Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 5, Episode 3 - Episode #5.3 - full transcript
- I’m Dick Strawbridge,
and along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
- Yay!
- Oh, well done!
- ...we’ve lived
in this magnificent château
for the past five years.
Look. Look, look, look, look,
look, look, look, look, look,
- look, look, look, look.
- Oh, my God.
That is so beautiful.
- It’s not just our home...
- Ah, and we’re up.
- ...but our business.
- You may kiss your bride.
[guests cheer]
- And all over France,
there are other Brits
doing exactly the same.
- Oh, my God.
- We’ll follow a new wave
of intrepid château owners...
- I have some windows.
Might help get rid
of some dust.
- ...and some familiar faces...
as they take on
these majestic buildings,
and we’ll reveal more
about our own château life.
- Thank you, everybody!
- [cheering]
- There’ll be triumphs...
- This looks incredible.
- You like it, Laura?
- I love it.
- ...and setbacks...
- [gasps]
- [chuckles]
- ...as they battle
to renovate their homes...
and earn their keep.
- [puckers] Okay. I’m ready.
- But no matter
how hard the going gets...
- This is probably, yeah,
my worst nightmare.
- ...they get to live the dream
as custodians
of their very own castle.
Today...
getting the family château ready
for the first wedding
of the year...
- Move it.
- [sighs]
- ...involves cracking the whip.
- I want things done.
- "I want it done.
I want it done now."
- A buyer we last met
at the crunch point
of her property hunt...
- Ugh. It is a bit dusty,
isn’t it?
- ...enlists some sister power
to take on
the home of her dreams.
And a mission for homegrown
self-sufficiency...
- I’m just planting
some dahlias,
ideal for flower picking.
- ...leads to a big
birthday surprise.
- 1, 2, 3.
- 1, 2, 3.
Both: Happy birthday.
- There are new occupants moving
into the grand houses of France.
Entrepreneurial Brits
are taking on
decaying and derelict châteaus
to transform them
into living homes
and thriving businesses
one renovation at a time.
In the countryside
of southwest France
is the splendidly striking
Château du Doux.
It has 48 rooms
and a private pool,
all in a spectacular setting
on 7 1/2 acres.
This magnificent property
is now the family home
of I.T. consultant Clive,
wife Karen,
who along with daughter Abbie
and son Ross,
are aiming to cover
the costs of castle life
by offering wedding packages.
Their business has now
reached a crucial stage.
- We’re on our way
to making this a great success,
but it’s very hard work.
- I definitely enjoy
working at the château.
We would never have
expected to be doing this,
but so far, I love my job,
and I want to continue it
in the future.
- Located 65 miles from Limoges,
with bookings down last year,
they’ve been keeping an eye
on outgoings.
- Ah, that’s looking good,
isn’t it?
- But doing most of the work
themselves to save money...
- Oh!
[groans]
- ...has seen tensions mount.
- No! No! No!
- What?!
- You blow it away
from where you want it.
- Abbie: Got it?
- Yeah.
- You okay?
- Yep.
- The first wedding
of the season
is now just days away,
and with all rooms fully booked
for the 70 guests,
mum Karen and daughter Abbie
are rushing to reassemble
the furniture in Room 111,
that’s just been redecorated.
- Okay?
- Yep.
Okay, nice and gentle.
I don’t know
if this is the right tool,
but we’ll give it a go.
- However, they’re not
off to a smooth start,
as a protruding nail
at the bottom of the bed frame
is proving a scratch risk
to the newly varnished floor.
- Need some proper pliers.
- Rob’s got some tools,
hasn’t he?
Shall I go and ask Rob?
- While Karen goes
to fetch Uncle Rob
to remove the offending nail,
Abbie has other ideas.
- If we put a thick piece of
carpet over it, it’ll be fine.
That won’t go through there.
It’s a piece of rubber.
It won’t come through there.
It’ll be fine.
[grunts]
Okay.
Yeah, there’s no way
he’s gonna get that out.
- Thinking she’s hit
the nail on the head,
Abbie gets on with gluing
sections of carpet
to protect the floor.
I fixed the problem.
I don’t need Rob’s help.
- Oh, Abbie,
that’s really irritating.
You better not have
stuck that on, ’cause Rob’s...
- I haven’t stuck it on.
It’s not there anymore.
- You got it out?
- Yes.
- [sighs]
- It’s not a problem.
Dick: You’re not convincing
Uncle Rob, Abbie.
- It’s not gonna...
- Yeah. I’m waiting--
- How did you get it out, then?
- It is. It’s still there.
- Yeah, but it’s
tapped right in.
- You couldn’t get it out.
- [grumbles]
- You won’t get it out, Bob.
- You knew I was gonna get Rob
to remove it easily.
- It wasn’t gonna be removed.
See?
Rob’s struggling to get it out.
That’s how deep it is.
- Because you banged the bit in!
- A top of the head of a nail
is not gonna scratch a floor.
- Yes, it would.
- No, it won’t.
- [grunts]
- Got it? Nearly.
- Ah, nearly.
- Oh, you’ve got it.
- There it is.
Dick: Nail extracted,
there’s just the small task
of making up
the rest of the 36 bedrooms
for the wedding party.
Nine days later,
they’re finally ready
to welcome the 70 guests
to the château.
- It’s been full-on.
It’s been 14-hour days
getting everything done,
but, um,
we’re knackered
before it’s all started,
but we are ready to go.
We’ve got a couple
of coaches arriving.
Yeah, it’s very exciting.
Dick: For bride Emily
and groom Paul,
having all their guests
stay on-site
will make their wedding tomorrow
all the more special.
- I’ve probably
been planning this wedding
- for a good couple of years.
- You all right?
- We just wanted to bring
all of our friends and family
together for one weekend.
Paul: As long
as they have a good time,
then we feel we’re having
a much easier day tomorrow.
Dick: It’s time to show
all the guests to their rooms...
- And what are we?
- J.
- Uh, J.
- It’s 111?
Dick: ...including the family,
who’ll be staying in
the recently decorated Room 111.
- Yeah.
- Let’s hope guests Jen,
James, and baby Penelope
give the newly renovated
accommodation the thumbs-up.
Just 35 miles south
is the picturesque
Château Le Mas de Pradié.
This 17-room property
with a 15-acre estate
that includes
two additional cottages
was purchased
just three weeks ago
for £278,000 by artist Julia.
- I grew up in England,
and I was there until I was 18.
Before moving to France,
I lived in Australia
for around 30 years.
- Located 68 miles
from Toulouse,
we last met Julia
when she was still
on the search
for her perfect château,
and she had some unusual things
on her checklist.
- Do you know if there’s
any ghosts in the property?
- No. I did--
Uh, I’ve been many times,
and I didn’t hear anything.
- She was helped on her search
by sisters Sarah and Melissa,
who are also planning
regular visits to France.
- Oh, wow.
Beautiful surroundings.
Lovely views.
But it’s too small for me.
- After four weeks of viewings,
a five-bedroom château
in the Bordeaux region
seemed to be
just what she was after.
Julia: See, this is
a lovely bedroom.
It’s nice and light,
beautiful floors,
lovely fireplace.
I honestly don’t know if I’m
gonna get the result I want,
but I hope so,
so fingers crossed.
- But in the end, it was
something a little different
that caught Julia’s eye.
- My sisters and I looked
at about 17 properties.
This was the smallest,
and they wanted ones
with turrets
and, you know, 50 bedrooms.
[laughs] And this is
the one I kept dreaming about.
I didn’t dream about the others.
I kept dreaming about this one.
And after a few weeks,
I thought,
"Well, it must be this one."
- Julia has £130,000 saved
for her renovation fund
and ambitious plans
to turn the derelict cottages
into rentals for paying guests,
but her first task
is to tackle the château,
with plans to host
her large family at Christmas.
- My DIY skills
are a bit limited,
but I’m very good
at organizing people.
- Luckily she has plenty
of sister power to call on--
Melissa from Australia,
who helped with the search,
and Jenny, who lives in the U.K.
- All right, what’s in here?
I can’t remember.
- The first room Julia
is renovating is the kitchen.
- These were Auntie’s set.
- I remember these.
- But before major renovations
kick off,
she wants to unpack
her possessions
that have been shipped
from Australia
to get a sense of
the storage space she’ll need.
- These are my favorite.
Indian Tree pattern.
I love these.
- It’s not long
before Julia faces
one of the practical
difficulties of moving overseas.
- Bonjour.
[sighs] Oui.
Uh, I don’t speak French.
- Giving directions
for the many deliveries required
as a new château owner
when you’re still
learning the language
can be a challenge.
- You delivery for...
Le Mas de Pradié?
- But fortunately
the delivery driver
still manages
to find his way in.
- Bonjour.
- Julia’s ordered some pieces
to start putting
her own stamp on the château.
- Oh. Shall we open it?
- Let’s.
- Hey.
- Ta-da!
Like it?
- Yeah. Yeah, I do.
- The parrots are lovely.
Dick: Keeping with
the exotic animal theme,
there’s a hippo-shaped
footstool.
- Ah, he’s cute.
- What are we going to call him?
