Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 2, Episode 15 - Episode #2.15 - full transcript
Emma and Paul invite the mayor to view the work they have done on their chateau; Abbie, Clive and Karen host their biggest wedding of the season; Mariam and Johnno host a thank you meal for their builders.
Voice-over:
I'm Dick Strawbridge,
and along with my wife Angel
and our two children,
we've lived in this magnificent
château in France
for the last 4 years.
Angel: I love you,
I love you, I love you.
Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...
Dick:
Right, so canapés.
Dick, voice-over:
but a business.
And it turns out we're not
the only Brits
who've quit the UK
for the château life.
Wow! I've never seen
anything like this.
Can't talk.
Dick, voice-over:
Now Angel and I are back helping
more château owners
on their journey.
Dick: The whole of this has to
be completely tanked and sealed.
Dick, voice-over: We'll work
with some familiar faces...
Dick: Good to see you.
Woman: Welcome.
Dick, voice-over: and meet some
who are new to the château life.
Angela: Ta-da!
Angel: Good work. Ha ha ha!
Man: Ah!
Dick: You broke it?
Man: Yeah.
Dick: In the hole?
Man: Yeah.
Dick: That's a bit of an issue.
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes.
Angela: Aah!
Dick, voice-over: and make them
work as businesses.
Emma: Paul,
our guests are here!
Dick, voice-over: There'll be
extraordinary discoveries...
Dick: Wow, wow, wow,
wow, wow, wow!
Dick, voice-over:
and inevitable obstacles.
Angela: Aah!
Dick, voice-over: But however
hard the going gets,
for these plucky Brits,
their homes really are
their castles.
[People clamor]
Dick, voice-over: Today...
I'm in the doghouse.
I know that.
I'm always in the doghouse.
Dick, voice-over:
some wedding woes...
Karen: You're very slow.
Clive: I'm very slow.
Dick, voice-over:
a tricky lifting job...
Paul: That's it,
that's it, that's it!
Right. OK.
Emma: Whoo-hoo!
Dick, voice-over:
and has one château owner
reached the end
of her tether?
Mariam: "Restore
a château," they said.
"It'll be fun," they said.
Dick, voice-over:
as renovations crumble.
Mariam: Everybody said,
"Oh, it'll take twice as long
as you think," and I was
thinking, "No, we've got
a very organized person in
charge, and it'll be perfect."
Ha ha ha ha!
Oops.
[Birds chirping]
Dick, voice-over: The 36-bedroom
Château du Doux was bought
10 years ago for
£900,000 by IT consultant
Clive for his wife Karen,
daughter Abbie,
and sons Ross and Alex.
Karen: I thought it was
absolutely magnificent.
Beautiful building.
Loved the stairway.
But I thought,
"Oh, my goodness.
"You need a team
of people to clean it.
I'm glad that's not
my responsibility."
Abbie: And now it is. Ha ha!
Clive: But it is.
Dick, voice-over:
Located in the Dordogne valley,
they opened it up
as a wedding venue and hotel.
To expand the business,
they spent the summer renovating
and modernizing guest rooms, as
they need to make the place pay.
They're about to host the
biggest wedding of the season,
with manager
20-year-old Abbie in charge.
Abbie:
We're a little pushed.
We've done it by the skin
of our teeth,
but we've got there,
and it's done.
Karen: With a successful result.
Abbie: Success. Yes.
[Indistinct chatter]
Dick, voice-over: It's the day
before the wedding, where
the bride and groom, Elliot
and Rie, will tie the knot,
so their hosts are
rushing around.
Karen: The bride and groom, um,
have such high expectations.
They've been planning it
for probably about 18 months,
and they're meticulous,
they are perfectionists,
and they want everything
to run smoothly, so
pressure for them,
pressure for us.
Dick, voice-over: Some guests
have turned up earlier
than expected, so the room
needs finishing off.
Clive: Right.
Determined to get--
Abbie: I could go
and do it now quickly,
just dust all the sides off.
It has been cleaned.
The bathroom and everything
is ready to go.
- OK. Well--
- But it hasn't been re-dusted.
There's a couple
of flies on the side.
Clive: Oh, well.
C'est la vie.
So my mum was hoping
to re-clean the room, but
unfortunately we didn't realize
they were coming in this early.
We thought they were coming in
tonight, but hee-ho.
Clive: OK, so the room
wasn't cleaned,
or not finally cleaned,
so we have some little, uh...
yellow-striped visitors
to get rid of.
All right, let's have
a little look.
Ah, yes. Ooh, yeah.
[Vacuum motor whirring]
This is how I do
my Freddie Mercury impression
of wanting to break free.
Woman:
Thank you very much.
Dick, voice-over: But a château
owner's work is never done,
and Clive's next job is
to unblock a sink.
Clive: Oh, these stairs will be
the death of me, I think.
Right.
[Knocks on door]
Hello!
Man: Come in.
Clive: Mobile plumbing service.
Man: Yeah.
Clive: Probably just
a blocked trap. Let's see.
[Grunting]
Aha. There we go.
That's easy.
Normally they'd have come out.
[Grunts]
[Water splashes]
Well, it's not my hair.
I can tell you that. Heh heh!
Oh--three grapes.
Black grapes.
Hopefully, that's
the quick fix.
Man: Are you gonna
test it to check?
Clive: Heh heh!
Yeah, of course.
Look at that.
[Water gurgling]
There we go.
OK, there we go.
Man: Thanks a lot. Cheers.
Clive:
OK. See you. Bye.
OK. Nice bit
of fresh fruit.
Uh, that's
a first, actually.
I've, uh, never had grapes,
and they look fairly fresh.
I'm guessing they were served
this morning for breakfast.
But, yeah,
definitely a first.
Not quite sure how they got in
the plug hole, but there we go.
Ha ha ha!
We won't ask questions.
Dick, voice-over:
Emergency sorted.
Now they just need
to finish prepping the reception
for over 60 people.
Dick, voice-over: Just over
350 miles north, in Normandy,
is the 19th-century
Château de Montvason.
Couple Emma and Paul
are running it as a B&B
and this summer have branched
out into hosting events.
Paul: Hopefully we'll kind of
get a bit of a name
for ourselves
for these sorts of events,
and that would be--
that would be really good.
Dick, voice-over: In between
events, they're cracking on
with renovating rooms
in the west wing...
Emma: Whoo-hoo!
Dick, voice-over: including
an art deco bathroom.
Paul: Just a--
uh, quick cut on here.
Pretty happy.
Emma: Part of our ethos
is to restore
this beautiful building
that's been left empty
for ages and then share it
with the community.
Paul: Leaving this place
in as better condition
as I can leave it
to the next generation is
very important.
You are just a keeper of
a place. You never own anything.
Dick, voice-over: To save cash,
they've done much of the work
themselves, but the next job
for Paul
is his most ambitious
challenge yet.
Paul: Big project will be
replacing the balconies
that haven't been on
the front of the house
since about 1952.
The balconies were made
out of timber,
and I have to
re-create those.
Dick, voice-over: Building
a balcony from scratch
is no simple DIY job,
and with cash running short,
Paul's not employing
any help.
Paul: Getting it right is
gonna be huge
because I'm doing this
with a hammer and chisel.
Emma: I mean, I think Paul is--
is kind of the Superman DIY,
so I'm all about encouraging him
and, uh, telling him he
can do anything 'cause I hope
he can, 'cause I can't.
Woman: Bonjour.
Paul: Bonjour.
Dick, voice-over:
Luckily for Emma and Paul,
their neighbors who used
to live in the château
have an old photograph
showing an original balcony.
Paul: Now, I can take
a high-definition photo
with my phone now.
Dick, voice-over: Paul now has
something to base
his designs on.
Paul: We've seen exactly what
it looks like.
I've got, uh--you know,
pretty much we can see
what the measurements are
because we've got the house
to go against, but it's
quite technical.
The guys really knew what they
were doing for strength
and the rest of it, so it's
gonna take a little while.
Emma: A little bit harder
than you thought, isn't it?
Paul: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Paul studied
carpentry years ago,
so he's calling on
his knowledge to save money,
but it's
a passion project, too.
Paul: We're using
traditional joints, um,
with lap joints,
mortise and tenon joints,
and wooden pegs.
Dick, voice-over: Using these
methods, Paul should end up
with a really strong balcony,
although the joints
are by no means easy.
[Hammering]
Paul: So what I'm gonna do is
just chip a few blocks off here.
There you go.
Look at that.
[Hums]
Well...
I would say that's
really good.
[Chuckles]
Really pleased with that,
and it's nice
and square as well.
Dick, voice-over: Once the
side panels of the balcony
are built, they need to be
lined up with the fixings
on the wall
before being fitted.
[Metal clanks]
The original balconies were
simply screwed into place.
With safety in mind, Paul's
going one step further
and installing metal studs
for extra support.
Paul: I, um, put a mark
on the wall, hopefully
where the--where the drill
was gonna go through,
and what will happen here is
we're gonna be using eventually
all stainless steel so it
doesn't rot, and it doesn't make
any marks on the wood once
it's all painted.
Dick, voice-over: Emma's
visiting the UK, so Paul's
roped in his pal Rohan
to help install the balcony.
Good job, mate.
That don't mess about, does it?
Paul: What I have to do is
jack it up with a couple
of wedges of wood so the thing
goes in the hole square.
Rohan: So it goes in, what,
square and central.
Paul: Square and central.
Dick, voice-over: Now for
the tricky bit--sticking
the metal studs in the wall
with super strong resin
so they line up with the holes
in the balcony frame.
Paul: If that one works, right,
then I can go over to that one,
go bish-bash-bosh,
drill the other holes
in the bottom, do all 3
at once. All magic.
