Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 4, Episode 7 - Episode #4.7 - full transcript
I'm Dick Strawbridge,
and along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
Angel: Yay!
Dick: Oh, well done.
Dick, voice-over: we've lived
in this magnificent chateau
for the past five years.
Dick: Look, look, look, look,
look, look, look, look.
Angel: Oh, my God.
That is so beautiful.
Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...
Dick: Ohh. And we are up.
Dick, voice-over:
but our business.
Dick: You may kiss your bride.
[Cheering and applause]
Dick, voice-over:
And all over France,
there are other Brits doing
exactly the same.
Sarah: Oh, my God.
Dick, voice-over: We'll follow
a new wave
of intrepid chateau owners...
Man: I'll open some windows. It
might help get rid of some dust.
Dick: and some familiar faces,
as they take on these majestic
buildings,
and we'll reveal more about
our own chateau life.
Daughter: Is everyone ready?
Dick and Angel: Yay!
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be triumphs...
-This looks incredible.
-You like it all right?
Woman: I love it.
Dick, voice-over: and setbacks--
Man: Oof.
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes...
and earn their keep.
Woman: OK, I'm ready.
Dick: But no matter
how hard the going gets...
Debbie: This is probably, yeah,
my worst nightmare.
Dick: they get
to live the dream
as custodians of their
very own castle.
Today...
Nigel: Put it against
the window.
Debbie: God, it's heavy, that.
Dick: new chateau owners work
flat out to be guest-ready.
Debbie: I might have to have
a little lie-down in a minute.
Nigel: Shall we?
[Laughter]
Debbie: Not that sort of
a lie-down.
Dick: At another chateau,
wedding preparations are
lavished in lace...
Isabelle: These are my best
curtains!
Dick: much
to the bride's dismay.
Isabelle: I hope it doesn't
look like a washing line.
Dick: And one couple dig for
hidden treasure.
George: Very possibly, there is
treasure right below my feet
right now, and we're gonna be
getting our ticket to go
to Barbados.
Dick: All over France, lots of
Brits are working hard to keep
their chateaux up and running.
And for some, their dream
journey is just beginning.
Take the stately Chateau Gioux,
nestling
in over 5 acres of countryside
at the edge of
the Millesvaches park
in central France.
Yorkshire couple Debbie and
Nigel recently sunk everything
into buying it for £280,000.
Nigel: I think fortune's
smiled on us.
Debbie: It has. It has.
Nigel: We were in the right
place at the right time.
Debbie: Yeah.
It was meant to be.
Nigel: It became available.
It was meant to be.
It was meant to be.
Debbie: Definitely meant to be.
Ha ha!
Dick: Located 30 miles east of
Limoges,
Debbie, who ran a farm shop,
and Nigel, a bar manager,
have recently moved in.
Debbie: Right! We're here.
Debbie: And it's really good.
A bit of work to do,
isn't there, though?
We'll get there.
Dick: The chateau needs
some serious renovation,
but to pay for that, Debbie
and Nigel need to open
as a B&B as soon as possible.
Debbie: We've never run
a B&B before.
So, yeah, it's
completely new to us.
Nigel: We're both very much
looking forward to having
our first guests and getting
up and running.
Debbie: Yeah. We're looking
forward to some money.
[Laughter]
Dick: Their first guests arrive
in one week,
so they need to get
3 rooms ready.
In the main bedroom, they've
created an en suite
by knocking through a wall
and made an entrance inspired by
the story "The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe."
Debbie: Brilliant.
Nigel: That's gonna look good.
Yeah. I'm cool with that.
Dick: Today Debbie's getting
creative with some stencils
to bring the wardrobe to life.
Debbie: I'm going to put a lion
on each of the top panels,
and then to complete it,
I've got two little
lion head door handles.
Dick: First the forests
of Narnia!
Stencils are a cheap and easy
way to make furniture unique.
Debbie: The last time I did this
was, like, 1985.
So, yeah, hopefully, I haven't
lost my technique,
but we'll see.
The green I've got now--
I was hoping to go for
a slightly dark one.
I'm not sure how much it's
gonna show upon
the green of the door,
so fingers crossed,
it is gonna work.
Oh, yeah. Look how much
you see it, which is good.
Dick: You don't seem to have
lost your touch, Debbie.
And your artwork has
one admirer already.
Debbie: T.J. was a very
antisocial cat at home
in north Yorkshire.
He's just turned into
a completely
different personality,
so he's obviously liking
the French lifestyle.
Dick: Well, that's
chateau life for you.
Debbie: I hope I can get it
off now, obviously.
There we go.
Yeah, I think that looks
absolutely fine.
Dick: Magical. And it seems
the post has arrived
in perfect time.
Debbie: Has it--
Nigel: Here you go. Yup.
Debbie: Oh, brilliant.
Nigel: How's that--oh, wow!
Look at that.
Debbie: So what do you think?
Nigel: I think that's great.
Debbie: You think it works?
Nigel: Yeah, it's fantastic.
Debbie: Yeah? So these are
the lion head door handles.
Nigel: Yeah?
Oh, wow. Look at that.
Debbie: They're cute,
aren't they?
Nigel: Yeah, I like that.
Shall I put them on now?
Debbie: Yes, put them on now.
Nigel: How's that look?
Debbie: I think they look great.
They look good, don't they?
Nigel: Yeah, that's a good buy.
Debbie: They look nice, Nige.
Nigel: Brilliant. Well done.
Dick: Great stuff!
Only the lion stencils to add,
and it'll really look the part.
115 miles away is
the 19th-century
Chateau de Brives.
Built by a cognac baron,
it has 25 rooms
and sits in 30 acres of land.
Antique dealers Sarah and George
bought the chateau
for £415,000
and have spent the last 9 years
renovating it
into their dream home.
Sarah: I never in my wildest
dreams thought
I'd be a chatelaine.
And I'm sure George was
absolutely destined to be,
so, um, his dream's come true
totally.
George: It suits me very well.
Sarah: Ha ha.
He just needs a crown. Ha ha.
Dick: Situated 7 miles from
Cognac in southwest France,
the couple are aiming to turn
their home
into a wedding venue to help
with the chateau upkeep
and general living expenses.
Sarah: We don't have
any experience at all
at hosting a wedding, but I'm
hoping we're going to learn
pretty quickly.
George: Yeah.
[Laughter]
Dick: They started by winning
over wedding planner Samantha--
Samantha: Wow!
What an incredible place.
Dick: to help get their new
business off the ground.
Sarah: So this is
our main salon.
Samantha: OK, I think it looks
great, but it does look like
a family house.
I do feel you need to declutter.
Dick: And with the help of my
Angel, Sarah learned
how to use her love of
antiques to create
a unique table display.
Angel: I think it's
looking lovely.
Sarah: And it's absolutely
beautiful.
Angel: We've used your stuff.
Sarah: Yes.
Angel: Yeah.
Dick: Now they've decided to
create a photo shoot
to help drum up some business,
essential if they're going
to get a wedding booking
this year.
Sarah: We've waited a long time
to get new photographs
of the salon, and it just
shows people more
of what they're going to get.
George: Yeah. It all gives them
a far better idea of what
they're letting themselves
in for.
Sarah: Yeah. Ha ha!
Dick: To make sure it goes off
without a hitch,
they're using
a team of professionals.
Sarah: Hi. I'm Sarah.
We met before, have we?
Claire: Hello, Sarah...
Dick: Samantha's brought in
makeup artist Claire, florist
Lisa, and assistant India.
Sarah: How, India. How are you?
Oh, well, that's pretty much all
of us for the moment. Perfect.
Perfect.
Dick: The model bride and
photographers are on their way.
So Sarah shows the team where
they can set up.
Sarah: So this will be the
bride's dressing room in here.
The girls can get dressed in
here today.
We can do hair and makeup
in here today.
Samantha: The light's lovely,
I think.
George: I am anxious to get
the first wedding booked,
but with these fantastic faces,
with the effort that
everyone's put in,
I'm sure we'll find a couple
who would love
to get married here.
And then the sky's the limit
what's going to happen
after that.
Dick: While the team gets on
with prepping for the shoot,
Sarah's giving
table decoration a go,
having learned a thing or two
from Angel.
Sarah: I really liked what
she did.
I'm going to try and copy.
And I definitely wouldn't have
known how to decorate
candlesticks
and the rest of the table
and be a bit more adventurous,
actually.
It's one of those things that
Angel makes look so easy
and I'm
all fingers and thumbs.
Dick: Glad you've taken Angel's
lesson to heart.
And George seems to approve.
George: Well, it looks lovely.
Sarah: Do you think so,
honestly?
George: I do.
Sarah: Oh, well, beautiful.
And I love those.
George: Which?
Sarah: The way they
cascade down.
And I would never, ever have
thought of doing that myself.
George: I love
the trefoil, daffodil flowers.
They're beautiful.
Dick: Well done, Sarah.
Angel would be proud.
Sarah: We've got high hopes.
Ha ha.
George: It's terribly important
that it go well today.
-Goes well, yeah.
-Yeah.
Dick: With
the backdrop decorated
and the model dressed up,
the photo shoot can start.
[Camera shutter clicking]
Local car enthusiasts have even
brought along their classic cars
to add some style.
Sarah: Love the Morris Minor.
George: Yes, that
looks very nice.
Samantha: Perfect.
George: Don't you dent it.
[Laughter]
Sarah: That's a bit like having
a wedding in a sense.
George: Yes.
Sarah: So many people around
and, you know, the bride coming
down the stairs.
George: Yes, it's a really good
feeling.
Sarah: I've never seen the house
look so beautiful,
I have to say.
And that's thanks to everybody
who's been here today.
Yeah, really, really chuffed.
George: Bye.
Dick: A successful day.
Now let's hope those
publicity photos turn
today's mock wedding into
a real one.