- Humphrey?
- Humphrey the hippo.
- Hugo.
- Hugo.
- Hubert.
Dick: Having settled
on a name...
- Hugo the hippo.
- [laughs]
- It’s very nice.
- ...Julia’s first
to take a turn with Hugo.
- Perfect.
- Come here, Hugo.
- I think we should have got
a couple of Hugos.
- The sisters won’t be
putting their feet up for long,
as there’s still
a huge amount of DIY ahead,
starting with sorting out
the kitchen,
where in six months time,
they’ll host their first
family Christmas at the château.
- This is the magnificent
Château des Lys.
The 19th-century property
has over 50 rooms
and sits
in 15 acres of woodland.
For the past six years,
it’s been home
to rock musician Tim;
his wife Margreeth,
a former teacher;
and their 11-year-old son Joe.
They run the place
as a business,
offering B & B, holiday lets,
a wedding venue, and
an expanding range of events.
- We’re in the middle
of an adventure at the moment,
and, uh, we’ve got no idea
where it’s going,
but every year, it gets better.
- I love the fact that we’ve
learned so many new skills.
We have no experience in
the tourist industry whatsoever,
and it’s been
such a learning curve.
- Located just an hour
from Calais,
they’ve been working
on new projects
to expand their business
and bring in more revenue.
- Had the money,
I’d get a plasterer,
but I can’t afford that,
so got to do it meself.
- They’re creating
a potager garden...
- Wow. That’s
an efficient way of weeding.
- ...to grow produce
and flowers for their guests.
- It’s good for the environment,
because there’s
no air miles to be made
to get the food to our plates,
and of course
it will save us a lot of money.
- As they need
their first harvest
ready in three months time for
a residential flower weekend,
the pressure is on
to finish the project.
Tim: We’ve got loads
of things coming up,
and we want to have flowers for
our flower arranging sessions.
- But Tim still has to complete
one crucial job...
building a greenhouse
to protect and help germinate
precious seedlings.
It’s something
he promised Margreeth
for her birthday two years ago.
He’s constructing entirely
from recycled doors and windows,
but having broken
much of the glass,
he’s now having
to replace the panes.
- [thump]
- [gasps]
I’ve--[laughs]
- Oops. There goes another one.
- It’s quite easy
to break glass, you know.
It’s fragile stuff.
- It certainly is, Tim.
Well, at least he’s
not short of material.
[drill whirring]
- Yeah! [chuckles]
That’s really pleasing.
I-I quite enjoy that.
I know it’s really simple.
[laughs] But it opens, yeah,
and I think
it’s strong enough as well.
Great.
One more to do.
- It might be
fairly rudimentary,
but this greenhouse now has
a ventilation system,
which will be perfect for when
the French sun gets too strong.
You’ve got to admire
Tim’s engineering ingenuity.
- How’s it going?
- Yeah. Yeah, it’s all right.
- Time for Margreeth to get busy
if their residential
flower arranging event
in three months is to be
a blooming success.
- I’m just planting
some dahlias,
and they will become
really big bunches of flowers,
ideal for flower picking,
so for
the flower arranging weekend.
- Now mainly used
for decoration,
dahlias originated in Mexico,
where the tubers
were grown for food.
They’re fast bloomers,
and they’ll give
bright-colored flowers
through the summer
and into autumn.
They’ll be there
for the flower weekend. Perfect.
- These are all, um,
different, uh...
pumpkins and butternut squashes.
- Margreeth’s also growing
herbs and vegetables
for the château kitchen.
- I do prefer gardening
to anything
to do with the housekeeping.
I love being outside.
- You and me both, Margreeth.
Though unlike indoor projects,
gardening can be
very weather-dependant.
- Well, Tim, it’s raining...
- Okay.
- ...so I’m finished for today.
- Okay.
- I think it’s gonna
pour down in a minute.
- I think it is,
but I-I’m all right.
I’ve got a roof.
I can work under the roof.
- Hey!
- Tim’s not going to let it
rain on his parade,
as he’s got a deadline to meet.
- Just got to crack on, really.
I can do most of it by hand,
no power tools involved, so...
- They say every cloud
has a silver lining.
- And the rain
is bucketing down.
It’s really, really torrential.
But I’ve discovered
it is a self-watering
greenhouse as is.
- It pays to have
a sunny outlook
when you’re a château owner.
At least the veg beds
are getting a decent soaking.
Over 300 miles south
at Château du Doux,
the 70 guests
for Abbie, Clive, and Karen’s
first wedding of the season
have arrived.
- One minute to go,
and I’m gonna put the food out.
- Getting 36 bedrooms
ready in time
has been a last-minute rush,
so fingers crossed
the family booked into
the recently renovated room 111
will be pleased
with what they find.
- Oh, wow.
Oh, this is so nice.
Look, Penelope.
It’s our bedroom.
What you thinkin’? Is it nice?
Yes, our turn. [laughs]
It’s just so grand.
When you first, like,
walk through the gate,
it’s got the wow factor,
hasn’t it,
’cause it’s just--
it’s beautiful.
Dick: A big thumbs-up
for the accommodation.
Now it’s down to general manager
and wedding planner Abbie
to make sure bride Emily’s food
and drink requests are all met.
The expat fish-and-chip van’s
turned up
and is going down a storm.
- We do cod and chips,
or we’ve got
jumbo sausage and chips light.
- I’ll have fish and chips,
please.
- You sure?
- Mm-hmm.
Thank you.
- But getting the beer flowing
in the marquee
is proving to be a problem.
- Oh, you’ve made a right mess,
- haven’t you?
- I know. I did.
Dick: The pipes
from the beer barrel
to the taps of the machine
are leaking.
- So I filled it up.
Two seconds later,
it’s pouring out.
- What a mess.
- I know.
- With a wedding party
of thirsty guests,
they need to fix this fast.
- That’s where it’s coming from.
It’s coming from there.
It’s dripping
from there onto there.
- Then it’s running
down the cable.
- Just get some tape,
gaffer tape it.
Dick: This calls
for a quick fix.
- Gaffer tape?
- Yeah, come on, then.
- [chuckles]
- Gaffer tape, it is.
- My favorite thing.
How to fix everything.
Dick: Gaffer tape applied,
they’re ready to check
if it’s done the job.
- There’s nothing coming out.
- Gas open.
Scared of these things,
that it’s going
to explode on me.
- [gas pings]
- Ugh.
- Well, no one’s gonna be
drinking out of that.
Have you got it on right?
- I don’t know.
I’m terrified of gas.
- Dad Clive bravely
turns the gas tap on.
- The thing’s
in line with the keg.
- Okay, so it seems
to be working now.
Dick: And now there’s
a more enviable task
of checking the goods.
- Does it pass the taste test?
- Oh, eh. I bet it’s horrible.
- Oh, God, yeah. No,
that actually is really good.
- Well, it seems to work.
Oh, yes.
- Whilst the beer
may be back on tap,
there’s no rest for Abbie,
as the bride’s also asked
for English cocktails.
- I bought these two containers,
and then I’m working out sort of
the capacity of each container
and the capacity of the glasses.
Yeah, quite complicated.
- Seven-liter containers,
are they?
- No, they’re eight liters,
but with all the fruit,
I’m gonna take a liter
for the fruit.
- Okay. So, um...
- It’s cool.
I’ve worked it out in my head.
- How many glasses
in each container?
- 30.
- 30 in one container?
- One glass is 200 mills.
One liter, and that is 1.35...
[sighs]
Dick: It may be making
her brain hurt,
but getting the sums right
will ensure
Abbie boosts her profit margin,
so it’s worth the effort.
Let’s hope that all adds up
to a recipe
for a successful cocktail.
Just 35 miles away,
six weeks after moving in
to Château Le Mas de Pradié,
Julia’s tackling
her first big project.
- The kitchen is really
the heart of the house,
so it’s really important
to make it very comfortable.
- At our château, a small
but functional service kitchen
was the only working kitchen
we had for our first year.
- I don’t care that it’s
falling apart and dilapidated.
- Yeah.
- All I wanted was the château.
- But of course
we eventually did want
a proper family kitchen,
and it was one
of our favorite projects.
At the minute, it’s a shell.
Before long, it’s going to be
an amazing place.
We worked to create a space
for culinary creativity,
large enough for family meals.
At her château, Julia plans
to host a big family Christmas
in six months time,
so if she wants
her kitchen ready,
she needs to make the most
of extra help
from visiting sisters
Jenny and Melissa.
- Right. So...
we’re going to tackle this wall.
- Julia is hoping
there are some original timbers
lurking behind the walls.
- What we’re going to do
is start by stripping off
some layers of plaster
to reveal some of the beams.
Don’t need to chisel it out.
[laughs]
Get in there, Jen.
It’s very satisfying.
- When it comes
to old château construction,
you can never be sure exactly
what you’re going to unearth,
so it’s fingers crossed.
- There you go.
- Finally they find
what they’re looking for.
- So we’re just
gonna keep going,
see how much timber
we can reveal.
So what we’re doing, in my mind,
is revealing the bits
that want to be revealed.
- Okay.
