Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2021): Season 6, Episode 7 - Episode #6.7 - full transcript
Across France there
are thousands of
beautiful Chateaux...
Many forgotten and abandoned...
Now they're being brought
back to life...
By adventurous Brits.
Waheeey!
They're taking on
the challenge....
It does scare
the life out of me.
...to transform these
once-unloved buildings
-Yeah, oh god
that's bright.
-Just lovely!
Into incredible homes...
Thank you, the French way.
And businesses.
Let's hope they all like haggis!
There'll be triumphs...
Shall I wear this one tonight?
...and setbacks...
We won't be having a second
stab at this I can assure you.
...but however hard,
the going gets...
Argh! Woo!
-those who've made the move...
-Cheers!
...get to live the dream
as custodians of their
very own castle.
Today...
Familiar faces...
Timber!
take on a big demolition job
Your face you look like a ghost
At this chateau there's
plans to create an armory
It's at this point in time
that we start praying
that the screws taken
and I've done my job properly.
But these owners may
have a battle
on their hands to
complete the job
Oh no!
And this couple are
unprepared for a shopping trip
-Have you got your
measure tape with you?
-No...
Leading to a muddle
with their measurements
Lee that is just a bit
bigger than my phone.
This is one, one, three, six.
Right. If that's millimeters,
that's 4ft
and your phone is not 4ft big.
Over the year's Brits
have taken the plunge
and bought beautiful
chateaus all over France.
But when you're just
starting out renovations
can be daunting
and lots of hard work
and positivity is needed
to get your dream
chateau up and running.
Speedway Racing owners Matt and
Helen snapped up the impressive
38 room Chateau La Briance
seven months ago for £476,000
We are living in something
that we could never have dreamt
to have been living in
and we do pinch ourselves.
Really excited to have people
come and stay and see it.
Located in Central France,
near Limoges
The speedway mad couple have
builders working flat out
as they're opening
as a high-end B and B
in just 8 weeks' time.
So, far, it's been
a bit of a struggle.
-This one?
-It's not going in,
it's pushing it down.
But the DIY novices have
now finished their first room:
a grand family suite
named after Napoleon.
We want someone to have that
wow factor so they turn up
and see the chateau
and literally go wow.
Today Matt and Helen are
turning their attention
to the South Eastern Turret.
So, the day you've been
looking forward to putting
your shields up.
They're transforming it
into a medieval armory
themed reception room.
The reason we decided to call
this the armory is
because it has real presence
this room,
and we just felt like we
wanted to keep the history,
keep the feel of the place.
Of course, you know,
you couldn't have an armory
without having some shields up.
Matt has grand plans as
they're going to hang the
shields just below the flags.
The eight replica shields
were purchased online
for about £70 each.
It's at this point in time you
start praying that the screw
has taken and
I've done my job properly.
Yeah that they're
hung on the wall.
Looks good. Yeah.
-Are you happy with that one?
-Really good, yeah.
One safely up,
seven more to go.
I would like something
with color this time please.
Right, so.
It seems Matt's opting
for the do it by eye method
to line them up.
Around there. Laughs.
If you're happy Matt...
but not measuring and
marking between the shields
is not without its risks.
About the same height
if you can see, Hel?
It's hard to tell without the
point, I'm not witnessing it.
It is. Kind of
in the same place?
Down slightly, I think.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
Wheey.
You know what you need?
A tool belt, so you can
be a professional DIYer.
If that's a thing.
-Tres bien?
-Tres bien, oui.
Oh, oui oui!
-This one next?
-Yep that's good
In Medieval times,
most Chateaux in France
had an armory,
a place where they stored
weapons to fight the enemy.
Is it longer than the others?
But by the 18th century many
became rooms purely to show
off the owners' collections.
I do like this shield.
Got a little bit of
sparkle in this one.
It's gotta be my favorite.
Oh!
Oh!
I was expecting you
to catch that one.
-You didn't...
-I don't know if a piece has
fallen off.
A piece? What's good is
now officially seen battle,
hasn't it?
-[laughs]
-So, um, you know, we were
looking for authentic pieces.
We can safely say that this one
has fallen from a great height.
Many a true word, although
it looks like Matt's shield
alignment needs
a bit of a tweak.
I think the red and
blue one might need...
moving slightly.
Might need what?
You could do it with a...