Dick, voice-over: Once the glue
sets, there's no going back,
so fingers crossed Paul's
measurements and angles
are correct.
Rohan: Did we have
a Plan B or...
[Paul exhales]
[Rohan chuckles]
Paul: Not really.
Rohan: No? Heh!
Paul: Not yet, no.
Rohan: No, no, no, no.
We'll cross that bridge
when we get to it.
Dick, voice-over: Things don't
take long to set in this heat,
and 45 minutes later...
Rohan: What you reckon?
Paul: That's as rock solid
as a rock solid thing
from Rock Solid Land.
Rohan: Oh, oh, I'm glad we
sorted that out.
Dick, voice-over: With the resin
set, it's the moment of truth.
If the stud and balcony hold
don't line up,
the chaps have
a problem on their hands.
Paul: It has to go right
into the socket first,
at the bottom.
All right.
That goes in there,
that goes in there. Now--
- How is that looking, brother?
- Well, I don't know yet.
Rohan: I tell you what,
that just went in
without no probs.
Paul: That is not in line.
It's well out.
Well out.
That is a kind of thing
that you do not want.
Dick, voice-over: Oh, dear.
Back to the drawing board.
The 17th-century
Château Domaine de la Salle
sits in 52 acres of land,
has 12 bedrooms,
two gîtes,
and its own forest.
It's home to Johnno
and his wife Mariam
and their 16-year-old son
Monty, who moved here
from Dubai to run a B&B.
Mariam: Just wanted somewhere
where you can really
breathe fresh air,
and you know it's yours
and you know whatever you do and
put into it is there to stay.
Johnno: Somewhere
to settle down, really.
Dick, voice-over: The château's
located just over 70 miles
from Bordeaux,
on the west coast.
The couple have held
their first event--
a sewing weekend
which nearly didn't happen.
Johnno: Don't think
that we're ready to host
a Mad Hatter's tea party,
let alone
a selection of guests,
but anyway, there we are.
Mariam: We can't wait
until it's finished.
You know, you just
have to do it.
Dick, voice-over: To make
the château pay and take in
more guests, they still have
a lot of renovation to do.
Mariam: I said to the mayor,
we're hoping to find people
locally to do all the work,
and he was so excited.
He turned around to whoever
else he was standing with,
he said,
"Did you hear that?
They're going to use
all local people."
Heh heh! I thought,
"Oh, gosh,
I've said that.
Now I'm gonna have to do it."
But, no, it does make sense
because they know
everything about the area,
the sort of stone it is.
I think it's been
really, really good.
Dick, voice-over: And, true
to their word, Mariam's
checking out a fireplace
for the salon that she's
ordered from local
stone mason Monsieur Livalle.
Mariam: Bonjour.
Livalle: Bonjour.
Mariam: Ça va?
Livalle: Comment ça va?
Mariam: He had sent me
some pictures over the Internet
to Dubai
of some fireplaces.
He sent me this one, and I like
it because it's not too fussy,
but it does have this curve
here that the ones
in the old houses that we've
visited all seem to have.
Dick, voice-over: The fireplace
needs to match the newest part
of the château, built
in the 19th century.
Mariam: My dilemma is that
the fireplace that I chose
is, um, from
the 18th century.
I need something
from the 19th century.
I had somehow
misunderstood.
I don't know whether I
should do what I want
or what I think is right.
Mariam: This nice little
chimney is--this one,
chimney place, fireplace,
quite nice, really.
Dick, voice-over:
Monsieur Livalle has come
to measure up
for the fireplace.
Since Mariam's visit to his
workshop, he believes he has
an original 19th-century
one that will fit,
so won't have to make
a reproduction.
Mariam: OK.
Mariam: I didn't tell you.
I've just signed on a--
an ancient fireplace
which is more expensive
than the one we've ordered.
Johnno: Right.
Mariam: But I just did it
without asking you.
Johnno: You always do that.
Mariam: Heh heh! OK.
Dick, voice-over:
Now with the deal done,
they can crack on
with getting it installed.
Clive and his family are racing
to dress the marquee,
ready for their biggest wedding
of the season.
It's important to make it
a success, as they need
to grow
their events business.
Abbie: We have got...45 minutes
before everything kicks off,
so no pressure. Heh!
Oh, gosh. That means I've got
to get this working.
Dick, voice-over: While Abbie
gets the beer pump up
and running, Clive and son
Ross are making a deejay table
from an old door
they found.
[Metal clanks]
Clive: Perfect. Right.
If you help me lift that up,
we'll put the hinges down.
Right.
You go on that end
and then flip it over,
all right?
I want the hinges to go
underneath.
That's it.
Dick, voice-over:
But the makeshift table
needs disguising.
Clive: OK, now that...
Abbie: But I think that's
pretty tacky, to be honest.
Clive: Hang on.
That sort of goes down,
doesn't it? And then up.
Abbie: What are you doing?
Karen: I am going to endeavor
to cover those legs.
Abbie: No, Mum.
That's stupid.
Karen: It isn't!
Abbie: It is.
Karen: If I find another one,
it covers--
Abbie: Yeah, but then he's got
a big, bumpy bit in the middle
that he's gonna try
and put his kit on.
Karen: That's got to look better
than your horrid legs.
Abbie: Yeah, but when you
put the tape, they're--
Clive: Nothing wrong
with my legs.
Abbie: Yeah,
but you can see the legs
when you walk in,
so you defeat the--
Karen: It's gonna be
dark, darling.
Abbie: Well, why are you
bothering with that
if it's gonna be dark?
I don't get your logic.
You're trying to cover it up
with Granny's old sheets.
[Karen giggles]
Abbie:
That looks horrendous.
That looks so bad.
Clive: Right. I think I
ought to test the beer
to make sure it's fit
for our customers.
Karen: Well, if we put it
on straight,
I think it would be fine.
Abbie: Mum?
Karen: I would, please.
Clive: It's not very clear,
Abbie. Look, it's filthy.
Abbie: Mine's not
like that.
Karen: Cheers!
Clive: Cheers.
Abbie: Cheers.
Karen: Here's to
the unfinished marquee.
Clive: Here's
to Granny's table.
[Accordion playing]
Dick, voice-over: There's
no more time for a beer break.
The guests are gathering,
and Clive and Abbie
need to get on bar duty.
Clive: Right. Well, that?
Abbie: No, no, no,
not them as well.
No, no, no,
we're just doing bubbly.
Clive: Some people
might want this.
Abbie: Yeah, but we haven't
got proper glasses
for wine.
It looks very bad.
- What have you got out there?
- Just champagne glasses.
Just do champagne.
Everyone's--
- I've just opened it now.
- Well, use them for the meal.
Clive: Well, OK, the red
can breathe. That's fine.
Abbie: The white,
just put a cork...
I drink it all the time.
Clive: Yeah, Abbie drinks
all the profits away.
Abbie: You got to try--
[Loud pop]
- Ooh, very good.
- Wow, that's a good one.
Dick, voice-over:
But Clive has another task--
sorting the pots
outside the marquee,
a job Karen asked him
to do hours ago.
Clive: I've got to go and help
Karen out with her plant.
She wants me to find
some soil from somewhere.
[Two pops]
I'm in the doghouse.
I know that.
I'm always in the doghouse.
It's my professional occupation,
being in the doghouse.
She keeps going on
about these plants.
Oh, dear. They do look
a bit sorry, don't they?
OK, so...
Right.
I'll go in search
for a shovel.
Where are you?
Whereabouts?
There's earth here, right--
right next to the marquee.
Clearly in the doghouse.
Karen wants her plants.
Karen will have her plants.
Dick, voice-over:
It's 4:00,
and the guests are
taking their seats.
Little do they know,
just a hundred feet away,
Clive and Karen are wrestling
with their potted plants.
Karen: You're very slow.
Clive: I'm very slow.
Karen: Right. I'm going to get
some more soil. And these...
Clive: There we go.
Karen: No, you need
to turn it around.
Yeah.
Clive: Color-coordinated
with the bride.
Karen: It is.
Clive: How about stealing
some from here?
Karen: Oh, no, Clive.
I've got perfect soil. Don't.
Clive: What's wrong with that?
It looks exactly the same.
Karen: No, please don't
'cause you got--[coughs]--
I want the leaves to cover it;
I don't want people
treading in all that
and treading it out.
I've got a job for you
whilst I go and get the soil.
Dick, voice-over:
Ah, I don't think Clive's
quite out of
the doghouse yet.
But just across the lawn,
love is in the air.
Man: It is an honor to speak
at this very special gathering
at this very special place,
Château du Doux.
Abbie: So, at the moment,
the ceremony's going on just
through those glass doors there,
and it's going really well.
Everyone's happy.
Everyone looks amazing.
Clive: I guess they're gonna be
about half an hour--
Abbie: We've got to move
that table out in a minute.
[Cheering and applause]
Dick, voice-over: At Château
de Montvason in Normandy,
Paul is replicating
the original château balconies,
but he and mate Rohan
have hit a big problem.
The side section of the balcony
is not lining up.
Paul:
Oh, ho ho ho. Oh.
I drilled the hole straight,
and the wall isn't,
and so therefore,
when I put the two
up together,
they didn't match,
so we learn by our mistakes.
Dick, voice-over:
Paul tries enlarging
the balcony hole slightly.
Rohan: That looks
promising, mate.
Paul: That does look
promising, doesn't it?
There you go.
There you go.
I'm looking at that.
That's absolutely smack-banging
place where it should be.
Dick, voice-over: Once Paul's
happy the sides fit,
he'll take them down and then
build the horizontals
that join them together
while it's on the ground.