Dick: The stunning 16th-century
Chateau de Lalande sits
in 60 acres of land
and even has its own chapel.
There are 40 rooms, which have
been lovingly restored
over the 13 years Stephanie has
owned it.
Stephanie: It was definitely
love at first sight
when I saw Lalande.
I hope it was love at first
sight the other way round
as well, but she is not
making it clear. Heh!
Located in Centre-Val de Loire,
53 miles from Limoges,
Stephanie now runs it as a B&B
as well as putting on events.
Stephanie, voice-over: It's
always lovely to see people
arriving for the first time
and to see the chateau anew
through their eyes.
Dick: And in just 10 days' time,
she's putting on the mother of
all events.
Stephanie: Just the thought,
What do I have planned for
my mother's wedding?,
just fills me with dread 'cause
there's so much to do.
Dick: Stephanie's recruited
live-in chateau helper Marie
to help her finalize decoration
ideas for the chapel.
Stephanie: Well, there's a lot
to do in here.
Marie: A couple of
centerpieces here.
Yeah. Maybe we could do
a bit of vases and flowers
just in the area by the door.
Stephanie: Yeah.
Marie: Yeah.
[Stephanie groans]
Stephanie: It's so heavy!
Dick: Stephanie's found
an original chandelier that
could be used.
Stephanie:
And it's for real candles,
which would look so pretty.
Marie: Yeah.
Stephanie: Maybe we could have
big branches in here.
Marie: Yeah!
Stephanie: So it's sort of
treelike inside the chapel.
Marie: We can do that.
Stephanie: That would hide a lot
of the bird pooh
on the walls as well.
Dick: Trees in the chapel!
A novel idea. I wonder what
Isabelle will think of that.
Stephanie: "Turn chapel into
forest. Marie." There we go.
Now it's your job.
Marie: Ha ha!
Isabelle: No, it's wonderful
what's in the chapel.
Stephanie: We thought it would
be wonderful to have
tall trees as you go in.
Isabelle: OTT, over the top.
Marie: Are we doing torches
around here for the evening?
Stephanie: Yes.
Dick: For the wedding breakfast,
Stephanie's creating
an extra special
al fresco dining area
by building a pergola
across a 30-meter terrace
and draping it in lace.
Stephanie: We will build
a pergola frame over
and chandeliers
hanging down from the pergola.
You will arrange flowers.
What were you thinking for
the flowers with the frame?
Marie: Just hanging lots of
greens from the forest.
Stephanie, voice-over: The scale
of how much needs to be done
in 10 days
has absolutely hit now.
Plated food, yes.
The most challenging job,
because it's
the most structurally
difficult job,
is transforming the terrace.
Lace to source. We still don't
have enough lace
to make a ceiling;
chandeliers to rig up,
mirrors to put up.
But we'll need hurricane
lanterns for the candles.
Isabelle: Why, I'm pretty
anxious that
all those things are going to
take an awful lot of time,
but it's reassuring
to know that there is a plan.
I like plans.
Dick: Me, too, Isabelle.
Let's hope it goes to plan,
the terrace transformed
and the chapel decorated before
the big event
in 10 days' time.
37 miles south,
at Chateau Gioux,
Debbie and Nigel
have only a week
before they open their chateau
to their first paying guests.
Nigel: Come on, then.
Here we go.
Debbie: Uh!
Dick: At the moment, there's
nowhere for them to sleep.
Debbie: Nigel's job, when it
comes to dressing rooms,
is basically lifting
anything heavy...
Debbie: Lift your end up.
Nigel: You OK?
Debbie:
putting screws in walls,
hanging things up,
and the rest of it's down to me.
So I'm the dresser
of rooms. Heh!
Nigel: Put it against
the window.
Debbie: God, it's heavy, that.
Dick: Debbie and Nigel need to
put together a brass bed
they brought with them
from the UK.
Nigel: Good. That's one done.
Debbie: Putting the bed up
isn't the biggest job.
The biggest job is fitting
the ciel de lit above the bed,
which is basically the drapes
at the side.
So that's the thing I'm most
concerned about.
Nigel: OK, yup.
[Laughter]
Nigel: Perfect.
Nigel: Come have a sit.
Debbie: No, no time for resting.
Come on.
Dick: No napping on this job,
Nigel.
You've still got to put the bed
and side tables in place
to work out exactly where
that ciel de lit should hang.
Nigel: Right. I'm at
the center of the bed.
Does it need to be exact?
Debbie: Yeah.
Well, the thing is if it's
not exact, we can always
shift the bed a little bit.
Nigel: Move it closer.
Debbie: Yeah, to cheat,
can't we?
Right? You getting up, then?
Nigel: I'm just gonna take
my shoes off.
Debbie: I might have to have
a little lie-down in a minute.
Nigel: Shall we?
[Laughter]
Debbie: Not that sort of
a lie-down.
Ah, dear. Come on.
I just want it to drape
to the side
and just look a little bit--
Nigel: Right.
Debbie: a little bit special.
Nigel: Let's have a look.
Right. So that's
about the center.
Debbie: OK, so that's gonna be--
Nigel: Higher? Lower?
Debbie: Hang on. Hang on.
I'll tell you in a minute.
I just need to look at it from
the back as well. So...
Yup, that's fine.
Nigel: I need a longer--
a longer tool.
-What do you need?
-I need my long spirit level.
Debbie: Won't
the tape measure do?
Nigel: No.
Debbie: Every time we do
something, Nigel does
25 trips up and down,
up and down.
"I need this. I need that."
And I always say to him, "Have
you got everything you need?"
"Yeah, yeah."
And inevitably, he hasn't,
so but it does him good.
It's good exercise. Ha ha!
Dick: A man after my own heart.
Nigel has a tool for everything.
Nigel: I'll try my new toy out,
my new laser.
Debbie: All right. Oh. Ooh.
So what are you doing, then?
Nigel: I don't know.
Let's do it the old-fashioned
way, shall we?
Debbie: So your new toy doesn't
work, Nige.
Nigel: The new toy
doesn't work,
but it will do if I knew
what I was doing,
but I don't, so it won't.
Dick: Don't give up, Nigel.
Have another go, mate.
Nigel: Right.
Ohh! Perfect.
Right. Would you like to pass up
the shelf?
Debbie: "Shelf"! Ha ha!
Dick: A ciel de lit, Nigel.
You'll get the lingo.
Nigel: How about that?
Debbie: Is it on?
Nigel: Love it.
Debbie: That's amazing.
Yeah, that looks good.
Central.
Nigel: Now you've got your
bed knobs and broomsticks,
and you've got your witch
and wardrobe.
Dick: All very theatrical,
and no fairy tale would be
complete
without a magic mirror...
Debbie: Um--
Nigel: How is that?
Dick: and some gold trimmings.
Nigel: OK, how is that?
Debbie: That looks great.
I really like that, Nige.
Nigel: I tell you what.
Debbie: That looks good for
a bargain, doesn't it?
Nigel: Five euros for those each
and 10 euros for the mirror.
Debbie: Five each and 10.
Yeah, exactly.
Dick: They were a find.
Less than 20 quid for the lot.
Now just the bed to make up.
Debbie: This is my favorite bit.
I like the dressing,
the dressing of the rooms.
Yeah, it's good fun.
That's the one.
Are your hands clean?
Nigel: Yes.
Debbie: Are you sure?
I'm not gonna put it
right across.
I just want it halfway.
Nigel: OK.
Debbie: Across the bottom of
the bed, Nige.
Nigel: OK.
Debbie: OK, that's good.
Good job.
Nigel will give me opinions
on what he thinks
about colors and stuff, but then
I just do what I like. Ha ha!
In that room, we've managed to
get everything sort of in place
that we wanted to do.
You could walk in there
and stay,
and I wouldn't be concerned
about how it looks now.
I think that it's coming
together.
Nigel: Yeah.
Dick: It certainly is.
Nigel: What, you want to try
it out here, this wall?
Debbie: Yup, against that wall.
Dick: They've also managed to
pick up some bargains
for one of the other
guest rooms.
Nigel: How much was that?
Debbie: 10 euros, I think.
Nigel: 10 euros!
Dick: Every euro helps,
especially when you
stretch yourself
to get this far.
Debbie: I think the chateau
will grow organically with us
because at the moment,
we can't afford a huge amount
of extra furnishings, really.
To add a bit of color, we've
just gone
for a nice red cotton throw.
Nigel: Oh, wow.
Debbie: What do you think?
Nigel: Hey, that looks
fantastic.
Ah, Deb, this is really coming
together now.
I could sleep in here.
Debbie: You might be.
Nigel: I'd pay good money to
sleep in here. I might be?
[Laughter]
Debbie: After today, we've got
two rooms ready for action.
So guests can walk in there,
and they're ready to go.
So that's a good feeling.
Dick: Indeed. Always great when
you've ticked something else
off your list.
115 miles away at Chateau
de Brives, near Cognac...
George: OK. 1, 2, 3. Perfect...
Dick: Sarah and George have had
their wedding publicity photos
taken, as they need to secure
a booking for this summer.
Now it's time to decorate one
of the rooms, which will be used
during the weddings, the salon.
George: I'm very much hoping
that it will really look
that much better when it's
finished.
Dick: And it needs more
than just a lick of paint.
George: All the cracks have to
be filled in and chalked.
Do all the preparation,
all the filling.
Sarah: And the fact that it's
all paneled is
quite a challenge for us.
Dick: They're curious to know
what color
the original panels used to be.
So they've called in painter
and decorator Vincent
for a bit of advice.
He's a local Brit who's worked
on numerous historic buildings.
Vincent: All right. Let's just
see if we can get a bit of this.
You've got two colors there,
actually.
George: Have we?
Vincent: Yeah.
You've got that darker green.
George: Yeah...
Vincent: And you've got
the lighter green.
You've got the top coat.
That's the next coat.
So that's the original.
