Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 1, Episode 19 - The McDonalds - full transcript
Dick Strawbridge:
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
chateau.
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]
Jonathan: 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 chateau owners...
Find 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...
That's a solid old bridge,
matey.
as they renovate...
Man: This is looking good.
I'm quite happy with this.
- repair...
- 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.
Absolutely magnificent.
Man: This is the glamorous
chateau life
that everything thinks of.
Try to avoid getting my face
near the toilet seat.
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, when I
attempt to salvage
the children's trampoline
from our moat...
Oh, dear!
Dick, voice-over:
It's anyone's guess
if I actually know
what I'm doing.
At this stage, I'm not 100% sure
what's gonna happen.
But with a bit of luck
we'll be in the dark soon.
Nobody will know.
Dick, voice-over:
With their roof in desperate
need of repair...
It's pretty grim every time
it rains.
Have to come out with
the buckets.
Dick, voice-over: One couple
hold an event
to bring in some much-needed
cash.
Woman: 25 plus 30.
- 55.
- 55.
- What did you say, 75?
- Let me just write this down.
Dick, voice-over: But it's
easier said than done.
Woman: Oops.
Trying not to panic now.
Dick, voice-over: One chateau
owner struggles
to face a big day of work.
Woman: Stephanie.
Oh, come on, darling,
you must get up.
Dick, voice-over: But soon gets
into the swing of it.
Stephanie: It's not every day we
have a digger to play with.
Right. Ready.
It's hard to be gentle with
a digger.
Dick, voice-over: And after
a couple come
to our place to talk about their
struggling business...
- Come on in, come on in.
- Wow.
Can't get over this place.
Amazing, man.
Dick, voice-over: they leave
with their heads full of ideas.
Man: I can really see this being
a sort of turning point.
- So inspiring.
- We've got so many things
we could do.
Dick, voice-over:
At Chateau des Lys,
it's the middle of
the summer season
for owners Tim and Margreeth.
Tim: Well, merci beaucoup.
Dick, voice-over:
They run this place
as a B&B, but they hardly
break even
and desperately need to
bring in more income.
Tim: Our biggest problem is
we have under capacity
during the summer, so we have
to sort that out
because if we can get that
together,
then life becomes a lot easier.
Dick, voice-over: Never ones to
do things by halves,
they've got not one,
but two plans.
Situated in a prime location
just an hour from Calais,
they want to lease
their holiday gite
on a co-ownership scheme
and develop a caravan park.
I'm making a real pig's ear of
this as usual.
Dick, voice-over: Ambitious
plans indeed.
But Angel and I want to see
if there are other things
they could do.
Margreeth: So we're nearly
there, I think.
Tim: It should be around here
somewhere.
Dick, voice-over: So we've
invited Tim, Margreeth,
and son Joe to our place in
the Pays de la Loire.
Tim: Wow.
Margreeth: Wow.
Joe: It's amazing.
It's really, really cool.
Margreeth: Oh, it's so
impressive.
Tim: It is absolutely lovely,
isn't it?
Dick, voice-over: We can chat
about how we do things
and maybe give them some
inspiration.
Angel: Hi!
Tim: Hey.
Dick: How lovely to meet you.
Dick, voice-over:
And make their chateau
more efficient and profitable.
Margreeth: Nice to meet you.
Dick: Come on in.
Come on in. Come on in.
Tim: Thanks, guys.
Dick: Lead the way, darling.
Margreeth: We're so curious.
Tim: Wow. I can't get
over this place. Amazing, man.
Amazing, amazing, amazing.
Dick, voice-over: So, after
rustling up a light brekkie...
Angel: Ta-da!
Margreeth: Oh, wow.
Angel: All right, here we go.
Tim: Wow, look at that.
Dick, voice-over: we get
down to business.
So why are you doing
bed and breakfasts?
Margreeth: Because we just took
over a company that was there,
and we're trying to go more for
the group accommodation
instead of the bed and
breakfasts,
but it takes, you know time
and investments.
Angel: It sounds to me like
because you've inherited it,
you feel a sort of loyalty.
Maybe it's time to say, right,
what do you guys want to do?
Is it just you or have you got
people?
Tim: Yes, just us. We do have
our daughter's friends
and other people who are
floating through.
Margreeth: Volunteers.
Tim: Volunteers.
Tim: But you never stop.
Dick: Working smarter not harder
is the big thing.
And we, like you, work
our butts off.
Dick, voice-over: Angel thinks
they might earn more money
turning the chateau into
a location for weddings.
Angel: I can imagine that it
would take at least a while
to make, say, between
5, 10 grand worth
of just clear profit from
the B&Bs,
as for one wedding.
Do you see what I mean?
Tim: Absolutely. No, I agree.
It's what we think as well.
Margreeth: The profit margin for
us is not that high.
Dick, voice-over: The idea has
Margreeth intrigued.
Margreeth: Can I just ask
a few practical questions?
So how many people can you have
for a wedding?
Angel: We've got a limit
of 80
because that's how many we can
fit in the lawn comfortably.
It's surprising how many
chateaus
don't have one individual space
big enough--
Margreeth: Yeah, we have it for
a hundred people.
Dick, voice-over: These guys
are hard working
and not afraid to take on
a challenge.
Angel: I can imagine if you
did a wedding,
like if the flowers
hadn't arrived,
you would go down to the florist
and buy the flowers yourself.
And you can't buy that.
Like you just can't buy that.
So I think you just have
not tapped into the market yet.
[All talking at once]
Angel: You've got everything.
Margreeth: That's why I have
some practical questions still.
Dick: Why don't you take
Margreeth with you
and have a little look around--
Margreeth: Oh, I'd love that.
Dick: Shall we?
Angel: Yeah, good.
Dick: That's it.
The girls will go out this way.
Dick, voice-over: I think
Angel and Margreeth
should talk business
while I show Tim something
that can save some cash
if they do decide to start
hosting weddings.
It's an invention I think
he'll love.
About 540 miles south of ours
is Chateau de St-Ferriol,
a 16th-century medieval castle
overlooking a small village in
the South of France.
Woman: Never tire of
the views here.
It's just too beautiful.
Dick, voice-over: Its proud
owners are Brits Sophie,
a travel curator,
and James McDonald,
a management consultant
and author.
Sophie: James and I met each
other 23 years ago in London,
and within about 6 months, we
were living with each other.
James: So we thought, well, why
are we living in London,
which is expensive and cold,
miserable and crowded,
noisy and polluted
when we could live somewhere
like this?
Dick, voice-over: They bought
this place,
located just 25 miles north
of the Pyrenees,
for just £60,000.
James: Of course, there's a
reason why it was cheap.
And that is it was effectively
a ruin.
Sophie: It was in a total state.
James: So all we needed to do
was civilize one room,
which was enough to live in,
and then after that, colonize
a second room
and a third room
and a fourth room.
And that's exactly what we did.
And in fact, that's still
what we're doing.
We're kind of halfway through
colonizing the rooms.
Dick, voice-over: James and
Sophie's dream
is to restore the 30-room home
back to its 16th-century heyday.
Sophie: It's a very beautiful,
special place.
It's never been really,
really renovated.
So it's kept a lot of its
beautiful features unspoiled.
They haven't been hidden
and broken up.
James: What remains of
the chateau today
is essentially one large
building
and the vestiges of two wings,
one on the east and one
on the west.
Dick, voice-over: But in the
20 years they've been here,
the restoration is only
half finished.
And unfortunately, they've
run out of money.
Sophie: It's extremely
expensive.
It's financial suicide.
We are completely crazy,
and if we'd ever thought
about it,
we would not have done it.
James: We've spent an enormous
amount of money on it,
and it's not going to be
possible that we fund
the rest of it to completion.
Dick, voice-over: Still, there's
a particularly urgent problem
James and Sophie need
to sort out--
the chateau's roof.
James: Well, this is number one
priority,
because any time water
gets in,
it rots the wood a bit more.
It's pretty grim every time
it rains.
I have to come out here
with a bucket to make sure
the water's not getting through
from one layer to the next.
And sooner or later,
it's gonna collapse.
Sophie: Yeah, real shame.
I think in the seventies,
this ceiling was probably
pristine.
Dick, voice-over: Oh, dear.
Roofs are costly.
My number one piece of advice
when shopping for a chateau
is check out the state
of the roof
and be prepared for how much
you'll need to spend on it.
James: Trouble is that we really
need to replace the whole roof,
and replacing the whole roof is
a huge expense.
So we need to do something
in the interim
just to stop water getting in,
and that's really what we're
planning to do now.
Dick, voice-over: It's vital
the repairs are done
before the winter weather
arrives.
So Sophie and James have
less than 3 months
to find some cash and fix it.
Time--flowering time.
Dick, voice-over: So they're
going to put on
some fundraising events
at the chateau.
The first today will be a talk
given by James.
Sophie: I'm picking flowers
to go in the chateau
so that people get some nice
color and odor
when they arrive.
So we're using these talks
and events
to build up this particular
project--
repairing the whole roof.
James: So we're setting up
the chairs for the audience.
Dick, voice-over: The hour
and a half long talk
will be one of James'
favorite subjects-
12th-century Christianity.
Guests will be charged
an entrance fee
and have the option to pay
for lunch.
James: We've had about 25 people
who've confirmed
that they're going to
come today.
But we expect it to be more
than that,
maybe twice as many as that.
Dick, voice-over: James
and Sophie
have stationed volunteer helper
David outside
to greet their guests.
The talk is scheduled
to start at 10:00.
It's 10:15.
No one's arrived.
In the heart of rural France
lies the 500-year-old
Chateau de Lalande.
And the current lady
of the manor
is Stephanie Jarvis from
Suffolk.
Stephanie: There's 17 bedrooms.
I think we have 13 bathrooms.
Dick, voice-over: Located 200
miles south of Paris,
she bought it 12 years ago,
but there's still tons
of work to do.
Stephanie: I just imagine all
the rooms finished.
