Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 4, Episode 4 - Episode #4.4 - full transcript
Dick, voice-over:
I'm Dick Strawbridge,
and along with my wife Angel...
Angel: Hello!
Dick, voice-over:
and our two children,
we've lived in this
magnificent château
for the past 5 years.
Angel: Aw, it's lovely.
Dick: It's my little corner
of paradise.
[Angel chuckles]
Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...
Angel: Whoo!
[Both laugh]
Dick, voice-over:
but our business....
That's a proper kiss.
Dick, voice-over: and with over
a thousand châteaus in France...
Man: Wow.
Woman: [Gasps] My God.
Absolutely incredible.
Dick, voice-over:
we're not the only Brits
buying into the French
fairy tale.
Woman: Do you like it?
Woman 2: Wow. I mean, yes.
Woman: Ha ha!
Woman 2: It is gorgeous.
Dick, voice-over: We'll follow
more daring owners...
It looks to be
a massive undertaking.
Dick, voice-over:
and familiar faces...
Why?
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes.
That is disgusting.
Dick, voice-over:
And we'll reveal more
about our own château life.
Angel: That is lovely.
[Both chuckle]
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be ups...
[Woman gasps, speaks French]
This is beautiful!
Dick, voice-over: and downs.
Woman: What are you gonna do?
- It's gonna take all day.
- Yeah, but there's
no alternative.
Dick, voice-over: But,
however hard the going gets...
Woman: No!
Dick, voice-over:
these plucky Brits...
- Oh!
- get to live the dream
as custodians...
Man: God bless France.
Dick, voice-over:
of their very own castle.
Today, one couple
have a birdbrain scheme
to transform their aviary.
Tim: Water comes in through
the hole in the roof.
Rebecca: That's why I
want you to fix it.
Dick, voice-over: But will it
come back to bite them?
Rebecca: What are the chances
of their being snakes
in this stuff?
Tim: Uh...
Dick, voice-over:
At this château...
- Right.
- Work starts
on a new renovation project.
Fiona: That's it.
Getting a sledgehammer.
Dick, voice-over:
Patience runs thin.
Time is money.
Time is money, isn't it?
Dick, voice-over:
And a heat wave strikes
in the south of France...
I reckon we're looking
at 45 degrees.
Dick, voice-over: as wedding
preparations hit boiling point.
Sasha: My problem is I
haven't got enough time
to do what I need to do.
Dick, voice-over:
You might think
that once a new château
business was up and running,
the hard yards have been done.
But even when it's
well-established,
the challenges are never-ending,
like here, at the magnificent,
19th-century
Château du Puits Es Pratx.
Boasting 39 rooms
on 7 acres of land,
it's been run as a hotel
and a wedding venue
since 2007 by Londoners
Sasha and Tim...
Tim: It's perfect.
Sasha: Just tie it in
a knot and shut up.
Tim: Wouldn't think we've been
married 30 years.
[Sasha giggles]
Dick, voice-over: their daughter
Lily, and her boyfriend Luke.
Sasha: I take pleasure
in running the hotel.
Off I go.
Voice-over:
But more than anything,
I take pride in it, also.
It's just the last titivations.
Tim, voice-over:
15 years down the line,
I think our joint desire
for the château to continue is
for it to be a place
that people can enjoy
and love as much as we did
when we first came here.
[Birds chirping]
Dick, voice-over: Set in
the Occitania countryside,
Tim and Sasha have been busy
this low season,
upgrading the hotel spa...
Sasha: We're ready,
we're ready.
I think it looks magical.
Dick, voice-over: as well as
transforming the area outside it
into a wellness garden
for guests.
Sasha: We've got a beautiful
garden where people can relax
and just enjoy
the surroundings.
Dick, voice-over: Now, with the
summer season almost upon them,
Tim and Sasha are gearing up
for the 20 weddings they
have booked in.
Tim: Luke?
Dick, voice-over: And today,
they're focusing on getting
the château grounds ready,
starting with
a troublesome tree.
Tim: We're having
an old pine tree cut down
that sits next
to the swimming pool.
We don't like cutting trees
down on principle,
but the needles from the
pine tree affect the chemistry
of the swimming pool
and causes misery every year.
Sasha: I've objected to the
cutting down of the pine tree
for a long, long time,
but now I've agreed.
Dick, voice-over:
Unfortunately for Sasha...
Sasha: Right,
so I need my plants.
Dick, voice-over: tree surgeons
aren't the only ones
who need a head for heights.
Sasha: The time is nigh.
I have to go up on
the cherry picker.
I'm planting two vines in each
of the urns on top
of 15-foot pillars.
Lots of ivy to trail down.
Dick, voice-over: They recently
picked up two urns for
the main château gateposts,
and now Sasha is venturing
into uncharted territory.
Sasha, voice-over:
I have never been up
in a cherry picker before.
I am somebody
with no balance at all,
so I'm going to be wobbling
around all over the place,
and I will try not to scream
or to swear.
Ugh!
Sasha: Ooh!
Ha ha ha! Ah!
OK, park. Oh!
Tim: Don't look down.
Sasha: Ooh!
Tim: She's looking
remarkably confident.
Watering the plants up there
is going to be interesting.
You winning?
Sasha: Ooh...
Tim: I would love to buy
a cherry picker.
Dick, voice-over:
I understand your need.
Sasha: Oh, whoa.
* Here we go again *
I can't reach that side,
so I'm going to--
Tim: If you can't reach,
darling, just get out
and stand on top
of the column.
Can you move the urn
a centimeter?
She's gonna throw it.
Sasha: Careful.
[Both laugh]
Sasha: Oh. Oh.
You coming down?
Sasha: Yep. Ooh!
Tim: Don't look.
Don't look down.
Sasha: Ha ha! Well, they look
good from up there, anyway.
Tim: The gardener has landed.
Heh heh!
[Sasha grunts]
Tim: You OK?
Sasha: Yeah. Whew!
Tim: Bravo. Merci.
Sasha: I enjoyed that.
All my apprehensions are...
put to rest.
Can we buy a cherry picker?
Tim: Uh, yeah, we've been
through that, yeah.
Sasha: Ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: That's one
green-fingered job ticked off,
and the tree surgeons are also
making good progress,
but now the lower branches are
gone, Sasha's having a rethink.
Tim: So you've had
second thoughts
about cutting the tree
down now, yeah?
Sasha: Well, I know that
[indistinct] works...
Tim: Just a bit.
Sasha: but, I mean, look at it.
It looks so lovely,
and the beauty of a tree
is more important to me
than needles in the pool.
Tim: Yes, darling, but you don't
have to deal with the chemistry
of the pool like we do, but I'll
take on board what you say.
Sasha: I know I'm being a pain
in the neck, but sometimes...
Tim: You change your mind.
Sasha: Well, yes.
Tim: We need to take
a closer look.
Sasha: I have to now sort of
watch Tim trying to explain
to the gardener,
take responsibility.
[Tim speaking French]
Dick, voice-over: Go for it,
Tim. You can do it.
I'm causing chaos.
Dick, voice-over: Well done.
Sasha: Monsieur Le Tree Lopper
agrees.
Everything's solved.
Dick, voice-over: Good news,
especially for that tree,
but Tim and Sasha are
only just getting
started on the list
of jobs to be done
in time for
the wedding season.
Over 350 miles north
is the elegant
Château de la Ruche,
with 24 rooms
and 15 acres of parkland.
It was bought two years ago
for £380,000
by Lincolnshire couple
IT engineer Tim
and journalist Rebecca,
who live here with their sons
Rufus and Laurie.
Rebecca: You definitely have
moments where you kind of
stand there and you look
at it and think,
"This is just phenomenal and I
can't believe we live here."
Tim: It's hard to explain
quite how tranquil it is,
so you come up the driveway
and arrive at the house,
and there's just nothing
around you other than nature.
It's a much better way of life.
Rebecca: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Located about
an hour's drive from us
in the Pays de la Loire,
Tim and Rebecca
now run the place as a B&B.
[Whispers]
Right.
Dick, voice-over:
When we met them last winter,
they were struggling
to make the business work
and were teetering on
a financial knife edge.
Thankfully, that's now
in the past.
Tim: There was a moment
in February when suddenly
we realized for the first month
since we've been here
that we would not lose money
that month, we would break even
for the first month, which was
a big turnaround, and
it's been positive since then.
Rebecca: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: But these two
aren't ones to rest
on their laurels,
and Rebecca's come up
with a new scheme she hopes
will impress her B&B guests
and make a little more cash.
Rebecca: Loads of our guests
come because they like to go
book-hunting and buying antiques
and flea markets
and all that kind of stuff,
and they love the things that we
have around at the château
and the cutlery and the glasses
and the table linens
and all sorts of things
that they just love, and they
want to be able to take a piece
of that home with them.
Dick, voice-over:
To make that possible, the idea
is to exploit Rebecca's knack
for spotting beautiful bargains
by turning their derelict aviary
into a bijou brocante.
Rebecca: If there's
a snake in here,
you're going
to be in trouble, OK?
Tim: Water comes in through
the hole in the roof.
Rebecca: And that's why I
want you to fix it.
Right, shall we get it
cleared out, then?
Dick, voice-over: Since Tim
and Rebecca moved in,
they've used the aviary
for storing firewood.
Tim: What I'm liking
about this is the fact that
the only way all these big logs
have gotten here is
by me carrying them in here
in the first place.
Rebecca: But think of those
muscles that you built.
Tim: Because we're going
to put in nice bits
that Rebecca wants to sell
in the little brocante, it needs
to be watertight, so I'm going
to try and put some windows in
now and, uh, see how that
goes in the rain.
Dick, voice-over: To keep within
their lowest possible budget,
they've gone for
the thrifty option.
Rebecca: We decided to do
greenhouse plastic,
didn't we, instead of glass?
Tim: Yeah.
One, because it doesn't break as
easily, and two, it's cheaper,
and I kind of don't want to do
too much to this because I
like the fact that it looks like
a ramshackle old building
in the middle of the garden,
so we're just going to make it
a bit watertight and fix it
so it doesn't fall down.