Dick: Julia has a plan
to make the most
of this antique wood.
- So paint between the timbers
so we got nice sanded
and varnished, waxed timbers.
Dick: There’s
a less appealing side
to dislodging old plaster.
- Ugh.
It is a bit dusty, isn’t it?
It’s getting up my nose.
[coughs]
Okay.
- These first-time
château DIYers
will need to get dust masks,
eye protection,
and even hard hats
to get the rest
of this renovation done safely.
- Okay. You can come down now.
- No! This is so much fun.
- It is?
- I really love doing this.
- Really love it?
- Yep. It came down.
- Good shot.
- [laughs]
- Revealing the château’s past
is the start of a very exciting
future for Julia.
But there’s still
a lot of work ahead
to make this kitchen
a welcoming and functional
heart of the home.
Back in southwest France,
it’s the morning
of Château du Doux’s
first wedding of the season.
Last night’s late finish was
great news for their bar sales.
- Quite a selection
of bottles here.
[bottles clinking]
- But with lots still to set up
for the day ahead,
it’s been an early start for
dad Clive and daughter Abbie.
- 6:00, we were up.
Uh, we just had breakfast.
And we’re going to be going
till about 3:00
or 4:00 in the morning, so yeah.
- It’s gonna be okay.
- Pacing ourselves.
- It’s gonna be a long day.
- My feet hurt already.
- My feet are killing me,
I must admit.
- While son Ross
is on vacuum cleaning duty...
- That’s pretty much
most of the Hoovering done
on one set of spiral stairs.
- ...Abbie is
roping in Dad Clive
to help with one
of her many jobs.
- Move it.
- [sighs]
- "Move it. Move it."
- I want things done.
- "I want it done.
I want it done now."
- I got a long list
of things to do.
- I’m not here to serve
your every request, Abigail.
Dick: This arch
will form the backdrop
to the wedding ceremony.
Abbie designed it herself,
so knows exactly
how she wants it to look.
- I want everything
to be perfect.
- Mm.
- I’m glad this thing
isn’t heavy.
- It’s not heavy at all.
- No. That’s the good thing.
- The wedding arch
isn’t the only thing
Abbie has
very precise ideas about.
After doing
her homework yesterday
for the English cocktails
requested by the bride,
it’s time to put
the calculations to the test.
- Doing 30 glasses, are you,
- or more?
- 30 glasses.
- Okay, so if I have
15 slices from each cucumber
and shove the rest in a pot...
- Do you want to count 15
and put them in that bowl?
No, wait.
Let me tip this out and count.
- Why?
- Because I’m gonna count 60--
- You’re not gonna count
individual pieces?
- Yeah.
- Just do it by sight.
- I can’t do that.
- Why?
- Has to be methodical.
- Two...
- Have you got time to waste?
- You’re worse than me.
- three...
It’s gonna be a long day.
I think it’s ’cause we stayed up
really late doing the bar
again last night.
- Yeah.
Dick: The lack of sleep
soon starts to show.
- Stop. Can I put them in, 15?
- Yep.
- You got 10.
- What?
- 10, you said.
Did I? 11.
12, 13, 14, 15,
16,
17, 18...
19...
20. That’s not
actually that accurate,
but there’s enough
to do 30 glasses there.
Dick: Let’s hope not everybody
wants a strawberry.
Now for the alcohol.
And she’s worked out exactly
how much lemonade she needs.
At least, that was the plan.
- Mum, I’ve miscalculated,
or someone’s lied to me.
They’re meant to be
eight-liter things.
And that’s one liter,
that’s three.
That’s four and--
Oh, my gosh. My head.
Dick: Looks like these cocktails
could either be weak
or very strong.
- It’s the right color,
and it’s got the fruit in.
- I’ve never done Pimm’s before.
- Unsure if her cocktail mix
is the right strength
to keep the guests and
her profit margins happy,
Abbie decides to decant
and correct the error.
Abbie: It needs two bottles in
for the lemonade.
Right. Now we’ve got
half a bottle of each in,
and then I’ve got two left over.
That’s ideal. Done.
- We’ve just worked that out.
You’re worrying unnecessarily.
- Okay, half and half,
and then...
maybe decant a bottle of each.
Can you decant
one bottle, please?
And then we’re done.
Dick: They’ve been at this
for almost an hour,
and with all the subtraction
and addition,
Abbie’s getting addled.
- Do you think we can get two
bottles of lemonade in there?
- Now let--
- No, I don’t.
Dick: And it’s
not just the cocktails
where there may have
been miscalculations.
- Why are there two barrels
of beer in the corridor?
- Because they’re the ones
they’ve ordered, and that’s it.
Dick: The bar sales for the day
have already outstripped
Abbie’s projections.
- So I don’t really know
what to do.
I am concerned tonight
there’s gonna be nothing left.
Dick: If the bar runs dry,
they’ll lose potential sales
and risk a château
full of unhappy guests,
so Abbie needs to find a way
to keep things lubricated
to the end of the night.
Over 300 miles north,
the storm has passed
for Tim and Margreeth’s
potager garden.
The centerpiece greenhouse
is now fully glazed,
and with the help
of 11-year-old son Joe,
Tim is busy
cleaning the glass panes
so that Margreeth can get her
long-overdue birthday present.
- What do you think?
- You happy with this?
- Yeah.
- Well done.
- Nice and clean window.
Any last dust off on the sides.
I’m excited to see--
see the face of my mother.
It’s two years late, but
better--better now than never.
Okay, that’s the window done.
Dick: This really
is a greenhouse
in every sense of the word.
- I’ve used all the materials
that I’ve had
either from other projects
or lying around the château,
and, um, I think,
you know, this is--
we really have created something
from absolutely nothing,
and it’s a bit rough and ready,
but at the end of it,
it’s something wonderful.
- Tim’s even making seed trays
from old wooden pallets.
[drill whirring]
- It--We’re done.
That’s it. Wow. Look at that.
Okay.
You take that.
Okay. Okay,
be very careful with that,
’cause I think
it’s a bit fragile.
I’m not very good at this.
I’m very bad
at arranging things.
Dick: Margreeth’s under
strict instructions to stay away
until her surprise
is all present and correct.
- Tell me when the heart’s
in good position, okay?
- That’s good.
- So what do you reckon?
- About there?
- Yeah.
[drill whirs]
- [laughs]
That’s the story of my life.
- You don’t want a broken heart
at this stage of the game, Tim.
- Joe, mate, what should I do?
Still I stick it up there
or on the corner here?
- With Joe’s handmade sign
taking pride of place,
this labor of love
is all ready to show to Mum.
- So what do you think?
- It looks nice.
- It’s great, isn’t it?
I think it’s very us, isn’t it?
- Yeah. Mom’ll like it.
- I’m really proud
of the greenhouse.
Fitting it all in
with the weather
has been a bit of a nightmare,
but we’ve done it.
- We should show it to her.
- We should show it to her.
- Should--We should get her up.
- Yes, let’s go and get her.
- Okay.
- It’s been two years since Tim
promised Margreeth a greenhouse.
- Okay.
- Mom!
- A surprise?
- Yeah, a surprise?
- Yeah?
- Ten weeks after he started
laying the groundwork
at the potager,
it’s ready to be revealed.
- So there’s nothing.
You just keep walking.
You’re okay.
- I’m really scared.
- You’re fine. You’re fine.
- You’re fine. You’re fine.
- I’m really scared. [laughs]
- 1, 2, 3.
- 1, 2, 3.
Both: Happy birthday.
- Oh! [laughs]
Oh, that’s so cute.
- It’s your birthday...
- Oh. That is so--
That’s lovely.
I love my hearts.
Oh, this is so nice,
the "Chez Margreeth."
Oh, that is so cute.
Oh, my boys.
- Come here.
- [kiss]
- Thank you.
Oh, wow.
- Wow, guys.
- Joe put these up as well.
- Oh, it is so nice.
- Yeah.
- They’re great.
- They’re cool, aren’t they?
- Ah, that’s so cool.
- You can put your little, um...
- Yeah, I could put
- my plants in there.
- Absolutely.
Ah, wow.
And some presents.
Eh, you know, guys,
it’s not really my birthday.
- I know, but it used to be,
and we missed it,
and this is all for you.
- Ahh.
[laughs]
- Good.
- Thank you.
Thank you, boys.
- So should we
get the drinks open?
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- Cheers, Joe.
- To the greenhouse.
- Both: To the greenhouse.
- And to Mommy. Cheers.
- Thank you for a lovely...
- With the greenhouse complete,
their potager garden
is now ready
for the growing season.
- This greenhouse
and this garden,
absolutely worth the wait.
- We’ve taken a neglected area
of the garden,
and we turned it into this,
which will produce stuff for us
that we can use for our guests
and our cooking
and our flower weekends,
and it’s a lovely little space.
- Looks like their first
residential flower weekend
in three months time is on track
to be blooming marvelous.
Almost 400 miles south,
the timberwork on the walls of
Julia’s kitchen is now exposed.
- All right, so...
- Next, with help
from sister Melissa,
there’s a big decision
to be made,
whether to keep
the previous owner’s
experimental artwork
above the fireplace.
