Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 3, Episode 14 - Episode #3.14 - full transcript
Dick, voice-over:
I'm Dick Strawbridge.
And with my wife, Angel,
and our two children...
[Children yelling]
Dick, voice-over:
...we're nearly 5 years
into our French Adventure...
Heavy.
...restoring
this once-abandoned chateau.
We have another capability,
another chateau.
It's brought plenty
of challenges...
Whew!
...but also
some amazing rewards.
Angel: I love you.
Dick, voice-over:
And across France,
there are dozens of other Brits
who bought their own chateaus.
Woman: Oh!
Dick, voice-over: Now Angel and
I are once again lending a hand
to other expat chateau owners.
Angel: Sometimes to hesitate
is the way forward.
Dick, voice-over:
We'll meet some old friends.
Lee: We don't need
the instructions,
only when it goes wrong.
Dick, voice-over:
...and new faces.
Woman: Ooh, look at that.
Dick, voice-over:
There will be plenty of ups...
- Oh!
- Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: ...and downs.
Man: We can't ruin
the wedding meal
by eating outside in the rain.
Dick, voice-over:
But no matter what,
these plucky Brits...
Woman: Oh...
Dick, voice-over:
...will stop at nothing...
Angela: No! Steven!
Steven!
Dick, voice-over: ...to ensure
these once-unloved buildings...
Lee:
I think I've made a hole.
Dick, voice-over:...become
the homes of their dreams.
Woman: That is amazing.
Dick, voice-over: Today...
Alex: Ta-da!
Dick, voice-over: ...chateau
owners get organizing
a renovations fundraiser.
- Merci.
- Da rien.
Dick, voice-over: ...which
can make them philosophical.
Ithaca:
I try to talk with a smile.
If you smile, then
the people hear you smiling.
Dick, voice-over: While another
couple battle to communicate.
Steve: I can't see, though,
in the digger where--
Angela: I know,
but that's why I'm talking.
Steve: I know. It's ok.
Dick, voice-over:
Two new chateau owners
struggle with building regs.
Paul: The structure opening
is only 20 or 30 mil larger
than the plaster board,
so that's not a good sign.
Dick, voice-over: And I go
fruit picking with Arthur...
Get your own bush!
Arthur: Ha ha!
Dick: That's my bush!
Dick, voice-over: ...to stock
the larder with Christmas jelly.
We're going to end up with
a whole lot of lovely jars,
or so it says.
Yeah, we did this.
Across France, there are
many Brits who, like us,
enjoy living
in the elegant surroundings
of chateaus steeped in history.
Among them is Ithaca,
who married Alex
and now lives with
their two children
in the magnificent
Chateau Flore.
It's been in Alex's family
since it was built
in the 18th century.
It has 44 rooms
and 27 acres of land,
including beautiful gardens
and a maze
all needing continuous care
and attention.
Ithaca: This place is like
an old relative
that you really cherish,
but there's always something
that has to be paid for,
and when you think
that you're ok,
something happens, and you
have to kind of, you know,
inject cash that sometimes
you don't actually have.
Dick, voice-over:
The chateau is located
an hour's drive from Calais.
This year, they're facing
their biggest challenge yet:
funding the repair
of the 800-square meter
rare violent slate roof.
They've secured a grant
from the Ministry of Culture,
but it's not for
the full amount,
and their savings won't cover
the shortfall.
Ithaca: We're not millionaires,
so you're going to have to get
the maximum loans you can get,
and apply for all the grants
you can possibly apply for.
Alex: We will try our best,
and that's what we're doing now,
we are trying our best.
Dick, voice-over:
So this summer,
they're planning their biggest
ever antiques and flower fair
to hopefully attract
thousands of people
and generate cash
that they so urgently need.
Ithaca:
These events are crucial
to the maintaining of the house.
We need at least 3,000 people.
If we get 5,000 people,
I will be really happy.
I will be...
really, really happy.
Alex:
I hope you can manage 5,000.
Dick, voice-over:
The pressure's on.
And with less than 8 weeks
until the event,
Ithaca's keen to make a start
of getting the bar ready.
Ithaca: Alex, well,
he's working today,
so that's just tough luck
for me,
so I'm just going to
have to do it by myself.
Dick, voice-over:
A bar, or buvette,
was built in what was
a pig sty.
It proved popular with visitors
at last year's festival
but has become
a dusty dumping ground.
Ithaca: The buvette
is just one big bar basically.
We found these beautiful planks
in the attic.
This will be the bar,
the physical bar
where people will be able
to lean and say,
Un bier, s'il vous plait.
And there will be all sorts
of little fun little lights
hanging from the ceiling
to create a kind of atmosphere.
We're going to hang on the walls
various frames and odd pictures,
kind of like
a fun pocante style
to give it some kind of
atmosphere with the red brick.
Dick, voice-over: But before
the hoped-for hoards arrives,
it needs a proper clean out.
Ithaca: Who needs to exercise
in a gym
when you have a chateau?
Dick, voice-over:
The family feel
that events like the festival
make sure that Chateau Flore
stays at the heart
of the local community.
Ithaca: These places
were built for villagers.
I wouldn't imagine
keeping this place for myself.
We like sharing it, and it's
also a way of sharing it
and giving back something
that maybe was given to us
a long, long time ago.
So, guys, a lot of work,
but I don't mind it.
If that's the price to pay
to be able to live here,
then I don't mind it.
Dick, voice-over:
After a day's grafting,
Alex,
who works for the family firm,
returns home.
Alex: How are you?
Ithaca: Oh, hi! Hi, puss.
Alex: Just testing this.
Ithaca: Oh, the lights.
Yeah.
Alex: Ta-da!
Ithaca: Oh, they're
still working, that's good.
Dick, voice-over: What would
Ithaca do without you, Alex?
Alex: We should concentrate more
on decoration,
make it feel like a proper
estaminer, you know, the bar.
Ithaca: Can I have a beer,
please?
Alex: There you go.
Ithaca: Beer!
Dick, voice-over:
The bar is shaping up,
but there's
an awful lot more to do
before the day of the festival.
Around 300 miles south,
Donna Newman and her
Scottish husband Paul
have been renovating
Chateau de Sauge
since buying it 5 months ago
for £279,000.
Paul: Chateau life,
it's a bit of a time thief.
What you think
would take 25 minutes,
4 hours later,
you're halfway through.
And you know, we don't have
an army of helpers.
We always knew it was
going to be difficult.
You know, this is
a 5-, 6-year project
that I don't think
we'll ever be finished.
Dick, voice-over: Situated
50 miles from La Rochelle,
they plant their savings into
turning a dingy old scullery
into a 21st-century kitchen.
Donna: I love it.
Absolutely love it.
Dick, voice-over: And created
a self-contained apartment
which can be rented out
to guests.
Now they're hard at work
on their most important project:
a tea room they plan to open
in just two months' time.
Donna: We're looking
to probably open, what,
two to 3 days a week initially
as just a vintage tea room
serving homemade cakes,
biscuits,
and good large cups of coffee,
which are hard to find here.
Hopefully we'll
get that opened...
- Soon.
- Soon. Soon. Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: The new tea
room will be open to the public.
Meaning Donna and Paul
need to comply with local laws
that provide
a disabled bathroom.
Their first job is to widen
the bathroom doorway
for wheelchair access.
Paul: Immediately I'm seeing
the structure opening
is only 20 or 30 mil larger
than the plaster board,
so that's not a good sign.
Dick, voice-over: Now they'll
have to find extra space
by knocking out some
of the original stone walls.
Their challenge is to make
a hole 950 millimeters wide.
Paul: So 950 is here, so that
leaves 170 mil either side.
Donna: This alone is probably
a few days' work
just cutting through all this.
Paul: Yeah, it is, yeah.
So I think we need
to come back to this.
There's lots of other stuff
we can go and do, so...
Donna: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
There always is, Paul.
To give the tea room
a vintage feel,
they're creating
a wood-panel effect
by sawing up 300 meters
of MDF boards
to make the framework.
Donna: He's leaving this part
of the paneling to me
only because he's kind of
already measured it out,
he's cut the pieces, so I can be
left to just put them in place.
Paul: Are you sure
that's the right one?
Because it looks short
at the top.
Donna:
Well, it's the one you had.
Paul: There's no way on Earth
that's level.
Dick, voice-over: Using MDF will
cost Donna and Paul a fraction
of what they'd pay
for solid wood.
And once painted, the effect
should look just as good.
Paul: Teamwork
makes the dream work.
Donna: This is the last piece
for this wall.
* Hallelujah *
Paul: It looks fabulous.