That's a good idea,
but the problem will be getting
the whole thing back up,
so Paul's ringing yours truly
to see if I have
any bright ideas.
Dick: Hiya, Paul.
How you doing?
Paul: Yeah, not too bad.
Um...
got a slight, uh, dilemma
with the balconies.
Dick: Yeah, OK. I've got
a couple of pictures,
by the way, that you
sent through.
Good job, matey.
Good job.
Yeah, very impressed, indeed.
Paul: Oh, thank you.
Dick: Right, so, when you put
the, uh, the horizontals across
joining the two sides,
is there any twist in it?
Because, um, it's not
going to be
as solid as you want it
to be, is it?
Paul: Absolutely, and that's why
I want to put a cross brace
on those joints before
the thing goes up in place.
Dick: When it comes down
to lifting it,
you have
any volunteers there?
Because the last thing you
want to be doing is lifting
the whole thing up, unless
you're happy that you've got
some beef with you, OK,
that can help you do that.
Now, that can be mechanical
or it can be people.
I--I love everything
you've done so far.
It all makes sense,
and the actual craftsmanship
that's gone into that is
very impressive.
Well done, you.
Paul: Oh, thank you.
Dick: Nice talking to you,
matey. You keep smilin'.
Paul: OK, mate.
See you later.
Dick: Cheers, Paul.
Paul: Thanks, Dick.
Dick: Bye.
Paul: Bye.
Dick, voice-over: With an idea
of what he'll need to lift it
into place when built, Paul now
has to line up the other side
panel with the wall, then he can
build the horizontals.
Paul: All right. OK.
Firstly, take the bracket away.
Rohan: Right.
Happy, mate?
Paul:
I don't know yet. Heh!
The worst thing that can happen
is they don't look right,
and that wouldn't be doing
justice to the house.
It has to look right.
Absolutely solid now.
Dick, voice-over: Emma's back
from the UK, and this is
the first time she's seeing the
fruits of Paul's hard labor.
Emma: Oh, wow!
They actually look
really good on it, don't they?
Paul: They do.
Guess how much it's cost me.
Emma: Go on.
How much all together?
Paul: 300 euros.
Emma: No way.
Just--both of them?
Paul: For both balconies.
Ha!
Emma: 300 euros.
That's insane.
How much would it have cost
if we'd have got it done?
I don't even want to know.
Paul: Probably about 12,000.
Emma:
Oh, well done, honey.
That's absolutely amazing.
So proud of you.
Paul: I think that
if the neighbors come round
that remember the balconies,
and they say,
"They are just how I
remember 'em,"
that would be, for me,
the greatest compliment
and job done.
Dick, voice-over: Now Paul's
happy with the side panels,
he can crack on with building
the horizontals.
One of the joys of having
a château is the opportunity
it gives you to get
your creative juices going.
Angel: It's gorgeous.
I love it.
Something quite satisfying
about seeing something
that you've worked on
on wallpaper and now the fabric.
Very, very excited.
Dick, voice-over: Angel and I
are always finding ways
to save money
and learn new skills.
Angel: Nearly 80%
of things I do
I've never done before.
Heh heh!
Dick, voice-over:
At Château Domaine de la Salle,
Mariam is taking a leaf
out of Angel's book
and doing her own bit
of creative upcycling--
turning a sideboard
and an old copper bucket
into a sink for
a downstairs bathroom.
Mariam: So this is
the furniture we bought
to put a sink in
in the guest loo.
Um, we need to put
the basin in it.
Dick, voice-over: They paid
about £50 for the sideboard
and will use one
of the two copper buckets
for the sink, depending
on which one cleans up best.
Mariam's trying lemon juice
and good, old-fashioned
elbow grease,
with help
from workaway Yannick.
Mariam: Our neighbor knows
about everything, and so
Johnno went and saw her
the other day and said,
"How do you clean copper?"
And she said, "Oh, le--"
He said, "Is it vinegar
and salt?"
She said, "No, not copper!
It's lemons."
Thought we'd have a look.
Mariam: Don't know.
What do you think?
Yannick:
It looks a bit better.
Mariam: In 5 years,
you'll have done it.
Yannick: Maybe in 10.
Mariam: Eh.
I've not given up
on the lemon yet,
but I'm going to try
the other one, just to see.
Dick, voice-over:
Time to try something else.
Mariam's moving on
to a shop-bought
copper-cleaning solution.
Mariam: Ooh,
something's happening.
Yannick: Mmm, mmm.
Mariam: That's looking fun.
Well, it--it's looking
more promising.
I have to say--I'm sorry--
I'm not doing the lemons.
I mean, even this is going
to take forever.
Quite nice, though.
"Restore a château,"
they said.
"It'll be fun," they said.
Heh heh heh!
Dick, voice-over: It's not long
before Mariam's getting some
more cleaning advice--this time
from one of the builders.
Mariam: Oh. OK.
Mariam: So his first job was
a pâtissier.
They had big copper pots, and he
used to have to clean them,
and he said vinegar and salt.
I said I thought it was lemon.
Mariam: OK, I'm gonna go and get
the salt and the vinegar
'cause he said it works well,
and I'm a bit fed up.
It's working really well,
as well.
Look.
Dick, voice-over: However,
a larger job is looming.
The stone mason's
arrived
to fit the antique fireplace
in the salon.
Mariam: Everybody said,
"Oh, it'll take twice as long
as you think," and I was
thinking, "No, we've got
"a very organized person
in charge and it's all going
according to plan
and it'll be perfect."
Ha ha ha ha! Oops.
[Men speaking French]
Dick, voice-over: They're
piecing together old stones
from a reclaimed
19th-century fireplace.
[All exhale]
Dick, voice-over: I'm not
surprised Mariam's concerned.
You don't want any mistakes
when you've just forked out
over £2,000 for
an original fireplace.
Dick, voice-over:
By the end of the day,
it's all coming together.
Johnno: Hmm.
It looks rather nice.
Mariam: It's very nice. Yeah.
Johnno: Beautiful.
Mariam: I think
it looks fantastic.
As we're doing everything
traditionally--
the flooring is
traditional--
well, we might as well go
the whole hog and have
the fireplace that would have
originally been in here.
Johnno: Yeah,
it's brilliant.
Dick, voice-over:
Something else that's come up
brilliantly is
Mariam's copper pot.
It's nearly ready to be
fitted into the sideboard
and turned into a sink.
At Château du Doux
in the Dordogne Valley,
Clive, Karen, and Abbie's
biggest wedding of the summer
is in full swing.
The ceremony is over,
and everyone's enjoying
the reception, but there's
no rest for the hosts.
So we now undo everything
that we did this morning.
It's like Groundhog Day.
Think lilac is
my color or not?
Karen: Oh, very fetching.
Clive: Yeah?
Karen: Very fetching.
I tell you what--
we're nearly of the age
when we can have a lilac rinse.
Clive: Oh, well, you may.
Karen: Ha ha!
There's not much to rinse
in your case, is there?
Clive: Nope.
Oh, my goodness. The château
ghost has just appeared.
Clive: Who was that creeping
around at 2:00 this morning?
Karen: Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
I tell you what,
that does become you.
Very handsome.
Clive: Heh heh heh!
[Overlapping chatter]
Dick, voice-over: The chairs
from the ceremony should be
going into Clive's van so they
can be quickly taken over
to the storeroom,
but there's a hitch.
The van is full
of building materials:
5 baths, shower screens,
all sorts of things
for the next phase
of renovation,
so I'm not gonna
get the chairs--ha!
I think Ross and I are
gonna have to move
a little bit
into the cellar.
Lift.
Clive: I don't know
where Abbie has gone.
Right.
Dick, voice-over: Once the
van's empty, the family can
finally clear the way
for the evening reception.
Dick, voice-over:
They've been on the clock
for nearly 12 hours, and there's
still a long way to go.
Abbie: The caterers
will leave at about 11--
10:00, 11:00 tonight,
and then, we're then
on the bar until about 3:00
in the morning,
maybe even later.
I don't know yet.
We're in for a big night.
Heh!
Dick, voice-over: In Normandy,
at Château de Montvason,
it's a big day
for Paul and Emma,
as the two finished balconies
are due to go up.
Paul: Hopefully we're gonna get
that balcony in place here,
but I don't know whether
it will actually fit.
Dick, voice-over: Paul knows
the side panels will fit,
but it remains to be seen
if he's got
the measurements right
for the horizontals.
Paul: After the conversation
with Dick, I've had a word
with the--one of
the neighbors,
and he's gonna bring
his tractor round.
I am nervous
because, obviously,
this hasn't been
on the wall yet.
Emma: It's exciting.
I'm not even thinking
about whether it's gonna fit.
Dick, voice-over: Emma and Paul
have made life trickier
by inviting their neighbors,
the mayor,
and the local
historical society
to see the balconies
later today.
Emma: Paul has nerves,
so because I'm the supporter,
I'm not permitting myself
to have nerves, but secretly,
I'll be happy
when they're up.
And it's gonna be
as it should be.
I mean, there have been
no balconies here
since the fifties, and this is
the pièce de résistance.
It really is. It's the little
icing on the cake.
Dick, voice-over:
It's taken a hundred hours
of work to get this far.
If it doesn't fit,
it's a major rework.
Paul: All right, it's got
to go up. That's it.
Wait.
Right, so we got through it.
That's it.
Emma: Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Paul: That's it, that's it.
Emma: Yes!
Paul: All right.
Emma: Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
Dick, voice-over:
Success! I never doubted it.
Emma:
I love this double--
double spannering thing
going on.
Dick, voice-over:
Now for the second one.
