Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 3, Episode 9 - Episode #3.9 - full transcript

Dick, voice-over:
I'm Dick Strawbridge.

And with my wife Angel
and our two children...

[Angel laughs]

Dick: Don't crash.

Dick, voice-over:
We're nearly 5 years into

our French adventure,

restoring this
once-abandoned chateau.

Dick: That one!
Ha ha!

Dick, voice-over:
It's been a lot of hard work.

Dick: Oh!
That's heavy.

Dick, voice-over:
But a lot of fun, too.



Dick: Families.
All: Families.

Dick, voice-over: And all over
France, there are other

intrepid British families
doing exactly the same.

Woman: I'm just randomly
drilling holes in the wall

at the moment.

Dick, voice-over:
Now Angel and I are once again

lending a hand to other
expat chateau owners.

Woman: That's working for me.
I love it.

Dick, voice-over:
We'll meet some new faces...

Man: * De-de! *

[Clattering]
Woman: Oh!

Dick, voice-over:
And some old friends.

Woman: Ohh!

Dick, voice-over: And we'll
reveal more about our own



chateau life.

Arthur: No,
Monsieur Dick.

[Angel laughs]

Dick, voice-over: There'll be
plenty of highs.

Woman: Yay!
Dick, voice-over: And lows.

[Crack]
[Woman gasps]

No, no.

Dick, voice-over:
But however hard it gets...

Man: Whoa.

Dick, voice-over: They're
all battling to transform

these abandoned buildings...

Man: It's not the size of
the wine press that matters,

it's what you do with it.
Man: Yeah.

Dick, voice-over:
Into extraordinary
homes and businesses.

Woman: Oh,
this is wonderful.

Dick, voice-over: To live
the dream as custodians

of their very own castle.

Today, one couple
tried to prepare

their new garden event space...

Man: We don't need instructions.
Only when it goes wrong.

Trust me.
I know what I'm doing.

Dick, voice-over:
And end up in a tangle.

Man: Oh.

Woman: Don't tell me
you've done it wrong.

Man: I've done it wrong.

Dick, voice-over: At our place,
it's best foot forward.

Dick: Apparently, that is not
a pretty boot jack.

Dick, voice-over:
As Angel sets me to work.

Dick: By the time this is built,
there's no reason why these

won't be around working for
a very, very long time.

Dick, voice-over: This owner
tackles a greenhouse renovation.

Woman: I'm not cheating,
I'm not cheating.

Woman 2: OK.
You can open your eyes.

Woman 1: Oh.
[Woman 2 laughs]

Dick, voice-over: And with
their first official guests

due in a matter of days...

Man: No, no, no, Jayne!

Jayne: All right.
Put it in.

Man: Now you've got it
all over the gravel.

Dick, voice-over:
These two chateau owners

have their work cut out
to be ready in time.

Jayne: And it could turn out
looking awful, couldn't it?

Dick, voice-over:
Of all the properties
sold across France

to international buyers
last year,

around a third of them
were bought by us Brits.

Which is hardly surprising
because there are some

stunning properties.

Take the charming
15th-century Chateau Mareuil.

Originally a medieval
fortress, it's now been home

to South Londoners
Belinda and Lee for 4 years.

Belinda: We often lose
each other in this place.

Sometimes, I have
no idea where Lee is.

There's a custom, I think,
with French farmers' wives

that live in--obviously live
in the countryside is having

a whistle, or
a particular type of call.

And...
Lee: Hey, I didn't
know about this.

Belinda: I think
that's what I need.

I need a sharp whistle.
Lee: Like a dog, you mean?

Belinda: Yeah.
Lee: You blow a sharp whistle

and I come running like a dog.

Belinda: ...I know
where you are.

Dick, voice-over: Located
40 miles from Limoges,

after several years
of renovation,

last summer, they
launched the chateau

as an events
and holiday let business.

They're now keen to expand
into the wedding market.

And with their first booking
secured for just 8 weeks' time,

they've built a water feature
in an outdoor area

they're planning to use
for the reception.

Belinda: I'm really excited
about hosting

our first wedding here,
and they want to use

the garden for
their drinks reception

when they
come back from church.

So, it's really important
it's finished in time.
Lee: Mm. Mm.

Dick, voice-over:
With the countdown on,

today they're adding
one last romantic flourish

to finish off the garden--
a pergola.

Belinda: Oh,
there you--that's nice.

Lee: Hey, that's not bad.
Belinda: The color's nice.

[Clattering]

Lee: You don't
need instructions.

Only when it goes wrong.

That's when you read
the instructions.

Dick, voice-over:
Famous last words.

Lee: Trust me.
I know what I'm doing.

Right.
They're the bottom ones.

These Gothic arch things.

These are the bottom ones.
I'll put that there.

Dick, voice-over:
Half an hour later, though,

he's not feeling
quite so confident.

Lee: I think you better
rub it now, the instructions.

