Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 3, Episode 13 - Episode #3.13 - full transcript
- I'm Dick Strawbridge,
and with my wife Angel
and our two children...
- [laughing]
- Don't crash.
- we're nearly five years
into our French adventure
restoring this
once-abandoned château.
That one!
[laughs]
It's been a lot of hard work...
- Ohh! That's heavy.
- [Angel laughs]
- but a lot of fun, too.
Families.
- All: Families!
- Families.
And all over France,
there are other
intrepid British families
doing exactly the same.
- I'm just randomly drilling
holes in the wall at the moment.
Dick: Now Angel and I are
once again lending a hand
to other expat château owners.
- That's working for me.
- I love it.
Dick: We'll meet some new faces.
- * Dee dee *
- [shatters]
- [gasps]
- Dick: and some old friends.
- [woman laughs]
- And we'll reveal
more about our own château life.
- You're Monsieur Dick.
[Angel laughs]
Dick: There'll be
plenty of highs...
- Yay!
- and lows...
- [crack]
- [gasps] Uh-oh. No.
- but however hard it gets...
- Whoa!
- they're all
battling to transform
- these abandoned buildings...
- [dog barks]
- Not the size
of the wine press that matters.
- It's what you do with it.
- Yeah.
Dick: into extraordinary
homes and businesses...
- Oh, this is wonderful.
- to live the dream
as custodians
of their very own castle.
Today, creating
a new garden scheme
for a 300-year-old
family home...
Honey, honey, stop, stop,
stop, stop, stop, stop!
You sprayed paint everywhere.
Precise. Precise.
Dick: puts someone
in the doghouse.
- Go away. Go. [sighs]
- New château DIYers
have a communication breakdown.
- I know I didn't go and check.
I just thought we were thinking
- on the same thing.
- Not only did you not check,
you never told me,
'cause we would have--
- Telepathy.
Dick: It's baby toad rescue
at our place.
They're all running away
at a rate of nudge.
You actually have to chase them.
- Look how many are in there.
- Whoa!
- And one returning couple
could get an unlucky break...
- That one's falling out.
Quickly. There. That one.
Ahh! Ahh!
Ohh!
Dick: as they face
the ups and downs
of a new batch of renovations.
This classic French beauty
is the 19th century
Château Caillac.
With 20 rooms,
extensive gardens,
and a private jetty down
on the beautiful River Lot,
it's now owned by keen cyclists
Angela and Steve.
They are amazing places,
and they've got character.
They've got big, thick walls,
all that stuff that you don't
get in a modern house nowadays.
We like to be a little bit
different, you know,
a-and certainly not everybody
buys a château in France.
Dick: They bought
their unique home,
located 60 miles from Bordeaux,
in 2004 for £800,000.
With costly upkeep and a huge
mortgage still to pay off,
they rent out
the entire château each summer
to bring in income.
We stay on our houseboat
in Cheshire.
This is the life, isn't it?
And then we return in September
and stay all through the winter,
which gives us plenty of time
to do all our jobs
that we need to do.
Dick: When we
met them last time,
they were creating
a new guest suite,
and my Angel added
some of her own special spin.
- Bit of copper bling.
[chuckles]
I like it. It's actually
coming on quite lovely.
Dick: It's March,
and Angela and Steve
have a seemingly endless cycle
of renovations to do
before the first paying guests
arrive in two months' time.
- We've always got
some projects on the go.
- We want to make a proper
parking area for our guests.
We've got a leak in the swimming
pool we need to fix.
We're also thinking of doing
a new en suite
into one of the bedrooms.
Dick: Before that,
they're giving
the ceiling of the new
guest suite added grandeur
with a reproduction
period plaster rose
they bought for almost £300
and had to transport
all the way from Scotland.
- Steve just
looked at me and said,
"What on Earth
have you bought here?"
- Well, I thought
they might come in one piece,
but actually no.
They come in about 15 pieces.
The chances, us getting up
o-on the ceiling is gonna be...
- Yeah, interesting. Yeah.
- you know, pretty slim,
but it will look amazing
if we can get it up there
without breaking it.
Dick: Steve has a background
in engineering.
As a former
military engineer myself,
I reckon that's gonna
come in super handy.
- Steve: Right.
- Now the scary bit.
[drill whirs]
Dick: To move
the fragile centerpiece,
Steve's fashioned a DIY solution
out of board and clamps.
Angela: When we bought this,
we actually said to the company,
"Do you have
any fitting instructions?"
and their answer was, "It's
really a professional's job."
So in the end, we've just
come up with our own plan.
[grunts] I've got more.
- Careful.
- I've got it.
- Yeah? Yeah.
- OK.
Yep.
- How are we looking?
- Oh, it's come my way slightly.
- That's it. I'm over.
- Are you over?
- Yeah. Hee!
[laughing]
No breakages so far, Steve.
Dick: So far, so good.
- Voilà.
- Yeah, I can't hear
any cracking. It's all right.
Dick: Moving the heavy rose
through a 19th-century château
is a feat in itself.
- I think I need to put
my arm underneath this weight.
- No, don't.
- No?
- Think as long as you--
I can hold it down like that.
Now you hold it up.
Just try and hold it up a bit
higher, Angela, if you can.
Dick: Spiral staircases
don't help.
Steve: Yeah, you OK?
- Yeah, fine.
- It's not heavy, is it?
- No, I'm just worried
about it cracking in the middle.
Higher. The cot.
- [cat meows]
- Steve: Oh.
Cat's wanting to help.
- Angela: Yeah.
- [meowing]
- Yes, Molly,
being really helpful.
OK, we're in.
- [meowing]
- Yeah.
- All the way, Angela.
A bit further.
- Oh, a bit further. Sorry.
- [meows]
- Are you trying to help?
Dick: Molly decides
that curiosity killed the cat.
- What we're gonna do is gonna
make a little structure here,
and we're gonna
slowly lift it up.
We'll use our trolley jack,
I think, probably to lift it.
Dick: To raise the delicate
plaster-of-Paris rose
to the ceiling, they're going
to use adjustable steel posts.
Steve: Which is
why you need to--
- I'm gonna have
to get it up higher.
- [sighs]
- OK.
- OK.
- Can you actually lift
and put your pin in?
- I think I'd have
to do one at a time.
You want me to try it
on my own first?
- Try it with me.
- Oh, it's--Got that.
- Got that one.
- Yeah, put that in there.
- Lift it a bit more with me.
I haven't--I can't get that in.
Whoa.
There we are. I'm in.
- Adapt and overcome
is our new motto, isn't it?
- [laughs] I think that might
have been the motto for a while.
Dick: Now Steve's plan is to
jack the rose up to the ceiling,
position the screw holes
over the joists,
and glue and screw
the whole thing into position.
Easier said than done.
- I wonder how
the professionals do it,
- 'cause I still don't know.
- Have you got it, Angela?
- Yeah. Which--Got what?
- The actual frame.
- Wait, wait, wait.
Wait, wait, wait.
Wait, wait, wait.
All secure.
- Oh, don't tip it like that.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Don't fall over that thing.
Wait, wait, wait, Steve.
- Let's see where it is.
- [meows]
Dick: The cat definitely
doesn't look very happy.
Angela: It's so close.
Dick: With the rose
at ceiling height,
on goes the glue.
- Now we've just
got to put some screws in,
just to give it that,
you know, extra support.
It's up, and it's
actually stayed in one piece.
Dick: So far, so good.
It looked touch and go there
for a moment.
- Time for a cup of tea.
Come on. Let's go.
- Yeah, definitely time
for a cup of tea. Yeah.
Dick: Once the glue
has set overnight,
they'll remove the support
from the rose.
After all of that,
I really hope it sticks.
425 miles north is
the magnificent Château Flore.
It has 44 rooms...
a 27-acre estate
with extensive formal gardens
and a 3/4 of an acre maze.
It's been owned by Alex's family
since it was built
in the 18th century.
It's now also home
to British-born wife Ithaca,
an events organizer.
- We would never sell it.
- No.
Some people ask,
"Ah, is it for sale?
Uh, what is the price?"
You just say,
"Actually,
it's never been priced.
Dick: Alex, who runs
an insurance business,
and Ithaca pour the money
they earn into the upkeep
so they can pass on the château
to the next generation,
daughter Violet, 14,
and son Jules, 11.
We really have to do the maximum
to be able to keep it
in the family,
and that's really important.
Dick: Located
40 miles from Calais,
this home's running costs
are huge.
- This place
is like an old relative
that you really cherish,
and so you're--
you're just--
you're taking care of her,
and you're paying for her bills,
paying for her wig,
some bit of lipstick
here and there.
I say that I'm doing something
and this is gonna have an impact
and this will, you know,
help the next generation.
Dick: And even with their jobs,
they struggle to stay
on top of the upkeep.
The latest worry
is the 800-square-meter roof
of rare and expensive tiles.