George: Yeah.
Vincent: You've only got 3 coats
of paint on there.
George: So that's quite unusual,
really...
Vincent: If you have a property
this age, normally there
have been layers and layers
of paint.
George: Yeah. OK.
Let's get cleaning.
Dick: As Vincent has
established there
aren't too many old layers,
it means they can paint on top
after a good scrub.
George: Oh, yes. Now I can see
the grime.
Vincent: It's quite
extraordinary, isn't it?
Sarah: I think it's fabulous
watching these men doing
the cleaning.
I think you should keep going.
Vincent: By the time we finish,
you probably won't
have to repaint it.
Sarah: Looking better already.
It was just dirty.
Dick: Now it's clean, they can
try out some samples.
Sarah: I can tell you already
I don't warm to that color.
George: Well, it's to you to
get to like the other color.
Sarah: Yeah, yeah.
Dick: Good call. I usually leave
those details to Angel as well.
George: Do the underneath?
Sarah: Yup.
Oh, gosh, that's really close
to what's there.
I find the first one too creamy.
Or what do you...?
Vincent: Let it dry and see
what it happens.
-Yeah, yeah.
-Yeah.
Ah.
Sarah: Looking interesting.
Vincent: I quite like
that color.
George: Yeah, I like this color.
Let's just wait for it
to dry a minute.
Sarah: Well, certainly for me,
the darker color
grabs my eye a lot more
than the pastels.
And I think with the fact
that there's
so much light in this
room, I think that would--
George: Yeah, I think the darker
color with the light, I think,
is the color we'll go for.
Dick: Palette picked, now just
the rest of the room to prep.
Four weeks later, the salon is
ready for its
long-awaited redecoration
to make it fit
for a chateau wedding.
George: Come on in, darling.
Sarah: Can't wait to see
the paint on.
George: Let's start putting on
some topcoat.
Sarah: What do you want?
Shall I do bottom?
George: You do bottom.
I'll go up the ladder.
You think you can do it quickly,
but, actually, you know,
it takes one or two days just
to clean one wall.
So there's a lot to do.
Sarah: He always likes to do
the big areas, and then I get
called in to do the fiddly bits.
George: Sarah always says that
I'm the poacher.
So I like to do something,
you think, "Well,
that looks nice,"
and it doesn't take me long.
Sarah: Yeah, George likes
to speed,
and I like to do it kind of
properly.
And what is nice when you're
doing this kind of job is
you really get to see the detail
of the craftsmanship,
like those little things there.
I just think it's
so incredibly sweet.
I think the change is
already fantastic.
George: Yeah, it looks
so much better.
It shows the detail far better.
Sarah: Yeah, definitely.
George: It was so dirty before.
It was greasy and--
Sarah: It's one solid color,
which is just so much better.
Yeah, it looks lovely.
George: Now it's starting to
really, really look grand again.
Dick: Nothing like
a fresh coat of paint
to bring it back to life.
George: Very good.
Sarah: Now I'm just finishing
off this portion.
George: OK. Yeah, yours looks
quite blotchy.
[Sarah laughing]
George: But that could be
the light.
Well, I was certainly faster.
Was I better? I don't know.
We'll have to
wait until it's dry.
Sarah: We'll see when it dries.
We've got a lot of things to do
in a lot of places
that we've just got to get on
with doing.
George: Yeah, we'll just have to
put our minds to it.
We'll get there.
Dick: That's the spirit!
One more down,
just 3 more to go.
Back at Stephanie's in central
France, preparations are
underway for her mother's
wedding in just 3 days' time.
Stephanie:
Dream team of lace here.
Dick: A pergola's been
constructed on the terrace,
where the wedding breakfast
will be held.
And now it's down to Stephanie
to decorate it,
using over 80 meters of lace
with help from Aunt Chantal
and live-in helper Marie.
Stephanie: We are trying to use
all the spare lace
in the charity shops of France
to make a lace cover here
because I would like to make
a nice sort of tented effect
of lace and greenery
and chandeliers,
and just this beautiful
wonderland for the table
for the dinner.
Dick: Sounds like a great way of
reusing old curtains.
Not so sure what Isabelle will
think, however.
Chantal: Hello, sister.
Isabelle: My best curtains!
[Stephanie laughing]
Chantal: It's a bit late.
Marie: You don't need them.
Isabelle:
They're my best curtains.
Chantal: We made
a managerial decision, Isabelle.
Marie: Oh, my God.
Chantal: They had to be cut.
Stephanie: Lots of borders.
That's fantastic.
We should use the borders
as borders.
Isabelle: I hope it doesn't
look like a washing line.
Marie: I just found a new
border.
Getting it down again
is gonna be a laugh.
Isabelle: Stephanie...
Marie: I'll just rip it off.
Isabelle: Why not
another band there?
Stephanie: No. No...
Chantal: Isabelle, let your
daughter decide.
Isabelle: Yes,
I will let her decide.
I can't help it if
she decide what I suggest.
Chantal: No. Come on. Disappear.
Marie: Thank you.
Isabelle: Stephanie has such
big ideas,
but she has no--or very little
notion of time.
And at the last minute,
it's a rush, rush, rush.
And so I am slightly concerned
about the ability
to have everything tied up
in a pretty knot
at the right time.
Stephanie: How is it possible
this fits so perfectly
and we didn't measure any of it?
Isabelle: I admire people's
enthusiasm,
doing so much work for the
wedding of two elderly people.
I hope we don't pop off a month
or two after the wedding.
Stephanie: But after the work,
careful of that wire.
Dick: Two days later,
with just 24 hours to go
until the wedding,
Stephanie's had a change
of heart.
Stephanie: I annoyed everybody
by thinking that, actually,
it might be nice if the lace
was flat as a ceiling.
So all the lovely things that
have been put up are
now being opened out
and flattened across.
It's a blessed relief
for us all.
My mother's gone to have her
nails done. Ha ha!
She can't even text us
instructions
while she's having them done.
So it's complete peace and quiet
in the house.
And we can get on and make
everything beautiful.
Dick:
Stephanie's also decorating
with ivy from the garden.
Using plants from your own
grounds is exactly
what Angel would
do to great effect.
Marie: It's actually looking
quite good.
Stephanie: I just feel like I'm
in a jungle canopy right now.
Dick: To make sure she gets
everything done on time,
close family friend Gerry is
also drafted in.
Gerry: Stephanie,
I used to be an altar boy.
[Stephanie laughs]
Stephanie: You practicing
for tomorrow?
Dick: Now for
the piece de resistance,
outdoor chandeliers.
Stephanie: It looks amazing.
I wish it could just stay
outside all the time.
-No, you don't...
-Yes, I do...
Gerry: Is that OK?
Marie: It's beautiful.
Dick: Well done, chaps.
It's looking good.
But with less than 24 hours to
go until the wedding
and the chapel still to
decorate,
you can't rest
on your laurels yet.
37 miles south, it's a busy day
for new chateau owners
Debbie and Nigel, as they're
launching their B&B.
Debbie: So it's
our guests' arrival,
teatime tonight.
So, yeah, quite nervous,
actually.
Nigel: Quite a big day.
Debbie: Quite a big day.
Both: Well, it's a very big day.
Ha ha!
Dick: Sadly, their "Lion, the
Witch, and the Wardrobe" themed
room is missing its roar.
Debbie: So the one
disappointment is that
the lion stencil hasn't arrived.
It's had to be reordered,
but it's not gonna be done
in time for our first guests,
so that is a bit of
a disappointment.
I think it's turned into a bit
of a joke now.
The lion stencil has got like
bad vibes.
Nigel: Where's the lion stencil?
Dick: Missing stencils aside,
there are still
some finishing touches Debbie
wants to do in the room.
Debbie: So these two tables came
from a brocante.
They're quite plain, and I felt
the need to do a little bit
of something to make them a bit
more fitting for a chateau.
So I discovered
this gilding wax.
And it just gives a little bit
of gold effect
without being completely
overpowering.
Does the job, and it does it
on a budget, which is, again,
obviously, our criteria.
Dick: Glad to see Debbie's
taking a gold leaf
out of Angel's book and
beautifying as cost-effectively
as possible.
Debbie: Yeah, I'm really pleased
with it.
Dick: So you should be!
And just in the nick of time.
A few hours later, and their
first paying guests arrive,
who are traveling down to Spain.
Debbie: Hi!
Hello. Welcome.
Nigel: Welcome.
Man: How are you?
Debbie: So you're all right?
Man 2: I'm all right? Yeah.
Dick: One of the chaps is
a friend of Nigel's from the UK.
Man: What a place this is.
Debbie: Do you like it?
Man: I like it.
Nigel: Come on in.
Dick: At last, they can start
making some much-needed income.
In just 6 weeks, they turned
a bedroom into an en suite
with a magical Narnia-style
entrance through a wardrobe.
And they've given the others
a colorful new lease of life.
Debbie: This is
the Vassiviere Room.
Man: Wow.
That's amazing!
Debbie: You like it?
Man: Yeah, very happy for
the night.
Debbie: Yes?
Man: Yes, yup.
Debbie: Nice and comfortable
for a few nights away?
Man: Yeah, yeah. That's
brilliant. That is nice.
Debbie: This is the room that
we've knocked through.
Obviously, we love "The Lion,
the Witch, and the Wardrobe."
So that's the way through into
your en suite.
Man: God. This is
absolutely brilliant.
Debbie: Isn't it?
Man: Yeah!
Didn't expect that.
Debbie: No, did you? Ha ha!
Well, there you go.
So that's your room.
Man: Great stuff, then, girl.
Debbie: Hopefully, the others
will like theirs.
All right. I'll leave you to it.
Man: I thought it
absolutely amazing.
The attention to detail was
second to none.
Debbie: That was a really nice
reaction.
Nigel: It was very positive,
as well...
Debbie: Yeah, for us, this is
an important first step.