It's not as simple
as it, it looks.

[Belinda laughs]

Lee: Oh.

Belinda: Don't tell me
you've done it wrong.

Lee: I've done it wrong.

Yeah, it's running.
the wrong way. Yeah.

Oh, hang on a minute.
Belinda: What?

Lee: These are longer.
[Both laugh]

Lee: Why didn't we read
the instructions first?

[Belinda laughs]

Lee: I fixed it.

Belinda: Oh,
you--you did it.

Lee: No, well, it's called
budge it and dab it.

Belinda: No,
but seriously.

Dick, voice-over:
Finally, after much
budging and dabbing, it's up.

Lee: It's in.
Merci.

Belinda: And that
one's not, but--

now, you want to get it
into position now, don't we?

Lee: Yeah.
So, now what we need to do,

the doorway here...
Belinda: Yeah.

Lee: Needs to be in alignment

with the walkway there.

Belinda: OK.
Lee: Right. Imagine...

[Both singing
"Here Comes the Bride"]

Dick, voice-over:
Now for the small matter

of getting ready
for that wedding.

When we moved into our
chateau 5 years ago...

Dick: Turn, turn, turn, turn.
Wow.

Dick, voice-over: It had stood
unloved and abandoned for years.

Dick: Look at the sewage, look
at the electrics in here.

You look at the lead paint.

200+ pages of
reasons not to buy a house.

Dick, voice-over:
We're now most of the way

to transforming into our
dream home.

But the work is never done.

[Hammering]

Angel: Aah!

Dick, voice-over: One of our
most recent projects

has been the boot room.

It's a part of the house
that's close to my heart.

Dick: The whole of the boot room
area is much more me,

that it's all sort of
the coats and the wellies,

which is not Angela.

I bought her
her first pair of wellies

the first Christmas
we were together.

And we went up to
just above Abergavenny.

Up on a hill there was snow.

And she wore her wellies
and a fur coat.

And the most amazing
hairdo and everything else.

She didn't--she didn't
quite get

the whole concept of wellies.

Now she wears them all the time

because we're
out and about the place, but

she still doesn't get
the concept of wellies.

Dick, voice-over:
Mrs. Strawbridge may not
do wellies,

but she does do style.

And there's one finishing
touch to our new boot room

she's requested.

Apparently, that is not
a pretty boot jack.

Apparently.
Yeah. Fair cop.

I'll keep it as my
workshop boot jack.

I'll make some pretty ones
for Angela.

Dick, voice-over: A boot jack
is a tool for taking off boots,

and no boot room
is complete without one.

Dick: To turn this into
a pretty boot jack,

I suppose I have
to do something like

come down
a bit further across--

give me a base,
and then, from this side,

come back around
to join it from up here.

And then, underneath it,
I have my sort of--

a little piece of wood for
putting it on like that.

That's a prettier shape.

It's just, like, more elegant.

Dick, voice-over:
The first thing I need to do

is cut out the shape
from some wood I've pinched

from one of our
old linen cupboards.

Dick: Because this is oak,

by the time this is built,

there's no reason why these
won't be around working

for a very, very long time.

And I'm--we're talking
about sort of

50 years they'll still be there,
working away.

Be quite nice, won't it?

That's the sort of
thing I really like.

Dick, voice-over:
I'm all measured up.

Now to cut out
the mouth of the boot jack.

[Saw whirring]

Dick: A little piece of wood
on the bottom like that.

That is a boot jack.

But I will make it
prettier for her.

Dick, voice-over: A bit more
work and a splash of varnish,

I reckon this will be
a boot jack fit for an angel.

Approximately 352 miles south
at Chateau Thuries,

husband and wife team
Jayne and Steve,

who moved in last year,
are keeping busy.

Steve: I didn't come over
to the south of France

to sit down and do nothing.

But I'm looking forward
to what the--

when all the hard graft
is finished,

to actually take
me foot off the pedal

a little bit, you know,
and then--

and just making sure
that the standards is kept.

Dick, voice-over: Located near
Toulouse, they plan to open

a 19th-century chateau
as a B&B,

and have so far renovated
the guest rooms

and reception rooms.

Jayne: Obviously, we're
moving towards that goal

of the--of opening.

So, we've got a lot of work
cut out for us, haven't we?

But I just can't wait to
get it over and done with now.

Dick, voice-over: With their
first official booking

in just over a month,

they have one of their
last major jobs to do--

create a reception area in
what they call the Orangerie.

Jayne: It's where people
are going to come into
when they arrive,

so, it's got to feel
quite welcoming.

And we want people to be able
to sit and relax

in there in the summer, just

make it a nice, warm room.

Steve: Yeah. And you're
gonna stencil the floor

because you hate the floor.

Jayne: So cold and horrible,

so, I'm going to paint it red

and then put
the stencil on it.

And it could turn out
looking awful, couldn't it?