That's my real dream.
Everything beautiful, really
lovely furniture.
It's really never ending.
Dick, voice-over: The reason
it's taking so long is simple,
as Stephanie's mom Isabel
who stays here from time
to time can explain.
We can't afford the work.
It is so expensive.
There are always things
to be done.
Things need replacing,
and we haven't got the money.
Simple as that.
Dick, voice-over: Stephanie
already runs musical workshops
and has let some of the rooms
as a B&B
to bring in cash,
but it's not enough,
so after a successful trial,
she's putting on her first
singles' event
in 4 weeks time.
Stephanie: I'm really
hoping that we can make
some money with this,
because the chateau's got
to find constant new ways
to pay for itself.
Dick, voice-over: When the
guests first arrive,
she wants to lay out a relaxed
picnic on the lawn
in front of the 19th-century
chapel,
but she wants a circle
of romantic rose bushes
to surround it.
So this morning she's hired a
digger to help her plant them.
Unfortunately, she's
still asleep.
Isabel: Today Stephanie has got
so much on.
The digger is only here
for one day,
so we are in deep trouble.
Stephanie, oh, come on, darling,
you must get up.
You must get up.
You have so much to do.
And it's a beautiful day.
You're going to love it.
Stephanie: What time is it?
You've got machinery coming
at half past ten,
and it is nearly 10:00.
Your tea's there, darling.
I told her the wrong time.
It's actually half past nine.
Little lie.
Very little lie.
Dick, voice-over: Finally awake,
she turns her attention
to the rose circle she calls
her midnight garden.
Stephanie: I'm going to try to
make a midnight garden
around the chapel
so that in the middle
of the night,
it's just white flowers that
will reflect the moonlight
and we can go and have wine
there in summer.
That's the plan anyway.
The first step is getting
a hedge in.
And I can't work out exactly
where to put it
or how to do that, but that's
today's job.
And somehow, my brilliant
organization,
as always, means that I have to
do all of this--
planning, digging, planting
in a single day.
Dick, voice-over: Stephanie aims
to dig a circular trench
for a 120 plants,
but she's never done anything
like this before.
Stephanie: And then inside here
I can do the white garden,
which will be closed off a bit
in the moonlight.
But because it's on a slope,
the chapel will still be visible
from every area of the garden,
even if the hedge gets high.
Having no idea what can be
accomplished with a digger,
I have no idea whether we can
get this done today.
I really don't know. Can a
digger dig one hole in day,
can it dig millions and millions
of trenches?
I have no idea.
We'll find out.
Dick, voice-over: The digger's
got to be returned
by the end of the day, so she's
got her work cut out.
How hard can it be?
Dick, voice-over: Fortunately,
her friend James,
who's been visiting from London,
is on hand to help.
Stephanie: Oh, word, this is
unbelievable.
Oh, look at that.
James: Very skilled.
Stephanie: Somehow I don't think
it's going to look
like that when we do it.
I'm going to go and put
my overalls on,
and I'm coming straight back.
It's not every day we have
a digger to play with.
Right. Ready.
Dick, voice-over: Stephanie
and James use a cable
to mark out the line of the
trench they're hoping to dig.
Stephanie: It's an oval.
We're looking, it's an oval,
so there's no point in doing it
as a circle.
Dick, voice-over: But they've
got to be extremely careful
where they dig.
How far out, Steph?
Stephanie: No, to about here,
I think.
We can start turning here.
Like that.
Dick, voice-over: Buried
somewhere beneath the lawn
are 400 meters of geothermal
piping
that supply the chateau with its
heating and hot water.
Stephanie: Well, we have to be
careful not to hit
the geothermal pipes.
We think that they're
a little bit off to the side,
slightly to the left.
In fact, that is pretty much
where we're going to be digging.
Dick, voice-over: Striking into
the pipes with the digger blade
would prove to be a very
expensive mistake.
It's hard to be gentle
with a digger.
Dick, voice-over: Back at mine
and Angel's place
in the Pays de la Loire,
we're helping fellow chateau
owners Tim and Margreeth
with some business ideas.
Angel's showing Margreeth around
the chateau
as they talk about our wedding
business.
Margreeth: You do all the food?
Angel: Yeah. Dick mans that,
and I man the front of house
sort of thing.
- OK.
Dick, voice-over: Meanwhile,
I've taken Tim and his son Joe
outside to show them
my pride and joy.
This is an old heating oil
container
that we found in one of
the buildings.
It's an old heating oil
container.
And it's been turned into
our pig roaster.
Tim: Wow.
Dick, voice-over: I love this
bit of kit.
It's a cheap and easy way
to roast a pig,
and our guests love it, too.
I did a spit roast last weekend,
actually, on this for one of
the pigs for a wedding.
And I put wood in it at
9:00 in the morning,
put the pig in at about 10:00,
and it burned for the 6 hours it
took to cook it
without adding any more wood.
Tim: You're not turning it
all the time?
Dick: No, no, no. Maybe once
every 20 minutes.
But you've only got
the wheel on the end.
So you can see a little sort of
reflector on it.
What happens is at 12:00,
on the hours at the top,
then it's at quarter past,
then half past,
then quarter past,
and turn it 3 or 4 times
an hour,
we come up and we move it along,
and we can always tell
when it last turned because
there's an indicator on it.
And the wheel, a euro in
a charity shop.
Yeah, it's a lovely system.
It's very, very simple.
I love it. I think it's
a brilliant idea.
Well, it has to be said the man
is a bit of a genius
when it comes to this sort
of stuff.
It's amazing, isn't it.
It's so inspiring.
Excellent thing. Wow. Great.
Dick, voice-over:
In the chateau,
hopefully Margreeth's feeling
inspired
with a tour of our wedding
suites.
Angel: So this is a botanical
suite,
and it's one bathroom,
two bedrooms.
Dick, voice-over: Compared to
Margreeth's 5 B&B rooms
and two gites, we offer
just 3 suites
for the bride and groom
and close guests.
The rest of the wedding party
stay in the nearby town.
So this is the second room,
and, you know, it's quite simple
in its form, but--
Margreeth: Yeah, very nice.
Dick, voice-over:
Our plan was to focus on
pampering fewer guests
so they have a more decadent
stay.
Margreeth: Does the price depend
on how many people are there
in the party?
Angel: Yes, absolutely.
So when we say "package,"
it's not a package
because every wedding
is different.
On average, a Friday evening
drinks,
then it would be the main day
of the wedding,
and then something afterwards
like a brunchy thing.
Around £20,000.
But that's a real ballpark
figure.
We could probably charge more,
if I'm honest with you,
because actually, I know that
that is what you pay in the UK
for one day.
- And now they're getting this.
Dick, voice-over: With the rooms
that Tim and Margreeth have,
they could easily offer
a similar package.
Angel: So this--this is
the honeymoon suite.
Margreeth: Oh, it's lovely.
Angel: Here's the bathroom.
Take a seat, madame.
Margreeth: Oh, very nice.
Ooh, it's fantastic.
Oh, and bubbles next to it.
Man, life doesn't get
better than this.
I'm jealous.
I think I have to get married
again, actually.
I hope that, you know,
your visit
has, um, has been sort of
worthwhile for you coming.
Margreeth: Oh, definitely.
It's really inspiring.
It's really nice to see
what you do.
Angel: You just--you've got
to make money
and you've got to enjoy it.
Margreeth: If you do work
and you don't enjoy it,
it's not worth the money,
is it?
Angel: No, no, I totally
agree with you.
Margreeth: You have to love
what you do.
Dick, voice-over: I think Angel
and I
have really given Margreeth
and Tim some food for thought.
Angel: Here they are.
Hello.
Margreeth: Wow. Picking flowers
for me. Thank you, sweetie.
So how did you guys get on?
Dick: Lots of talking?
Angel: Oh, yeah, lots of
talking.
Tim: Yeah. Well, that was great.
I really enjoyed that.
I had a wonderful, wonderful
time.
Bye, guys.
- Drive carefully.
Tim: Bye-bye.
Dick, voice-over: Tim and
Margreeth leave
with plenty to think about.
Tim: That was great, wasn't it?
So inspiring. I really have got,
you know,
a whole new idea of how I would
like to set up the company
and the changes I would like
to make.
Tim: We've got so many things
we could do.
You know, yeah, it's
quite inspiring. Yeah.
I can really see this being sort
of a turning point, you know.
Dick, voice-over: Back at
Chateau de St-Ferriol,
Sophie and James' fundraising
event, a history talk,
is getting off to a slow start.
We're hoping to raise funds
that will pay for the roof.
Dick, voice-over:
Visitors can come
just for the day and the talk.
If they just want to come in
for the day, it's 10 euros.
On top of that, they can sign up
to have lunch.
Dick, voice-over: Or they can
become members
of the Friends of St-Ferriol
Association.
Sophie: So we've got
an association
that raises money for
the chateau,
and that money goes directly
into the renovation works.
Dick, voice-over: In return for
a membership fee,
members get a bi-yearly
newsletter
and get free access to events
and an annual party at
the chateau.
Sophie: If they want to become
members for the year,
it's 25 euros.
Dick, voice-over: Sophie
hopes to sign up some
new members today.
Finally some potential recruits
start to arrive.
James: Yurie. Well done.
Sophie: Good to see you.
Dick, voice-over: And the cash
starts to trickle in.
Sophie: There we are.
Got it. Great.
You're staying for
the whole day?
- Yes.
- Great.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Sophie: So that will actually be
30, 45, plus 30.
- 55.
- 55.
Woman: What did you say, 75?
Sophie: Let me just write
this down.
Dick, voice-over: With arrivals
continuing,
James' target of 30 paying
guests is looking feasible.
James: So I think we should just
about fill the seats.
Dick, voice-over: Meanwhile,
Sophie's leading the drive
to sign up more members for
the association.
Woman: This is yours, Sophie?
Sophie: Me and James. Yeah.