Nigel: It's a very important
first step.
Debbie: We'd like regular,
weekly guests to be able
to sort of carry on renovating.
Man: Cheers.
Man 2: Here's to
an outstanding, good holiday.
-Cheers, guys.
-Cheers all around.
-To a good holiday.
-A good holiday.
Different man: Cheers.
Debbie: In terms of what's next
for the big part of the
renovation is the orangery...
Nigel: Orangery, yeah.
Debbie: at the back
of the chateau,
which, at the moment,
it's currently a little bit
of an eyesore.
It doesn't fit in.
So there's a lot to think about
on that one,
so we need to think carefully,
as well, don't we?
Nigel: Absolutely.
Dick: Let's hope those bookings
keep rolling in
and they can restore
the orangery back
to its former glory.
Dick: 115 miles away,
near Cognac...
Sarah: Is that quite nice?
Can you see that?
Dick: Sarah and George have
finished painting their salon,
ready to launch as
a wedding venue.
Sarah: It is difficult to get it
all in, isn't it, actually?
Dick: Now their pictures need
to do it justice.
George: Done, then?
Sarah: I think it's quite nice.
George: Yeah, that's nice.
Sarah: May be a bit too much
ceiling.
George: No. It looks good.
Sarah: I think it's quite
nice, actually.
Dick: Today they're putting
wedding business plans
on hold...
George: Let's find this room.
Dick: in favor of a money-making
whim they've harbored for years.
George: When we bought
the house, we realized
quite quickly that
the cellars mirror
the upstairs of the house.
And the dining room,
this room here,
there was no access to get
underneath the dining room.
Every other room,
you can get underneath.
This one you can't, so we
thought that was very peculiar.
Dick: It does seem a bit odd.
Because the chateau was built
by a cognac baron,
George has a theory.
George: All the best cognac
was hidden
before
the Second World War.
Now, I'm hoping to find a room,
and if it's been blocked up,
there must be some kind of
reason why it was blocked up.
So my logic would be it would be
full of cognac.
Very possibly, there is
treasure right below my feet
right now, and, very possibly,
by the end of the afternoon,
we're gonna be
getting our tickets to go
to Barbados.
Dick: That would be nice.
Some vintage cognac can fetch
£10,000 a bottle.
Time to start
their treasure hunt.
Sarah: What kind of size hole
are we talking about?
George: Well, to start with,
just like that.
Sarah: Oh, OK, fine.
George: And then you have to get
bigger and bigger so we can get
a camera through.
Dick: To solve the mystery,
they need
to drill through
the meter-thick wall.
-Hello.
-Ah, bonjour, David.
-Bonjour, George.
-Bonjour, Sebastian.
Dick: So they've called in
a favor
from local stonemason David
and his pal Sebastian.
Sarah: That's what we need.
George: That's a big boy. Ah!
Sarah: Superb. Look at that.
George: Even bigger.
Dick: Let the treasure hunt
begin.
-Yeah, why not?
-Oui...
Dick: Having worked out where
the dining room above is,
they're planning to drill
a big enough hole
to put a camera through and see
what's on the other side.
George: So there's no soil.
So that is a good sign.
Dick: Soil would mean
no unearthing a mystery room.
George: We've gone through
the wall, which is one meter,
and there's no evidence
of foundations or soil,
which is evidence that there's
a space there,
so, yeah, once we've made
this hole bigger...
Sarah: We can see.
George: we can put a camera
through or shine a torch,
see if we can find something.
It's looking good.
It's looking as though there
is something there.
So keep on going.
Dick: A short while later,
there's a hole big enough
to shine a torch through.
Sarah: Do you see anything,
Georgie?
George: OK, now to find it.
Sarah: So the material that
they're finding here is
more recent than what would
have been used
to construct the house,
so maybe this is where they did
block it up for some reason
more recently.
Sarah: He can tell from what
he's finding,
the style of how it was done,
and he's saying,
if you were a proper mason,
it wouldn't be done like that.
And so it was done in--
George: In a hurry.
Sarah: quite a hurry. Yeah.
Dick: The plot thickens, so
maybe someone did do a rush job
to hide the booty.
George: So we're through. OK.
Shall we try and put a little
camera in and have a look?
You hold the torch.
Now shine the torch in.
Dick: Rather than the hidden
room filled with cognac
they were hoping for, it seems
to be a room filled with rubble.
George: The room is made of
a huge piece of stone.
George: Oui.
Sarah: But I don't think
it's resolved.
George: It's not resolved,
but, I mean, that's as far
as we can really go.
Sarah: How far can you go?
Dick: So it remains a mystery
as to why the room
was blocked up.
-No, no, no.
-No.
[Laughter]
[Conversation continues
in French]
Dick: Oh, well,
no trip to Barbados.
So time, perhaps, to return to
getting your wedding business
up and running.
Over in central France,
at Stephanie's,
it's the day before her
mother Isabelle's wedding.
Stephanie: So it looks as though
Gerry's on candles,
you're on trees.
Michael: Oh, no!
Stephanie: Ha ha!
Dick: She's roped in Gerry
and friend Michael
to help decorate the private
chapel, where the blessing,
in front of family and friends,
will take place.
Michael: What trees do you
want in here?
Stephanie: I was just sort of
imagining maybe 2 trees.
Dick: Stephanie wants to bring
the outside in by
using natural foliage, something
my Angel has made a theme
throughout our chateau when we
host weddings.
Angel: These hydrangeas are
great because they are
still fresh, but they're
starting to dry.
Dick: It's a resourceful
technique, which always
looks impressive and saves
the pennies.
Gerry: So we're gonna put
two trees here.
Stephanie: Yes.
Gerry: Are we gonna put lights
on anywhere?
Stephanie: Oh, let's put
fairy lights in them.
Gerry: But what I'm thinking,
you have to be very careful.
If a Roman Catholic priest is
gonna be coming to perform
the service, if it's gonna look
a bit garish
and a wee bit over the top,
it's good to look proper,
it's good to look holy.
Stephanie: Gerry, are you
suggesting that
my decorative scheme would be
garish?
Gerry: Oh, just in time.
That's God. Sorry. That's God.
"My dear son Gerald, you are
absolutely right." Sorry.
[Laughter]
Stephanie: And there's
one other thing,
which I think you're gonna
struggle with.
Could you just hang that
back up?
Gerry: Now, Stephanie,
that's dangerous work.
If we put this up, we'll have
a wedding and a funeral.
[Stephanie chuckles]
Gerry: Just say to the priest,
"Can you just do
"another wee quick service
while we are here?
We don't want to light
the candles again."
Stephanie: Yeah, OK, I really
wanted that up, but I think
we're gonna have to--
Gerry: No.
Stephanie: shelve that idea.
Gerry: Yeah, very much so.
Stephanie: OK, we have to
distract Mummy from the fact
that's not up.
Gerry: Does she want it up?
Stephanie: Michael,
think big trees.
Well, she thought it was
going up.
I think she'll understand, but
big trees, lots of fairy lights.
Gerry: Good. OK. Good, good,
good thinking.
Stephanie: Shall we go
and find a tree?
-Yup.
-Yup.
Michael: We're going to cut down
something that
your mother likes. "Oh, no!
It is my favorite."
Stephanie: "My favorite tree!"
Michael: Can we take that
one there?
Stephanie: Yes.
[Sawing]
Dick: Might need a bit
more weight at
the bottom there, boys.
Round peg, square hole
springs to mind.
Gerry: "Can I have Percy
and Isabelle? Are you here?"
Right.
Much better.
I think it's looking
absolutely lovely.
Stephanie: I actually feel
quite emotional seeing it.
With all of these trees, it's
more beautiful than I thought,
but I hope my mother likes it.
Dick: All that's left is
for the bride to be to give it
her blessing.
-What do you think?
-What do I think?
How lovely! How lovely.
But I don't know if it--if there
is a bit of a pagan twinge.
Stephanie: Well, I like that.
I see you slightly in pagan.
Isabelle: Yeah,
but the priest is not.
I don't want him to be offended.
Stephanie: Why would he be
offended by a tree?
Isabelle: Because it'd look
a bit druidish.
-"Druidish"?
-Druid-ish.
He's going to be shocked.
He's an old man.
Stephanie: Shocked by a tree?
Don't worry about the priest.
Isabelle: I do like that.
Stephanie: I think you're
worrying too much about
what other people will think and
not thinking about
what you like.
All right. Let's get on.
Isabelle: OK. Thank you,
darling.
Stephanie: I don't know why my
mother seems to think that
the priest might find
trees evil.
But I'll speak to the priest
when he arrives tomorrow,
and I'd be very surprised if he
does come to the conclusion
that my mother is a druid.
I feel as though I've been
working all day
and haven't really achieved
anything
because nothing's finished.
I'm definitely going to be
working all night tonight.
There's no question.
I have to finish the chapel,
I have to finish the terrace,
and put on fairy lights on
the terrace.
The cake! There's so much to do.
Dick: Not much shuteye for you
tonight, then, Stephanie.
I look forward to seeing how it
all goes tomorrow.
Next time...
Nigel: Got me a new comb.
Debbie: Oh, you've got
your new comb, yeah.
Dick: Debbie and Nigel have
decorating differences.
Nigel: I think that might look
nice mounted on the wall.
Debbie: I think it--might
detract from the paintings.
I don't know. What do you think?
Nigel: Oh...
don't want anything to detract
from your paintings.
Dick: It's wedding day
at Lalande...
Stephanie: Oh, Mama!
Dick: but the bride has concerns
of her carriage flowers.
Isabelle: I just hope it doesn't
tickle the horse's behind,
because then I could go at
a frisk gallop.
Dick: And Sarah and George try
not to put a foot wrong.
George: No? OK.
Sarah: OK. OK.
He's not happy with his team
of English people, but--ha ha!
and along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
Angel: Yay!