It's, at the moment,
it's to the right...
Okay I've got to
come down anyways.
It seems Matt has his work
cut out for a while yet.
Forty five miles to the north
sits the fairy-tale
15th Century Chateau Mareuil.
Oooh!
Originally from south London
Belinda, a former commercial
director,
and Lee, a lighting designer
bought their chateau in 2015
for £378,000.
One of the reasons we
fell in love with it,
it's an honest building.
In other words, it was
built as a medieval fortress.
It was a working fortress.
And what I particularly like
what we've done is we've
turned it into a home.
We feel very much that
we are custodians.
It's lovely but it does
have its responsibilities.
Located forty miles from
Limoges in central France,
it's been transformed by
the couple into a B and B...
And an events venue.
Madames et Messieurs...
s'il vous plait, mange !
Belinda and Lee are using
the quieter winter months
as an opportunity
to refurbish their kitchen.
They've already made a start...
But an important
job is replacing
the old wooden shelving.
Along this back here
we can have two shelves one here
and one slightly higher up.
The shelves have to be
strong enough to hold Belinda's
impressive collection
of cook books,
so today's task is to
source the wood to make them.
That would be lovely something
like that would be really nice.
Smooth on both sides
and just rough around the edge.
-A bit like me.
-[laughs]
We're going to see
if we can find sort of
what we're looking for
and if they also cut it to
shape and plane it down for us.
-I hope so, 'cause
that will save us.
-A lot of time and work.
This is beautiful. This edge.
Yeah.
-Beautiful.
-Yeah.
-Do you think?
-I like that.
I do. I really like that.
You can see it's a tree.
-You've got your
measure tape with you?
-No.
See that one's not bad there.
Third one down.
The front looks properly
rustic, doesn't it?
I wish you had your
measure tape with you.
now. I don't know
why I didn't bring it.
I just rushed out without it.
I know. I'm really annoyed.
I'll always carry a tape
measure with me.
I'm trying to remember,
now, I remember learning
how you measure things
with a mobile phone.
You find out how big your mobile
phone is,
and then you can use that
to measure things with.
Lee, that is just a bit bigger
than my phone.
This is one, one, three, six.
-One, one.
-Three, six.
What's that in millimeters?
-Yeah.
-It can't
be one, one, three, six
in millimeters is four foot.
One, one, three, six.
That's what it said.
One, one, three, six, right?
If that's millimeters
that's four foot and your
phone is not four foot big.
A more reliable measuring tool
might be in order...
[speaking French]
-There we go.
-She's probably thinking
what a dumb pair of klutzes,
-come to a timber yard to buy
timber without a measure.
-[laughs]
Armed with the right tools
let's hope they can now see
the wood for the trees.
So, measure the piece of wood.
I'll go that end.
Yeah, you go.
Perfect we could get four
out of this at 1500.
Now the only thing we need to
just check on, onto your face.
Is the width. So, the nearest
part we need 300,
-300.
-Uh!
All right, let's go
and talk to the boss.
Plank, possibly this
piece or this piece.
[speaking French]
Non.
Yeah, you can do that
way but not that way.
-Well, It's going
against the grain...
-Ok, je comprends.
This particular timber
can only be cut vertically
not horizontally
which means it won't work
for Belinda and Lee's shelves.
Luckily there's another
option available.
This is smooth. Yeah.
There's some alternative
pieces with the rough edges
that we're looking for
and he's going to cut it
precisely to length for us.
What we're going to
do is get it cut and get
it delivered next week.
-We've done it.
-We've got our wood, we've
got our shelves.
Good day.
First step complete but
they're not out of the woods
yet as there's still
lot of work ahead of them.
Coming up...
A delicate touch is
needed at this chateau.
We need to try and save
the cornice that we have.
Ah! It's gone.
At Chateau Mareuil...
This is classic chateau DIY.
...Belinda and Lee's
hopes begin to sink.
What seems like a simple job
to start with
actually becomes much more
complicated and more
time consuming
and that's the problem here.
And at Chateau la Briance...
How we looking?
Helen's knight in shining
armor has arrived.
Shall I wear this one tonight?
This is the charming
seventeenth-century
Chateau de Saugé.
Home to Donna, originally
from County Durham,
and her Scottish born
husband, former Construction
Director, Paul.
They moved in just
over a year ago.