Dick, voice-over:
First off,
Tim is making the window frames,
while Rebecca cuts off the wire
that once kept the aviary's
occupants from making an escape.
[Electrical saw whirs]
Tim: So that's how your window's
going to look from the outside.
Rebecca: I think that's fine.
Tim: Yeah.
Rebecca: Beautiful, my love.
Tim: Looks all right?
Dick, voice-over:
At 300 euros,
or about £260,
these panels aren't cheap...
Tim: Look at that.
Like a professional.
Dick, voice-over: but they are
much lighter than glass
and easy to work with.
Rebecca: That good?
Tim: Nice.
Rebecca: Window.
Tim: Sorry. It looks like glass.
Rebecca: So, when we've done
this, you can build me
a greenhouse.
Tim: So I'll do the greenhouse
tomorrow, shall I?
Rebecca: Yeah.
Tim: Yeah? Or maybe Thursday.
Dick, voice-over: One thing
at a time, Rebecca.
Tim: Eh? Solid.
Dick, voice-over:
The aviary brocante is
starting to take shape.
Rebecca: It's beautiful.
Don't do that 'cause
you'll pull it off.
Tim: Worst-case scenario, just
get the two at the front done,
and then do the others in
a few months' time.
Dick, voice-over: If you don't
want to fall foul of Rebecca,
you need to get on with
the rest sharpish, Tim.
Tim: I might see if Dale is
around to give me a hand.
[Birds chirp]
Dick, voice-over: This is
the historic, 12th-century
Château de Masgelier.
In its time,
the castle has been home
to royalty,
and in the 1970s was
a children's holiday camp.
But today, it's home
to DIY devotee Fiona
and her 11-year-old son, Louie.
Fiona: Been here for 7 years,
coming up this summer.
When I signed on the dotted
line, signed my sanity away.
Ha ha!
And all of the lows
and all of the highs,
I'd do it all again.
It's been good.
It's been good.
Dick, voice-over: Located in
the rural Limousin area,
Fiona is singlehandedly
renovating the château
with the aim of breathing new
life into its medieval walls.
Dick, voice-over:
Last year, she transformed
the tired 1970s hallway
on the first floor.
Now she's taking on
an even bigger challenge
by creating
her very first suite.
Fiona: I'm going
to be restoring
the southern king's tower here,
on the first floor.
It's been completely destroyed.
It's very seventies, orange
wallpaper, a real fright,
so I'm going to restore that and
create my first master suite.
Dick, voice-over: Fiona has
decided to name the suite
after Marquis Brémond, a noble
who escaped the guillotine
and owned the château during
the French Revolution.
Fiona: So this is
the Brémond Suite,
or what will become
the Brémond Suite.
Dick, voice-over: And, given
the daunting scale of
the task ahead,
Fiona will also have
to keep her head.
Fiona: So I have
the floor plans here.
This is where I am now.
This is the king's tower.
Dick, voice-over: She wants to
completely remodel and renovate
the two existing rooms
of the suite.
The king's tower will become
a lavish, circular en suite.
Fiona: So the lavatory
will be here.
There'll be a freestanding bath
in the center.
Dick, voice-over:
And in the adjoining room,
Fiona will rip out the existing
1970s holiday camp bathroom
to create a large
and luxurious bedroom.
Fiona: They've put in a mishmash
of bizarre bathrooms,
so it's just a matter
of gut everything out,
rip the carpets up, get
the wallpaper off of the wall,
and I'll have to see
what I'm left with.
Dick, voice-over:
This is a massive job,
so there's no time to lose.
Fiona: I'm not actually sure
what I'm going to find
under the carpet.
I don't even know
what the floor is.
Yeah, this could go two ways.
It could come up very easily,
or it could be glued to
an inch of its life.
Well-equipped.
It's not staying.
I don't think there's underlay.
I think it's been glued down.
It's really glued down here.
Of course it is...
but it will come up eventually.
Do you see how not one job is
straightforward?
You think you could just
take it, cut it,
roll it up, got underlay,
good to go.
Everything takes 3 times the
amount of time, whatever you do.
[Sighs]
Dick, voice-over:
But at long last, she's done.
Rrr! Gotcha.
There you go.
Where there's a will,
there's a way.
[Sighs]
See ya.
So the next job is to remove
all of the wall coverings,
and we're going to start
in the tower room, but it looks
a little bit like carpet,
you know?
It wouldn't surprise me.
I've had carpet on the walls
in lots of the rooms, so this
should come off quite easily.
Dick, voice-over: Having spent
the last 6 years stripping
1970s decor from the château,
Fiona's come across
all sorts.
Fiona: Oh, my goodness. OK.
Why? Why?
It's like plastic.
This is the worst material
they could have possibly
have put on the wall.
You've got this immensely
historic building,
and it's been shown
no respect whatsoever.
It's sacrilege, really.
If there's something
stupid to be done,
they did it in the 1970s.
Dick, voice-over:
Tell me about it.
You should have seen
my wardrobe.
Fiona: Such a shame,
but I'm here now,
so I'm going to collect
everything of this down.
Dick, voice-over: You're a lady
with a mission, Fiona.
Fiona: I don't know
what that is.
Just keep telling myself
it's going to be great.
Dick, voice-over: It will be,
and you've got months
of hard graft ahead of you
to get this suite finished.
Fiona: Nearly done.
[Wall covering ripping]
Dick, voice-over:
Over 200 miles south,
at Château du Puits Es Pratx,
Tim and Sasha also have
their hands full.
Tim: Next to that vine,
as close as you can get it.
Another one we need here.
Dick, voice-over: The wedding
season is coming up fast,
so they're flat out to get
the château grounds
up to scratch in time.
Tim: Why do I always get
the going backwards bit?
Tim, voice-over:
We got 3 major jobs today.
One is to build a fence
around the pool,
to strip the paint off an old
wooden bar that we've bought,
and then we also want
to plant some new vines.
Brides want to get married
in a vineyard,
and this is
the original vineyard,
and we just want
to make it look a picture.
Dick, voice-over:
With 3 1/2 acres of vineyard
to contend with, they're making
an early start before the heat
gets too much for them
and the plants.
Sasha: You look like
Farmer Brown. Heh heh heh!
Between this morning
and this afternoon,
we're planting 25 new vines,
and my problem is
just keeping them watered.
It's just a nightmare.
Tim: It's a bit of an art form,
gardening, in this part
of France, in the south because
of the heat in the summer.
A lot of plants just
don't survive.
It's a difficult life
to be a plant.
Dick, voice-over: With planting
underway, daughter Lily
is preparing to strip the paint
off a wooden bar
they've bought for
the pool area.
Lily: I love anything DIY.
I just love doing
different things.
My main job is in the kitchen,
cooking for the restaurant
and for the weddings, but I just
love being in the garden.
Tim: OK.
Luke: You ready?
Tim: Let's go there.
Dick, voice-over:
Tim's other job today
also involves keeping
their pool guests happy.
Tim: Luke and I are out
putting up a fence round
the area of the pool decking
where our guests sun-bathe
to give them
a little bit of privacy.
If it all goes well, we should
get most of it done
in the day.
We shall see.
Just hit the post, not me.
Luke: I'll try.
Dick, voice-over: Luke and Tim
are making good progress,
and they're not the only ones
making advances.
Sasha: Hee hee hee hee!
[Giggles]
He's cool, he's cool.
I work with Melvin throughout
the winter and the summer,
and Melvin--[sighs]--
he's the muscle.
He's a waiter, of course,
and he's a great waiter as well.
Doesn't speak a word of English,
apart from "No problem."
[Chuckles]
Very positive.
Dick, voice-over: The sun
has baked the earth hard,
so Melvin is digging the holes
for the new vines...
Sasha: Melvin?
Dick, voice-over:
while Sasha is on water duty.
Melvin: OK.
Melvin: OK. OK.
Sasha: Oui? Voila.
Being here 15 years,
I've got the accent
of the region, which is, um,
it's terrible, but anyway,
I try my best.
Oh, no, no, no.
Melvin: No?
Sasha, voice-over:
I learned from the kitchen.
Kitchen French is uniquement.
[Sasha and Melvin chuckle]
Dick, voice-over:
Leaving the vines in
Melvin's capable hands...
Sasha: Hey, Lily,
it's looking good.
Dick, voice-over: Sasha comes
to check on the bar.
Lily:
This stuff is just evil.
It doesn't want to go.
Whoever painted it
wanted it to stay.
Dick, voice-over: Don't worry.
Your mum's got this.
Sasha: The plan now is
to try and take away
the harshness of that blue.
I love getting something like
this and creating something new.
Sasha: Use a good sand, though.
How much did I pay for this?
15 euros or something.
Ha ha ha!
It spoke to me.
Dick, voice-over:
Back at the pool,
Tim and Luke are letting their
carpentry skills do the talking.
Tim: We're getting on well,
but, as always,
these things take the longer.
Sasha: What's happening?
Tim: Look at that.
It's nearly finished.
Sasha: Oh. I wasn't
expecting the fence
to go right down to the corner,
but actually, now it is,
it's going to look
really, really good.
Tim: It's called heaven
when Sasha agrees
with ideas I've had.
Dick, voice-over:
Working as a team,
this lot have got
a lot done today,
but no one can afford to take
their foot off the gas.
Tim: The wedding season always
looms up very quickly,
and we always think we've got
weeks and months
to get stuff done, and suddenly
you realize, even though you've
been working hard,
that, "Oh, gosh!"
Sasha: There's always
something else to do.
Tim: It's just nonstop.
Dick, voice-over:
Château life.
Good luck with
the final push to be ready
for that first wedding
of the season.
Back at Château de la Ruche,
Tim and Rebecca are transforming
their old aviary
into a bijou brocante.
Whilst Rebecca's busy
with the B&B guests,
live-in handyman Dale is giving
Tim some help tackling the roof.
Tim: My plan is to
take tiles off.
We've got loads
of spare ones, obviously,
if any of them are bust,
but otherwise, I'm going to try
and put them back on just
as-is with moss on.