Dick: Oh, well done.
Dick, voice-over: we've lived
in this magnificent chateau
for the past five years.
Dick: Look, look, look, look,
look, look, look, look.
Angel: Oh, my God.
That is so beautiful.
Dick, voice-over:
It's not just our home...
Dick: Ohh. And we are up.
Dick, voice-over:
but our business.
Dick: You may kiss your bride.
[Cheering and applause]
Dick, voice-over:
And all over France,
there are other Brits doing
exactly the same.
Sarah: Oh, my God.
Dick, voice-over: We'll follow
a new wave
of intrepid chateau owners...
Man: I'll open some windows. It
might help get rid of some dust.
Dick: and some familiar faces,
as they take on these majestic
buildings,
and we'll reveal more about
our own chateau life.
Daughter: Is everyone ready?
Dick and Angel: Yay!
Dick, voice-over:
There'll be triumphs...
-This looks incredible.
-You like it all right?
Woman: I love it.
Dick, voice-over: and setbacks--
Man: Oof.
Dick, voice-over: as they battle
to renovate their homes...
and earn their keep.
Woman: OK, I'm ready.
Dick: But no matter
how hard the going gets...
Debbie: This is probably, yeah,
my worst nightmare.
Dick: they get
to live the dream
as custodians of their
very own castle.
Today...
Nigel: Put it against
the window.
Debbie: God, it's heavy, that.
Dick: new chateau owners work
flat out to be guest-ready.
Debbie: I might have to have
a little lie-down in a minute.
Nigel: Shall we?
[Laughter]
Debbie: Not that sort of
a lie-down.
Dick: At another chateau,
wedding preparations are
lavished in lace...
Isabelle: These are my best
curtains!
Dick: much
to the bride's dismay.
Isabelle: I hope it doesn't
look like a washing line.
Dick: And one couple dig for
hidden treasure.
George: Very possibly, there is
treasure right below my feet
right now, and we're gonna be
getting our ticket to go
to Barbados.
Dick: All over France, lots of
Brits are working hard to keep
their chateaux up and running.
And for some, their dream
journey is just beginning.
Take the stately Chateau Gioux,
nestling
in over 5 acres of countryside
at the edge of
the Millesvaches park
in central France.
Yorkshire couple Debbie and
Nigel recently sunk everything
into buying it for £280,000.
Nigel: I think fortune's
smiled on us.
Debbie: It has. It has.
Nigel: We were in the right
place at the right time.
Debbie: Yeah.
It was meant to be.
Nigel: It became available.
It was meant to be.
It was meant to be.
Debbie: Definitely meant to be.
Ha ha!
Dick: Located 30 miles east of
Limoges,
Debbie, who ran a farm shop,
and Nigel, a bar manager,
have recently moved in.
Debbie: Right! We're here.
Debbie: And it's really good.
A bit of work to do,
isn't there, though?
We'll get there.
Dick: The chateau needs
some serious renovation,
but to pay for that, Debbie
and Nigel need to open
as a B&B as soon as possible.
Debbie: We've never run
a B&B before.
So, yeah, it's
completely new to us.
Nigel: We're both very much
looking forward to having
our first guests and getting
up and running.
Debbie: Yeah. We're looking
forward to some money.
[Laughter]
Dick: Their first guests arrive
in one week,
so they need to get
3 rooms ready.
In the main bedroom, they've
created an en suite
by knocking through a wall
and made an entrance inspired by
the story "The Lion, the Witch,
and the Wardrobe."
Debbie: Brilliant.
Nigel: That's gonna look good.
Yeah. I'm cool with that.
Dick: Today Debbie's getting
creative with some stencils
to bring the wardrobe to life.
Debbie: I'm going to put a lion
on each of the top panels,
and then to complete it,
I've got two little
lion head door handles.
Dick: First the forests
of Narnia!
Stencils are a cheap and easy
way to make furniture unique.
Debbie: The last time I did this
was, like, 1985.
So, yeah, hopefully, I haven't
lost my technique,
but we'll see.
The green I've got now--
I was hoping to go for
a slightly dark one.
I'm not sure how much it's
gonna show upon
the green of the door,
so fingers crossed,
it is gonna work.
Oh, yeah. Look how much
you see it, which is good.
Dick: You don't seem to have
lost your touch, Debbie.
And your artwork has
one admirer already.
Debbie: T.J. was a very
antisocial cat at home
in north Yorkshire.
He's just turned into
a completely
different personality,
so he's obviously liking
the French lifestyle.
Dick: Well, that's
chateau life for you.
Debbie: I hope I can get it
off now, obviously.
There we go.
Yeah, I think that looks
absolutely fine.
Dick: Magical. And it seems
the post has arrived
in perfect time.
Debbie: Has it--
Nigel: Here you go. Yup.
Debbie: Oh, brilliant.
Nigel: How's that--oh, wow!
Look at that.
Debbie: So what do you think?
Nigel: I think that's great.
Debbie: You think it works?
Nigel: Yeah, it's fantastic.
Debbie: Yeah? So these are
the lion head door handles.
Nigel: Yeah?
Oh, wow. Look at that.
Debbie: They're cute,
aren't they?
Nigel: Yeah, I like that.
Shall I put them on now?
Debbie: Yes, put them on now.
Nigel: How's that look?
Debbie: I think they look great.
They look good, don't they?
Nigel: Yeah, that's a good buy.
Debbie: They look nice, Nige.
Nigel: Brilliant. Well done.
Dick: Great stuff!
Only the lion stencils to add,
and it'll really look the part.
115 miles away is
the 19th-century
Chateau de Brives.
Built by a cognac baron,
it has 25 rooms
and sits in 30 acres of land.
Antique dealers Sarah and George
bought the chateau
for £415,000
and have spent the last 9 years
renovating it
into their dream home.
Sarah: I never in my wildest
dreams thought
I'd be a chatelaine.
And I'm sure George was
absolutely destined to be,
so, um, his dream's come true
totally.
George: It suits me very well.
Sarah: Ha ha.
He just needs a crown. Ha ha.
Dick: Situated 7 miles from
Cognac in southwest France,
the couple are aiming to turn
their home
into a wedding venue to help
with the chateau upkeep
and general living expenses.
Sarah: We don't have
any experience at all
at hosting a wedding, but I'm
hoping we're going to learn
pretty quickly.
George: Yeah.
[Laughter]
Dick: They started by winning
over wedding planner Samantha--
Samantha: Wow!
What an incredible place.
Dick: to help get their new
business off the ground.
Sarah: So this is
our main salon.
Samantha: OK, I think it looks
great, but it does look like
a family house.
I do feel you need to declutter.
Dick: And with the help of my
Angel, Sarah learned
how to use her love of
antiques to create
a unique table display.
Angel: I think it's
looking lovely.
Sarah: And it's absolutely
beautiful.
Angel: We've used your stuff.
Sarah: Yes.
Angel: Yeah.
Dick: Now they've decided to
create a photo shoot
to help drum up some business,
essential if they're going
to get a wedding booking
this year.
Sarah: We've waited a long time
to get new photographs
of the salon, and it just
shows people more
of what they're going to get.
George: Yeah. It all gives them
a far better idea of what
they're letting themselves
in for.
Sarah: Yeah. Ha ha!
Dick: To make sure it goes off
without a hitch,
they're using
a team of professionals.
Sarah: Hi. I'm Sarah.
We met before, have we?
Claire: Hello, Sarah...
Dick: Samantha's brought in
makeup artist Claire, florist
Lisa, and assistant India.
Sarah: How, India. How are you?
Oh, well, that's pretty much all
of us for the moment. Perfect.
Perfect.
Dick: The model bride and
photographers are on their way.
So Sarah shows the team where
they can set up.
Sarah: So this will be the
bride's dressing room in here.
The girls can get dressed in
here today.
We can do hair and makeup
in here today.
Samantha: The light's lovely,
I think.
George: I am anxious to get
the first wedding booked,
but with these fantastic faces,
with the effort that
everyone's put in,
I'm sure we'll find a couple
who would love
to get married here.
And then the sky's the limit
what's going to happen
after that.
Dick: While the team gets on
with prepping for the shoot,
Sarah's giving
table decoration a go,
having learned a thing or two
from Angel.
Sarah: I really liked what
she did.
I'm going to try and copy.
And I definitely wouldn't have
known how to decorate
candlesticks
and the rest of the table
and be a bit more adventurous,
actually.
It's one of those things that
Angel makes look so easy
and I'm
all fingers and thumbs.
Dick: Glad you've taken Angel's
lesson to heart.
And George seems to approve.
George: Well, it looks lovely.
Sarah: Do you think so,
honestly?
George: I do.
Sarah: Oh, well, beautiful.
And I love those.
George: Which?
Sarah: The way they
cascade down.
And I would never, ever have
thought of doing that myself.
George: I love
the trefoil, daffodil flowers.
They're beautiful.
Dick: Well done, Sarah.
Angel would be proud.
Sarah: We've got high hopes.
Ha ha.
George: It's terribly important
that it go well today.
-Goes well, yeah.
-Yeah.
Dick: With
the backdrop decorated
and the model dressed up,
the photo shoot can start.
[Camera shutter clicking]
Local car enthusiasts have even
brought along their classic cars
to add some style.
Sarah: Love the Morris Minor.
George: Yes, that
looks very nice.
Samantha: Perfect.
George: Don't you dent it.
[Laughter]
Sarah: That's a bit like having
a wedding in a sense.
George: Yes.
Sarah: So many people around
and, you know, the bride coming
down the stairs.
George: Yes, it's a really good
feeling.
Sarah: I've never seen the house
look so beautiful,
I have to say.
And that's thanks to everybody
who's been here today.
Yeah, really, really chuffed.
George: Bye.
Dick: A successful day.
Now let's hope those
publicity photos turn
today's mock wedding into
a real one.