It does take your breath away
when you look at
the chateau some days
and it's just incredible,
it's an incredible old place.
Located 50 miles east of
La Rochelle in western France,
the couple snapped up
this 45 roomed beauty
for just £279,000 in 2018.
When we met them last time,
they turned one wing
into a self-contained apartment
and transformed
the old scullery into
a catering kitchen.
They also created a tearoom to
bring in some much-needed cash.
We had a three months delay
with paperwork on the tea room.
We worked night and day to make
sure it was completed on time.
And that that's really that's
what was frustrating
because you're there,
what effectively was
during the summer months,
that should have
been the peak season.
And we weren't able
to capitalize on that and
that was really disappointing.
With the tea room
unable to open,
they focused on
the renovations,
where they hoped to
use the £450,000
they had budgeted for the work.
We had a very detailed original
detailed budget for the work,
but we never at the time that
we had that budget we never had
all that money available to us.
We're at the point where
we need to be careful
of what we spend.
To start earning much-needed
income they are busy turning
the chateau into a B&B.
Their next job is to
remove one of the
original four staircases
in what will become
the guests' lounge.
We need to remove this wall
and this staircase
so we can regain this
area for the living space,
but it's more controlled
demolition than anything
more significant.
I'll have the heavy end
then Donna can have
less heavy end.
I have a bit of finesse
on the demolition.
I'm not sure
that's strictly true.
However, they divvy it up,
they can't afford builders
so this tricky task lies
entirely in their hands.
First job is the delicate
matter of removing the cornice.
We need to try and
save the cornice that we have
because it would
be very difficult to
try and replace that.
Re-using the cornice
is a good idea and will
help to keep down costs.
-There we go. It's gone.
-Have you got that.
Ooh!
[laughs]
Yay!
Gosh.
That was a hard part
not an easy part.
Don't stand it like that
cause it will actually
fall over and smash.
There's the odd little chip,
but otherwise they're pretty
much intact which is brilliant.
Very delicately done, but now
time for some brute force.
Right, knock the wall down now.
Any celebration's short-lived.
Your face, you look like
a ghost. You're white. [laughs]
Sometimes you can work for
a week and just,
you don't feel you're
getting anywhere,
that doesn't look any different.
But on a day when you demolish
something, it's immediate.
After over an hours' hard
graft the wall's history.
Timber!
You're happy with the space?
Yeah. It's made a huge
difference to the room,
isn't it?
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
A great start, now there's
just the small matter
of tackling that staircase.
Just 75 miles away
at Chateau Mareuil,
Belinda and Lee are a week
into their kitchen renovation.
They are already 80 euros over
the thousand-euro budget
and are running out of time.
-We've got guests
coming at the weekend.
-We've got guests coming over.
So, I need this kitchen
for the weekend.
Yeah.
-So...
-So, we're now Thursday.
Yeah. So, there's
a lot of pressure on as
far as I am concerned.
I need a working kitchen
literally in two and
a half days' time.
I don't want guests
to hear me scream.
Well, or me screaming at you.
Screaming at me and I can't
do anything about it.
[laughs] Joy of joys.
How are you, all right?
To help remove the old kitchen
worktop and sink,
Lee's persuaded his
friend Terry, a local plumber,
to lend a hand.
That's it.
I think it's a lift out.
That's it. Yeah.
It feels really good and I
am really pleased Terry
is here to help.
I feel a bit more confident...
-You're trying lift it?
-No, I'm seeing if they
have stuck this side as well
which I'm not sure
if they have.
But even with the extra
manpower the sink's
refusing to budge.
They've stuck loads
of silicon underneath
to hold it down in place.
They've got silicon
everywhere by the looks of it.
Lee plans on reusing the old
sink as a dog bath for Misty,
so he's keen to get
it out in one piece.
I don't know how Belinda is
going to have her kitchen
working for Saturday morning.
Looks like we have to work
overnight to get it done.
Oh, yeah it's lifting.
Lift the whole unit...
This is classic chateau DIY.
You don't know what
the people before you
have put in or botched in.
So, what seems like a
simple job to start with
actually becomes much
more complicated and
more time consuming.
And that's the problem here.
So, what we're going to
do now is just try and lift
the whole thing out Lee.
-I'll go backwards.
-Yeah. Argh gee!
Misty doesn't look happy
about her new dog bath,
even if it has caused
an unwanted delay.