Well done.
Donna: Thank you. Signed off.
Paul: Tick.
Donna: Ha ha!
Paul: Can I have a cup of tea?
Dick, voice-over: Great idea.
Mine's strong, no sugar.
Next to the majestic River Lot
is Chateau Caillac.
With 20 rooms,
beautiful gardens,
and its own private jetty,
it became home to engineer Steve
and wife Angela in 2004.
Since then, they've lovingly
restored it from top to bottom.
Angela: We've lost count
of how much we've spent
on renovating the place,
and as it's been
over the last 14 years,
I haven't really kept
a running total.
Steve: I think it will be a lot.
Angela: It isn't always easy,
but I feel very fortunate
to own
such a beautiful building.
Dick, voice-over: Situated
60 miles from Bordeaux,
the couple return to the U.K.
and rent out the chateau
over the summer.
So each year have
a limited amount of time
to tackle essential
maintenance jobs.
This year, they've already
managed to install
an ornate ceiling rose
in their master suite.
Angela: I just can't believe
how beautiful it looks.
I really do want them
in all the rooms now.
Ha ha! He's going to kill me.
Dick, voice-over: Now
the grounds need landscaping,
and the most pressing task
is to install a much-loved pair
of garden urns.
Steve: My mum bought them for
our 25th wedding anniversary.
Angela: So we've got
to put those up,
and of course having the pots,
I want them to have flowers in
as well,
but if you put flowers in,
you've got to irrigate them
because we're not here
to water them,
so I always like to give Steve
a little bit of a challenge.
Dick, voice-over:
The plan is to run a pipe
from the existing
irrigation system to the urns.
Angela: Is it deep enough?
Steve: Probably just a little
bit more on this bit here.
A bit more along here.
Angela: Ok. Yep.
We just need to get this
a bit deeper.
Dick, voice-over:
With the trench deep enough...
Angela:
Going to lay the pipe in.
Dick, voice-over: ...it's time
to bury the pipe with sand.
Angela: And if you put it
short end about here.
Here, here, here.
Steve: About there?
Angela:
Does that look like here?
Ah, thank you.
Steve, I'll need at least
another one.
Steve: I'll get you one.
Angela: He is helpful,
and sometimes he drives me nuts,
but I honestly couldn't do it
without him.
I really couldn't.
That might sound
a bit soppy that,
but he's actually
a real gentleman.
Dick, voice-over: I'm sure Angel
says that about me, too.
Angela: It needs to come level
with the brush here.
Don't dig in. You just want
to scrape it across.
Steve: How's that?
Angela: That's better, I think.
That's fine.
I think that's--Yeah, yeah.
I'm happy.
Dick, voice-over:
Happy wife, happy life.
With water back in place,
Angela and Steve can install
their two garden urns,
each a hefty 55 kilos.
And Steve has just the perfect
power tool for the job.
Steve: Fine handy drill.
Angela: Ha ha!
Steve: Are we digging
into the sangria after this?
Angela: Oh...
Dick, voice-over: Time to thread
through the water pipe.
Steve: Pull off as it comes down
so it doesn't kink it.
Dick, voice-over:
Once connected,
the irrigation system will
provide water to the plants
throughout the summer.
Steve: That's fine.
The resin set.
Angela: All right.
Dick, voice-over: Base secured,
now it's the tricky business
of positioning the planter
on top.
Angela: Is that safe?
Steve: Don't know.
What could go wrong?
Angela: Gonna hit that.
Can you go higher?
It's like the golden shot.
Backwards. About another--
Whoa!
Right. You're over the top.
I still think you need to come
slightly closer
before you go down.
No! Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Too far! Too far!
You're pushing this off.
Now just let it come down.
Steve: I'm coming off, Angela.
I can't see, though,
in the digger where--
Angela: I know, well,
that's why I'm talking.
Steve: I know. It's ok.
Angela: Just that side.
That will be enough.
Dick, voice-over:
Urns reassembled
Angela can get
her favorite flowers planted.
Steve: What do you think?
Angela: They look lovely.
Dick, voice-over:
Looking good.
All you need to do now
is connect them
to the water supply.
Over 400 miles north
at Chateau Flore,
Ithaca and Alex are planning
their fundraising antiques
and flower affair.
They're hoping to raise funds
to contribute to
the chateau's renovations,
including the much needed
roof repairs.
Ithaca: I've got the leaflets.
Alex: Ok.
Ithaca: And I've got the forms.
Dick, voice-over: To recruit
more stall holders,
they're visiting a fair
at Saint-Riquier, 20 miles away.
It has the sort of dealers
that they think
could draw the crowds.
Ithaca: Today's important
because we're needing to get
more brocanteurs
and antique dealers in
for our June 30 event.
There will be some really good
antique dealers,
and there will be
some premium brocanteurs,
and I'm looking for
the premium brocanteurs.
Alex: After you.
Ithaca: Ok.
Dick, voice-over: Alex is taking
a supportive backseat role
while Ithaca promotes
their event.
Both: [Speaking French]
Ithaca: Quite a lot of people
are saying yes.
Ok, super.
This is a really nice stall.
There's one or two items
that I really like.
Dick, voice-over: Just the sort
of antiques dealer
Ithaca is targeting.
Both: [Speaking French]
Ithaca: He's definitely coming.
And he's going to talk about
the event to some friends
that he knows,
so it's really positive.
Dick, voice-over:
This is going well,
but Ithaca can't resist
a little rummage.
Ithaca: This is nice, Alex.
This is really cheap.
It's beautiful, right?
Alex: Marvelous.
Ithaca:
Look how delicate this is.
Dick, voice-over: Time to get
back to drumming up dealers
for the fundraiser, Ithaca.
Ithaca: [Speaking French]
Ok, that's really good.
I'm managed to get rid
of 100 fliers in one go.
Plus another thousand in my bag.
Quite heavy, but I'm confident
that I'm going to get rid
of them at the end of the day.
Dick, voice-over: Let's hope
they get enough
high-end stall owners to draw
the crowds and raise funds
needed to help contribute
towards the roof repairs.
Our chateau is just under
200 miles southwest.
And when we bought it,
all the buildings and land
needed some love.
The 2,000-square meter
walled garden
was wild and barren.
Now nearly 5 years later,
it's thriving
with over 100 fruit trees
and bushes
and 30 varieties of vegetables
fresh for the family.
Dick: These are lovely.
These are very tasty.
Angel: Oh, they're the ones
that you roast, aren't they?
Oh, I love those.
Dick: Off we go! Not a bad
pumpkin patch, eh?
Angel: Barrow race!
Dick: Who's winning?
Angel: Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Last year
we had great growing conditions
and had an abundance to harvest.
The red currants were amazing.
Along with my little helper
Arthur,
we've collected
the main ingredient
for a festive favorite.
When it comes to the jam
for Christmas,
what we're going to have
is this.
Arthur:
It's for my Christmas jam!
Dick: Look, we're going
to pull them all in.
We're going to make
red currant jelly.
Dick, voice-over: Red currants
are full of vitamin C, B, and K,
but they're tart to taste.
Dick: Did you enjoy that?
Arthur: Yeah.
Dick: If you're going to help me
make the jam,
we're going to need to get
as many of these
as we possibly can, matey.
Look at these.
We'll pull them all off.
I want them all in that bowl.
Arthur: I'm taking daddy's.
Dick: No, you're not.
Get your own bush!
Arthur: Ha ha!
Dick: That's my bush!
You have to pull the--
Every single one of these
is a little ball of flavor
to have on our Christmas table.
So everything takes twice
as long when you got a helper,
but it's twice as much fun.
Which one's your bowl
and which one's my bowl?
Arthur: That one's mine, though.
Dick: You think?
Arthur: Yeah.
Dick:
Not this for a big boy
because we're paying
by the weight,
and it's 50 euros a kilo,
so you've made a euro.
Arthur: I made a euro?
Dick: We got some of
the red currants
to make jam for Christmas, yeah?
- Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.
Ha ha.
One at a time, one at a time.
Take one at a time.
Dick, voice-over: Hopefully
there will be enough left
for me to make some jam
when we get back to the kitchen.
125 miles south,
Donna and Paul are visiting
a local second-hand shop
to buy furnishings
for their vintage tea room
that's due to open
in just two months' time.
Donna: We're going to need
lots of tables, chairs,
really nice china, tea pots,
milk jug.
We haven't got
bottomless pockets,
so it's got to be
a reasonable price.
Paul: Bonjour.
Dick, voice-over:
With all their savings
invested in this
new business venture,
they need to keep outgoings
to a minimum.