Dick: The stunning 16th-century
Chateau de Lalande sits
in 60 acres of land
and even has its own chapel.
There are 40 rooms, which have
been lovingly restored
over the 13 years Stephanie has
owned it.
Stephanie: It was definitely
love at first sight
when I saw Lalande.
I hope it was love at first
sight the other way round
as well, but she is not
making it clear. Heh!
Located in Centre-Val de Loire,
53 miles from Limoges,
Stephanie now runs it as a B&B
as well as putting on events.
Stephanie, voice-over: It's
always lovely to see people
arriving for the first time
and to see the chateau anew
through their eyes.
Dick: And in just 10 days' time,
she's putting on the mother of
all events.
Stephanie: Just the thought,
What do I have planned for
my mother's wedding?,
just fills me with dread 'cause
there's so much to do.
Dick: Stephanie's recruited
live-in chateau helper Marie
to help her finalize decoration
ideas for the chapel.
Stephanie: Well, there's a lot
to do in here.
Marie: A couple of
centerpieces here.
Yeah. Maybe we could do
a bit of vases and flowers
just in the area by the door.
Stephanie: Yeah.
Marie: Yeah.
[Stephanie groans]
Stephanie: It's so heavy!
Dick: Stephanie's found
an original chandelier that
could be used.
Stephanie:
And it's for real candles,
which would look so pretty.
Marie: Yeah.
Stephanie: Maybe we could have
big branches in here.
Marie: Yeah!
Stephanie: So it's sort of
treelike inside the chapel.
Marie: We can do that.
Stephanie: That would hide a lot
of the bird pooh
on the walls as well.
Dick: Trees in the chapel!
A novel idea. I wonder what
Isabelle will think of that.
Stephanie: "Turn chapel into
forest. Marie." There we go.
Now it's your job.
Marie: Ha ha!
Isabelle: No, it's wonderful
what's in the chapel.
Stephanie: We thought it would
be wonderful to have
tall trees as you go in.
Isabelle: OTT, over the top.
Marie: Are we doing torches
around here for the evening?
Stephanie: Yes.
Dick: For the wedding breakfast,
Stephanie's creating
an extra special
al fresco dining area
by building a pergola
across a 30-meter terrace
and draping it in lace.
Stephanie: We will build
a pergola frame over
and chandeliers
hanging down from the pergola.
You will arrange flowers.
What were you thinking for
the flowers with the frame?
Marie: Just hanging lots of
greens from the forest.
Stephanie, voice-over: The scale
of how much needs to be done
in 10 days
has absolutely hit now.
Plated food, yes.
The most challenging job,
because it's
the most structurally
difficult job,
is transforming the terrace.
Lace to source. We still don't
have enough lace
to make a ceiling;
chandeliers to rig up,
mirrors to put up.
But we'll need hurricane
lanterns for the candles.
Isabelle: Why, I'm pretty
anxious that
all those things are going to
take an awful lot of time,
but it's reassuring
to know that there is a plan.
I like plans.
Dick: Me, too, Isabelle.
Let's hope it goes to plan,
the terrace transformed
and the chapel decorated before
the big event
in 10 days' time.
37 miles south,
at Chateau Gioux,
Debbie and Nigel
have only a week
before they open their chateau
to their first paying guests.
Nigel: Come on, then.
Here we go.
Debbie: Uh!
Dick: At the moment, there's
nowhere for them to sleep.
Debbie: Nigel's job, when it
comes to dressing rooms,
is basically lifting
anything heavy...
Debbie: Lift your end up.
Nigel: You OK?
Debbie:
putting screws in walls,
hanging things up,
and the rest of it's down to me.
So I'm the dresser
of rooms. Heh!
Nigel: Put it against
the window.
Debbie: God, it's heavy, that.
Dick: Debbie and Nigel need to
put together a brass bed
they brought with them
from the UK.
Nigel: Good. That's one done.
Debbie: Putting the bed up
isn't the biggest job.
The biggest job is fitting
the ciel de lit above the bed,
which is basically the drapes
at the side.
So that's the thing I'm most
concerned about.
Nigel: OK, yup.
[Laughter]
Nigel: Perfect.
Nigel: Come have a sit.
Debbie: No, no time for resting.
Come on.
Dick: No napping on this job,
Nigel.
You've still got to put the bed
and side tables in place
to work out exactly where
that ciel de lit should hang.
Nigel: Right. I'm at
the center of the bed.
Does it need to be exact?
Debbie: Yeah.
Well, the thing is if it's
not exact, we can always
shift the bed a little bit.
Nigel: Move it closer.
Debbie: Yeah, to cheat,
can't we?
Right? You getting up, then?
Nigel: I'm just gonna take
my shoes off.
Debbie: I might have to have
a little lie-down in a minute.
Nigel: Shall we?
[Laughter]
Debbie: Not that sort of
a lie-down.
Ah, dear. Come on.
I just want it to drape
to the side
and just look a little bit--
Nigel: Right.
Debbie: a little bit special.
Nigel: Let's have a look.
Right. So that's
about the center.
Debbie: OK, so that's gonna be--
Nigel: Higher? Lower?
Debbie: Hang on. Hang on.
I'll tell you in a minute.
I just need to look at it from
the back as well. So...
Yup, that's fine.
Nigel: I need a longer--
a longer tool.
-What do you need?
-I need my long spirit level.
Debbie: Won't
the tape measure do?
Nigel: No.
Debbie: Every time we do
something, Nigel does
25 trips up and down,
up and down.
"I need this. I need that."
And I always say to him, "Have
you got everything you need?"
"Yeah, yeah."
And inevitably, he hasn't,
so but it does him good.
It's good exercise. Ha ha!
Dick: A man after my own heart.
Nigel has a tool for everything.
Nigel: I'll try my new toy out,
my new laser.
Debbie: All right. Oh. Ooh.
So what are you doing, then?
Nigel: I don't know.
Let's do it the old-fashioned
way, shall we?
Debbie: So your new toy doesn't
work, Nige.
Nigel: The new toy
doesn't work,
but it will do if I knew
what I was doing,
but I don't, so it won't.
Dick: Don't give up, Nigel.
Have another go, mate.
Nigel: Right.
Ohh! Perfect.
Right. Would you like to pass up
the shelf?
Debbie: "Shelf"! Ha ha!
Dick: A ciel de lit, Nigel.
You'll get the lingo.
Nigel: How about that?
Debbie: Is it on?
Nigel: Love it.
Debbie: That's amazing.
Yeah, that looks good.
Central.
Nigel: Now you've got your
bed knobs and broomsticks,
and you've got your witch
and wardrobe.
Dick: All very theatrical,
and no fairy tale would be
complete
without a magic mirror...
Debbie: Um--
Nigel: How is that?
Dick: and some gold trimmings.
Nigel: OK, how is that?
Debbie: That looks great.
I really like that, Nige.
Nigel: I tell you what.
Debbie: That looks good for
a bargain, doesn't it?
Nigel: Five euros for those each
and 10 euros for the mirror.
Debbie: Five each and 10.
Yeah, exactly.
Dick: They were a find.
Less than 20 quid for the lot.
Now just the bed to make up.
Debbie: This is my favorite bit.
I like the dressing,
the dressing of the rooms.
Yeah, it's good fun.
That's the one.
Are your hands clean?
Nigel: Yes.
Debbie: Are you sure?
I'm not gonna put it
right across.
I just want it halfway.
Nigel: OK.
Debbie: Across the bottom of
the bed, Nige.
Nigel: OK.
Debbie: OK, that's good.
Good job.
Nigel will give me opinions
on what he thinks
about colors and stuff, but then
I just do what I like. Ha ha!
In that room, we've managed to
get everything sort of in place
that we wanted to do.
You could walk in there
and stay,
and I wouldn't be concerned
about how it looks now.
I think that it's coming
together.
Nigel: Yeah.
Dick: It certainly is.
Nigel: What, you want to try
it out here, this wall?
Debbie: Yup, against that wall.
Dick: They've also managed to
pick up some bargains
for one of the other
guest rooms.
Nigel: How much was that?
Debbie: 10 euros, I think.
Nigel: 10 euros!
Dick: Every euro helps,
especially when you
stretch yourself
to get this far.
Debbie: I think the chateau
will grow organically with us
because at the moment,
we can't afford a huge amount
of extra furnishings, really.
To add a bit of color, we've
just gone
for a nice red cotton throw.
Nigel: Oh, wow.
Debbie: What do you think?
Nigel: Hey, that looks
fantastic.
Ah, Deb, this is really coming
together now.
I could sleep in here.
Debbie: You might be.
Nigel: I'd pay good money to
sleep in here. I might be?
[Laughter]
Debbie: After today, we've got
two rooms ready for action.
So guests can walk in there,
and they're ready to go.
So that's a good feeling.
Dick: Indeed. Always great when
you've ticked something else
off your list.
115 miles away at Chateau
de Brives, near Cognac...
George: OK. 1, 2, 3. Perfect...
Dick: Sarah and George have had
their wedding publicity photos
taken, as they need to secure
a booking for this summer.
Now it's time to decorate one
of the rooms, which will be used
during the weddings, the salon.
George: I'm very much hoping
that it will really look
that much better when it's
finished.
Dick: And it needs more
than just a lick of paint.
George: All the cracks have to
be filled in and chalked.
Do all the preparation,
all the filling.
Sarah: And the fact that it's
all paneled is
quite a challenge for us.
Dick: They're curious to know
what color
the original panels used to be.
So they've called in painter
and decorator Vincent
for a bit of advice.
He's a local Brit who's worked
on numerous historic buildings.
Vincent: All right. Let's just
see if we can get a bit of this.
You've got two colors there,
actually.
George: Have we?
Vincent: Yeah.
You've got that darker green.
George: Yeah...
Vincent: And you've got
the lighter green.
You've got the top coat.
That's the next coat.
