Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 2, Episode 10 - Episode #2.10 - full transcript

I'm Dick Strawbridge,
and along with my wife Angel,

and our two children,
we've lived

in this magnificent chateau
in France for the last 4 years.

Angel: Open your eyes!

Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...

Ta-da.

but a business...

- There we go.
- Thank you very much.

Dick: and it turns out we're not
the only ones

who want a chateau to call home.

Wow.



Oh, my gosh.

Woman: Oh, heaven.

Dick: Now Angel and I are back,
guiding more daring Brits

on their journey.

This is where it gets
interesting, isn't it?

A bit of copper bling.

I can't believe it.

We'll work
with some familiar faces...

- Cheers, baby.
- Cheers.

- Good to see you.
- Welcome.

Dick, voice-over: and meet a new
wave of chateau-loving Brits...

Ta-da!

Angel: This is great.

This is where
the creativeness is.



Look at that movement.

Oh, man, I love it.

Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes

Aah!

Dick: and make them work
as businesses.

Oh! There it goes.

There'll be triumphs.

Wow, wow, wow, wow,
wow, wow, wow, wow, wow!

and setbacks.

Seriously, I was really
close to a breakdown.

Yeah.

Whoa!

Dick: but however
hard the going gets,

for these plucky Brits,

their homes really
are their castles.

[Cheering]

Dick: Today...

- Cool. Well, good luck.
- Thank you.

Dick: Chateau owners Tim
and Rebecca run into problems

on their new building job...

Tim: I have no idea
whether it will work or not.

Dick, voice-over: So I pop
around to see

if I can lend a hand.

- Hello.
- Hiya, matey.

Dick: It's 2 1/2 inches up.
That's bordering on ridiculous.

One family continue working
on their new cinema room...

Karen: No. Wait.
No, no, no, no.

Paul: You said to put it
into the--

No. I said on the frame, here.

Dick: as they step up their
attempts to attract more guests.

Karen: Did we have
the wrong attachment on it?

Ha ha ha!

Dick: And one couple find
themselves shorthanded...

Decided to have barbeque,
got deep second-degree burns.

Dick: as their wedding business
is put at risk.

Anna: I'm hoping I'll hear
a car any second soon.

That's the French way,
always late.

Dick: Trying to get any chateau
up and running

takes time and money,

but choose the right business to
help fund the renovations,

and everything
becomes a lot easier.

Lincolnshire couple
Tim and Rebecca

and their two children
Rufus and Laurie

have been in the 14-bedroom
Chateau de la Ruche

for almost a year now
and have already started

welcoming guests
to their new B&B.

Rebecca: One of the things
I really love is when people

come here for the first time,
and they're kind of,

"Wow. This is amazing,"

And it kind of takes you back
to the first time you saw it,

and to see how people
are blown away by it

and just be reminded of the kind
of privileged life

that you're living.

Dick: Located just 50 miles from
us in Pays de la Loire region,

Tim and Rebecca have been
operating their B&B for a month,

but they only have one
functioning

guest bedroom and bathroom,

so they're desperate
to open another.

Rebecca: We kind of need another
room ready to go really

because pennies are running out,

and we would quite like to get
plenty of people booked in

to come and make the most
of the end of this year's season

really before we start
fully next season.

Dick: They've given themselves
a month to do it.

Thankfully, the second bedroom
just needs a bit of decorating,

but the bathroom needs
a new floor,

so Tim's roped in his mate
Dale to help out.

Tim: We basically, we've got to
level the floor

or near as damn it level
the floor,

so that we can turn this into
a lovely, glamorous bathroom

to go with one
of the bedrooms for the B&B.

Dick: Wonky and uneven floors
in chateaus means lots of work,

but Tim's got a plan.

I was looking through different
brico sites, hardware sites,

French hardware sites,
and I came across these feet

for doing decking,
and I did a little bit more

research into them,
and people seem to

use them for doing floors,

and it--they seemed
like a good idea.

Dick: It's a clever plan
and will save them bags of time.

In theory, he should be able to
adjust each plastic foot

to different levels to ensure

the new floor is
totally horizontal.

That is, of course,
if they know how to do it.

Tim: I've never done a floating
floor before,

so I have no idea whether it
will work or not,

but it can't be that difficult.

Dick: I've got faith
in you, Tim.

To form the base
of the new floor,

Tim and Dale rest
the plastic feet

on the original timber

and put the new framework
on top of it.

Tim: Feels like a floor.
Done.

Dick: I'm intrigued to see
how it's all going to work,

so I'm paying Tim and Rebecca
a visit to see

if I can lend a hand.

Hello. Hello.