- So I wanted
to show you this one,
because it's really worrying me.
I-I stuffed some plastic.
See, all this here
is completely soaked through.
- Oh, yeah.
- You see?
- Oh, my God.
- There's water everywhere.
- There's, um, some fungus
coming already.
- Here. Look. There's--Yeah.
- And it's now--
It's now very wet, you see?
And under that, it's all rotten.
It's not the only hole,
actually.
They are many others.
Dick: Ithaca and Alex
plan to raise money
with a big annual antiques and
flower fair in 3 months' time,
but that will only cover
a fraction of the costs.
Ithaca: The roof is gonna cost
the price of a very nice house,
400K, so, yeah...
- We--we can't afford it.
- so we just can't do it.
Dick: They've applied
for an historic building grant
to help fund the repair.
If it doesn't come through,
the 18th-century château
could be exposed to further
damage from the elements.
Ithaca: Just hoping
that we're gonna get the OK
within, you know, a month
and just get going.
It's really, really urgent,
and the roof is falling apart.
Dick: And outside, there's more
very obvious repairs needed.
Alex: This is a perfect example
why the roof
needs to be done
as soon as possible, cracks.
- There are cracks coming...
- On the facade.
- on the facade here.
Another big crack coming,
which is even more worrying,
because now it's very obvious.
- You can put your fingers
in the crack.
- Now we can see
some other cracks coming.
Slowly, but surely,
they're here.
Dick: With part
of the family home
literally cracking up,
funds are needed very soon.
- Set in the glorious landscapes
of Western France
is 45-room Château de Saugé,
home to Brits Donna and Paul,
who moved in
less than 3 months ago.
Donna: Dream behind the château
is to be our own bosses
and to restore the château
to its former glory.
- There's a certain
romantic element,
and a fairy-tale aspect
of château ownership.
We just want
to make it successful
and be working for ourself
in an environment that we love.
Dick: The early
17th-century château
is located 50 miles
from La Rochelle
and was snapped up by the couple
for £279,000,
albeit
in a very neglected state.
- Yeah, that, uh, needs work.
- Yeah, this is pretty bad.
Dick: They want to run it
as a B & B and events venue,
so they created
a new catering kitchen
at the hub of the château.
- I'm very excited
to start baking.
I don't want to renovate.
I want to cook. [laughs]
Dick: They've also been joined
by Donna's parents,
Ann and Brian,
who've been living in makeshift
accommodation for 11 weeks.
- At first, it was really hard.
We felt,
"Did we do the right thing?"
- You know?
- It was hard work.
- Everything was so cold,
and, you know,
we thought, "Gosh,
what have we done?" [chuckles]
Dick: So now, with Ann
and Brian struggling to cope,
Donna and Paul are putting
some renovations on hold
to turn a wing of the château
into a cozy,
self-contained apartment.
- That's gonna shut out that
for you.
- That would be fine. Yeah.
- Yeah.
- You might even get
the microwave set on there.
- Well, I was planning
me microwave over there.
- Yeah, over here's fine.
- See? My Mum's all organized.
She knows
where everything's going.
- What else have I got,
me hot plate, me--
- Micro kettle, toaster.
- Yeah.
- Deep fat fryer.
- Yeah, that would
be smashing, Paul.
Dick: They're hoping
the new accommodation
will help quell
Mum and Dad's homesickness.
- It's what's kept us going,
isn't it? knowing that we're
- going to get our own...
- Yeah, it's took
- a long time, though.
- apartment.
Donna: I think you can see
from my parents' faces
how 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.
- It'll be nice
to just disappear now and then,
- have our own place.
- Yeah.
And they'll be glad
to see the back of us
for a little bit, I think.
- [both laugh]
- Yeah.
Dick: Money's tight,
so Donna and Paul
are stripping units
from the old kitchen
to reuse them
for Ann and Brian's new pad.
- God knows
what they kept in there.
- Eh, that's not very nice.
I wonder how many years of dust
is behind there.
Dick: First they need
lots of elbow grease.
- Ah, there's actually
a white bit underneath all this.
- I thought that would be
really greasy and murky,
- but that's not.
- It's lovely there.
- [indistinct]
- Shouldn't look--
- Is that oak?
- Smashing.
Dick: There are still floors
to finish, a kitchen to fit,
and lots of decorating to do
until Mum and Dad
have their own place.
But one thing that's better cold
is a glass of rosé
after a hard day's work.
Donna: Remember the last time
we did this? When we moved in.
Ann: Yes, that's right,
but it was warmer, wasn't it?
- It was warmer,
and we had champagne,
- so things have gone downhill.
- [laughter]
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Ann: To better things, anyway.
- Well, having less work
to do today
than we did last time
we toasted on the terrace.
Dick: Nearly 150 miles south,
it's time for Steve and Angela
to find out if their DIY fix
of the ceiling rose
has held up overnight.
- Oh, that's a good sign.
- Still up.
- Still up.
[both laugh]
- Is it gonna stay--
It looks like it's
stuck up there, Steven.
- Now let's release these
all the way down
Let it come down together.
- That looks OK.
Whee! That's it.
- Whee.
- It's up.
It's really lovely.
Dick: So far, so good,
but every rose has its thorn.
There are eight more
delicate decorations
that need carefully gluing
over the screw holes.
- It's really important
that this bit will stick on.
Dick: With the help of his
makeshift lifting contraption,
Steve tries to put
all the pieces in place,
ready for gluing.
- Bit more. Bit more. All set?
- Any time today'd be good.
- Yeah, well...
Dick: As the rose
came from Scotland,
if they break
any of the plaster pieces,
they're gonna be
very difficult to replace.
- You ready?
Ah, just a sec.
- Steve, that one's
falling out. Quickly.
There. That one.
Ahh! Ahh!
[laughs]
- No!
- Sorry.
Can you go up a bit more,
Angela,
on that right hand--
No, the other one,
the one that is--that one.
- I'm not happy.
That one there is going to fall.
I'm telling you now
it's going to fall.
- Fit first.
- Every time
you put your hand in, Steve--
Whoa! Steven!
Every time you put your hand in,
it moves some--
another one out of place.
- It looks absolutely spot on.
Dick: Time to add some glue.
- It's just that flat bit
that touches.
Oh, gosh. Why on Earth
did I choose one like this?
Dick: I don't know, Angela.
Quick, jack it up
before anything moves.
- Is that enough? No more?
- Yeah.
- Hello?
- And just a little bit more.
But you're putting pressure
on it now.
Feels like it's--
Feels like it's sorted
in the right place.
- OK.
Dick: Another
nail-biting night ahead.
- Hopefully tomorrow
we could fit the light.
- Yeah.
- And then I can never see
another ceiling rose
in my life again.
Dick: I know where
you're coming from, Steve.
420 miles northeast
at Château Flore,
there's good news
about the grant
that's contributing
to roof repairs.
- They're here.
- [reverse warning beeping]
Dick: The money's come through,
and work on the roof
can finally begin.
First stage
is to erect scaffolding.
- I am very relieved
the scaffoldings are here.
It's been such a long process
that now they are coming,
I'm really--You know,
it's dream coming to reality.
Dick: The bad news
is the scaffolding will stay
for the next 14 months,
not ideal with the summer fair
just 2 months away.
- Having the scaffolding
and the roof done
at the same time as our events
is not what I would have chosen,
but we just
have to deal with it.
Dick: For the summer fair,
Ithaca's come up
with a new scheme
for the château gardens.
- We had this idea
for mixing 3 or 4
different types of lavender,
quite a formal pattern.
Dick: To give the path
added grandeur,
they're going to plant
in a geometric French style
called parterre.
- It has to have
that wow effect.
It has to enhance the house.
Dick: British-born Ithaca
has decided not to use
French lavender,
instead sourcing
all the plants from Kent.
- I wanted to show the French
that, yes, lavender could be
grown, uh, north of France
and, yes, actually
it comes from the U.K.
For them, lavender is just,
you know--it's just French.
It's--Lavender is le Provence.
Dick: Now for the tricky bit,
transferring the plant
from the drawing to the ground.
- I just want to check if it's--
if it's consistent.
- 626, eh?
- OK, that's a 630.
Trying to follow this,
but the problem is
we just discovered
that the alley is not centered
and it's not even
the same size everywhere,
meaning it's just not working.
Dick: With the existing path
not being geometric,
that's gonna
cause them a problem.
- OK. Bustique.
No.
[laughs]
You gotta--
[speaking French]
No, you're not holding it.
Can you hold it with your hand?
Thank you.
- Ah, well,
the cat is tugging at it.
- Bustique.
- Get off. Come on.
Dick: Spray marking
the flower beds means
they're committing to their
interpretation of the design.
Alex: If you're tired,
you tell me.
Honey, honey, stop, stop,
stop, stop, stop, stop! No.