Paul: That's it.
Emma: Yeah, that's good.
Yes. That's it.
We're in. I'm in.
Paul: I need to get
that end that way.
Emma: Yes, yes,
yes, yes, yes.
Paul: Wai--wait.
Emma: Well done, honey.
Paul: Once it's pulled in,
it shouldn't fall out.
Emma: It's amazing.
I actually can't
believe they're on.
Well done, baby!
Paul: Mmm!
Dick, voice-over:
A great achievement,
but the rest of the work
can wait, as the neighbors
who used to live in
the château have arrived.
Emma: Bonjour.
Paul: Bonjour.
Emma: We need to get
that picture, don't we?
Dick, voice-over: I'd say
that was picture-perfect.
Hopefully, the local
historic society
and mayor feel
the same way.
Emma: Bravo!
Paul: Ah!
Emma: Looks so good,
darling, so good.
Dick, voice-over: I have
to take my hat off to Paul.
He took on a huge challenge
and nailed it.
Emma: Good job.
Man: Good job.
[Laughter]
Dick, voice-over: It's been
a busy year for Emma and Paul,
and they've worked wonders,
but there's little time
to bask in their success,
as the next challenge is
just around the corner.
Paul: Seeing the things up
on the wall now
is just fabulous.
I can't even tell you
how happy I am.
I'm just absolutely
ecstatic.
Dick, voice-over:
Well done to them both.
They've had a busy summer.
They've welcomed guests,
started to renovate
the west wing, and held
an artists' retreat,
but there's still a lot to do.
Paul: Our next project over
the winter is the west wing,
and the west wing
needs everything.
Emma: We have the deadline
to house people
in it for the next season.
Once we finish that,
it's on to the second floor.
Only 10 rooms there.
Dick, voice-over: Good luck
with that next phase.
Dick, voice-over: Back at
Château Domaine de la Salle,
Johnno is trying his hand
at turning an old side table
and one of Mariam's
restored copper buckets
into a sink for
a downstairs bathroom.
Johnno: The plumber said he
took these taps out of a--
of a château somewhere else
about 20 years ago,
and they've been sitting
in his workshop ever since.
It's rather good they're
going to be reused.
Dick, voice-over:
A carpenter has created
a wooden base for the taps.
[Saw buzzes]
Dick, voice-over: It's now up
to Johnno to cut a hole
for the copper bucket
that will become the basin.
[Saw powers down]
Johnno: Well, that's
the starter hole,
so you can put the, um,
the blade of the saw through.
Let's see what happens.
[Saw buzzing]
Johnno: Voilà!
In some places, it's good.
In other places, it's not.
There's a bit of fine trimming
to do, which I might even be
able to do with this file,
instead of using the saw again.
That's about it
'cause it's going to rest
on the...beams
of the old drawer,
so it's pretty much there,
actually.
Dick, voice-over:
Job well done.
Dick, voice-over:
It's the next day, and Mariam
is preparing a special meal
for all the builders on site.
Mariam: I just wanted
to make a lunch
to, um, kind of thank
the workers a little bit.
I think they'll
appreciate it.
Dick, voice-over: Before
serving up, they're checking out
the Boot Room renovations,
where Mariam's handmade tiles
are taking pride of place.
Mariam: There's
the sink done with...
Johnno: Oh, there's
the tiles that you did with...
Mariam: angel up in, um--
Johnno: Yeah.
They're brilliant.
I look forward
to washing my boots there.
Mariam: Ha ha ha!
So, what do you think?
Is it nice to have something
with our house on it?
Mini château?
Johnno: Yeah, yeah.
And the--the cats
and everything.
Mariam: They're more
important than us.
They're there
for posterity.
- That's really good.
- Anyway, I'm glad it's done.
Dick, voice-over:
In the downstairs bathroom,
Johnno and Mariam's
repurposed copper bucket
has been installed
and the water connected.
Johnno: Mariam, we're going
to turn the water on.
Mariam: Can I look in?
Johnno: Yeah, of course.
Mariam: Oh, wow!
Are you happy now?
Johnno:
Yeah, very happy.
Mariam: You wanted
an odd pipework.
[Voice on radio]
Mariam: OK.
Johnno: Oui! Oui!
Man: Whoo-hoo!
Johnno: Good.
Mariam: Look.
He's smiling, too.
[Laughter]
Dick, voice-over:
It certainly is a superb bit
of creative thinking--
an old bucket
and a side table transformed
into a smart bathroom unit.
[Indistinct chatter]
Dick, voice-over: Time now
for everyone to enjoy
a celebratory lunch together
and a pat on the back
for all their hard work.
[Laughter]
Mariam: Santé.
[Woman speaks French]
[Overlapping chatter]
[Laughter]
Mariam: I love the area,
I love the place,
I love the house,
I love the people.
I love everything
about it.
Dick, voice-over:
Mariam and Johnno have had
a successful 3 months
since they moved in.
They now have
running water,
they've finished renovating
some rooms,
and hosted
a sewing weekend,
but there's still a way to go
before the B&B can take off.
Mariam: It seems a really long
time ago when we first came here
and it feels, actually, as if
we're not getting forward
very much, but when I sit down
and think about it,
it's really,
really different.
This is definitely
our forever home, isn't it?
Johnno: Yes,
I'm not moving again.
Mariam: Ha ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over:
Back at Château du Doux,
the biggest wedding reception
of the season is underway.
To make sure the wedding
goes with a bang,
Rie and Elliot have
arranged with Abbie
for a surprise firework display
for their guests,
but the reception is
running late.
Abbie: I'm going to show
everyone what to do in there,
and then I'm heading down
to the marquee
because the first dance
is on at half-10.
Karen: At half past 10?
And that's followed
by the fireworks?
Abbie: Yes,
but nobody knows that.
Karen: First dance at half-10.
Do you think it will be
on time, Abbie?
Abbie: Uh, no.
15 minutes late, apparently.
Dick, voice-over: Abbie's trying
to stall the display.
Dick, voice-over:
Unfortunately, the organizer
has another event to go to,
so Abbie'll have to stick
with the original schedule.
Man: What?
And so OK?
Abbie: We need to hurry up
with the fireworks if possible,
just get everyone down there.
Man: Right.
Abbie: 'Cause--yeah.
Man: Yeah.
Abbie: It's meant to be
at half-past, so she's a bit--
she's got
to dash off, daresay.
Dick, voice-over: As Angel and I
know all too well,
shepherding merry wedding guests
can be like herding cats,
especially when they
don't know why.
Abbie: Need to do it.
Man: Otherwise--
Elliot: Look, should we just do
it? We'll just blast them out.
- Well, no, they can--
- Get everyone down there.
We'll have at least
5, 10 minutes.
Let's get those done...
Abbie: Yeah.
Man: and then we'll get it
started, right?
So this is supposed
to be a surprise,
so nobody's meant
to know about it.
Probably shouldn't even say that
'cause people will start
suspecting things,
but, no, I'm gonna run down.
They're all going
down, so...
Man: We're headed...
Abbie: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
With around 10 minutes to go
until the schedules start,
the guests need
to get a move on.
I'm waiting till the last
person's out of the tent.
[Laughter and chatter]
[Guests cheering and whistling]
Dick, voice-over: With the day
drawing to a close,
the family are finally able
to take a well-earned break.
Karen: Wow, look at that.
Ross: That was amazing.
It's fabulous to see
the château used in this way.
It was built by an ambassador
for entertaining,
and I think that's exactly
what we're doing.
I think it just makes
the whole thing enjoyable.
Abbie: I love it 'cause
your job is working with people
on the happiest day
of their life,
so, I mean, it doesn't get
better than that.
Karen: Job well done, I think.
What do you think, Ro?
Ross: Yeah, I think it's
a job well done.
Dick, voice-over:
Angel and I understand
that wonderful feeling
when all the weeks
of working flat out
come to fruition.
The family has successfully
pulled off
their biggest wedding
of the year.
It bodes well
for the future.
Abbie: We're really happy
'cause we managed to renovate
another couple of bedrooms,
which is just getting us closer
to our final dream
of finishing them all.
Karen: We will continue
with the work
as soon as
the season's over.
I'm not even thinking
about it yet.
Dick, voice-over:
It's been a busy summer.
They've modernized many
of the guest rooms
in the apartments
and main building,
they've hosted
some fantastic weddings,
but there's still
more rooms to do.
Abbie: We've come
a long way, haven't we?
Clive: It's a long journey.
There's no two ways about it.
I mean, there are so many things
we've had to do,
in terms of the renovations,
bringing it up to standard.
Abbie: I mean, I have
no experience in contracts,
no experience in accounting,
no experience in anything,
but it's all a bit
of trial and error,
and you work it out, so...
Clive: Yeah, we're getting
there, we are getting there.
Anyway, you're doing
the pot wash next.
Abbie: No, you are.
Clive: No, come on.
Don't argue.
Off you go.
Dick, voice-over: Next time,
we meet some new château owners.
Dick: You put me in
a happy place here.
Dick, voice-over: And I sail
to their rescue.
Dick: The whole of this has to
be completely tanked and sealed.
Dick, voice-over: There's
a surprise guest in a turret...
Woman: Oh!
There it goes.
Dick, voice-over: and a tussle
over who's in charge.
Man: It's not gonna work.
Woman: And then we've got
extra space for people
sitting on--
Man: It's not gonna work.
Dick, voice-over: We catch up
with familiar faces...
Rebecca: I've got a vision,
and Tim's got a vision.
They're not--
I couldn't sing...
Tim: No.
Rebecca: which is--yeah.
Dick, voice-over: as they have
a hard sell to make.