Dick, voice-over:
Only one way to find out,

and that involves Steve
and a paintbrush.

They're using a floor paint
to cover

the existing terrazzo tiles.

Jayne: This terracotta color
is gonna be a base color.

And then, we'll do the
stenciling, you know, with a--

with a lighter color on top.

Steve: Instead of rolling walls,
it's rolling the floor

for a change.

Dick, voice-over:
Leaving Steve unsupervised

to finish the floor,

Jayne's on to the next stage
of the job,

measuring up her stencil.

Jayne: It's quite important that
I get the measurements right

because otherwise, I'm gonna
end up with half a stencil

at one end somewhere,
and I don't want to do that.

But once I've done
the first one, it'll be fine.

I just got to make sure
that I've absolutely got them

right before I start.

I just hope
I like it, yeah.

Dick, voice-over:
Here's hoping.

A few hours later,
with Steve's terracotta

base coat now dry,
it's over to Jayne.

Jayne: The moment of truth.

Right. Here goes.

You can see the red
very distinctly,

you know, the terracotta color.

You can see that
underneath the paint.

So, I think it's definitely
gonna need to have

a second coat.

OK. Let's see.

Let's just see
how it's worked out.

It's not as clean
as I wanted it to be...

and it definitely needs
two coats.

Dick, voice-over:
Second time, lucky?

Jayne: A bit messy.

Dick, voice-over:
Oh, well, Jayne.

There's another
50 or so to go.

Let's hope practice
makes perfect.

Sitting in 60 acres
is the stunning

Chateau de Lalande.

Dating back to
the 16th century,

it's been home
to owner Stephanie

for the last 13 years.

Stephanie: Each challenge
definitely becomes easier.

Now I'm able
to just try things,

even if I don't know
how to do them.

There's so many people who
can show me the right way.

It's worth trying, anyway.

And what could
possibly go wrong?

Dick, voice-over: Located
in the heart of France,

Stephanie runs
the chateau for events

and as a B&B,

and has recently renovated

her fifth and final
guest suite.

Woman: Oh,
this is wonderful.

The light.

Dick, voice-over: Stephanie's
now turning her attention

to one of the chateau's
other neglected corners

that she wants up and running
for the coming peak season.

Stephanie: We're lucky enough
to have a huge greenhouse here,

but it got very damaged
in the storm last winter.

So, we're finally
going to restore it.

We should be able to have
lots of delicious vegetables

for the B&B this summer.

I think it makes a very big
difference for guests

to be able to experience that.

Dick, voice-over:
You bet it does.

But there's a huge amount
of work to be done first,

including replacing the windows

and sorting out the inside.

Luckily, Stephanie has
a team of live-in volunteers

on hand to help.

Stephanie: There's a lot to do.

Woman: Really?
[Stephanie laughs]

To finally have it
working as it should've been,

I can't wait to see it, though.
I really can't.

Woman: Yeah.
Let's get cracking!

Stephanie: Was this
a particularly useful

bucket of stuff to have in here?

Woman: Yeah.
You should put some
in your room.

Dick, voice-over:
Clearing out done,

but now something
isn't stacking up.

Stephanie: I just think
this is the most stupid

shelf system ever.

It's coming a meter
into the room

for no reason whatsoever.

The shelves are this wide.

Things are gonna fall off
the back all the time.

So, I think we don't try
to restore these.

Woman: No.
I think we're better off

doing just--something
entirely new.

Stephanie: Yes.
Woman: Yeah.

Dick, voice-over:
To keep costs down,

Stephanie is keen to reuse
items from around the chateau.

Stephanie: So, the only thing
standing between

us and magnificent shelves
is a peacock and its poo.

Dick, voice-over:
And these old scaffold boards

should do nicely.

Stephanie: OK,
come on, Thor.

Off we go.
Come on, darling.

Woman: Take away Thor,
and I'm taking away the poo.

Stephanie: I think that's
a really, really good

division of labor.
Poo spotter.

Woman: Aha!
Stephanie: There we go.

Woman: All right.

Stephanie: Look out behind you
to your left.

Woman: Oh, there!
Oh, my God!

Big one.

There you go!

Stephanie: Excellent!

Dick, voice-over: Next, they
try to find some hooks

for garden tools.

Stephanie: OK.
Now, I think

there might be some
in here, Marie.

Try to avoid coming into
this room whenever possible.

Ah! There we go!

Marie: Oh, wow!

Stephanie: Hooks.

Shall we take it
with us and

take them off that,
because this is

a bit of a difficult one to--
Marie: Take it with us, I mean.

Stephanie: Muck in.
Marie: OK.

Stephanie: Heavy.

Marie: Whoa!
Are we doing it this way?

Stephanie: Well, why doesn't
one of us take one end?

Marie: OK.
Stephanie: Instead of both of
us taking the middle.

Marie: Do you want
to go--OK.