-To you to me to you.
-How are you doing?
-Is it going to
be ready for Saturday?
-Come back in a week.
-Yeah.
-And it will be done.
Yeah. Yeah. Too late.
-No, you have water and drainage
and dishwasher.
-Yeah, okay, that's fine.
-It's just maybe
not the tiling.
-That's fine.
After a slow start, Lee and
Terry have picked up the pace.
And after a tough few hours
of fitting and re-plumbing,
the new £200 sink
is finally ready to be sunk.
-Perfect.
-Perfectamundo.
Yeah. We've got to
be happy with that.
That looks really nice.
Isn't it? The sink looks exactly
the same color as the worktop.
-Yeah.
-Looks fabulous. Thank you.
-It's a great job.
-Thank you, Terry.
-Aye.
-The dog bath is
in the barn.
-Needs a good scrub
that dog bath.
-Well, same as the dog.
With guests due to
arrive in a few days,
Misty's bath can wait.
Let's get the kitchen up and
running first.
Over at Chateau La Briance...
-Quite heavy, all good?
-Yeah.
New owners Matt and Helen
have eight weeks
before they open their
high-end B&B and wedding venue.
-There we go...
-Room to move? Yep, fantastic.
Having finished hanging
shields in their medieval
style Armory...
They now want to add more
wow factor - a suit of armor.
Well, let's take the sword out
first because
we don't want that getting
in the way it's got a heavy end.
I could give you a little
tap with that one.
The tricky part is it
needs assembling as it's
arrived in kit form.
Sadly, the assembly instructions
are not too good.
It's one sheet of paper
with five different pictures.
So, it looks straightforward,
I think. We're starting
with the legs.
-Is there a left and, oh, yes.
-There is a left and right.
-These clicky bits must
go on the outside, I think.
-Yes, they will.
It's a novel idea,
the replica suit cost £500
and is made from a soft metal,
so it's a lot lighter than
a 25 kilo Medieval one.
-There we go.
-How we looking?
[she laughs]
-How we looking now?
-Brilliant.
-Shall I wear this one tonight.
-[laughs]
After less than an hour...
It is a bit fiddly, but fun.
Their knight is
ready for battle.
So, what are we going to name
our knight?
Well, I was thinking
is he's been built in the
bar area near the juke box.
I think he should be called
Sir Dance-a-lot.
Now they need to put
it in the armory
without any hiccups.
Check his head height,
above the door frame.
-Lower. Are you okay?
-Yeah. Right.
Plenty of head height in here.
Right. Put him between the two
here and then we can put
something beside of him.
-Fantastic. He looks better.
-Yeah.
He fits in so well, doesn't he?
With everything else?
Stick that there, just...
underneath the shield
it looks brilliant.
I thought I was your
knight in shining armor.
-Always.
-Ah.
Mission complete,
making them one step closer
to opening their dream chateau.
Coming up...
Donna and Paul get to grips
with the old staircase.
I don't want to leave
you underneath here.
Cause the tread's
not very secure.
And at Chateau Mareuil,
Belinda and Lee have a problem
with their plumbing...
So, this came out so
it must to go back.
With just hours to go
before guests turn up.
The idea of them arriving
and this is still in chaos.
I mean look at this,
this is terrible.
I know I totally get that.
At Chateau de Saugé,
Donna and Paul are continuing
to free up space
in their salon.
They've already demolished
the internal wall
so now it's time to take
on the unwanted staircase.
Got it.
Starting by separating
it from its supports.
I think the staircase
itself is going to be relatively
heavy for us to manage.
So, I think when we put
a brace on the back end,
just hopefully when it does
drop, it will drop on the brace.
-Yeah.
-So, what's like?
-Hatch a plan as to how
we can lower it.
-Okay.
The staircase weighs
around 450 pounds
so the last thing they want
is it falling on top of them.
Just as a precaution
we'll stick this prop here.
Good idea to have something to
help hold them in place.
Can I just ring to make sure
our insurance is in order?
Paul has to prise the side
of the stairs
that's holding the steps
in place away from
the wall and the joists.
It's coming all
the way through here P.
-All right, what are we doing?
-So, I think what we do,
we pull this corner both
and towards us here
and it should gently fall.
-Gently.
-Two inches.
-Okay.
-And then...
if it does, we'll worry about
it then, if it doesn't,
we'll rethink it.
