
This is quite hard work,
but we'll get them up
slowly by surely.
Dick: After they've dug up
all the patio stones,
they'll lay them back down
with fresh cement,
making sure they're level.
Mick's got a trick to work
out the horizontal level.
Billy: Yeah. He's a clever,
old sod, he is.
He's been doing it for years,
so he knows his way
around a bit of old rock.
- Voila!
- There you go.
Mick: You can see the difference
where it's dropped.
Billy: Yeah.
It's dropped about 4 inches
by looks of it,
so it's gone down
quite a way.
Yeah. It's a bit more of a job
than we thought it would be,
but what can you do?
All right then. Should we
get the cement and sand?
Mick: Yeah. We'll go and get
the cement and sand.
Billy: All right then.
I let him crack on
with the mixing
because he's the expert.
Dick: Cement mixed.
Now comes the really hard part,
putting all the pieces of
the jigsaw back together again.
Mick: Put a big one in.
Billy: All right then.
Mick: Best maneuver in
that one, too.
Billy: Which one is that then?
Mick: Eh?
Billy: Which one
is the corner?
- That's there.
- That's there.
- That one is, uh--
- No. It's not that one.
That one goes there.
Which one is it then?
- Under there.
- No, it ain't.
It is. Definitely.
Billy: You don't know
which one it is, do you?
Mick: It is, it is.
- It's this one.
- That one, yeah.
That's what I said, didn't I?
Heh heh!
Dick: Now that's settled,
the first stone goes in.
Looking beautiful
like it grew there.
Dick: But maneuvering
the bigger 50-kilo slabs
requires a different tactic,
and Mick's got an idea.
Some ancient caveman trick
by the sounds of it.
Dick: Looks like a pretty smart
piece of kit to me.
Mick: Oh, ho ho ho!
What a beautiful machine.
There you go.
Old caveman trick.
Dad, there's nothing
underneath that corner.
Mick: Shut up!
Billy: I would have sacked him
by now if I was paying him.
Perfect. Just the job.
Dick: Two slabs down.
Only another 200 or so to go.
120 miles southeast
at Chateau de la Perriere
in the Loire Valley,
the Hornes are about to deal
with an urgent and rather
large problem,
cutting down
a 36-meter pine tree.
Paul: It's a big, old tree.
The way that it wants to fall,
which is
where all the weight is going,
that will take
half the chateau down.
If it does fall
the wrong way,
then it's gonna be
a bit of a problem.
Dick: The tree was damaged
after being struck twice
by lightning,
and the Hornes don't want to
risk leaving it standing.
Tom: It looks like it's
been burnt, Dad.
Paul: It's been hit
by lightning.
Do you reckon it's like
this all the way up?
Paul: I don't know.
It'll be interesting to see
because the lightning's
literally come down the tree.
Karen: Lots of dead in there,
isn't there?
Paul: That's actually
rotting inside.
If it wasn't pointed
towards the chateau,
you could risk it
for a bit longer,
but if that comes down,
that'll take
a third of the chateau,
maybe even half the chateau out
because it literally is
pointing straight towards it.
What I want to know is how
they're gonna get
that tree--how they're
gonna do that, I don't know.
Dick: Paul will soon find out
as the local tree surgeon
is almost here,
and Karen's getting nervous.
- It's what I do best. I worry.
- Relax.
- No!
- Relax. You're OK.
Neil: You got to remember
he does do this for a living.
I'm not panicking at all.
I've got perfectly
straight hands.
I'm not stressing.
Paul: We can video this
from 100 meters way, can't we?
I'm not standing
anywhere near it.
Paul: Bonjour, monsieur.
[Speaking French]
Dick: After brief introductions,
the tree surgeon gets
right to it.
He's just gonna move the tractor
a little bit this way,
and then he's gonna connect
his cable to the tree,
and then when he's prepared,
we'll...go.
Dick: And without any
further ado
or health and safety gear,
he's off.
Paul: I suppose there's no point
in going back now, is there?
Paul: Go!
Karen: Nice!
Dick: About 250 miles east
at Abbaye de la Bussiere,
owner Clive is hoping
to turn the old orangery
into a home
for his mum and dad
but has discovered what looks
like a huge nest.
Clive: If I do jump, I want
a bit of stability down there.
Dick: With his son Louis
looking on,
Clive approaches
the ominous mass of straw.
Dick: Ooh la.
That is bizarre.
It looks like about 5 or 6
different depressions of nests.
One corner of looks like
it's their toilet.