Woman: Lovely.
Sophie: This is all done with
local cedar.
So we're very lucky to have all
the original raw materials here.
And so the way we renovate
is that although
the forest would have been
completely different here
in the 16th century,
they would have used
the local wood,
so we're kind of copying
the spirit.
If you're staying for the talk
and for the lunch,
that would all then be 50.
Woman: OK.
Sophie: Both of you.
Woman: That's great.
Thank you.
Sophie: There we are.
So I got that. Thank you.
Dick, voice-over: With the seats
filled, it's show time
for history buff James.
James: Well, good morning,
everyone.
For those who don't know me,
I'm James McDonald.
I'm going to be talking
this morning
about the Cathars.
Dick, voice-over: Whilst
the headliner gets underway,
Sophie needs to get on
with that lunch.
Sophie: There's a lot to do
while the talk is being done.
You're always working right up
till the last minute.
This is the first time, though,
that we've made a concerted
effort
to raise money for
a particular project.
But I do go into a sort of
a white panic on the day.
[Speaking French]
Broadly the Cathars are
enormously powerful
in this region by 1200.
Dick, voice-over:
The only snag is
that James' talk is unscripted,
so Sophie and son Geum don't
know exactly
when it's going to finish.
Sophie: I'm flagellating
myself now
about not having done this
last night.
This is the lovely, lovely
cheese.
[Clatter]
Oops.
Sorry, Geum.
You all right?
It's a sodding mess.
Last minute drive.
James: The Cathars were
dualists.
They believed in two creations
as it were.
There's a good one
and a bad one.
Dick, voice-over: With James'
talk approaching his climax...
I'm afraid I've gone on too long
again.
Dick, voice-over:
Sophie's worried she's
not going to be ready.
Trying not to panic now.
Dick, voice-over: Back at
Chateau de Lalande
Stephanie's friend James has
made a start
in digging the trench
for the rose circle
in front of her chapel.
And he's already feeling
the pressure.
James: I've got to be done with
this in two and a--
two hours now.
Flight's at 7:00 PM
in Paris.
If I don't get this done in
the next two hours,
she'll be doing the rest
of the digging.
Dick, voice-over: They've got
to work fast.
So while James digs, Stephanie
and her mom follow behind
with the plants.
Stephanie: Just grab plant,
place and hold,
put our favorite water plant.
This is about as complex as my
gardening skills get.
Isabel: This is ridiculous in
those old slippers, isn't it?
Stephanie: Maybe boots, Mummy?
Isabel: Yes.
Dick, voice-over: James needs to
be careful where he digs
because somewhere close by are
the chateau's geothermal pipes.
Stephanie: There are 4 oar holes
and a closed circuit pipe
going down into the ground
with water, which heats up,
comes back,
and then heats the house
in under floor heating
and radiators.
Dick, voice-over:
After an hour,
it seems like James has finally
got the hang
of operating the digger.
Stephanie: I think that's good,
actually,
to where you are, to where
this is.
James: So there?
Stephanie: Yeah.
I love the fact you can point
with a digger now.
Dick, voice-over: But in his
rush to get the job done
before his flight, he struck
something underground.
Stephanie: We've hit the
security thing
telling us that we're getting
close to the pipes.
But we didn't even notice that
we were hitting it,
and we don't know where
we hit it,
and we hope we haven't hit
the pipe underneath.
Dick, voice-over:
It's warning mesh,
usually laid above important
pipes or cables
to alert anyone who's digging
nearby.
It means the digger must have
been inches
away from the geothermal pipes.
Isabel: Oh, well, not to worry.
We didn't go beyond it.
Dick, voice-over: That was
a pretty close shave.
And now James has made a sharp
exit to the airport.
It's Stephanie's turn to get
behind the controls.
Stephanie: Years and years
of me playing computer games
that you complained about.
It's all coming together now.
World of Warcraft.
I have never played
computer game.
I don't think I could do
the digger.
I think it's beyond my finger
capabilities.
Dick, voice-over: Stephanie's
done so well,
she still has one more hour
before the digger is collected,
so she heads over to the
vegetable garden
where she also plans to plant
some roses.
Isabel: Just skim the top.
- Easier said than done.
- Yes, I'm sure.
Well, well, well, where are you
going with it?
Just try to skim--ha ha ha.
It would be interesting to see
what a professional
would make of that job.
Dick, voice-over:
Not bad at all, if you ask me.
Stephanie: I love mini diggers.
Dick, voice-over:
The only problem now
is the roses Stephanie's bought.
She got them cheap in
an online deal,
and Isabel doesn't think they're
up to scratch.
These are very poor quality.
You should at least have 3 spurs
on a rose.
Stephanie: It isn't very perky.
Isabel: Some of them look dead
to me.
They're really poor specimens.
Anyway.
We wish them well.
Dick, voice-over: Ideally,
the roses should have been
planted earlier in the year.
So we'll have to wait
and see
if some will bloom in time for
the big singles' weekend.
Stephanie: I can't believe
we got this done.
I'm really pleased, but I'm also
really tired.
That's it, Mummy.
We're done. We're done.
We're done.
Isabel: OK. OK, OK, OK.
Dick, voice-over: 320 miles away
at Chateau de St-Ferriol,
Sophie's rushing to get lunch
for 30
on the table before James'
historical lecture ends.
Woman: [Indistinct]
James: Yes. The known Cathar
prefect was burned in 1321.
Dick, voice-over: James' talk
has gone down a storm.
[Applause]
Sophie: We just heard
the clapping,
so they'll be out any second.
Woman: Ooh, wow.
Sophie: There we are.
Dick, voice-over: Sophie's got
lunch served in the nick of time
and James is earning
rave reviews.
Woman: I thought the talk was
fabulous.
I thought it put
the whole lot
of the Cathar
history in perspective.
Man: That was absolutely
fascinating.
It just makes you want
to learn more.
Dick, voice-over: The aim of
the event
is to raise money toward fixing
the chateau's roof.
Thank you, everybody, so much
for coming.
And we're really glad that
you've been so enthusiastic
and had a great time.
Dick, voice-over: Sophie's
making a final pitch
for more of the guests to join
their association.
Sophie: If you've become
a day member today,
you can pay an additional to pay
the year membership,
which is 15, another 15,
it's 25 a year,
and then we will make a tour
for you very soon
and have a guided visit
of the chateau,
which we give to every member.
Dick, voice-over: And she's
successful.
Sophie: So that's
an additional 15.
Woman: That's good. I hope you
have some change.
Sophie: Thank you.
I do, yeah.
We have people who signed up for
the day membership,
and at the end after
the tour,
came back and signed up for
the full membership.
We joined today because I think
it's great to be able to
assist people to do this sort
of work.
It's quite inspiring,
and I don't mind assisting
at all.
The fact they've taken on
the task of renovating it
is unbelievable.
And I can't even begin to
imagine
how much it must be costing.
Sophie: So lovely to have
met you.
I hope we see you again.
Dick, voice-over: Not everyone
signed up.
Sophie: Thanks very much
for coming. Did you enjoy it?
Man: I enjoyed seeing
the chateau.
Sophie: OK, well, then you must
come back for a visit. Yeah?
Man: I won't come back.
I've seen it.
- Oh, you've seen it.
Sophie: OK. Mind your head.
Man: There's other chateaus.
Sophie: Careful.
Careful, careful.
Dick, voice-over: But they all
had a brilliant time.
Everybody seems to have
learned something.
And so they've gone off happy.
- Bye.
- Bye.
- Thank you.
Now I'm just ready to collapse.
I can't wait to get my feet up.
I'm shattered.
Dick, voice-over: The event
raised 470 euros
for James and Sophie's roof
repair.
So we have a tiny bit more money
in the pot.
Dick, voice-over: It's great,
but not good enough.
The roof repair will cost
double that.
But they've got another event
planned--
a history tour.
There's a bit of traveling
to get there.
It's fairly remote.
So there's walking.
It's going to be hard work.
Dick, voice-over: I hope they
can raise the funds
before the bad weather
sets in.
Trying to renovate, maintain,
or run your chateau as a
business in France
is guaranteed at some point
to fall foul of the weather.
And during the winter months,
weather-related problems
increase.
At our place in the Pays
de la Loire,
a winter storm blew
the children's trampoline
into the moat,
and before I had a chance to
fish it out, it froze over.
The moat's been frozen
for two weeks now.
The ice is getting thicker.
It's ridiculous.
It gives me the opportunity
to attach some ropes to it
so when it defrosts, I should
be able to lift
the trampoline out of the moat.
That's the theory.
Hello, darling.
Angel: You gonna help Daddy
get that out?
Dorothy: It's a bit heavy
for me.
Angel: Yeah.
Dick: Who should go onto
the moat
and tie onto the trampoline,
Mummy or Daddy?
Dorothy: Um, Daddy.
Dick: Me? Not Mummy.
Are you sure?
Right.
Dick, voice-over: Luckily, it's
just a step over
onto the trampoline.
I won't risk stepping on the
ice. That's dangerous, children.
Dorothy, I need Mummy to get me
the green rope.
Angel: Do you want me
to chuck these to you?
Dick: Yeah, hold on.
Angel: I feel a bit under
pressure here.
Dick, voice-over: The plan is to
attach the rope
to 4 points on the trampoline
and via a pulley to the tow bar
on my car.
Whoa!
Ha ha ha!
Angel: I feel like you're on one
of those game shows,
so I'm just chucking different
challenges at you.
Dick: You're getting good at
this, aren't you?
Ahh!
This bit here, this side
of this one.
Are you having fun, Dorothy?
Dorothy: No.
Angel: No.
[Ice cracks]
Dick: Ooh.
Right. We're going a bit
deeper here,
which is probably not
a good sign.
Angel: The ship is sinking.
Dorothy: Careful, Daddy.
Angel: Daddy's brave, isn't he?
Dick, voice-over: Yay!
Back on dry land.
