Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 3, Episode 12 - Episode #3.12 - full transcript
- I'm Dick Strawbridge,
and with my wife Angel and our two children...
- [indistinct chatter]
- we're nearly five years into our French adventure...
It's heavy.
restoring this once-abandoned château.
We have another capability at the château.
It's brought plenty of challenges...
- Whew! - but also some amazing rewards.
- I love you.
Dick: Across France, there are dozens of other Brits
who've bought their own châteaus.
- [gasps] Oh, wow!
- Now Angel and I are once again lending a hand
to other expat château owners.
- Sometimes simplicity is the way forward.
- We'll meet some old friends...
- We don't need instructions. Only when it goes wrong.
Dick: and new faces.
- Ooh! Look at that.
Dick: There'll be plenty of ups...
- Ahh! - [laughs]
- and downs.
- [crack] - [gasps]
No. No.
Dick: But no matter what, these plucky Brits...
- Ohh.
- will stop at nothing...
- No!
Steve--Whoa! Steven!
- to ensure these once-unloved buildings...
- I think I've made a hole.
- become their dream homes.
- That is amazing.
Dick: Today, new château owners...
- Teamwork makes the dream work.
- [laughs]
- make an unpleasant discovery.
Donna: Wow.
You'd love to know how many years
that's took to accumulate, wouldn't you?
Does smell rather bad.
Dick: I've got a recipe
for enjoying the spoils of castle life.
This will go into the store cupboard.
Makes lovely little presents.
The start of the wedding season
hits heavy weather at one château.
- We can't ruin the wedding meal by eating outside in the rain,
and it quite clearly will be in the rain.
Dick: And the château-buying quest heads south...
- This is set up obviously as a--
- It's quite small, isn't it? This is tiny.
- to the Pyrenees.
- This is a fantastic room.
- Andy: Yeah. - It's--
The fireplace is just fabulous.
Dick: This is the beautiful 15th century Château Lagorce.
Boasting 22 bedrooms and 70 acres of land,
it's home to Edward and Anna, who run it as a wedding venue.
- We have about 32 events a year,
and around 30 of them are weddings.
Ed: It's very, very intense work,
but we're making people happy,
so it's a nice business to be in.
Dick: Parents to 4-year-old Charles,
Anna is 6 months pregnant with their second child,
so Ed's stepping into her wedding planner shoes.
- This season, we have a little one on the way,
and so Anna's gonna have to take more of a back seat.
- Eventually, like, letting go bit by bit,
'cause I'm not ready to let go all the way. I can't do that.
[both laugh]
Dick: Located just outside Bordeaux,
Anna and Ed have started preparing
for their first wedding of the year,
and the weather forecast isn't looking good.
- All right, I've had a message from the bride.
- Ed: Mm-hmm. - Um, because of the weather,
she would like some mushroom heaters.
- OK.
Dick: With cool temperatures predicted,
they've ordered heaters at the bride Vicki's request,
for her and groom Gordon's big day.
- I'd like it to be outdoors,
and I'm happy to delay the wedding,
um, delay walking down the aisle until the sun comes out.
Dick: Now it's the morning of the wedding,
and the skies look ominous.
They're dressing the terrace, where the happy couple
want their wedding meal to take place.
Anna: It's about, uh, 16 degrees, not ideal.
It's just as long as it doesn't rain,
'cause that's a--my main worry.
Uh, the heaters have arrived, which is great news.
Um, at least that's a relief, so fingers crossed everything--
everything else is gonna go according to plan.
[rain pattering]
Don't tell me you're feeling drops.
Oh, my God.
We've just put the tables outside.
[sighs]
Dick: With the weather seemingly on the turn,
those half-dozen heaters could come in handy.
- I can see 5 boxes.
We ordered 6.
[phone line beeps]
- Ed: Anna? - So there's only 5 heaters,
instead of 6.
- I already knew that there was only 5, but...
- Well, why didn't you say something?
- Because I didn't want you panicking. I'm here now.
Don't worry. You get on. I'll deal with this.
[sighs] Can't get anything past Anna.
She's too quick.
Dick: While Ed makes a start on assembling the heaters...
- There are looking good, actually. I'm really impressed.
- Anna's been worried
about the flowers for the wedding bouquets,
so is hoping that leaving them in a fridge overnight
has kept them fresh.
- And this is good news.
The pink ones have opened just right.
So I think some things are going according to plan.
[rain pattering]
Dick: Anna might have spoken too soon.
A dark cloud's descended on the château...
and the rain is getting heavier.
- I'm gonna have to go and deliver
the news to the bride that it is raining
and we have one less heater.
Dick: And if that wasn't bad enough...
- I was making this, uh, heat lamp,
and I've seen that the bulb is broken.
Out of the 5, I have 2 smashed bulbs.
We're now from 6 to 3, uh, heaters.
And it's absolutely chucking it down right now.
Basically things aren't going too well today.
Dick: He's not wrong.
Even a full complement of outdoor heaters
might not be enough to save the day.
The satellite forecast's
showing there's worse weather on the way.
- Anna. - Oui?
- We have a little problem.
I'm not happy to have it outside.
Can you see that massive wave of rain?
That's gonna hit, so we need to tell the bride and groom
that they cannot eat outside, point bar.
Look at it. There's no way we can do it.
We can't ruin the wedding meal by eating outside in the rain,
and it quite clearly will be in the rain.
I mean--I mean, it's not even a short period.
This is from 10:00 'til 3:00,
and look at that massive wave coming behind.
It's not this. It's worse than this.
I'll speak to the groom, see if there's somebody
close to the bride that wants to talk to her about it,
and then you go and talk to her about it as well.
Do you know where he is? What room is he in?
- He's downstairs. - OK.
Dick: With the fear of an approaching downpour,
the al fresco wedding is in jeopardy,
news no one wishes to deliver to a bride on her big day.
While Anna and Ed have an established château,
interior designer Adam
is at the very start of his château journey.
He's looking to buy and set up a business
in the French countryside.
- My main objective for the château
is to have a really comfortable home space,
a building that I love and fall in love with passionately.
Dick: Adam is hoping his £800,000 budget
will find him a château with scope for a B & B
where he can offer yoga retreats and interior design courses.
- I'm gonna just give it a go,
live the French dream.
Dick: He's traveled to France with good friend Lisa.
Adam: I'm quite a tricky, picky person.
Dick: At the first property near us in Mayenne...
- Wow. This is absolutely unbelievable.
- Adam's self-confessed pickiness started to show.
- I'm not convinced yet it's gonna be big enough.
Dick: And at another in Normandy...
- It's a tiny, tiny kitchen.
I don't like it at all.
- Oh, Lord.
- Yeah. - Ugh.
Dick: Friend Lisa was getting frustrated.
Adam: I'm gonna drive you mental over it.
- That's already happened.
- [laughs]
Dick: Better steel yourself, Lisa.
Adam has lined up two more château viewings
close to the ski resorts of the Pyrenees.
Château Serre Barbier in Saint-Beat
is near Le Mourtis, a resort that's particularly popular
with young families and novice skiers.
Adam: It's beautiful.
Hi there, Andy.
Dick: Showing them around is estate agent Andy.
- Good to see you again. - Nice to see you.
- Morning, Lisa.
Dick: Built in the 19th century,
the château is run as a guesthouse.
Including self-catering apartments
and a separate gîte, there's a total of 16 bedrooms.
It also has a pool.
But it's above budget at £865,000,
so it needs some hard negotiating.
Andy: OK.
Here we are.
Adam: Oh, my goodness. It's amazing.
I love this floor
and all of this paneling.
Is this a bar here?
- Yep, there's a little bar here.
- Oh, my goodness. That's amazing.
Dick: Sounds promising. Now for the reception areas.
- So welcome to the dining room.
- It's a good-size room.
Andy: Wood burner, everything nice and warm.
- I don't know. Maybe it's just the decor. I'm not--
Lisa: Look at-- I thought you would love that.
Adam: There's some nice features.
The fireplace is nice. The floor is good.
Don't know. I think it's 'cause it's--
I don't know, but I wouldn't perhaps have it as this kind.
I think it's the furniture that I don't like.
- I mean, obviously it is the style.
It is the color. It's the floor.
- Would you say that's original, this?
- Yes. Everything...
- Yeah, that's beautiful. - I think, is original.
If you look back through that window,
you'll see the mountain range at the back as well.
- It is a beautiful view,
but that doesn't change the room, does it?
- [laughs]
- No, I'm being-- I'm trying to be nice.