[Laughter]

Stephanie: All right.
Great.

Marie: OK.
Stephanie: And we're off.

[Laughter]

Marie: You have to
tell me when you move.

Stephanie: Sorry.
Had to get under the roof.

Marie: To the garden.
Stephanie: To the garden.

Marie: Yes.
Stephanie: And beyond.

Marie: Yes.
Stephanie: All right.

Great.
I'll get a screwdriver.

[Rattling]
Marie: Here we go.

Stephanie: Oh, these are going
to look so good.

I love it.

Dick, voice-over: Don't let
the excitement distract you

from your plans, Stephanie.

Stephanie: There's a lot
to be done in here.

We need to bring the white
bench in, make the shelves,

finish all of the panes,
and do a lot of painting.

But it's gonna look
great when it's finished.

Dick, voice-over: At Lee
and Belinda's, they've been

hard at work getting ready for

their first-ever
wedding booking.

Lee. These are longer.
[Laughter]

Why didn't we read
the instructions first?

Dick, voice-over:
Unfortunately,

they've received
some bad news.

Due to a family illness,
the wedding couple

has had to cancel.

Belinda: Excuse me, Misty.
Dick, voice-over: However,

there is another
potential event.

A friend of Belinda's
asked to hold her

60th birthday party
at the chateau.

They've decided to use it to
launch the new outdoor venue,

although it's put them
under even more pressure.

Belinda: Because we had
guests here last night,

so, we're on a real tight
turnaround, actually, today.

We'd planned to have the garden
with its--with its new pergola

ready in time for the wedding,

which has sadly had to
be cancelled.

So, what we've done now
is to actually bring it forward

for this celebration.

So, we've put ourselves under
a huge amount of pressure--

don't know why I'm laughing,
really--to get it done.

Dick, voice-over: Outside,
Lee has big plans

for the pergola,
even though

they're up
against it time-wise.

Lee: The idea conceptually is
to have kind of like vines

running down, interwoven
with flowers,

and with quite like
white flowers.

Belinda wants
white flowers in here.

Dick, voice-over: With no time
to plant anything,

Lee is making do with cuttings
from the chateau grounds.

Lee: I've got about
3 1/2 hours before our

guests arrive,

and I've never decorated
a pergola before.

So, I'm not quite sure
what I've got to do.

I'm gonna have to take
some stuff from the garden,

so, I need to go around
and find stuff.

Hope Belinda doesn't notice
I've just savaged a shrub.

Dick, voice-over: Snip away
while you can, Lee.

Belinda's distracted,
baking the all-important

birthday cake.

Belinda: I'm feeling stressed,
to be honest, because I've got

to get this cake done.

Let's just hope, you know,
it looks OK.

Although I have made cakes,
I do make a cake.

It's not very
often, admittedly.

It's what's really
worrying me is actually

the decorating of the cake,
because that--

do you know,
I cannot remember

ever having made a celebration
cake with decoration.

It looks OK, actually.
I'm quite impressed.

Let's hope for the best
for this one then.

In you go.
See you later.

Dick, voice-over: Outside, Lee's
artistic vision for the pergola

is well underway.

Lee: So, I'm just tying
this--I don't know what it is

but it's--[sniffs]
smells really nice.

I've never been a gardener.

But once you start working
a chateau, and you end up

with quite a lot of land,
you realize that you have to

learn quite quickly
about gardening.

I'm not sure what this
is looking like overall.

Dick, voice-over:
Only one way to find out.

Belinda: Oh,
it looks lovely.

Well, that's really nice.
It's much nicer

than I thought
it would look, honestly.

Lee: Oh, good.
Belinda: It's slightly
skew-whiff.

Lee: What you mean?
[Belinda laughs]

Lee: What do you mean?

Belinda: I think the pergola
is a bit skew-whiff.

Lee: No,
the pergola is all right.

I've spirit leveled it.
It's fine.
It's the ground that's wrong.

Belinda: Oh, it's the ground
that's skew-whiff.

Lee: The ground that's wrong.
The pergola is perfect.

Did you smell it?
Have you smelled it?

Smell this one.

[Sniff]
[Laughter]

Belinda: I knew
that was coming.

Dick, voice-over:
You old charmer, Lee.

There'll be plenty of time
for smooching later.

But now, you've got a bar
to build in an outhouse.

Lee: I've got to clear
all this lot out.

So, I've got to get from this

to a decorative
60th birthday bar

in less than
two hours, actually.

[Sigh] OK.

Why don't I just get this--
uh, oh, yeah.

Going up now. Ahh!

Now, with the bar underneath,

fairy lights next.

Awesome.

Yes, they're on.

The Ooh La La bar
is back in business.

Dick, voice-over: Belinda is
also in business.

Her friend's birthday cake
is out of the oven.

All she needs to do now
is decorate it.