- Hi there.
- Hiya, matey.

- Whoa! It's looking brilliant.
- Yeah?

- Well done.
- It's changed, it's changed?

Dick, voice-over: The last time
I was here, it was just

over a month ago
when the chateau looked

like a building site.

Dick: Wow. Huge difference.
Huge difference.

I'm loving it.
I'm loving it.

Yeah?

Dick, voice-over: While
the downstairs is

looking great, I know there's
plenty to sort upstairs.

Tim: Right.
Dick: Now remind me

what this room is.

This is going to be a bathroom.

- Right.
- Yeah.

And currently is not
much of anything,

but we are progressing, so...

Dick: Well done.

Tim: We did a load of
measurements like you do

to try and get a level
to what we need,

and then it's all slightly
different because

we weren't accurate.

I actually feel
like I'm in a hole.

Yeah. It's about 150 mil lower.
Than over there,

so that's how much
we've got to jack it up.

The fact is you do not want to
roll down to this corner.

- No.
- In any way, shape, or form.

Well, actually,
where you stood, it dips.

It comes back up
again over here.

Dick, voice-over: Well, there's
a simple way to see if Tim's

got his measurements right.

My mum bought me this
when we got the chateau.

Oh, that's a bit of kit.

Dick, voice-over: My trusty
laser level never fails.

Tim: See, I can't see
the red line.

- Can we pull the shutter?
- I'm color blind, so...

Dick: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
You can't see the red line.

Ha ha ha!
Well, it's a two-person job.

I can see it when it's bright,
but I can't see it

when it fades.

OK. OK.

See, the laser just to
the right of the door there...

- Yeah.
- It's 2 1/2 inches up

off the floor.

- It just doesn't work.
- So this level is 2 1/2 inches

up from over there.

Let's have a little think
about this for a second,

all right?

That's bordering on ridiculous.

Tim: Absolutely.
Dick: You want to level.

Dick, voice-over: It looks as
though Tim's master plan

is going to be more difficult
than he first thought.

Even more established chateaus

need to find new ways
to generate more cash,

like Chateau La Perriere,
which is run as

a luxury holiday retreat.

For the past 14 years, it's
been owned by Paul and Karen

and their children
Tom and Katie.

Paul: It's a big place,
and it needs investment,

and the rentals help us.

Really could regenerate it
back to its former splendor.

Karen: The chateau is always
a battle

between our hearts
and our head.

Whenever you've got profit
at the La Perriere,

your heart kicks in,
and you'll do it on a project.

- You'll spend more money.
- You just spend more money.

It's--this did--this...

We're--and we're good
at spending money.

We're quite good at
spending money.

At La Perriere, yeah.

Dick: Located
in the Loire Valley,

their latest project is to turn
part of an out building

into a cinema
entertainment room

in a bid to attract more guests
out of season.

Paul: It is--yes.
Cinema, TV room, but it's...

No. TV just sounds really dumb.

TV does sound dumb. OK.

Karen: Cinema room
sounds exciting.

- It's a cinema room, yeah.
- You know?

Dick: After finding out that
the damp was coming from water

running down the hillside...

Karen: We've clearly got
an issue of water

coming through the walls.

This is all crumbling.

Dick: Paul has now come up
with a quick fix

to keep the cost down.

Paul: Apparently, we've got
to make it look like that.

With help from son Tom,
he's hoping repointing

the outside wall will put
an end to any more leaks.

We've got a guy to come in
and show me how to do it

because I want to know
how to do it anyway,

but we need to ought to do it
because there's the whole

of the outhouses to do,

and frankly,
I quite like doing it myself.

Dick: That's the spirit.

Paul: It looked really easy,
which clearly means

it's not going to be.

We need to throw this
into all the corners,

then you build it up,
and then you leave it

like this overnight,
and then you actually

brush it back to this
and then, to that.

So it's a 3--sort of
a 3-point process,

and then, you throw it on.

This isn't working.
Oh, no.

Hey. That's it.

Ah.

Only another
15 square meters to go.

You want to have a crack or not?

- Yeah.
- Yeah?

Sure.

Paul: So no pressure.

Tom: I got to--
and you just flick it on?

I tell you, it looks
so easy when he does it.

He just--there you go.
That's it.

Paul: Good effort.

Hey, Michelangelo,
the Sistine Chapel's

got nothing on you, is it?

- No.
- Ha ha ha!

You could do the floor
at the same time.

Dick: While the boys finish off
the first stage of the wall,

Karen turns her attention to
hosting weddings

to boost their income.

This afternoon, she's expecting
a visit from a local couple

interested in holding their
reception here next summer.

Ew. I got bugs.
Oh, no, not shell bugs.