- How can you try and be nice when it's a stunning room?
- No, it's-- - It's the--It's the furniture
- that you wouldn't have. - It's the decor that I can't--
- can't cope with. - That's simple.
- That--Yeah, that's the bit. I like the candlestick.
- I just don't like these--this. - Can't believe it.
- No, I'm being deadly serious.
Dick: A purchase would be about business potential, too,
and this château comes with a professional kitchen.
- This is set up obviously as a--
- It's quite small, isn't it? This is tiny.
- But it's a proper, um, commercial kitchen.
so you've got everything in here that you need...
- Yeah. - to run the B & B.
- That looks very compact. - It is,
- but it works really well. - Yeah.
It has a one-way system, as so many kitchens do.
so everything goes out this way.
Everything comes in the other way.
- Yeah. Yeah. - So it's very well organized.
- Sometimes... - This is a nice cupboard.
That's the bit I like about the kitchen.
That's the--my focal point.
That's beautiful, that cabinet is.
- That'll get everyone fed, won't it?
- Yeah, that'll get everyone fed. I don't like--
If I'm honest, I don't like the kitchen at all.
Dick: Adam set his heart on a French country kitchen,
but if he's going to run a business,
he needs to think how he's going to do that.
Upstairs, there are 4 self-catering apartments
ready to welcome paying guests.
- So welcome to the first...
- Oh, wow. This is interesting. - apartment.
- This is completely different, isn't it?
- Completely different. - Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Lisa: You're telling me you don't like these?
- Seriously? - Yeah.
- Oh, Go--I dare ask.
- Which is what you weren't... - Look at all these.
- expecting this. - Look at these.
- You just don't expect this. No, it's all--
- Yeah. Yeah, yeah. - Andy: Yeah.
- No, it's--Yeah, it's intere--
It feels like you're in a-- in an apartment, which you
- obviously are, aren't you? - Yeah.
- It's kind of just thrown me completely.
Dick: It also appears that even though
she's not the buyer here, Lisa's thrown, too.
- I just think it's so lovely.
- It's just unexpected, though, do you not think?
It is unexpected.
And this kind of funky style works really, really well.
Dick: The château may have brought tears
to friend Lisa's eyes, but it's buyer Adam
who needs to be won over.
- It's got amazing grounds.
There's funky elements to it, which I love.
The rooms are really light and airy.
All of that really appeals to me.
It's an exceptional property.
It's very much a statement home.
But it has to sing to me,
and at this point, I've just got a hum, not a big song.
I just want to carry on looking and seeing what else is here.
Dick: This is the beautiful 17th century Château du Saugé.
With 4 acres of land, 11 outbuildings, and 45 rooms,
this little beauty has just been bought for £279,000
by Donna from Hartlepool and Scotsman Paul.
- I love the peace and quiet of being here,
just being able to sit
and listen to birds tweeting in the trees.
Dick: Located 50 miles east of La Rochelle,
Paul and Donna moved in
to the neglected château just six weeks ago,
giving up their jobs to make the move full-time to France.
Now with the help of Donna's parents,
they're embarking on renovating the place from top to bottom.
- So this shower didn't have any front on it,
so we came up with a net hook and a bare tablecloth.
- Could be worse.
Dick: There's a massive DIY to-do list...
- Any of us can see what's needed doing
a-and can pick up a job.
- to get the place ready not only as home,
but also for a B & B and events
to start generating much-needed income as soon as possible.
- I think anyone that takes on a project like this
needs to be optimistic.
That needs work.
- Yeah, this is pretty bad.
Dick: Now they're tackling their first major job,
transforming the old scullery into a functioning kitchen.
- This is going to be the working kitchen.
It will do the breakfasts and everything out of here,
so this has to be done first.
This has to be, uh, fully operational
for everything else to-- to start to, um, move on.
Dick: Today they're soundproofing the ceiling...
cutting and measuring insulation
to stop noise traveling to the planned guest room above.
- [grunts] - Last bit?
Yay!
Looks good.
Does that mean we can have a cup of coffee now?
- Yeah, something dense.
- Before we start the next bit.
Dick: As well as soundproofing,
they're determined to painstakingly restore
the interior old stone walls to their former glory.
Donna: You can see how clayey it is.
It's just some of it just literally falls apart.
- Teamwork makes the dream work.
- [laughs]
Dick: Doing everything by hand isn't easy.
- My hands are sore. They have been
for the last 5 weeks, and we've only been here 6.
- Donna: Everything's sore. - Yeah.
- [laughs] - Yeah.
- Yeah, I found muscles that I didn't know existed.
Um, I've got no nails left anymore.
Um, certainly the manicures and pedicures are gone forever.
- Um... - I've stopped them as well.
- [laughs]
Dick: Me, too. There's no time
for expensive luxuries if you're on a budget.
- When you're putting all your energies into this
and there's no other income coming in,
um, there's always that, you know, time factor
that you're thinking of,
how quickly can we get to a point
where we can actually get some revenue coming in.
Dick: To speed up the repointing process,
Donna's sure she's cooked up a genius idea.
- We've got, um,
a normal cake, uh, piping bag.
- It's a mortar dispensing unit.
By next time we have the piping bag,
we'll be making cakes in this kitchen.
- [laughs]
Dick: Not with that one, I hope.
- So all I'm trying to do
is kind of make sure it's pushed right in
to the actual crevices in the stone.
That's looking good. Done.
- Finished.
Dick: They've made a good start.
But as Angel and I know only too well...
[Donna sighs]
- renovating a château is an endurance test.
At our place 125 miles north, enjoying the good things in life
means growing your own fruit and veg.
[on-screen] Eat a tomato.
One. One. One.
One.
- Oops. - Angel: Ohh.
- Pick 'em up. We don't wanna lose 'em.
Getting a bumper crop such as our pumpkin harvest
means we can enjoy the spoils for months to come
if we look after the fruits of our labor correctly.
Ooh, me pumpkin store.
Right.
OK, you always check your pumpkins.
We take the soft ones first.
Potimarron. Two of those.
And you. That's quite a lot.
I'd got one of my favorite preserves in mind
for these little beauties, pumpkin chutney.
Chutneys are your fruits and your vegetables
and, um, your balance of sugar and vinegar.
And you can experiment away to your heart's content.
Now I'm going to be, um, baking the diced pumpkin
under--so it's not completely cooked--
and then adding it in to the chutney in the end,
because it can go mushy.
So I'm gonna be putting in some sultanas.
I'll have apple and onion in here as well.
Um, it's all part of my base.
With my pumpkin diced, that's step one complete.
20 minutes in the oven.
Now to put together my other ingredients,
starting with sliced onions.
Then add plenty of vinegar and sugar,
as these preserve the finished chutney.
Pretty important you measure things exactly.
In with the chopped apples.
So these are sweet apples.
And onto the stove it goes.
Sugar, vinegar, onion, apples,
seedless golden sultanas.
Then all I need is my roasted pumpkin.
Softening, but not too soft.
And this is candied ginger,
which means that there's a bit of sugar in this.
So this is all softened now.
I'm going to add the pumpkin into here.
then cook it for a very short period of time.
I don't want to break this up too much.
I'm simmering it for 10 minutes
to pull all the flavors together.
Ahh. Hot, hot, hot.
Good. Works for me.
All right. Let's go and get my, um, sterilized jars.
Here we go.
Putting the chutney in very hot
stops harmful bugs getting into the jars.
This is a couple of hours work.
This will go into the store cupboard.
Makes lovely little presents.
In a couple of weeks,
the flavor will have developed,
and left unopened in a cool, dark place,
the jars should keep for at least a year.
Delicious.
About 370 miles south of our place,
interior designer Adam is continuing his search
for the perfect château with the help of friend Lisa.
Adam: It's beautiful.
Dick: Next up is the village of Chaumes in the Pyrenees,
where they're having a second viewing of Maison du Maître,
a 12-bedroom château with outbuildings
and 23 acres of land.
Adam: The drive up's beautiful.
- Mm-hmm. - And it's a sunny day.
and we're in the mountains and the foothills.
It's beautiful.
- And what are the hills alive with?
- Music, Lisa. The hills are alive with music.
Dick: Adam's already taken a peek
at the château on his own,
so estate agent Andy is hoping a proper tour
will let it really sing.
- Second time round, you're seeing things
that you don't see the first time.
- Yeah. - And all the marble
in the window frames, I hadn't noticed that before, either.
Dick: The property is an old post house,
and as well as the main house,
also includes a 4-bedroomed holiday home.