Dick: Highly technical equipment
operated under Alex's
strict instructions.
- From here, then you
go spray paint everywhere.
You have to be really,
like, close.
- OK.
- Precise. Precise.
- OK.
Dick: Given the size
of the task,
mathematical precision
soon goes out the window.
- Seems a bit--
a bit larger on the left
- Not at all mathematical.
- [laughs]
- 1, 2, 3, 4.
- Come on.
OK.
[laughs]
- This one is slightly--
- I'm off 40 centimeters.
- Huh.
- Alex, it doesn't
really matter, 40 centimeters.
- It does not. Let's go.
- It's a bit of a nightmare,
actually.
- It's not a nightmare.
It's fun.
[both laugh]
Dick: Nightmare or not,
they've got their work cut out
to have this job done
in time for the fair
in just 2 months' time.
In western France,
Donna and Paul
have now fitted and painted
all the kitchen units
in the apartment they've been
creating for Donna's parents.
Today they're expecting
a very British delivery.
- Paul: Important things.
- Yeah.
- Tea or coffee?
- Oh, coffee. 2 sugars, please.
- Same. Coffee, 2 sugars.
- Tradesman standard, that is.
- Yeah, minimum requirement.
Sure.
Dick: Ann and Brian would like
wall-to-wall fitted carpet,
not something you see
a lot of in châteaux,
as rugs over hard floors are
considered easier to keep clean.
The carpets made it
to the château.
Hopefully it'll get
through the window.
Paul: The wrong color.
- [laughs]
- You got it? You got it?
- Yeah.
Dick: The cost of the carpet
also covers fitting,
but there's a problem.
- We knew the carpet
was being delivered today,
but, uh, we've also
got an opportunity
to get it installed,
but frankly
we're not ready for that.
Dick: The floor
still needs to be leveled.
- So that's just
the transition here.
It obviously goes up
to the tails and cuts into here.
Just--But here, we hadn't
finished scruting that.
- So we'll be going over
that ridge there, won't it?
- Yes.
- Yeah.
Dick: So they've come up
with a solution.
Paul: Well, if you
can cut it so it's--
- We could fit it--
- Yeah, that's fine.
- Pull it back
- Fit it up to here.
- And we'll just pull it back.
- We'll leave you
a can of spray.
And once that's gone off,
just spray around the edge.
Spray the back of the carpet,
brush it off.
- Yeah. Brilliant.
- Good.
Dick: The fitters will lay
as much of the carpet
as possible...
- It's all go here
as usual here, isn't it?
Dick: leaving
some sections unglued
so Donna and Paul
can finish their leveling work.
- That certainly wouldn't be me.
I'd be like, "Ohh."
- No, no.
- I always have nightmares
of having to do it myself,
thinking one wrong cut,
and that's it, isn't it?
I mean, we of course would have
fitted it as quick as this.
- It would have taken us 3 days.
- [laughs] Yeah.
It's much nicer
watching other people fit it.
Dick: It's rare for them
to just be watching.
- I feel like just seeing
this down, it's given me
a boost of just trying
to get the rest finished now.
- I mean, come and
live in this, but, oh,
oh, your Mum and Dad are here.
- Yeah, it's nicer
than what we've got.
- Good luck, really.
- Thanks very much.
- All right, lovely.
- Thanks very much.
- See you, lads.
- We'll see you soon.
- Take care.
- Take care.
Donna: Yay. We got a carpet.
[laughs] Finally
we've got a carpet.
- We want to fit...
Dick: Next job
is making sure Mum and Dad
can shut the door
on their own separate home.
- Why are the hinges
on that side?
- 'Cause the door
opens that way.
- It doesn't.
It opens against here.
- No, it doesn't.
It's a left-opening door.
Dick: Paul's put a door
that includes
the frame and hinges,
but that means they can't change
the direction the door opens.
- I just always thought
it would have been better,
it opening against a wall.
- I know, but you never
communicated that to me,
'cause we got
left-opening doors.
- I know I didn't go and check.
I just thought we were thinking
- on the same thing.
- Not only did you not check,
you never told me,
'cause we would have--
- Telepathy.
Nick: Well, at least
it's easier to fit the door up.
[knocks on door]
- Enter.
- Hey.
- [laughs]
- Can I come in?
Dick: It may be almost
ready for Mum and Dad,
but every day spent working
on the apartment
is a day not working on projects
that could bring in funds.
- We've got so many of the rooms
that we really need
to get on with now,
um, income-generating rooms,
that we need this done.
And--Yeah.
- Yeah. The end, isn't it?
- I'm ready. [laughs]
Ready to move on.
Dick: Nearly
300 miles northeast,
Ithaca and Alex
have dug the beds.
Now they need to plant
the 480 English lavender bushes
to an exact design.
- The pressure is on,
and I'm a perfectionist.
For that, Ithaca's roped in
friends Kate and Pascal.
- [speaking French]
- OK, guys.
Well, thanks for coming out.
Really appreciate it.
Don't look so worried. [laughs]
- Go on. Continue.
Dick: To keep
the strict geometric design
of the flower beds,
it's important to try
and plant each individual shrub
accurately.
- It has to be,
from center to center,
to the lavender
50 centimeters a minimum.
OK?
If one lavender is out of place,
I don't think it's going
to be much of a problem,
but if you're off
5 or 6 lavenders,
then from above
it's going to look really--
well, it won't look precise.
Nick: And Ithaca's not afraid
of whipping her team into shape
to get the desired results.
- So I would say
border should be there.
- Ithaca, she is bossy...
- No.
- but to do that kind of job,
you need to be bossy.
You cannot be too lazy
or too soft.
You need to be bossy,
in a nice way.
Ithaca: It's--
You know what, guys?
It's really nice
being with you and working
and you helping us
do this lavender.
It's just so good
there's teamwork.
Dick: Barely a third
of the lavender planted,
rain clouds appear
on the horizon.
Alex: We're not sure
about the weather.
It might rain, and if it rains,
it's n--won't be the same story.
- [rain pattering]
- Yeah, rain is coming.
Dick: While Ithaca and friends
take shelter...
- Bye.
- Bye. [laughs]
Dick: Alex soldiers on alone.
- I just have to carry on.
I'm a gardener.
I like to be outside.
I like to be in the nature,
and I'm very fascinated,
because even if it rains,
uh, the birds keep on singing.
Dick: Exactly.
And we all know
you plant wet and sow dry.
- Hey.
- Oh, Alex!
- You look completely...
- Muddy.
- Oh, you just--
- It's muddy.
- You look very muddy.
- Yeah.
- Your--Even--
You're muddy everywhere.
- Well...
Dick: Along with mud,
Alex brings news
about a serious miscalculation.
- The triangle--
You know the triangle
in the middle?
- Yeah.
- Are far too big,
far too large. That means
we don't have enough lavender.
It's, like, lacking 50
or something or more.
No, I think it was too large.
That's for sure.
Dick: Getting more plants
from the U.K. at this stage
could be a real race
against time.
Ithaca: We're gonna either
have to order, uh...
- more lavender...
- Yes.
- or we're gonna
have to reduce the size
of the middle section
drastically,
and then it's
not gonna look good.
- If you say we have to--
to order more, we'll order more.
I'm waiting for you, OK?
Dick: Ithaca heads out
and soon discovers
where the error lies.
- What's happened
is that our triangle,
our triangle shape
is way too big.
- Yes, this part
is far too large.
We should just stop here.
You see?
- This triangle is way too big
to match the drawing
and to match the number
of lavender plants
that we've ordered.
Dick: One option is
to reduce the size of the bed,
but Ithaca's not happy.
- It's gonna be very--
a very small bed.
- It's not. It's just--
- No?
- It's just--
It's just stopping here
rather than here. That's it.
- OK. Fine.
[sighs]
I just want it
to look beautiful.
- I-I'm drawing the line here.
Dick: Let's hope
the lavender measures up
in time for the big summer fair.
Being custodians of
a château-sizable country estate
brings lots of responsibility
and hard work.
It's all made worthwhile,
though,
when you get time
to down tools and enjoy
the benefits of a nature reserve
on the doorstep.
And since we've been
at the château,
June has always been
a special time.
Now look in the ground.
Tell me what you can see.
- I can--I can see rocks.
- You can see rocks.
Can you see anything moving?
- [yelps]
- Look! What? Look, look.
- Timmy!
- Timmy, Timmy Toad.
- Timmy! Timmy the Toad.
- [narrating]
The common Toad, AKA Timmy,
is found all over France.
But how many are there?
See how many we can see.
Now look.
[narrating] The spring spawn
has turned into tiny toadlets,
and they appear
in the front of our château
in their thousands...
How many can you see
bouncing there?
- 100!
- Count them in French for me.
- [narrating] looking for
a cool spot in the undergrowth
to make their lair.
Oh, look!