Dale: With the carpet
on it, yeah.
Tim: Yeah, if that's possible.
Whoa.
That's pretty solid.
Ha ha!
Dale: Pretty much fromage, Tim.
Tim, chuckling:
Ground is really unstable.
[Tim chuckles]
Don't look so happy.
Well, the alternative was
I went up and down the ladder
for every single tile.
Dick, voice-over:
Exhibiting exotic birds
became popular in high
European society in the 1800s
as a way of showing off
wealth and status.
Tim: Doing a great job, Dale.
Dale: Aren't I?
Dick, voice-over: Château
de la Ruche followed suit.
Tim and Rebecca want to keep
as many original features
as possible.
Tim: Oh. Ah.
[Chuckles]
Dale: Ha ha ha ha!
[Tiles thud]
Tim: Ohh!
Rebecca: I thought you would
have put the tiles on the floor
as you took them off, and then
you'd know what order
they went in.
Dale: Start here,
they're the top ones,
they're the middle ones,
and they're the bottom ones.
Rebecca: I hope he does a good
job putting it back together.
So is any of that wood staying,
the down bits?
Tim: The down bits?
Rebecca: Heh! The down bits.
What's the official name
for the down bits?
Tim: I don't know. I don't know
what the difference between
a joist and a rafter
and a blah-de-blah-de.
Dick, voice-over: OK, Tim,
I can help you there.
The down bits are rafters,
the horizontal bits you attach
the tiles to are battens,
and by the looks of it,
they all need replacing.
Rebecca: Can I get
anybody anything?
Tim: Beer'd be lovely.
Rebecca: No.
[Saw whirring]
Dick, voice-over: Tim plans
to fix a new timber frame
to this end of the roof,
so he's replacing rafters,
using the old timbers
as a template.
Tim, voice-over: When they built
these things, it was all
built properly,
even though it was only
a little aviary in the garden.
Dick, voice-over: And with that,
the frame can go up.
[Power drill whirs]
Tim: Roof done. That looks
all right, doesn't it?
Dale: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
There's still plenty to do:
adding new battens,
putting back all those tiles,
and finishing the windows.
Dale: How long it gonna take?
Tim: Days. [Scoffs]
Dale: At least a week.
Dick, voice-over: But Tim
and Rebecca's little brocante is
one step closer
to completion.
At Château de Masgelier,
Fiona's moving on to
the next stage of
her master suite renovations.
Today, she's ripping out the
seventies holiday camp bathroom
in what will become
the suite's bedroom.
To do that, she needs
to turn herself
into a one-woman
wrecking ball.
Fiona: I've just turned off
all of the water,
and I'm going to be removing
these 3 sinks,
cut out all of
the pipe work completely,
cap everything off, and take it
right back to the mains.
[Electric saw whirring]
Dick, voice-over: First is
to remove the existing piping.
Fiona: [Sniffles]
Take my jacket off.
I'm taking my jacket off
because--I put it on
so when I'm--cut through
the angle grinder, that sparks
don't actually just come out
and burn my arms.
Little bit of health
and safety there. Right.
[Crowbar bangs]
It's all modern fittings,
which is super to see.
That makes life easy.
Dick, voice-over: With the
fiddly stuff out of the way,
Fiona can now get
really stuck in.
Fiona: Every bedroom on this
floor has 7 or 8 bedrooms.
They all have rows of sinks,
rows of lavatories,
rows of showers, so that's
the first one.
I'm trying to do it
without breaking it.
That's the thing, but it
might have to come to it.
We've lost that one.
What can I say? I tried.
Tried to save the sink.
Do you know what?
I've got about a hundred sinks.
Getting a bit fussy,
aren't I?
That doesn't want
to come off, either. Fine.
That's it.
Getting a sledgehammer.
Time is money.
Time is money, isn't it?
Should have done that
in the first place.
"So, Fiona, what did you do
of your day today?
Did you have a nice day today?"
[Sighs]
"Yeah."
[Grunts]
Dick, voice-over:
Fiona's having a smashing time,
but she's not done yet.
She makes short work
of what's left of the wall...
Fiona: Oof.
Well, that's that.
Dick, voice-over: to reveal
the newly opened-up room.
Fiona: Wow! Look!
Oh, my gosh! Look!
Look at that. It's the first
time it's been opened up
like this
for about 25, 30 years?
From here,
it's a massive room.
Can you imagine?
It's gonna be lovely,
all of the light coming in
through the French doors.
Beautiful. I can see it.
It's all in my--all in here.
Dick, voice-over: I reckon these
two rooms are going to make
a spectacular suite for
any future guests,
but Fiona still has a mountain
to climb to get it finished.
Fiona: I know what
you're thinking,
but it's going to be great.
[Birds chirping]
Dick, voice-over:
Back in the south of France,
at Château du Prits Es Pratx...
Tim: No, don't spoil it.
Dick, voice-over: the wedding
season kicks off tomorrow.
Tim and Sasha are hosting
the nuptials for English couple
Natalie and Sam, and with
around 50 people arriving
this evening...
Sasha: OK. Whew!
Dick, voice-over:
it's action stations.
Sasha's making a start
on the decorations.
Sasha: So these are the drapes
that go over the wedding arch.
[Sasha exhales sharply]
Dick, voice-over:
But things are hotting up.
Sasha: We are working
in incredible heat.
For us working,
it is a tough deal.
Tim, voice-over: Sasha does
get stressed sometimes.
She gets intense because she's
a perfectionist,
and I live with that.
[Chuckles]
Sasha: Oh, where am I?
Oh. OK, so that goes
around this...
and then we'll sort out
the white.
The white will go
on the top of the blue
'cause the blue's
quite harsh in color,
so we want to soften
the whole look,
so this is only the beginning of
the making of the wedding arch.
[Sighs]
Dick, voice-over: Out in
the corner of the vineyard,
under the scorching sun,
the boys are also busy.
Tim: What we're doing is
clearing a track.
Sasha's going to be driving down
the vineyard with the bride,
and she needs to be able
to turn round here
to be--and then go up the
central aisle for the ceremony,
so that's what this is
all about.
Sasha: I received an email
from this bride,
saying, "Could you source
a typically French car?"
So I had a search on
the Internet
and found
this beautiful blue 2CV
called Mimi,
and the funny thing is
it was the first car
I ever had,
except mine was
burgundy color.
I mean, imagine,
at 18 years old.
BoHo, definitely BoHo.
Ha ha!
And a bu--
and a bus goes
into the back of me.
The car just bounced.
They're so light.
It just bounced.
Boop!
No damage at all.
Anyway, it's
a complete secret.
I am going to drive it all the
way down the end of the vineyard
and come out tooting:
"Toot toot toot toot!"
Dick, voice-over:
Mimi has arrived right on time.
Sasha: Oh, woo hoo!
Oh, isn't she lovely?
Dick, voice-over: And Sasha has
extravagant plans
to decorate her
in the bride's color scheme.
Sasha: Mimi, Mimi, Mimi,
you're a gorgeous girl.
Dick, voice-over: Tomorrow's
groom has no idea his bride'll
be turning up on 4 wheels,
so to keep it secret, Tim and
Sasha are doing the decorating
in a neighbor's driveway.
Sasha: Ah, trying to cope here.
It's not easy doing this
in secret in the wind.
It's going to be such fun
driving this
through our vineyard,
and everybody is going to be
watching the other direction.
It's going to be great.
Tim: Our wedding was
very boring, compared
to the weddings
we've put on.
It--very understated.
Sasha: Really?
I didn't think so.
Tim: Well,
until I was asked
to give a speech.
It never occurred to me I'd
have to give a speech.
[Chuckles]
I hadn't prepared anything,
and it was
an absolute disaster.
Anyway, moving swiftly on.
You nearly done?
Sasha: Yeah, we got enough yet?
Tim: That's fine.
All right?
Sasha: Yeah. Whew!
Tim: I'm gonna park it.
Dick, voice-over:
Angel and I have learnt it's
the little things that matter
when you're hosting weddings.
Tim: I can't see out
the mirrors.
It's covered in ribbons.
Sasha: Ha ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: And with Mimi
now hidden away, it looks
like the happy couple are in
for a real treat tomorrow.
Tim: Can you tell me
where the wall is?
Dick, voice-over:
Back at Tim and Rebecca's,
the aviary roof is fixed,
the windows are in,
and it's finally ready
to house their bijou brocante.
Tim: It's watertight-ish.
Rebecca: I love how
ramshackle it is,
so we managed to repair it
so it still looks like a little
falling-down garden shed, but it
isn't actually falling down.
Tim: No, we didn't take anything
that was wonky out.
We left all the wonkiness in it.
I think we're very pleased.
Yeah, exciting.
Dick, voice-over:
The aviary will be a showcase
for some of the antiques
the couple have picked up
since they moved to France.
Furnishing the château
on a budget has given Rebecca
a real knack of spotting
antique gems,
and she's been squirreling them
away in one of the outbuildings.
Tim: We're going to use some
of the furniture as shelves
and stuff for displaying stuff
in the shop, but everything
in there will be up for grabs
if people want it.
You are backwards.
Want me to go backwards?
Rebecca: That's all right.
Just go sideways.
Mind your head.
Dick, voice-over: First in is
a small antique wash stand...
Rebecca: Over there?
Tim: Here?
Dick, voice-over:
the sort that was all the rage
in the 19th century.
Tim: Beautiful.
Rebecca: Lovely.
This is actually quite big.
It's like a TARDIS.
Tim: Well, tell me about it.
I knew that when I was
doing all the windows.
Rebecca: Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Next,
the smaller, vintage bits.
Rebecca: Tim's in charge of
a ton of structural things,
and I do
"making things pretty."
Is that right?
Tim: Yep, yep, yep.
Dick, voice-over:
But there are some pieces
beyond even Rebecca's
styling skills.
Oh, those girls freak me out.
It's awful.
It says Renoir on the back,
but I very much doubt that it's
actually a Renoir.
Dick, voice-over:
If it is an original Renoir,
it could be a life-changer.