- I think it’s a scary face.
I don’t actually like it.
- The previous owner
was Bernard Dufour,
who was a famous French artist,
and he lived here until
his death a couple of years ago.
- I’m against covering
other people’s artwork,
but this is not a museum.
It’s my house...
so it’s going. [laughs]
Dick: Time to say farewell
to the face above the fire.
- Bye-bye.
- So we probably
should take a photo of it
before we destroy it.
- Yes, all right.
- Are you ready?
Is that your smiling face?
- Yes, as good as I can get.
- Ah, lovely.
- [laughs]
- Okay.
- Julia needs to remove
any areas of loose plaster
so the wall can be filled,
sanded, and painted.
- Oh, look.
You’re giving him hair.
- Yeah. Well, not actually.
- Hey, that’s cool.
You’re improving...
- We’re creating a--
a better work of art.
- It soon turns out
there’s more damaged plaster
than Julia bargained for.
- This is a problem, this bit.
- It is, isn’t it?
Oh, Jules.
- Sounds very hollow,
the whole thing.
- Yes. Look, it’s all
falling apart now, isn’t it?
- A hollow sound is a sign
plaster has lost its bond
with the wall below.
It has to be taken off
and replastered.
Julia decides to spot repair
the damaged areas.
- So we’re gonna actually
- just try and patch that.
- Oh.
- Because if I
start taking that down,
the whole lot’s
going to come down. [laughs]
So if I just put a bit
of plaster on the edges...
- Yes.
- I’d love a mask.
Dick: Julia,
you needed that earlier.
- This wall definitely,
not be smooth.
It’s gonna be very rustic,
but that’s its character.
Dick: Rough and ready finishes
can be part of the château look,
but they do need to be
attached to the wall.
Melissa: Here it comes.
- That’s a nasty, big hole.
So what I do with this,
a big hole like this,
I just do a--
- Little bit.
- ...a deep fill there.
- Deep fill done.
Now for some sanding
and more safety-wear.
- Can I have my sunglasses?
[laughs]
- Or at least an approximation
of safety-wear.
- This is how one should sand,
mask and sunglasses.
Dick: Not likely sure sunglasses
are the same as goggles.
But at least Melissa’s keeping
a firm grip on the ladder
as the walls get a wipe-down
to remove dust and dirt,
ready for painting.
[both laughing]
- Looks so much better.
- Oh, my God.
[both laugh]
- To offset the dark wood
on the floor and ceiling,
Julia’s opting
for a whiter shade of pale.
- It’s certainly an improvement.
- These bits that, uh,
the paint’s not filling,
- in the grooves...
- Yes.
- ...I quite like that effect.
- Gives you depth.
- Well, it hides
other imperfections.
- Should we look at it
- from a distance?
- Yeah.
[sighs] Well, it’s a good start.
- Yes.
[laughs]
Dick: A promising beginning,
but there’s a lot more
patching and painting ahead,
plus the old floor to tackle,
to make this kitchen
the welcoming space
Julia has in mind.
In southwest France,
it’s the day
of Abbie, Clive, and Karen’s
first wedding of the season,
and it’s the first time
they’re making the most
of the château’s
alcohol license
by charging for drinks
at an event.
[party chatter]
The ceremony is about to begin,
and with fears the beer and wine
is already running low,
the hope is
Abbie’s English cocktail mix...
Karen: Don’t know
what they taste like,
but they look the part.
Dick: ...set on her newly
created outdoor barrel bar
will take the pressure off
while they send for supplies.
- It’s a bit wobbly.
[laughs]
- The bar’s about to be used,
so we’re gonna see.
It looks good,
so, yeah, I’m happy with it.
- For now, though, all attention
is on bride Emily’s entrance.
- The moment
we’ve all been waiting for.
I now pronounce you
husband and wife.
[guests cheering]
Dick: Time to drink
to the happy couple
and see if Abbie’s got
her sums right on the cocktails.
- This is selling
like hot cakes, isn’t it, eh?
I’m gonna open a stall
down in the market.
- Oh, the English cocktails
are so good,
especially on a day like this,
’cause it’s, what, 31 degrees,
so having English cocktails
is so nice.
- I don’t think
they lasted long.
- No.
- [both laugh]
- I think there was about
a 10-minute window, and they
- just snapped up straight away.
- Yeah.
- As the guests file
into the dining room
for the reception meal,
Abbie sourced extra supplies,
so the bar won’t be
running dry anytime soon.
- I think they are
on beer barrel number 7.
Think we only prepared for 5,
so they’re 2 up,
and the night is young,
as they say,
so I think even more
should be consumed
by the end of the night.
Dick: Good news
for the château’s profits,
but Abbie’s also been checking
in with the bride and groom
to make sure they’re happy
with the potential bar bill.
- It’s our wedding,
and we only get married once,
so if our friends and family
want to drink
as much as they want, like,
that’s fine with us, isn’t it?
You might have to start
doing more overtime,
- but we’ll be fine.
- [laughs] Yeah.
[guests cheering]
- Making sure everyone’s happy
is crucial
to a successful business,
and as the guests
tuck into the wedding meal,
it seems Karen, Clive, and Abbie
have got
all the ingredients right.
- To Mr. and Mrs. Reeves.
Guests: Mr. and Mrs. Reeves.
- [laughs]
- Do you think it’s time
for the first dance?
[guests cheer]
- Paul and Emily would like
to just take the floor.
[guests cheering]
- As the guests join
the bride and groom,
behind the scenes, the big
clear-up’s already begun.
Clive: Oh, my God.
- Lots of people have commented
how superb the food was,
so I’m really happy for them.
- Whoa! That’s hot.
- For the guests
in the marquee,
the newly concreted
and painted floor
means everyone
feels like dancing.
It’s a moment for the family
to reflect
on what they’ve achieved.
- It’s been
a tremendous success,
this first wedding
of the season.
It all came right on the day.
- They still need
to increase their bookings,
but with their new model
of charging guests for drinks,
they’re gaining extra revenue
for every wedding they host.
- I’m just delighted that
everything went really well,
and I’m delighted that
everybody’s had a lovely day.
Dick: We wish them
every success for the future.
35 miles away,
just 6 weeks after moving in
to her very own château,
Julia’s first big renovation
project is under way.
The kitchen fireplace mural
is replaced
with bright, light paint.
Next on the agenda
are the 223 square feet
of original floorboards.
- So we’re gonna try
the oiling the floors.
- Mm-hmm.
- She’s using linseed oil.
Adding turps as a thinner means
it spreads more easily
and will dry more quickly.
- So I have
my cushion for my knees.
- Yes.
- [sighs] Very important.
- Linseed oil
is an environmentally friendly
plant-based ingredient
that’s been used to give wood
a waterproof and wear-resistant
finish for centuries.
- Lovely, isn’t it?
- Yes.
It brings out
more of the brown in the wood.
[sighs] Wow.
- Hmm.
- Oh, wow.
- Makes a big difference,
doesn’t it?
Can you imagine the whole house?
- They’re the dream floors,
- aren’t they?
- Yeah.
- Showcasing the bones
of this beautiful old building
not only looks great, it’s
saving money on new flooring...
- Do you want to do some?
- I can. Happy to do some.
- ...especially when you
do the work yourself.
- Glove up.
- Wow. Look at that.
- With her first room
transformation taking shape,
Julia’s vision for a château
is coming to life.
- It’s very exciting.
The kitchen
is really coming together
how I imagined. It’s, um...
gonna be such a lovely room
when it’s finished.
- It will. It’ll look amazing.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Julia’s sisters have all
returned home for now,
but someone else has made
the trip from down under
to join Julia
in her fairy-tale property.
- Come on. Minki.
Minksi.
My cat Minki is now here.
He’s out exploring the garden.
You’re creeping around
like a scaredy-cat.
- As Minki adjusts
to château life,
Julia completes some
final touches to her kitchen.
Let’s put these in here, too.
There we go.
- Just over a month ago,
the kitchen was
a neglected space
where Julia was making do
with furniture left behind
by the previous owner.
After uncovering original
timber frames on the walls,
fixing the old plasterwork...
redecorating
in a brighter color scheme,
and oiling the floors,
it’s transformed
into a warm and welcoming space
filled with Julia’s
personal touches.
- Painting the walls white,
uh, this cream color,
has actually
lightened the room up a lot.
It’s, uh,
a really nice space to be in.
I enjoy the space, and I
enjoy cooking in the space,
and I’m really looking forward
to cooking for family
and friends
when they come and...
- Next on Julia’s to-do list
is completing the dining room
and getting
her accommodation ready
to host family
and paying guests.
Next time...
more surprises for Margreeth,
as Tim upgrades the hayloft...
- Ready?
- Yeah.
- Ta-da!
- [gasps] Oh, wow.
Oh, that is so nice.
- ...Julia faces a dilemma
in her dining room...
- I don’t understand
what’s going on.
We just have to give it
some thought
on the best way
to go forward with it.
- ...and a couple are
on a château-buying quest...
- Oh, wow. This is beautiful.
- ...to become
kings of their very own castle.
- Amazing.