Donna: But that's really nice.
Paul: Are we getting that away?
Donna: I think so.
Paul:
We're only in the front door,
and that's the first thing
you've bought.
Donna: I know, good start.
- Excusez-moi.
- Oui.
Paul: We'll take that.
Donna: Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Donna knows
what she likes, Paul.
Donna: Oh, that's nice.
Paul: Oh, that's a pretty cent.
69.
- For all of them?
- Yeah.
We'll, they're 45 each.
My, that's some size hip flask.
Ha ha.
Dick, voice-over:
And it isn't too long
before they find the kind
of budget buy they're after.
Donna: They're more like
what we're looking for.
Bargain. 5 euros.
Paul: They're a bit shaky.
Need to tighten them up.
Even for a five euro.
Ok, it's firewood.
Donna: Firewood? Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over:
Steady on, Paul.
Donna: No, we'll take those.
That's nice, Paul.
Paul: Yeah?
Donna: Nice shape, yeah.
No damage to it.
Donna: No.
Paul: No.
Donna: That's quite nice,
isn't it?
I like that one as well.
Paul: The joke's to you.
Donna: You know what I like
is china.
I love china.
Paul: Yeah, I think
that's probably enough, yeah?
Dick, voice-over: Paul's got to
fit it in that trailer, Donna.
Paul: Job done.
Merci, monsieur.
Dick, voice-over:
A trailer full of furnishings
for just under £350--
not bad.
But let's not forget, you have
to finish widening that door
before you can open
for business.
In southwest France,
Angela and Steve are busy
finishing
all their maintenance work
before renting out the chateau
for the summer.
Steve: Just pull
a little bit through for me.
Angela:
There's about 10 inches through.
Steve: All right, that's fine.
Dick, voice-over: Having
installed a new pair of urns
on the terrace,
now they just need connecting
to the irrigation system.
Angela: Yay! It's through.
Steve: Oh, there we go.
Dick, voice-over:
Pipe work all connected,
it's the moment of truth.
Angela: Ok, Steve,
I'm ready when you're ready.
Steve:
All right, just turn that on.
Angela: Let's hope the water
comes through. Yay! Yay!
We have water!
That is perfect.
Steve: You happy with that?
Angela: I am happy, yes,
thank you.
Steve: Good, good, good.
Dick, voice-over:
That's another job ticked off,
but a chateau owner's work
is never done.
Last year when Angela and Steve
were back in the U.K.,
guests reported that a swimming
pool pipe was leaking.
Steve: We made an emergency
phone call to a friend and said,
"Look,
can you help us out here?"
He came along, and he did
a temporary repair
that we know that
it's still leaking,
and we need to fix it properly
before we raise the level of
the water in the swimming pool
and start the swimming pool
circulating again.
Dick, voice-over:
Over the past 7 months,
the grass has grown back
and covered up the leaky pipe.
Steve: The problem we've got is
that actually we don't know
exactly where it is.
That looks low there.
Have a go.
Right.
Voyage of discovery.
Dick, voice-over:
The words needle and haystack
come to mind.
Angela: That looks very firm,
doesn't it?
So it's not been dug up.
Steve: That looks too firm,
doesn't it?
Angela: Yeah, it does.
Steve: Mm, not sure.
That looks hard there.
[Meowing]
Angela: That feels like
that's touching something.
Oh, no, it's a root.
Steve: The pipe isn't
very deep down actually.
It's probably one of the reasons
why it's probably burst
in the first place,
it's probably not deep enough.
What's that?
I think it's the pipe.
I can see a jubilee clip
there.
Angela: Ah! Have you got it?
Steve: Yeah.
Angela: Oh, well done, Steve.
Dick, voice-over:
That was lucky.
The jubilee clip is what holds
two pipes together,
and Steve thinks that's
the source of the leak.
Steve: Ready?
[Power tool running]
Dick, voice-over:
Instead of doing another repair
to the damaged section,
Steve is cutting it out
completely.
Steve: Right.
We're going to glue this then.
Angela: How long have you got
before it goes on?
Steve: About 30 seconds.
Angela: Well, hurry up, then.
Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over:
He's going to replace it
with a new piece of pipe.
Steve: Can I get that in there?
Angela: Yes, you can,
yes, you can.
Marvelous.
Steve: Job done.
Dick, voice-over: That's another
one ticked off the list.
But there's still plenty more
chateau maintenance
to do tomorrow.
270 miles north
over at our place,
I've got a freshly picked bowl
of red currants from our garden.
1.9 kilos.
That's not terrible, is it?
I'm going to turn it
into a fabulous festive jelly,
a family favorite.
Little bit of water
to liberate the juice.
Clear out some of the twiggage.
Hold it.
A potato masher
comes in handy here,
and I'm off
in an northern Irish reverie.
When you're a youngster,
the seeds were always
a little bit scary,
so my mum made a bramble jelly,
which was basically blackberries
without any of the bits
that get stuck in your teeth.
50 years, nothing's changed,
we're going to end up with
a whole lot of lovely jars
of our own for juice.
And so it says, yeah,
we did this.
To get rid of the seeds,
it needs straining...
and a good push.
Pop it in here.
All right, so just over a kilo
of jelly sugar going in.
At least a quarter.
Now we want to get
a relatively firm set,
so we need the juice of a lemon.
Citrus fruits have the highest
natural pectin of all fruit,
so are perfect
for setting a jelly.
The juice can also add
a pleasant sharpness.
To see if the jelly is ready,
I've got a plate
fresh from the freezer.
When it's warm,
it's always runny.
When it's cooled,
well, it be jelly.
That's quite nice.
Here we go.
Got my cold plate.
Let it cool down.
And I'm going to put
my finger through it.
Mmm. That's jelly.
To strain it thoroughly,
I'm using a jelly bag
hanging from this handy hook
in the ceiling.
I'll let gravity do the work
until I've got a jug
full of pure festive joy.
That's good.
Come Christmas,
that will be to die for.
Then straight into
the sterilized jam jars.
That looks pretty impressive.
But I am not
going to waste this.
I'm taking this off.
And this allows me
to squeeze more out.
Wow. It may be slightly cloudier
than the rest,
but I've saved another pot
of jelly.
This glass is not perfect,
but it's pretty special.
And finally my little helper
returns for the taste test.
Arthur: Daddy!
Dick: Hello, matey.
You sure you want
to try that?
How good is it?
Do you think mommy will like it?
Arthur: Yeah.
- Are we clever?
- Yep.
Dick: Right. Give me a kiss.
Go back, up you go, upstairs.
I love you.
Ow! You monkey!
Go, go, go, go.
That's me boy.
- I love you, son.
- I love you, too, pop.
Dick, voice-over: It seems
it's passed the Arthur test.
Just under 200 miles northeast
at Alex and Ithaca's,
it's now a week before their
annual antiques and flower fair.
They've gathered
friends and family
to help assemble
the ticket booths
where they'll collect
the entrance fee
from the 3,000 guests
they hope will attend.
Alex: We are putting the walls
all together.
It has to be extremely precise.
A, B, C, D,
up, left, right, down.
It's almost done, and we still
have to put the plastic cover
in case of a rain,
and that's it.
We should be done.
Very good job. That's it.
All set.
Dick, voice-over:
Meanwhile, Ithaca gets a call
from a local radio station.
They want to do
a live interview with her
to advertise the event.
Ithaca: [Speaking French]
I try to talk with a smile.
You know, people always say
that if you're on the phone
or whatever, if you smile, then
the people hear you smiling.
Dick, voice-over: Sounded
very positive to me, Ithaca.
The main entrance ticket booth
will have a special feature.
They're adding the original
slates taken from their roof.
Ithaca: These old things
are 300 years old,
and they're going on
a little wooden shed.
Dick, voice-over:
Waste nothing and recycle,
that's all music to my ears.
But adding
a unique chateau heritage
to what's basically
a garden shed
makes for a weighty job.
Man: [Speaking French]
Alex: So it's a very old slate.
So it's like, you know,
you put the Ferrari sign
on a very small car.
That's kind of, you see?
Dick, voice-over: Roof on,
it's time for a little lunch.
but Alex is thirsty.
Ithaca: Pinot noire.
French and their wine.
Alex: Wine is more important
than the Chateau Flore.
I don't care. I've got this.
Ithaca:
The French don't drink water.
They drink wine.
Alex: Mmm. Mmm.
Dick, voice-over: I don't think
you can rest on your laurels
quite yet, Alex.
There's still masses to do
before the antiques and flower
fair in just a week's time.
Almost 300 miles south,
Donna and Paul are creating
a new tea room.