Look all around your feet!
They're all over the place.
Look over here, Arthur.
I can see hundreds.
- This is Timmy,
but I don't want
to squish Timmy.
- Look, look. See there?
Well, they jump
quite a long way, don't they?
[narrating] With a mass
migration of toadlets
heading right into the path
of upcoming château renovations,
it's time for a spot
of wildlife rescue.
Here we go.
Fill it for Timmy toads.
Go on, everybody.
Find Timmy toads.
- I found Timmy!
I'll put them all in here
so you can find it.
Dick: Everyone rallies around
to gather up the toadlets
so we can find them
a more suitable home.
I got one.
- Ha! I found one!
Angel: OK,
be very delicate with it.
Dick: Mummy,
see if you can find one.
Arthur: There you go.
Angel: Oh, Daddy found loads.
- Ah! Daddy!
Angel: Oh, this is the place.
Oh, there's loads.
Here they are.
- I found one!
- Well done.
- Here in the box.
- Amazing. Amazing.
- They're all running away
at a rate of nudge.
You actually have to chase them.
[narrating] These tiny Timmies
may be around only 12 weeks old
and one centimeter long,
but they've already turned
from vegetarian tadpoles
to meat eaters
and are the gardener's friend.
Do you know
what they eat in France?
- What?
- Frogs' legs.
- Frogs' legs?
- [narrating] If they
survive all the hazards,
including our hungry herons...
Look how many are in there.
- See all of them?
- Whoo!
1, 2, 3...
Arthur: There's 100!
Dick: they'll be ready
to spawn another generation
in 3 years' time.
Right, Arthur, Arthur,
we let Timmy toads go over here.
Come over here, son.
Gonna let them all go.
You ready?
- No!
- Well, they're coming out now.
They're all--There's...
The Timmy toads are all
going to be free now.
and that's good.
270 miles south of our place,
it's crunch time
for Angela and Steve...
as they're about to find out
if the final pieces
of their ceiling rose have stuck
and are in the right places.
- Well, it's still
up at the minute, Steve,
so that's gotta be
10% of the worry over.
- Well, you're going to have
to release a trolley jack
and catch--Remember,
you've got to catch the bits
- as well as they come down.
- Are you ready?
- Yeah. Go on.
- Coming down.
- Yeah. OK. Yeah, that's fine.
All right, moment of truth.
- It's actually quite exciting.
I can see my plan
that I've been thinking about
for months coming together.
[laughs]
It's still up, anyway.
Ooh!
Dick: And doesn't that
look grand?
Steve: Voilà.
- Oh, my gosh, it's great!
I do love being married
to an engineer.
Dick: I'm sure
I've heard Angel say that, too.
- That's amazing.
- I love it.
- I absolutely love it.
- How lined up are they all?
- Well, I'm not even gonna worry
about that, to be fair.
They're all on the ceiling,
and that's the main thing.
- Let's put the light up.
- It is actually really heavy,
this chandelier.
- I don't want to knock it,
you see.
- Oh. Are--are you
going now with it? Yeah.
- I'm going to have a look.
- I can't go any higher.
I'm on my tiptoes.
[sighs]
Watch you don't
knock anything off.
- What about that there?
About there somewhere?
- Um, let me just stand away.
- I just can't believe
how beautiful it looks.
I really do want them
in all the rooms now.
[laughs] He's gonna kill me.
- There we go.
- Ah, Steve.
- So I'll go
and put the power on,
and then you can see
what happens.
- I'll yelp at you.
Oh. Yeah, we're on!
Dick: And then there was light.
- It's absolutely beautiful.
It's lovely, Steve.
- Wow. Ah, that's really good,
isn't it?
- Thank you, Steve, honestly.
- You're welcome.
- [laughs]
- It's worth it.
Dick: Job's a good'un.
Sadly for Steve,
Angela has
six more bedroom ceilings
still to play with.
In western France,
Donna and Paul
are putting B & B plans on hold
to create
a self-contained apartment
where Donna's parents
could feel more at home.
- It's what's kept us going,
isn't it? Knowing that we're
- going to get our own...
- Yeah, it's took
- a long time, though.
- apartment.
Dick: The apartment
is finally ready
for some finishing touches.
- Actually, this bed throw
was one that my Mum
always admired,
and luckily it's--
the color matches as well, so--
[laughs]
So it's gone back on.
Dick: After 10 weeks
of hard work,
the apartment is finished,
but sadly, Donna's parents
made the decision
to return to the U.K.,
because as well as missing home,
Dad Brian has been
suffering health problems.
- We had the--you know,
the news that my parents
were going back to the U.K.
We were a bit unsettled
because of that,
and it--that was disappointing.
Dick: Rather than see
their hard work go to waste,
Donna and Paul have looked
for the silver lining
and come up with a plan
to rent out the apartment
to bring in
some much-needed income.
- I think these, uh,
were bought in Dubai, actually,
ah, and found the way
to a château in France.
Dick: Now it's
about dressing the space
to attract online bookings.
- It just looks
that bit more homely.
It's how I would want
to see it, anyway.
I should have actually
brought a bottle of wine up
and stood it there as well.
Dick: Over the past 10 weeks,
they've plastered
and painted,
fitted a kitchen and bathroom,
and given the apartment
its own front door.
- [laughs]
Dick: This was once
a dark and unloved space
in a run-down wing
of the château.
Now it's self-contained,
spacious,
and comfortable accommodation,
ready for Donna and Paul
to host paying guests.
Donna: Time to take some photos.
Quite nice with the beam there.
[sighs]
I'm just going on
to one of the rental sites now
and, uh, upload the apartment.
Obviously my parents, I think,
feel, you know, a bit guilty.
I think they're praying
that we get some bookings.
I think it looks
quite nice, actually.
I'd rent it myself.
There we go. It's live.
[sighs]
Just want some bookings now.
Dick: In the countryside around
Calais in northern France,
Ithaca and Alex have been
preparing the château gardens,
ready for their annual
antiques and flower show
that's important
to raise repair funds
for their historic family home.
- I'm getting slightly
tired out o-on this. [laughs]
Dick: The lavender beds
have now been planted.
- Hi, Stache.
Hi, youstie woustie.
Dick: All that's needed
is a decent watering.
- Well, Alex today is not here.
He's working, actually.
We both have full-time jobs,
and, uh, it takes
a lot of money to restore,
to rebuild,
and to improve the gardens,
so we do have to work a lot,
and when we're
not working at work,
well, we're working
in the garden.
Dick: Great way
to spend your free time.
- I've taken my day off,
and I'm looking after
our lavender.
No! Out!
Dick: There are
480 newly planted bushes
that now need a regular drink
to get them through
their first summer.
- I'm making sure that,
uh, we're not gonna lose any.
Dick: Drought isn't
the only threat
to young plants
at this château, however.
- Oh, what's this?
Hmm. I think a dog has...
dug up.
It's definitely lavender.
And the thing is
I don't know what color it is.
Hmm.
I'm just gonna plant this,
and, uh, we'll see
what it gives.
Dick: Let's hope
it's the right color
in the right place.
- We spent days
drawing this pattern,
digging it out,
turning the soil,
digging, planting,
measuring, measuring.
It's so close to the château
that it needs to look beautiful
and perfect at all times.
- Yougie, what you doing?
What you doing? Just stop.
Go!
Go! Shoo! Go away!
I love Yougie to bits,
but she is so clumsy and heavy,
and she just doesn't understand
that this is a beautiful
lavender bed-to-be.
Dick: While Yougie eyes up
the lavender from the ground,
Ithaca heads upstairs
to get a bird's-eye view.
What was once
a plain gravel path
has been laid out
with geometric beds
and different colors
of English lavender
chosen to complement
the walls and roof
of the 18th century château.
- This looks so beautiful.
I'm gonna take a picture
and send this to my friend
who helped
so that they see
how beautiful it is.
Dick: Finally Ithaca
can put the lavender to bed,
but there's still lots to do
over the next 8 weeks
if the antiques and flower fair
is to be a success.
- Next time...
- What could go wrong?
Dick: Angela and Steve
have a difference in direction.
- I can't see, though,
in the digger, what--
- I know.
Well, that's why I'm talking.
- I know. It's OK.
Dick: Donna and Paul
hit a stumbling block
meeting building rules.
- The structural opening
is only 20, 30 mil larger
than the plasterboard,
so that's not a good sign.
- I race Arthur
to some low-hanging fruit...
- Get your own bush!
- [laughs]
- That's my bush.
and turn our fruity booty
into delicious jelly.
We're gonna end up
with a whole lot
of lovely jars
of our own produce.
That looks pretty impressive.
- * Dee dee *
Dick: And there's
logistical nightmares
for the fundraising fair.
- [speaking French]
- Ombrelle.
Dick: But Ithaca keeps smiling.
- I try to talk with a smile.