-[laughs] Okay.
-Right.
Un, deux, trois.
-Ta da.
-It worked.
I just need to get it
down to ground level.
Phase one complete.
Now for the small matter
of getting it down.
-Pull the bottom.
-I don't want to
leave you underneath here.
-Yeah. Take it out
of the way. It's light.
-P, no.
-It's light.
-No.
We'll drop it on to the ladder.
As a sensible precaution
to make the staircase safe,
a step ladder is repurposed
as a safety net.
When you're ready.
Uh, I can't lift it.
-That's it.
-Yeah.
Unfortunately, the ladder isn't
doing a sturdy enough job.
The tread's not very secure.
I don't like you
being under there.
Problem is, clear your feet.
ean I do have a hoist,
I could have used that.
That's what you used.
Last time, you used a strap
around you to lift it.
If it's worked before
Paul it can work again
and using a strap allows
for a lot more control.
Right. Get out from
underneath it.
They really can't afford
the staircase to fall
and damage the salon's
original hardwood flooring...
-Do you want to pull it
this way a bit.
-No, hold on.
-Is there all right?
-Okay. Pull it here.
-To me? Yeah.
-To me, to you.
-Go.
-Ready?
Yeah. So, it's down.
Excellent.
That's one job done
but the day is just
getting started.
As well as tackling
the urgent renovation work
at the chateau
they're also juggling
the running of their
newly opened tearoom.
After a three-month delay,
they opened their doors
five weeks ago
meaning Donna has to spend
four days a week running it.
I've given up any hope
of being able to bake
and cook for guests.
So, now it's here
I'm really enjoying it.
Since the tearoom started to
get popular with the locals,
Donna's helped by
fellow ex-pat Sue.
Usually everyone descends
all at once, which puts us
under pressure, doesn't it?
But today luckily, they're
coming in intervals.
So, that's a lot better for us.
But the day is young, yeah?
Yeah. Expect the unexpected.
The tearoom needs to bring in
much needed cash fast
in order to help Donna
and Paul fund the
chateau's renovations.
Let's hope the customers
start arriving soon...
In central France
at Chateau Mareuil,
Belinda and Lee are
preparing a warm welcome
for guests due to
check in later today.
If we just keep
this ticking all day long
-it will be warm
enough in here.
-A thin one.
The lounge is looking cozy,
but the kitchen is
far from finished.
The shelves they ordered
haven't arrived
and Belinda's library
of cookbooks is taking
over the kitchen.
Right what you've got,
is you've got a working worktop.
-Right.
-The work surface is
water resistant
and it's being sealed
as you can see.
Okay. So, I can
use the kitchen.
Don't worry about it. Yeah.
The sockets are all
electrically safe.
We just need
to be straight basically.
So, the idea of them arriving
and this is still in chaos.
I mean looking at this is
terrible. Yeah.
I know, I totally get that.
I'm totally reviewing that.
So, the kitchen is not
the state I hoped will be at,
at this point in time.
What I would have like to
have had is all the wall behind
me tiled
and it would been nice
to have had the shelves in,
but it is what it is
and we have to make do,
which is this
is chateau life, you know -
nothing runs smoothly,
nothing ever does.
They best get busy,
as there's only a few hours
until the guests arrive.
-Done.
-I'm missing a knife -
this is very annoying.
I do need the kitchen so badly.
Because I very
much like to offer
particularly the French
visitors and they're all French.
I'd like to offer them
a cooked breakfast.
So, sort of English breakfast,
so scrambled eggs,
bacon, tomatoes, toast
and they really love it.
So, if I offer it,
they always accept it.
And with a hearty breakfast
comes plenty of washing up...
so a working dishwasher
is a must.
Now this came out
so it must go back,
but I can't remember
how it came out.
Hello.
-[laughs] Sorry.
-Can you hear me?
What goes in, must come out.
-And it's working.
-You can have a cup of coffee.
Thank you very much!
This is no time
for a coffee break,
there's still
plenty to be done.
We're nearly finished
with this, we're nearly done.
Didn't realize
how heavy they are.
No, we don't need the
ladder in here.
Well, it looks like
we're almost in business.
The kitchen's in better
order,
but the guest accommodation
has a long way to go.
We haven't got long,
but that's the story of my life.
Always running out of time.
This calls for
a bit of team work.