The floor is incredible.
and along with my wife Angel
and our two children...
- Yay!
- Oh, well done!
- ...we’ve lived
in this magnificent château
for the past five years.
Look. Look, look, look, look,
look, look, look, look, look,
- look, look, look, look.
- Oh, my God.
That is so beautiful.
- It’s not just our home...
- Ah, and we’re up.
- ...but our business.
- You may kiss your bride.
[guests cheer]
- And all over France,
there are other Brits
doing exactly the same.
- Oh, my God.
- We’ll follow a new wave
of intrepid château owners...
- I have some windows.
Might help get rid
of some dust.
- ...and some familiar faces...
as they take on
these majestic buildings,
and we’ll reveal more
about our own château life.
- Thank you, everybody!
- [cheering]
- There’ll be triumphs...
- This looks incredible.
- You like it, Laura?
- I love it.
- ...and setbacks...
- [gasps]
- [chuckles]
- ...as they battle
to renovate their homes...
and earn their keep.
- [puckers] Okay. I’m ready.
- But no matter
how hard the going gets...
- This is probably, yeah,
my worst nightmare.
- ...they get to live the dream
as custodians
of their very own castle.
Today...
getting the family château ready
for the first wedding
of the year...
- Move it.
- [sighs]
- ...involves cracking the whip.
- I want things done.
- "I want it done.
I want it done now."
- A buyer we last met
at the crunch point
of her property hunt...
- Ugh. It is a bit dusty,
isn’t it?
- ...enlists some sister power
to take on
the home of her dreams.
And a mission for homegrown
self-sufficiency...
- I’m just planting
some dahlias,
ideal for flower picking.
- ...leads to a big
birthday surprise.
- 1, 2, 3.
- 1, 2, 3.
Both: Happy birthday.
- There are new occupants moving
into the grand houses of France.
Entrepreneurial Brits
are taking on
decaying and derelict châteaus
to transform them
into living homes
and thriving businesses
one renovation at a time.
In the countryside
of southwest France
is the splendidly striking
Château du Doux.
It has 48 rooms
and a private pool,
all in a spectacular setting
on 7 1/2 acres.
This magnificent property
is now the family home
of I.T. consultant Clive,
wife Karen,
who along with daughter Abbie
and son Ross,
are aiming to cover
the costs of castle life
by offering wedding packages.
Their business has now
reached a crucial stage.
- We’re on our way
to making this a great success,
but it’s very hard work.
- I definitely enjoy
working at the château.
We would never have
expected to be doing this,
but so far, I love my job,
and I want to continue it
in the future.
- Located 65 miles from Limoges,
with bookings down last year,
they’ve been keeping an eye
on outgoings.
- Ah, that’s looking good,
isn’t it?
- But doing most of the work
themselves to save money...
- Oh!
[groans]
- ...has seen tensions mount.
- No! No! No!
- What?!
- You blow it away
from where you want it.
- Abbie: Got it?
- Yeah.
- You okay?
- Yep.
- The first wedding
of the season
is now just days away,
and with all rooms fully booked
for the 70 guests,
mum Karen and daughter Abbie
are rushing to reassemble
the furniture in Room 111,
that’s just been redecorated.
- Okay?
- Yep.
Okay, nice and gentle.
I don’t know
if this is the right tool,
but we’ll give it a go.
- However, they’re not
off to a smooth start,
as a protruding nail
at the bottom of the bed frame
is proving a scratch risk
to the newly varnished floor.
- Need some proper pliers.
- Rob’s got some tools,
hasn’t he?
Shall I go and ask Rob?
- While Karen goes
to fetch Uncle Rob
to remove the offending nail,
Abbie has other ideas.
- If we put a thick piece of
carpet over it, it’ll be fine.
That won’t go through there.
It’s a piece of rubber.
It won’t come through there.
It’ll be fine.
[grunts]
Okay.
Yeah, there’s no way
he’s gonna get that out.
- Thinking she’s hit
the nail on the head,
Abbie gets on with gluing
sections of carpet
to protect the floor.
I fixed the problem.
I don’t need Rob’s help.
- Oh, Abbie,
that’s really irritating.
You better not have
stuck that on, ’cause Rob’s...
- I haven’t stuck it on.
It’s not there anymore.
- You got it out?
- Yes.
- [sighs]
- It’s not a problem.
Dick: You’re not convincing
Uncle Rob, Abbie.
- It’s not gonna...
- Yeah. I’m waiting--
- How did you get it out, then?
- It is. It’s still there.
- Yeah, but it’s
tapped right in.
- You couldn’t get it out.
- [grumbles]
- You won’t get it out, Bob.
- You knew I was gonna get Rob
to remove it easily.
- It wasn’t gonna be removed.
See?
Rob’s struggling to get it out.
That’s how deep it is.
- Because you banged the bit in!
- A top of the head of a nail
is not gonna scratch a floor.
- Yes, it would.
- No, it won’t.
- [grunts]
- Got it? Nearly.
- Ah, nearly.
- Oh, you’ve got it.
- There it is.
Dick: Nail extracted,
there’s just the small task
of making up
the rest of the 36 bedrooms
for the wedding party.
Nine days later,
they’re finally ready
to welcome the 70 guests
to the château.
- It’s been full-on.
It’s been 14-hour days
getting everything done,
but, um,
we’re knackered
before it’s all started,
but we are ready to go.
We’ve got a couple
of coaches arriving.
Yeah, it’s very exciting.
Dick: For bride Emily
and groom Paul,
having all their guests
stay on-site
will make their wedding tomorrow
all the more special.
- I’ve probably
been planning this wedding
- for a good couple of years.
- You all right?
- We just wanted to bring
all of our friends and family
together for one weekend.
Paul: As long
as they have a good time,
then we feel we’re having
a much easier day tomorrow.
Dick: It’s time to show
all the guests to their rooms...
- And what are we?
- J.
- Uh, J.
- It’s 111?
Dick: ...including the family,
who’ll be staying in
the recently decorated Room 111.
- Yeah.
- Let’s hope guests Jen,
James, and baby Penelope
give the newly renovated
accommodation the thumbs-up.
Just 35 miles south
is the picturesque
Château Le Mas de Pradié.
This 17-room property
with a 15-acre estate
that includes
two additional cottages
was purchased
just three weeks ago
for £278,000 by artist Julia.
- I grew up in England,
and I was there until I was 18.
Before moving to France,
I lived in Australia
for around 30 years.
- Located 68 miles
from Toulouse,
we last met Julia
when she was still
on the search
for her perfect château,
and she had some unusual things
on her checklist.
- Do you know if there’s
any ghosts in the property?
- No. I did--
Uh, I’ve been many times,
and I didn’t hear anything.
- She was helped on her search
by sisters Sarah and Melissa,
who are also planning
regular visits to France.
- Oh, wow.
Beautiful surroundings.
Lovely views.
But it’s too small for me.
- After four weeks of viewings,
a five-bedroom château
in the Bordeaux region
seemed to be
just what she was after.
Julia: See, this is
a lovely bedroom.
It’s nice and light,
beautiful floors,
lovely fireplace.
I honestly don’t know if I’m
gonna get the result I want,
but I hope so,
so fingers crossed.
- But in the end, it was
something a little different
that caught Julia’s eye.
- My sisters and I looked
at about 17 properties.
This was the smallest,
and they wanted ones
with turrets
and, you know, 50 bedrooms.
[laughs] And this is
the one I kept dreaming about.
I didn’t dream about the others.
I kept dreaming about this one.
And after a few weeks,
I thought,
"Well, it must be this one."
- Julia has £130,000 saved
for her renovation fund
and ambitious plans
to turn the derelict cottages
into rentals for paying guests,
but her first task
is to tackle the château,
with plans to host
her large family at Christmas.
- My DIY skills
are a bit limited,
but I’m very good
at organizing people.
- Luckily she has plenty
of sister power to call on--
Melissa from Australia,
who helped with the search,
and Jenny, who lives in the U.K.
- All right, what’s in here?
I can’t remember.
- The first room Julia
is renovating is the kitchen.
- These were Auntie’s set.
- I remember these.
- But before major renovations
kick off,
she wants to unpack
her possessions
that have been shipped
from Australia
to get a sense of
the storage space she’ll need.
- These are my favorite.
Indian Tree pattern.
I love these.
- It’s not long
before Julia faces
one of the practical
difficulties of moving overseas.
- Bonjour.
[sighs] Oui.
Uh, I don’t speak French.
- Giving directions
for the many deliveries required
as a new château owner
when you’re still
learning the language
can be a challenge.
- You delivery for...
Le Mas de Pradié?
- But fortunately
the delivery driver
still manages
to find his way in.
- Bonjour.
- Julia’s ordered some pieces
to start putting
her own stamp on the château.
- Oh. Shall we open it?
- Let’s.
- Hey.
- Ta-da!
Like it?
- Yeah. Yeah, I do.
- The parrots are lovely.
Dick: Keeping with
the exotic animal theme,
there’s a hippo-shaped
footstool.
- Ah, he’s cute.
- What are we going to call him?
- Humphrey?
- Humphrey the hippo.
- Hugo.