Now this beam here,
there's poo inside this beam.
I'll tell you one thing,
it's quite humid up here.
It's quite warm.
Lovely environment for them
whatever it is.
- That was odd.
- What did it look like to you?
It's a nest of some sort.
It's quite big,
and there's
a central compression,
and there's about 3 of them
around the outside of it,
so it's a family.
Dick: It's going to be difficult
for Clive to convert
this place into a home
for his parents
with a family of whatevers
living up there.
Raph, it's Clive.
Animals, wild animals.
What do you know about them?
Dick: Clive calls
the gardener Raphael
for his opinion on what
the nest might be.
Bonjour.
Clive: Bizarre, huh?
Martin: That's bizarre.
[Raphael speaking French]
Clive: Ferret.
Raphael: Yeah. White like this.
Martin: Yeah. Pine martin.
Raphael: And they killed
the chicken.
Dick: Raphael thinks the nest
was taken over by pine martins,
which look a bit like
large weasels.
This would certainly explain
the broken eggshells
on the floor.
Clive: We put chickens
on our island,
trying to think
about doing eggs,
and slowly over the course
of a month,
all the chickens were killed.
Dick: Fortunately, Raphael
thinks the nest
has been abandoned
for some time,
which means nothing
will be disturbed
by the renovations,
which Clive and Louis
hope to start next month.
This is gonna be
quite good fun actually,
nice bit of exercise
just before the winter.
Dick: Back outside,
all 10 gabions have been
safely installed to Martin's
exacting standards.
You've done very well,
very well.
Don't break the bridge
on the way out.
My pleasure. My pleasure.
Au revoir!
Dick: But whilst Martin gets on
with filling the gaps
with soil,
there's one obvious problem.
Clive: We did measure it
honestly,
and we thought we needed
only 10,
but as you can see,
we're 7 short.
40% short. Ha ha!
I thought we might be
one or two short
but not 7!
Dick: It'll take another month
for the remaining
7 gabions to be made
so they can finish the job,
not that Martin seems
to mind
because in the meantime,
he's got a new toy to play with.
Yeah. Look at him.
He loves it. Look.
He actually loves it.
Dick: But even when the wall's
finally built,
Clive's list of jobs here
at the abbey
is enough to keep him busy
for another 10 years.
Clive: There's the cabins
to build under the woods,
there's the treehouses
to get on with,
and there's a swimming pool
to get on with,
refurbishment, carpets,
wallpaper, furniture.
The list never stops.
The list goes on and on and on.
Dick: With a to-do list
like that,
it's a good thing
Mr. Cummings Sr.
is on hand to help out.
Clive: Not bad for 74. Ha ha ha!
Dick: Good luck
for the future, Clive.
I wish you and your family
all the best.
In northwestern France
at Chateau de la Basmaignée,
Billy's been trying to make sure
the chateau complies
with health and safety
regulations.
Billy: That looks about right,
doesn't it?
Dick: It's two weeks since
he and his dad started
working leveling off
the sunken patio.
They're hoping to
finish it today.
Michael: Come on, Lucy.
Dick: But first, Michael
wants a hand in the chapel
putting in a stained-glass
window he's repaired.
Michael: Hope it goes in
all right.
I'm really looking forward
to seeing it going back in.
It's been a long time
fixing it.
You know, it's one
of the things that really
let this chapel down is the fact
that the stained-glass window
was falling out,
and now it's finally fixed.
It can go back
in its rightful place,
and, yeah, the chapel
can be complete again.
I'm ready. Pick the window up
really carefully
and bring it over.
Billy: I will.
I'll do me best.
Michael: Be careful.
Here we go.
Michael: The bottom in first.
Oh, lovely. Look at that.
Billy: Looks amazing.
Michael:
Does it look all right?
Gwendoline: Yeah.
Billy: Amazing.
It looks really good.
You did a good job there.
Billy: Yeah. Thanks a lot.
Michael: It's definitely
really nice
to have it put back
in the chapel now,
and hopefully, it will stay
there for another,
I don't know, hundred years.
Billy: there we go.
Glad to see it back in.
Absolutely.
Dick: There's lots more to do,
so Billy rejoins dad Mick
to finish the terrace.
Billy: Ah. Let's carry on
with this one.
That one's pretty low.
It's been an hard
couple of weeks
because it's not just
as simple as taking them up
and relaying them.
You got to clean them
all off,
and they're all covered
over in cement.
Dick: Fortunately, they've
only got a few more stones
to relay.