They've completed
the wood paneling.
Now they need to finish making
the adjoining bathroom
suitable for disabled visitors,
a job that's taken longer
than expected.
Donna: We were hoping to have
the vintage tea room open
around 4 weeks ago,
so we're quite behind plan.
Dick, voice-over: And they've
just had some bad news.
The cubicle in the new loo
is too small for a wheelchair
to turn around inside.
Paul: We did understand that
we had sufficient space inside,
but then the architect came back
and told us that we needed
1 1/2 meters inside the cubicle,
so we unfortunately
didn't have that space.
We're about 1.4, so we were 4
inches short of being compliant.
Donna: We did think he was
joking at first, didn't we,
after all the work?
Are you serious? Ha ha!
Paul: So I think we're ok...
Dick, voice-over:
But this is no laughing matter
for Donna and Paul.
They must find a way of gaining
an extra 4 inches of space fast
if they're going to open
the tea room
and start earning an income.
Paul: So this wall needs to be
at least 1.5 meters wide,
in order to get a turning circle
for a chair.
1.5 without tails.
Donna: We really need
to just tile on top of this.
Paul: Yeah.
Actually I never thought
we'd tile them directly on it,
love.
Donna: That's why I'm here.
Paul: I know.
Dick, voice-over:
They found a solution:
tiling directly onto the wall.
Donna: Tile straight onto that,
which gives us our space on
the floor for a turning circle.
Dick, voice-over:
The wall's uneven,
so they'll need to level it
to make a smooth, flat surface
for the tiles.
Once done, the cubicle
will finally meet
the size regulations.
While Paul grinds down
the new wall,
Donna is getting on
with the paneling paint work.
Donna: We have color.
I like it.
I think we've chosen well.
How's it looking?
Ha ha!
You've got to be crazy
to buy a chateau.
Paul: It's not prerequisite,
but it helps.
Donna: Ha ha!
That's quite nice, isn't it?
Paul: Yeah.
Donna: Surprised how different
that now looks.
Paul: Well,
it looks like paneling.
Before it just looked like
plaster board and MDF.
Donna: Mmm.
Dick, voice-over:
It's coming together.
All they need now
is the official go ahead
so Donna and Paul
can open for business.
In northern France
with only two days to go
before their annual
antiques and flower fair,
Alex and Ithaca are hard at work
getting ready to welcome
what they hope will be more than
a couple of thousand visitors.
Ithaca: We've still got
to set up all the tents.
We've got all sorts
of small things to do,
but all in all,
it seems to be under control.
Dick, voice-over: With
France's hottest heat wave
since records began,
Ithaca wants to make sure
that visitors don't frazzle.
Ithaca: It was extremely hot
last year,
and people suffered
from the heat,
so this year we really,
really want to make sure
that we have enough shade,
so I went out and got tents
like this,
and we have larger,
bigger tents,
so we should be ok.
Dick, voice-over:
Friends and family
have been roped into help.
Paul: Come on!
Ithaca: Come on, pussy cat.
We need your muscle power.
Dick, voice-over: Including
11-year-old son Jules.
Ithaca: One, two, three.
Dick, voice-over:
Visitors to the festival
will also be able to
wander around the park land
and the 6 acres
of beautiful gardens,
all part of the family heritage
that Alex wants to maintain.
Alex: It's not only the chateau
we're looking after.
It's also all the surroundings.
I don't do this
only for my family.
I do believe that when you
have this kind of place,
you can't be selfish.
You have to give up
a piece of it.
Dick, voice-over:
And one of the star attractions
will be the maze, so Alex is
giving it a spruce up and trim.
Alex: It's quite large actually.
3,000 square meters.
Sometimes you have to remember
where you are
because you're just turning
around with the machine,
and it's really,
uh, where am I?
We're quite far from the house,
so if I shout for help,
I'm not sure anyone
would help me.
You know, that's how you work,
and so you see the life
in pink.
Dick, voice-over: Let's hope
that helps with the trimming.
Alex: You see,
sometimes I see something,
also I always have to do
little bit.
Dick, voice-over:
Don't get lost, Alex.
There's a fundraising festival
to pull off.
Ithaca:
Tomorrow is D-day minus one.
We have to kind of squish it
in one day
everything that
still needs to be done,
but let's just cross our fingers
and hope that everything
will be ok.
Alex: Ah...
Ithaca: Ah...
Dick, voice-over: All they need
now is for the crowds to turn up
in their thousands.
A 9-hour drive south,
Angela and Steve
are preparing the chateau
ahead of renting it out
for the whole summer.
Angela: So the first job
is going to be
getting bushes out here,
isn't it, this patch?
Steve:
And this one we want gone.
Angela:
Yeah, that one's got to go.
Dick, voice-over:
With just over a month
until their first guests arrive,
they're keen to get another
improvement ticked off the list:
a new car park.
Angela: Rather than them
sort of park out in the sunshine
in the front of the chateau,
we want to put a shady area
because the cars get so warm,
and around the side is
the perfect area for it.
It's really shady,
they're out of the way
of the view from the front
of the house.
Steve: And if people
park outside the front
of the chateau,
then if we get a delivery,
if we can't get past
and have to then get people
to move their cars,
or the French would just
drive around on the grass,
which can be a bit of a problem,
so if we have
a specified area...
Angela: We like it to be tidy,
don't we?
Steve: Well, I think so.
It's a shame to spoil the view
in front of the chateau.
Angela: Are we taking this
one out? Yeah. And that one.
Right away to there.
Steve: Ok.
Angela: And that should give us
space for 5 cars.
Go and get the digger.
Steve: Go and get the digger.
Right, I'm off.
Lights.
We're off.
Dick, voice-over: Nothing
like the smell of diesel
in the morning.
Steve: This could take
some time.
Angela: Now go down.
Right down to the bottom.
Yep.
Steve: A bit further down.
Angela: Whoa!
Dick, voice-over: Yeah, whoa!
That looks awfully unstable
for me, too.
Angela: Just dig deeper.
Dig deeper.
Now pull back.
Yep, that's it. That's it.
Yay! Number one out!
That's it.
Yeah, go in there.
And pull back.
That's it. That's it.
Steve: Yeah.
Angela: Perfect.
Beautiful. Yay!
You wouldn't believe there was
a hedge there this morning,
would you?
Well done.
Dick, voice-over:
Ground cleared.
Time now for the hard core,
which is rubble
from previous D.I.Y. jobs.
When you own a chateau,
the golden rule is
reuse wherever possible.
Steve: Move somewhere else.
Dick, voice-over: The top layer
of gravel will be added later,
but before the gravel arrives,
there's another job to do.
Angela: I'll go forward, sweet,
and you go back.
Dick, voice-over: Angela and
Steve want to upgrade a path
by laying
special honeycomb frames
to provide a stable surface
for wheelchair access.
Steve: Remember
they go a certain way.
Angela: Do they? I think that's
the right way, love. Yeah?
Steve: Ok.
What we're trying to do
is end up with a path going
to the swimming pool.
Angela: We need that to meet up
with this one, darling.
Steve: Hopefully the gravel
is going to hold these down.
Dick, voice-over:
Late afternoon,
a lorry from the local supplier
turns up
with 15 tons of gravel
to finish the job.
Angela: It's here,
thank goodness for that.
[Beeping]
Dick, voice-over: Well done.
You've improved the chateau
even more
with that new gravel path
and a bigger, better car park.
Angela: It's finished!
I am absolutely...worn out.
Steve: Come on,
I need my glass of wine.
Angela: Ok.
Steve: You want to
just see the sun go down.
Angela: Ok, that's good.
Steve: Come on, let's go.
Right, come on. I'm off.
Dick, voice-over: If anyone
deserves a glass of win,
it's you two.
Ithaca: So, so hot.
Dick, voice-over: ...Ithaca
and Alex sweat it out...
Ithaca: It's like being
in the eye of a cyclone.
Dick, voice-over:
...as the fundraising fair
becomes a hot ticket.
Alex: There are no more tickets
down there.
They don't have
any entrance bracelets.
Dick, voice-over: Donna and Paul
hope to brew up some business
at the tea room.
Donna: The only thing
that's missing now
is my flowers in the center
and some customers.
Paul: Yeah.
Donna: Ha ha.
Dick, voice-over: We're coasting
it for chateau inspiration.
Angel: There is just
a total different feeling
when you're by the seaside.
I'm a crab coming to get you!
Dick, voice-over:
And Angela and Steve
get stuck
in a last minute fix.
Angela: It's not ideal
to start this kind of job
just two days before
your guests come, I suppose.