Dick: So Karen is on a mission
to make a good impression.

Karen: I used to love ladybugs.

I don't anymore.
They're a nuisance.

Nobody wants to come and have
their wedding at a chateau

and have bugs in it, do they?

Not these ones anyway.

Dick: Glad to see you're
letting them go free.

Like that.

Dick: Time
for the finishing touches...

Forward.
That's it.

Dick: with their newly
upholstered sofa,

which Angel helped do.

Karen: I don't need to go
to the gym today, do I?

When did you ever go
to the gym?

- Ha ha!
- Come on. When was that?

That finishes up the room
really nice, doesn't it?

Karen: It does.
Paul: It would just get wrecked

in the cinema room.

Karen: I mean, now that
the chateau

is looking beautiful,

I think we can see
weddings here,

and we need to start
making a profit.

Paul: Sorry?
Karen: Profit.

Oh, OK. That would be novel,
wouldn't it?

That'd be fantastic.

Dick: In Southwest France lies
the palatial

15th Century Chateau Lagorce.

This stunning castle is run
as a wedding venue,

and it's home to Brit Edward,
his Kosovan wife Anna,

and their 3-year-old son
Charles.

For me, coming from Manchester,
it's like, wow, you know,

the history of it
just blows your mind.

Anna: The beauty of it it, like,
takes your breath away,

and it's like, it's a dream.

Dick: Located in Au
just outside Bordeaux,

Edward's parents revamped
the chateau from a ruin,

and now it's up to Edward
and Anna to run the place.

Anna: I run the wedding side
of the business because

I think I'm more passionate
about it than Edward.

Pretty much for them, I want
everything to be perfect.

Not that he isn't able,
but I think a girl's touch

is probably better in that way.

Dick: They hold at least two
weddings a week

to pay the £80,000 a year
overhead at the chateau.

Thankfully, they successfully
pulled off

their biggest wedding
of the year,

and things have been going
even better since.

Anna: This year, we've had
36 so far,

and the season is not over yet.

Edward: But at the same time,
you know, we still got

financing on the chateau.

So, you know, if we just stop
doing what we're doing,

we'd have to--
we'd have to sell.

Dick: Today, they're preparing
for one of the final weddings

of the season,

but Anna is already
under pressure.

I haven't had any breakfast yet.

I'll be able to eat
probably later, much later,

when I know everything is done,
and then--then,

I'll be able to have something.

I feel hungry again.

Dick: Unfortunately, a freak
accident to Edward means

he's not going to be able
to help out.

I was stupid.
Earlier on this week,

I decided to--when we didn't
have anybody in at nighttime,

I decided to have a barbeque,

and I put my sausage on
my arm without thinking,

and as I flexed my arm,
I got deep second-degree burns.

So it was kind of this size
and then that size.

Yeah. So it's just one
of those things, but...

It's been very eventful.

To be honest, I didn't think
it was that bad

until actually the doctor said,
"Oh, it's really bad,

and you have to come back
over and over,"

and then I believed him
because I'm pretty much like,

"Oh, no. You don't like--
you're still alive.

You can keep on going."

[Meow]

Dick: But he's not
totally off the hook

as he needs to carry out
urgent maintenance work

on the chateau roof.

Edward: One of the kind of
maintenance jobs that

you have to do when you got
a chateau in this kind of area

and with these kind of tiles
is keeping on top of the moss.

It's looking like it might rain,

so that's why I'm trying to get
on the roof really quickly

because--although, I've been on
in frost won't be any frost,

which I advise against,
the tiles will take

a lot of the moisture,
but this lichen on the tiles,

you'll--pffff--quickly slide
and be off.

Dick: This really is a job
for a professional.

It's a long way to fall
and very dangerous.

Edward: Back in 2003
when I first went

on the roofs with a roofer,
he taught me

how to go on the roof,
so basically, you step

on two tiles at the same time,
otherwise you break the tile.

Yeah, there is moss starting
to grow up here,

so I've come about
the right time

to get this sorted.

Dick:
Killing off the moss is vital.

Otherwise, it will
eventually grow so much

it forces the tiles apart,

and that could be
very costly indeed.

Needs to be--this
doesn't seem right.

Let's give it a...

I think I might get a new one
from down the road

even though this is brand-new.

I spent a bit more
on this one, as well.

It just shows you you should go
for the 5 Euro one,

not the 10 Euro one.

Dick: It's clearly not
Edward's week.

Anna: It started to rain.

We have like 2, 4, 6--I--
10 parasols for 8 tables.

We do have a backup plan,
but it'd be a shame

to have to be inside.

So that's like--that's
annoying and upsetting.