It's on the market for just over £430,000,
leaving Adam a healthy budget for renovations.
Andy: This is the big barn.
- This kind of space, I was thinking function space,
design school, yoga space.
It is singing to me a little bit.
Dick: The barn still striking a chord,
now for the interiors.
- Ooh. OK.
- So this-- - Welcome to le château.
You probably remember the-- this area.
- I love the stone... - Yeah.
- and the colors.
Andy: Let's walk through this way.
- OK.
It's got a beautiful smell.
- This is a fantastic room. - Andy: Yeah.
- It's--The fireplace is just fabulous.
This is amazing. It's beautiful.
- Yeah. - It's understated charm,
but then it has this amazing presence about it,
has an amazing presence.
- A great party room. - Sure. Absolutely.
- You can--I can see people dancing here on the tile floor,
and I think there's a piano up there at the moment.
Dick: Adam may be imagining the housewarming party already,
but there's more to explore before he'll know
if this château is cause for celebration.
130 miles north at Château Lagorce,
the weather's taking a turn for the worse
at Anna and Ed's first wedding of the season.
Anna: Oh, my God.
Dick: 6 months pregnant, a reluctant Anna's
gone to talk to the bridesmaids.
- We have the function. That's not the problem.
- OK. - We have the space.
It's just that she really wanted it outside.
- I think she--she wants to wait if she can.
- How long-- - Oh, we could--
I don't mind waiting. It's just that there's--
there's still a risk at 5:00.
- She wants to get married outside.
- She really wants it outside.
- You should go and have a quick chat with her
before I come. If we set it outside,
we haven't got the time to move it back in.
- OK.
Dick: Come rain or shine,
it seems the wedding might be going ahead outside.
- Everything is going from bad to worse,
and I feel bad. I feel--
I really wanted everything to be like the bride wants it to be,
and I don't think I can make it happen.
I'm gonna have to go and talk to the bride,
because I don't-- I don't have another solution.
Dick: Here's hoping Anna and the bride
come to an arrangement.
- I know that you don't come to France
to--to sit in a reception room, but what can you do?
If the weather says no, the weather says no, you know?
Every minute counts now.
Dick: Moving the wedding inside is no small feat.
Already delayed, it could push things back even further.
- These minutes seem like hours.
Poor Anna. She's up there probably negotiating.
[thunder rumbles]
Anna, what's going on?
- She--She said yes, but it's cleared now.
- I'm not taking the risk.
I'm really happy that it's not raining now,
because we can do the ceremony,
and we can have the canapés outside.
There is no way there's gonna be no rain.
Dick: Although the ceremony and reception drinks
can be outside, the bride's given the go-ahead
for the wedding meal to move indoors.
So it's all hands on deck to get the function room ready...
whilst the groomsmen
dry off the seating for the outdoor ceremony.
- Yeah, we got all these bits. There we go.
Dick: With a small break in the clouds,
there's a window of opportunity.
- Guys, I think...
I think it's gonna be--
it's gonna be now or never.
- All right.
Dick: Finally the ceremony can get under way.
But how long will this dry spell last?
Near La Rochelle in Western France,
Donna and Paul are in the middle of essential work
transforming the old scullery into a kitchen
where they can cater for B & B and events.
But they've been forced to down tools
by a smoking issue in their bedroom.
Paul: Still smoky from last night.
- Yeah, you can still smell it. It's really bad.
So I think it's possibly
coming through the-- the rest of the floor.
Dick: Smoke from the fire in the salon below
has been seeping into their bedroom above.
- By the time we've come to bed,
this is absolutely full of smoke.
We've literally just moved rooms
until we can get this sorted.
- I think the initial fix was obviously to try
and stop the smoke coming through the floor,
which is why we've tried to tape some of the joints.
- I-It's just found another path, hasn't it?
Dick: The integrity of the chimney is an issue,
so it needs to be fixed as soon as possible,
and that could be expensive.
- We've decided to just call a professional out
and--and have a look.
Dick: They want to know exactly what's going on,
so I've called in a specialist, Paul, who lives locally.
- How are you? - Paul.
- Lovely. Rightie. - Come on in.
- You had a fire last night.
- Yeah, in fact. That ember's done.
- Right. You can see the underside of the, uh--
I presume that's the upstairs fireplace.
Dick: So far, nothing obvious in the salon.
- Could we have a look upstairs, then?
- Yeah. - Yeah?
Oh, yeah, it is quite ripe, isn't it?
- Donna: Strong, isn't it? - Yeah.
- Right. Is it possible to take this off
to have a look inside? Yeah?
- Yeah, we can do. - That all right?
There she goes.
Donna: Interested to see what's behind it.
- Ah. - Wow.
- There may be something nasty in there.
Dick: Wow, indeed. It's thousands of dead bees.
An unexpected sting in the tail,
but they aren't the cause of the escaping smoke.
It's the cracked and broken render
at the back of the fireplace.
- Oh. Yeah, you can see--
I think there's, uh, holes at the back there,
where obviously the smoke's coming through from downstairs,
so I'd certainly recommend cleaning this out
before you burned anything down there again.
Dick: At least they won't be stung with a huge bill,
as this fix is one they can do themselves.
- Yeah, it's quite shocking, isn't it?
You'd love to know how many years
that's took to accumulate, wouldn't you?
Does smell rather bad.
Do you think we'll get there in?
Dear me.
I think the quantity of what we found
was quite--[laughs] startling.
Uh, I didn't quite expect it to be that bad.
Dick: Now that the fireplace has been cleaned out,
Paul can get on with sealing the holes
where the smoke's been seeping through.
- I'm sure we'll find this sort of thing
in every fireplace we open up.
Um, it'd have been nice if we found some buried treasure
behind one for a change. That would be quite nice.
Dick: With 9 more fireplaces that still need sorting out,
fingers crossed, there'll be treasure in one of them.
120 miles south, near Bordeaux, a break in the bad weather
means Anna and Ed's first wedding of the season
can finally get under way.
Half an hour later than planned, bride Vicki can at last
make her grand entrance for the open-air ceremony.
Officiant: We have been invited here today
to share with Victoria and Gordon,
a very important moment in their lives.
Dick: For Anna, there's no sign of relief.
- I can see blue sky.
Hopefully it's gonna hold for a little bit
until the ceremony's done.
Uh, I don't know what to say. I'm pretty, pretty stressed.
A la--A droit.
Dick: They've got 90 minutes
to move all the tables into the function room
and get it set up for the wedding meal.
- Two important things in France and in Bordeaux,
the first one is love, so it's...
Dick: The ceremony is in full swing,
- and the clock is ticking. - So I'm sure...
Dick: Ed's back assembling outdoor heaters
in time for postceremony drinks and canapés.
- So I've probably got about 15 minutes to do 2 of these.
All fun and joy.
Dick: There's no letup for Anna
prepping the drinks area, either.
- The drinks area has been moved twice,
but now we're setting it all up here,
and hopefully the sun will come out
and will stay just for the drinks a little bit
so the bride can have partially what she wants.
Dick: Setting up the function room
from scratch for the wedding
means they really got their work cut out.
- I've got the room clean.
We got the tables in.
I think the chairs are getting there,
and then it's gonna be all hands on deck
getting the place settings ready,
um, because Anna will want it how she wants it, so...
Dick: Halfway through the ceremony...
- They have decided to live together as husband and wife.
- and the weather's holding out,
leaving them wondering if they were right
to move the meal inside.
- You can only go by what the radar's showing you,
and it showed a massive storm cloud,
but it's still showing a lot of rain still to come.
I mean, you pay so much money for a wedding,
you can't take the risk.
Dick: It's too late to change tack now,
and there's still plenty to do if they're to deliver
the dream château wedding reception inside.
135 miles southeast in the village of Chaumes,
designer Adam's second viewing of a château
looks to be bringing his French dream a step closer.
- So here we are in the marble room again.
- I love this room.
- Yeah. - I like the floor.
I like all the little plinths.
The marble, I find fascinating.
That's all from the different regions.
- Yep, that's right.
All the villages in the area, uh, traditionally
have got different color marbles and stone.
Dick: The local marble is also found
in the Palace of Versailles, décor fit for a king.
But what about the catering side of things?
- OK, so let's have a look through here.
This is an area here...
- See, this would make a great kitchen.
- And there's water in here already...
- Yeah. Oh, brilliant. - so that's--that's no problem.
- Yeah, this would make a really good use of this space.