-That way that way.
-Oh, no.
Now look.
Which way did I have it?
Don't Lee!
Or maybe not...
I do think a beautifully
made bed is worthwhile
focusing attention on.
I think we've done
what we set out to.
Which is pretty good actually.
The kitchen's tidy, it's
functional, it's cleaned.
-The bedrooms are clean, dusted.
-Spick and span.
Bathrooms, polished.
Bed changed. I think we're done.
Well done. Even without
the new shelves the guests
are sure to be happy
and when the kitchen
is finally finished it'll
be well worth the wait.
At Chateau la Briance,
Matt and Helen are soldiering
through their renovation work
with less than two months to go
before they launch
their high-end B and B
and wedding venue.
With the armory complete,
they now want to address
the chateau's grand entrance
by building two specially
commissioned cannons to keep
in with their armory theme.
-Right.
-We always had this
thought of having cannons
at the front of the Chateau.
And the idea is when
anyone arrives,
they will see these
glorious looking shiny cannons
that been made expertly
back home in all
and obviously if you're
a friend you're allowed in.
If you're a foe we blast
you at the gate as quickly
as you came in.
So, we've got two different
colors. On the...
-Outside rim of the...
-On the metal rim,
so I think that we've
he's made that easy for us
to see which one is which
by color coding them
from silver to black.
The bespoke cannons
have come in parts...
so it's another assembly job.
What we've got now is
the base of the cannon,
we've got two in here,
they've been packaged
beautifully.
Let's bring it around.
At a cost of around
a thousand pounds each...
they can't afford
to make mistakes.
We turn it up the other way,
I would think.
First, the wheels need
attaching to the base.
-Have we got screws?
-I hope so, I'll check.
But it seems
the instructions are missing.
Just check there
is nothing else in here.
There's still no
screws there, is there?
There must be some sort of
something there...
-All right.
-[laughs]
Can I stand on it?
-It's Christmas.
-[laughs]
[chatter]
This isn't looking good!
[laughs]
They found the screws but
with no instructions,
they're going to have
to use a bit of guesswork
to put the cannons together.
So, now let's go with
this part first of all.
Okay. If I hold it.
Ooh. No, it's alright.
Despite a lack of
instructions, they're
making light work of it.
The washer and then the cover.
You've got enough for all
that, your side?
-I've got plenty.
-Yeah. I've got plenty.
With the wheels safely on...
Cannon ready!
It's just a case of adding
the crowning glory.
There we go.
The first time the English
have had a cannon
on French soil for many years.
That's not too bad.
Great work.
And having built one,
the second canon takes
no time at all.
-Remember now.
-Yes, it was.
-It was?
-Yep.
[chatter]
This is exactly what
I wanted and I can't believe
how good they've come out.
They're a really
really great feature and I am
really pleased with them.
It's another job
ticked off the list.
But with their first
guests due in a few weeks,
they are going to have
to get their skates on
if the rest of the Chateau
is to be ready in time.
How confident are
you feeling that we are
going to get it done?
Each day that it goes
by, you get a little bit
more nervous,
but I'm really confident.
We've got to do it.
We've got people coming soon
even if we get no sleep.
Yeah. Okay. Even if
you don't get any sleep.
I still need my sleep.
Coming up...
On the bottom level we've got
cream cheese and salmon bites
-Please enjoy.
-Thank you.
The heat is on for Donna in the
tea room at Chateau de Saugé.
I still get quite nervous
because I want them to have
such a nice experience.
And Belinda and Lee
are cutting it fine...
We've got a party of six people
coming for dinner tonight.
So, we've got a few hours and
Belinda hasn't started cooking.
If they want to avoid
a hoard of hungry guests.
I'm literally changing
the menu in my head as we
speak for something very fast,
I can do at the last minute.
At Chateau de Saugé,
the staircase has been
completely removed
from Donna and Paul's salon.
But this job has created
another on the first floor.
Paul and Donna want to
utilize the space where
the old staircase was
to create an ensuite
bathroom for one of
their guest bedrooms.
So, here obviously we
need to fill the hole,
which is easy enough,
but the challenge is that we
need to consider the plumbing.
Donna is looking for a bath
roughly here and wash
hand basin here.
So, the challenge is effectively
what I don't want to do is
put the joists in in
such a way that I then
have to change them.