Fingers crossed, the sun
will come out any second now.

Dick: 170 miles north
at Chateau La Perriere,

Karen is hoping to host
weddings of her own.

Karen: Eugenie, Bonjour.

- Bonjour.
- Bonjour.

- How are you doing?
- Yeah, very good.

Dick: Eugenie is
a wedding planner

and has arrived just
before the couple,

who are checking out
the chateau

as a potential wedding venue.

So it's Mile and Ayis,
and we are quite vexed

but excited
about this opportunity,

if everything goes well,

because they are
from the region.

- OK.
- So they're already married,

like, on the paper...

- Yes.
- and now they want to have

the wedding day
with all the guests.

Yes. How many people--do you
know how many people

they're looking to have?

- There would be about 80.
- 80, OK.

- So a nice sized wedding.
- Exactement.

Dick: Very nice indeed,
and here they are.

Karen is desperate to
secure the booking,

as it could open a whole new way
of making money.

- Ca va?
- Oui. Tres bien. Ayis.

Karen, Ayis, Mile.

- Bonjour.
- Bonjour.

Eugenie: So welcome to
Chateau La Perriere.

Dick: So far so good.

Now to show them
the master bedroom,

which could easily double
as a honeymoon suite.

Ayis: Magnifique.

Karen: We wanted to re-create
all the things that we love

about this chateau,
the view, the butterflies,

the lights,
and I hand-printed those

onto the fabric at the back.

The sofa, I've
just reupholstered.

It was originally
my grandparents'.

Dick:
It's looking good for Karen.

Karen: Shall we look at the view
and the location?

Eugenie: Oui.

We would have to create...

Karen: Yeah, we don't have any
lights illuminating the chateau.

Eugenie: OK. So we will have
to work on that,

but so you mentioned, like,
the whole facade

very beautifully lit,

and obviously you will have
this castle.

Dick: Tour over.

All Karen can do now is wait
until the couple decide

whether to go with the chateau.

Karen: Well,
I'm quite optimistic.

My French isn't brilliant
for me to get

a complete understanding
and emotions

of what they're saying.

Dick: They seem impressed.

Do you think that
went well today?

Yes, absolutely,

but one of a sign that we
can say it went very well...

- Yes.
- is that creativity,

imaginations was coming,
was getting to them,

and that's--it's a good sign.

Yeah, that's great.

Dick: Fingers crossed this
will be their first wedding

and open a vital new source
of income.

70 miles away
at Chateau de la Ruche,

I'm helping new B&B owners
Tim and Rebecca

in their quest to bring in
more money.

And the thing that's
stopping us is there.

Having looked at the wonky floor
in the second bathroom

they're trying to do up,
I think I found

the solution to the problem.

- That, there, on top of this.
- Yeah.

Dick: Look under your door.

You're bang on the bottom
of the door.

Tim: Yeah.

Dick: So from the top of this

to your door is level.

Dick, voice-over:
I've spotted a raised bolt

on one of the timbers,

which is stopping Tim
from aligning the floor

with the bottom of the door.

Cut it off, and hey, presto,
you've got a flat floor.

So we've been aiming
with this line along here

to kind of hit this bit
of the doorframe because

so that we didn't have
a step-in to the room,

but what you're saying actually
is take a little bit more

of that slope off.

- Yeah.
- To it so then across here

actually, most
of the bathroom is...

It is flat.

Look where that line is
over there.

Tim: So this whole area is flat,
and maybe from there onwards--

because that corner is
slightly higher than here,

there's an ever so
slight gradient up.

Ever so slight.
You happy?

Yeah. No, that really works.
That really does work.

- Good.
- Spot on. Cup of tea?

Yes. I'll just turn that off.

Oh. Take me away. Go.

Dick, voice-over: Well, I'm glad
I've managed to be of some help.

Now I want to catch up
with Rebecca,

who I believe has a lovely idea
to immortalize

the family
in the chateau's history.

- Hello, darling.
- Hey.

- Hey. Lovely to see you.
- And you.

- Whoa, hey, look at this.
- Yes.

I'm creating a bit
of a time capsule to go

under the bathroom floor
because I would absolutely love

to find something like this
that someone in the past

had left me,
so we're kind of filling it

for the stuff that
we'd like to find.

But what are you going to
put in there?

Come on. Show us what you've got
because this is--

- So...
- You got a letter?

Yes. So I've written them
a little note

about who we are and our story
and how we got here,

and then I've got a load
of photos of the house,

and I've written on the back
of them kind of

what they are,
what they're showing,

and little bits
of histories of the house.

Do you see the family being here
in a 100 years' time?