Dick: It's good that Adam is considering practicalities.
Time to take a look upstairs.
Andy: On to the landing.
There's rooms either side.
- They're all doubles. - Yeah.
- They've all got beautiful beds in them.
Again one either side here,
and then through into the attic.
- It's amazing up here.
It's absolutely fantastic.
This'd make a fantastic master bedroom.
- En suite through there. - Yeah.
- Or dressing room through there, perhaps.
- It'd make an amazing bathroom. - Yeah.
- And also maybe even put that copper bath.
- [Andy laughs] - Can you imagine that
with a great big shower head over the top?
I love it. I love it. I do love it.
- You hate it? - But I love it. No, I love it.
- So would you put an offer in?
- I'm tempted to really think about that.
It does have an amazing wow factor to it.
It really does.
Thanks, Andy. - Ah, you're very welcome.
- It's a beautiful property. There's a lot to think about.
- So you got some ideas off, so...
- Yeah. I'm gonna give you a call.
Dick: Adam's not made his mind up about this place,
but hopefully he's getting close to understanding what he wants.
- Probably the next time you'll see me,
I'll have a beret on with a stripy top and some onions,
and I'll be riding a bicycle through the streets,
kind of saying hello to all the bakers
and the candlestick makers and all that kind of stuff.
Just--And a baguette probably under one arm probably.
[laughs]
Dick: Near La Rochelle in western France,
Paul and Donna are preparing dinner
for a visiting family at their newly purchased château.
- [laughs] - All right, what have we got?
Rogan josh.
- Be nice, Nana.
- We'll have a bit of rogan josh in, eh?
Dick: With work unfinished on their new catering kitchen,
feeding extra mouths from the château's old, rundown one
is a bit of a struggle.
We've got 2 rings that are working.
We've got a makeshift kind of a bench here.
Everything's kind of on top of each other.
There's no real workspace.
Dick: On the upside, they've come on
leaps and bounds with the new kitchen.
As well as insulating the ceiling
and repointing the stone walls, they're in the middle
of installing the new kitchen cupboards.
Today they're fitting the work tops.
- I'm usually in charge of the instructions, and, uh...
otherwise normally Paul won't look at them.
Dick: Sadly, instructions aren't included
for getting a worktop to sit flush against an old stone wall.
- It's hitting this piece of stone here.
It's just pushing out a few mill,
which is enough to not make the work top
kind of true, right, the way along the front.
We like a challenge.
Otherwise we'd have never took on buying a castle.
- It might pull in a bit more
if I put another fixing straight through here.
[tool whirs]
Dick: All it takes is determination
and a really strong fixing.
[tool whirs]
- Oh, that's pulled in.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
Saw it move.
Yep. That's spot on.
- Yeah, it's leveled out now.
- Yes!
Dick: Now they have to cut out the work top
to house a double sink.
- We cannot afford to make any mistakes.
It's got to be right first time.
Dick: Any error will be costly, as the work tops weren't cheap,
and as it could take weeks to get a new one,
there could be delays.
- So this was what, nearly 300 euros?
- I can't remember now.
- Well, you'll remember if I get it wrong.
- [laughs]
Draw where the sink is gonna go.
- I have.
- Which is which bit?
- Here.
- Is that 815? - No.
- [chuckles]
Is that right?
- It still looked quite big.
Dick: Remember, measure twice. Cut once.
- Sure, eh? - No.
- [laughs]
Dick: Now for the moment of truth.
- So let's lift the back in.
That's it.
- So we're calling that in, yeah?
- [laughs] - That's an install, yeah?
- That is superb. Beautiful.
Dick: Paul and Donna have spent a lot of time
watching DIY videos, and it seems to be paying off.
- Excellent.
We're saving thousands by doing it ourselves.
It's money well saved.
Dick: Couldn't agree more, Donna.
- Excellent. OK, well done.
Dick: Paul and Donna have stripped back walls,
built the ceiling,
installed lighting,
fitted new units, and put in plumbing.
all that remains are a few final touches.
Paul: You have a big fingerprint on that one there.
You need to have some white gloves.
- [laughs]
There we go.
- [meows]
Dick: They've turned a neglected old scullery
into an all-singing, all-dancing, working kitchen.
Donna: It's beautiful. I love it, absolutely love it.
I do feel very--I don't know.
It's a warm, fuzzy feeling.
- Paul: Yeah. - [laughs]
Dick: They should be happy.
Getting this kitchen done professionally
could easily have cost tens of thousands of pounds.
By doing all the work themselves,
they've kept the price down to 4,500.
Paul: I think it's great. I think,
got the balance between old and new,
and, uh, it's the first room that we've done,
as opposed to rooms that we've inherited.
- I'm very excited to start baking.
I don't want to renovate. I want to cook.
[laughs]
Dick: I hear you, Donna,
but there's lots more renovation to be done.
Further south, 13 miles from the center of Bordeaux,
Anna and Ed's first wedding of the season
is not going to plan.
- [speaking French]
Dick: They're rushing to get the tables set
as the wedding breakfast has had to be moved inside.
- Sauvignon, uh, jeune.
Dick: As the guests file over for postceremony drinks...
- Hi, guys. Please come over for a drink.
- after arranging tables and chairs,
checking the seating plan, and laying the place settings,
they're almost done.
It just needs a few final touches...
- Non, non, non. Th-There.
- to Anna's exacting standards.
- Voilà.
- I think it's looking really nice.
The tables are looking classy.
Whether the bride's gonna like it or not, I don't know.
Obviously she was passionate about being outside.
But I'm happy. Let's hope they are.
Slightly later than planned,
the reception meal can finally begin.
Let's hope the newlyweds are happy.
- [cheering]
- As the wedding feast gets well under way,
the decision to move indoors proves to be a wise one.
- I was definitely right to have it inside.
It's coming down more and more all the time.
It would have been frozen out on that top terrace.
To sit down and eat in the cold, it's no--no fun for anybody.
Dick: One person who's been feeling the heat...
- These are sugarcoated. That's all.
- is pregnant wife Anna.
- I don't think they would use that.
- It's the unknown that I think upset Anna today.
My role probably is gonna be a bit more--
this summer is just taking off that extra stress from Anna.
Um, and then now go to try and get her
to sit down a little bit instead of on her feet,
practice for the next 2, 3 months.
- Anna, are you-- - Yeah. I'm gonna go.
- I'm gonna go. - Have some bread
- and some cheese. - I'm going to have my dinner.
Yeah, I'm going. OK. OK.
- It's time for a sit-down, have some dinner.
- I sat down now. - OK?
- Yes.
Dick: It may not have gone as originally planned,
but the happy couple have had a memorable day.
Gordon: It's turned out to be an amazing day.
It was a bit stressful with the weather, though,
but you can't control that at the end of the day.
- Obviously you'd want to be outside by the lake
and in the beautiful surroundings on the grass.
The inside of the venue is just as stunning as the outside,
but the best thing is Anna and Ed, probably,
just 'cause they-- they make it amazing for you.
They do everything for you.
Anna: The bride and groom looked happy now.
Everyone is merrier now. It was a hard day.
- Yeah. No, you got-- you got a little bit upset,
- but that's normal... - Yeah, well...
- 'cause you're pregnant. - [both laugh]
Anna: Ladies and gentlemen!
The first dance!
Dick: It's not been the easiest start to the season.
Ed: Even though it's been a really tough wedding for us,
to see that they're happy, that's--that's the main thing.
That's why you do the job, really.
- Edward did, like, so--so much more.
- It's the first wedding, so of course you're gonna want
to run round and do everything.
- Think it's only gonna get better.
- Mm.
Dick: Fingers crossed, the rest of the year goes smoother.
Next time...
as Paul and Donna race to give her parents a home from home...
- They are really looking forward
to it being their little home,
and I think it's gonna be
a really nice, warm, cozy space for them.
Dick: Mum and Dad are finding château life a struggle.
- Everything was so cold,
and we thought, "Gosh, what have we done?" [laughs]
Dick: It's touch and go
when we catch up with one couple...
- That one's falling out. Quickly. There. That one.
Ahh! Ahh!
[gasps]
- on their new round of projects.
- Every time you put your hand in, Steve--
Whoa! Steven!
Dick: The annual toad migration kicks off at our place.
Oh, look! Look all around your feet.
They're all over the place.
- Give me a toad! - Whoo!
Dick: And a château-owning family battle
to stop their ancestral home from cracking up.
- Another big crack coming, which is even more worrying.
- You can put your fingers in the crack.