- Hugo.
- Hubert.
Dick: Having settled
on a name...
- Hugo the hippo.
- [laughs]
- It’s very nice.
- ...Julia’s first
to take a turn with Hugo.
- Perfect.
- Come here, Hugo.
- I think we should have got
a couple of Hugos.
- The sisters won’t be
putting their feet up for long,
as there’s still
a huge amount of DIY ahead,
starting with sorting out
the kitchen,
where in six months time,
they’ll host their first
family Christmas at the château.
- This is the magnificent
Château des Lys.
The 19th-century property
has over 50 rooms
and sits
in 15 acres of woodland.
For the past six years,
it’s been home
to rock musician Tim;
his wife Margreeth,
a former teacher;
and their 11-year-old son Joe.
They run the place
as a business,
offering B & B, holiday lets,
a wedding venue, and
an expanding range of events.
- We’re in the middle
of an adventure at the moment,
and, uh, we’ve got no idea
where it’s going,
but every year, it gets better.
- I love the fact that we’ve
learned so many new skills.
We have no experience in
the tourist industry whatsoever,
and it’s been
such a learning curve.
- Located just an hour
from Calais,
they’ve been working
on new projects
to expand their business
and bring in more revenue.
- Had the money,
I’d get a plasterer,
but I can’t afford that,
so got to do it meself.
- They’re creating
a potager garden...
- Wow. That’s
an efficient way of weeding.
- ...to grow produce
and flowers for their guests.
- It’s good for the environment,
because there’s
no air miles to be made
to get the food to our plates,
and of course
it will save us a lot of money.
- As they need
their first harvest
ready in three months time for
a residential flower weekend,
the pressure is on
to finish the project.
Tim: We’ve got loads
of things coming up,
and we want to have flowers for
our flower arranging sessions.
- But Tim still has to complete
one crucial job...
building a greenhouse
to protect and help germinate
precious seedlings.
It’s something
he promised Margreeth
for her birthday two years ago.
He’s constructing entirely
from recycled doors and windows,
but having broken
much of the glass,
he’s now having
to replace the panes.
- [thump]
- [gasps]
I’ve--[laughs]
- Oops. There goes another one.
- It’s quite easy
to break glass, you know.
It’s fragile stuff.
- It certainly is, Tim.
Well, at least he’s
not short of material.
[drill whirring]
- Yeah! [chuckles]
That’s really pleasing.
I-I quite enjoy that.
I know it’s really simple.
[laughs] But it opens, yeah,
and I think
it’s strong enough as well.
Great.
One more to do.
- It might be
fairly rudimentary,
but this greenhouse now has
a ventilation system,
which will be perfect for when
the French sun gets too strong.
You’ve got to admire
Tim’s engineering ingenuity.
- How’s it going?
- Yeah. Yeah, it’s all right.
- Time for Margreeth to get busy
if their residential
flower arranging event
in three months is to be
a blooming success.
- I’m just planting
some dahlias,
and they will become
really big bunches of flowers,
ideal for flower picking,
so for
the flower arranging weekend.
- Now mainly used
for decoration,
dahlias originated in Mexico,
where the tubers
were grown for food.
They’re fast bloomers,
and they’ll give
bright-colored flowers
through the summer
and into autumn.
They’ll be there
for the flower weekend. Perfect.
- These are all, um,
different, uh...
pumpkins and butternut squashes.
- Margreeth’s also growing
herbs and vegetables
for the château kitchen.
- I do prefer gardening
to anything
to do with the housekeeping.
I love being outside.
- You and me both, Margreeth.
Though unlike indoor projects,
gardening can be
very weather-dependant.
- Well, Tim, it’s raining...
- Okay.
- ...so I’m finished for today.
- Okay.
- I think it’s gonna
pour down in a minute.
- I think it is,
but I-I’m all right.
I’ve got a roof.
I can work under the roof.
- Hey!
- Tim’s not going to let it
rain on his parade,
as he’s got a deadline to meet.
- Just got to crack on, really.
I can do most of it by hand,
no power tools involved, so...
- They say every cloud
has a silver lining.
- And the rain
is bucketing down.
It’s really, really torrential.
But I’ve discovered
it is a self-watering
greenhouse as is.
- It pays to have
a sunny outlook
when you’re a château owner.
At least the veg beds
are getting a decent soaking.
Over 300 miles south
at Château du Doux,
the 70 guests
for Abbie, Clive, and Karen’s
first wedding of the season
have arrived.
- One minute to go,
and I’m gonna put the food out.
- Getting 36 bedrooms
ready in time
has been a last-minute rush,
so fingers crossed
the family booked into
the recently renovated room 111
will be pleased
with what they find.
- Oh, wow.
Oh, this is so nice.
Look, Penelope.
It’s our bedroom.
What you thinkin’? Is it nice?
Yes, our turn. [laughs]
It’s just so grand.
When you first, like,
walk through the gate,
it’s got the wow factor,
hasn’t it,
’cause it’s just--
it’s beautiful.
Dick: A big thumbs-up
for the accommodation.
Now it’s down to general manager
and wedding planner Abbie
to make sure bride Emily’s food
and drink requests are all met.
The expat fish-and-chip van’s
turned up
and is going down a storm.
- We do cod and chips,
or we’ve got
jumbo sausage and chips light.
- I’ll have fish and chips,
please.
- You sure?
- Mm-hmm.
Thank you.
- But getting the beer flowing
in the marquee
is proving to be a problem.
- Oh, you’ve made a right mess,
- haven’t you?
- I know. I did.
Dick: The pipes
from the beer barrel
to the taps of the machine
are leaking.
- So I filled it up.
Two seconds later,
it’s pouring out.
- What a mess.
- I know.
- With a wedding party
of thirsty guests,
they need to fix this fast.
- That’s where it’s coming from.
It’s coming from there.
It’s dripping
from there onto there.
- Then it’s running
down the cable.
- Just get some tape,
gaffer tape it.
Dick: This calls
for a quick fix.
- Gaffer tape?
- Yeah, come on, then.
- [chuckles]
- Gaffer tape, it is.
- My favorite thing.
How to fix everything.
Dick: Gaffer tape applied,
they’re ready to check
if it’s done the job.
- There’s nothing coming out.
- Gas open.
Scared of these things,
that it’s going
to explode on me.
- [gas pings]
- Ugh.
- Well, no one’s gonna be
drinking out of that.
Have you got it on right?
- I don’t know.
I’m terrified of gas.
- Dad Clive bravely
turns the gas tap on.
- The thing’s
in line with the keg.
- Okay, so it seems
to be working now.
Dick: And now there’s
a more enviable task
of checking the goods.
- Does it pass the taste test?
- Oh, eh. I bet it’s horrible.
- Oh, God, yeah. No,
that actually is really good.
- Well, it seems to work.
Oh, yes.
- Whilst the beer
may be back on tap,
there’s no rest for Abbie,
as the bride’s also asked
for English cocktails.
- I bought these two containers,
and then I’m working out sort of
the capacity of each container
and the capacity of the glasses.
Yeah, quite complicated.
- Seven-liter containers,
are they?
- No, they’re eight liters,
but with all the fruit,
I’m gonna take a liter
for the fruit.
- Okay. So, um...
- It’s cool.
I’ve worked it out in my head.
- How many glasses
in each container?
- 30.
- 30 in one container?
- One glass is 200 mills.
One liter, and that is 1.35...
[sighs]
Dick: It may be making
her brain hurt,
but getting the sums right
will ensure
Abbie boosts her profit margin,
so it’s worth the effort.
Let’s hope that all adds up
to a recipe
for a successful cocktail.
Just 35 miles away,
six weeks after moving in
to Château Le Mas de Pradié,
Julia’s tackling
her first big project.
- The kitchen is really
the heart of the house,
so it’s really important
to make it very comfortable.
- At our château, a small
but functional service kitchen
was the only working kitchen
we had for our first year.
- I don’t care that it’s
falling apart and dilapidated.
- Yeah.
- All I wanted was the château.
- But of course
we eventually did want
a proper family kitchen,
and it was one
of our favorite projects.
At the minute, it’s a shell.
Before long, it’s going to be
an amazing place.
We worked to create a space
for culinary creativity,
large enough for family meals.
At her château, Julia plans
to host a big family Christmas
in six months time,
so if she wants
her kitchen ready,
she needs to make the most
of extra help
from visiting sisters
Jenny and Melissa.
- Right. So...
we’re going to tackle this wall.
- Julia is hoping
there are some original timbers
lurking behind the walls.
- What we’re going to do
is start by stripping off
some layers of plaster
to reveal some of the beams.
Don’t need to chisel it out.
[laughs]
Get in there, Jen.
It’s very satisfying.
- When it comes
to old château construction,
you can never be sure exactly
what you’re going to unearth,
so it’s fingers crossed.
- There you go.
- Finally they find
what they’re looking for.
- So we’re just
gonna keep going,
see how much timber
we can reveal.
So what we’re doing, in my mind,
is revealing the bits
that want to be revealed.
- Okay.
Dick: Julia has a plan
to make the most
of this antique wood.