When it defrosts, that's
the important part,
yeah, we'll be able to
lift it up.
We have to swing it up and over
to here.
We get our trampoline back.
Otherwise my name will be dirt
with Arthur.
Dick, voice-over: Hopefully it
won't be too hard
to get it out once the ice
has melted.
Ah, we'll just grab a bit--
grab the rope
and bring them over here.
Dick, voice-over: It's two weeks
since I attached
the ropes to the children's
trampoline
after it was blown into
the moat.
The ice has thawed, and today,
with the help of my mate Johnny,
we're going to pull it out,
hopefully.
Just drop it down there.
Right. When it was frozen,
you would have loved it
'cause it was sort of yay-thick.
It's good.
Johnny: So it held you?
Dick: Cheeky [bleep]
Right. Yes, it held me.
It did crack, actually.
Johnny: Did it?
Dick: We have got 4 connections,
4 different points on there.
They take about a ton each.
They should be strong enough.
So I'm thinking if we make
an A-frame,
we'll soon get the A-frame
to lift.
So instead of just driving
it sideways,
it's lifting it up as well.
Johnny: Are we just bouncing
ideas around?
Dick: No.
Johnny: Bouncing...ideas.
[Laughter]
Dick: Don't start.
I will slap you.
Johnny: Come on!
That's a good joke.
Dick, voice-over: I'm not sure
if Johnny's taking this
as seriously as he should.
We're talking meticulous
planning and engineering here.
I have here in the moat
our trampoline.
To get it out, I've attached
some ropes to it.
But if I was just to pull it
over this direction,
I'd trash it on the bank.
Consequently, it needs to be
lifted up in the air.
I'm going to put an A-frame.
This will be an A-frame.
It's a little "A" shape
piece of wood.
Here you have little braces
in the middle of it.
And a pulley.
That goes there, like that. OK.
I'm gonna attach a rope to
the straps I've attached.
It's gonna come from here,
and it's gonna go down.
And over on this side,
it's going to be attached
to the tow hook of the car.
Up, up, up, up, up.
Johnny: Come on!
Dick: If I get this right,
it will be lifted up.
As it comes up, this is where
the trampoline will end up.
'Cause this will now be moved up
to this position.
[Engine starts]
What could possibly go wrong?
Dick, voice-over: So let's put
the theory into practice.
First we need to pull
the A-frame up,
which in turn lifts
the trampoline up.
Right. Go to the van.
Go to the van, Johnny.
Johnny: OK.
Dick: Go to the van.
Right.
Let's go forward, Johnny.
Forward slowly.
Forward slowly.
Forward. Forward.
Forward. Forward.
Stop!
Dick, voice-over: Success!
Now we need to pull
the trampoline in
with the other rope through
the pulley.
That's it, Johnny!
Right.
What we want is another car.
Dick, voice-over: But as I try
to fix the rope
to another vehicle--
Oh, dear!
Dick, voice-over: I accidentally
drop it.
That's a bummer.
Dick, voice-over:
What a numpty.
Back in Picardie,
it's been 3 weeks since Tim and
Margreeth visited Angel and I,
and there's change afoot.
They've made some bold decisions
about their business.
Dick and Angel, it was
their idea, wasn't it?
They said we should do this, so,
you know.
Margreeth: They gave us
the push.
So we've decided
to totally change the way that
we do things.
Margreeth: Up until now,
for the last 4 years
when we've been here,
we've always had in a way
3 separate companies.
We do the rooms, we do the
self-catering units,
and we do a lot of parties,
and that costs a lot of energy.
And in a way,
after talking to Angel,
I realized it would be better to
just try and focus on one thing,
to do the weddings or to
specialize in the weddings.
And the idea is to offer
a full package,
but it will be totally
customized.
Dick, voice-over:
They've certainly got
a great venue here.
Margreeth: Anything is possible.
We've got the outside space,
we've got the indoor space.
So if people have this image
of how they want it to look
to try and create that
for them,
I'm really, really looking
forward to that.
Dick, voice-over: As long as
they've got
their business head screwed on
and watch the pennies,
there's every chance it will be
a great success.
Tim: From an accounting
point of view, I mean,
this is ideal for us
because in one weekend,
we can do as much money then
as we could do probably in two
weekends we do at the moment.
And it's a lot more fun.
Dick, voice-over: But
they're not making
a totally clean break.
Tim: I think what's gonna happen
is there's gonna be
some sort of transition period
where we carry on
with our business as is
and we incorporate weddings
whenever we've got free days.
Dick, voice-over: And they still
look to lease their gites
on the co-ownership scheme.
Tim: There is a chance, of
course it could be the symbiosis
where the weddings--people come
and they have their wedding
and they get this like emotional
attachment to the place.
And they might want to buy
a bit of it.
I mean, why not?
It's a great thing to do.
I mean, there is reason for
cautious optimism.
Dick, voice-over:
Anything's possible.
Although they are saying
good-bye to the caravan park.
Margreeth: Because we are going
to focus
on the weddings and setting that
totally up
means that the whole plan that
we had of changing
this bit of forest
into a caravan park
has totally gone out of
the window.
Although we're still doing up
the caravan,
we're actually just doing it
for us now.
Tim: Yeah, and we'll have
friends stay in it and stuff.
Margreeth: Yeah, and we'll be
using it ourselves.
And we're just very happy
with it.
Tim: Yeah, it's gonna be great,
to be honest.
A little sort of little hideaway
in the woods, isn't it, I guess.
Margreeth: Yeah.
James: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Sounds like
they've got it all figured out.
And in the week since they've
been to our place,
they've wasted no time.
Margreeth: We've got, I think,
6 weddings
on the books at the moment.
Dick, voice-over:
Good work, guys.
So today Tim is making a start
on getting the place
fit for a bride and groom,
and he has an idea for the
remains of a large tree
that was damaged in a storm
a while back.
Tim: Manny, he suggested to me,
we could use this as
a wedding seat,
and actually, he's
onto something there,
got a bit of ivy.
There's not much work
to do here.
You can just--you've got
a nice little bower
to sort of sit underneath,
and you've got the chateau
in the background.
That would be a great photo
moment, would it not?
I've just got to convince
my wife of that.
But it is absolutely gorgeous
in the summer.
There's all these red flowers
come out.
It's 3 branches, and I'm gonna
try and cut away two of them
and leave one to grow up,
and I hope he's gonna survive.
Margreeth: So it's looking
very different, Tim.
Tim: Uh-huh. Heh.
Yeah, what do you think?
Margreeth: It's not a tree
anymore. Let's face it.
Tim: I quite like it.
We have got
an incredible photo opportunity
there,
especially when it's in bloom.
'Cause it is a lovely thing--
- Yeah, that would look lovely.
I do have to say--
- And if I was getting married
and I sat on that tree with the
chateau in the background,
that would be a great
wedding photo.
Dick, voice-over: Margreeth
isn't totally convinced.
Margreeth: I think
the whole thing
is really nice for photographs,
but--
Tim: Yes. It's not a tree,
is it?
Margreeth: It's not a tree.
For the rest,
it's just a weird thing in
the middle of our lawn.
Tim: I quite like it, actually.
I quite like things not being,
you know.
Margreeth: You know, Tim is
very sentimental.
He can never get
rid of things.
Tim: No, that's why you're
still here.
Margreeth: Exactly.
He will defend that tree
till it totally falls apart.
Dick, voice-over: One thing's
for sure,
they need to get a move on,
because there's plenty to do
to get their new wedding
business up and running,
including the photos for their
new website.
Margreeth: Before the
photographer comes
in July, you need to get rid
of that willow. Sorry.
Dick, voice-over: We'll see how
their plan goes next time.
About 200 miles southwest of Tim
and Margreeth,
at our place, we're repairing
the A-frame
after it collapsed while
we were trying to recover
the trampoline.
It fell quite hard.
One of the bits of wood cracked.
Dick, voice-over: I can't let
the children down, though.
I've got to get this out today
whilst Johnny's here to help.
So we're doing a splint.
We're not splintered up.
We've got it almost right.
We've got it so that it comes
out of the moat.
We just haven't got it out of
the moat completely.
So to do that, we are going for
a two-car system.
The van's going to--when we
get it upright,
the van is then going to be
used to bring the A-frame up.
I'm then going to put my car
with the tow hook
to put onto the rope pulling
the pulley.
And between the two of us...
At this stage, I'm not 100% sure
what's going to happen.
But with a bit of luck, we'll be
in the dark,
so nobody will know.
Come back.
OK, let's try that.
Pull it this way.
Johnny: [Grunts] OK, good.
Dick: [Grunting]
Drive.
Johnny: Drive.
Dick: All right, keep moving
forward.
Forward. Forward.
Steady, steady, steady.
Forward. Stop!
OK, Johnny, you're the anchor.
Hello, family.
Let's see what happens.
[Cheering]
Johnny: Go, go, go!
Almost. Almost.
Angel: Come on!
Johnny: Almost, Dickie!
Yeah!
Dick: Ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Got it.
Hope my children appreciate
the nightmare we went through
rescuing their trampoline.
This is what we do. We just
leave everything where it is.
No wind forecast for tonight.
Let's get a beer.
We deserve a beer for that.
Johnny: Yeah, yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Absolutely.
Next time, with winter
and bad weather approaching...
There are leaks there,
there, there, there.
Dick, voice-over:
James and Sophie are on
a race against time
to fix their roof.
There's no question this work
has to be done.
Dick, voice-over: But their
attempt to raise the funds
to pay for it faces bad weather
of its own.
James: So now it really is off.
There's no point carrying on.
Dick, voice-over: Tim and
Margreeth embark
on a new business plan
at their chateau.
Should have done this years ago,
just never figured out how to.
Dick, voice-over: And as
Stephanie prepares
to put on a weekend
of fun and games...
Do you think that looks
appetizing for the ice cream?
Ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: things don't
go to plan.
Stephanie: Catastrophe
has struck.