Tim: You've got to have
a lot of imagination.
I know it looks like
a rat-infested shed,
and it is, but...
I'm Dick Strawbridge,
and along with my wife Angel
and our two children,
we've lived in this magnificent
château in France
for the last 4 years.
Angel: I love you,
I love you, I love you.
Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...
Dick:
Right, so canapés.
Dick, voice-over:
but a business.
And it turns out we're not
the only Brits
who've quit the UK
for the château life.
Wow! I've never seen
anything like this.
Can't talk.
Dick, voice-over:
Now Angel and I are back helping
more château owners
on their journey.
Dick: The whole of this has to
be completely tanked and sealed.
Dick, voice-over: We'll work
with some familiar faces...
Dick: Good to see you.
Woman: Welcome.
Dick, voice-over: and meet some
who are new to the château life.
Angela: Ta-da!
Angel: Good work. Ha ha ha!
Man: Ah!
Dick: You broke it?
Man: Yeah.
Dick: In the hole?
Man: Yeah.
Dick: That's a bit of an issue.
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes.
Angela: Aah!
Dick, voice-over: and make them
work as businesses.
Emma: Paul,
our guests are here!
Dick, voice-over: There'll be
extraordinary discoveries...
Dick: Wow, wow, wow,
wow, wow, wow!
Dick, voice-over:
and inevitable obstacles.
Angela: Aah!
Dick, voice-over: But however
hard the going gets,
for these plucky Brits,
their homes really are
their castles.
[People clamor]
Dick, voice-over: Today...
I'm in the doghouse.
I know that.
I'm always in the doghouse.
Dick, voice-over:
some wedding woes...
Karen: You're very slow.
Clive: I'm very slow.
Dick, voice-over:
a tricky lifting job...
Paul: That's it,
that's it, that's it!
Right. OK.
Emma: Whoo-hoo!
Dick, voice-over:
and has one château owner
reached the end
of her tether?
Mariam: "Restore
a château," they said.
"It'll be fun," they said.
Dick, voice-over:
as renovations crumble.
Mariam: Everybody said,
"Oh, it'll take twice as long
as you think," and I was
thinking, "No, we've got
a very organized person in
charge, and it'll be perfect."
Ha ha ha ha!
Oops.
[Birds chirping]
Dick, voice-over: The 36-bedroom
Château du Doux was bought
10 years ago for
£900,000 by IT consultant
Clive for his wife Karen,
daughter Abbie,
and sons Ross and Alex.
Karen: I thought it was
absolutely magnificent.
Beautiful building.
Loved the stairway.
But I thought,
"Oh, my goodness.
"You need a team
of people to clean it.
I'm glad that's not
my responsibility."
Abbie: And now it is. Ha ha!
Clive: But it is.
Dick, voice-over:
Located in the Dordogne valley,
they opened it up
as a wedding venue and hotel.
To expand the business,
they spent the summer renovating
and modernizing guest rooms, as
they need to make the place pay.
They're about to host the
biggest wedding of the season,
with manager
20-year-old Abbie in charge.
Abbie:
We're a little pushed.
We've done it by the skin
of our teeth,
but we've got there,
and it's done.
Karen: With a successful result.
Abbie: Success. Yes.
[Indistinct chatter]
Dick, voice-over: It's the day
before the wedding, where
the bride and groom, Elliot
and Rie, will tie the knot,
so their hosts are
rushing around.
Karen: The bride and groom, um,
have such high expectations.
They've been planning it
for probably about 18 months,
and they're meticulous,
they are perfectionists,
and they want everything
to run smoothly, so
pressure for them,
pressure for us.
Dick, voice-over: Some guests
have turned up earlier
than expected, so the room
needs finishing off.
Clive: Right.
Determined to get--
Abbie: I could go
and do it now quickly,
just dust all the sides off.
It has been cleaned.
The bathroom and everything
is ready to go.
- OK. Well--
- But it hasn't been re-dusted.
There's a couple
of flies on the side.
Clive: Oh, well.
C'est la vie.
So my mum was hoping
to re-clean the room, but
unfortunately we didn't realize
they were coming in this early.
We thought they were coming in
tonight, but hee-ho.
Clive: OK, so the room
wasn't cleaned,
or not finally cleaned,
so we have some little, uh...
yellow-striped visitors
to get rid of.
All right, let's have
a little look.
Ah, yes. Ooh, yeah.
[Vacuum motor whirring]
This is how I do
my Freddie Mercury impression
of wanting to break free.
Woman:
Thank you very much.
Dick, voice-over: But a château
owner's work is never done,
and Clive's next job is
to unblock a sink.
Clive: Oh, these stairs will be
the death of me, I think.
Right.
[Knocks on door]
Hello!
Man: Come in.
Clive: Mobile plumbing service.
Man: Yeah.
Clive: Probably just
a blocked trap. Let's see.
[Grunting]
Aha. There we go.
That's easy.
Normally they'd have come out.
[Grunts]
[Water splashes]
Well, it's not my hair.
I can tell you that. Heh heh!
Oh--three grapes.
Black grapes.
Hopefully, that's
the quick fix.
Man: Are you gonna
test it to check?
Clive: Heh heh!
Yeah, of course.
Look at that.
[Water gurgling]
There we go.
OK, there we go.
Man: Thanks a lot. Cheers.
Clive:
OK. See you. Bye.
OK. Nice bit
of fresh fruit.
Uh, that's
a first, actually.
I've, uh, never had grapes,
and they look fairly fresh.
I'm guessing they were served
this morning for breakfast.
But, yeah,
definitely a first.
Not quite sure how they got in
the plug hole, but there we go.
Ha ha ha!
We won't ask questions.
Dick, voice-over:
Emergency sorted.
Now they just need
to finish prepping the reception
for over 60 people.
Dick, voice-over: Just over
350 miles north, in Normandy,
is the 19th-century
Château de Montvason.
Couple Emma and Paul
are running it as a B&B
and this summer have branched
out into hosting events.
Paul: Hopefully we'll kind of
get a bit of a name
for ourselves
for these sorts of events,
and that would be--
that would be really good.
Dick, voice-over: In between
events, they're cracking on
with renovating rooms
in the west wing...
Emma: Whoo-hoo!
Dick, voice-over: including
an art deco bathroom.
Paul: Just a--
uh, quick cut on here.
Pretty happy.
Emma: Part of our ethos
is to restore
this beautiful building
that's been left empty
for ages and then share it
with the community.
Paul: Leaving this place
in as better condition
as I can leave it
to the next generation is
very important.
You are just a keeper of
a place. You never own anything.
Dick, voice-over: To save cash,
they've done much of the work
themselves, but the next job
for Paul
is his most ambitious
challenge yet.
Paul: Big project will be
replacing the balconies
that haven't been on
the front of the house
since about 1952.
The balconies were made
out of timber,
and I have to
re-create those.
Dick, voice-over: Building
a balcony from scratch
is no simple DIY job,
and with cash running short,
Paul's not employing
any help.
Paul: Getting it right is
gonna be huge
because I'm doing this
with a hammer and chisel.
Emma: I mean, I think Paul is--
is kind of the Superman DIY,
so I'm all about encouraging him
and, uh, telling him he
can do anything 'cause I hope
he can, 'cause I can't.
Woman: Bonjour.
Paul: Bonjour.
Dick, voice-over:
Luckily for Emma and Paul,
their neighbors who used
to live in the château
have an old photograph
showing an original balcony.
Paul: Now, I can take
a high-definition photo
with my phone now.
Dick, voice-over: Paul now has
something to base
his designs on.
Paul: We've seen exactly what
it looks like.
I've got, uh--you know,
pretty much we can see
what the measurements are
because we've got the house
to go against, but it's
quite technical.
The guys really knew what they
were doing for strength
and the rest of it, so it's
gonna take a little while.
Emma: A little bit harder
than you thought, isn't it?
Paul: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Paul studied
carpentry years ago,
so he's calling on
his knowledge to save money,
but it's
a passion project, too.
Paul: We're using
traditional joints, um,
with lap joints,
mortise and tenon joints,
and wooden pegs.
Dick, voice-over: Using these
methods, Paul should end up
with a really strong balcony,
although the joints
are by no means easy.
[Hammering]
Paul: So what I'm gonna do is
just chip a few blocks off here.
There you go.
Look at that.
[Hums]
Well...
I would say that's
really good.
[Chuckles]
Really pleased with that,
and it's nice
and square as well.
Dick, voice-over: Once the
side panels of the balcony
are built, they need to be
lined up with the fixings
on the wall
before being fitted.
[Metal clanks]
The original balconies were
simply screwed into place.
With safety in mind, Paul's
going one step further
and installing metal studs
for extra support.
Paul: I, um, put a mark
on the wall, hopefully
where the--where the drill
was gonna go through,
and what will happen here is
we're gonna be using eventually
all stainless steel so it
doesn't rot, and it doesn't make
any marks on the wood once
it's all painted.
Dick, voice-over: Emma's
visiting the UK, so Paul's
roped in his pal Rohan
to help install the balcony.
Good job, mate.
That don't mess about, does it?
Paul: What I have to do is
jack it up with a couple
of wedges of wood so the thing
goes in the hole square.
Rohan: So it goes in, what,
square and central.
Paul: Square and central.
Dick, voice-over: Now for
the tricky bit--sticking
the metal studs in the wall
with super strong resin
so they line up with the holes
in the balcony frame.
Paul: If that one works, right,
then I can go over to that one,
go bish-bash-bosh,
drill the other holes
in the bottom, do all 3
at once. All magic.
Dick, voice-over: Once the glue
sets, there's no going back,
so fingers crossed Paul's
measurements and angles
are correct.