Anyway, it's over to Tim
for the casting vote.
Tim: No, I've actually
no idea who Renoir is,
but I'm assuming he or she
would have signed it,
and it's not signed, so...
Dick, voice-over: Never mind.
Rebecca only wanted
the frame anyway.
Rebecca:
I don't want it straight.
It needs to just be
hung up wonky.
Tim: Where would Madame like
her chandeliers?
Rebecca: Got it?
Tim: Muscles.
Rebecca: No swinging on the
chandeliers in the brocante.
[Decanter clangs,
Rebecca gasps]
Tim: Good catch.
Dick, voice-over:
A few finishing touches,
then voilà.
Rebecca: Looks awesome.
I'm properly pleased with that.
Dick, voice-over:
After a lot of hard work,
their tumbledown aviary
has been transformed.
For less than 500 euros--
around £430--
they've created
a charming antique shop.
Rebecca and her gift for styling
have done it proud.
Rebecca: I'm really pleased
with how it's turned out.
Not a massive money-spinner,
but every little bit helps.
Tim: And it's restored
that building a little bit,
which, if we just left it, it
would have just got worse and
worse, whereas now it's given it
a reason to be 'cause everyone
always asked what it is.
Rebecca: Yeah, "What is it?"
Now we can say, "It's a little
shop. Go and have a look."
Dick, voice-over:
Nice job, you two.
Look after the pennies, and the
pounds look after themselves.
At Château du Masgelier,
Fiona has ripped out...
Fiona: Nearly done.
Dick, voice-over:
and stripped out
what will become
the Brémond Suite,
her first guestroom...
Fiona: Wow! Look!
Oh, my gosh! Look!
Dick, voice-over: and at last,
she can get on with the more
constructive bits.
Fiona: This morning,
I am quite excited.
Up with the larks,
and the delivery is coming
for the bathroom suite,
the fabulous
freestanding bath.
It's just nice when the niceties
start arriving.
It's not like I can go out
shoe-shopping or anything,
so I get my kicks
with the bathroom suite.
Dick, voice-over:
The bath is here right on time,
and lucky for the deliverymen,
they only have the steps
up to the salon to negotiate.
Fiona: If we could
have it here...
oh, fabulous.
I know, it's like being a child
in a candy shop, isn't it?
[Gasps]
Thank goodness. It's beautiful.
Wow.
Beautiful,
mock crocodile effect.
Ooh.
Even though I'm absolutely
exhausted on 5 hours' sleep
every night, it gives me
the motivation,
a bit more energy,
to get the room finished.
Dick, voice-over:
Just as well.
Fiona's soon out of the bath
and back to work...
starting in the circular
turret room
that will eventually become
the suite's bathroom.
Fiona: So the next job
for this room is
I'm going to board up
this little alcove here
and then plaster over that.
"It's pretty straightforward,"
she says.
Dick, voice-over:
At least it would be,
if the elements weren't
conspiring against her.
Fiona: The thing is is
the temperatures at the moment
are forecast 41 degrees
this week, so it's going to be
very, very difficult
to do the plastering.
It's going to be setting
too quickly.
Dick, voice-over: As France
has seen numerous heat waves
this summer,
Fiona has no choice
but to crack on
the best she can,
and with the board cut to size,
she can start the plaster work.
Fiona: All I've got here is
a French plaster mix,
and what I'm going to do is I'm
going to dot and dab the board
to fix it onto the opening.
There we go.
The plasterboard is...
pretty heavy, actually.
I am going to tape all
of the edges,
and it helps when you're
plastering, skimming the walls,
and it gives a nice, flush
finish, and what it also does
is it stops any cracks
from happening and appearing.
I'm going to make up
a bit more plaster
'cause it's gone off
very quickly.
Dick, voice-over:
With a new batch mixed up,
it's now a race against time
to tape and skim the edges
before the plaster sets
in her bucket.
Fiona: It's kind of firming
quickly. Hold on.
It's gone too hard.
It's literally gone off.
OK, cool, OK.
Dick, voice-over: But some
speed-plastering later...
Fiona: You'll never know there
was a wee little alcove there.
It's so hot,
do you know what?
That'll probably set
in an hour,
even though it's
quite thick.
Yeah, and then I can just
pack it out a little bit more,
and then it's all ready
to plaster lovely and smooth.
Dick, voice-over: But it's going
to be a while before she can
attempt that job.
Fiona: It's going to continue
being hot for days,
so that stops me plastering the
room, which is a bit of a pain.
I wanted to get this room all
plastered out, ready to go,
you know, get it painted up,
ready, so I could start
wallpapering and lay the floor
and put the plumbing in.
Yeah, so a lot on the list
when I think about it.
I won't think about it; I just
do it, just get on with it.
I try not to think about it
or I will panic.
Dick, voice-over: Keep cool
and carry on, Fiona.
In these situations,
it's the only thing you can do.
At Tim and Sasha's, the summer
heat wave has also arrived...
Sasha: Delphiniums
and agapanthus.
Dick, voice-over: and this
afternoon's wedding guests,
lounging by the pool, aren't
the only ones feeling the burn.
Sasha: The problem in the south
of France is you can't do
the flowers the day before.
Even with the cold room, it has
to be done on the day, fresh.
With the temperatures we've
got at the moment,
in the courtyard, I reckon
we're looking at 45 degrees.
I've got 5 bridesmaids'
posies to do,
the wedding bouquet,
and two headdresses,
and we haven't even started
on the tables yet.
I was up at 7:30,
and I'm still not ready.
Mmm. Oh.
Oh, God.
Tim: You'll be there.
Everything'll be fine.
Sasha: Oh, bloody hell.
Tim: I think,
of all of us,
Sasha's probably under
the most pressure.
Sasha: Come on, fill up.
Tim: The ceremony's at 3:00.
Everybody's sitting out in the
heat, so you can't hang about.
Sasha: My hydrangeas have
just died in the heat.
Oh...
- Can I stand in the cold room?
- Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
Even Sam the bridegroom is
taking a pre-ceremony chill-out
in their walk-in fridge.
Sam: I'm happy to get
married in here.
[Both laugh]
Dick, voice-over:
I can see the logic, but with
the ceremony flowers done...
Sam: That looks great.
Dick, voice-over:
the guests are already
gathering in the vineyard.
Sasha: So we have the veillées
down both sides.
We need the petals as well.
Dick, voice-over:
There's no let-up for Sasha yet.
Sasha: We need
the bridal bouquet.
Dick, voice-over: While Tim
makes a start on the photos...
[Car horn honking]
she's on to her next job
as official wedding chauffeur
for bride Natalie,
and hubby-to-be is
clearly surprised.
Sam: Let's hope the brakes work.
Woman on microphone: Ladies and
gentlemen, we have a bride
who certainly knows how
to make an entrance.
Heh heh!
It is for Natalie and Sam
that we gather together
to witness
and to bless their marriage.
Dick, voice-over:
With the ceremony in full swing,
Sasha's team put
the finishing touches to
the tables in the courtyard.
Sasha: These go on the stands
around the fountain.
Sasha: We're ready. We're ready
for everybody to come in.
1, 2, 3!
[Guests cheer]
Sasha: I'm now going to go
into the kitchen to see
if I'm really needed
because I need to collapse
very quickly.
[Indistinct chatter]
Lily: I've just finished
plating up all the entrees.
Sasha: Ah, you're cool in here.
Nawal?
Nawal: Yeah?
Sasha: Do you need me?
Nawal: Every time,
I miss you.
Sasha: Ha ha ha!
Do you need me this evening?
Nawal: No, no.
Lily: She works so hard.
She's here from the morning
right till late, nonstop,
always working.
I don't know where she gets
the energy from,
but it's amazing.
Heh!
Dick, voice-over: Sasha has
certainly earned a drink.
Melvin: Yes. Oui. Oui, Sasha?
Sasha: Melvin, please.
Gin and tonic, please.
Melvin: OK.
Dick, voice-over: And who better
to serve it than her
favorite gardener?
Sasha: Chin-chin.
Melvin: Cheers.
Sasha: Heh heh. Chin-chin.
[Overlapping chatter]
Man: So will you please
allow the couple
to have their first dance?
Natalie:
Sasha just nailed it.
Sam: We've said thanks
to Tim and Sasha,
like, what
a hundred times?
And they're probably getting
bored of hearing it now,
but they--
it's been epic.
Dick, voice-over: This wedding
is just the latest success
in what's been an eventful
year for Tim and Sasha's
family business.
It began with a bang...
Sasha: What a brilliant
start to 2019.
Dick, voice-over: they then
renovated their spa...
Sasha: I think
it looks magical.
Dick, voice-over: and created
a wellness garden.
Sasha: How long have we waited
for this to be filled?
Tim: 15 years.
Sasha: 15 years? Wow.
Dick, voice-over:
And they've got big plans
for the future, too.
Sasha: We're buying a couple
of plots of land opposite here,
and this autumn, we'll be
planting it out with hedging
and big conifers
and maybe planning...
an apartment for us
or--I'm not sure yet.
It's all...all on the,
uh, future for us.
Dick, voice-over:
Good work, you two.
Together with Lily and Luke,
you've made great strides
with the hotel this year.
I'm sure it will stand you
in good stead.
Next time,
the finishing line
of Fiona's marathon
renovation is in sight.
Fiona: I want the castle
to regain her luxury,
sophisticated look.
She's a very expensive mistress.
That's all I can say.
Dick, voice-over:
Tim and Rebecca get
a new gîte project underway.
Tim: The worst thing that'll
happen is we'll drop it
on the floor and break it.
Oh!
Dick, voice-over:
At our place...
Angel: Arthur, Dorothy,
I've got a job
that I need a bit of help with.
Dick, voice-over: Angel takes
a new design assistant
under her wing.
Angel: Mmm,
all those reds
are a bit clashy, though,
aren't they, hmm?
Dick, voice-over:
And these château owners
reach breaking point.
- Whoa.
- Whoa, whoa.
What was that?
Oh, no, it's cracked!