One of the girls didn't make it
onto the airplane.
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
chateau.
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]
Jonathan: 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 chateau owners...
Find 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...
That's a solid old bridge,
matey.
as they renovate...
Man: This is looking good.
I'm quite happy with this.
- repair...
- 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.
Absolutely magnificent.
Man: This is the glamorous
chateau life
that everything thinks of.
Try to avoid getting my face
near the toilet seat.
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, when I
attempt to salvage
the children's trampoline
from our moat...
Oh, dear!
Dick, voice-over:
It's anyone's guess
if I actually know
what I'm doing.
At this stage, I'm not 100% sure
what's gonna happen.
But with a bit of luck
we'll be in the dark soon.
Nobody will know.
Dick, voice-over:
With their roof in desperate
need of repair...
It's pretty grim every time
it rains.
Have to come out with
the buckets.
Dick, voice-over: One couple
hold an event
to bring in some much-needed
cash.
Woman: 25 plus 30.
- 55.
- 55.
- What did you say, 75?
- Let me just write this down.
Dick, voice-over: But it's
easier said than done.
Woman: Oops.
Trying not to panic now.
Dick, voice-over: One chateau
owner struggles
to face a big day of work.
Woman: Stephanie.
Oh, come on, darling,
you must get up.
Dick, voice-over: But soon gets
into the swing of it.
Stephanie: It's not every day we
have a digger to play with.
Right. Ready.
It's hard to be gentle with
a digger.
Dick, voice-over: And after
a couple come
to our place to talk about their
struggling business...
- Come on in, come on in.
- Wow.
Can't get over this place.
Amazing, man.
Dick, voice-over: they leave
with their heads full of ideas.
Man: I can really see this being
a sort of turning point.
- So inspiring.
- We've got so many things
we could do.
Dick, voice-over:
At Chateau des Lys,
it's the middle of
the summer season
for owners Tim and Margreeth.
Tim: Well, merci beaucoup.
Dick, voice-over:
They run this place
as a B&B, but they hardly
break even
and desperately need to
bring in more income.
Tim: Our biggest problem is
we have under capacity
during the summer, so we have
to sort that out
because if we can get that
together,
then life becomes a lot easier.
Dick, voice-over: Never ones to
do things by halves,
they've got not one,
but two plans.
Situated in a prime location
just an hour from Calais,
they want to lease
their holiday gite
on a co-ownership scheme
and develop a caravan park.
I'm making a real pig's ear of
this as usual.
Dick, voice-over: Ambitious
plans indeed.
But Angel and I want to see
if there are other things
they could do.
Margreeth: So we're nearly
there, I think.
Tim: It should be around here
somewhere.
Dick, voice-over: So we've
invited Tim, Margreeth,
and son Joe to our place in
the Pays de la Loire.
Tim: Wow.
Margreeth: Wow.
Joe: It's amazing.
It's really, really cool.
Margreeth: Oh, it's so
impressive.
Tim: It is absolutely lovely,
isn't it?
Dick, voice-over: We can chat
about how we do things
and maybe give them some
inspiration.
Angel: Hi!
Tim: Hey.
Dick: How lovely to meet you.
Dick, voice-over:
And make their chateau
more efficient and profitable.
Margreeth: Nice to meet you.
Dick: Come on in.
Come on in. Come on in.
Tim: Thanks, guys.
Dick: Lead the way, darling.
Margreeth: We're so curious.
Tim: Wow. I can't get
over this place. Amazing, man.
Amazing, amazing, amazing.
Dick, voice-over: So, after
rustling up a light brekkie...
Angel: Ta-da!
Margreeth: Oh, wow.
Angel: All right, here we go.
Tim: Wow, look at that.
Dick, voice-over: we get
down to business.
So why are you doing
bed and breakfasts?
Margreeth: Because we just took
over a company that was there,
and we're trying to go more for
the group accommodation
instead of the bed and
breakfasts,
but it takes, you know time
and investments.
Angel: It sounds to me like
because you've inherited it,
you feel a sort of loyalty.
Maybe it's time to say, right,
what do you guys want to do?
Is it just you or have you got
people?
Tim: Yes, just us. We do have
our daughter's friends
and other people who are
floating through.
Margreeth: Volunteers.
Tim: Volunteers.
Tim: But you never stop.
Dick: Working smarter not harder
is the big thing.
And we, like you, work
our butts off.
Dick, voice-over: Angel thinks
they might earn more money
turning the chateau into
a location for weddings.
Angel: I can imagine that it
would take at least a while
to make, say, between
5, 10 grand worth
of just clear profit from
the B&Bs,
as for one wedding.
Do you see what I mean?
Tim: Absolutely. No, I agree.
It's what we think as well.
Margreeth: The profit margin for
us is not that high.
Dick, voice-over: The idea has
Margreeth intrigued.
Margreeth: Can I just ask
a few practical questions?
So how many people can you have
for a wedding?
Angel: We've got a limit
of 80
because that's how many we can
fit in the lawn comfortably.
It's surprising how many
chateaus
don't have one individual space
big enough--
Margreeth: Yeah, we have it for
a hundred people.
Dick, voice-over: These guys
are hard working
and not afraid to take on
a challenge.
Angel: I can imagine if you
did a wedding,
like if the flowers
hadn't arrived,
you would go down to the florist
and buy the flowers yourself.
And you can't buy that.
Like you just can't buy that.
So I think you just have
not tapped into the market yet.
[All talking at once]
Angel: You've got everything.
Margreeth: That's why I have
some practical questions still.
Dick: Why don't you take
Margreeth with you
and have a little look around--
Margreeth: Oh, I'd love that.
Dick: Shall we?
Angel: Yeah, good.
Dick: That's it.
The girls will go out this way.
Dick, voice-over: I think
Angel and Margreeth
should talk business
while I show Tim something
that can save some cash
if they do decide to start
hosting weddings.
It's an invention I think
he'll love.
About 540 miles south of ours
is Chateau de St-Ferriol,
a 16th-century medieval castle
overlooking a small village in
the South of France.
Woman: Never tire of
the views here.
It's just too beautiful.
Dick, voice-over: Its proud
owners are Brits Sophie,
a travel curator,
and James McDonald,
a management consultant
and author.
Sophie: James and I met each
other 23 years ago in London,
and within about 6 months, we
were living with each other.
James: So we thought, well, why
are we living in London,
which is expensive and cold,
miserable and crowded,
noisy and polluted
when we could live somewhere
like this?
Dick, voice-over: They bought
this place,
located just 25 miles north
of the Pyrenees,
for just £60,000.
James: Of course, there's a
reason why it was cheap.
And that is it was effectively
a ruin.
Sophie: It was in a total state.
James: So all we needed to do
was civilize one room,
which was enough to live in,
and then after that, colonize
a second room
and a third room
and a fourth room.
And that's exactly what we did.
And in fact, that's still
what we're doing.
We're kind of halfway through
colonizing the rooms.
Dick, voice-over: James and
Sophie's dream
is to restore the 30-room home
back to its 16th-century heyday.
Sophie: It's a very beautiful,
special place.
It's never been really,
really renovated.
So it's kept a lot of its
beautiful features unspoiled.
They haven't been hidden
and broken up.
James: What remains of
the chateau today
is essentially one large
building
and the vestiges of two wings,
one on the east and one
on the west.
Dick, voice-over: But in the
20 years they've been here,
the restoration is only
half finished.
And unfortunately, they've
run out of money.
Sophie: It's extremely
expensive.
It's financial suicide.
We are completely crazy,
and if we'd ever thought
about it,
we would not have done it.
James: We've spent an enormous
amount of money on it,
and it's not going to be
possible that we fund
the rest of it to completion.
Dick, voice-over: Still, there's
a particularly urgent problem
James and Sophie need
to sort out--
the chateau's roof.
James: Well, this is number one
priority,
because any time water
gets in,
it rots the wood a bit more.
It's pretty grim every time
it rains.
I have to come out here
with a bucket to make sure
the water's not getting through
from one layer to the next.
And sooner or later,
it's gonna collapse.
Sophie: Yeah, real shame.
I think in the seventies,
this ceiling was probably
pristine.
Dick, voice-over: Oh, dear.
Roofs are costly.
My number one piece of advice
when shopping for a chateau
is check out the state
of the roof
and be prepared for how much
you'll need to spend on it.
James: Trouble is that we really
need to replace the whole roof,
and replacing the whole roof is
a huge expense.
So we need to do something
in the interim
just to stop water getting in,
and that's really what we're
planning to do now.
Dick, voice-over: It's vital
the repairs are done
before the winter weather
arrives.
So Sophie and James have
less than 3 months
to find some cash and fix it.
Time--flowering time.
Dick, voice-over: So they're
going to put on
some fundraising events
at the chateau.
The first today will be a talk
given by James.
Sophie: I'm picking flowers
to go in the chateau
so that people get some nice
color and odor
when they arrive.
So we're using these talks
and events
to build up this particular
project--
repairing the whole roof.
James: So we're setting up
the chairs for the audience.
Dick, voice-over: The hour
and a half long talk
will be one of James'
favorite subjects-
12th-century Christianity.
Guests will be charged
an entrance fee
and have the option to pay
for lunch.
James: We've had about 25 people
who've confirmed
that they're going to
come today.
But we expect it to be more
than that,
maybe twice as many as that.
Dick, voice-over: James
and Sophie
have stationed volunteer helper
David outside
to greet their guests.
The talk is scheduled
to start at 10:00.
It's 10:15.
No one's arrived.
In the heart of rural France
lies the 500-year-old
Chateau de Lalande.
And the current lady
of the manor
is Stephanie Jarvis from
Suffolk.
Stephanie: There's 17 bedrooms.
I think we have 13 bathrooms.
Dick, voice-over: Located 200
miles south of Paris,
she bought it 12 years ago,
but there's still tons
of work to do.
Stephanie: I just imagine all
the rooms finished.
That's my real dream.