Rohan: Did we have
a Plan B or...
[Paul exhales]
[Rohan chuckles]
Paul: Not really.
Rohan: No? Heh!
Paul: Not yet, no.
Rohan: No, no, no, no.
We'll cross that bridge
when we get to it.
Dick, voice-over: Things don't
take long to set in this heat,
and 45 minutes later...
Rohan: What you reckon?
Paul: That's as rock solid
as a rock solid thing
from Rock Solid Land.
Rohan: Oh, oh, I'm glad we
sorted that out.
Dick, voice-over: With the resin
set, it's the moment of truth.
If the stud and balcony hold
don't line up,
the chaps have
a problem on their hands.
Paul: It has to go right
into the socket first,
at the bottom.
All right.
That goes in there,
that goes in there. Now--
- How is that looking, brother?
- Well, I don't know yet.
Rohan: I tell you what,
that just went in
without no probs.
Paul: That is not in line.
It's well out.
Well out.
That is a kind of thing
that you do not want.
Dick, voice-over: Oh, dear.
Back to the drawing board.
The 17th-century
Château Domaine de la Salle
sits in 52 acres of land,
has 12 bedrooms,
two gîtes,
and its own forest.
It's home to Johnno
and his wife Mariam
and their 16-year-old son
Monty, who moved here
from Dubai to run a B&B.
Mariam: Just wanted somewhere
where you can really
breathe fresh air,
and you know it's yours
and you know whatever you do and
put into it is there to stay.
Johnno: Somewhere
to settle down, really.
Dick, voice-over: The château's
located just over 70 miles
from Bordeaux,
on the west coast.
The couple have held
their first event--
a sewing weekend
which nearly didn't happen.
Johnno: Don't think
that we're ready to host
a Mad Hatter's tea party,
let alone
a selection of guests,
but anyway, there we are.
Mariam: We can't wait
until it's finished.
You know, you just
have to do it.
Dick, voice-over: To make
the château pay and take in
more guests, they still have
a lot of renovation to do.
Mariam: I said to the mayor,
we're hoping to find people
locally to do all the work,
and he was so excited.
He turned around to whoever
else he was standing with,
he said,
"Did you hear that?
They're going to use
all local people."
Heh heh! I thought,
"Oh, gosh,
I've said that.
Now I'm gonna have to do it."
But, no, it does make sense
because they know
everything about the area,
the sort of stone it is.
I think it's been
really, really good.
Dick, voice-over: And, true
to their word, Mariam's
checking out a fireplace
for the salon that she's
ordered from local
stone mason Monsieur Livalle.
Mariam: Bonjour.
Livalle: Bonjour.
Mariam: Ça va?
Livalle: Comment ça va?
Mariam: He had sent me
some pictures over the Internet
to Dubai
of some fireplaces.
He sent me this one, and I like
it because it's not too fussy,
but it does have this curve
here that the ones
in the old houses that we've
visited all seem to have.
Dick, voice-over: The fireplace
needs to match the newest part
of the château, built
in the 19th century.
Mariam: My dilemma is that
the fireplace that I chose
is, um, from
the 18th century.
I need something
from the 19th century.
I had somehow
misunderstood.
I don't know whether I
should do what I want
or what I think is right.
Mariam: This nice little
chimney is--this one,
chimney place, fireplace,
quite nice, really.
Dick, voice-over:
Monsieur Livalle has come
to measure up
for the fireplace.
Since Mariam's visit to his
workshop, he believes he has
an original 19th-century
one that will fit,
so won't have to make
a reproduction.
Mariam: OK.
Mariam: I didn't tell you.
I've just signed on a--
an ancient fireplace
which is more expensive
than the one we've ordered.
Johnno: Right.
Mariam: But I just did it
without asking you.
Johnno: You always do that.
Mariam: Heh heh! OK.
Dick, voice-over:
Now with the deal done,
they can crack on
with getting it installed.
Clive and his family are racing
to dress the marquee,
ready for their biggest wedding
of the season.
It's important to make it
a success, as they need
to grow
their events business.
Abbie: We have got...45 minutes
before everything kicks off,
so no pressure. Heh!
Oh, gosh. That means I've got
to get this working.
Dick, voice-over: While Abbie
gets the beer pump up
and running, Clive and son
Ross are making a deejay table
from an old door
they found.
[Metal clanks]
Clive: Perfect. Right.
If you help me lift that up,
we'll put the hinges down.
Right.
You go on that end
and then flip it over,
all right?
I want the hinges to go
underneath.
That's it.
Dick, voice-over:
But the makeshift table
needs disguising.
Clive: OK, now that...
Abbie: But I think that's
pretty tacky, to be honest.
Clive: Hang on.
That sort of goes down,
doesn't it? And then up.
Abbie: What are you doing?
Karen: I am going to endeavor
to cover those legs.
Abbie: No, Mum.
That's stupid.
Karen: It isn't!
Abbie: It is.
Karen: If I find another one,
it covers--
Abbie: Yeah, but then he's got
a big, bumpy bit in the middle
that he's gonna try
and put his kit on.
Karen: That's got to look better
than your horrid legs.
Abbie: Yeah, but when you
put the tape, they're--
Clive: Nothing wrong
with my legs.
Abbie: Yeah,
but you can see the legs
when you walk in,
so you defeat the--
Karen: It's gonna be
dark, darling.
Abbie: Well, why are you
bothering with that
if it's gonna be dark?
I don't get your logic.
You're trying to cover it up
with Granny's old sheets.
[Karen giggles]
Abbie:
That looks horrendous.
That looks so bad.
Clive: Right. I think I
ought to test the beer
to make sure it's fit
for our customers.
Karen: Well, if we put it
on straight,
I think it would be fine.
Abbie: Mum?
Karen: I would, please.
Clive: It's not very clear,
Abbie. Look, it's filthy.
Abbie: Mine's not
like that.
Karen: Cheers!
Clive: Cheers.
Abbie: Cheers.
Karen: Here's to
the unfinished marquee.
Clive: Here's
to Granny's table.
[Accordion playing]
Dick, voice-over: There's
no more time for a beer break.
The guests are gathering,
and Clive and Abbie
need to get on bar duty.
Clive: Right. Well, that?
Abbie: No, no, no,
not them as well.
No, no, no,
we're just doing bubbly.
Clive: Some people
might want this.
Abbie: Yeah, but we haven't
got proper glasses
for wine.
It looks very bad.
- What have you got out there?
- Just champagne glasses.
Just do champagne.
Everyone's--
- I've just opened it now.
- Well, use them for the meal.
Clive: Well, OK, the red
can breathe. That's fine.
Abbie: The white,
just put a cork...
I drink it all the time.
Clive: Yeah, Abbie drinks
all the profits away.
Abbie: You got to try--
[Loud pop]
- Ooh, very good.
- Wow, that's a good one.
Dick, voice-over:
But Clive has another task--
sorting the pots
outside the marquee,
a job Karen asked him
to do hours ago.
Clive: I've got to go and help
Karen out with her plant.
She wants me to find
some soil from somewhere.
[Two pops]
I'm in the doghouse.
I know that.
I'm always in the doghouse.
It's my professional occupation,
being in the doghouse.
She keeps going on
about these plants.
Oh, dear. They do look
a bit sorry, don't they?
OK, so...
Right.
I'll go in search
for a shovel.
Where are you?
Whereabouts?
There's earth here, right--
right next to the marquee.
Clearly in the doghouse.
Karen wants her plants.
Karen will have her plants.
Dick, voice-over:
It's 4:00,
and the guests are
taking their seats.
Little do they know,
just a hundred feet away,
Clive and Karen are wrestling
with their potted plants.
Karen: You're very slow.
Clive: I'm very slow.
Karen: Right. I'm going to get
some more soil. And these...
Clive: There we go.
Karen: No, you need
to turn it around.
Yeah.
Clive: Color-coordinated
with the bride.
Karen: It is.
Clive: How about stealing
some from here?
Karen: Oh, no, Clive.
I've got perfect soil. Don't.
Clive: What's wrong with that?
It looks exactly the same.
Karen: No, please don't
'cause you got--[coughs]--
I want the leaves to cover it;
I don't want people
treading in all that
and treading it out.
I've got a job for you
whilst I go and get the soil.
Dick, voice-over:
Ah, I don't think Clive's
quite out of
the doghouse yet.
But just across the lawn,
love is in the air.
Man: It is an honor to speak
at this very special gathering
at this very special place,
Château du Doux.
Abbie: So, at the moment,
the ceremony's going on just
through those glass doors there,
and it's going really well.
Everyone's happy.
Everyone looks amazing.
Clive: I guess they're gonna be
about half an hour--
Abbie: We've got to move
that table out in a minute.
[Cheering and applause]
Dick, voice-over: At Château
de Montvason in Normandy,
Paul is replicating
the original château balconies,
but he and mate Rohan
have hit a big problem.
The side section of the balcony
is not lining up.
Paul:
Oh, ho ho ho. Oh.
I drilled the hole straight,
and the wall isn't,
and so therefore,
when I put the two
up together,
they didn't match,
so we learn by our mistakes.
Dick, voice-over:
Paul tries enlarging
the balcony hole slightly.
Rohan: That looks
promising, mate.
Paul: That does look
promising, doesn't it?
There you go.
There you go.
I'm looking at that.
That's absolutely smack-banging
place where it should be.
Dick, voice-over: Once Paul's
happy the sides fit,
he'll take them down and then
build the horizontals
that join them together
while it's on the ground.
That's a good idea,
but the problem will be getting
the whole thing back up,
so Paul's ringing yours truly
to see if I have
any bright ideas.