Belinda: This--

This icing [laughs]

is really very soft.
[Laughs]

I don't know
what's gonna happen,

but I'm trying to put it
on top of the cake.

I really don't know
what's gone wrong.

I followed the recipe.

I think maybe it's
the French ingredients.

Ha ha!

Dick, voice-over:
Perhaps something was lost
in translation.

Belinda: See?
This is very funny.

I'm going to put this
other cake on top. [Laughs]

Dick, voice-over: It's the
thought that counts, Belinda.

Belinda: Very rustic.

I've never made anything
so bad in my entire life.

I'm sure it'll taste lovely.
[Laughs]

Dick, voice-over: Well,
with the celebrations due to

start shortly, there's nothing
a few freshly cut flowers

can't disguise.

At our place
in the Pays de la Loire,

with my bit of
the boot jack done,

it's over to Angel
to finish the job.

Angel: Mr. Strawbridge's
beautiful boot jack.

He's come up with a really
beautiful elegant shape,

and made it really well.

And they are
expensive to buy.

Dick, voice-over: She's adding
a touch of luxury to my design.

Angel: Dick is just
all about function,

and that is totally fine.

It's why I love him, you know.

He's the engineer
behind everything.

But I am just
a little bit more fussy.

I like things to [chuckles]
look a little bit more elegant.

And it looks great.

So, I've got a rough template,

and then that is gonna
just be stuck down,

but I need to make sure that

I'm just matching Dick's shape.

There we go.

Dick, voice-over: With
the patch done, Angel can do

the decorative stitching.

[Sewing machine whirring]

Angel: All right.
[Humming]

Dick, voice-over: Now happy
that it all looks good,

it's time for the glue.

Angel: Get this in place.

It's gonna be lovely.

When we come home, we've all
got our jack. [Chuckles]

I just--I cannot wait
to just go for our walks,

our winter walks,
and our hot chocolates,

and have family time.

We've got 3 chairs
on either side,

so, I've done 3 boot jacks.

Good. Done.

Dick, voice-over: All that
remains is to find

the boot jacks a home
in the boot room.

Dick: They look nice.
They're not bad--

they're not bad, are they?
Angel: Darling...

Dick: It's not bad.
Angel: I think we could

go into business.
These are a fortune online.

I actually love them.

Dick: Yeah,
you don't--you don't--

you take wellies off
with those, not those.

Angel: OK.

Dick, voice-over:
I'm happy to admit

these new boot jacks
knock the socks

off my old plywood original.

Hopefully, they'll be
welcoming muddy boots

to the chateau for
many years to come.

At Chateau Thuries,
Jayne and Steve are racing

to transform their Orangerie
into a reception area,

ready to welcome their
first official guests

in 4 weeks' time.

Steve: We might have to buy
3--or two or 3.

Jayne: Yeah, I think we will.
Steve: Because I don't think

that we would...
Jayne: There won't be any there

as big as that wall.

Dick, voice-over: Jayne's been
stenciling for several days,

and now it's done.

And it's a pretty
amazing job, too.

For the cost of a couple of
tins of paint,

she's achieved the look
she was after.

Now Jayne's turned her
attention to the plants

she wants to put in there.

Jayne: I'm just looking up
this bougainvillea,

because I think
in the Orangerie,

they'd look really beautiful
if we could

find some way
of planting them.

But I'm just worried
because it does get cold

in the winter, what you need.

It says here minimum
7 to 10 degrees.

Steve: Oh.
Jayne: So,

what we'd have to do
is make sure that

we'll heat
that room somehow.

I know.
So, maybe it's gonna be--

have you got any ideas?

Steve: I like the idea of lemon,
a lemon in a pot.

Jayne: Well, yeah,
but they don't climb.

Steve: No.

Jayne: Because we've not
lived here for many years.

We don't know what the habits
are of these plants.

So, I think we need to take
a bit of advice

at the garden center about it.

Steve: OK.

Dick, voice-over:
They need to choose plants

that'll do well in the winter.

So, they're after expert advice
at a nearby garden center.

[Jayne and man speaking French]

Steve: This is beautiful.
Which one--

ask him what this--
Jayne: That's perfect.

Steve: This is perfect.
Perfect.

[Jayne speaking French]

[Man speaking French]

Jayne: So, we take that one.

Steve: OK.
We take this one.

Man: This one?
[Jayne speaking French]

Steve: That's beautiful.

And now we'll just go
and look for some climbers.

Dick, voice-over: And that
means heading outside.

[Man and Jayne speaking French]

Jayne: I think we could just get
one of those, just the jasmine.

Steve: I like jasmine.
Jayne: Oui.

[Jayne and man speaking French]

Dick, voice-over: A pretty
successful morning,

but yet more expenditure.

They've bought a couple of
lemon trees and a jasmine.

Jayne: The coffers are
running very low right now.

So, you know, we just have
to try and do it

as cheaply as we can.