Rebecca: Yeah, I was talking to
Rufus about it yesterday,

and he said, "Well, I won't dig
it up while I'm here, Mummy."

So he's obviously
planning to stay.

So--but I said, "But what about
if your grandchildren

"or your grandchildren's
grandchildren are here?

"Don't you think it'd be really
cool if they could find

something that you'd done?"

So he's drawn this picture.

Dick: "Hello, I'm Rufus."
Isn't that lovely?

All of these things,
you're right, to find it

it would be special,
wouldn't it,

if someone's left a few,
but if you're thinking

about the floor you're
putting up there,

it'll be there for a long time,

and when people come to sort of
look underneath it,

it could be a significant amount
of time in the future.

Yeah, exactly.

Depends on how well you
build it. Ha ha ha!

Dick, voice-over: It's been
great catching up

and seeing their plans
coming together.

You got a lot of work to do.
Ha ha ha!

- Take care.
- Thank you ever so much.

- Thank you, Dick.
- Get that sorted.

- Thank you very much.
- And good luck.

Bye. Take care!

Tim: Take care.
Rebecca: Bye.

Dick: Work hard.
Rebecca: Yes. Bye.

Tim: Always.

Tim: Hello.
Rebecca: Hello.

I got the time capsule.

- You're all set?
- Yeah.

- Cool.
- So where are we putting it?

- We'll go under there.
- Yeah.

And then we're going to
fix it down.

OK.

Dick: They may have finished
the time capsule,

but there is still so much work
to do if they're ever

going to get the bathroom
finished in the next 4 weeks.

At Chateau La Perriere,
Karen and Paul's new

cinema entertainment room
is starting to take shape.

They've plastered
and painted the walls,

and now they're
finishing the floor.

Karen: That's not catching.

Yeah, this doesn't
look straight.

When everything's in, you won't
read weather it's straight.

Dick: Karen is getting creative
stenciling the floor.

Yay!
That's really pretty.

Dick: Outside, Paul is trying
to finish off

repointing the wall
he started yesterday.

Now that that it's firmed up,
he has the painstaking task

of brushing off the excess
mortar between the stones,

a very slow process.

- Paul.
- Yeah?

You know that 30-meter wall
that runs all the way down

- to the gate?
- Mm-hmm.

You did such a good job,
you can do that one next.

You're doing all right,
aren't you?

When he showed me
at the beginning of this wall

how to do this,

the chap makes it look
so effortless.

You're glad we used
the new mason

and got him to show us
to--how to do it?

Yeah, and you've learnt
a new skill,

and we've saved some money.

We've saved it,
and--well, I haven't

kind of spent it.

- Yeah.
- It's just the roof guy's

ended up sticking his foot
in the roof and making a hole,

so the money that we've saved,
it kind of pales

into insignificant because
it's going to cost

a whole lot more to do the roof.

La Perriere strikes again
is what you're saying.

Dick: Ouch.
That's life in a chateau.

Luckily, Karen has a plan.

Karen: We always find
a way round.

It normally means just having to
get Paul to work

that little bit harder really.

Are you supposed to have
brush marks on it?

On what, my sweet?

Well, like, you can see
where, like, the brushes are.

You're supposed to see that?

Yeah, because I'll get
the fine brush out.

- Oh.
- This is the number two brush.

- Number one or two?
- No, number two.

Number one is, like, very rough,

and then you got
the fine brush at the end,

which will get it to
look like...that.

I'm going to leave him to it.

I'm gonna go and put
the kettle on.

Paul: Don't be a stranger
to that kettle thing.

- Do you know where it is?
- Yes.

It's just past that other
cooker thing.

Dick: In between
making cups of tea,

Karen has now managed to finish
the stencil floor

and has already moved on
to making other things

for the room.

I'm just sewing the little ties
for the curtains,

and the curtains will just help
to soak up a bit

of the sound from the TV.

So these curtains are made
from old grain sacks.

Each individual farmer
had their own design of sacks,

so this particular farmer
had blue stripes,

and then when
the grain sacks went off,

they knew whose sacks
were whose.

This particular one was made
around about the same time

as the chateau,
so it's quite exciting

to have used the fabrics
that were around at the time

when the chateau was made.

Dick: I'm sure Angel
would love that idea.

Back in the cinema room,
Paul has already been given

his next job, sorting the
fixings for the curtain rail.

- Yeah, yeah.
- Are you ready?

Yeah, nearly, darling.
Nearly, nearly, nearly.

Karen: No, no, no, no,
no, no, not there.

- Yeah, yeah, yeah.
- No, no, no, no, no, no.

You said to put it
on the--

No, I said on the frame here.