- So paint between the timbers
so we got nice sanded
and varnished, waxed timbers.
Dick: There’s
a less appealing side
to dislodging old plaster.
- Ugh.
It is a bit dusty, isn’t it?
It’s getting up my nose.
[coughs]
Okay.
- These first-time
château DIYers
will need to get dust masks,
eye protection,
and even hard hats
to get the rest
of this renovation done safely.
- Okay. You can come down now.
- No! This is so much fun.
- It is?
- I really love doing this.
- Really love it?
- Yep. It came down.
- Good shot.
- [laughs]
- Revealing the château’s past
is the start of a very exciting
future for Julia.
But there’s still
a lot of work ahead
to make this kitchen
a welcoming and functional
heart of the home.
Back in southwest France,
it’s the morning
of Château du Doux’s
first wedding of the season.
Last night’s late finish was
great news for their bar sales.
- Quite a selection
of bottles here.
[bottles clinking]
- But with lots still to set up
for the day ahead,
it’s been an early start for
dad Clive and daughter Abbie.
- 6:00, we were up.
Uh, we just had breakfast.
And we’re going to be going
till about 3:00
or 4:00 in the morning, so yeah.
- It’s gonna be okay.
- Pacing ourselves.
- It’s gonna be a long day.
- My feet hurt already.
- My feet are killing me,
I must admit.
- While son Ross
is on vacuum cleaning duty...
- That’s pretty much
most of the Hoovering done
on one set of spiral stairs.
- ...Abbie is
roping in Dad Clive
to help with one
of her many jobs.
- Move it.
- [sighs]
- "Move it. Move it."
- I want things done.
- "I want it done.
I want it done now."
- I got a long list
of things to do.
- I’m not here to serve
your every request, Abigail.
Dick: This arch
will form the backdrop
to the wedding ceremony.
Abbie designed it herself,
so knows exactly
how she wants it to look.
- I want everything
to be perfect.
- Mm.
- I’m glad this thing
isn’t heavy.
- It’s not heavy at all.
- No. That’s the good thing.
- The wedding arch
isn’t the only thing
Abbie has
very precise ideas about.
After doing
her homework yesterday
for the English cocktails
requested by the bride,
it’s time to put
the calculations to the test.
- Doing 30 glasses, are you,
- or more?
- 30 glasses.
- Okay, so if I have
15 slices from each cucumber
and shove the rest in a pot...
- Do you want to count 15
and put them in that bowl?
No, wait.
Let me tip this out and count.
- Why?
- Because I’m gonna count 60--
- You’re not gonna count
individual pieces?
- Yeah.
- Just do it by sight.
- I can’t do that.
- Why?
- Has to be methodical.
- Two...
- Have you got time to waste?
- You’re worse than me.
- three...
It’s gonna be a long day.
I think it’s ’cause we stayed up
really late doing the bar
again last night.
- Yeah.
Dick: The lack of sleep
soon starts to show.
- Stop. Can I put them in, 15?
- Yep.
- You got 10.
- What?
- 10, you said.
Did I? 11.
12, 13, 14, 15,
16,
17, 18...
19...
20. That’s not
actually that accurate,
but there’s enough
to do 30 glasses there.
Dick: Let’s hope not everybody
wants a strawberry.
Now for the alcohol.
And she’s worked out exactly
how much lemonade she needs.
At least, that was the plan.
- Mum, I’ve miscalculated,
or someone’s lied to me.
They’re meant to be
eight-liter things.
And that’s one liter,
that’s three.
That’s four and--
Oh, my gosh. My head.
Dick: Looks like these cocktails
could either be weak
or very strong.
- It’s the right color,
and it’s got the fruit in.
- I’ve never done Pimm’s before.
- Unsure if her cocktail mix
is the right strength
to keep the guests and
her profit margins happy,
Abbie decides to decant
and correct the error.
Abbie: It needs two bottles in
for the lemonade.
Right. Now we’ve got
half a bottle of each in,
and then I’ve got two left over.
That’s ideal. Done.
- We’ve just worked that out.
You’re worrying unnecessarily.
- Okay, half and half,
and then...
maybe decant a bottle of each.
Can you decant
one bottle, please?
And then we’re done.
Dick: They’ve been at this
for almost an hour,
and with all the subtraction
and addition,
Abbie’s getting addled.
- Do you think we can get two
bottles of lemonade in there?
- Now let--
- No, I don’t.
Dick: And it’s
not just the cocktails
where there may have
been miscalculations.
- Why are there two barrels
of beer in the corridor?
- Because they’re the ones
they’ve ordered, and that’s it.
Dick: The bar sales for the day
have already outstripped
Abbie’s projections.
- So I don’t really know
what to do.
I am concerned tonight
there’s gonna be nothing left.
Dick: If the bar runs dry,
they’ll lose potential sales
and risk a château
full of unhappy guests,
so Abbie needs to find a way
to keep things lubricated
to the end of the night.
Over 300 miles north,
the storm has passed
for Tim and Margreeth’s
potager garden.
The centerpiece greenhouse
is now fully glazed,
and with the help
of 11-year-old son Joe,
Tim is busy
cleaning the glass panes
so that Margreeth can get her
long-overdue birthday present.
- What do you think?
- You happy with this?
- Yeah.
- Well done.
- Nice and clean window.
Any last dust off on the sides.
I’m excited to see--
see the face of my mother.
It’s two years late, but
better--better now than never.
Okay, that’s the window done.
Dick: This really
is a greenhouse
in every sense of the word.
- I’ve used all the materials
that I’ve had
either from other projects
or lying around the château,
and, um, I think,
you know, this is--
we really have created something
from absolutely nothing,
and it’s a bit rough and ready,
but at the end of it,
it’s something wonderful.
- Tim’s even making seed trays
from old wooden pallets.
[drill whirring]
- It--We’re done.
That’s it. Wow. Look at that.
Okay.
You take that.
Okay. Okay,
be very careful with that,
’cause I think
it’s a bit fragile.
I’m not very good at this.
I’m very bad
at arranging things.
Dick: Margreeth’s under
strict instructions to stay away
until her surprise
is all present and correct.
- Tell me when the heart’s
in good position, okay?
- That’s good.
- So what do you reckon?
- About there?
- Yeah.
[drill whirs]
- [laughs]
That’s the story of my life.
- You don’t want a broken heart
at this stage of the game, Tim.
- Joe, mate, what should I do?
Still I stick it up there
or on the corner here?
- With Joe’s handmade sign
taking pride of place,
this labor of love
is all ready to show to Mum.
- So what do you think?
- It looks nice.
- It’s great, isn’t it?
I think it’s very us, isn’t it?
- Yeah. Mom’ll like it.
- I’m really proud
of the greenhouse.
Fitting it all in
with the weather
has been a bit of a nightmare,
but we’ve done it.
- We should show it to her.
- We should show it to her.
- Should--We should get her up.
- Yes, let’s go and get her.
- Okay.
- It’s been two years since Tim
promised Margreeth a greenhouse.
- Okay.
- Mom!
- A surprise?
- Yeah, a surprise?
- Yeah?
- Ten weeks after he started
laying the groundwork
at the potager,
it’s ready to be revealed.
- So there’s nothing.
You just keep walking.
You’re okay.
- I’m really scared.
- You’re fine. You’re fine.
- You’re fine. You’re fine.
- I’m really scared. [laughs]
- 1, 2, 3.
- 1, 2, 3.
Both: Happy birthday.
- Oh! [laughs]
Oh, that’s so cute.
- It’s your birthday...
- Oh. That is so--
That’s lovely.
I love my hearts.
Oh, this is so nice,
the "Chez Margreeth."
Oh, that is so cute.
Oh, my boys.
- Come here.
- [kiss]
- Thank you.
Oh, wow.
- Wow, guys.
- Joe put these up as well.
- Oh, it is so nice.
- Yeah.
- They’re great.
- They’re cool, aren’t they?
- Ah, that’s so cool.
- You can put your little, um...
- Yeah, I could put
- my plants in there.
- Absolutely.
Ah, wow.
And some presents.
Eh, you know, guys,
it’s not really my birthday.
- I know, but it used to be,
and we missed it,
and this is all for you.
- Ahh.
[laughs]
- Good.
- Thank you.
Thank you, boys.
- So should we
get the drinks open?
- Cheers.
- Cheers.
- Cheers, Joe.
- To the greenhouse.
- Both: To the greenhouse.
- And to Mommy. Cheers.
- Thank you for a lovely...
- With the greenhouse complete,
their potager garden
is now ready
for the growing season.
- This greenhouse
and this garden,
absolutely worth the wait.
- We’ve taken a neglected area
of the garden,
and we turned it into this,
which will produce stuff for us
that we can use for our guests
and our cooking
and our flower weekends,
and it’s a lovely little space.
- Looks like their first
residential flower weekend
in three months time is on track
to be blooming marvelous.
Almost 400 miles south,
the timberwork on the walls of
Julia’s kitchen is now exposed.
- All right, so...
- Next, with help
from sister Melissa,
there’s a big decision
to be made,
whether to keep
the previous owner’s
experimental artwork
above the fireplace.
- I think it’s a scary face.