But, obviously, you know,
we've got standards

to keep here, haven't we?

I mean, you know,
the rest of the house

is looking really nice,
and we can't sort of

just not spend
any money on the Orangerie.

It's the room that people
walk into when they arrive,

and, you know, it's got
to be welcoming,

it's got to look lovely.

Dick, voice-over:
Hopefully, your guests

will be suitably impressed.

You'll find out for yourselves
in a matter of weeks.

Back at Chateau de Lalande,
Stephanie and her team

are cracking on with
refurbishing the greenhouse.

Stephanie: Maddie, can I have
the brush and the paint?

Maddie: All right.
Here you go.

Stephanie: Thank you.

Dick, voice-over:
The rusty window frames

are being given
a fresh lick of paint...

Maddie: [Indistinct].

Dick, voice-over:
While Stephanie's builder Ian

fits the reclaimed
scaffold board shelves.

Now 33 new polycarbonate
panels need to be fitted.

They're much lighter
than glass,

and at 600 pounds all-in,
a lot cheaper, too.

It's a big task, though, so,

Ian and workaway Marie

are on hand to help.

Ian: If we take
sheet number one--

they're all numbered
at the bottom.

Woman: Wow.
Woman: Oh. Oh.

Ian: Spin it around,
and if you could

pass me the silicon.

Marie: Oh, the silicon.

Ian: Which is--which
will glue them all in.

Dick, voice-over:
The first silicon bead

holds the panel in place.

Ian: ...into the--cup it in,

push it down, get that
one off, and away we go.

Marie: Ooh!
Stephanie: Is it normal to be

really, really excited
about a greenhouse window?

Ian: Of course it is.

Let me put another bead,
a bit thicker this time.

Dick, voice-over: And a second
holds and makes it watertight.

Stephanie: We can
give it a shot now.

Marie: Yeah.
Ian: OK. Who's first?

Stephanie: I'll have a go.
Ian: And jolly good.

Stephanie: Quite excited
about this.

Marie: Yeah.

Ooh, this is satisfying.

It's like those things
when you shave your legs,

and you just rip them off
like this.

Stephanie: Sorry.
I got distracted there.

Marie: There you go, madam.
Stephanie: Thank you so much.

Marie: Oh, no problem.

Ian: There we go.
Stephanie: Yeah,
that is satisfying, Marie.

[Marie laughs] Yes.

Stephanie: Scalpel.
Thank you.

[Marie laughs]

Dick, voice-over:
To the manor born, Stephanie.

Ian: Now, do you want to go
for number 3?

Stephanie: Yeah, let's do it.
Ian: All right.

Stephanie: Yeah,
a good fit, this one.

Dick, voice-over:
Not long, though,
and she's starting to flag.

Stephanie: I think that
this is one of those jobs

that you hit a bit of a wall
of boredom after a while.

And I think that
it can only be reset

by gin and tonic
in this weather.

[Marie chuckles]

Dick, voice-over:
6 panels is a start,

but there's still
plenty to do tomorrow.

The next day, Ian's been
put on window duty

so Stephanie and Marie
can move on

to the next pressing task.

Marie: We have 3 times
70 liters of sacks of soil.

Stephanie: Yeah.
Marie: And compost soil.

We have tomato plants that we
are going to plant in here.

OK, good.
Stephanie: This is exciting.

Marie: Yes.

Stephanie: And how much of
this are we putting on here?

Marie: Just a little bit.

Get some egg shells in there.

Dick, voice-over: Egg shells
add minerals to the compost,

though I have to say,
I usually add mine

to my composter, not the bed.

Marie: Let's start
mixing it up.

It's a good exercise.

Stephanie: That's the bit
I don't like, Marie.

Marie: Oh.
Stephanie: Don't remind me.

[Marie laughs]

Dick, voice-over: With the soil
and compost mixed,

finally, they can get planting.

Stephanie: And then
we just pop them in?

Marie: Yeah.
Yeah.

Stephanie: Perfect.

Well, this is exciting.
Marie: Yeah.

Stephanie: Get to see
them grow now.

Marie: Yeah.

Stephanie: OK,
everyone, the lettuce,

radishes, and tomatoes are in.

Does anyone want
tea or coffee?

Marie: Tea, please.

Stephanie: OK.
Marie: Yeah.

Stephanie: I'll be
back in a minute.

Marie: OK.

Stephanie: I think
the greenhouse is going

really, really well.

It's making me want to be
out there all spring.

I don't know how long
that enthusiasm will last

for the garden,
but I'm really enjoying it.

Dick, voice-over: I'm chuffed
to see you getting

excited about this, Stephanie.

Take it from me--nothing beats

your own produce
on your own table.

40 miles away
at Chateau Mareuil,

Belinda and Lee
are about to host

their friend Tina's
60th birthday celebration.

They spent the day
racing to be ready.

But at the last moment,
Belinda spotted a problem.