So that's the original.
George: Yeah.
Vincent: You've only got 3 coats
of paint on there.
George: So that's quite unusual,
really...
Vincent: If you have a property
this age, normally there
have been layers and layers
of paint.
George: Yeah. OK.
Let's get cleaning.
Dick: As Vincent has
established there
aren't too many old layers,
it means they can paint on top
after a good scrub.
George: Oh, yes. Now I can see
the grime.
Vincent: It's quite
extraordinary, isn't it?
Sarah: I think it's fabulous
watching these men doing
the cleaning.
I think you should keep going.
Vincent: By the time we finish,
you probably won't
have to repaint it.
Sarah: Looking better already.
It was just dirty.
Dick: Now it's clean, they can
try out some samples.
Sarah: I can tell you already
I don't warm to that color.
George: Well, it's to you to
get to like the other color.
Sarah: Yeah, yeah.
Dick: Good call. I usually leave
those details to Angel as well.
George: Do the underneath?
Sarah: Yup.
Oh, gosh, that's really close
to what's there.
I find the first one too creamy.
Or what do you...?
Vincent: Let it dry and see
what it happens.
-Yeah, yeah.
-Yeah.
Ah.
Sarah: Looking interesting.
Vincent: I quite like
that color.
George: Yeah, I like this color.
Let's just wait for it
to dry a minute.
Sarah: Well, certainly for me,
the darker color
grabs my eye a lot more
than the pastels.
And I think with the fact
that there's
so much light in this
room, I think that would--
George: Yeah, I think the darker
color with the light, I think,
is the color we'll go for.
Dick: Palette picked, now just
the rest of the room to prep.
Four weeks later, the salon is
ready for its
long-awaited redecoration
to make it fit
for a chateau wedding.
George: Come on in, darling.
Sarah: Can't wait to see
the paint on.
George: Let's start putting on
some topcoat.
Sarah: What do you want?
Shall I do bottom?
George: You do bottom.
I'll go up the ladder.
You think you can do it quickly,
but, actually, you know,
it takes one or two days just
to clean one wall.
So there's a lot to do.
Sarah: He always likes to do
the big areas, and then I get
called in to do the fiddly bits.
George: Sarah always says that
I'm the poacher.
So I like to do something,
you think, "Well,
that looks nice,"
and it doesn't take me long.
Sarah: Yeah, George likes
to speed,
and I like to do it kind of
properly.
And what is nice when you're
doing this kind of job is
you really get to see the detail
of the craftsmanship,
like those little things there.
I just think it's
so incredibly sweet.
I think the change is
already fantastic.
George: Yeah, it looks
so much better.
It shows the detail far better.
Sarah: Yeah, definitely.
George: It was so dirty before.
It was greasy and--
Sarah: It's one solid color,
which is just so much better.
Yeah, it looks lovely.
George: Now it's starting to
really, really look grand again.
Dick: Nothing like
a fresh coat of paint
to bring it back to life.
George: Very good.
Sarah: Now I'm just finishing
off this portion.
George: OK. Yeah, yours looks
quite blotchy.
[Sarah laughing]
George: But that could be
the light.
Well, I was certainly faster.
Was I better? I don't know.
We'll have to
wait until it's dry.
Sarah: We'll see when it dries.
We've got a lot of things to do
in a lot of places
that we've just got to get on
with doing.
George: Yeah, we'll just have to
put our minds to it.
We'll get there.
Dick: That's the spirit!
One more down,
just 3 more to go.
Back at Stephanie's in central
France, preparations are
underway for her mother's
wedding in just 3 days' time.
Stephanie:
Dream team of lace here.
Dick: A pergola's been
constructed on the terrace,
where the wedding breakfast
will be held.
And now it's down to Stephanie
to decorate it,
using over 80 meters of lace
with help from Aunt Chantal
and live-in helper Marie.
Stephanie: We are trying to use
all the spare lace
in the charity shops of France
to make a lace cover here
because I would like to make
a nice sort of tented effect
of lace and greenery
and chandeliers,
and just this beautiful
wonderland for the table
for the dinner.
Dick: Sounds like a great way of
reusing old curtains.
Not so sure what Isabelle will
think, however.
Chantal: Hello, sister.
Isabelle: My best curtains!
[Stephanie laughing]
Chantal: It's a bit late.
Marie: You don't need them.
Isabelle:
They're my best curtains.
Chantal: We made
a managerial decision, Isabelle.
Marie: Oh, my God.
Chantal: They had to be cut.
Stephanie: Lots of borders.
That's fantastic.
We should use the borders
as borders.
Isabelle: I hope it doesn't
look like a washing line.
Marie: I just found a new
border.
Getting it down again
is gonna be a laugh.
Isabelle: Stephanie...
Marie: I'll just rip it off.
Isabelle: Why not
another band there?
Stephanie: No. No...
Chantal: Isabelle, let your
daughter decide.
Isabelle: Yes,
I will let her decide.
I can't help it if
she decide what I suggest.
Chantal: No. Come on. Disappear.
Marie: Thank you.
Isabelle: Stephanie has such
big ideas,
but she has no--or very little
notion of time.
And at the last minute,
it's a rush, rush, rush.
And so I am slightly concerned
about the ability
to have everything tied up
in a pretty knot
at the right time.
Stephanie: How is it possible
this fits so perfectly
and we didn't measure any of it?
Isabelle: I admire people's
enthusiasm,
doing so much work for the
wedding of two elderly people.
I hope we don't pop off a month
or two after the wedding.
Stephanie: But after the work,
careful of that wire.
Dick: Two days later,
with just 24 hours to go
until the wedding,
Stephanie's had a change
of heart.
Stephanie: I annoyed everybody
by thinking that, actually,
it might be nice if the lace
was flat as a ceiling.
So all the lovely things that
have been put up are
now being opened out
and flattened across.
It's a blessed relief
for us all.
My mother's gone to have her
nails done. Ha ha!
She can't even text us
instructions
while she's having them done.
So it's complete peace and quiet
in the house.
And we can get on and make
everything beautiful.
Dick:
Stephanie's also decorating
with ivy from the garden.
Using plants from your own
grounds is exactly
what Angel would
do to great effect.
Marie: It's actually looking
quite good.
Stephanie: I just feel like I'm
in a jungle canopy right now.
Dick: To make sure she gets
everything done on time,
close family friend Gerry is
also drafted in.
Gerry: Stephanie,
I used to be an altar boy.
[Stephanie laughs]
Stephanie: You practicing
for tomorrow?
Dick: Now for
the piece de resistance,
outdoor chandeliers.
Stephanie: It looks amazing.
I wish it could just stay
outside all the time.
-No, you don't...
-Yes, I do...
Gerry: Is that OK?
Marie: It's beautiful.
Dick: Well done, chaps.
It's looking good.
But with less than 24 hours to
go until the wedding
and the chapel still to
decorate,
you can't rest
on your laurels yet.
37 miles south, it's a busy day
for new chateau owners
Debbie and Nigel, as they're
launching their B&B.
Debbie: So it's
our guests' arrival,
teatime tonight.
So, yeah, quite nervous,
actually.
Nigel: Quite a big day.
Debbie: Quite a big day.
Both: Well, it's a very big day.
Ha ha!
Dick: Sadly, their "Lion, the
Witch, and the Wardrobe" themed
room is missing its roar.
Debbie: So the one
disappointment is that
the lion stencil hasn't arrived.
It's had to be reordered,
but it's not gonna be done
in time for our first guests,
so that is a bit of
a disappointment.
I think it's turned into a bit
of a joke now.
The lion stencil has got like
bad vibes.
Nigel: Where's the lion stencil?
Dick: Missing stencils aside,
there are still
some finishing touches Debbie
wants to do in the room.
Debbie: So these two tables came
from a brocante.
They're quite plain, and I felt
the need to do a little bit
of something to make them a bit
more fitting for a chateau.
So I discovered
this gilding wax.
And it just gives a little bit
of gold effect
without being completely
overpowering.
Does the job, and it does it
on a budget, which is, again,
obviously, our criteria.
Dick: Glad to see Debbie's
taking a gold leaf
out of Angel's book and
beautifying as cost-effectively
as possible.
Debbie: Yeah, I'm really pleased
with it.
Dick: So you should be!
And just in the nick of time.
A few hours later, and their
first paying guests arrive,
who are traveling down to Spain.
Debbie: Hi!
Hello. Welcome.
Nigel: Welcome.
Man: How are you?
Debbie: So you're all right?
Man 2: I'm all right? Yeah.
Dick: One of the chaps is
a friend of Nigel's from the UK.
Man: What a place this is.
Debbie: Do you like it?
Man: I like it.
Nigel: Come on in.
Dick: At last, they can start
making some much-needed income.
In just 6 weeks, they turned
a bedroom into an en suite
with a magical Narnia-style
entrance through a wardrobe.
And they've given the others
a colorful new lease of life.
Debbie: This is
the Vassiviere Room.
Man: Wow.
That's amazing!
Debbie: You like it?
Man: Yeah, very happy for
the night.
Debbie: Yes?
Man: Yes, yup.
Debbie: Nice and comfortable
for a few nights away?
Man: Yeah, yeah. That's
brilliant. That is nice.
Debbie: This is the room that
we've knocked through.
Obviously, we love "The Lion,
the Witch, and the Wardrobe."
So that's the way through into
your en suite.
Man: God. This is
absolutely brilliant.
Debbie: Isn't it?
Man: Yeah!
Didn't expect that.
Debbie: No, did you? Ha ha!
Well, there you go.
So that's your room.
Man: Great stuff, then, girl.
Debbie: Hopefully, the others
will like theirs.
All right. I'll leave you to it.
Man: I thought it
absolutely amazing.
The attention to detail was
second to none.
Debbie: That was a really nice
reaction.
Nigel: It was very positive,
as well...