I want them there.

Well, I was just doing
a tester hole anyway.

They're gonna sit like that,
all scrunched up.

Oh. Now you're tell me.
It's a rubbish brief.

- No, it's not.
- Good job,

but I only done them
as a starter hole, darling.

You're making it look
really hard, Dad.

Dick: Over in Pays de la Loire
at Chateau de la Ruche,

owners Tim and Rebecca also
have their work cut out,

refurbishing their second
B&B bedroom.

Tim: That's fine.
It's about 69.

Dick: They've laid down
the newly leveled floor

in the bathroom,
but now they need to tile it,

paint the walls,
and decorate the bedroom,

all in the next two weeks.

Rebecca: So while you're messing
up the floor,

I can be messing up
the wallpaper in the other room.

- Yeah.
- OK. Cool. Well, good luck.

Thank you.

Dick: Tim and his mate Dale have
been tasked with tiling

the new floor in the bathroom.

This is all about
doing things logically.

Tim: What could go wrong, Dale?

Do you want the list?

Tim: Do I look like I know
what I'm doing?

Dale: Ha ha ha!

Tim: I don't know how thick
it's got to be or anything.

Dick: This could take a while.

I can't ever remember my builder
mate Steve putting adhesive

on the tile and the floor.

Dale: Which way was
the arrow facing?

Heh.

Ha!

Dick: And it does help if you
know which way round

the tile goes.

- That way.
- Yeah.

Ha ha ha!

Dick: Well done, chaps.

As well as doing it themselves,
Tim has saved money

by using wood effect tiles

instead of solid
wooden floorboards.

At just over £600 for the lot,

he saved himself
around £1,000.

Tim: Well, now that we've laid
5 tiles,

we're basically
professional, yeah?

Dale: Ha ha ha! We can do
this for a living.

Don't know what all
the fuss is about.

- Funny thing is we do.
- Oh, yeah.

Dick: In the bedroom...

Rebecca: Oh, that's not
very helpful, is it?

Dick: Rebecca's mum Sue is over
from England to help

with the decorating.

I've got glue all over my hands,
and it's slipping out my hands.

Can you take the weight a bit?

Just put that down.
Just put it down.

Dick: They're planning to create
a feature wall with wallpaper,

and Mum is just as much
a perfectionist as Rebecca.

Sue: Brush it up.
Brush it up

to get your air bubbles out,
then again.

Rebecca, voice-over:
Mum and I are very similar.

Sometimes, this makes for
difficult working conditions.

Sue: Oh, you just pull it down.
Rebecca: Yeah.

You just pull it down a bit.

It'll be fine. We won't fall
out over wallpaper,

I don't think.

We'll see.

Sue: OK. Need a brush.

Where's the brush?
Where's the brush?

Rebecca: OK. I can't hold
the brush because

I've got the paper.

Sue: I said,
"Where is the brush?"

Don't worry, it's not heavy.

Sue: Back on this side.

Come on.

- Oh, I got it.
- Good. I'm glad you're ready.

Dick: Phew, got there
in the end.

Rebecca: It's more kind of
taking the weight of it

because that's got
all the weight.

Sue: See what
a perfectionist she is?

The slightest little of fluff,
and no one else

would've seen it, especially me.

Rebecca: Ha ha ha!

Tim: Wow.

Rebecca: What do you think?
Tim: It's really good.

I'm--I don't mean to sound so
surprised, but I'm just...

Thanks. Right. Can I see
what you've been doing?

Yeah. We haven't--we haven't
quite finished,

but our job is
a lot more difficult.

Oh, is it?
Is it way more difficult?

- Cool.
- Ta-da.

Well done.
I think that it looks good,

and I will reserve
final judgment

until it's all down.

Yeah, it looks really good.
Well done.

Dick: I reckon that's
a thumbs up,

but with the bath and shower
still to go in,

there's still lots
of work to do.

240 miles away
at Chateau Lagorce,

the wedding is just hours away,
and the weather

is still looking dodgy.

While Anna ploughs ahead
with the preparations,

Edward takes a backseat as
he's been ruled out of action.

Edward:
Oh, it's a little frustrating,

but then again these
kind of finer things

are more Anna's domain anyway.

Dick: Luckily, Anna's called
in local student Elodie,

who's been helping them out
on and off over the summer.

Anna: With one person down,
it makes a big difference.

Yeah. So, poor Elodie,
she's having to do

even more hours.

- That's fine.
- She saved my life.

Dick: And that's not
the only good bit of news,

as there finally seems to be
a change in the weather.

I think I can see the sunshine,
and it's looking like

it's clearing up.