Belinda: I just looked at
the pergola earlier on

and the flowers are drooped.

Lee: Yeah, well,
they're going to.

Belinda: They really
have drooped.

Lee: Well,
I can chuck a bucket of water

on them if you want.

Dick, voice-over: Too late
to worry about that now, Lee.

The guest of honor
is pulling up.

Lee: Hello, you.
Tina: Hello.

Nice to see you.
Lee: You, too.

We've laid out the red carpet
for you, as you can see.

Dick, voice-over: Let's hope
Lee's bar hits the spot.

Woman: * Ta-da *

[Laughter]

Woman: Ooh la la bar.

Lee: Ooh la la bar.

Woman: How fabulous.
It's brilliant.

Woman 2: Looks brilliant.

Tina: Very excited. [Laughs]

Tina's Ooh la la bar is fab,

and I'm sure will be
enjoyed by the family.

Dick, voice-over: Speaking of
which, here they come now.

Lee: Make yourself feel at home.

The beer's over there.

The Ooh la la
bar is in there.

Woman: How are you?
Woman 2: Very, very well.

Woman 1: Good.

Lee: We couldn't fit
any more people in.

Every bedroom's taken,
every room's taken,

every bathroom's being used.

It's just such a pleasure.

This really is good.

Dick, voice-over:
And let's not forget,

you've got your
outside garden space, too.

There may be the odd wilting
bloom, but it's come a long way

from the unloved corner
it was 3 months ago.

Belinda and Lee now have

the outside area they wanted

for the party guests
to enjoy.

Lee: I'd just like to say,

thank you all for coming.

Welcome to Chateau Mareuil,

and happy birthday to Tina.

All: Happy birthday, Tina.
Lee: Happy birthday

Tina: I think this is
a beautiful spot,

just ideal for photographs.

Definitely a birthday
to remember.

Belinda: Oh,
candle's gone.

Dick, voice-over: And no party
would be complete

without a birthday cake, which
despite Belinda's worst fears

has turned out pretty well.

Woman and man: Yay.

Belinda: It's meant to be
a musical candle.

I think it's gonna have to
burn brighter than that.

So, I'm feeling mightily
relieved that my cake

was not the disaster
it could've been.

And I think it ended up
looking reasonable.

Lee: Yeah.
Belinda: I think we need to buy

some fresher flowers
for the garden.

Lee: Well, it was
a temporary fix.

Belinda: It was very temporary.
Lee: Didn't work very well...

Belinda: It was so temporary
it didn't last a day.

[Laughter]

Lee: Cheers.
Belinda: Cheers.

Person: Hey!
Dick, voice-over: In the end,

it was a mad rush to get ready.

But the party has been
a great success.

Belinda and Lee may not have
hosted their first wedding,

but they have created
a great outdoor spot,

ready for when their
next booking comes in.

At Chateau Thuries,
Jayne and Steve's

first official guests

are now due
in a matter of days.

Steve: I need to know
where you want me to put it,

the exact position of it...

Jayne: Yeah. OK.

Dick, voice-over:
Their Orangerie will be

the B&B reception area

for chateau guests.

And there's still a lot
to do to get it up to scratch.

Jayne: We've finished
all the decorations, so,

it's basically a case of
bringing all the furniture

that's gonna go in there.

Steve: The seats, the plants.

There's a mirror to put up.

Jayne: It's got to look really
welcoming and everything.

Steve: And feel welcoming
as well.

Jayne: We've basically
got a guest arriving,

so, we've got to
just try and get it

all done before they come.

Steve: Yeah.
Exactly.

Dick, voice-over: Sooner
started, soon as finished.

Jayne: OK...
Steve: OK.
That's it.

So, we need just to center
this behind the mirror.

Underneath.

Jayne: Oh,
it's comfortable, this.

Steve: You're sitting
down on the job.

Jayne: Yeah, I am.

Dick, voice-over: Almost there.
It's time to get

those new plants in.

Jayne: Just loosen
the roots of it.

Steve: No,
no, no, Jayne.

Jayne: I'm gonna put
some more in.

All right.
Put it in.

Steve: Now you've got it
all over the gravel.

[Sigh] Look.

Jayne: Does it matter?
Steve: Yeah.

Jayne: Well,
that's why we did it outside

rather than inside.

OK. That'll do.

Steve: Are you sure?
Jayne: Yeah.

So, you can carry that one in.

Steve: Ohh. [Exhales]

Dick, voice-over:
Come on, you two.

Jayne: You all right?

Dick, voice-over: The Orangerie
is nearly done.

Steve: Oh, yeah, that's lovely.

Dick, voice-over: With the last
of the candles lit,

Steve and Jayne
can finally stand back

and appreciate
their hard work.

Steve: Bravo.

Dick, voice-over: An unloved
room at the end of the chateau

has become an elegant
reception area for guests.