If you smile,
then people hear you smiling.
[music playing]
and with my wife Angel
and our two children...
- [laughing]
- Don't crash.
- we're nearly five years
into our French adventure
restoring this
once-abandoned château.
That one!
[laughs]
It's been a lot of hard work...
- Ohh! That's heavy.
- [Angel laughs]
- but a lot of fun, too.
Families.
- All: Families!
- Families.
And all over France,
there are other
intrepid British families
doing exactly the same.
- I'm just randomly drilling
holes in the wall at the moment.
Dick: Now Angel and I are
once again lending a hand
to other expat château owners.
- That's working for me.
- I love it.
Dick: We'll meet some new faces.
- * Dee dee *
- [shatters]
- [gasps]
- Dick: and some old friends.
- [woman laughs]
- And we'll reveal
more about our own château life.
- You're Monsieur Dick.
[Angel laughs]
Dick: There'll be
plenty of highs...
- Yay!
- and lows...
- [crack]
- [gasps] Uh-oh. No.
- but however hard it gets...
- Whoa!
- they're all
battling to transform
- these abandoned buildings...
- [dog barks]
- Not the size
of the wine press that matters.
- It's what you do with it.
- Yeah.
Dick: into extraordinary
homes and businesses...
- Oh, this is wonderful.
- to live the dream
as custodians
of their very own castle.
Today, creating
a new garden scheme
for a 300-year-old
family home...
Honey, honey, stop, stop,
stop, stop, stop, stop!
You sprayed paint everywhere.
Precise. Precise.
Dick: puts someone
in the doghouse.
- Go away. Go. [sighs]
- New château DIYers
have a communication breakdown.
- I know I didn't go and check.
I just thought we were thinking
- on the same thing.
- Not only did you not check,
you never told me,
'cause we would have--
- Telepathy.
Dick: It's baby toad rescue
at our place.
They're all running away
at a rate of nudge.
You actually have to chase them.
- Look how many are in there.
- Whoa!
- And one returning couple
could get an unlucky break...
- That one's falling out.
Quickly. There. That one.
Ahh! Ahh!
Ohh!
Dick: as they face
the ups and downs
of a new batch of renovations.
This classic French beauty
is the 19th century
Château Caillac.
With 20 rooms,
extensive gardens,
and a private jetty down
on the beautiful River Lot,
it's now owned by keen cyclists
Angela and Steve.
They are amazing places,
and they've got character.
They've got big, thick walls,
all that stuff that you don't
get in a modern house nowadays.
We like to be a little bit
different, you know,
a-and certainly not everybody
buys a château in France.
Dick: They bought
their unique home,
located 60 miles from Bordeaux,
in 2004 for £800,000.
With costly upkeep and a huge
mortgage still to pay off,
they rent out
the entire château each summer
to bring in income.
We stay on our houseboat
in Cheshire.
This is the life, isn't it?
And then we return in September
and stay all through the winter,
which gives us plenty of time
to do all our jobs
that we need to do.
Dick: When we
met them last time,
they were creating
a new guest suite,
and my Angel added
some of her own special spin.
- Bit of copper bling.
[chuckles]
I like it. It's actually
coming on quite lovely.
Dick: It's March,
and Angela and Steve
have a seemingly endless cycle
of renovations to do
before the first paying guests
arrive in two months' time.
- We've always got
some projects on the go.
- We want to make a proper
parking area for our guests.
We've got a leak in the swimming
pool we need to fix.
We're also thinking of doing
a new en suite
into one of the bedrooms.
Dick: Before that,
they're giving
the ceiling of the new
guest suite added grandeur
with a reproduction
period plaster rose
they bought for almost £300
and had to transport
all the way from Scotland.
- Steve just
looked at me and said,
"What on Earth
have you bought here?"
- Well, I thought
they might come in one piece,
but actually no.
They come in about 15 pieces.
The chances, us getting up
o-on the ceiling is gonna be...
- Yeah, interesting. Yeah.
- you know, pretty slim,
but it will look amazing
if we can get it up there
without breaking it.
Dick: Steve has a background
in engineering.
As a former
military engineer myself,
I reckon that's gonna
come in super handy.
- Steve: Right.
- Now the scary bit.
[drill whirs]
Dick: To move
the fragile centerpiece,
Steve's fashioned a DIY solution
out of board and clamps.
Angela: When we bought this,
we actually said to the company,
"Do you have
any fitting instructions?"
and their answer was, "It's
really a professional's job."
So in the end, we've just
come up with our own plan.
[grunts] I've got more.
- Careful.
- I've got it.
- Yeah? Yeah.
- OK.
Yep.
- How are we looking?
- Oh, it's come my way slightly.
- That's it. I'm over.
- Are you over?
- Yeah. Hee!
[laughing]
No breakages so far, Steve.
Dick: So far, so good.
- Voilà.
- Yeah, I can't hear
any cracking. It's all right.
Dick: Moving the heavy rose
through a 19th-century château
is a feat in itself.
- I think I need to put
my arm underneath this weight.
- No, don't.
- No?
- Think as long as you--
I can hold it down like that.
Now you hold it up.
Just try and hold it up a bit
higher, Angela, if you can.
Dick: Spiral staircases
don't help.
Steve: Yeah, you OK?
- Yeah, fine.
- It's not heavy, is it?
- No, I'm just worried
about it cracking in the middle.
Higher. The cot.
- [cat meows]
- Steve: Oh.
Cat's wanting to help.
- Angela: Yeah.
- [meowing]
- Yes, Molly,
being really helpful.
OK, we're in.
- [meowing]
- Yeah.
- All the way, Angela.
A bit further.
- Oh, a bit further. Sorry.
- [meows]
- Are you trying to help?
Dick: Molly decides
that curiosity killed the cat.
- What we're gonna do is gonna
make a little structure here,
and we're gonna
slowly lift it up.
We'll use our trolley jack,
I think, probably to lift it.
Dick: To raise the delicate
plaster-of-Paris rose
to the ceiling, they're going
to use adjustable steel posts.
Steve: Which is
why you need to--
- I'm gonna have
to get it up higher.
- [sighs]
- OK.
- OK.
- Can you actually lift
and put your pin in?
- I think I'd have
to do one at a time.
You want me to try it
on my own first?
- Try it with me.
- Oh, it's--Got that.
- Got that one.
- Yeah, put that in there.
- Lift it a bit more with me.
I haven't--I can't get that in.
Whoa.
There we are. I'm in.
- Adapt and overcome
is our new motto, isn't it?
- [laughs] I think that might
have been the motto for a while.
Dick: Now Steve's plan is to
jack the rose up to the ceiling,
position the screw holes
over the joists,
and glue and screw
the whole thing into position.
Easier said than done.
- I wonder how
the professionals do it,
- 'cause I still don't know.
- Have you got it, Angela?
- Yeah. Which--Got what?
- The actual frame.
- Wait, wait, wait.
Wait, wait, wait.
Wait, wait, wait.
All secure.
- Oh, don't tip it like that.
- Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa.
Don't fall over that thing.
Wait, wait, wait, Steve.
- Let's see where it is.
- [meows]
Dick: The cat definitely
doesn't look very happy.
Angela: It's so close.
Dick: With the rose
at ceiling height,
on goes the glue.
- Now we've just
got to put some screws in,
just to give it that,
you know, extra support.
It's up, and it's
actually stayed in one piece.
Dick: So far, so good.
It looked touch and go there
for a moment.
- Time for a cup of tea.
Come on. Let's go.
- Yeah, definitely time
for a cup of tea. Yeah.
Dick: Once the glue
has set overnight,
they'll remove the support
from the rose.
After all of that,
I really hope it sticks.
425 miles north is
the magnificent Château Flore.
It has 44 rooms...
a 27-acre estate
with extensive formal gardens
and a 3/4 of an acre maze.
It's been owned by Alex's family
since it was built
in the 18th century.
It's now also home
to British-born wife Ithaca,
an events organizer.
- We would never sell it.
- No.
Some people ask,
"Ah, is it for sale?
Uh, what is the price?"
You just say,
"Actually,
it's never been priced.
Dick: Alex, who runs
an insurance business,
and Ithaca pour the money
they earn into the upkeep
so they can pass on the château
to the next generation,
daughter Violet, 14,
and son Jules, 11.
We really have to do the maximum
to be able to keep it
in the family,
and that's really important.
Dick: Located
40 miles from Calais,
this home's running costs
are huge.
- This place
is like an old relative
that you really cherish,
and so you're--
you're just--
you're taking care of her,
and you're paying for her bills,
paying for her wig,
some bit of lipstick
here and there.
I say that I'm doing something
and this is gonna have an impact
and this will, you know,
help the next generation.
Dick: And even with their jobs,
they struggle to stay
on top of the upkeep.
The latest worry
is the 800-square-meter roof
of rare and expensive tiles.