Like, people come here
for the sunshine,

so if the sun is not shining,
then it's a big thing

because that's the only thing
that we can't control,

and I think the fact that now
it's like it should be,

now it's like I'm
feeling better already.

[Buzzing]

Dick: It's been
a very close call,

but now the wedding could
go ahead outside as planned,

and it means the grooms
can have their dream ceremony.

- Will it pin?
- Perfect.

Dick: It's a big relief
all round...

[Cheering]

although Anna's problems
are not yet over.

The reception is due to start
immediately after the ceremony,

but the catering company
providing the food

has not shown up yet.

Anna: I'm hoping I'll hear a car
any second soon.

That's the French way,
always late.

I now present you monsieur
et monsieur Gus and Tom wed.

[Cheering]

Dick: With the ceremony over,
Anna now faces the real prospect

of not having any food
for her guests.

Anna: I think I heard something.

Just a false alarm.

So now we're 15 minutes late.

Dick: As the celebrations
get underway,

Anna makes
a desperate phone call.

So, quick update.
She's definitely left there.

She should have been here
by, like, 4:30 the latest,

so we don't know what's--
why it's not here yet.

[Indistinct chatter]

Dick: Not before time, Anna's
prayers are finally answered.

Good news, and about time.
Only 20 minutes late!

No, I'm joking.
I'm saying only,

but, like, I'm fuming inside
because they had all the time

to get here,
and they knew the timings,

but obviously, they--
something must have happened

for them to be late.

So at least they're here now,
so that's what counts.

Dick: The hors d'oeuvres are
served just in the nick of time,

and the mains are on their way.

Anna: Yeah. That was
a bit stressful,

but all good now.

The grooms did not notice that
the canapes haven't started yet,

so that was perfect,
and that for them,

everything is going like
it should have been.

With everything back
on schedule,

Anna can finally relax after
one of the most eventful

weddings of the summer,

but it's proved to be
another successful one

and will ensure the upkeep
of the Chateau is maintained.

Even though we did have our
little moments of panicking,

but we made it.

Elodie: We managed it.
Anna: Yes.

- We always do.
- Oh, I know.

Dick: At Chateau la Perriere,
Paul and Karen's cinema room

has come on leaps and bounds.

The outside wall is finished
and watertight,

while inside, the children
are helping to

finish the furnishing.

Get up. This is a--I haven't got
time for you to lounge around.

We're getting the room ready.
Off you go.

Dick: They want to ensure
the room is as cozy as possible

for the guests they hope
to attract out of season.

Tom, do you mind going
and getting some nice logs?

Dick: So they've decided to
invest in a log burner,

which once connected
to the chimney stack

will be perfect for those
cool winter nights.

- Back a bit.
- To the right.

- Right and back.
- Yeah.

Back. To your right
a little bit.

Perfect.

Paul: Oh, Tom, you pro.

Good job, eh?

The next thing, big chairs.

To the left now...

Dick: To give their guests
the ultimate experience,

Paul and Karen have bought some
1930s cinema chairs

from an antiques market.

Karen: That needs to go
over to the left.

Perfect.

Dick: They're
in great condition,

but to make them sturdy enough
for people to sit on,

they're going to have to
secure them to the floor.

Karen: It is really important
that we get these seats

bolted down because
the last thing we want

is somebody sitting on it
and these heavy seats

toppling over.

Dick: No pressure then, Paul.

Karen: It doesn't look like
it's going any further.

Katie: It's not going in.

Karen: It's not
coming out either.

Heh heh heh.

Oh, did we have
the wrong attachment on it?

Ha ha ha!

Let's try a different--
different setting.

- Do you want to get Tom?
- Why?

He knows how to use the tools.
Ha ha!

Dick: Low blow.
Anybody can make a mistake,

but with the right attachment
in place...

Yeah. Like a pro, right?

Dick: the job's a goodun.

Karen: That's more palatial
than most cinema seats.

This is the point where it's
not quite together

and I fall off, isn't it?

Ha ha ha!

Dick: Karen and Paul have
managed to transform

this disused laundry room
into a comfortable

and inviting cinema that has
everything you need

for a cozy movie night in.

Karen: I love it.
I'm super, super pleased.

It feels warm in there, cozy.

I'm looking forward to tonight
having popcorn

and watching a movie together.

Paul: I think it's great fun,
and I think it's going to be one

of those things that's going
to help us get people

out of season coming here.

Dick: It's been a truly
industrious summer.

as Paul and Karen continue to
look for new ways to bring

more money into their chateau.

Paul, voice-over:
We did the chicken run,

we brought all that back to it,
we got the chickens,

we got the hens laying eggs.