No!
I'm Dick Strawbridge,
and along with my wife Angel...
Angel: Hello!
Dick, voice-over:
and our two children,
we've lived in this
magnificent château
for the past 5 years.
Angel: Aw, it's lovely.
Dick: It's my little corner
of paradise.
[Angel chuckles]
Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...
Angel: Whoo!
[Both laugh]
Dick, voice-over:
but our business....
That's a proper kiss.
Dick, voice-over: and with over
a thousand châteaus in France...
Man: Wow.
Woman: [Gasps] My God.
Absolutely incredible.
Dick, voice-over:
we're not the only Brits
buying into the French
fairy tale.
Woman: Do you like it?
Woman 2: Wow. I mean, yes.
Woman: Ha ha!
Woman 2: It is gorgeous.
Dick, voice-over: We'll follow
more daring owners...
It looks to be
a massive undertaking.
Dick, voice-over:
and familiar faces...
Why?
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes.
That is disgusting.
Dick, voice-over:
And we'll reveal more
about our own château life.
Angel: That is lovely.
[Both chuckle]
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be ups...
[Woman gasps, speaks French]
This is beautiful!
Dick, voice-over: and downs.
Woman: What are you gonna do?
- It's gonna take all day.
- Yeah, but there's
no alternative.
Dick, voice-over: But,
however hard the going gets...
Woman: No!
Dick, voice-over:
these plucky Brits...
- Oh!
- get to live the dream
as custodians...
Man: God bless France.
Dick, voice-over:
of their very own castle.
Today, one couple
have a birdbrain scheme
to transform their aviary.
Tim: Water comes in through
the hole in the roof.
Rebecca: That's why I
want you to fix it.
Dick, voice-over: But will it
come back to bite them?
Rebecca: What are the chances
of their being snakes
in this stuff?
Tim: Uh...
Dick, voice-over:
At this château...
- Right.
- Work starts
on a new renovation project.
Fiona: That's it.
Getting a sledgehammer.
Dick, voice-over:
Patience runs thin.
Time is money.
Time is money, isn't it?
Dick, voice-over:
And a heat wave strikes
in the south of France...
I reckon we're looking
at 45 degrees.
Dick, voice-over: as wedding
preparations hit boiling point.
Sasha: My problem is I
haven't got enough time
to do what I need to do.
Dick, voice-over:
You might think
that once a new château
business was up and running,
the hard yards have been done.
But even when it's
well-established,
the challenges are never-ending,
like here, at the magnificent,
19th-century
Château du Puits Es Pratx.
Boasting 39 rooms
on 7 acres of land,
it's been run as a hotel
and a wedding venue
since 2007 by Londoners
Sasha and Tim...
Tim: It's perfect.
Sasha: Just tie it in
a knot and shut up.
Tim: Wouldn't think we've been
married 30 years.
[Sasha giggles]
Dick, voice-over: their daughter
Lily, and her boyfriend Luke.
Sasha: I take pleasure
in running the hotel.
Off I go.
Voice-over:
But more than anything,
I take pride in it, also.
It's just the last titivations.
Tim, voice-over:
15 years down the line,
I think our joint desire
for the château to continue is
for it to be a place
that people can enjoy
and love as much as we did
when we first came here.
[Birds chirping]
Dick, voice-over: Set in
the Occitania countryside,
Tim and Sasha have been busy
this low season,
upgrading the hotel spa...
Sasha: We're ready,
we're ready.
I think it looks magical.
Dick, voice-over: as well as
transforming the area outside it
into a wellness garden
for guests.
Sasha: We've got a beautiful
garden where people can relax
and just enjoy
the surroundings.
Dick, voice-over: Now, with the
summer season almost upon them,
Tim and Sasha are gearing up
for the 20 weddings they
have booked in.
Tim: Luke?
Dick, voice-over: And today,
they're focusing on getting
the château grounds ready,
starting with
a troublesome tree.
Tim: We're having
an old pine tree cut down
that sits next
to the swimming pool.
We don't like cutting trees
down on principle,
but the needles from the
pine tree affect the chemistry
of the swimming pool
and causes misery every year.
Sasha: I've objected to the
cutting down of the pine tree
for a long, long time,
but now I've agreed.
Dick, voice-over:
Unfortunately for Sasha...
Sasha: Right,
so I need my plants.
Dick, voice-over: tree surgeons
aren't the only ones
who need a head for heights.
Sasha: The time is nigh.
I have to go up on
the cherry picker.
I'm planting two vines in each
of the urns on top
of 15-foot pillars.
Lots of ivy to trail down.
Dick, voice-over: They recently
picked up two urns for
the main château gateposts,
and now Sasha is venturing
into uncharted territory.
Sasha, voice-over:
I have never been up
in a cherry picker before.
I am somebody
with no balance at all,
so I'm going to be wobbling
around all over the place,
and I will try not to scream
or to swear.
Ugh!
Sasha: Ooh!
Ha ha ha! Ah!
OK, park. Oh!
Tim: Don't look down.
Sasha: Ooh!
Tim: She's looking
remarkably confident.
Watering the plants up there
is going to be interesting.
You winning?
Sasha: Ooh...
Tim: I would love to buy
a cherry picker.
Dick, voice-over:
I understand your need.
Sasha: Oh, whoa.
* Here we go again *
I can't reach that side,
so I'm going to--
Tim: If you can't reach,
darling, just get out
and stand on top
of the column.
Can you move the urn
a centimeter?
She's gonna throw it.
Sasha: Careful.
[Both laugh]
Sasha: Oh. Oh.
You coming down?
Sasha: Yep. Ooh!
Tim: Don't look.
Don't look down.
Sasha: Ha ha! Well, they look
good from up there, anyway.
Tim: The gardener has landed.
Heh heh!
[Sasha grunts]
Tim: You OK?
Sasha: Yeah. Whew!
Tim: Bravo. Merci.
Sasha: I enjoyed that.
All my apprehensions are...
put to rest.
Can we buy a cherry picker?
Tim: Uh, yeah, we've been
through that, yeah.
Sasha: Ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: That's one
green-fingered job ticked off,
and the tree surgeons are also
making good progress,
but now the lower branches are
gone, Sasha's having a rethink.
Tim: So you've had
second thoughts
about cutting the tree
down now, yeah?
Sasha: Well, I know that
[indistinct] works...
Tim: Just a bit.
Sasha: but, I mean, look at it.
It looks so lovely,
and the beauty of a tree
is more important to me
than needles in the pool.
Tim: Yes, darling, but you don't
have to deal with the chemistry
of the pool like we do, but I'll
take on board what you say.
Sasha: I know I'm being a pain
in the neck, but sometimes...
Tim: You change your mind.
Sasha: Well, yes.
Tim: We need to take
a closer look.
Sasha: I have to now sort of
watch Tim trying to explain
to the gardener,
take responsibility.
[Tim speaking French]
Dick, voice-over: Go for it,
Tim. You can do it.
I'm causing chaos.
Dick, voice-over: Well done.
Sasha: Monsieur Le Tree Lopper
agrees.
Everything's solved.
Dick, voice-over: Good news,
especially for that tree,
but Tim and Sasha are
only just getting
started on the list
of jobs to be done
in time for
the wedding season.
Over 350 miles north
is the elegant
Château de la Ruche,
with 24 rooms
and 15 acres of parkland.
It was bought two years ago
for £380,000
by Lincolnshire couple
IT engineer Tim
and journalist Rebecca,
who live here with their sons
Rufus and Laurie.
Rebecca: You definitely have
moments where you kind of
stand there and you look
at it and think,
"This is just phenomenal and I
can't believe we live here."
Tim: It's hard to explain
quite how tranquil it is,
so you come up the driveway
and arrive at the house,
and there's just nothing
around you other than nature.
It's a much better way of life.
Rebecca: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: Located about
an hour's drive from us
in the Pays de la Loire,
Tim and Rebecca
now run the place as a B&B.
[Whispers]
Right.
Dick, voice-over:
When we met them last winter,
they were struggling
to make the business work
and were teetering on
a financial knife edge.
Thankfully, that's now
in the past.
Tim: There was a moment
in February when suddenly
we realized for the first month
since we've been here
that we would not lose money
that month, we would break even
for the first month, which was
a big turnaround, and
it's been positive since then.
Rebecca: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over: But these two
aren't ones to rest
on their laurels,
and Rebecca's come up
with a new scheme she hopes
will impress her B&B guests
and make a little more cash.
Rebecca: Loads of our guests
come because they like to go
book-hunting and buying antiques
and flea markets
and all that kind of stuff,
and they love the things that we
have around at the château
and the cutlery and the glasses
and the table linens
and all sorts of things
that they just love, and they
want to be able to take a piece
of that home with them.
Dick, voice-over:
To make that possible, the idea
is to exploit Rebecca's knack
for spotting beautiful bargains
by turning their derelict aviary
into a bijou brocante.
Rebecca: If there's
a snake in here,
you're going
to be in trouble, OK?
Tim: Water comes in through
the hole in the roof.
Rebecca: And that's why I
want you to fix it.
Right, shall we get it
cleared out, then?
Dick, voice-over: Since Tim
and Rebecca moved in,
they've used the aviary
for storing firewood.
Tim: What I'm liking
about this is the fact that
the only way all these big logs
have gotten here is
by me carrying them in here
in the first place.
Rebecca: But think of those
muscles that you built.
Tim: Because we're going
to put in nice bits
that Rebecca wants to sell
in the little brocante, it needs
to be watertight, so I'm going
to try and put some windows in
now and, uh, see how that
goes in the rain.
Dick, voice-over: To keep within
their lowest possible budget,
they've gone for
the thrifty option.
Rebecca: We decided to do
greenhouse plastic,
didn't we, instead of glass?
Tim: Yeah.
One, because it doesn't break as
easily, and two, it's cheaper,
and I kind of don't want to do
too much to this because I
like the fact that it looks like
a ramshackle old building
in the middle of the garden,
so we're just going to make it
a bit watertight and fix it
so it doesn't fall down.