- So I wanted
to show you this one,
because it's really worrying me.
I-I stuffed some plastic.
See, all this here
is completely soaked through.
- Oh, yeah.
- You see?
- Oh, my God.
- There's water everywhere.
- There's, um, some fungus
coming already.
- Here. Look. There's--Yeah.
- And it's now--
It's now very wet, you see?
And under that, it's all rotten.
It's not the only hole,
actually.
They are many others.
Dick: Ithaca and Alex
plan to raise money
with a big annual antiques and
flower fair in 3 months' time,
but that will only cover
a fraction of the costs.
Ithaca: The roof is gonna cost
the price of a very nice house,
400K, so, yeah...
- We--we can't afford it.
- so we just can't do it.
Dick: They've applied
for an historic building grant
to help fund the repair.
If it doesn't come through,
the 18th-century château
could be exposed to further
damage from the elements.
Ithaca: Just hoping
that we're gonna get the OK
within, you know, a month
and just get going.
It's really, really urgent,
and the roof is falling apart.
Dick: And outside, there's more
very obvious repairs needed.
Alex: This is a perfect example
why the roof
needs to be done
as soon as possible, cracks.
- There are cracks coming...
- On the facade.
- on the facade here.
Another big crack coming,
which is even more worrying,
because now it's very obvious.
- You can put your fingers
in the crack.
- Now we can see
some other cracks coming.
Slowly, but surely,
they're here.
Dick: With part
of the family home
literally cracking up,
funds are needed very soon.
- Set in the glorious landscapes
of Western France
is 45-room Château de Saugé,
home to Brits Donna and Paul,
who moved in
less than 3 months ago.
Donna: Dream behind the château
is to be our own bosses
and to restore the château
to its former glory.
- There's a certain
romantic element,
and a fairy-tale aspect
of château ownership.
We just want
to make it successful
and be working for ourself
in an environment that we love.
Dick: The early
17th-century château
is located 50 miles
from La Rochelle
and was snapped up by the couple
for £279,000,
albeit
in a very neglected state.
- Yeah, that, uh, needs work.
- Yeah, this is pretty bad.
Dick: They want to run it
as a B & B and events venue,
so they created
a new catering kitchen
at the hub of the château.
- I'm very excited
to start baking.
I don't want to renovate.
I want to cook. [laughs]
Dick: They've also been joined
by Donna's parents,
Ann and Brian,
who've been living in makeshift
accommodation for 11 weeks.
- At first, it was really hard.
We felt,
"Did we do the right thing?"
- You know?
- It was hard work.
- Everything was so cold,
and, you know,
we thought, "Gosh,
what have we done?" [chuckles]
Dick: So now, with Ann
and Brian struggling to cope,
Donna and Paul are putting
some renovations on hold
to turn a wing of the château
into a cozy,
self-contained apartment.
- That's gonna shut out that
for you.
- That would be fine. Yeah.
- Yeah.
- You might even get
the microwave set on there.
- Well, I was planning
me microwave over there.
- Yeah, over here's fine.
- See? My Mum's all organized.
She knows
where everything's going.
- What else have I got,
me hot plate, me--
- Micro kettle, toaster.
- Yeah.
- Deep fat fryer.
- Yeah, that would
be smashing, Paul.
Dick: They're hoping
the new accommodation
will help quell
Mum and Dad's homesickness.
- It's what's kept us going,
isn't it? knowing that we're
- going to get our own...
- Yeah, it's took
- a long time, though.
- apartment.
Donna: I think you can see
from my parents' faces
how 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.
- It'll be nice
to just disappear now and then,
- have our own place.
- Yeah.
And they'll be glad
to see the back of us
for a little bit, I think.
- [both laugh]
- Yeah.
Dick: Money's tight,
so Donna and Paul
are stripping units
from the old kitchen
to reuse them
for Ann and Brian's new pad.
- God knows
what they kept in there.
- Eh, that's not very nice.
I wonder how many years of dust
is behind there.
Dick: First they need
lots of elbow grease.
- Ah, there's actually
a white bit underneath all this.
- I thought that would be
really greasy and murky,
- but that's not.
- It's lovely there.
- [indistinct]
- Shouldn't look--
- Is that oak?
- Smashing.
Dick: There are still floors
to finish, a kitchen to fit,
and lots of decorating to do
until Mum and Dad
have their own place.
But one thing that's better cold
is a glass of rosé
after a hard day's work.
Donna: Remember the last time
we did this? When we moved in.
Ann: Yes, that's right,
but it was warmer, wasn't it?
- It was warmer,
and we had champagne,
- so things have gone downhill.
- [laughter]
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
Ann: To better things, anyway.
- Well, having less work
to do today
than we did last time
we toasted on the terrace.
Dick: Nearly 150 miles south,
it's time for Steve and Angela
to find out if their DIY fix
of the ceiling rose
has held up overnight.
- Oh, that's a good sign.
- Still up.
- Still up.
[both laugh]
- Is it gonna stay--
It looks like it's
stuck up there, Steven.
- Now let's release these
all the way down
Let it come down together.
- That looks OK.
Whee! That's it.
- Whee.
- It's up.
It's really lovely.
Dick: So far, so good,
but every rose has its thorn.
There are eight more
delicate decorations
that need carefully gluing
over the screw holes.
- It's really important
that this bit will stick on.
Dick: With the help of his
makeshift lifting contraption,
Steve tries to put
all the pieces in place,
ready for gluing.
- Bit more. Bit more. All set?
- Any time today'd be good.
- Yeah, well...
Dick: As the rose
came from Scotland,
if they break
any of the plaster pieces,
they're gonna be
very difficult to replace.
- You ready?
Ah, just a sec.
- Steve, that one's
falling out. Quickly.
There. That one.
Ahh! Ahh!
[laughs]
- No!
- Sorry.
Can you go up a bit more,
Angela,
on that right hand--
No, the other one,
the one that is--that one.
- I'm not happy.
That one there is going to fall.
I'm telling you now
it's going to fall.
- Fit first.
- Every time
you put your hand in, Steve--
Whoa! Steven!
Every time you put your hand in,
it moves some--
another one out of place.
- It looks absolutely spot on.
Dick: Time to add some glue.
- It's just that flat bit
that touches.
Oh, gosh. Why on Earth
did I choose one like this?
Dick: I don't know, Angela.
Quick, jack it up
before anything moves.
- Is that enough? No more?
- Yeah.
- Hello?
- And just a little bit more.
But you're putting pressure
on it now.
Feels like it's--
Feels like it's sorted
in the right place.
- OK.
Dick: Another
nail-biting night ahead.
- Hopefully tomorrow
we could fit the light.
- Yeah.
- And then I can never see
another ceiling rose
in my life again.
Dick: I know where
you're coming from, Steve.
420 miles northeast
at Château Flore,
there's good news
about the grant
that's contributing
to roof repairs.
- They're here.
- [reverse warning beeping]
Dick: The money's come through,
and work on the roof
can finally begin.
First stage
is to erect scaffolding.
- I am very relieved
the scaffoldings are here.
It's been such a long process
that now they are coming,
I'm really--You know,
it's dream coming to reality.
Dick: The bad news
is the scaffolding will stay
for the next 14 months,
not ideal with the summer fair
just 2 months away.
- Having the scaffolding
and the roof done
at the same time as our events
is not what I would have chosen,
but we just
have to deal with it.
Dick: For the summer fair,
Ithaca's come up
with a new scheme
for the château gardens.
- We had this idea
for mixing 3 or 4
different types of lavender,
quite a formal pattern.
Dick: To give the path
added grandeur,
they're going to plant
in a geometric French style
called parterre.
- It has to have
that wow effect.
It has to enhance the house.
Dick: British-born Ithaca
has decided not to use
French lavender,
instead sourcing
all the plants from Kent.
- I wanted to show the French
that, yes, lavender could be
grown, uh, north of France
and, yes, actually
it comes from the U.K.
For them, lavender is just,
you know--it's just French.
It's--Lavender is le Provence.
Dick: Now for the tricky bit,
transferring the plant
from the drawing to the ground.
- I just want to check if it's--
if it's consistent.
- 626, eh?
- OK, that's a 630.
Trying to follow this,
but the problem is
we just discovered
that the alley is not centered
and it's not even
the same size everywhere,
meaning it's just not working.
Dick: With the existing path
not being geometric,
that's gonna
cause them a problem.
- OK. Bustique.
No.
[laughs]
You gotta--
[speaking French]
No, you're not holding it.
Can you hold it with your hand?
Thank you.
- Ah, well,
the cat is tugging at it.
- Bustique.
- Get off. Come on.
Dick: Spray marking
the flower beds means
they're committing to their
interpretation of the design.
Alex: If you're tired,
you tell me.
Honey, honey, stop, stop,
stop, stop, stop, stop! No.