Billy: It was a really big
necessity for us
to have this terrace
nice and level
because it's gonna be used
for events and things.
Now it's almost done,
I'm very happy.
Dick: While they put
the finishing touches
to the terrace...
[Billy groans]
Mick: That's better.
Dick: Michael's heading off
to the greenhouse.
5 months ago, he cleared it out
and fertilized the beds
with pigeon manure
from the chateau's loft.
This stuff absolutely stinks.
Dick: Now his vegetables
are flourishing.
Michael: The amount of,
you know, growth
from these tomato plants
is ridiculous.
Like, I'm constantly
having to cut them back,
and I've got an absolute
surplus of tomatoes
that I don't even know
what to do with them all.
Dick: It's not just tomatoes.
Michael's got an abundance
of fresh chili peppers,
cucumbers, onions,
and carrots, too.
Michael: They look amazing.
Dick: And he's an idea
of what to do with it all.
Michael: Billy's finishing
the terrace today,
so, you know, I think
it's probably only fair
if we do them a nice meal
to celebrate.
I've got loads of tomatoes,
so we'll probably do,
like, a lasagna or something,
make the sauce from scratch.
I'm gonna go and get cooking.
Dick: Back on the terrace,
the finishing line is in sight.
Billy: All right, Dad.
Last one,
and that's it, done.
Mick: Oh, look at that.
Dick: It might have taken
them two weeks,
but I think that's a pretty
impressive piece of work.
Billy: We've managed it,
and it looks so much better.
It's like--it's
a transformation.
It even looks bigger now
that it's completely level.
So we just got to get the seal
of approval from Gwen
and see what she thinks.
- Are you done?
- Yeah. We just finished it.
OK. Ooh! Look at that!
Billy: What do you think
of it then?
Gwendoline: It's all flat.
Billy: It's lovely, isn't it?
Yeah, it is lovely!
I can't believe how much
it changed.
- You did a good job, darling.
- Thank you.
Dick: And the job is finished
just in time
as the weather takes
a turn for the worse.
[Thunder]
In the Loire Valley,
the Hornes nervously look on
as a tree surgeon finishes
sawing through
a damaged 36-meter pine tree
that's been threatening
to fall on their chateau.
I suppose there's no
going back now, is there?
Dick: Too late, I'm afraid.
Better hope he's got it right.
Karen: Oh, my God!
Oh, my God!
Neil: Hey!
Paul: He's done it
absolutely right.
Relief, I think, is my
biggest reaction at the moment.
I mean, God, the crack
from that.
So much weight.
The whole floor moved.
Karen: I have such
a massive sense of relief.
Good to be down, though.
That was dangerous.
When people start telling you
to take it down and...
You've been worried
about this for days,
stressed, huh?
C'est bon. Well done.
Merci.
Merci. Oui.
Spot on.
- Told you.
- Thank you.
Panic merchant.
He's gonna chop it up,
he's gonna debranch it.
Dick: Now Karen, Paul,
and handyman Neil
can turn their attention
back to the office conversion.
With only two days
before the next
paying guests arrive,
there's still plenty to do.
While Paul and Karen struggle
assembling the furniture...
Paul: Put that up
so it sands up.
- Like that?
- No. Flatten your plank.
Building furniture
without instructions
is definitely not my forte.
Dick: Neil takes it all
from his vantage point
in the office.
Neil: I kind of feel
a husband and wife
putting furniture together
is a bit like
a husband and wife teaching each
other how to drive, isn't it?
Ha ha!
Paul: It's not that way
around, is it?
You'd have thought this
would be--
It should just slot in.
OK. Try the other leg.
Does the other leg work?
Paul: The blind
leading the blind.
Dick: But after more
than an hour...
Not a problem.
No instructions,
and we did it anyway.
- You ready, Karen?
- Yeah.
Dick: they move
the furniture in.
Paul: Put it on an angle?
Karen: Yeah. Just a slight one,
not too much.
Yeah. That's good.
I'll go and get the chair.
Dick: Kids Tom and Katie
are on hand to help
with the finishing touches.
- Done?
- Yes?
Dick: And finally after working
all summer
between guest bookings, the new
luxury office is finished.
Paul: Fantastic. The guests
are gonna love this.
3 months' hard work,
and here we go.
- Really, really nice.
- It's a long way
since the rusty, old
water tower.
Karen: Amazing.
Paul: Yeah.
Karen: It's fantastic.
Neil: Does it work?
Karen: Perfect.
Paul: It works.
Neil: You feel comfortable?
Paul: This feels great.