Everything beautiful, really
lovely furniture.
It's really never ending.
Dick, voice-over: The reason
it's taking so long is simple,
as Stephanie's mom Isabel
who stays here from time
to time can explain.
We can't afford the work.
It is so expensive.
There are always things
to be done.
Things need replacing,
and we haven't got the money.
Simple as that.
Dick, voice-over: Stephanie
already runs musical workshops
and has let some of the rooms
as a B&B
to bring in cash,
but it's not enough,
so after a successful trial,
she's putting on her first
singles' event
in 4 weeks time.
Stephanie: I'm really
hoping that we can make
some money with this,
because the chateau's got
to find constant new ways
to pay for itself.
Dick, voice-over: When the
guests first arrive,
she wants to lay out a relaxed
picnic on the lawn
in front of the 19th-century
chapel,
but she wants a circle
of romantic rose bushes
to surround it.
So this morning she's hired a
digger to help her plant them.
Unfortunately, she's
still asleep.
Isabel: Today Stephanie has got
so much on.
The digger is only here
for one day,
so we are in deep trouble.
Stephanie, oh, come on, darling,
you must get up.
You must get up.
You have so much to do.
And it's a beautiful day.
You're going to love it.
Stephanie: What time is it?
You've got machinery coming
at half past ten,
and it is nearly 10:00.
Your tea's there, darling.
I told her the wrong time.
It's actually half past nine.
Little lie.
Very little lie.
Dick, voice-over: Finally awake,
she turns her attention
to the rose circle she calls
her midnight garden.
Stephanie: I'm going to try to
make a midnight garden
around the chapel
so that in the middle
of the night,
it's just white flowers that
will reflect the moonlight
and we can go and have wine
there in summer.
That's the plan anyway.
The first step is getting
a hedge in.
And I can't work out exactly
where to put it
or how to do that, but that's
today's job.
And somehow, my brilliant
organization,
as always, means that I have to
do all of this--
planning, digging, planting
in a single day.
Dick, voice-over: Stephanie aims
to dig a circular trench
for a 120 plants,
but she's never done anything
like this before.
Stephanie: And then inside here
I can do the white garden,
which will be closed off a bit
in the moonlight.
But because it's on a slope,
the chapel will still be visible
from every area of the garden,
even if the hedge gets high.
Having no idea what can be
accomplished with a digger,
I have no idea whether we can
get this done today.
I really don't know. Can a
digger dig one hole in day,
can it dig millions and millions
of trenches?
I have no idea.
We'll find out.
Dick, voice-over: The digger's
got to be returned
by the end of the day, so she's
got her work cut out.
How hard can it be?
Dick, voice-over: Fortunately,
her friend James,
who's been visiting from London,
is on hand to help.
Stephanie: Oh, word, this is
unbelievable.
Oh, look at that.
James: Very skilled.
Stephanie: Somehow I don't think
it's going to look
like that when we do it.
I'm going to go and put
my overalls on,
and I'm coming straight back.
It's not every day we have
a digger to play with.
Right. Ready.
Dick, voice-over: Stephanie
and James use a cable
to mark out the line of the
trench they're hoping to dig.
Stephanie: It's an oval.
We're looking, it's an oval,
so there's no point in doing it
as a circle.
Dick, voice-over: But they've
got to be extremely careful
where they dig.
How far out, Steph?
Stephanie: No, to about here,
I think.
We can start turning here.
Like that.
Dick, voice-over: Buried
somewhere beneath the lawn
are 400 meters of geothermal
piping
that supply the chateau with its
heating and hot water.
Stephanie: Well, we have to be
careful not to hit
the geothermal pipes.
We think that they're
a little bit off to the side,
slightly to the left.
In fact, that is pretty much
where we're going to be digging.
Dick, voice-over: Striking into
the pipes with the digger blade
would prove to be a very
expensive mistake.
It's hard to be gentle
with a digger.
Dick, voice-over: Back at mine
and Angel's place
in the Pays de la Loire,
we're helping fellow chateau
owners Tim and Margreeth
with some business ideas.
Angel's showing Margreeth around
the chateau
as they talk about our wedding
business.
Margreeth: You do all the food?
Angel: Yeah. Dick mans that,
and I man the front of house
sort of thing.
- OK.
Dick, voice-over: Meanwhile,
I've taken Tim and his son Joe
outside to show them
my pride and joy.
This is an old heating oil
container
that we found in one of
the buildings.
It's an old heating oil
container.
And it's been turned into
our pig roaster.
Tim: Wow.
Dick, voice-over: I love this
bit of kit.
It's a cheap and easy way
to roast a pig,
and our guests love it, too.
I did a spit roast last weekend,
actually, on this for one of
the pigs for a wedding.
And I put wood in it at
9:00 in the morning,
put the pig in at about 10:00,
and it burned for the 6 hours it
took to cook it
without adding any more wood.
Tim: You're not turning it
all the time?
Dick: No, no, no. Maybe once
every 20 minutes.
But you've only got
the wheel on the end.
So you can see a little sort of
reflector on it.
What happens is at 12:00,
on the hours at the top,
then it's at quarter past,
then half past,
then quarter past,
and turn it 3 or 4 times
an hour,
we come up and we move it along,
and we can always tell
when it last turned because
there's an indicator on it.
And the wheel, a euro in
a charity shop.
Yeah, it's a lovely system.
It's very, very simple.
I love it. I think it's
a brilliant idea.
Well, it has to be said the man
is a bit of a genius
when it comes to this sort
of stuff.
It's amazing, isn't it.
It's so inspiring.
Excellent thing. Wow. Great.
Dick, voice-over:
In the chateau,
hopefully Margreeth's feeling
inspired
with a tour of our wedding
suites.
Angel: So this is a botanical
suite,
and it's one bathroom,
two bedrooms.
Dick, voice-over: Compared to
Margreeth's 5 B&B rooms
and two gites, we offer
just 3 suites
for the bride and groom
and close guests.
The rest of the wedding party
stay in the nearby town.
So this is the second room,
and, you know, it's quite simple
in its form, but--
Margreeth: Yeah, very nice.
Dick, voice-over:
Our plan was to focus on
pampering fewer guests
so they have a more decadent
stay.
Margreeth: Does the price depend
on how many people are there
in the party?
Angel: Yes, absolutely.
So when we say "package,"
it's not a package
because every wedding
is different.
On average, a Friday evening
drinks,
then it would be the main day
of the wedding,
and then something afterwards
like a brunchy thing.
Around £20,000.
But that's a real ballpark
figure.
We could probably charge more,
if I'm honest with you,
because actually, I know that
that is what you pay in the UK
for one day.
- And now they're getting this.
Dick, voice-over: With the rooms
that Tim and Margreeth have,
they could easily offer
a similar package.
Angel: So this--this is
the honeymoon suite.
Margreeth: Oh, it's lovely.
Angel: Here's the bathroom.
Take a seat, madame.
Margreeth: Oh, very nice.
Ooh, it's fantastic.
Oh, and bubbles next to it.
Man, life doesn't get
better than this.
I'm jealous.
I think I have to get married
again, actually.
I hope that, you know,
your visit
has, um, has been sort of
worthwhile for you coming.
Margreeth: Oh, definitely.
It's really inspiring.
It's really nice to see
what you do.
Angel: You just--you've got
to make money
and you've got to enjoy it.
Margreeth: If you do work
and you don't enjoy it,
it's not worth the money,
is it?
Angel: No, no, I totally
agree with you.
Margreeth: You have to love
what you do.
Dick, voice-over: I think Angel
and I
have really given Margreeth
and Tim some food for thought.
Angel: Here they are.
Hello.
Margreeth: Wow. Picking flowers
for me. Thank you, sweetie.
So how did you guys get on?
Dick: Lots of talking?
Angel: Oh, yeah, lots of
talking.
Tim: Yeah. Well, that was great.
I really enjoyed that.
I had a wonderful, wonderful
time.
Bye, guys.
- Drive carefully.
Tim: Bye-bye.
Dick, voice-over: Tim and
Margreeth leave
with plenty to think about.
Tim: That was great, wasn't it?
So inspiring. I really have got,
you know,
a whole new idea of how I would
like to set up the company
and the changes I would like
to make.
Tim: We've got so many things
we could do.
You know, yeah, it's
quite inspiring. Yeah.
I can really see this being sort
of a turning point, you know.
Dick, voice-over: Back at
Chateau de St-Ferriol,
Sophie and James' fundraising
event, a history talk,
is getting off to a slow start.
We're hoping to raise funds
that will pay for the roof.
Dick, voice-over:
Visitors can come
just for the day and the talk.
If they just want to come in
for the day, it's 10 euros.
On top of that, they can sign up
to have lunch.
Dick, voice-over: Or they can
become members
of the Friends of St-Ferriol
Association.
Sophie: So we've got
an association
that raises money for
the chateau,
and that money goes directly
into the renovation works.
Dick, voice-over: In return for
a membership fee,
members get a bi-yearly
newsletter
and get free access to events
and an annual party at
the chateau.
Sophie: If they want to become
members for the year,
it's 25 euros.
Dick, voice-over: Sophie
hopes to sign up some
new members today.
Finally some potential recruits
start to arrive.
James: Yurie. Well done.
Sophie: Good to see you.
Dick, voice-over: And the cash
starts to trickle in.
Sophie: There we are.
Got it. Great.
You're staying for
the whole day?
- Yes.
- Great.
- Thank you.
- Thank you.
Sophie: So that will actually be
30, 45, plus 30.
- 55.
- 55.
Woman: What did you say, 75?
Sophie: Let me just write
this down.
Dick, voice-over: With arrivals
continuing,
James' target of 30 paying
guests is looking feasible.
James: So I think we should just
about fill the seats.
Dick, voice-over: Meanwhile,
Sophie's leading the drive
to sign up more members for
the association.
Woman: This is yours, Sophie?
Sophie: Me and James. Yeah.
Woman: Lovely.