Paul must work around
an ensuite bathroom
that's yet to be fitted,
bit of a strain on
the old imagination.
And he's not the only one
feeling the pressure today.
Donna has been graced
with an influx of new
customers at the tea room,
and she wants to make
a good impression.
I still get quite nervous
cause I want them to
have such a nice experience
and I want it, you know,
all to be quite perfect.
With a huge amount riding
on the success of the tea room
it's certainly a job that
requires a lot of hard work.
I never like people to
wait too long, you know,
I mean we do explain
everything is made fresh,
you know, but at the same time
I always like people
to be served within a,
you know, a set period of time.
So, I always kind
of pressurize myself.
Fingers crossed that the locals
taste buds are tickled.
At the bottom level you've got
cream cheese and salmon bites.
-Thank you.
-[laughs]
That's good. Please enjoy.
-Thank you.
-Thank you very much.
Customers happy,
time to check up on Paul,
who's found a novel
way of testing
the weight-bearing capacity
on his newly secured joists.
Seems secure.
Hi. Just want to come
and see how you are getting on.
Yeah. We'll take a bit time
to resonate.
-Stabilize that.
-Yeah.
No, just so he had
to use the epoxy,
It saves cutting out the joists.
I just feel this is a really
important room
cause everybody is going
to see this room on the entry.
So, I really want it
to be really welcoming
and authentic looking.
Mm-hm. Are you getting
on next door?
Yeah everybody is
served happy and yeah.
Are there any surplus.
No.
-No?
-[laughs]
Okay. We'll get
back to my kitchen.
-Inspection done, is it?
-Yeah. Yeah.
It's really nice to
joists going in and yeah,
I was frightened in case
he had his feet up, you know,
watching the TV.
Relaxation time may be
a while away yet
as there's work
still to be done.
It's early days,
but the tea room is proving
a hit with its customers.
It was lovely, the
whole thing was lovely.
Lovely tea room, the cakes were
amazing. It was just lovely.
We'll definitely be back.
It was such a lovely,
comfortable surroundings
to sit in for
your cream tea or your meal.
And we're coming back next week.
Yeah. Back again
They put their heart
and soul into it.
So, hat's off to them.
Everyone's going to wear
extremely happy and full
which is good.
So, yeah, it's
been very good day.
All their hard work is
really starting to pay off.
Back at Belinda and Lee's,
they're finally getting
their kitchen back in order
after starting
the refurbishments
five weeks ago.
Lee has even added
a personal touch
by designing their very own
chateau Mareuil kitchen tiles.
I love my special tiles,
yeah, I really like them.
Do you want to put some things
away while you're doing that.
-Yeah, go on.
-There's all sorts here.
And there was one item that was
holding all the work up.
We've only literally
got the shelves in.
The shelving company finally
delivered after three weeks
and we got those fitted up.
We've been living with this
kitchen with stuff all
over the table and chair.
We couldn't use it and
it can drive Belinda nuts
and Belinda has been driving
me nuts to get it done.
We've got party of six people
coming for dinner tonight.
So, we've got a few hours and
Belinda hasn't started cooking.
The thing is if the kitchen's
not efficient to work in,
it just slows you down.
It's very frustrating. So, it's
just got to be right and at
the moment it really isn't Lee.
With a gourmet dinner for
six due to be served
in a few hours,
Belinda needs a working
kitchen pronto.
Why don't we put the
books first?
-Oh, what about the curtains?
-Oh, yeah, curtains.
Last time I saw one of the
curtains it was heading off
to one of the bathrooms
in the cat's mouth.
Oh, amazing. They're not
shredded actually.
I'll tell you what,
I can do one foot either
side of the microwave.
Don't try this home. [laughs]
Be careful Belinda.
I'm moving. Hold on.
If someone had said to me when
I was a kid, when you are old,
are you going to be
living in a Chateau,
straddled in a microwave,
putting a curtain up.
I wouldn't have believed him.
Ah well there you go.
Curtains up, next job is
to tackle Belinda's 200 strong
library of cook books.
So, I was going to put these
big ones down here like this.
So, you see these two are not
the same author as those two.
Okay.
Time maybe of the essence,
but Belinda's not
cutting corners
when it comes to
displaying her collection.
That's Tender.
I've got another one.
Oh, there's Tender volume two.
See that should go before that
one. Do you see what's the name?