I'm Dick Strawbridge.
And with my wife, Angel,
and our two children...
[Children yelling]
Dick, voice-over:
...we're nearly 5 years
into our French Adventure...
Heavy.
...restoring
this once-abandoned chateau.
We have another capability,
another chateau.
It's brought plenty
of challenges...
Whew!
...but also
some amazing rewards.
Angel: I love you.
Dick, voice-over:
And across France,
there are dozens of other Brits
who bought their own chateaus.
Woman: Oh!
Dick, voice-over: Now Angel and
I are once again lending a hand
to other expat chateau owners.
Angel: Sometimes to hesitate
is the way forward.
Dick, voice-over:
We'll meet some old friends.
Lee: We don't need
the instructions,
only when it goes wrong.
Dick, voice-over:
...and new faces.
Woman: Ooh, look at that.
Dick, voice-over:
There will be plenty of ups...
- Oh!
- Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: ...and downs.
Man: We can't ruin
the wedding meal
by eating outside in the rain.
Dick, voice-over:
But no matter what,
these plucky Brits...
Woman: Oh...
Dick, voice-over:
...will stop at nothing...
Angela: No! Steven!
Steven!
Dick, voice-over: ...to ensure
these once-unloved buildings...
Lee:
I think I've made a hole.
Dick, voice-over:...become
the homes of their dreams.
Woman: That is amazing.
Dick, voice-over: Today...
Alex: Ta-da!
Dick, voice-over: ...chateau
owners get organizing
a renovations fundraiser.
- Merci.
- Da rien.
Dick, voice-over: ...which
can make them philosophical.
Ithaca:
I try to talk with a smile.
If you smile, then
the people hear you smiling.
Dick, voice-over: While another
couple battle to communicate.
Steve: I can't see, though,
in the digger where--
Angela: I know,
but that's why I'm talking.
Steve: I know. It's ok.
Dick, voice-over:
Two new chateau owners
struggle with building regs.
Paul: The structure opening
is only 20 or 30 mil larger
than the plaster board,
so that's not a good sign.
Dick, voice-over: And I go
fruit picking with Arthur...
Get your own bush!
Arthur: Ha ha!
Dick: That's my bush!
Dick, voice-over: ...to stock
the larder with Christmas jelly.
We're going to end up with
a whole lot of lovely jars,
or so it says.
Yeah, we did this.
Across France, there are
many Brits who, like us,
enjoy living
in the elegant surroundings
of chateaus steeped in history.
Among them is Ithaca,
who married Alex
and now lives with
their two children
in the magnificent
Chateau Flore.
It's been in Alex's family
since it was built
in the 18th century.
It has 44 rooms
and 27 acres of land,
including beautiful gardens
and a maze
all needing continuous care
and attention.
Ithaca: This place is like
an old relative
that you really cherish,
but there's always something
that has to be paid for,
and when you think
that you're ok,
something happens, and you
have to kind of, you know,
inject cash that sometimes
you don't actually have.
Dick, voice-over:
The chateau is located
an hour's drive from Calais.
This year, they're facing
their biggest challenge yet:
funding the repair
of the 800-square meter
rare violent slate roof.
They've secured a grant
from the Ministry of Culture,
but it's not for
the full amount,
and their savings won't cover
the shortfall.
Ithaca: We're not millionaires,
so you're going to have to get
the maximum loans you can get,
and apply for all the grants
you can possibly apply for.
Alex: We will try our best,
and that's what we're doing now,
we are trying our best.
Dick, voice-over:
So this summer,
they're planning their biggest
ever antiques and flower fair
to hopefully attract
thousands of people
and generate cash
that they so urgently need.
Ithaca:
These events are crucial
to the maintaining of the house.
We need at least 3,000 people.
If we get 5,000 people,
I will be really happy.
I will be...
really, really happy.
Alex:
I hope you can manage 5,000.
Dick, voice-over:
The pressure's on.
And with less than 8 weeks
until the event,
Ithaca's keen to make a start
of getting the bar ready.
Ithaca: Alex, well,
he's working today,
so that's just tough luck
for me,
so I'm just going to
have to do it by myself.
Dick, voice-over:
A bar, or buvette,
was built in what was
a pig sty.
It proved popular with visitors
at last year's festival
but has become
a dusty dumping ground.
Ithaca: The buvette
is just one big bar basically.
We found these beautiful planks
in the attic.
This will be the bar,
the physical bar
where people will be able
to lean and say,
Un bier, s'il vous plait.
And there will be all sorts
of little fun little lights
hanging from the ceiling
to create a kind of atmosphere.
We're going to hang on the walls
various frames and odd pictures,
kind of like
a fun pocante style
to give it some kind of
atmosphere with the red brick.
Dick, voice-over: But before
the hoped-for hoards arrives,
it needs a proper clean out.
Ithaca: Who needs to exercise
in a gym
when you have a chateau?
Dick, voice-over:
The family feel
that events like the festival
make sure that Chateau Flore
stays at the heart
of the local community.
Ithaca: These places
were built for villagers.
I wouldn't imagine
keeping this place for myself.
We like sharing it, and it's
also a way of sharing it
and giving back something
that maybe was given to us
a long, long time ago.
So, guys, a lot of work,
but I don't mind it.
If that's the price to pay
to be able to live here,
then I don't mind it.
Dick, voice-over:
After a day's grafting,
Alex,
who works for the family firm,
returns home.
Alex: How are you?
Ithaca: Oh, hi! Hi, puss.
Alex: Just testing this.
Ithaca: Oh, the lights.
Yeah.
Alex: Ta-da!
Ithaca: Oh, they're
still working, that's good.
Dick, voice-over: What would
Ithaca do without you, Alex?
Alex: We should concentrate more
on decoration,
make it feel like a proper
estaminer, you know, the bar.
Ithaca: Can I have a beer,
please?
Alex: There you go.
Ithaca: Beer!
Dick, voice-over:
The bar is shaping up,
but there's
an awful lot more to do
before the day of the festival.
Around 300 miles south,
Donna Newman and her
Scottish husband Paul
have been renovating
Chateau de Sauge
since buying it 5 months ago
for £279,000.
Paul: Chateau life,
it's a bit of a time thief.
What you think
would take 25 minutes,
4 hours later,
you're halfway through.
And you know, we don't have
an army of helpers.
We always knew it was
going to be difficult.
You know, this is
a 5-, 6-year project
that I don't think
we'll ever be finished.
Dick, voice-over: Situated
50 miles from La Rochelle,
they plant their savings into
turning a dingy old scullery
into a 21st-century kitchen.
Donna: I love it.
Absolutely love it.
Dick, voice-over: And created
a self-contained apartment
which can be rented out
to guests.
Now they're hard at work
on their most important project:
a tea room they plan to open
in just two months' time.
Donna: We're looking
to probably open, what,
two to 3 days a week initially
as just a vintage tea room
serving homemade cakes,
biscuits,
and good large cups of coffee,
which are hard to find here.
Hopefully we'll
get that opened...
- Soon.
- Soon. Soon. Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: The new tea
room will be open to the public.
Meaning Donna and Paul
need to comply with local laws
that provide
a disabled bathroom.
Their first job is to widen
the bathroom doorway
for wheelchair access.
Paul: Immediately I'm seeing
the structure opening
is only 20 or 30 mil larger
than the plaster board,
so that's not a good sign.
Dick, voice-over: Now they'll
have to find extra space
by knocking out some
of the original stone walls.
Their challenge is to make
a hole 950 millimeters wide.
Paul: So 950 is here, so that
leaves 170 mil either side.
Donna: This alone is probably
a few days' work
just cutting through all this.
Paul: Yeah, it is, yeah.
So I think we need
to come back to this.
There's lots of other stuff
we can go and do, so...
Donna: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
There always is, Paul.
To give the tea room
a vintage feel,
they're creating
a wood-panel effect
by sawing up 300 meters
of MDF boards
to make the framework.
Donna: He's leaving this part
of the paneling to me
only because he's kind of
already measured it out,
he's cut the pieces, so I can be
left to just put them in place.
Paul: Are you sure
that's the right one?
Because it looks short
at the top.
Donna:
Well, it's the one you had.
Paul: There's no way on Earth
that's level.
Dick, voice-over: Using MDF will
cost Donna and Paul a fraction
of what they'd pay
for solid wood.
And once painted, the effect
should look just as good.
Paul: Teamwork
makes the dream work.
Donna: This is the last piece
for this wall.
* Hallelujah *
Paul: It looks fabulous.
Well done.
Donna: Thank you. Signed off.
Paul: Tick.