[music playing]
and with my wife Angel and our two children...
- [indistinct chatter]
- we're nearly five years into our French adventure...
It's heavy.
restoring this once-abandoned château.
We have another capability at the château.
It's brought plenty of challenges...
- Whew! - but also some amazing rewards.
- I love you.
Dick: Across France, there are dozens of other Brits
who've bought their own châteaus.
- [gasps] Oh, wow!
- Now Angel and I are once again lending a hand
to other expat château owners.
- Sometimes simplicity is the way forward.
- We'll meet some old friends...
- We don't need instructions. Only when it goes wrong.
Dick: and new faces.
- Ooh! Look at that.
Dick: There'll be plenty of ups...
- Ahh! - [laughs]
- and downs.
- [crack] - [gasps]
No. No.
Dick: But no matter what, these plucky Brits...
- Ohh.
- will stop at nothing...
- No!
Steve--Whoa! Steven!
- to ensure these once-unloved buildings...
- I think I've made a hole.
- become their dream homes.
- That is amazing.
Dick: Today, new château owners...
- Teamwork makes the dream work.
- [laughs]
- make an unpleasant discovery.
Donna: Wow.
You'd love to know how many years
that's took to accumulate, wouldn't you?
Does smell rather bad.
Dick: I've got a recipe
for enjoying the spoils of castle life.
This will go into the store cupboard.
Makes lovely little presents.
The start of the wedding season
hits heavy weather at one château.
- We can't ruin the wedding meal by eating outside in the rain,
and it quite clearly will be in the rain.
Dick: And the château-buying quest heads south...
- This is set up obviously as a--
- It's quite small, isn't it? This is tiny.
- to the Pyrenees.
- This is a fantastic room.
- Andy: Yeah. - It's--
The fireplace is just fabulous.
Dick: This is the beautiful 15th century Château Lagorce.
Boasting 22 bedrooms and 70 acres of land,
it's home to Edward and Anna, who run it as a wedding venue.
- We have about 32 events a year,
and around 30 of them are weddings.
Ed: It's very, very intense work,
but we're making people happy,
so it's a nice business to be in.
Dick: Parents to 4-year-old Charles,
Anna is 6 months pregnant with their second child,
so Ed's stepping into her wedding planner shoes.
- This season, we have a little one on the way,
and so Anna's gonna have to take more of a back seat.
- Eventually, like, letting go bit by bit,
'cause I'm not ready to let go all the way. I can't do that.
[both laugh]
Dick: Located just outside Bordeaux,
Anna and Ed have started preparing
for their first wedding of the year,
and the weather forecast isn't looking good.
- All right, I've had a message from the bride.
- Ed: Mm-hmm. - Um, because of the weather,
she would like some mushroom heaters.
- OK.
Dick: With cool temperatures predicted,
they've ordered heaters at the bride Vicki's request,
for her and groom Gordon's big day.
- I'd like it to be outdoors,
and I'm happy to delay the wedding,
um, delay walking down the aisle until the sun comes out.
Dick: Now it's the morning of the wedding,
and the skies look ominous.
They're dressing the terrace, where the happy couple
want their wedding meal to take place.
Anna: It's about, uh, 16 degrees, not ideal.
It's just as long as it doesn't rain,
'cause that's a--my main worry.
Uh, the heaters have arrived, which is great news.
Um, at least that's a relief, so fingers crossed everything--
everything else is gonna go according to plan.
[rain pattering]
Don't tell me you're feeling drops.
Oh, my God.
We've just put the tables outside.
[sighs]
Dick: With the weather seemingly on the turn,
those half-dozen heaters could come in handy.
- I can see 5 boxes.
We ordered 6.
[phone line beeps]
- Ed: Anna? - So there's only 5 heaters,
instead of 6.
- I already knew that there was only 5, but...
- Well, why didn't you say something?
- Because I didn't want you panicking. I'm here now.
Don't worry. You get on. I'll deal with this.
[sighs] Can't get anything past Anna.
She's too quick.
Dick: While Ed makes a start on assembling the heaters...
- There are looking good, actually. I'm really impressed.
- Anna's been worried
about the flowers for the wedding bouquets,
so is hoping that leaving them in a fridge overnight
has kept them fresh.
- And this is good news.
The pink ones have opened just right.
So I think some things are going according to plan.
[rain pattering]
Dick: Anna might have spoken too soon.
A dark cloud's descended on the château...
and the rain is getting heavier.
- I'm gonna have to go and deliver
the news to the bride that it is raining
and we have one less heater.
Dick: And if that wasn't bad enough...
- I was making this, uh, heat lamp,
and I've seen that the bulb is broken.
Out of the 5, I have 2 smashed bulbs.
We're now from 6 to 3, uh, heaters.
And it's absolutely chucking it down right now.
Basically things aren't going too well today.
Dick: He's not wrong.
Even a full complement of outdoor heaters
might not be enough to save the day.
The satellite forecast's
showing there's worse weather on the way.
- Anna. - Oui?
- We have a little problem.
I'm not happy to have it outside.
Can you see that massive wave of rain?
That's gonna hit, so we need to tell the bride and groom
that they cannot eat outside, point bar.
Look at it. There's no way we can do it.
We can't ruin the wedding meal by eating outside in the rain,
and it quite clearly will be in the rain.
I mean--I mean, it's not even a short period.
This is from 10:00 'til 3:00,
and look at that massive wave coming behind.
It's not this. It's worse than this.
I'll speak to the groom, see if there's somebody
close to the bride that wants to talk to her about it,
and then you go and talk to her about it as well.
Do you know where he is? What room is he in?
- He's downstairs. - OK.
Dick: With the fear of an approaching downpour,
the al fresco wedding is in jeopardy,
news no one wishes to deliver to a bride on her big day.
While Anna and Ed have an established château,
interior designer Adam
is at the very start of his château journey.
He's looking to buy and set up a business
in the French countryside.
- My main objective for the château
is to have a really comfortable home space,
a building that I love and fall in love with passionately.
Dick: Adam is hoping his £800,000 budget
will find him a château with scope for a B & B
where he can offer yoga retreats and interior design courses.
- I'm gonna just give it a go,
live the French dream.
Dick: He's traveled to France with good friend Lisa.
Adam: I'm quite a tricky, picky person.
Dick: At the first property near us in Mayenne...
- Wow. This is absolutely unbelievable.
- Adam's self-confessed pickiness started to show.
- I'm not convinced yet it's gonna be big enough.
Dick: And at another in Normandy...
- It's a tiny, tiny kitchen.
I don't like it at all.
- Oh, Lord.
- Yeah. - Ugh.
Dick: Friend Lisa was getting frustrated.
Adam: I'm gonna drive you mental over it.
- That's already happened.
- [laughs]
Dick: Better steel yourself, Lisa.
Adam has lined up two more château viewings
close to the ski resorts of the Pyrenees.
Château Serre Barbier in Saint-Beat
is near Le Mourtis, a resort that's particularly popular
with young families and novice skiers.
Adam: It's beautiful.
Hi there, Andy.
Dick: Showing them around is estate agent Andy.
- Good to see you again. - Nice to see you.
- Morning, Lisa.
Dick: Built in the 19th century,
the château is run as a guesthouse.
Including self-catering apartments
and a separate gîte, there's a total of 16 bedrooms.
It also has a pool.
But it's above budget at £865,000,
so it needs some hard negotiating.
Andy: OK.
Here we are.
Adam: Oh, my goodness. It's amazing.
I love this floor
and all of this paneling.
Is this a bar here?
- Yep, there's a little bar here.
- Oh, my goodness. That's amazing.
Dick: Sounds promising. Now for the reception areas.
- So welcome to the dining room.
- It's a good-size room.
Andy: Wood burner, everything nice and warm.
- I don't know. Maybe it's just the decor. I'm not--
Lisa: Look at-- I thought you would love that.
Adam: There's some nice features.
The fireplace is nice. The floor is good.
Don't know. I think it's 'cause it's--
I don't know, but I wouldn't perhaps have it as this kind.
I think it's the furniture that I don't like.
- I mean, obviously it is the style.
It is the color. It's the floor.
- Would you say that's original, this?
- Yes. Everything...
- Yeah, that's beautiful. - I think, is original.
If you look back through that window,
you'll see the mountain range at the back as well.
- It is a beautiful view,
but that doesn't change the room, does it?
- [laughs]
- No, I'm being-- I'm trying to be nice.
- How can you try and be nice when it's a stunning room?