Such good feedback
from the kids and the adults,

and now we can launch
the new cinema room.

Dick: Sadly, the wedding booking
never materialized,

but they're not giving up
and hope to make the chateau

profitable enough to move
over here full-time.

Paul, voice-over: The dream is
to get La Perriere to a position

where we will be here
running the business,

running the estate,
and actually take advantage

of it on a 365 days
a year basis.

Karen: That's very true.
Paul: It's a beautiful place.

- We're getting there.
- Yeah. We're getting there...

Sometimes, the journey is
a little hard work,

- but I think we'll get there.
- Yeah.

Dick: Over
at Chateau de La Ruche,

Tim and Rebecca are busy
with the refurbishment

of their second guest bedroom,

as they look to expand
their B&B.

Tim: All right. I'm good.
It has to be said, doesn't it?

Dick: Things are
certainly progressing.

They finished the floor.

The shower has gone in,
and they've also managed

to paint and wallpaper
the walls,

but Tim and his mate Dale
still need to get

the bathtub upstairs.

Rebecca: And watch the really
carefully done paint work,

won't you?

Dick: Rebecca spent all morning
painting the bath,

so she's desperate for it
not to get scraped.

Rebecca: Mind the ceiling,
mind the walls.

Dale: Want to go in the other
side and get the door?

Rebecca: Yeah.

Tim: Actually, oh, yeah.
It needs to go down this way

actually, doesn't it?

Easy.

Dick: Good effort.
That's a lot of stairs.

Rebecca: I don't know what
would've done it.

It looks like something's
brushed past it.

Something's brushed against
or rubbed into the bath.

You won't be able
to see it anyway.

Luckily it's on the back.

Dick: Thankfully it's on the
side that will face the wall,

so once it's fully fitted,
no one will suspect a thing.

Tim: There we go.
Rebecca: Yeah, I like it.

Yeah, it looks quite good,
doesn't it?

Tim: Mm-hmm.

Rebecca: No sleeping.
Got stuff to do.

Dick: The bathroom is
coming along nicely,

but there's more work to do
in the bedroom,

as it's still needs furnishing.

To add some more character,
Tim and Rebecca have picked up

an antique wardrobe
from the local flea market.

Tim: It's got a handle.

Right here.

- Oh, cool.
- With treasure.

Dick: It's amazing what
can be found lurking

in old French furniture.

Tim:
This is the introduction.

It's written
15th of April, 1916.

It's in very good nick
for something that is--

what's that, 102 years old,

so it's probably been in there
for a 100...

- 102 years.
- 102 years.

- Mm-hmm.
- How intriguing.

Dick: With only bits
of dressing left to do,

the rooms are finally finished.

It looks good.
It looks very good.

Pleased with it.

In just over a month,
Tim and Rebecca have managed

to transform a rundown room

into a stunning, spacious
luxury bedroom.

The en suite that was nothing
more than a shell has now become

an elegant bathroom
with stylish free-standing bath

and luxury shower.

Tim: It's done up really well.

The bathroom, I think exceeded

all of our expectations,
didn't it?

Rebecca:
It's been a lot of hard work

and some very, very long days,

but it's definitely
been worth it.

By having the second room,
we've obviously doubled

how much we can earn
when people come and stay,

so I think we're in--
we're in a good place.

Dick: In just under 6 months,
Tim and Rebecca

have come a long way.

From living in the kitchen
and having no hot water

and dodgy electrics,
they now have a functioning

two-bedroom B&B to bring in
much needed income.

Rebecca: When I think back
to where we were kind of

at the beginning of the summer,

I can't actually believe
how much we've achieved.

Tim: But our plan is always to
have at least a bedroom ready.

So having two suites ready
for the end of the season

or two suites kind of going
into the winter is brilliant.

Dick: They've done
an amazing job,

but they know owning a chateau
with more than 20 rooms means

the hard work
has only just begun.

Tim: We're looking
at the rest of it

and are slightly daunted
by the prospect

of having to do
everything else.

Rebecca: Yeah, but it's nice
to look at what we've done

and feel like we can achieve
the rest of it.

Just when and how will be
the next challenge.

Dick: Next time...

Woman: Aah!

Dick: emotions turn electric...

I guarantee, you've blown all
the electrics in the house.

Dick: as one couple prepare
for their first B&B guests.

I see small beginnings...

Dick: There's a whole
business opportunity...

Dick, voice-over:
and great endings.

That to me is pretty special.

Dad?

Dick: And a 20-year-old...

You need to go up on the roof.

Dick: turns chateau manager
to get her family home

out of the red.

We have no experience
in hospitality,

and we've just fallen
into it really.