Donna: Ha ha!
Paul: Can I have a cup of tea?
Dick, voice-over: Great idea.
Mine's strong, no sugar.
Next to the majestic River Lot
is Chateau Caillac.
With 20 rooms,
beautiful gardens,
and its own private jetty,
it became home to engineer Steve
and wife Angela in 2004.
Since then, they've lovingly
restored it from top to bottom.
Angela: We've lost count
of how much we've spent
on renovating the place,
and as it's been
over the last 14 years,
I haven't really kept
a running total.
Steve: I think it will be a lot.
Angela: It isn't always easy,
but I feel very fortunate
to own
such a beautiful building.
Dick, voice-over: Situated
60 miles from Bordeaux,
the couple return to the U.K.
and rent out the chateau
over the summer.
So each year have
a limited amount of time
to tackle essential
maintenance jobs.
This year, they've already
managed to install
an ornate ceiling rose
in their master suite.
Angela: I just can't believe
how beautiful it looks.
I really do want them
in all the rooms now.
Ha ha! He's going to kill me.
Dick, voice-over: Now
the grounds need landscaping,
and the most pressing task
is to install a much-loved pair
of garden urns.
Steve: My mum bought them for
our 25th wedding anniversary.
Angela: So we've got
to put those up,
and of course having the pots,
I want them to have flowers in
as well,
but if you put flowers in,
you've got to irrigate them
because we're not here
to water them,
so I always like to give Steve
a little bit of a challenge.
Dick, voice-over:
The plan is to run a pipe
from the existing
irrigation system to the urns.
Angela: Is it deep enough?
Steve: Probably just a little
bit more on this bit here.
A bit more along here.
Angela: Ok. Yep.
We just need to get this
a bit deeper.
Dick, voice-over:
With the trench deep enough...
Angela:
Going to lay the pipe in.
Dick, voice-over: ...it's time
to bury the pipe with sand.
Angela: And if you put it
short end about here.
Here, here, here.
Steve: About there?
Angela:
Does that look like here?
Ah, thank you.
Steve, I'll need at least
another one.
Steve: I'll get you one.
Angela: He is helpful,
and sometimes he drives me nuts,
but I honestly couldn't do it
without him.
I really couldn't.
That might sound
a bit soppy that,
but he's actually
a real gentleman.
Dick, voice-over: I'm sure Angel
says that about me, too.
Angela: It needs to come level
with the brush here.
Don't dig in. You just want
to scrape it across.
Steve: How's that?
Angela: That's better, I think.
That's fine.
I think that's--Yeah, yeah.
I'm happy.
Dick, voice-over:
Happy wife, happy life.
With water back in place,
Angela and Steve can install
their two garden urns,
each a hefty 55 kilos.
And Steve has just the perfect
power tool for the job.
Steve: Fine handy drill.
Angela: Ha ha!
Steve: Are we digging
into the sangria after this?
Angela: Oh...
Dick, voice-over: Time to thread
through the water pipe.
Steve: Pull off as it comes down
so it doesn't kink it.
Dick, voice-over:
Once connected,
the irrigation system will
provide water to the plants
throughout the summer.
Steve: That's fine.
The resin set.
Angela: All right.
Dick, voice-over: Base secured,
now it's the tricky business
of positioning the planter
on top.
Angela: Is that safe?
Steve: Don't know.
What could go wrong?
Angela: Gonna hit that.
Can you go higher?
It's like the golden shot.
Backwards. About another--
Whoa!
Right. You're over the top.
I still think you need to come
slightly closer
before you go down.
No! Whoa, whoa, whoa!
Too far! Too far!
You're pushing this off.
Now just let it come down.
Steve: I'm coming off, Angela.
I can't see, though,
in the digger where--
Angela: I know, well,
that's why I'm talking.
Steve: I know. It's ok.
Angela: Just that side.
That will be enough.
Dick, voice-over:
Urns reassembled
Angela can get
her favorite flowers planted.
Steve: What do you think?
Angela: They look lovely.
Dick, voice-over:
Looking good.
All you need to do now
is connect them
to the water supply.
Over 400 miles north
at Chateau Flore,
Ithaca and Alex are planning
their fundraising antiques
and flower affair.
They're hoping to raise funds
to contribute to
the chateau's renovations,
including the much needed
roof repairs.
Ithaca: I've got the leaflets.
Alex: Ok.
Ithaca: And I've got the forms.
Dick, voice-over: To recruit
more stall holders,
they're visiting a fair
at Saint-Riquier, 20 miles away.
It has the sort of dealers
that they think
could draw the crowds.
Ithaca: Today's important
because we're needing to get
more brocanteurs
and antique dealers in
for our June 30 event.
There will be some really good
antique dealers,
and there will be
some premium brocanteurs,
and I'm looking for
the premium brocanteurs.
Alex: After you.
Ithaca: Ok.
Dick, voice-over: Alex is taking
a supportive backseat role
while Ithaca promotes
their event.
Both: [Speaking French]
Ithaca: Quite a lot of people
are saying yes.
Ok, super.
This is a really nice stall.
There's one or two items
that I really like.
Dick, voice-over: Just the sort
of antiques dealer
Ithaca is targeting.
Both: [Speaking French]
Ithaca: He's definitely coming.
And he's going to talk about
the event to some friends
that he knows,
so it's really positive.
Dick, voice-over:
This is going well,
but Ithaca can't resist
a little rummage.
Ithaca: This is nice, Alex.
This is really cheap.
It's beautiful, right?
Alex: Marvelous.
Ithaca:
Look how delicate this is.
Dick, voice-over: Time to get
back to drumming up dealers
for the fundraiser, Ithaca.
Ithaca: [Speaking French]
Ok, that's really good.
I'm managed to get rid
of 100 fliers in one go.
Plus another thousand in my bag.
Quite heavy, but I'm confident
that I'm going to get rid
of them at the end of the day.
Dick, voice-over: Let's hope
they get enough
high-end stall owners to draw
the crowds and raise funds
needed to help contribute
towards the roof repairs.
Our chateau is just under
200 miles southwest.
And when we bought it,
all the buildings and land
needed some love.
The 2,000-square meter
walled garden
was wild and barren.
Now nearly 5 years later,
it's thriving
with over 100 fruit trees
and bushes
and 30 varieties of vegetables
fresh for the family.
Dick: These are lovely.
These are very tasty.
Angel: Oh, they're the ones
that you roast, aren't they?
Oh, I love those.
Dick: Off we go! Not a bad
pumpkin patch, eh?
Angel: Barrow race!
Dick: Who's winning?
Angel: Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Last year
we had great growing conditions
and had an abundance to harvest.
The red currants were amazing.
Along with my little helper
Arthur,
we've collected
the main ingredient
for a festive favorite.
When it comes to the jam
for Christmas,
what we're going to have
is this.
Arthur:
It's for my Christmas jam!
Dick: Look, we're going
to pull them all in.
We're going to make
red currant jelly.
Dick, voice-over: Red currants
are full of vitamin C, B, and K,
but they're tart to taste.
Dick: Did you enjoy that?
Arthur: Yeah.
Dick: If you're going to help me
make the jam,
we're going to need to get
as many of these
as we possibly can, matey.
Look at these.
We'll pull them all off.
I want them all in that bowl.
Arthur: I'm taking daddy's.
Dick: No, you're not.
Get your own bush!
Arthur: Ha ha!
Dick: That's my bush!
You have to pull the--
Every single one of these
is a little ball of flavor
to have on our Christmas table.
So everything takes twice
as long when you got a helper,
but it's twice as much fun.
Which one's your bowl
and which one's my bowl?
Arthur: That one's mine, though.
Dick: You think?
Arthur: Yeah.
Dick:
Not this for a big boy
because we're paying
by the weight,
and it's 50 euros a kilo,
so you've made a euro.
Arthur: I made a euro?
Dick: We got some of
the red currants
to make jam for Christmas, yeah?
- Yeah.
- Mm-hmm.
Ha ha.
One at a time, one at a time.
Take one at a time.
Dick, voice-over: Hopefully
there will be enough left
for me to make some jam
when we get back to the kitchen.
125 miles south,
Donna and Paul are visiting
a local second-hand shop
to buy furnishings
for their vintage tea room
that's due to open
in just two months' time.
Donna: We're going to need
lots of tables, chairs,
really nice china, tea pots,
milk jug.
We haven't got
bottomless pockets,
so it's got to be
a reasonable price.
Paul: Bonjour.
Dick, voice-over:
With all their savings
invested in this
new business venture,
they need to keep outgoings
to a minimum.