- No, it's-- - It's the--It's the furniture
- that you wouldn't have. - It's the decor that I can't--
- can't cope with. - That's simple.
- That--Yeah, that's the bit. I like the candlestick.
- I just don't like these--this. - Can't believe it.
- No, I'm being deadly serious.
Dick: A purchase would be about business potential, too,
and this château comes with a professional kitchen.
- This is set up obviously as a--
- It's quite small, isn't it? This is tiny.
- But it's a proper, um, commercial kitchen.
so you've got everything in here that you need...
- Yeah. - to run the B & B.
- That looks very compact. - It is,
- but it works really well. - Yeah.
It has a one-way system, as so many kitchens do.
so everything goes out this way.
Everything comes in the other way.
- Yeah. Yeah. - So it's very well organized.
- Sometimes... - This is a nice cupboard.
That's the bit I like about the kitchen.
That's the--my focal point.
That's beautiful, that cabinet is.
- That'll get everyone fed, won't it?
- Yeah, that'll get everyone fed. I don't like--
If I'm honest, I don't like the kitchen at all.
Dick: Adam set his heart on a French country kitchen,
but if he's going to run a business,
he needs to think how he's going to do that.
Upstairs, there are 4 self-catering apartments
ready to welcome paying guests.
- So welcome to the first...
- Oh, wow. This is interesting. - apartment.
- This is completely different, isn't it?
- Completely different. - Yeah, yeah. Yeah.
Lisa: You're telling me you don't like these?
- Seriously? - Yeah.
- Oh, Go--I dare ask.
- Which is what you weren't... - Look at all these.
- expecting this. - Look at these.
- You just don't expect this. No, it's all--
- Yeah. Yeah, yeah. - Andy: Yeah.
- No, it's--Yeah, it's intere--
It feels like you're in a-- in an apartment, which you
- obviously are, aren't you? - Yeah.
- It's kind of just thrown me completely.
Dick: It also appears that even though
she's not the buyer here, Lisa's thrown, too.
- I just think it's so lovely.
- It's just unexpected, though, do you not think?
It is unexpected.
And this kind of funky style works really, really well.
Dick: The château may have brought tears
to friend Lisa's eyes, but it's buyer Adam
who needs to be won over.
- It's got amazing grounds.
There's funky elements to it, which I love.
The rooms are really light and airy.
All of that really appeals to me.
It's an exceptional property.
It's very much a statement home.
But it has to sing to me,
and at this point, I've just got a hum, not a big song.
I just want to carry on looking and seeing what else is here.
Dick: This is the beautiful 17th century Château du Saugé.
With 4 acres of land, 11 outbuildings, and 45 rooms,
this little beauty has just been bought for £279,000
by Donna from Hartlepool and Scotsman Paul.
- I love the peace and quiet of being here,
just being able to sit
and listen to birds tweeting in the trees.
Dick: Located 50 miles east of La Rochelle,
Paul and Donna moved in
to the neglected château just six weeks ago,
giving up their jobs to make the move full-time to France.
Now with the help of Donna's parents,
they're embarking on renovating the place from top to bottom.
- So this shower didn't have any front on it,
so we came up with a net hook and a bare tablecloth.
- Could be worse.
Dick: There's a massive DIY to-do list...
- Any of us can see what's needed doing
a-and can pick up a job.
- to get the place ready not only as home,
but also for a B & B and events
to start generating much-needed income as soon as possible.
- I think anyone that takes on a project like this
needs to be optimistic.
That needs work.
- Yeah, this is pretty bad.
Dick: Now they're tackling their first major job,
transforming the old scullery into a functioning kitchen.
- This is going to be the working kitchen.
It will do the breakfasts and everything out of here,
so this has to be done first.
This has to be, uh, fully operational
for everything else to-- to start to, um, move on.
Dick: Today they're soundproofing the ceiling...
cutting and measuring insulation
to stop noise traveling to the planned guest room above.
- [grunts] - Last bit?
Yay!
Looks good.
Does that mean we can have a cup of coffee now?
- Yeah, something dense.
- Before we start the next bit.
Dick: As well as soundproofing,
they're determined to painstakingly restore
the interior old stone walls to their former glory.
Donna: You can see how clayey it is.
It's just some of it just literally falls apart.
- Teamwork makes the dream work.
- [laughs]
Dick: Doing everything by hand isn't easy.
- My hands are sore. They have been
for the last 5 weeks, and we've only been here 6.
- Donna: Everything's sore. - Yeah.
- [laughs] - Yeah.
- Yeah, I found muscles that I didn't know existed.
Um, I've got no nails left anymore.
Um, certainly the manicures and pedicures are gone forever.
- Um... - I've stopped them as well.
- [laughs]
Dick: Me, too. There's no time
for expensive luxuries if you're on a budget.
- When you're putting all your energies into this
and there's no other income coming in,
um, there's always that, you know, time factor
that you're thinking of,
how quickly can we get to a point
where we can actually get some revenue coming in.
Dick: To speed up the repointing process,
Donna's sure she's cooked up a genius idea.
- We've got, um,
a normal cake, uh, piping bag.
- It's a mortar dispensing unit.
By next time we have the piping bag,
we'll be making cakes in this kitchen.
- [laughs]
Dick: Not with that one, I hope.
- So all I'm trying to do
is kind of make sure it's pushed right in
to the actual crevices in the stone.
That's looking good. Done.
- Finished.
Dick: They've made a good start.
But as Angel and I know only too well...
[Donna sighs]
- renovating a château is an endurance test.
At our place 125 miles north, enjoying the good things in life
means growing your own fruit and veg.
[on-screen] Eat a tomato.
One. One. One.
One.
- Oops. - Angel: Ohh.
- Pick 'em up. We don't wanna lose 'em.
Getting a bumper crop such as our pumpkin harvest
means we can enjoy the spoils for months to come
if we look after the fruits of our labor correctly.
Ooh, me pumpkin store.
Right.
OK, you always check your pumpkins.
We take the soft ones first.
Potimarron. Two of those.
And you. That's quite a lot.
I'd got one of my favorite preserves in mind
for these little beauties, pumpkin chutney.
Chutneys are your fruits and your vegetables
and, um, your balance of sugar and vinegar.
And you can experiment away to your heart's content.
Now I'm going to be, um, baking the diced pumpkin
under--so it's not completely cooked--
and then adding it in to the chutney in the end,
because it can go mushy.
So I'm gonna be putting in some sultanas.
I'll have apple and onion in here as well.
Um, it's all part of my base.
With my pumpkin diced, that's step one complete.
20 minutes in the oven.
Now to put together my other ingredients,
starting with sliced onions.
Then add plenty of vinegar and sugar,
as these preserve the finished chutney.
Pretty important you measure things exactly.
In with the chopped apples.
So these are sweet apples.
And onto the stove it goes.
Sugar, vinegar, onion, apples,
seedless golden sultanas.
Then all I need is my roasted pumpkin.
Softening, but not too soft.
And this is candied ginger,
which means that there's a bit of sugar in this.
So this is all softened now.
I'm going to add the pumpkin into here.
then cook it for a very short period of time.
I don't want to break this up too much.
I'm simmering it for 10 minutes
to pull all the flavors together.
Ahh. Hot, hot, hot.
Good. Works for me.
All right. Let's go and get my, um, sterilized jars.
Here we go.
Putting the chutney in very hot
stops harmful bugs getting into the jars.
This is a couple of hours work.
This will go into the store cupboard.
Makes lovely little presents.
In a couple of weeks,
the flavor will have developed,
and left unopened in a cool, dark place,
the jars should keep for at least a year.
Delicious.
About 370 miles south of our place,
interior designer Adam is continuing his search
for the perfect château with the help of friend Lisa.
Adam: It's beautiful.
Dick: Next up is the village of Chaumes in the Pyrenees,
where they're having a second viewing of Maison du Maître,
a 12-bedroom château with outbuildings
and 23 acres of land.
Adam: The drive up's beautiful.
- Mm-hmm. - And it's a sunny day.
and we're in the mountains and the foothills.
It's beautiful.
- And what are the hills alive with?
- Music, Lisa. The hills are alive with music.
Dick: Adam's already taken a peek
at the château on his own,
so estate agent Andy is hoping a proper tour
will let it really sing.
- Second time round, you're seeing things
that you don't see the first time.
- Yeah. - And all the marble
in the window frames, I hadn't noticed that before, either.
Dick: The property is an old post house,
and as well as the main house,
also includes a 4-bedroomed holiday home.