Dick, voice-over:
First off,
Tim is making the window frames,
while Rebecca cuts off the wire
that once kept the aviary's
occupants from making an escape.
[Electrical saw whirs]
Tim: So that's how your window's
going to look from the outside.
Rebecca: I think that's fine.
Tim: Yeah.
Rebecca: Beautiful, my love.
Tim: Looks all right?
Dick, voice-over:
At 300 euros,
or about £260,
these panels aren't cheap...
Tim: Look at that.
Like a professional.
Dick, voice-over: but they are
much lighter than glass
and easy to work with.
Rebecca: That good?
Tim: Nice.
Rebecca: Window.
Tim: Sorry. It looks like glass.
Rebecca: So, when we've done
this, you can build me
a greenhouse.
Tim: So I'll do the greenhouse
tomorrow, shall I?
Rebecca: Yeah.
Tim: Yeah? Or maybe Thursday.
Dick, voice-over: One thing
at a time, Rebecca.
Tim: Eh? Solid.
Dick, voice-over:
The aviary brocante is
starting to take shape.
Rebecca: It's beautiful.
Don't do that 'cause
you'll pull it off.
Tim: Worst-case scenario, just
get the two at the front done,
and then do the others in
a few months' time.
Dick, voice-over: If you don't
want to fall foul of Rebecca,
you need to get on with
the rest sharpish, Tim.
Tim: I might see if Dale is
around to give me a hand.
[Birds chirp]
Dick, voice-over: This is
the historic, 12th-century
Château de Masgelier.
In its time,
the castle has been home
to royalty,
and in the 1970s was
a children's holiday camp.
But today, it's home
to DIY devotee Fiona
and her 11-year-old son, Louie.
Fiona: Been here for 7 years,
coming up this summer.
When I signed on the dotted
line, signed my sanity away.
Ha ha!
And all of the lows
and all of the highs,
I'd do it all again.
It's been good.
It's been good.
Dick, voice-over: Located in
the rural Limousin area,
Fiona is singlehandedly
renovating the château
with the aim of breathing new
life into its medieval walls.
Dick, voice-over:
Last year, she transformed
the tired 1970s hallway
on the first floor.
Now she's taking on
an even bigger challenge
by creating
her very first suite.
Fiona: I'm going
to be restoring
the southern king's tower here,
on the first floor.
It's been completely destroyed.
It's very seventies, orange
wallpaper, a real fright,
so I'm going to restore that and
create my first master suite.
Dick, voice-over: Fiona has
decided to name the suite
after Marquis Brémond, a noble
who escaped the guillotine
and owned the château during
the French Revolution.
Fiona: So this is
the Brémond Suite,
or what will become
the Brémond Suite.
Dick, voice-over: And, given
the daunting scale of
the task ahead,
Fiona will also have
to keep her head.
Fiona: So I have
the floor plans here.
This is where I am now.
This is the king's tower.
Dick, voice-over: She wants to
completely remodel and renovate
the two existing rooms
of the suite.
The king's tower will become
a lavish, circular en suite.
Fiona: So the lavatory
will be here.
There'll be a freestanding bath
in the center.
Dick, voice-over:
And in the adjoining room,
Fiona will rip out the existing
1970s holiday camp bathroom
to create a large
and luxurious bedroom.
Fiona: They've put in a mishmash
of bizarre bathrooms,
so it's just a matter
of gut everything out,
rip the carpets up, get
the wallpaper off of the wall,
and I'll have to see
what I'm left with.
Dick, voice-over:
This is a massive job,
so there's no time to lose.
Fiona: I'm not actually sure
what I'm going to find
under the carpet.
I don't even know
what the floor is.
Yeah, this could go two ways.
It could come up very easily,
or it could be glued to
an inch of its life.
Well-equipped.
It's not staying.
I don't think there's underlay.
I think it's been glued down.
It's really glued down here.
Of course it is...
but it will come up eventually.
Do you see how not one job is
straightforward?
You think you could just
take it, cut it,
roll it up, got underlay,
good to go.
Everything takes 3 times the
amount of time, whatever you do.
[Sighs]
Dick, voice-over:
But at long last, she's done.
Rrr! Gotcha.
There you go.
Where there's a will,
there's a way.
[Sighs]
See ya.
So the next job is to remove
all of the wall coverings,
and we're going to start
in the tower room, but it looks
a little bit like carpet,
you know?
It wouldn't surprise me.
I've had carpet on the walls
in lots of the rooms, so this
should come off quite easily.
Dick, voice-over: Having spent
the last 6 years stripping
1970s decor from the château,
Fiona's come across
all sorts.
Fiona: Oh, my goodness. OK.
Why? Why?
It's like plastic.
This is the worst material
they could have possibly
have put on the wall.
You've got this immensely
historic building,
and it's been shown
no respect whatsoever.
It's sacrilege, really.
If there's something
stupid to be done,
they did it in the 1970s.
Dick, voice-over:
Tell me about it.
You should have seen
my wardrobe.
Fiona: Such a shame,
but I'm here now,
so I'm going to collect
everything of this down.
Dick, voice-over: You're a lady
with a mission, Fiona.
Fiona: I don't know
what that is.
Just keep telling myself
it's going to be great.
Dick, voice-over: It will be,
and you've got months
of hard graft ahead of you
to get this suite finished.
Fiona: Nearly done.
[Wall covering ripping]
Dick, voice-over:
Over 200 miles south,
at Château du Puits Es Pratx,
Tim and Sasha also have
their hands full.
Tim: Next to that vine,
as close as you can get it.
Another one we need here.
Dick, voice-over: The wedding
season is coming up fast,
so they're flat out to get
the château grounds
up to scratch in time.
Tim: Why do I always get
the going backwards bit?
Tim, voice-over:
We got 3 major jobs today.
One is to build a fence
around the pool,
to strip the paint off an old
wooden bar that we've bought,
and then we also want
to plant some new vines.
Brides want to get married
in a vineyard,
and this is
the original vineyard,
and we just want
to make it look a picture.
Dick, voice-over:
With 3 1/2 acres of vineyard
to contend with, they're making
an early start before the heat
gets too much for them
and the plants.
Sasha: You look like
Farmer Brown. Heh heh heh!
Between this morning
and this afternoon,
we're planting 25 new vines,
and my problem is
just keeping them watered.
It's just a nightmare.
Tim: It's a bit of an art form,
gardening, in this part
of France, in the south because
of the heat in the summer.
A lot of plants just
don't survive.
It's a difficult life
to be a plant.
Dick, voice-over: With planting
underway, daughter Lily
is preparing to strip the paint
off a wooden bar
they've bought for
the pool area.
Lily: I love anything DIY.
I just love doing
different things.
My main job is in the kitchen,
cooking for the restaurant
and for the weddings, but I just
love being in the garden.
Tim: OK.
Luke: You ready?
Tim: Let's go there.
Dick, voice-over:
Tim's other job today
also involves keeping
their pool guests happy.
Tim: Luke and I are out
putting up a fence round
the area of the pool decking
where our guests sun-bathe
to give them
a little bit of privacy.
If it all goes well, we should
get most of it done
in the day.
We shall see.
Just hit the post, not me.
Luke: I'll try.
Dick, voice-over: Luke and Tim
are making good progress,
and they're not the only ones
making advances.
Sasha: Hee hee hee hee!
[Giggles]
He's cool, he's cool.
I work with Melvin throughout
the winter and the summer,
and Melvin--[sighs]--
he's the muscle.
He's a waiter, of course,
and he's a great waiter as well.
Doesn't speak a word of English,
apart from "No problem."
[Chuckles]
Very positive.
Dick, voice-over: The sun
has baked the earth hard,
so Melvin is digging the holes
for the new vines...
Sasha: Melvin?
Dick, voice-over:
while Sasha is on water duty.
Melvin: OK.
Melvin: OK. OK.
Sasha: Oui? Voila.
Being here 15 years,
I've got the accent
of the region, which is, um,
it's terrible, but anyway,
I try my best.
Oh, no, no, no.
Melvin: No?
Sasha, voice-over:
I learned from the kitchen.
Kitchen French is uniquement.
[Sasha and Melvin chuckle]
Dick, voice-over:
Leaving the vines in
Melvin's capable hands...
Sasha: Hey, Lily,
it's looking good.
Dick, voice-over: Sasha comes
to check on the bar.
Lily:
This stuff is just evil.
It doesn't want to go.
Whoever painted it
wanted it to stay.
Dick, voice-over: Don't worry.
Your mum's got this.
Sasha: The plan now is
to try and take away
the harshness of that blue.
I love getting something like
this and creating something new.
Sasha: Use a good sand, though.
How much did I pay for this?
15 euros or something.
Ha ha ha!
It spoke to me.
Dick, voice-over:
Back at the pool,
Tim and Luke are letting their
carpentry skills do the talking.
Tim: We're getting on well,
but, as always,
these things take the longer.
Sasha: What's happening?
Tim: Look at that.
It's nearly finished.
Sasha: Oh. I wasn't
expecting the fence
to go right down to the corner,
but actually, now it is,
it's going to look
really, really good.
Tim: It's called heaven
when Sasha agrees
with ideas I've had.
Dick, voice-over:
Working as a team,
this lot have got
a lot done today,
but no one can afford to take
their foot off the gas.
Tim: The wedding season always
looms up very quickly,
and we always think we've got
weeks and months
to get stuff done, and suddenly
you realize, even though you've
been working hard,
that, "Oh, gosh!"
Sasha: There's always
something else to do.
Tim: It's just nonstop.
Dick, voice-over:
Château life.
Good luck with
the final push to be ready
for that first wedding
of the season.
Back at Château de la Ruche,
Tim and Rebecca are transforming
their old aviary
into a bijou brocante.
Whilst Rebecca's busy
with the B&B guests,
live-in handyman Dale is giving
Tim some help tackling the roof.
Tim: My plan is to
take tiles off.
We've got loads
of spare ones, obviously,
if any of them are bust,
but otherwise, I'm going to try
and put them back on just
as-is with moss on.
Dale: With the carpet
on it, yeah.