Jayne's stylish
stenciled floor,

along with the plants
they picked up,

is going to make
a great first impression.

Steve: Nice.
Lovely atmosphere. Candles.

Jayne: It's quite
welcoming, isn't it?
Steve: Yeah.

Dick, voice-over: Steve's not
going to pass up this chance

to take some snaps
for their website.

Jayne: And I think we've
succeeded, haven't we?

Steve: Well,
I think it's looking great.

Jayne: Yeah, it is.
It's looking really nice,

really welcoming,
which is what we wanted.

Steve: We are obviously excited.

We've spent over a year,
you know, on this chateau.

Our first guests
gonna be arriving.

And yeah, we really would
like to get some

positive reactions.

It feels welcoming to me.

Jayne: Yes, it feels
welcoming to me, too.

Steve: Yeah. Yeah.
Jayne: Anyway, we'll soon know.

Dick, voice-over:
You certainly will.

There's nothing like welcoming
your first official guests,

and it's just a couple
of days away.

Back at Stephanie's,
and it's time for her

summer season.

The new greenhouse
is now in full bloom.

Stephanie: That looks so good.
Marie: I know.

Stephanie: I love this so much.
Marie: I know.

Dick, voice-over:
She and Marie are adding

some finishing touches.

Stephanie: Oh.
Got it.

Marie: Ooh!
Don't move.

[Laughter]

Stephanie: I want them
like that.

Marie: Yeah.

Dick, voice-over:
And just in time.

Mom Isabelle is visiting,

and chomping at
the bit to see it.

Isabelle: I'm
quite excited because

I have been prevented from

looking at the greenhouse
since I arrived.

I happen to be the gardener
in the family, and it is

so important to preserve
the greenhouse

because it's lovely to have
another corner of the chateau

in working order.

Dick, voice-over:
A neglected lean-to has been

artly transformed into
a bright and beautiful space,

where Stephanie and Isabelle

will be able to potter about
for years to come.

And with the salvaged shelves,
hooks, and pots

from about the chateau,

it's cost next to nothing.

Stephanie: I'm quite proud
because other than having to pay

for the new windows,
which luckily were covered

by our insurance,
we haven't spent

anything else on the greenhouse,

other than these
little brackets

to put shelves up.

I hope that my mother
will be proud, actually.

Go on.
Keep your eyes closed, mummy.

Isabelle: My eyes are closed.

I'm not cheating,
I'm not cheating.

Stephanie: OK.
You can open your eyes.

Isabelle: Oh.
[Stephanie laughs]

Isabelle: Oh, oh, my goodness.

[Gasp] It's wonderful.

Oh.

Stephanie: Do you
recognize these?

Isabelle: I love it.

Stephanie: Do you recognize
these from the barn?

Isabelle: I can see that.
I can see everything.

My hats as well.

I love it.
I love it.

I mean, I'm going to spend

hours upon hours
upon hours in here.

Stephanie: Right.
Mummy, mojito

with the mint from the garden.

Isabelle: Oh, thank you.

Stephanie: Cheers.
Isabelle: Cheers.

Cheers.
Thank you, darling.

Thank you.
I am so blessed.
[Kiss]

Dick, voice-over: You know,
I think Isabelle's impressed.

And to celebrate, all that
remains is to collect

their very first
greenhouse harvest...

Isabelle: What joy
to come in here.

Stephanie: Oh,
look at that radish.

Isabelle: Oh,
organic lettuce.

Stephanie: There.
Done.

Dick, voice-over: And to serve
it up to family and friends.

Stephanie: So,
ladies and gentlemen,

here it is,

the first salad
from the greenhouse.

[Cheering and applause]

And I'll put it down here.

Woman: Beautiful.

Stephanie: I'm so happy.

This meal marks the start of

a whole season of different

vegetables from the garden,

and I'm very excited.

Dick, voice-over:
Great job, Stephanie.

We'll make a gardener
out of you yet.

It's fantastic you've got
the greenhouse finished.

But with the summer
season upon us,

there are plenty
more jobs to do.

Next time...

Lee: Here's the pool, here's
the solar farm, here's the sun.

Dick, voice-over: Lee devises
a way to heat the pool.

Lee: Have a feel of that.

Belinda: Wow!
Woman: That is so hot.

Belinda: That is too hot.

Dick, voice-over: Jayne takes
decorating to new heights.

Jayne: I've done nothing
but look at mountains

and see the tones
and how it all works together.

My name isn't Michelangelo.

I'm very, very
nervous about it, really.

Dick, voice-over:
And at Stephanie's...

Stephanie: Quite a lot to do.

Dick, voice-over: There's
a difference of opinion.

Stephanie: Let's get the men in
and then let's see how it goes.

Isabelle: I tell you
how it's going to go.

It's going to go to pieces.

Dick, voice-over: As tables
are turned into an art studio.

Man: Whoa.
It's a total transformation.