Karen: Have you tried it
yet, Paul?
Paul: I haven't yet.
Time for the new HQ.
Ahh. That's quite nice actually.
Nice, comfy chair.
Not a bad view.
What do you think?
Dick: Thanks to the tall
pine tree being removed,
the added bonus is
an unobstructed view
of Chinon Castle.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
Here's to the restoration
of the water tower.
Karen: A lot of hard work
has gone into making
this room happen.
It's a beautiful place
to come and work.
Hopefully, we'll get
more people coming
and taking more time out,
so perhaps coming
for two weeks
rather than previously one week
because they can come
and work in the office.
Dick: It's the end
of a busy summer
for Paul and Karen.
Did they ever feel like
giving up?
Paul: Two days angle grinding
out a steel water tank
and then doing the rendering
in 32 degrees,
puhh, yeah, maybe it wasn't--
maybe I was questioning it.
Dick: And there was the chance
of that tree destroying
all their good work.
Paul: That was the one thing
out of our control.
You know, it was another guy.
We put the chateau
into somebody else's hands.
Dick: But was it all worth it?
Paul: I've now got
a fabulous off with,
well, arguably one of the best
views I could imagine.
Can't really ask
for much more, can we?
Dick: So what now?
- What next?
- Oh, yeah. What next?
- There's loads.
- There's loads.
Dick: Well, we wish them
good luck with it all.
Back at Chateau
de la Basmaignée,
Michael's hoping for some
good luck wit the weather
so he can serve up his dinner
made from some
of his homegrown produce
on the newly completed patio,
but that's not going to happen.
Gwendoline: Billy did
a lovely job.
It's such a shame we can't
actually have dinner
on it tonight because
it's raining.
This is supposed to be
the summer.
It's the middle of August,
and there you go, rain.
Welcome to Northwest of France.
Dick: Instead, dinner is served
in the grand salon.
There you go.
Billy: Lovely.
Gwendoline: Let's celebrate.
Billy: Let's drink
to our accomplishments.
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
Cheers.
Michael: To the future.
Yeah, and to everything
we've done so far.
- Yep.
- To the chateau, as well.
Billy: Yep. Cheers to that.
Dick: I'm genuinely
impressed with what
Billy, Gwendoline,
and Michael have achieved
over the past few months.
It's been fun, hasn't it?
Yeah, it has been really fun.
Yeah, it's been fun,
exhausting.
Billy: Mm-hmm, but we've done
so much work.
I think we can be
quite proud of ourselves.
Michael: Everyone thought
you guys were mad
for taking on this project.
People thought you would
never do any of these things.
Billy: We are mad.
Gwendoline: Maybe in a way,
but I don't think
we're that mad.
Billy: The house used to be
a psychiatric hospital
in the Second World War,
and it still is.
Gwendoline: Ha ha ha!
Dick: I think they'll have
no problem
being up and ready to start
their wedding business
next year.
We've got a target,
haven't we, for next year.
Gwendoline: Well, we've got
a few weddings coming
if everything goes
as planned, so...
Yeah. So we've got to decorate
the big room.
- Maybe one room for B&B.
- Or a suite.
Dick: And make a place
for themselves of course.
Gwendoline: Get our home,
our family home
well-established here
and to build our family here.
Be able to live off of it
and just--
how do you say again?
Billy: Enjoy life.
Live a long and happy life.
Billy: Yeah.
With a lot of children.
- Yeah.
- Ha ha ha!
Dick: And what about Michael?
Can he stay?
Am I allowed?
[All laughing]
- I don't know.
- Kick me out.
If you work
a little bit harder,
you might get to stay.
If you finish
your mural.
Yeah. I'll finish the mural.
If you get up early
every morning, I don't mind.
Dick: Good luck, guys.
Next time...
Man: That's where you need
someone like Dick Strawbridge.
I mean, he'd understand
something like this.
Dick: one couple's
chateau expansion plans
are threatened by bees...
[Buzzing]
Man: Look at that.
They're swarming.
Dick: and a troublesome tractor.
Can't believe I've
just done this,
but it was an incredibly
stupid thing to do.
Dick: There's disagreement
about the design
of a chateau's
renovation project.
Woman: Can you do it
with a glass roof?
Man: Abso [bleep], yes,
we will do that.
I'm actually being serious.
Dick:
And at our beautiful chateau,
my mind is on food...
You could put cheese in here,
you know, all sorts of salamis
and meats and things
can go in here.
Dick, voice-over: building
a food smoker.
Dick: This is the subtle way
of lighting.