Tim: Yeah, if that's possible.
Whoa.
That's pretty solid.
Ha ha!
Dale: Pretty much fromage, Tim.
Tim, chuckling:
Ground is really unstable.
[Tim chuckles]
Don't look so happy.
Well, the alternative was
I went up and down the ladder
for every single tile.
Dick, voice-over:
Exhibiting exotic birds
became popular in high
European society in the 1800s
as a way of showing off
wealth and status.
Tim: Doing a great job, Dale.
Dale: Aren't I?
Dick, voice-over: Château
de la Ruche followed suit.
Tim and Rebecca want to keep
as many original features
as possible.
Tim: Oh. Ah.
[Chuckles]
Dale: Ha ha ha ha!
[Tiles thud]
Tim: Ohh!
Rebecca: I thought you would
have put the tiles on the floor
as you took them off, and then
you'd know what order
they went in.
Dale: Start here,
they're the top ones,
they're the middle ones,
and they're the bottom ones.
Rebecca: I hope he does a good
job putting it back together.
So is any of that wood staying,
the down bits?
Tim: The down bits?
Rebecca: Heh! The down bits.
What's the official name
for the down bits?
Tim: I don't know. I don't know
what the difference between
a joist and a rafter
and a blah-de-blah-de.
Dick, voice-over: OK, Tim,
I can help you there.
The down bits are rafters,
the horizontal bits you attach
the tiles to are battens,
and by the looks of it,
they all need replacing.
Rebecca: Can I get
anybody anything?
Tim: Beer'd be lovely.
Rebecca: No.
[Saw whirring]
Dick, voice-over: Tim plans
to fix a new timber frame
to this end of the roof,
so he's replacing rafters,
using the old timbers
as a template.
Tim, voice-over: When they built
these things, it was all
built properly,
even though it was only
a little aviary in the garden.
Dick, voice-over: And with that,
the frame can go up.
[Power drill whirs]
Tim: Roof done. That looks
all right, doesn't it?
Dale: Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
There's still plenty to do:
adding new battens,
putting back all those tiles,
and finishing the windows.
Dale: How long it gonna take?
Tim: Days. [Scoffs]
Dale: At least a week.
Dick, voice-over: But Tim
and Rebecca's little brocante is
one step closer
to completion.
At Château de Masgelier,
Fiona's moving on to
the next stage of
her master suite renovations.
Today, she's ripping out the
seventies holiday camp bathroom
in what will become
the suite's bedroom.
To do that, she needs
to turn herself
into a one-woman
wrecking ball.
Fiona: I've just turned off
all of the water,
and I'm going to be removing
these 3 sinks,
cut out all of
the pipe work completely,
cap everything off, and take it
right back to the mains.
[Electric saw whirring]
Dick, voice-over: First is
to remove the existing piping.
Fiona: [Sniffles]
Take my jacket off.
I'm taking my jacket off
because--I put it on
so when I'm--cut through
the angle grinder, that sparks
don't actually just come out
and burn my arms.
Little bit of health
and safety there. Right.
[Crowbar bangs]
It's all modern fittings,
which is super to see.
That makes life easy.
Dick, voice-over: With the
fiddly stuff out of the way,
Fiona can now get
really stuck in.
Fiona: Every bedroom on this
floor has 7 or 8 bedrooms.
They all have rows of sinks,
rows of lavatories,
rows of showers, so that's
the first one.
I'm trying to do it
without breaking it.
That's the thing, but it
might have to come to it.
We've lost that one.
What can I say? I tried.
Tried to save the sink.
Do you know what?
I've got about a hundred sinks.
Getting a bit fussy,
aren't I?
That doesn't want
to come off, either. Fine.
That's it.
Getting a sledgehammer.
Time is money.
Time is money, isn't it?
Should have done that
in the first place.
"So, Fiona, what did you do
of your day today?
Did you have a nice day today?"
[Sighs]
"Yeah."
[Grunts]
Dick, voice-over:
Fiona's having a smashing time,
but she's not done yet.
She makes short work
of what's left of the wall...
Fiona: Oof.
Well, that's that.
Dick, voice-over: to reveal
the newly opened-up room.
Fiona: Wow! Look!
Oh, my gosh! Look!
Look at that. It's the first
time it's been opened up
like this
for about 25, 30 years?
From here,
it's a massive room.
Can you imagine?
It's gonna be lovely,
all of the light coming in
through the French doors.
Beautiful. I can see it.
It's all in my--all in here.
Dick, voice-over: I reckon these
two rooms are going to make
a spectacular suite for
any future guests,
but Fiona still has a mountain
to climb to get it finished.
Fiona: I know what
you're thinking,
but it's going to be great.
[Birds chirping]
Dick, voice-over:
Back in the south of France,
at Château du Prits Es Pratx...
Tim: No, don't spoil it.
Dick, voice-over: the wedding
season kicks off tomorrow.
Tim and Sasha are hosting
the nuptials for English couple
Natalie and Sam, and with
around 50 people arriving
this evening...
Sasha: OK. Whew!
Dick, voice-over:
it's action stations.
Sasha's making a start
on the decorations.
Sasha: So these are the drapes
that go over the wedding arch.
[Sasha exhales sharply]
Dick, voice-over:
But things are hotting up.
Sasha: We are working
in incredible heat.
For us working,
it is a tough deal.
Tim, voice-over: Sasha does
get stressed sometimes.
She gets intense because she's
a perfectionist,
and I live with that.
[Chuckles]
Sasha: Oh, where am I?
Oh. OK, so that goes
around this...
and then we'll sort out
the white.
The white will go
on the top of the blue
'cause the blue's
quite harsh in color,
so we want to soften
the whole look,
so this is only the beginning of
the making of the wedding arch.
[Sighs]
Dick, voice-over: Out in
the corner of the vineyard,
under the scorching sun,
the boys are also busy.
Tim: What we're doing is
clearing a track.
Sasha's going to be driving down
the vineyard with the bride,
and she needs to be able
to turn round here
to be--and then go up the
central aisle for the ceremony,
so that's what this is
all about.
Sasha: I received an email
from this bride,
saying, "Could you source
a typically French car?"
So I had a search on
the Internet
and found
this beautiful blue 2CV
called Mimi,
and the funny thing is
it was the first car
I ever had,
except mine was
burgundy color.
I mean, imagine,
at 18 years old.
BoHo, definitely BoHo.
Ha ha!
And a bu--
and a bus goes
into the back of me.
The car just bounced.
They're so light.
It just bounced.
Boop!
No damage at all.
Anyway, it's
a complete secret.
I am going to drive it all the
way down the end of the vineyard
and come out tooting:
"Toot toot toot toot!"
Dick, voice-over:
Mimi has arrived right on time.
Sasha: Oh, woo hoo!
Oh, isn't she lovely?
Dick, voice-over: And Sasha has
extravagant plans
to decorate her
in the bride's color scheme.
Sasha: Mimi, Mimi, Mimi,
you're a gorgeous girl.
Dick, voice-over: Tomorrow's
groom has no idea his bride'll
be turning up on 4 wheels,
so to keep it secret, Tim and
Sasha are doing the decorating
in a neighbor's driveway.
Sasha: Ah, trying to cope here.
It's not easy doing this
in secret in the wind.
It's going to be such fun
driving this
through our vineyard,
and everybody is going to be
watching the other direction.
It's going to be great.
Tim: Our wedding was
very boring, compared
to the weddings
we've put on.
It--very understated.
Sasha: Really?
I didn't think so.
Tim: Well,
until I was asked
to give a speech.
It never occurred to me I'd
have to give a speech.
[Chuckles]
I hadn't prepared anything,
and it was
an absolute disaster.
Anyway, moving swiftly on.
You nearly done?
Sasha: Yeah, we got enough yet?
Tim: That's fine.
All right?
Sasha: Yeah. Whew!
Tim: I'm gonna park it.
Dick, voice-over:
Angel and I have learnt it's
the little things that matter
when you're hosting weddings.
Tim: I can't see out
the mirrors.
It's covered in ribbons.
Sasha: Ha ha ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: And with Mimi
now hidden away, it looks
like the happy couple are in
for a real treat tomorrow.
Tim: Can you tell me
where the wall is?
Dick, voice-over:
Back at Tim and Rebecca's,
the aviary roof is fixed,
the windows are in,
and it's finally ready
to house their bijou brocante.
Tim: It's watertight-ish.
Rebecca: I love how
ramshackle it is,
so we managed to repair it
so it still looks like a little
falling-down garden shed, but it
isn't actually falling down.
Tim: No, we didn't take anything
that was wonky out.
We left all the wonkiness in it.
I think we're very pleased.
Yeah, exciting.
Dick, voice-over:
The aviary will be a showcase
for some of the antiques
the couple have picked up
since they moved to France.
Furnishing the château
on a budget has given Rebecca
a real knack of spotting
antique gems,
and she's been squirreling them
away in one of the outbuildings.
Tim: We're going to use some
of the furniture as shelves
and stuff for displaying stuff
in the shop, but everything
in there will be up for grabs
if people want it.
You are backwards.
Want me to go backwards?
Rebecca: That's all right.
Just go sideways.
Mind your head.
Dick, voice-over: First in is
a small antique wash stand...
Rebecca: Over there?
Tim: Here?
Dick, voice-over:
the sort that was all the rage
in the 19th century.
Tim: Beautiful.
Rebecca: Lovely.
This is actually quite big.
It's like a TARDIS.
Tim: Well, tell me about it.
I knew that when I was
doing all the windows.
Rebecca: Ha ha!
Dick, voice-over: Next,
the smaller, vintage bits.
Rebecca: Tim's in charge of
a ton of structural things,
and I do
"making things pretty."
Is that right?
Tim: Yep, yep, yep.
Dick, voice-over:
But there are some pieces
beyond even Rebecca's
styling skills.
Oh, those girls freak me out.
It's awful.
It says Renoir on the back,
but I very much doubt that it's
actually a Renoir.
Dick, voice-over:
If it is an original Renoir,
it could be a life-changer.