Dick: Hiya, Paul.
How you doing?
Paul: Yeah, not too bad.
Um...
got a slight, uh, dilemma
with the balconies.
Dick: Yeah, OK. I've got
a couple of pictures,
by the way, that you
sent through.
Good job, matey.
Good job.
Yeah, very impressed, indeed.
Paul: Oh, thank you.
Dick: Right, so, when you put
the, uh, the horizontals across
joining the two sides,
is there any twist in it?
Because, um, it's not
going to be
as solid as you want it
to be, is it?
Paul: Absolutely, and that's why
I want to put a cross brace
on those joints before
the thing goes up in place.
Dick: When it comes down
to lifting it,
you have
any volunteers there?
Because the last thing you
want to be doing is lifting
the whole thing up, unless
you're happy that you've got
some beef with you, OK,
that can help you do that.
Now, that can be mechanical
or it can be people.
I--I love everything
you've done so far.
It all makes sense,
and the actual craftsmanship
that's gone into that is
very impressive.
Well done, you.
Paul: Oh, thank you.
Dick: Nice talking to you,
matey. You keep smilin'.
Paul: OK, mate.
See you later.
Dick: Cheers, Paul.
Paul: Thanks, Dick.
Dick: Bye.
Paul: Bye.
Dick, voice-over: With an idea
of what he'll need to lift it
into place when built, Paul now
has to line up the other side
panel with the wall, then he can
build the horizontals.
Paul: All right. OK.
Firstly, take the bracket away.
Rohan: Right.
Happy, mate?
Paul:
I don't know yet. Heh!
The worst thing that can happen
is they don't look right,
and that wouldn't be doing
justice to the house.
It has to look right.
Absolutely solid now.
Dick, voice-over: Emma's back
from the UK, and this is
the first time she's seeing the
fruits of Paul's hard labor.
Emma: Oh, wow!
They actually look
really good on it, don't they?
Paul: They do.
Guess how much it's cost me.
Emma: Go on.
How much all together?
Paul: 300 euros.
Emma: No way.
Just--both of them?
Paul: For both balconies.
Ha!
Emma: 300 euros.
That's insane.
How much would it have cost
if we'd have got it done?
I don't even want to know.
Paul: Probably about 12,000.
Emma:
Oh, well done, honey.
That's absolutely amazing.
So proud of you.
Paul: I think that
if the neighbors come round
that remember the balconies,
and they say,
"They are just how I
remember 'em,"
that would be, for me,
the greatest compliment
and job done.
Dick, voice-over: Now Paul's
happy with the side panels,
he can crack on with building
the horizontals.
One of the joys of having
a château is the opportunity
it gives you to get
your creative juices going.
Angel: It's gorgeous.
I love it.
Something quite satisfying
about seeing something
that you've worked on
on wallpaper and now the fabric.
Very, very excited.
Dick, voice-over: Angel and I
are always finding ways
to save money
and learn new skills.
Angel: Nearly 80%
of things I do
I've never done before.
Heh heh!
Dick, voice-over:
At Château Domaine de la Salle,
Mariam is taking a leaf
out of Angel's book
and doing her own bit
of creative upcycling--
turning a sideboard
and an old copper bucket
into a sink for
a downstairs bathroom.
Mariam: So this is
the furniture we bought
to put a sink in
in the guest loo.
Um, we need to put
the basin in it.
Dick, voice-over: They paid
about £50 for the sideboard
and will use one
of the two copper buckets
for the sink, depending
on which one cleans up best.
Mariam's trying lemon juice
and good, old-fashioned
elbow grease,
with help
from workaway Yannick.
Mariam: Our neighbor knows
about everything, and so
Johnno went and saw her
the other day and said,
"How do you clean copper?"
And she said, "Oh, le--"
He said, "Is it vinegar
and salt?"
She said, "No, not copper!
It's lemons."
Thought we'd have a look.
Mariam: Don't know.
What do you think?
Yannick:
It looks a bit better.
Mariam: In 5 years,
you'll have done it.
Yannick: Maybe in 10.
Mariam: Eh.
I've not given up
on the lemon yet,
but I'm going to try
the other one, just to see.
Dick, voice-over:
Time to try something else.
Mariam's moving on
to a shop-bought
copper-cleaning solution.
Mariam: Ooh,
something's happening.
Yannick: Mmm, mmm.
Mariam: That's looking fun.
Well, it--it's looking
more promising.
I have to say--I'm sorry--
I'm not doing the lemons.
I mean, even this is going
to take forever.
Quite nice, though.
"Restore a château,"
they said.
"It'll be fun," they said.
Heh heh heh!
Dick, voice-over: It's not long
before Mariam's getting some
more cleaning advice--this time
from one of the builders.
Mariam: Oh. OK.
Mariam: So his first job was
a pâtissier.
They had big copper pots, and he
used to have to clean them,
and he said vinegar and salt.
I said I thought it was lemon.
Mariam: OK, I'm gonna go and get
the salt and the vinegar
'cause he said it works well,
and I'm a bit fed up.
It's working really well,
as well.
Look.
Dick, voice-over: However,
a larger job is looming.
The stone mason's
arrived
to fit the antique fireplace
in the salon.
Mariam: Everybody said,
"Oh, it'll take twice as long
as you think," and I was
thinking, "No, we've got
"a very organized person
in charge and it's all going
according to plan
and it'll be perfect."
Ha ha ha ha! Oops.
[Men speaking French]
Dick, voice-over: They're
piecing together old stones
from a reclaimed
19th-century fireplace.
[All exhale]
Dick, voice-over: I'm not
surprised Mariam's concerned.
You don't want any mistakes
when you've just forked out
over £2,000 for
an original fireplace.
Dick, voice-over:
By the end of the day,
it's all coming together.
Johnno: Hmm.
It looks rather nice.
Mariam: It's very nice. Yeah.
Johnno: Beautiful.
Mariam: I think
it looks fantastic.
As we're doing everything
traditionally--
the flooring is
traditional--
well, we might as well go
the whole hog and have
the fireplace that would have
originally been in here.
Johnno: Yeah,
it's brilliant.
Dick, voice-over:
Something else that's come up
brilliantly is
Mariam's copper pot.
It's nearly ready to be
fitted into the sideboard
and turned into a sink.
At Château du Doux
in the Dordogne Valley,
Clive, Karen, and Abbie's
biggest wedding of the summer
is in full swing.
The ceremony is over,
and everyone's enjoying
the reception, but there's
no rest for the hosts.
So we now undo everything
that we did this morning.
It's like Groundhog Day.
Think lilac is
my color or not?
Karen: Oh, very fetching.
Clive: Yeah?
Karen: Very fetching.
I tell you what--
we're nearly of the age
when we can have a lilac rinse.
Clive: Oh, well, you may.
Karen: Ha ha!
There's not much to rinse
in your case, is there?
Clive: Nope.
Oh, my goodness. The château
ghost has just appeared.
Clive: Who was that creeping
around at 2:00 this morning?
Karen: Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
I tell you what,
that does become you.
Very handsome.
Clive: Heh heh heh!
[Overlapping chatter]
Dick, voice-over: The chairs
from the ceremony should be
going into Clive's van so they
can be quickly taken over
to the storeroom,
but there's a hitch.
The van is full
of building materials:
5 baths, shower screens,
all sorts of things
for the next phase
of renovation,
so I'm not gonna
get the chairs--ha!
I think Ross and I are
gonna have to move
a little bit
into the cellar.
Lift.
Clive: I don't know
where Abbie has gone.
Right.
Dick, voice-over: Once the
van's empty, the family can
finally clear the way
for the evening reception.
Dick, voice-over:
They've been on the clock
for nearly 12 hours, and there's
still a long way to go.
Abbie: The caterers
will leave at about 11--
10:00, 11:00 tonight,
and then, we're then
on the bar until about 3:00
in the morning,
maybe even later.
I don't know yet.
We're in for a big night.
Heh!
Dick, voice-over: In Normandy,
at Château de Montvason,
it's a big day
for Paul and Emma,
as the two finished balconies
are due to go up.
Paul: Hopefully we're gonna get
that balcony in place here,
but I don't know whether
it will actually fit.
Dick, voice-over: Paul knows
the side panels will fit,
but it remains to be seen
if he's got
the measurements right
for the horizontals.
Paul: After the conversation
with Dick, I've had a word
with the--one of
the neighbors,
and he's gonna bring
his tractor round.
I am nervous
because, obviously,
this hasn't been
on the wall yet.
Emma: It's exciting.
I'm not even thinking
about whether it's gonna fit.
Dick, voice-over: Emma and Paul
have made life trickier
by inviting their neighbors,
the mayor,
and the local
historical society
to see the balconies
later today.
Emma: Paul has nerves,
so because I'm the supporter,
I'm not permitting myself
to have nerves, but secretly,
I'll be happy
when they're up.
And it's gonna be
as it should be.
I mean, there have been
no balconies here
since the fifties, and this is
the pièce de résistance.
It really is. It's the little
icing on the cake.
Dick, voice-over:
It's taken a hundred hours
of work to get this far.
If it doesn't fit,
it's a major rework.
Paul: All right, it's got
to go up. That's it.
Wait.
Right, so we got through it.
That's it.
Emma: Yeah, yeah, yeah!
Paul: That's it, that's it.
Emma: Yes!
Paul: All right.
Emma: Whoo-hoo-hoo-hoo!
Dick, voice-over:
Success! I never doubted it.
Emma:
I love this double--
double spannering thing
going on.
Dick, voice-over:
Now for the second one.
Paul: That's it.
Emma: Yeah, that's good.
Yes. That's it.