It's on the market for just over £430,000,
leaving Adam a healthy budget for renovations.
Andy: This is the big barn.
- This kind of space, I was thinking function space,
design school, yoga space.
It is singing to me a little bit.
Dick: The barn still striking a chord,
now for the interiors.
- Ooh. OK.
- So this-- - Welcome to le château.
You probably remember the-- this area.
- I love the stone... - Yeah.
- and the colors.
Andy: Let's walk through this way.
- OK.
It's got a beautiful smell.
- This is a fantastic room. - Andy: Yeah.
- It's--The fireplace is just fabulous.
This is amazing. It's beautiful.
- Yeah. - It's understated charm,
but then it has this amazing presence about it,
has an amazing presence.
- A great party room. - Sure. Absolutely.
- You can--I can see people dancing here on the tile floor,
and I think there's a piano up there at the moment.
Dick: Adam may be imagining the housewarming party already,
but there's more to explore before he'll know
if this château is cause for celebration.
130 miles north at Château Lagorce,
the weather's taking a turn for the worse
at Anna and Ed's first wedding of the season.
Anna: Oh, my God.
Dick: 6 months pregnant, a reluctant Anna's
gone to talk to the bridesmaids.
- We have the function. That's not the problem.
- OK. - We have the space.
It's just that she really wanted it outside.
- I think she--she wants to wait if she can.
- How long-- - Oh, we could--
I don't mind waiting. It's just that there's--
there's still a risk at 5:00.
- She wants to get married outside.
- She really wants it outside.
- You should go and have a quick chat with her
before I come. If we set it outside,
we haven't got the time to move it back in.
- OK.
Dick: Come rain or shine,
it seems the wedding might be going ahead outside.
- Everything is going from bad to worse,
and I feel bad. I feel--
I really wanted everything to be like the bride wants it to be,
and I don't think I can make it happen.
I'm gonna have to go and talk to the bride,
because I don't-- I don't have another solution.
Dick: Here's hoping Anna and the bride
come to an arrangement.
- I know that you don't come to France
to--to sit in a reception room, but what can you do?
If the weather says no, the weather says no, you know?
Every minute counts now.
Dick: Moving the wedding inside is no small feat.
Already delayed, it could push things back even further.
- These minutes seem like hours.
Poor Anna. She's up there probably negotiating.
[thunder rumbles]
Anna, what's going on?
- She--She said yes, but it's cleared now.
- I'm not taking the risk.
I'm really happy that it's not raining now,
because we can do the ceremony,
and we can have the canapés outside.
There is no way there's gonna be no rain.
Dick: Although the ceremony and reception drinks
can be outside, the bride's given the go-ahead
for the wedding meal to move indoors.
So it's all hands on deck to get the function room ready...
whilst the groomsmen
dry off the seating for the outdoor ceremony.
- Yeah, we got all these bits. There we go.
Dick: With a small break in the clouds,
there's a window of opportunity.
- Guys, I think...
I think it's gonna be--
it's gonna be now or never.
- All right.
Dick: Finally the ceremony can get under way.
But how long will this dry spell last?
Near La Rochelle in Western France,
Donna and Paul are in the middle of essential work
transforming the old scullery into a kitchen
where they can cater for B & B and events.
But they've been forced to down tools
by a smoking issue in their bedroom.
Paul: Still smoky from last night.
- Yeah, you can still smell it. It's really bad.
So I think it's possibly
coming through the-- the rest of the floor.
Dick: Smoke from the fire in the salon below
has been seeping into their bedroom above.
- By the time we've come to bed,
this is absolutely full of smoke.
We've literally just moved rooms
until we can get this sorted.
- I think the initial fix was obviously to try
and stop the smoke coming through the floor,
which is why we've tried to tape some of the joints.
- I-It's just found another path, hasn't it?
Dick: The integrity of the chimney is an issue,
so it needs to be fixed as soon as possible,
and that could be expensive.
- We've decided to just call a professional out
and--and have a look.
Dick: They want to know exactly what's going on,
so I've called in a specialist, Paul, who lives locally.
- How are you? - Paul.
- Lovely. Rightie. - Come on in.
- You had a fire last night.
- Yeah, in fact. That ember's done.
- Right. You can see the underside of the, uh--
I presume that's the upstairs fireplace.
Dick: So far, nothing obvious in the salon.
- Could we have a look upstairs, then?
- Yeah. - Yeah?
Oh, yeah, it is quite ripe, isn't it?
- Donna: Strong, isn't it? - Yeah.
- Right. Is it possible to take this off
to have a look inside? Yeah?
- Yeah, we can do. - That all right?
There she goes.
Donna: Interested to see what's behind it.
- Ah. - Wow.
- There may be something nasty in there.
Dick: Wow, indeed. It's thousands of dead bees.
An unexpected sting in the tail,
but they aren't the cause of the escaping smoke.
It's the cracked and broken render
at the back of the fireplace.
- Oh. Yeah, you can see--
I think there's, uh, holes at the back there,
where obviously the smoke's coming through from downstairs,
so I'd certainly recommend cleaning this out
before you burned anything down there again.
Dick: At least they won't be stung with a huge bill,
as this fix is one they can do themselves.
- Yeah, it's quite shocking, isn't it?
You'd love to know how many years
that's took to accumulate, wouldn't you?
Does smell rather bad.
Do you think we'll get there in?
Dear me.
I think the quantity of what we found
was quite--[laughs] startling.
Uh, I didn't quite expect it to be that bad.
Dick: Now that the fireplace has been cleaned out,
Paul can get on with sealing the holes
where the smoke's been seeping through.
- I'm sure we'll find this sort of thing
in every fireplace we open up.
Um, it'd have been nice if we found some buried treasure
behind one for a change. That would be quite nice.
Dick: With 9 more fireplaces that still need sorting out,
fingers crossed, there'll be treasure in one of them.
120 miles south, near Bordeaux, a break in the bad weather
means Anna and Ed's first wedding of the season
can finally get under way.
Half an hour later than planned, bride Vicki can at last
make her grand entrance for the open-air ceremony.
Officiant: We have been invited here today
to share with Victoria and Gordon,
a very important moment in their lives.
Dick: For Anna, there's no sign of relief.
- I can see blue sky.
Hopefully it's gonna hold for a little bit
until the ceremony's done.
Uh, I don't know what to say. I'm pretty, pretty stressed.
A la--A droit.
Dick: They've got 90 minutes
to move all the tables into the function room
and get it set up for the wedding meal.
- Two important things in France and in Bordeaux,
the first one is love, so it's...
Dick: The ceremony is in full swing,
- and the clock is ticking. - So I'm sure...
Dick: Ed's back assembling outdoor heaters
in time for postceremony drinks and canapés.
- So I've probably got about 15 minutes to do 2 of these.
All fun and joy.
Dick: There's no letup for Anna
prepping the drinks area, either.
- The drinks area has been moved twice,
but now we're setting it all up here,
and hopefully the sun will come out
and will stay just for the drinks a little bit
so the bride can have partially what she wants.
Dick: Setting up the function room
from scratch for the wedding
means they really got their work cut out.
- I've got the room clean.
We got the tables in.
I think the chairs are getting there,
and then it's gonna be all hands on deck
getting the place settings ready,
um, because Anna will want it how she wants it, so...
Dick: Halfway through the ceremony...
- They have decided to live together as husband and wife.
- and the weather's holding out,
leaving them wondering if they were right
to move the meal inside.
- You can only go by what the radar's showing you,
and it showed a massive storm cloud,
but it's still showing a lot of rain still to come.
I mean, you pay so much money for a wedding,
you can't take the risk.
Dick: It's too late to change tack now,
and there's still plenty to do if they're to deliver
the dream château wedding reception inside.
135 miles southeast in the village of Chaumes,
designer Adam's second viewing of a château
looks to be bringing his French dream a step closer.
- So here we are in the marble room again.
- I love this room.
- Yeah. - I like the floor.
I like all the little plinths.
The marble, I find fascinating.
That's all from the different regions.
- Yep, that's right.
All the villages in the area, uh, traditionally
have got different color marbles and stone.
Dick: The local marble is also found
in the Palace of Versailles, décor fit for a king.
But what about the catering side of things?
- OK, so let's have a look through here.
This is an area here...
- See, this would make a great kitchen.
- And there's water in here already...
- Yeah. Oh, brilliant. - so that's--that's no problem.
- Yeah, this would make a really good use of this space.
Dick: It's good that Adam is considering practicalities.