Anyway, it's over to Tim
for the casting vote.
Tim: No, I've actually
no idea who Renoir is,
but I'm assuming he or she
would have signed it,
and it's not signed, so...
Dick, voice-over: Never mind.
Rebecca only wanted
the frame anyway.
Rebecca:
I don't want it straight.
It needs to just be
hung up wonky.
Tim: Where would Madame like
her chandeliers?
Rebecca: Got it?
Tim: Muscles.
Rebecca: No swinging on the
chandeliers in the brocante.
[Decanter clangs,
Rebecca gasps]
Tim: Good catch.
Dick, voice-over:
A few finishing touches,
then voilà.
Rebecca: Looks awesome.
I'm properly pleased with that.
Dick, voice-over:
After a lot of hard work,
their tumbledown aviary
has been transformed.
For less than 500 euros--
around £430--
they've created
a charming antique shop.
Rebecca and her gift for styling
have done it proud.
Rebecca: I'm really pleased
with how it's turned out.
Not a massive money-spinner,
but every little bit helps.
Tim: And it's restored
that building a little bit,
which, if we just left it, it
would have just got worse and
worse, whereas now it's given it
a reason to be 'cause everyone
always asked what it is.
Rebecca: Yeah, "What is it?"
Now we can say, "It's a little
shop. Go and have a look."
Dick, voice-over:
Nice job, you two.
Look after the pennies, and the
pounds look after themselves.
At Château du Masgelier,
Fiona has ripped out...
Fiona: Nearly done.
Dick, voice-over:
and stripped out
what will become
the Brémond Suite,
her first guestroom...
Fiona: Wow! Look!
Oh, my gosh! Look!
Dick, voice-over: and at last,
she can get on with the more
constructive bits.
Fiona: This morning,
I am quite excited.
Up with the larks,
and the delivery is coming
for the bathroom suite,
the fabulous
freestanding bath.
It's just nice when the niceties
start arriving.
It's not like I can go out
shoe-shopping or anything,
so I get my kicks
with the bathroom suite.
Dick, voice-over:
The bath is here right on time,
and lucky for the deliverymen,
they only have the steps
up to the salon to negotiate.
Fiona: If we could
have it here...
oh, fabulous.
I know, it's like being a child
in a candy shop, isn't it?
[Gasps]
Thank goodness. It's beautiful.
Wow.
Beautiful,
mock crocodile effect.
Ooh.
Even though I'm absolutely
exhausted on 5 hours' sleep
every night, it gives me
the motivation,
a bit more energy,
to get the room finished.
Dick, voice-over:
Just as well.
Fiona's soon out of the bath
and back to work...
starting in the circular
turret room
that will eventually become
the suite's bathroom.
Fiona: So the next job
for this room is
I'm going to board up
this little alcove here
and then plaster over that.
"It's pretty straightforward,"
she says.
Dick, voice-over:
At least it would be,
if the elements weren't
conspiring against her.
Fiona: The thing is is
the temperatures at the moment
are forecast 41 degrees
this week, so it's going to be
very, very difficult
to do the plastering.
It's going to be setting
too quickly.
Dick, voice-over: As France
has seen numerous heat waves
this summer,
Fiona has no choice
but to crack on
the best she can,
and with the board cut to size,
she can start the plaster work.
Fiona: All I've got here is
a French plaster mix,
and what I'm going to do is I'm
going to dot and dab the board
to fix it onto the opening.
There we go.
The plasterboard is...
pretty heavy, actually.
I am going to tape all
of the edges,
and it helps when you're
plastering, skimming the walls,
and it gives a nice, flush
finish, and what it also does
is it stops any cracks
from happening and appearing.
I'm going to make up
a bit more plaster
'cause it's gone off
very quickly.
Dick, voice-over:
With a new batch mixed up,
it's now a race against time
to tape and skim the edges
before the plaster sets
in her bucket.
Fiona: It's kind of firming
quickly. Hold on.
It's gone too hard.
It's literally gone off.
OK, cool, OK.
Dick, voice-over: But some
speed-plastering later...
Fiona: You'll never know there
was a wee little alcove there.
It's so hot,
do you know what?
That'll probably set
in an hour,
even though it's
quite thick.
Yeah, and then I can just
pack it out a little bit more,
and then it's all ready
to plaster lovely and smooth.
Dick, voice-over: But it's going
to be a while before she can
attempt that job.
Fiona: It's going to continue
being hot for days,
so that stops me plastering the
room, which is a bit of a pain.
I wanted to get this room all
plastered out, ready to go,
you know, get it painted up,
ready, so I could start
wallpapering and lay the floor
and put the plumbing in.
Yeah, so a lot on the list
when I think about it.
I won't think about it; I just
do it, just get on with it.
I try not to think about it
or I will panic.
Dick, voice-over: Keep cool
and carry on, Fiona.
In these situations,
it's the only thing you can do.
At Tim and Sasha's, the summer
heat wave has also arrived...
Sasha: Delphiniums
and agapanthus.
Dick, voice-over: and this
afternoon's wedding guests,
lounging by the pool, aren't
the only ones feeling the burn.
Sasha: The problem in the south
of France is you can't do
the flowers the day before.
Even with the cold room, it has
to be done on the day, fresh.
With the temperatures we've
got at the moment,
in the courtyard, I reckon
we're looking at 45 degrees.
I've got 5 bridesmaids'
posies to do,
the wedding bouquet,
and two headdresses,
and we haven't even started
on the tables yet.
I was up at 7:30,
and I'm still not ready.
Mmm. Oh.
Oh, God.
Tim: You'll be there.
Everything'll be fine.
Sasha: Oh, bloody hell.
Tim: I think,
of all of us,
Sasha's probably under
the most pressure.
Sasha: Come on, fill up.
Tim: The ceremony's at 3:00.
Everybody's sitting out in the
heat, so you can't hang about.
Sasha: My hydrangeas have
just died in the heat.
Oh...
- Can I stand in the cold room?
- Yeah.
Dick, voice-over:
Even Sam the bridegroom is
taking a pre-ceremony chill-out
in their walk-in fridge.
Sam: I'm happy to get
married in here.
[Both laugh]
Dick, voice-over:
I can see the logic, but with
the ceremony flowers done...
Sam: That looks great.
Dick, voice-over:
the guests are already
gathering in the vineyard.
Sasha: So we have the veillées
down both sides.
We need the petals as well.
Dick, voice-over:
There's no let-up for Sasha yet.
Sasha: We need
the bridal bouquet.
Dick, voice-over: While Tim
makes a start on the photos...
[Car horn honking]
she's on to her next job
as official wedding chauffeur
for bride Natalie,
and hubby-to-be is
clearly surprised.
Sam: Let's hope the brakes work.
Woman on microphone: Ladies and
gentlemen, we have a bride
who certainly knows how
to make an entrance.
Heh heh!
It is for Natalie and Sam
that we gather together
to witness
and to bless their marriage.
Dick, voice-over:
With the ceremony in full swing,
Sasha's team put
the finishing touches to
the tables in the courtyard.
Sasha: These go on the stands
around the fountain.
Sasha: We're ready. We're ready
for everybody to come in.
1, 2, 3!
[Guests cheer]
Sasha: I'm now going to go
into the kitchen to see
if I'm really needed
because I need to collapse
very quickly.
[Indistinct chatter]
Lily: I've just finished
plating up all the entrees.
Sasha: Ah, you're cool in here.
Nawal?
Nawal: Yeah?
Sasha: Do you need me?
Nawal: Every time,
I miss you.
Sasha: Ha ha ha!
Do you need me this evening?
Nawal: No, no.
Lily: She works so hard.
She's here from the morning
right till late, nonstop,
always working.
I don't know where she gets
the energy from,
but it's amazing.
Heh!
Dick, voice-over: Sasha has
certainly earned a drink.
Melvin: Yes. Oui. Oui, Sasha?
Sasha: Melvin, please.
Gin and tonic, please.
Melvin: OK.
Dick, voice-over: And who better
to serve it than her
favorite gardener?
Sasha: Chin-chin.
Melvin: Cheers.
Sasha: Heh heh. Chin-chin.
[Overlapping chatter]
Man: So will you please
allow the couple
to have their first dance?
Natalie:
Sasha just nailed it.
Sam: We've said thanks
to Tim and Sasha,
like, what
a hundred times?
And they're probably getting
bored of hearing it now,
but they--
it's been epic.
Dick, voice-over: This wedding
is just the latest success
in what's been an eventful
year for Tim and Sasha's
family business.
It began with a bang...
Sasha: What a brilliant
start to 2019.
Dick, voice-over: they then
renovated their spa...
Sasha: I think
it looks magical.
Dick, voice-over: and created
a wellness garden.
Sasha: How long have we waited
for this to be filled?
Tim: 15 years.
Sasha: 15 years? Wow.
Dick, voice-over:
And they've got big plans
for the future, too.
Sasha: We're buying a couple
of plots of land opposite here,
and this autumn, we'll be
planting it out with hedging
and big conifers
and maybe planning...
an apartment for us
or--I'm not sure yet.
It's all...all on the,
uh, future for us.
Dick, voice-over:
Good work, you two.
Together with Lily and Luke,
you've made great strides
with the hotel this year.
I'm sure it will stand you
in good stead.
Next time,
the finishing line
of Fiona's marathon
renovation is in sight.
Fiona: I want the castle
to regain her luxury,
sophisticated look.
She's a very expensive mistress.
That's all I can say.
Dick, voice-over:
Tim and Rebecca get
a new gîte project underway.
Tim: The worst thing that'll
happen is we'll drop it
on the floor and break it.
Oh!
Dick, voice-over:
At our place...
Angel: Arthur, Dorothy,
I've got a job
that I need a bit of help with.
Dick, voice-over: Angel takes
a new design assistant
under her wing.
Angel: Mmm,
all those reds
are a bit clashy, though,
aren't they, hmm?
Dick, voice-over:
And these château owners
reach breaking point.
- Whoa.
- Whoa, whoa.
What was that?
Oh, no, it's cracked!
No!