Dick: Highly technical equipment
operated under Alex's
strict instructions.
- From here, then you
go spray paint everywhere.
You have to be really,
like, close.
- OK.
- Precise. Precise.
- OK.
Dick: Given the size
of the task,
mathematical precision
soon goes out the window.
- Seems a bit--
a bit larger on the left
- Not at all mathematical.
- [laughs]
- 1, 2, 3, 4.
- Come on.
OK.
[laughs]
- This one is slightly--
- I'm off 40 centimeters.
- Huh.
- Alex, it doesn't
really matter, 40 centimeters.
- It does not. Let's go.
- It's a bit of a nightmare,
actually.
- It's not a nightmare.
It's fun.
[both laugh]
Dick: Nightmare or not,
they've got their work cut out
to have this job done
in time for the fair
in just 2 months' time.
In western France,
Donna and Paul
have now fitted and painted
all the kitchen units
in the apartment they've been
creating for Donna's parents.
Today they're expecting
a very British delivery.
- Paul: Important things.
- Yeah.
- Tea or coffee?
- Oh, coffee. 2 sugars, please.
- Same. Coffee, 2 sugars.
- Tradesman standard, that is.
- Yeah, minimum requirement.
Sure.
Dick: Ann and Brian would like
wall-to-wall fitted carpet,
not something you see
a lot of in châteaux,
as rugs over hard floors are
considered easier to keep clean.
The carpets made it
to the château.
Hopefully it'll get
through the window.
Paul: The wrong color.
- [laughs]
- You got it? You got it?
- Yeah.
Dick: The cost of the carpet
also covers fitting,
but there's a problem.
- We knew the carpet
was being delivered today,
but, uh, we've also
got an opportunity
to get it installed,
but frankly
we're not ready for that.
Dick: The floor
still needs to be leveled.
- So that's just
the transition here.
It obviously goes up
to the tails and cuts into here.
Just--But here, we hadn't
finished scruting that.
- So we'll be going over
that ridge there, won't it?
- Yes.
- Yeah.
Dick: So they've come up
with a solution.
Paul: Well, if you
can cut it so it's--
- We could fit it--
- Yeah, that's fine.
- Pull it back
- Fit it up to here.
- And we'll just pull it back.
- We'll leave you
a can of spray.
And once that's gone off,
just spray around the edge.
Spray the back of the carpet,
brush it off.
- Yeah. Brilliant.
- Good.
Dick: The fitters will lay
as much of the carpet
as possible...
- It's all go here
as usual here, isn't it?
Dick: leaving
some sections unglued
so Donna and Paul
can finish their leveling work.
- That certainly wouldn't be me.
I'd be like, "Ohh."
- No, no.
- I always have nightmares
of having to do it myself,
thinking one wrong cut,
and that's it, isn't it?
I mean, we of course would have
fitted it as quick as this.
- It would have taken us 3 days.
- [laughs] Yeah.
It's much nicer
watching other people fit it.
Dick: It's rare for them
to just be watching.
- I feel like just seeing
this down, it's given me
a boost of just trying
to get the rest finished now.
- I mean, come and
live in this, but, oh,
oh, your Mum and Dad are here.
- Yeah, it's nicer
than what we've got.
- Good luck, really.
- Thanks very much.
- All right, lovely.
- Thanks very much.
- See you, lads.
- We'll see you soon.
- Take care.
- Take care.
Donna: Yay. We got a carpet.
[laughs] Finally
we've got a carpet.
- We want to fit...
Dick: Next job
is making sure Mum and Dad
can shut the door
on their own separate home.
- Why are the hinges
on that side?
- 'Cause the door
opens that way.
- It doesn't.
It opens against here.
- No, it doesn't.
It's a left-opening door.
Dick: Paul's put a door
that includes
the frame and hinges,
but that means they can't change
the direction the door opens.
- I just always thought
it would have been better,
it opening against a wall.
- I know, but you never
communicated that to me,
'cause we got
left-opening doors.
- I know I didn't go and check.
I just thought we were thinking
- on the same thing.
- Not only did you not check,
you never told me,
'cause we would have--
- Telepathy.
Nick: Well, at least
it's easier to fit the door up.
[knocks on door]
- Enter.
- Hey.
- [laughs]
- Can I come in?
Dick: It may be almost
ready for Mum and Dad,
but every day spent working
on the apartment
is a day not working on projects
that could bring in funds.
- We've got so many of the rooms
that we really need
to get on with now,
um, income-generating rooms,
that we need this done.
And--Yeah.
- Yeah. The end, isn't it?
- I'm ready. [laughs]
Ready to move on.
Dick: Nearly
300 miles northeast,
Ithaca and Alex
have dug the beds.
Now they need to plant
the 480 English lavender bushes
to an exact design.
- The pressure is on,
and I'm a perfectionist.
For that, Ithaca's roped in
friends Kate and Pascal.
- [speaking French]
- OK, guys.
Well, thanks for coming out.
Really appreciate it.
Don't look so worried. [laughs]
- Go on. Continue.
Dick: To keep
the strict geometric design
of the flower beds,
it's important to try
and plant each individual shrub
accurately.
- It has to be,
from center to center,
to the lavender
50 centimeters a minimum.
OK?
If one lavender is out of place,
I don't think it's going
to be much of a problem,
but if you're off
5 or 6 lavenders,
then from above
it's going to look really--
well, it won't look precise.
Nick: And Ithaca's not afraid
of whipping her team into shape
to get the desired results.
- So I would say
border should be there.
- Ithaca, she is bossy...
- No.
- but to do that kind of job,
you need to be bossy.
You cannot be too lazy
or too soft.
You need to be bossy,
in a nice way.
Ithaca: It's--
You know what, guys?
It's really nice
being with you and working
and you helping us
do this lavender.
It's just so good
there's teamwork.
Dick: Barely a third
of the lavender planted,
rain clouds appear
on the horizon.
Alex: We're not sure
about the weather.
It might rain, and if it rains,
it's n--won't be the same story.
- [rain pattering]
- Yeah, rain is coming.
Dick: While Ithaca and friends
take shelter...
- Bye.
- Bye. [laughs]
Dick: Alex soldiers on alone.
- I just have to carry on.
I'm a gardener.
I like to be outside.
I like to be in the nature,
and I'm very fascinated,
because even if it rains,
uh, the birds keep on singing.
Dick: Exactly.
And we all know
you plant wet and sow dry.
- Hey.
- Oh, Alex!
- You look completely...
- Muddy.
- Oh, you just--
- It's muddy.
- You look very muddy.
- Yeah.
- Your--Even--
You're muddy everywhere.
- Well...
Dick: Along with mud,
Alex brings news
about a serious miscalculation.
- The triangle--
You know the triangle
in the middle?
- Yeah.
- Are far too big,
far too large. That means
we don't have enough lavender.
It's, like, lacking 50
or something or more.
No, I think it was too large.
That's for sure.
Dick: Getting more plants
from the U.K. at this stage
could be a real race
against time.
Ithaca: We're gonna either
have to order, uh...
- more lavender...
- Yes.
- or we're gonna
have to reduce the size
of the middle section
drastically,
and then it's
not gonna look good.
- If you say we have to--
to order more, we'll order more.
I'm waiting for you, OK?
Dick: Ithaca heads out
and soon discovers
where the error lies.
- What's happened
is that our triangle,
our triangle shape
is way too big.
- Yes, this part
is far too large.
We should just stop here.
You see?
- This triangle is way too big
to match the drawing
and to match the number
of lavender plants
that we've ordered.
Dick: One option is
to reduce the size of the bed,
but Ithaca's not happy.
- It's gonna be very--
a very small bed.
- It's not. It's just--
- No?
- It's just--
It's just stopping here
rather than here. That's it.
- OK. Fine.
[sighs]
I just want it
to look beautiful.
- I-I'm drawing the line here.
Dick: Let's hope
the lavender measures up
in time for the big summer fair.
Being custodians of
a château-sizable country estate
brings lots of responsibility
and hard work.
It's all made worthwhile,
though,
when you get time
to down tools and enjoy
the benefits of a nature reserve
on the doorstep.
And since we've been
at the château,
June has always been
a special time.
Now look in the ground.
Tell me what you can see.
- I can--I can see rocks.
- You can see rocks.
Can you see anything moving?
- [yelps]
- Look! What? Look, look.
- Timmy!
- Timmy, Timmy Toad.
- Timmy! Timmy the Toad.
- [narrating]
The common Toad, AKA Timmy,
is found all over France.
But how many are there?
See how many we can see.
Now look.
[narrating] The spring spawn
has turned into tiny toadlets,
and they appear
in the front of our château
in their thousands...
How many can you see
bouncing there?
- 100!
- Count them in French for me.
- [narrating] looking for
a cool spot in the undergrowth
to make their lair.
Oh, look!
Look all around your feet!
They're all over the place.