Debbie: Yeah, for us, this is
an important first step.
Nigel: It's a very important
first step.
Debbie: We'd like regular,
weekly guests to be able
to sort of carry on renovating.
Man: Cheers.
Man 2: Here's to
an outstanding, good holiday.
-Cheers, guys.
-Cheers all around.
-To a good holiday.
-A good holiday.
Different man: Cheers.
Debbie: In terms of what's next
for the big part of the
renovation is the orangery...
Nigel: Orangery, yeah.
Debbie: at the back
of the chateau,
which, at the moment,
it's currently a little bit
of an eyesore.
It doesn't fit in.
So there's a lot to think about
on that one,
so we need to think carefully,
as well, don't we?
Nigel: Absolutely.
Dick: Let's hope those bookings
keep rolling in
and they can restore
the orangery back
to its former glory.
Dick: 115 miles away,
near Cognac...
Sarah: Is that quite nice?
Can you see that?
Dick: Sarah and George have
finished painting their salon,
ready to launch as
a wedding venue.
Sarah: It is difficult to get it
all in, isn't it, actually?
Dick: Now their pictures need
to do it justice.
George: Done, then?
Sarah: I think it's quite nice.
George: Yeah, that's nice.
Sarah: May be a bit too much
ceiling.
George: No. It looks good.
Sarah: I think it's quite
nice, actually.
Dick: Today they're putting
wedding business plans
on hold...
George: Let's find this room.
Dick: in favor of a money-making
whim they've harbored for years.
George: When we bought
the house, we realized
quite quickly that
the cellars mirror
the upstairs of the house.
And the dining room,
this room here,
there was no access to get
underneath the dining room.
Every other room,
you can get underneath.
This one you can't, so we
thought that was very peculiar.
Dick: It does seem a bit odd.
Because the chateau was built
by a cognac baron,
George has a theory.
George: All the best cognac
was hidden
before
the Second World War.
Now, I'm hoping to find a room,
and if it's been blocked up,
there must be some kind of
reason why it was blocked up.
So my logic would be it would be
full of cognac.
Very possibly, there is
treasure right below my feet
right now, and, very possibly,
by the end of the afternoon,
we're gonna be
getting our tickets to go
to Barbados.
Dick: That would be nice.
Some vintage cognac can fetch
£10,000 a bottle.
Time to start
their treasure hunt.
Sarah: What kind of size hole
are we talking about?
George: Well, to start with,
just like that.
Sarah: Oh, OK, fine.
George: And then you have to get
bigger and bigger so we can get
a camera through.
Dick: To solve the mystery,
they need
to drill through
the meter-thick wall.
-Hello.
-Ah, bonjour, David.
-Bonjour, George.
-Bonjour, Sebastian.
Dick: So they've called in
a favor
from local stonemason David
and his pal Sebastian.
Sarah: That's what we need.
George: That's a big boy. Ah!
Sarah: Superb. Look at that.
George: Even bigger.
Dick: Let the treasure hunt
begin.
-Yeah, why not?
-Oui...
Dick: Having worked out where
the dining room above is,
they're planning to drill
a big enough hole
to put a camera through and see
what's on the other side.
George: So there's no soil.
So that is a good sign.
Dick: Soil would mean
no unearthing a mystery room.
George: We've gone through
the wall, which is one meter,
and there's no evidence
of foundations or soil,
which is evidence that there's
a space there,
so, yeah, once we've made
this hole bigger...
Sarah: We can see.
George: we can put a camera
through or shine a torch,
see if we can find something.
It's looking good.
It's looking as though there
is something there.
So keep on going.
Dick: A short while later,
there's a hole big enough
to shine a torch through.
Sarah: Do you see anything,
Georgie?
George: OK, now to find it.
Sarah: So the material that
they're finding here is
more recent than what would
have been used
to construct the house,
so maybe this is where they did
block it up for some reason
more recently.
Sarah: He can tell from what
he's finding,
the style of how it was done,
and he's saying,
if you were a proper mason,
it wouldn't be done like that.
And so it was done in--
George: In a hurry.
Sarah: quite a hurry. Yeah.
Dick: The plot thickens, so
maybe someone did do a rush job
to hide the booty.
George: So we're through. OK.
Shall we try and put a little
camera in and have a look?
You hold the torch.
Now shine the torch in.
Dick: Rather than the hidden
room filled with cognac
they were hoping for, it seems
to be a room filled with rubble.
George: The room is made of
a huge piece of stone.
George: Oui.
Sarah: But I don't think
it's resolved.
George: It's not resolved,
but, I mean, that's as far
as we can really go.
Sarah: How far can you go?
Dick: So it remains a mystery
as to why the room
was blocked up.
-No, no, no.
-No.
[Laughter]
[Conversation continues
in French]
Dick: Oh, well,
no trip to Barbados.
So time, perhaps, to return to
getting your wedding business
up and running.
Over in central France,
at Stephanie's,
it's the day before her
mother Isabelle's wedding.
Stephanie: So it looks as though
Gerry's on candles,
you're on trees.
Michael: Oh, no!
Stephanie: Ha ha!
Dick: She's roped in Gerry
and friend Michael
to help decorate the private
chapel, where the blessing,
in front of family and friends,
will take place.
Michael: What trees do you
want in here?
Stephanie: I was just sort of
imagining maybe 2 trees.
Dick: Stephanie wants to bring
the outside in by
using natural foliage, something
my Angel has made a theme
throughout our chateau when we
host weddings.
Angel: These hydrangeas are
great because they are
still fresh, but they're
starting to dry.
Dick: It's a resourceful
technique, which always
looks impressive and saves
the pennies.
Gerry: So we're gonna put
two trees here.
Stephanie: Yes.
Gerry: Are we gonna put lights
on anywhere?
Stephanie: Oh, let's put
fairy lights in them.
Gerry: But what I'm thinking,
you have to be very careful.
If a Roman Catholic priest is
gonna be coming to perform
the service, if it's gonna look
a bit garish
and a wee bit over the top,
it's good to look proper,
it's good to look holy.
Stephanie: Gerry, are you
suggesting that
my decorative scheme would be
garish?
Gerry: Oh, just in time.
That's God. Sorry. That's God.
"My dear son Gerald, you are
absolutely right." Sorry.
[Laughter]
Stephanie: And there's
one other thing,
which I think you're gonna
struggle with.
Could you just hang that
back up?
Gerry: Now, Stephanie,
that's dangerous work.
If we put this up, we'll have
a wedding and a funeral.
[Stephanie chuckles]
Gerry: Just say to the priest,
"Can you just do
"another wee quick service
while we are here?
We don't want to light
the candles again."
Stephanie: Yeah, OK, I really
wanted that up, but I think
we're gonna have to--
Gerry: No.
Stephanie: shelve that idea.
Gerry: Yeah, very much so.
Stephanie: OK, we have to
distract Mummy from the fact
that's not up.
Gerry: Does she want it up?
Stephanie: Michael,
think big trees.
Well, she thought it was
going up.
I think she'll understand, but
big trees, lots of fairy lights.
Gerry: Good. OK. Good, good,
good thinking.
Stephanie: Shall we go
and find a tree?
-Yup.
-Yup.
Michael: We're going to cut down
something that
your mother likes. "Oh, no!
It is my favorite."
Stephanie: "My favorite tree!"
Michael: Can we take that
one there?
Stephanie: Yes.
[Sawing]
Dick: Might need a bit
more weight at
the bottom there, boys.
Round peg, square hole
springs to mind.
Gerry: "Can I have Percy
and Isabelle? Are you here?"
Right.
Much better.
I think it's looking
absolutely lovely.
Stephanie: I actually feel
quite emotional seeing it.
With all of these trees, it's
more beautiful than I thought,
but I hope my mother likes it.
Dick: All that's left is
for the bride to be to give it
her blessing.
-What do you think?
-What do I think?
How lovely! How lovely.
But I don't know if it--if there
is a bit of a pagan twinge.
Stephanie: Well, I like that.
I see you slightly in pagan.
Isabelle: Yeah,
but the priest is not.
I don't want him to be offended.
Stephanie: Why would he be
offended by a tree?
Isabelle: Because it'd look
a bit druidish.
-"Druidish"?
-Druid-ish.
He's going to be shocked.
He's an old man.
Stephanie: Shocked by a tree?
Don't worry about the priest.
Isabelle: I do like that.
Stephanie: I think you're
worrying too much about
what other people will think and
not thinking about
what you like.
All right. Let's get on.
Isabelle: OK. Thank you,
darling.
Stephanie: I don't know why my
mother seems to think that
the priest might find
trees evil.
But I'll speak to the priest
when he arrives tomorrow,
and I'd be very surprised if he
does come to the conclusion
that my mother is a druid.
I feel as though I've been
working all day
and haven't really achieved
anything
because nothing's finished.
I'm definitely going to be
working all night tonight.
There's no question.
I have to finish the chapel,
I have to finish the terrace,
and put on fairy lights on
the terrace.
The cake! There's so much to do.
Dick: Not much shuteye for you
tonight, then, Stephanie.
I look forward to seeing how it
all goes tomorrow.
Next time...
Nigel: Got me a new comb.
Debbie: Oh, you've got
your new comb, yeah.
Dick: Debbie and Nigel have
decorating differences.
Nigel: I think that might look
nice mounted on the wall.
Debbie: I think it--might
detract from the paintings.
I don't know. What do you think?
Nigel: Oh...
don't want anything to detract
from your paintings.
Dick: It's wedding day
at Lalande...
Stephanie: Oh, Mama!
Dick: but the bride has concerns
of her carriage flowers.
Isabelle: I just hope it doesn't
tickle the horse's behind,
because then I could go at
a frisk gallop.
Dick: And Sarah and George try
not to put a foot wrong.
George: No? OK.
Sarah: OK. OK.
He's not happy with his team
of English people, but--ha ha!