Sophie: This is all done with
local cedar.
So we're very lucky to have all
the original raw materials here.
And so the way we renovate
is that although
the forest would have been
completely different here
in the 16th century,
they would have used
the local wood,
so we're kind of copying
the spirit.
If you're staying for the talk
and for the lunch,
that would all then be 50.
Woman: OK.
Sophie: Both of you.
Woman: That's great.
Thank you.
Sophie: There we are.
So I got that. Thank you.
Dick, voice-over: With the seats
filled, it's show time
for history buff James.
James: Well, good morning,
everyone.
For those who don't know me,
I'm James McDonald.
I'm going to be talking
this morning
about the Cathars.
Dick, voice-over: Whilst
the headliner gets underway,
Sophie needs to get on
with that lunch.
Sophie: There's a lot to do
while the talk is being done.
You're always working right up
till the last minute.
This is the first time, though,
that we've made a concerted
effort
to raise money for
a particular project.
But I do go into a sort of
a white panic on the day.
[Speaking French]
Broadly the Cathars are
enormously powerful
in this region by 1200.
Dick, voice-over:
The only snag is
that James' talk is unscripted,
so Sophie and son Geum don't
know exactly
when it's going to finish.
Sophie: I'm flagellating
myself now
about not having done this
last night.
This is the lovely, lovely
cheese.
[Clatter]
Oops.
Sorry, Geum.
You all right?
It's a sodding mess.
Last minute drive.
James: The Cathars were
dualists.
They believed in two creations
as it were.
There's a good one
and a bad one.
Dick, voice-over: With James'
talk approaching his climax...
I'm afraid I've gone on too long
again.
Dick, voice-over:
Sophie's worried she's
not going to be ready.
Trying not to panic now.
Dick, voice-over: Back at
Chateau de Lalande
Stephanie's friend James has
made a start
in digging the trench
for the rose circle
in front of her chapel.
And he's already feeling
the pressure.
James: I've got to be done with
this in two and a--
two hours now.
Flight's at 7:00 PM
in Paris.
If I don't get this done in
the next two hours,
she'll be doing the rest
of the digging.
Dick, voice-over: They've got
to work fast.
So while James digs, Stephanie
and her mom follow behind
with the plants.
Stephanie: Just grab plant,
place and hold,
put our favorite water plant.
This is about as complex as my
gardening skills get.
Isabel: This is ridiculous in
those old slippers, isn't it?
Stephanie: Maybe boots, Mummy?
Isabel: Yes.
Dick, voice-over: James needs to
be careful where he digs
because somewhere close by are
the chateau's geothermal pipes.
Stephanie: There are 4 oar holes
and a closed circuit pipe
going down into the ground
with water, which heats up,
comes back,
and then heats the house
in under floor heating
and radiators.
Dick, voice-over:
After an hour,
it seems like James has finally
got the hang
of operating the digger.
Stephanie: I think that's good,
actually,
to where you are, to where
this is.
James: So there?
Stephanie: Yeah.
I love the fact you can point
with a digger now.
Dick, voice-over: But in his
rush to get the job done
before his flight, he struck
something underground.
Stephanie: We've hit the
security thing
telling us that we're getting
close to the pipes.
But we didn't even notice that
we were hitting it,
and we don't know where
we hit it,
and we hope we haven't hit
the pipe underneath.
Dick, voice-over:
It's warning mesh,
usually laid above important
pipes or cables
to alert anyone who's digging
nearby.
It means the digger must have
been inches
away from the geothermal pipes.
Isabel: Oh, well, not to worry.
We didn't go beyond it.
Dick, voice-over: That was
a pretty close shave.
And now James has made a sharp
exit to the airport.
It's Stephanie's turn to get
behind the controls.
Stephanie: Years and years
of me playing computer games
that you complained about.
It's all coming together now.
World of Warcraft.
I have never played
computer game.
I don't think I could do
the digger.
I think it's beyond my finger
capabilities.
Dick, voice-over: Stephanie's
done so well,
she still has one more hour
before the digger is collected,
so she heads over to the
vegetable garden
where she also plans to plant
some roses.
Isabel: Just skim the top.
- Easier said than done.
- Yes, I'm sure.
Well, well, well, where are you
going with it?
Just try to skim--ha ha ha.
It would be interesting to see
what a professional
would make of that job.
Dick, voice-over:
Not bad at all, if you ask me.
Stephanie: I love mini diggers.
Dick, voice-over:
The only problem now
is the roses Stephanie's bought.
She got them cheap in
an online deal,
and Isabel doesn't think they're
up to scratch.
These are very poor quality.
You should at least have 3 spurs
on a rose.
Stephanie: It isn't very perky.
Isabel: Some of them look dead
to me.
They're really poor specimens.
Anyway.
We wish them well.
Dick, voice-over: Ideally,
the roses should have been
planted earlier in the year.
So we'll have to wait
and see
if some will bloom in time for
the big singles' weekend.
Stephanie: I can't believe
we got this done.
I'm really pleased, but I'm also
really tired.
That's it, Mummy.
We're done. We're done.
We're done.
Isabel: OK. OK, OK, OK.
Dick, voice-over: 320 miles away
at Chateau de St-Ferriol,
Sophie's rushing to get lunch
for 30
on the table before James'
historical lecture ends.
Woman: [Indistinct]
James: Yes. The known Cathar
prefect was burned in 1321.
Dick, voice-over: James' talk
has gone down a storm.
[Applause]
Sophie: We just heard
the clapping,
so they'll be out any second.
Woman: Ooh, wow.
Sophie: There we are.
Dick, voice-over: Sophie's got
lunch served in the nick of time
and James is earning
rave reviews.
Woman: I thought the talk was
fabulous.
I thought it put
the whole lot
of the Cathar
history in perspective.
Man: That was absolutely
fascinating.
It just makes you want
to learn more.
Dick, voice-over: The aim of
the event
is to raise money toward fixing
the chateau's roof.
Thank you, everybody, so much
for coming.
And we're really glad that
you've been so enthusiastic
and had a great time.
Dick, voice-over: Sophie's
making a final pitch
for more of the guests to join
their association.
Sophie: If you've become
a day member today,
you can pay an additional to pay
the year membership,
which is 15, another 15,
it's 25 a year,
and then we will make a tour
for you very soon
and have a guided visit
of the chateau,
which we give to every member.
Dick, voice-over: And she's
successful.
Sophie: So that's
an additional 15.
Woman: That's good. I hope you
have some change.
Sophie: Thank you.
I do, yeah.
We have people who signed up for
the day membership,
and at the end after
the tour,
came back and signed up for
the full membership.
We joined today because I think
it's great to be able to
assist people to do this sort
of work.
It's quite inspiring,
and I don't mind assisting
at all.
The fact they've taken on
the task of renovating it
is unbelievable.
And I can't even begin to
imagine
how much it must be costing.
Sophie: So lovely to have
met you.
I hope we see you again.
Dick, voice-over: Not everyone
signed up.
Sophie: Thanks very much
for coming. Did you enjoy it?
Man: I enjoyed seeing
the chateau.
Sophie: OK, well, then you must
come back for a visit. Yeah?
Man: I won't come back.
I've seen it.
- Oh, you've seen it.
Sophie: OK. Mind your head.
Man: There's other chateaus.
Sophie: Careful.
Careful, careful.
Dick, voice-over: But they all
had a brilliant time.
Everybody seems to have
learned something.
And so they've gone off happy.
- Bye.
- Bye.
- Thank you.
Now I'm just ready to collapse.
I can't wait to get my feet up.
I'm shattered.
Dick, voice-over: The event
raised 470 euros
for James and Sophie's roof
repair.
So we have a tiny bit more money
in the pot.
Dick, voice-over: It's great,
but not good enough.
The roof repair will cost
double that.
But they've got another event
planned--
a history tour.
There's a bit of traveling
to get there.
It's fairly remote.
So there's walking.
It's going to be hard work.
Dick, voice-over: I hope they
can raise the funds
before the bad weather
sets in.
Trying to renovate, maintain,
or run your chateau as a
business in France
is guaranteed at some point
to fall foul of the weather.
And during the winter months,
weather-related problems
increase.
At our place in the Pays
de la Loire,
a winter storm blew
the children's trampoline
into the moat,
and before I had a chance to
fish it out, it froze over.
The moat's been frozen
for two weeks now.
The ice is getting thicker.
It's ridiculous.
It gives me the opportunity
to attach some ropes to it
so when it defrosts, I should
be able to lift
the trampoline out of the moat.
That's the theory.
Hello, darling.
Angel: You gonna help Daddy
get that out?
Dorothy: It's a bit heavy
for me.
Angel: Yeah.
Dick: Who should go onto
the moat
and tie onto the trampoline,
Mummy or Daddy?
Dorothy: Um, Daddy.
Dick: Me? Not Mummy.
Are you sure?
Right.
Dick, voice-over: Luckily, it's
just a step over
onto the trampoline.
I won't risk stepping on the
ice. That's dangerous, children.
Dorothy, I need Mummy to get me
the green rope.
Angel: Do you want me
to chuck these to you?
Dick: Yeah, hold on.
Angel: I feel a bit under
pressure here.
Dick, voice-over: The plan is to
attach the rope
to 4 points on the trampoline
and via a pulley to the tow bar
on my car.
Whoa!
Ha ha ha!
Angel: I feel like you're on one
of those game shows,
so I'm just chucking different
challenges at you.
Dick: You're getting good at
this, aren't you?
Ahh!
This bit here, this side
of this one.
Are you having fun, Dorothy?
Dorothy: No.
Angel: No.
[Ice cracks]
Dick: Ooh.
Right. We're going a bit
deeper here,
which is probably not
a good sign.
Angel: The ship is sinking.
Dorothy: Careful, Daddy.
Angel: Daddy's brave, isn't he?
Dick, voice-over: Yay!
Back on dry land.
When it defrosts, that's
the important part,
yeah, we'll be able to
lift it up.