Look over here, Arthur.
I can see hundreds.
- This is Timmy,
but I don't want
to squish Timmy.
- Look, look. See there?
Well, they jump
quite a long way, don't they?
[narrating] With a mass
migration of toadlets
heading right into the path
of upcoming château renovations,
it's time for a spot
of wildlife rescue.
Here we go.
Fill it for Timmy toads.
Go on, everybody.
Find Timmy toads.
- I found Timmy!
I'll put them all in here
so you can find it.
Dick: Everyone rallies around
to gather up the toadlets
so we can find them
a more suitable home.
I got one.
- Ha! I found one!
Angel: OK,
be very delicate with it.
Dick: Mummy,
see if you can find one.
Arthur: There you go.
Angel: Oh, Daddy found loads.
- Ah! Daddy!
Angel: Oh, this is the place.
Oh, there's loads.
Here they are.
- I found one!
- Well done.
- Here in the box.
- Amazing. Amazing.
- They're all running away
at a rate of nudge.
You actually have to chase them.
[narrating] These tiny Timmies
may be around only 12 weeks old
and one centimeter long,
but they've already turned
from vegetarian tadpoles
to meat eaters
and are the gardener's friend.
Do you know
what they eat in France?
- What?
- Frogs' legs.
- Frogs' legs?
- [narrating] If they
survive all the hazards,
including our hungry herons...
Look how many are in there.
- See all of them?
- Whoo!
1, 2, 3...
Arthur: There's 100!
Dick: they'll be ready
to spawn another generation
in 3 years' time.
Right, Arthur, Arthur,
we let Timmy toads go over here.
Come over here, son.
Gonna let them all go.
You ready?
- No!
- Well, they're coming out now.
They're all--There's...
The Timmy toads are all
going to be free now.
and that's good.
270 miles south of our place,
it's crunch time
for Angela and Steve...
as they're about to find out
if the final pieces
of their ceiling rose have stuck
and are in the right places.
- Well, it's still
up at the minute, Steve,
so that's gotta be
10% of the worry over.
- Well, you're going to have
to release a trolley jack
and catch--Remember,
you've got to catch the bits
- as well as they come down.
- Are you ready?
- Yeah. Go on.
- Coming down.
- Yeah. OK. Yeah, that's fine.
All right, moment of truth.
- It's actually quite exciting.
I can see my plan
that I've been thinking about
for months coming together.
[laughs]
It's still up, anyway.
Ooh!
Dick: And doesn't that
look grand?
Steve: Voilà.
- Oh, my gosh, it's great!
I do love being married
to an engineer.
Dick: I'm sure
I've heard Angel say that, too.
- That's amazing.
- I love it.
- I absolutely love it.
- How lined up are they all?
- Well, I'm not even gonna worry
about that, to be fair.
They're all on the ceiling,
and that's the main thing.
- Let's put the light up.
- It is actually really heavy,
this chandelier.
- I don't want to knock it,
you see.
- Oh. Are--are you
going now with it? Yeah.
- I'm going to have a look.
- I can't go any higher.
I'm on my tiptoes.
[sighs]
Watch you don't
knock anything off.
- What about that there?
About there somewhere?
- Um, let me just stand away.
- I just can't believe
how beautiful it looks.
I really do want them
in all the rooms now.
[laughs] He's gonna kill me.
- There we go.
- Ah, Steve.
- So I'll go
and put the power on,
and then you can see
what happens.
- I'll yelp at you.
Oh. Yeah, we're on!
Dick: And then there was light.
- It's absolutely beautiful.
It's lovely, Steve.
- Wow. Ah, that's really good,
isn't it?
- Thank you, Steve, honestly.
- You're welcome.
- [laughs]
- It's worth it.
Dick: Job's a good'un.
Sadly for Steve,
Angela has
six more bedroom ceilings
still to play with.
In western France,
Donna and Paul
are putting B & B plans on hold
to create
a self-contained apartment
where Donna's parents
could feel more at home.
- It's what's kept us going,
isn't it? Knowing that we're
- going to get our own...
- Yeah, it's took
- a long time, though.
- apartment.
Dick: The apartment
is finally ready
for some finishing touches.
- Actually, this bed throw
was one that my Mum
always admired,
and luckily it's--
the color matches as well, so--
[laughs]
So it's gone back on.
Dick: After 10 weeks
of hard work,
the apartment is finished,
but sadly, Donna's parents
made the decision
to return to the U.K.,
because as well as missing home,
Dad Brian has been
suffering health problems.
- We had the--you know,
the news that my parents
were going back to the U.K.
We were a bit unsettled
because of that,
and it--that was disappointing.
Dick: Rather than see
their hard work go to waste,
Donna and Paul have looked
for the silver lining
and come up with a plan
to rent out the apartment
to bring in
some much-needed income.
- I think these, uh,
were bought in Dubai, actually,
ah, and found the way
to a château in France.
Dick: Now it's
about dressing the space
to attract online bookings.
- It just looks
that bit more homely.
It's how I would want
to see it, anyway.
I should have actually
brought a bottle of wine up
and stood it there as well.
Dick: Over the past 10 weeks,
they've plastered
and painted,
fitted a kitchen and bathroom,
and given the apartment
its own front door.
- [laughs]
Dick: This was once
a dark and unloved space
in a run-down wing
of the château.
Now it's self-contained,
spacious,
and comfortable accommodation,
ready for Donna and Paul
to host paying guests.
Donna: Time to take some photos.
Quite nice with the beam there.
[sighs]
I'm just going on
to one of the rental sites now
and, uh, upload the apartment.
Obviously my parents, I think,
feel, you know, a bit guilty.
I think they're praying
that we get some bookings.
I think it looks
quite nice, actually.
I'd rent it myself.
There we go. It's live.
[sighs]
Just want some bookings now.
Dick: In the countryside around
Calais in northern France,
Ithaca and Alex have been
preparing the château gardens,
ready for their annual
antiques and flower show
that's important
to raise repair funds
for their historic family home.
- I'm getting slightly
tired out o-on this. [laughs]
Dick: The lavender beds
have now been planted.
- Hi, Stache.
Hi, youstie woustie.
Dick: All that's needed
is a decent watering.
- Well, Alex today is not here.
He's working, actually.
We both have full-time jobs,
and, uh, it takes
a lot of money to restore,
to rebuild,
and to improve the gardens,
so we do have to work a lot,
and when we're
not working at work,
well, we're working
in the garden.
Dick: Great way
to spend your free time.
- I've taken my day off,
and I'm looking after
our lavender.
No! Out!
Dick: There are
480 newly planted bushes
that now need a regular drink
to get them through
their first summer.
- I'm making sure that,
uh, we're not gonna lose any.
Dick: Drought isn't
the only threat
to young plants
at this château, however.
- Oh, what's this?
Hmm. I think a dog has...
dug up.
It's definitely lavender.
And the thing is
I don't know what color it is.
Hmm.
I'm just gonna plant this,
and, uh, we'll see
what it gives.
Dick: Let's hope
it's the right color
in the right place.
- We spent days
drawing this pattern,
digging it out,
turning the soil,
digging, planting,
measuring, measuring.
It's so close to the château
that it needs to look beautiful
and perfect at all times.
- Yougie, what you doing?
What you doing? Just stop.
Go!
Go! Shoo! Go away!
I love Yougie to bits,
but she is so clumsy and heavy,
and she just doesn't understand
that this is a beautiful
lavender bed-to-be.
Dick: While Yougie eyes up
the lavender from the ground,
Ithaca heads upstairs
to get a bird's-eye view.
What was once
a plain gravel path
has been laid out
with geometric beds
and different colors
of English lavender
chosen to complement
the walls and roof
of the 18th century château.
- This looks so beautiful.
I'm gonna take a picture
and send this to my friend
who helped
so that they see
how beautiful it is.
Dick: Finally Ithaca
can put the lavender to bed,
but there's still lots to do
over the next 8 weeks
if the antiques and flower fair
is to be a success.
- Next time...
- What could go wrong?
Dick: Angela and Steve
have a difference in direction.
- I can't see, though,
in the digger, what--
- I know.
Well, that's why I'm talking.
- I know. It's OK.
Dick: Donna and Paul
hit a stumbling block
meeting building rules.
- The structural opening
is only 20, 30 mil larger
than the plasterboard,
so that's not a good sign.
- I race Arthur
to some low-hanging fruit...
- Get your own bush!
- [laughs]
- That's my bush.
and turn our fruity booty
into delicious jelly.
We're gonna end up
with a whole lot
of lovely jars
of our own produce.
That looks pretty impressive.
- * Dee dee *
Dick: And there's
logistical nightmares
for the fundraising fair.
- [speaking French]
- Ombrelle.
Dick: But Ithaca keeps smiling.
- I try to talk with a smile.
If you smile,
then people hear you smiling.
[music playing]