Donna: But that's really nice.
Paul: Are we getting that away?
Donna: I think so.
Paul:
We're only in the front door,
and that's the first thing
you've bought.
Donna: I know, good start.
- Excusez-moi.
- Oui.
Paul: We'll take that.
Donna: Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Donna knows
what she likes, Paul.
Donna: Oh, that's nice.
Paul: Oh, that's a pretty cent.
69.
- For all of them?
- Yeah.
We'll, they're 45 each.
My, that's some size hip flask.
Ha ha.
Dick, voice-over:
And it isn't too long
before they find the kind
of budget buy they're after.
Donna: They're more like
what we're looking for.
Bargain. 5 euros.
Paul: They're a bit shaky.
Need to tighten them up.
Even for a five euro.
Ok, it's firewood.
Donna: Firewood? Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over:
Steady on, Paul.
Donna: No, we'll take those.
That's nice, Paul.
Paul: Yeah?
Donna: Nice shape, yeah.
No damage to it.
Donna: No.
Paul: No.
Donna: That's quite nice,
isn't it?
I like that one as well.
Paul: The joke's to you.
Donna: You know what I like
is china.
I love china.
Paul: Yeah, I think
that's probably enough, yeah?
Dick, voice-over: Paul's got to
fit it in that trailer, Donna.
Paul: Job done.
Merci, monsieur.
Dick, voice-over:
A trailer full of furnishings
for just under £350--
not bad.
But let's not forget, you have
to finish widening that door
before you can open
for business.
In southwest France,
Angela and Steve are busy
finishing
all their maintenance work
before renting out the chateau
for the summer.
Steve: Just pull
a little bit through for me.
Angela:
There's about 10 inches through.
Steve: All right, that's fine.
Dick, voice-over: Having
installed a new pair of urns
on the terrace,
now they just need connecting
to the irrigation system.
Angela: Yay! It's through.
Steve: Oh, there we go.
Dick, voice-over:
Pipe work all connected,
it's the moment of truth.
Angela: Ok, Steve,
I'm ready when you're ready.
Steve:
All right, just turn that on.
Angela: Let's hope the water
comes through. Yay! Yay!
We have water!
That is perfect.
Steve: You happy with that?
Angela: I am happy, yes,
thank you.
Steve: Good, good, good.
Dick, voice-over:
That's another job ticked off,
but a chateau owner's work
is never done.
Last year when Angela and Steve
were back in the U.K.,
guests reported that a swimming
pool pipe was leaking.
Steve: We made an emergency
phone call to a friend and said,
"Look,
can you help us out here?"
He came along, and he did
a temporary repair
that we know that
it's still leaking,
and we need to fix it properly
before we raise the level of
the water in the swimming pool
and start the swimming pool
circulating again.
Dick, voice-over:
Over the past 7 months,
the grass has grown back
and covered up the leaky pipe.
Steve: The problem we've got is
that actually we don't know
exactly where it is.
That looks low there.
Have a go.
Right.
Voyage of discovery.
Dick, voice-over:
The words needle and haystack
come to mind.
Angela: That looks very firm,
doesn't it?
So it's not been dug up.
Steve: That looks too firm,
doesn't it?
Angela: Yeah, it does.
Steve: Mm, not sure.
That looks hard there.
[Meowing]
Angela: That feels like
that's touching something.
Oh, no, it's a root.
Steve: The pipe isn't
very deep down actually.
It's probably one of the reasons
why it's probably burst
in the first place,
it's probably not deep enough.
What's that?
I think it's the pipe.
I can see a jubilee clip
there.
Angela: Ah! Have you got it?
Steve: Yeah.
Angela: Oh, well done, Steve.
Dick, voice-over:
That was lucky.
The jubilee clip is what holds
two pipes together,
and Steve thinks that's
the source of the leak.
Steve: Ready?
[Power tool running]
Dick, voice-over:
Instead of doing another repair
to the damaged section,
Steve is cutting it out
completely.
Steve: Right.
We're going to glue this then.
Angela: How long have you got
before it goes on?
Steve: About 30 seconds.
Angela: Well, hurry up, then.
Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over:
He's going to replace it
with a new piece of pipe.
Steve: Can I get that in there?
Angela: Yes, you can,
yes, you can.
Marvelous.
Steve: Job done.
Dick, voice-over: That's another
one ticked off the list.
But there's still plenty more
chateau maintenance
to do tomorrow.
270 miles north
over at our place,
I've got a freshly picked bowl
of red currants from our garden.
1.9 kilos.
That's not terrible, is it?
I'm going to turn it
into a fabulous festive jelly,
a family favorite.
Little bit of water
to liberate the juice.
Clear out some of the twiggage.
Hold it.
A potato masher
comes in handy here,
and I'm off
in an northern Irish reverie.
When you're a youngster,
the seeds were always
a little bit scary,
so my mum made a bramble jelly,
which was basically blackberries
without any of the bits
that get stuck in your teeth.
50 years, nothing's changed,
we're going to end up with
a whole lot of lovely jars
of our own for juice.
And so it says, yeah,
we did this.
To get rid of the seeds,
it needs straining...
and a good push.
Pop it in here.
All right, so just over a kilo
of jelly sugar going in.
At least a quarter.
Now we want to get
a relatively firm set,
so we need the juice of a lemon.
Citrus fruits have the highest
natural pectin of all fruit,
so are perfect
for setting a jelly.
The juice can also add
a pleasant sharpness.
To see if the jelly is ready,
I've got a plate
fresh from the freezer.
When it's warm,
it's always runny.
When it's cooled,
well, it be jelly.
That's quite nice.
Here we go.
Got my cold plate.
Let it cool down.
And I'm going to put
my finger through it.
Mmm. That's jelly.
To strain it thoroughly,
I'm using a jelly bag
hanging from this handy hook
in the ceiling.
I'll let gravity do the work
until I've got a jug
full of pure festive joy.
That's good.
Come Christmas,
that will be to die for.
Then straight into
the sterilized jam jars.
That looks pretty impressive.
But I am not
going to waste this.
I'm taking this off.
And this allows me
to squeeze more out.
Wow. It may be slightly cloudier
than the rest,
but I've saved another pot
of jelly.
This glass is not perfect,
but it's pretty special.
And finally my little helper
returns for the taste test.
Arthur: Daddy!
Dick: Hello, matey.
You sure you want
to try that?
How good is it?
Do you think mommy will like it?
Arthur: Yeah.
- Are we clever?
- Yep.
Dick: Right. Give me a kiss.
Go back, up you go, upstairs.
I love you.
Ow! You monkey!
Go, go, go, go.
That's me boy.
- I love you, son.
- I love you, too, pop.
Dick, voice-over: It seems
it's passed the Arthur test.
Just under 200 miles northeast
at Alex and Ithaca's,
it's now a week before their
annual antiques and flower fair.
They've gathered
friends and family
to help assemble
the ticket booths
where they'll collect
the entrance fee
from the 3,000 guests
they hope will attend.
Alex: We are putting the walls
all together.
It has to be extremely precise.
A, B, C, D,
up, left, right, down.
It's almost done, and we still
have to put the plastic cover
in case of a rain,
and that's it.
We should be done.
Very good job. That's it.
All set.
Dick, voice-over:
Meanwhile, Ithaca gets a call
from a local radio station.
They want to do
a live interview with her
to advertise the event.
Ithaca: [Speaking French]
I try to talk with a smile.
You know, people always say
that if you're on the phone
or whatever, if you smile, then
the people hear you smiling.
Dick, voice-over: Sounded
very positive to me, Ithaca.
The main entrance ticket booth
will have a special feature.
They're adding the original
slates taken from their roof.
Ithaca: These old things
are 300 years old,
and they're going on
a little wooden shed.
Dick, voice-over:
Waste nothing and recycle,
that's all music to my ears.
But adding
a unique chateau heritage
to what's basically
a garden shed
makes for a weighty job.
Man: [Speaking French]
Alex: So it's a very old slate.
So it's like, you know,
you put the Ferrari sign
on a very small car.
That's kind of, you see?
Dick, voice-over: Roof on,
it's time for a little lunch.
but Alex is thirsty.
Ithaca: Pinot noire.
French and their wine.
Alex: Wine is more important
than the Chateau Flore.
I don't care. I've got this.
Ithaca:
The French don't drink water.
They drink wine.
Alex: Mmm. Mmm.
Dick, voice-over: I don't think
you can rest on your laurels
quite yet, Alex.
There's still masses to do
before the antiques and flower
fair in just a week's time.
Almost 300 miles south,
Donna and Paul are creating
a new tea room.