We have to swing it up and over
to here.
We get our trampoline back.
Otherwise my name will be dirt
with Arthur.
Dick, voice-over: Hopefully it
won't be too hard
to get it out once the ice
has melted.
Ah, we'll just grab a bit--
grab the rope
and bring them over here.
Dick, voice-over: It's two weeks
since I attached
the ropes to the children's
trampoline
after it was blown into
the moat.
The ice has thawed, and today,
with the help of my mate Johnny,
we're going to pull it out,
hopefully.
Just drop it down there.
Right. When it was frozen,
you would have loved it
'cause it was sort of yay-thick.
It's good.
Johnny: So it held you?
Dick: Cheeky [bleep]
Right. Yes, it held me.
It did crack, actually.
Johnny: Did it?
Dick: We have got 4 connections,
4 different points on there.
They take about a ton each.
They should be strong enough.
So I'm thinking if we make
an A-frame,
we'll soon get the A-frame
to lift.
So instead of just driving
it sideways,
it's lifting it up as well.
Johnny: Are we just bouncing
ideas around?
Dick: No.
Johnny: Bouncing...ideas.
[Laughter]
Dick: Don't start.
I will slap you.
Johnny: Come on!
That's a good joke.
Dick, voice-over: I'm not sure
if Johnny's taking this
as seriously as he should.
We're talking meticulous
planning and engineering here.
I have here in the moat
our trampoline.
To get it out, I've attached
some ropes to it.
But if I was just to pull it
over this direction,
I'd trash it on the bank.
Consequently, it needs to be
lifted up in the air.
I'm going to put an A-frame.
This will be an A-frame.
It's a little "A" shape
piece of wood.
Here you have little braces
in the middle of it.
And a pulley.
That goes there, like that. OK.
I'm gonna attach a rope to
the straps I've attached.
It's gonna come from here,
and it's gonna go down.
And over on this side,
it's going to be attached
to the tow hook of the car.
Up, up, up, up, up.
Johnny: Come on!
Dick: If I get this right,
it will be lifted up.
As it comes up, this is where
the trampoline will end up.
'Cause this will now be moved up
to this position.
[Engine starts]
What could possibly go wrong?
Dick, voice-over: So let's put
the theory into practice.
First we need to pull
the A-frame up,
which in turn lifts
the trampoline up.
Right. Go to the van.
Go to the van, Johnny.
Johnny: OK.
Dick: Go to the van.
Right.
Let's go forward, Johnny.
Forward slowly.
Forward slowly.
Forward. Forward.
Forward. Forward.
Stop!
Dick, voice-over: Success!
Now we need to pull
the trampoline in
with the other rope through
the pulley.
That's it, Johnny!
Right.
What we want is another car.
Dick, voice-over: But as I try
to fix the rope
to another vehicle--
Oh, dear!
Dick, voice-over: I accidentally
drop it.
That's a bummer.
Dick, voice-over:
What a numpty.
Back in Picardie,
it's been 3 weeks since Tim and
Margreeth visited Angel and I,
and there's change afoot.
They've made some bold decisions
about their business.
Dick and Angel, it was
their idea, wasn't it?
They said we should do this, so,
you know.
Margreeth: They gave us
the push.
So we've decided
to totally change the way that
we do things.
Margreeth: Up until now,
for the last 4 years
when we've been here,
we've always had in a way
3 separate companies.
We do the rooms, we do the
self-catering units,
and we do a lot of parties,
and that costs a lot of energy.
And in a way,
after talking to Angel,
I realized it would be better to
just try and focus on one thing,
to do the weddings or to
specialize in the weddings.
And the idea is to offer
a full package,
but it will be totally
customized.
Dick, voice-over:
They've certainly got
a great venue here.
Margreeth: Anything is possible.
We've got the outside space,
we've got the indoor space.
So if people have this image
of how they want it to look
to try and create that
for them,
I'm really, really looking
forward to that.
Dick, voice-over: As long as
they've got
their business head screwed on
and watch the pennies,
there's every chance it will be
a great success.
Tim: From an accounting
point of view, I mean,
this is ideal for us
because in one weekend,
we can do as much money then
as we could do probably in two
weekends we do at the moment.
And it's a lot more fun.
Dick, voice-over: But
they're not making
a totally clean break.
Tim: I think what's gonna happen
is there's gonna be
some sort of transition period
where we carry on
with our business as is
and we incorporate weddings
whenever we've got free days.
Dick, voice-over: And they still
look to lease their gites
on the co-ownership scheme.
Tim: There is a chance, of
course it could be the symbiosis
where the weddings--people come
and they have their wedding
and they get this like emotional
attachment to the place.
And they might want to buy
a bit of it.
I mean, why not?
It's a great thing to do.
I mean, there is reason for
cautious optimism.
Dick, voice-over:
Anything's possible.
Although they are saying
good-bye to the caravan park.
Margreeth: Because we are going
to focus
on the weddings and setting that
totally up
means that the whole plan that
we had of changing
this bit of forest
into a caravan park
has totally gone out of
the window.
Although we're still doing up
the caravan,
we're actually just doing it
for us now.
Tim: Yeah, and we'll have
friends stay in it and stuff.
Margreeth: Yeah, and we'll be
using it ourselves.
And we're just very happy
with it.
Tim: Yeah, it's gonna be great,
to be honest.
A little sort of little hideaway
in the woods, isn't it, I guess.
Margreeth: Yeah.
James: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Sounds like
they've got it all figured out.
And in the week since they've
been to our place,
they've wasted no time.
Margreeth: We've got, I think,
6 weddings
on the books at the moment.
Dick, voice-over:
Good work, guys.
So today Tim is making a start
on getting the place
fit for a bride and groom,
and he has an idea for the
remains of a large tree
that was damaged in a storm
a while back.
Tim: Manny, he suggested to me,
we could use this as
a wedding seat,
and actually, he's
onto something there,
got a bit of ivy.
There's not much work
to do here.
You can just--you've got
a nice little bower
to sort of sit underneath,
and you've got the chateau
in the background.
That would be a great photo
moment, would it not?
I've just got to convince
my wife of that.
But it is absolutely gorgeous
in the summer.
There's all these red flowers
come out.
It's 3 branches, and I'm gonna
try and cut away two of them
and leave one to grow up,
and I hope he's gonna survive.
Margreeth: So it's looking
very different, Tim.
Tim: Uh-huh. Heh.
Yeah, what do you think?
Margreeth: It's not a tree
anymore. Let's face it.
Tim: I quite like it.
We have got
an incredible photo opportunity
there,
especially when it's in bloom.
'Cause it is a lovely thing--
- Yeah, that would look lovely.
I do have to say--
- And if I was getting married
and I sat on that tree with the
chateau in the background,
that would be a great
wedding photo.
Dick, voice-over: Margreeth
isn't totally convinced.
Margreeth: I think
the whole thing
is really nice for photographs,
but--
Tim: Yes. It's not a tree,
is it?
Margreeth: It's not a tree.
For the rest,
it's just a weird thing in
the middle of our lawn.
Tim: I quite like it, actually.
I quite like things not being,
you know.
Margreeth: You know, Tim is
very sentimental.
He can never get
rid of things.
Tim: No, that's why you're
still here.
Margreeth: Exactly.
He will defend that tree
till it totally falls apart.
Dick, voice-over: One thing's
for sure,
they need to get a move on,
because there's plenty to do
to get their new wedding
business up and running,
including the photos for their
new website.
Margreeth: Before the
photographer comes
in July, you need to get rid
of that willow. Sorry.
Dick, voice-over: We'll see how
their plan goes next time.
About 200 miles southwest of Tim
and Margreeth,
at our place, we're repairing
the A-frame
after it collapsed while
we were trying to recover
the trampoline.
It fell quite hard.
One of the bits of wood cracked.
Dick, voice-over: I can't let
the children down, though.
I've got to get this out today
whilst Johnny's here to help.
So we're doing a splint.
We're not splintered up.
We've got it almost right.
We've got it so that it comes
out of the moat.
We just haven't got it out of
the moat completely.
So to do that, we are going for
a two-car system.
The van's going to--when we
get it upright,
the van is then going to be
used to bring the A-frame up.
I'm then going to put my car
with the tow hook
to put onto the rope pulling
the pulley.
And between the two of us...
At this stage, I'm not 100% sure
what's going to happen.
But with a bit of luck, we'll be
in the dark,
so nobody will know.
Come back.
OK, let's try that.
Pull it this way.
Johnny: [Grunts] OK, good.
Dick: [Grunting]
Drive.
Johnny: Drive.
Dick: All right, keep moving
forward.
Forward. Forward.
Steady, steady, steady.
Forward. Stop!
OK, Johnny, you're the anchor.
Hello, family.
Let's see what happens.
[Cheering]
Johnny: Go, go, go!
Almost. Almost.
Angel: Come on!
Johnny: Almost, Dickie!
Yeah!
Dick: Ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Got it.
Hope my children appreciate
the nightmare we went through
rescuing their trampoline.
This is what we do. We just
leave everything where it is.
No wind forecast for tonight.
Let's get a beer.
We deserve a beer for that.
Johnny: Yeah, yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Absolutely.
Next time, with winter
and bad weather approaching...
There are leaks there,
there, there, there.
Dick, voice-over:
James and Sophie are on
a race against time
to fix their roof.
There's no question this work
has to be done.
Dick, voice-over: But their
attempt to raise the funds
to pay for it faces bad weather
of its own.
James: So now it really is off.
There's no point carrying on.
Dick, voice-over: Tim and
Margreeth embark
on a new business plan
at their chateau.
Should have done this years ago,
just never figured out how to.
Dick, voice-over: And as
Stephanie prepares
to put on a weekend
of fun and games...
Do you think that looks
appetizing for the ice cream?
Ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: things don't
go to plan.
Stephanie: Catastrophe
has struck.
One of the girls didn't make it
onto the airplane.