Time to take a look upstairs.
Andy: On to the landing.
There's rooms either side.
- They're all doubles. - Yeah.
- They've all got beautiful beds in them.
Again one either side here,
and then through into the attic.
- It's amazing up here.
It's absolutely fantastic.
This'd make a fantastic master bedroom.
- En suite through there. - Yeah.
- Or dressing room through there, perhaps.
- It'd make an amazing bathroom. - Yeah.
- And also maybe even put that copper bath.
- [Andy laughs] - Can you imagine that
with a great big shower head over the top?
I love it. I love it. I do love it.
- You hate it? - But I love it. No, I love it.
- So would you put an offer in?
- I'm tempted to really think about that.
It does have an amazing wow factor to it.
It really does.
Thanks, Andy. - Ah, you're very welcome.
- It's a beautiful property. There's a lot to think about.
- So you got some ideas off, so...
- Yeah. I'm gonna give you a call.
Dick: Adam's not made his mind up about this place,
but hopefully he's getting close to understanding what he wants.
- Probably the next time you'll see me,
I'll have a beret on with a stripy top and some onions,
and I'll be riding a bicycle through the streets,
kind of saying hello to all the bakers
and the candlestick makers and all that kind of stuff.
Just--And a baguette probably under one arm probably.
[laughs]
Dick: Near La Rochelle in western France,
Paul and Donna are preparing dinner
for a visiting family at their newly purchased château.
- [laughs] - All right, what have we got?
Rogan josh.
- Be nice, Nana.
- We'll have a bit of rogan josh in, eh?
Dick: With work unfinished on their new catering kitchen,
feeding extra mouths from the château's old, rundown one
is a bit of a struggle.
We've got 2 rings that are working.
We've got a makeshift kind of a bench here.
Everything's kind of on top of each other.
There's no real workspace.
Dick: On the upside, they've come on
leaps and bounds with the new kitchen.
As well as insulating the ceiling
and repointing the stone walls, they're in the middle
of installing the new kitchen cupboards.
Today they're fitting the work tops.
- I'm usually in charge of the instructions, and, uh...
otherwise normally Paul won't look at them.
Dick: Sadly, instructions aren't included
for getting a worktop to sit flush against an old stone wall.
- It's hitting this piece of stone here.
It's just pushing out a few mill,
which is enough to not make the work top
kind of true, right, the way along the front.
We like a challenge.
Otherwise we'd have never took on buying a castle.
- It might pull in a bit more
if I put another fixing straight through here.
[tool whirs]
Dick: All it takes is determination
and a really strong fixing.
[tool whirs]
- Oh, that's pulled in.
- Yeah? - Yeah.
Saw it move.
Yep. That's spot on.
- Yeah, it's leveled out now.
- Yes!
Dick: Now they have to cut out the work top
to house a double sink.
- We cannot afford to make any mistakes.
It's got to be right first time.
Dick: Any error will be costly, as the work tops weren't cheap,
and as it could take weeks to get a new one,
there could be delays.
- So this was what, nearly 300 euros?
- I can't remember now.
- Well, you'll remember if I get it wrong.
- [laughs]
Draw where the sink is gonna go.
- I have.
- Which is which bit?
- Here.
- Is that 815? - No.
- [chuckles]
Is that right?
- It still looked quite big.
Dick: Remember, measure twice. Cut once.
- Sure, eh? - No.
- [laughs]
Dick: Now for the moment of truth.
- So let's lift the back in.
That's it.
- So we're calling that in, yeah?
- [laughs] - That's an install, yeah?
- That is superb. Beautiful.
Dick: Paul and Donna have spent a lot of time
watching DIY videos, and it seems to be paying off.
- Excellent.
We're saving thousands by doing it ourselves.
It's money well saved.
Dick: Couldn't agree more, Donna.
- Excellent. OK, well done.
Dick: Paul and Donna have stripped back walls,
built the ceiling,
installed lighting,
fitted new units, and put in plumbing.
all that remains are a few final touches.
Paul: You have a big fingerprint on that one there.
You need to have some white gloves.
- [laughs]
There we go.
- [meows]
Dick: They've turned a neglected old scullery
into an all-singing, all-dancing, working kitchen.
Donna: It's beautiful. I love it, absolutely love it.
I do feel very--I don't know.
It's a warm, fuzzy feeling.
- Paul: Yeah. - [laughs]
Dick: They should be happy.
Getting this kitchen done professionally
could easily have cost tens of thousands of pounds.
By doing all the work themselves,
they've kept the price down to 4,500.
Paul: I think it's great. I think,
got the balance between old and new,
and, uh, it's the first room that we've done,
as opposed to rooms that we've inherited.
- I'm very excited to start baking.
I don't want to renovate. I want to cook.
[laughs]
Dick: I hear you, Donna,
but there's lots more renovation to be done.
Further south, 13 miles from the center of Bordeaux,
Anna and Ed's first wedding of the season
is not going to plan.
- [speaking French]
Dick: They're rushing to get the tables set
as the wedding breakfast has had to be moved inside.
- Sauvignon, uh, jeune.
Dick: As the guests file over for postceremony drinks...
- Hi, guys. Please come over for a drink.
- after arranging tables and chairs,
checking the seating plan, and laying the place settings,
they're almost done.
It just needs a few final touches...
- Non, non, non. Th-There.
- to Anna's exacting standards.
- Voilà.
- I think it's looking really nice.
The tables are looking classy.
Whether the bride's gonna like it or not, I don't know.
Obviously she was passionate about being outside.
But I'm happy. Let's hope they are.
Slightly later than planned,
the reception meal can finally begin.
Let's hope the newlyweds are happy.
- [cheering]
- As the wedding feast gets well under way,
the decision to move indoors proves to be a wise one.
- I was definitely right to have it inside.
It's coming down more and more all the time.
It would have been frozen out on that top terrace.
To sit down and eat in the cold, it's no--no fun for anybody.
Dick: One person who's been feeling the heat...
- These are sugarcoated. That's all.
- is pregnant wife Anna.
- I don't think they would use that.
- It's the unknown that I think upset Anna today.
My role probably is gonna be a bit more--
this summer is just taking off that extra stress from Anna.
Um, and then now go to try and get her
to sit down a little bit instead of on her feet,
practice for the next 2, 3 months.
- Anna, are you-- - Yeah. I'm gonna go.
- I'm gonna go. - Have some bread
- and some cheese. - I'm going to have my dinner.
Yeah, I'm going. OK. OK.
- It's time for a sit-down, have some dinner.
- I sat down now. - OK?
- Yes.
Dick: It may not have gone as originally planned,
but the happy couple have had a memorable day.
Gordon: It's turned out to be an amazing day.
It was a bit stressful with the weather, though,
but you can't control that at the end of the day.
- Obviously you'd want to be outside by the lake
and in the beautiful surroundings on the grass.
The inside of the venue is just as stunning as the outside,
but the best thing is Anna and Ed, probably,
just 'cause they-- they make it amazing for you.
They do everything for you.
Anna: The bride and groom looked happy now.
Everyone is merrier now. It was a hard day.
- Yeah. No, you got-- you got a little bit upset,
- but that's normal... - Yeah, well...
- 'cause you're pregnant. - [both laugh]
Anna: Ladies and gentlemen!
The first dance!
Dick: It's not been the easiest start to the season.
Ed: Even though it's been a really tough wedding for us,
to see that they're happy, that's--that's the main thing.
That's why you do the job, really.
- Edward did, like, so--so much more.
- It's the first wedding, so of course you're gonna want
to run round and do everything.
- Think it's only gonna get better.
- Mm.
Dick: Fingers crossed, the rest of the year goes smoother.
Next time...
as Paul and Donna race to give her parents a home from home...
- They are really looking forward
to it being their little home,
and I think it's gonna be
a really nice, warm, cozy space for them.
Dick: Mum and Dad are finding château life a struggle.
- Everything was so cold,
and we thought, "Gosh, what have we done?" [laughs]
Dick: It's touch and go
when we catch up with one couple...
- That one's falling out. Quickly. There. That one.
Ahh! Ahh!
[gasps]
- on their new round of projects.
- Every time you put your hand in, Steve--
Whoa! Steven!
Dick: The annual toad migration kicks off at our place.
Oh, look! Look all around your feet.
They're all over the place.
- Give me a toad! - Whoo!
Dick: And a château-owning family battle
to stop their ancestral home from cracking up.
- Another big crack coming, which is even more worrying.
- You can put your fingers in the crack.
[music playing]