They've completed
the wood paneling.
Now they need to finish making
the adjoining bathroom
suitable for disabled visitors,
a job that's taken longer
than expected.
Donna: We were hoping to have
the vintage tea room open
around 4 weeks ago,
so we're quite behind plan.
Dick, voice-over: And they've
just had some bad news.
The cubicle in the new loo
is too small for a wheelchair
to turn around inside.
Paul: We did understand that
we had sufficient space inside,
but then the architect came back
and told us that we needed
1 1/2 meters inside the cubicle,
so we unfortunately
didn't have that space.
We're about 1.4, so we were 4
inches short of being compliant.
Donna: We did think he was
joking at first, didn't we,
after all the work?
Are you serious? Ha ha!
Paul: So I think we're ok...
Dick, voice-over:
But this is no laughing matter
for Donna and Paul.
They must find a way of gaining
an extra 4 inches of space fast
if they're going to open
the tea room
and start earning an income.
Paul: So this wall needs to be
at least 1.5 meters wide,
in order to get a turning circle
for a chair.
1.5 without tails.
Donna: We really need
to just tile on top of this.
Paul: Yeah.
Actually I never thought
we'd tile them directly on it,
love.
Donna: That's why I'm here.
Paul: I know.
Dick, voice-over:
They found a solution:
tiling directly onto the wall.
Donna: Tile straight onto that,
which gives us our space on
the floor for a turning circle.
Dick, voice-over:
The wall's uneven,
so they'll need to level it
to make a smooth, flat surface
for the tiles.
Once done, the cubicle
will finally meet
the size regulations.
While Paul grinds down
the new wall,
Donna is getting on
with the paneling paint work.
Donna: We have color.
I like it.
I think we've chosen well.
How's it looking?
Ha ha!
You've got to be crazy
to buy a chateau.
Paul: It's not prerequisite,
but it helps.
Donna: Ha ha!
That's quite nice, isn't it?
Paul: Yeah.
Donna: Surprised how different
that now looks.
Paul: Well,
it looks like paneling.
Before it just looked like
plaster board and MDF.
Donna: Mmm.
Dick, voice-over:
It's coming together.
All they need now
is the official go ahead
so Donna and Paul
can open for business.
In northern France
with only two days to go
before their annual
antiques and flower fair,
Alex and Ithaca are hard at work
getting ready to welcome
what they hope will be more than
a couple of thousand visitors.
Ithaca: We've still got
to set up all the tents.
We've got all sorts
of small things to do,
but all in all,
it seems to be under control.
Dick, voice-over: With
France's hottest heat wave
since records began,
Ithaca wants to make sure
that visitors don't frazzle.
Ithaca: It was extremely hot
last year,
and people suffered
from the heat,
so this year we really,
really want to make sure
that we have enough shade,
so I went out and got tents
like this,
and we have larger,
bigger tents,
so we should be ok.
Dick, voice-over:
Friends and family
have been roped into help.
Paul: Come on!
Ithaca: Come on, pussy cat.
We need your muscle power.
Dick, voice-over: Including
11-year-old son Jules.
Ithaca: One, two, three.
Dick, voice-over:
Visitors to the festival
will also be able to
wander around the park land
and the 6 acres
of beautiful gardens,
all part of the family heritage
that Alex wants to maintain.
Alex: It's not only the chateau
we're looking after.
It's also all the surroundings.
I don't do this
only for my family.
I do believe that when you
have this kind of place,
you can't be selfish.
You have to give up
a piece of it.
Dick, voice-over:
And one of the star attractions
will be the maze, so Alex is
giving it a spruce up and trim.
Alex: It's quite large actually.
3,000 square meters.
Sometimes you have to remember
where you are
because you're just turning
around with the machine,
and it's really,
uh, where am I?
We're quite far from the house,
so if I shout for help,
I'm not sure anyone
would help me.
You know, that's how you work,
and so you see the life
in pink.
Dick, voice-over: Let's hope
that helps with the trimming.
Alex: You see,
sometimes I see something,
also I always have to do
little bit.
Dick, voice-over:
Don't get lost, Alex.
There's a fundraising festival
to pull off.
Ithaca:
Tomorrow is D-day minus one.
We have to kind of squish it
in one day
everything that
still needs to be done,
but let's just cross our fingers
and hope that everything
will be ok.
Alex: Ah...
Ithaca: Ah...
Dick, voice-over: All they need
now is for the crowds to turn up
in their thousands.
A 9-hour drive south,
Angela and Steve
are preparing the chateau
ahead of renting it out
for the whole summer.
Angela: So the first job
is going to be
getting bushes out here,
isn't it, this patch?
Steve:
And this one we want gone.
Angela:
Yeah, that one's got to go.
Dick, voice-over:
With just over a month
until their first guests arrive,
they're keen to get another
improvement ticked off the list:
a new car park.
Angela: Rather than them
sort of park out in the sunshine
in the front of the chateau,
we want to put a shady area
because the cars get so warm,
and around the side is
the perfect area for it.
It's really shady,
they're out of the way
of the view from the front
of the house.
Steve: And if people
park outside the front
of the chateau,
then if we get a delivery,
if we can't get past
and have to then get people
to move their cars,
or the French would just
drive around on the grass,
which can be a bit of a problem,
so if we have
a specified area...
Angela: We like it to be tidy,
don't we?
Steve: Well, I think so.
It's a shame to spoil the view
in front of the chateau.
Angela: Are we taking this
one out? Yeah. And that one.
Right away to there.
Steve: Ok.
Angela: And that should give us
space for 5 cars.
Go and get the digger.
Steve: Go and get the digger.
Right, I'm off.
Lights.
We're off.
Dick, voice-over: Nothing
like the smell of diesel
in the morning.
Steve: This could take
some time.
Angela: Now go down.
Right down to the bottom.
Yep.
Steve: A bit further down.
Angela: Whoa!
Dick, voice-over: Yeah, whoa!
That looks awfully unstable
for me, too.
Angela: Just dig deeper.
Dig deeper.
Now pull back.
Yep, that's it. That's it.
Yay! Number one out!
That's it.
Yeah, go in there.
And pull back.
That's it. That's it.
Steve: Yeah.
Angela: Perfect.
Beautiful. Yay!
You wouldn't believe there was
a hedge there this morning,
would you?
Well done.
Dick, voice-over:
Ground cleared.
Time now for the hard core,
which is rubble
from previous D.I.Y. jobs.
When you own a chateau,
the golden rule is
reuse wherever possible.
Steve: Move somewhere else.
Dick, voice-over: The top layer
of gravel will be added later,
but before the gravel arrives,
there's another job to do.
Angela: I'll go forward, sweet,
and you go back.
Dick, voice-over: Angela and
Steve want to upgrade a path
by laying
special honeycomb frames
to provide a stable surface
for wheelchair access.
Steve: Remember
they go a certain way.
Angela: Do they? I think that's
the right way, love. Yeah?
Steve: Ok.
What we're trying to do
is end up with a path going
to the swimming pool.
Angela: We need that to meet up
with this one, darling.
Steve: Hopefully the gravel
is going to hold these down.
Dick, voice-over:
Late afternoon,
a lorry from the local supplier
turns up
with 15 tons of gravel
to finish the job.
Angela: It's here,
thank goodness for that.
[Beeping]
Dick, voice-over: Well done.
You've improved the chateau
even more
with that new gravel path
and a bigger, better car park.
Angela: It's finished!
I am absolutely...worn out.
Steve: Come on,
I need my glass of wine.
Angela: Ok.
Steve: You want to
just see the sun go down.
Angela: Ok, that's good.
Steve: Come on, let's go.
Right, come on. I'm off.
Dick, voice-over: If anyone
deserves a glass of win,
it's you two.
Ithaca: So, so hot.
Dick, voice-over: ...Ithaca
and Alex sweat it out...
Ithaca: It's like being
in the eye of a cyclone.
Dick, voice-over:
...as the fundraising fair
becomes a hot ticket.
Alex: There are no more tickets
down there.
They don't have
any entrance bracelets.
Dick, voice-over: Donna and Paul
hope to brew up some business
at the tea room.
Donna: The only thing
that's missing now
is my flowers in the center
and some customers.
Paul: Yeah.
Donna: Ha ha.
Dick, voice-over: We're coasting
it for chateau inspiration.
Angel: There is just
a total different feeling
when you're by the seaside.
I'm a crab coming to get you!
Dick, voice-over:
And Angela and Steve
get stuck
in a last minute fix.
Angela: It's not ideal
to start this kind of job
just two days before
your guests come, I suppose.