We're in. I'm in.
Paul: I need to get
that end that way.
Emma: Yes, yes,
yes, yes, yes.
Paul: Wai--wait.
Emma: Well done, honey.
Paul: Once it's pulled in,
it shouldn't fall out.
Emma: It's amazing.
I actually can't
believe they're on.
Well done, baby!
Paul: Mmm!
Dick, voice-over:
A great achievement,
but the rest of the work
can wait, as the neighbors
who used to live in
the château have arrived.
Emma: Bonjour.
Paul: Bonjour.
Emma: We need to get
that picture, don't we?
Dick, voice-over: I'd say
that was picture-perfect.
Hopefully, the local
historic society
and mayor feel
the same way.
Emma: Bravo!
Paul: Ah!
Emma: Looks so good,
darling, so good.
Dick, voice-over: I have
to take my hat off to Paul.
He took on a huge challenge
and nailed it.
Emma: Good job.
Man: Good job.
[Laughter]
Dick, voice-over: It's been
a busy year for Emma and Paul,
and they've worked wonders,
but there's little time
to bask in their success,
as the next challenge is
just around the corner.
Paul: Seeing the things up
on the wall now
is just fabulous.
I can't even tell you
how happy I am.
I'm just absolutely
ecstatic.
Dick, voice-over:
Well done to them both.
They've had a busy summer.
They've welcomed guests,
started to renovate
the west wing, and held
an artists' retreat,
but there's still a lot to do.
Paul: Our next project over
the winter is the west wing,
and the west wing
needs everything.
Emma: We have the deadline
to house people
in it for the next season.
Once we finish that,
it's on to the second floor.
Only 10 rooms there.
Dick, voice-over: Good luck
with that next phase.
Dick, voice-over: Back at
Château Domaine de la Salle,
Johnno is trying his hand
at turning an old side table
and one of Mariam's
restored copper buckets
into a sink for
a downstairs bathroom.
Johnno: The plumber said he
took these taps out of a--
of a château somewhere else
about 20 years ago,
and they've been sitting
in his workshop ever since.
It's rather good they're
going to be reused.
Dick, voice-over:
A carpenter has created
a wooden base for the taps.
[Saw buzzes]
Dick, voice-over: It's now up
to Johnno to cut a hole
for the copper bucket
that will become the basin.
[Saw powers down]
Johnno: Well, that's
the starter hole,
so you can put the, um,
the blade of the saw through.
Let's see what happens.
[Saw buzzing]
Johnno: Voilà!
In some places, it's good.
In other places, it's not.
There's a bit of fine trimming
to do, which I might even be
able to do with this file,
instead of using the saw again.
That's about it
'cause it's going to rest
on the...beams
of the old drawer,
so it's pretty much there,
actually.
Dick, voice-over:
Job well done.
Dick, voice-over:
It's the next day, and Mariam
is preparing a special meal
for all the builders on site.
Mariam: I just wanted
to make a lunch
to, um, kind of thank
the workers a little bit.
I think they'll
appreciate it.
Dick, voice-over: Before
serving up, they're checking out
the Boot Room renovations,
where Mariam's handmade tiles
are taking pride of place.
Mariam: There's
the sink done with...
Johnno: Oh, there's
the tiles that you did with...
Mariam: angel up in, um--
Johnno: Yeah.
They're brilliant.
I look forward
to washing my boots there.
Mariam: Ha ha ha!
So, what do you think?
Is it nice to have something
with our house on it?
Mini château?
Johnno: Yeah, yeah.
And the--the cats
and everything.
Mariam: They're more
important than us.
They're there
for posterity.
- That's really good.
- Anyway, I'm glad it's done.
Dick, voice-over:
In the downstairs bathroom,
Johnno and Mariam's
repurposed copper bucket
has been installed
and the water connected.
Johnno: Mariam, we're going
to turn the water on.
Mariam: Can I look in?
Johnno: Yeah, of course.
Mariam: Oh, wow!
Are you happy now?
Johnno:
Yeah, very happy.
Mariam: You wanted
an odd pipework.
[Voice on radio]
Mariam: OK.
Johnno: Oui! Oui!
Man: Whoo-hoo!
Johnno: Good.
Mariam: Look.
He's smiling, too.
[Laughter]
Dick, voice-over:
It certainly is a superb bit
of creative thinking--
an old bucket
and a side table transformed
into a smart bathroom unit.
[Indistinct chatter]
Dick, voice-over: Time now
for everyone to enjoy
a celebratory lunch together
and a pat on the back
for all their hard work.
[Laughter]
Mariam: Santé.
[Woman speaks French]
[Overlapping chatter]
[Laughter]
Mariam: I love the area,
I love the place,
I love the house,
I love the people.
I love everything
about it.
Dick, voice-over:
Mariam and Johnno have had
a successful 3 months
since they moved in.
They now have
running water,
they've finished renovating
some rooms,
and hosted
a sewing weekend,
but there's still a way to go
before the B&B can take off.
Mariam: It seems a really long
time ago when we first came here
and it feels, actually, as if
we're not getting forward
very much, but when I sit down
and think about it,
it's really,
really different.
This is definitely
our forever home, isn't it?
Johnno: Yes,
I'm not moving again.
Mariam: Ha ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over:
Back at Château du Doux,
the biggest wedding reception
of the season is underway.
To make sure the wedding
goes with a bang,
Rie and Elliot have
arranged with Abbie
for a surprise firework display
for their guests,
but the reception is
running late.
Abbie: I'm going to show
everyone what to do in there,
and then I'm heading down
to the marquee
because the first dance
is on at half-10.
Karen: At half past 10?
And that's followed
by the fireworks?
Abbie: Yes,
but nobody knows that.
Karen: First dance at half-10.
Do you think it will be
on time, Abbie?
Abbie: Uh, no.
15 minutes late, apparently.
Dick, voice-over: Abbie's trying
to stall the display.
Dick, voice-over:
Unfortunately, the organizer
has another event to go to,
so Abbie'll have to stick
with the original schedule.
Man: What?
And so OK?
Abbie: We need to hurry up
with the fireworks if possible,
just get everyone down there.
Man: Right.
Abbie: 'Cause--yeah.
Man: Yeah.
Abbie: It's meant to be
at half-past, so she's a bit--
she's got
to dash off, daresay.
Dick, voice-over: As Angel and I
know all too well,
shepherding merry wedding guests
can be like herding cats,
especially when they
don't know why.
Abbie: Need to do it.
Man: Otherwise--
Elliot: Look, should we just do
it? We'll just blast them out.
- Well, no, they can--
- Get everyone down there.
We'll have at least
5, 10 minutes.
Let's get those done...
Abbie: Yeah.
Man: and then we'll get it
started, right?
So this is supposed
to be a surprise,
so nobody's meant
to know about it.
Probably shouldn't even say that
'cause people will start
suspecting things,
but, no, I'm gonna run down.
They're all going
down, so...
Man: We're headed...
Abbie: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
With around 10 minutes to go
until the schedules start,
the guests need
to get a move on.
I'm waiting till the last
person's out of the tent.
[Laughter and chatter]
[Guests cheering and whistling]
Dick, voice-over: With the day
drawing to a close,
the family are finally able
to take a well-earned break.
Karen: Wow, look at that.
Ross: That was amazing.
It's fabulous to see
the château used in this way.
It was built by an ambassador
for entertaining,
and I think that's exactly
what we're doing.
I think it just makes
the whole thing enjoyable.
Abbie: I love it 'cause
your job is working with people
on the happiest day
of their life,
so, I mean, it doesn't get
better than that.
Karen: Job well done, I think.
What do you think, Ro?
Ross: Yeah, I think it's
a job well done.
Dick, voice-over:
Angel and I understand
that wonderful feeling
when all the weeks
of working flat out
come to fruition.
The family has successfully
pulled off
their biggest wedding
of the year.
It bodes well
for the future.
Abbie: We're really happy
'cause we managed to renovate
another couple of bedrooms,
which is just getting us closer
to our final dream
of finishing them all.
Karen: We will continue
with the work
as soon as
the season's over.
I'm not even thinking
about it yet.
Dick, voice-over:
It's been a busy summer.
They've modernized many
of the guest rooms
in the apartments
and main building,
they've hosted
some fantastic weddings,
but there's still
more rooms to do.
Abbie: We've come
a long way, haven't we?
Clive: It's a long journey.
There's no two ways about it.
I mean, there are so many things
we've had to do,
in terms of the renovations,
bringing it up to standard.
Abbie: I mean, I have
no experience in contracts,
no experience in accounting,
no experience in anything,
but it's all a bit
of trial and error,
and you work it out, so...
Clive: Yeah, we're getting
there, we are getting there.
Anyway, you're doing
the pot wash next.
Abbie: No, you are.
Clive: No, come on.
Don't argue.
Off you go.
Dick, voice-over: Next time,
we meet some new château owners.
Dick: You put me in
a happy place here.
Dick, voice-over: And I sail
to their rescue.
Dick: The whole of this has to
be completely tanked and sealed.
Dick, voice-over: There's
a surprise guest in a turret...
Woman: Oh!
There it goes.
Dick, voice-over: and a tussle
over who's in charge.
Man: It's not gonna work.
Woman: And then we've got
extra space for people
sitting on--
Man: It's not gonna work.
Dick, voice-over: We catch up
with familiar faces...
Rebecca: I've got a vision,
and Tim's got a vision.
They're not--
I couldn't sing...
Tim: No.
Rebecca: which is--yeah.
Dick, voice-over: as they have
a hard sell to make.
Tim: You've got to have
a lot of imagination.
I know it looks like
a rat-infested shed,
and it is, but...