I don’t actually like it.
- The previous owner
was Bernard Dufour,
who was a famous French artist,
and he lived here until
his death a couple of years ago.
- I’m against covering
other people’s artwork,
but this is not a museum.
It’s my house...
so it’s going. [laughs]
Dick: Time to say farewell
to the face above the fire.
- Bye-bye.
- So we probably
should take a photo of it
before we destroy it.
- Yes, all right.
- Are you ready?
Is that your smiling face?
- Yes, as good as I can get.
- Ah, lovely.
- [laughs]
- Okay.
- Julia needs to remove
any areas of loose plaster
so the wall can be filled,
sanded, and painted.
- Oh, look.
You’re giving him hair.
- Yeah. Well, not actually.
- Hey, that’s cool.
You’re improving...
- We’re creating a--
a better work of art.
- It soon turns out
there’s more damaged plaster
than Julia bargained for.
- This is a problem, this bit.
- It is, isn’t it?
Oh, Jules.
- Sounds very hollow,
the whole thing.
- Yes. Look, it’s all
falling apart now, isn’t it?
- A hollow sound is a sign
plaster has lost its bond
with the wall below.
It has to be taken off
and replastered.
Julia decides to spot repair
the damaged areas.
- So we’re gonna actually
- just try and patch that.
- Oh.
- Because if I
start taking that down,
the whole lot’s
going to come down. [laughs]
So if I just put a bit
of plaster on the edges...
- Yes.
- I’d love a mask.
Dick: Julia,
you needed that earlier.
- This wall definitely,
not be smooth.
It’s gonna be very rustic,
but that’s its character.
Dick: Rough and ready finishes
can be part of the château look,
but they do need to be
attached to the wall.
Melissa: Here it comes.
- That’s a nasty, big hole.
So what I do with this,
a big hole like this,
I just do a--
- Little bit.
- ...a deep fill there.
- Deep fill done.
Now for some sanding
and more safety-wear.
- Can I have my sunglasses?
[laughs]
- Or at least an approximation
of safety-wear.
- This is how one should sand,
mask and sunglasses.
Dick: Not likely sure sunglasses
are the same as goggles.
But at least Melissa’s keeping
a firm grip on the ladder
as the walls get a wipe-down
to remove dust and dirt,
ready for painting.
[both laughing]
- Looks so much better.
- Oh, my God.
[both laugh]
- To offset the dark wood
on the floor and ceiling,
Julia’s opting
for a whiter shade of pale.
- It’s certainly an improvement.
- These bits that, uh,
the paint’s not filling,
- in the grooves...
- Yes.
- ...I quite like that effect.
- Gives you depth.
- Well, it hides
other imperfections.
- Should we look at it
- from a distance?
- Yeah.
[sighs] Well, it’s a good start.
- Yes.
[laughs]
Dick: A promising beginning,
but there’s a lot more
patching and painting ahead,
plus the old floor to tackle,
to make this kitchen
the welcoming space
Julia has in mind.
In southwest France,
it’s the day
of Abbie, Clive, and Karen’s
first wedding of the season,
and it’s the first time
they’re making the most
of the château’s
alcohol license
by charging for drinks
at an event.
[party chatter]
The ceremony is about to begin,
and with fears the beer and wine
is already running low,
the hope is
Abbie’s English cocktail mix...
Karen: Don’t know
what they taste like,
but they look the part.
Dick: ...set on her newly
created outdoor barrel bar
will take the pressure off
while they send for supplies.
- It’s a bit wobbly.
[laughs]
- The bar’s about to be used,
so we’re gonna see.
It looks good,
so, yeah, I’m happy with it.
- For now, though, all attention
is on bride Emily’s entrance.
- The moment
we’ve all been waiting for.
I now pronounce you
husband and wife.
[guests cheering]
Dick: Time to drink
to the happy couple
and see if Abbie’s got
her sums right on the cocktails.
- This is selling
like hot cakes, isn’t it, eh?
I’m gonna open a stall
down in the market.
- Oh, the English cocktails
are so good,
especially on a day like this,
’cause it’s, what, 31 degrees,
so having English cocktails
is so nice.
- I don’t think
they lasted long.
- No.
- [both laugh]
- I think there was about
a 10-minute window, and they
- just snapped up straight away.
- Yeah.
- As the guests file
into the dining room
for the reception meal,
Abbie sourced extra supplies,
so the bar won’t be
running dry anytime soon.
- I think they are
on beer barrel number 7.
Think we only prepared for 5,
so they’re 2 up,
and the night is young,
as they say,
so I think even more
should be consumed
by the end of the night.
Dick: Good news
for the château’s profits,
but Abbie’s also been checking
in with the bride and groom
to make sure they’re happy
with the potential bar bill.
- It’s our wedding,
and we only get married once,
so if our friends and family
want to drink
as much as they want, like,
that’s fine with us, isn’t it?
You might have to start
doing more overtime,
- but we’ll be fine.
- [laughs] Yeah.
[guests cheering]
- Making sure everyone’s happy
is crucial
to a successful business,
and as the guests
tuck into the wedding meal,
it seems Karen, Clive, and Abbie
have got
all the ingredients right.
- To Mr. and Mrs. Reeves.
Guests: Mr. and Mrs. Reeves.
- [laughs]
- Do you think it’s time
for the first dance?
[guests cheer]
- Paul and Emily would like
to just take the floor.
[guests cheering]
- As the guests join
the bride and groom,
behind the scenes, the big
clear-up’s already begun.
Clive: Oh, my God.
- Lots of people have commented
how superb the food was,
so I’m really happy for them.
- Whoa! That’s hot.
- For the guests
in the marquee,
the newly concreted
and painted floor
means everyone
feels like dancing.
It’s a moment for the family
to reflect
on what they’ve achieved.
- It’s been
a tremendous success,
this first wedding
of the season.
It all came right on the day.
- They still need
to increase their bookings,
but with their new model
of charging guests for drinks,
they’re gaining extra revenue
for every wedding they host.
- I’m just delighted that
everything went really well,
and I’m delighted that
everybody’s had a lovely day.
Dick: We wish them
every success for the future.
35 miles away,
just 6 weeks after moving in
to her very own château,
Julia’s first big renovation
project is under way.
The kitchen fireplace mural
is replaced
with bright, light paint.
Next on the agenda
are the 223 square feet
of original floorboards.
- So we’re gonna try
the oiling the floors.
- Mm-hmm.
- She’s using linseed oil.
Adding turps as a thinner means
it spreads more easily
and will dry more quickly.
- So I have
my cushion for my knees.
- Yes.
- [sighs] Very important.
- Linseed oil
is an environmentally friendly
plant-based ingredient
that’s been used to give wood
a waterproof and wear-resistant
finish for centuries.
- Lovely, isn’t it?
- Yes.
It brings out
more of the brown in the wood.
[sighs] Wow.
- Hmm.
- Oh, wow.
- Makes a big difference,
doesn’t it?
Can you imagine the whole house?
- They’re the dream floors,
- aren’t they?
- Yeah.
- Showcasing the bones
of this beautiful old building
not only looks great, it’s
saving money on new flooring...
- Do you want to do some?
- I can. Happy to do some.
- ...especially when you
do the work yourself.
- Glove up.
- Wow. Look at that.
- With her first room
transformation taking shape,
Julia’s vision for a château
is coming to life.
- It’s very exciting.
The kitchen
is really coming together
how I imagined. It’s, um...
gonna be such a lovely room
when it’s finished.
- It will. It’ll look amazing.
- Yeah.
- Yeah.
- Julia’s sisters have all
returned home for now,
but someone else has made
the trip from down under
to join Julia
in her fairy-tale property.
- Come on. Minki.
Minksi.
My cat Minki is now here.
He’s out exploring the garden.
You’re creeping around
like a scaredy-cat.
- As Minki adjusts
to château life,
Julia completes some
final touches to her kitchen.
Let’s put these in here, too.
There we go.
- Just over a month ago,
the kitchen was
a neglected space
where Julia was making do
with furniture left behind
by the previous owner.
After uncovering original
timber frames on the walls,
fixing the old plasterwork...
redecorating
in a brighter color scheme,
and oiling the floors,
it’s transformed
into a warm and welcoming space
filled with Julia’s
personal touches.
- Painting the walls white,
uh, this cream color,
has actually
lightened the room up a lot.
It’s, uh,
a really nice space to be in.
I enjoy the space, and I
enjoy cooking in the space,
and I’m really looking forward
to cooking for family
and friends
when they come and...
- Next on Julia’s to-do list
is completing the dining room
and getting
her accommodation ready
to host family
and paying guests.
Next time...
more surprises for Margreeth,
as Tim upgrades the hayloft...
- Ready?
- Yeah.
- Ta-da!
- [gasps] Oh, wow.
Oh, that is so nice.
- ...Julia faces a dilemma
in her dining room...
- I don’t understand
what’s going on.
We just have to give it
some thought
on the best way
to go forward with it.
- ...and a couple are
on a château-buying quest...
- Oh, wow. This is beautiful.
- ...to become
kings of their very own castle.
- Amazing.
The floor is incredible.