And that's number four there.
-One, two, three. Yeah.
-Yeah, that's fine.
-Oh, thank goodness!
-Oh, for goodness...
And with Belinda's
beloved library, Lee's
leaving nothing to chance.
It should be all right.
I've literally hung
on that myself
and I'm not in
substantially weight, you know,
and it actually held
up to my weight.
So, a few books
should be all right.
-How are we doing
for time as well?
-Oh, don't even ask please.
I really need, I need
to start a long time ago.
So, I'm literally
changing the menu in my head
as we speak for
something very fast,
I can do at the last minute.
Then you best crack on
with those finishing touches
or you'll have some hungry
guests on your hands.
Hey this doesn't look bad,
you know?
-It's all right.
-It does look all right.
Before, Belinda and Lee's
kitchen was tired and quite
literally falling apart.
Now it's been given a new lease
of life and plenty of space to
cook for the chateau's guests.
The natural oak shelves
compliment the medieval style
of the building
and showcase Belinda's
carefully arranged recipe
books beautifully.
And the tired lighting has been
replaced with modern fittings.
I'm really pleased.
Yeah.
Actually. I didn't think for
one minute that we would get
all the books on the shelves.
It doesn't look too different
actually but it's really
smartened up that corner.
-Yeah.
-I'm giving it utility, which
you didn't really have before.
Do you like it Misty?
What do you think?
-I love it.
-I think, we even got the seal
of approval from Misty the dog.
[laughs]
And with everyone agreeing
it's a job well done,
Belinda can finally get busy
cooking up a storm for
this evening's guests.
[chatter]
Belinda and Lee have got
even bigger plans
for the coming year.
They want to complete
their kitchen's transformation
by making it even more
user friendly.
And they have a very busy
event season planned.
Belinda!
-Oh!
-Cheers.
Uh, this is chateaux life.
This is what you imagine it
would be like all the time.
-Yes. But it's not, is it?
-It's not. It's far from it.
-This is a rare occurrence.
-Cheers!
It may be a rare occurrence,
but certainly well deserved.
Next Time.
I should've done my pilates.
Matt and Helen have
their work cut out...
It's not quite
going quite to plan.
We're kind of back to where
we were nearly three hours ago.
As their new project
hangs in the balance.
A little bit too far.
I think we are going to
have to let it out again.
One family face a challenge
in the garden ...
It's a brand-new chainsaw
so this shouldn't happen!
And for Donna and Paul,
it's Burns Night,
as they host their first event
of the year.
In honor of Robby Burns
and the haggis!
[applause]
are thousands of
beautiful Chateaux...
Many forgotten and abandoned...
Now they're being brought
back to life...
By adventurous Brits.
Waheeey!
They're taking on
the challenge....
It does scare
the life out of me.
...to transform these
once-unloved buildings
-Yeah, oh god
that's bright.
-Just lovely!
Into incredible homes...
Thank you, the French way.
And businesses.
Let's hope they all like haggis!
There'll be triumphs...
Shall I wear this one tonight?
...and setbacks...
We won't be having a second
stab at this I can assure you.
...but however hard,
the going gets...
Argh! Woo!
-those who've made the move...
-Cheers!
...get to live the dream
as custodians of their
very own castle.
Today...
Familiar faces...
Timber!
take on a big demolition job
Your face you look like a ghost
At this chateau there's
plans to create an armory
It's at this point in time
that we start praying
that the screws taken
and I've done my job properly.
But these owners may
have a battle
on their hands to
complete the job
Oh no!
And this couple are
unprepared for a shopping trip
-Have you got your
measure tape with you?
-No...
Leading to a muddle
with their measurements
Lee that is just a bit
bigger than my phone.
This is one, one, three, six.
Right. If that's millimeters,
that's 4ft
and your phone is not 4ft big.
Over the year's Brits
have taken the plunge
and bought beautiful
chateaus all over France.
But when you're just
starting out renovations
can be daunting
and lots of hard work
and positivity is needed
to get your dream
chateau up and running.
Speedway Racing owners Matt and
Helen snapped up the impressive
38 room Chateau La Briance
seven months ago for £476,000
We are living in something
that we could never have dreamt
to have been living in
and we do pinch ourselves.
Really excited to have people
come and stay and see it.
Located in Central France,
near Limoges
The speedway mad couple have
builders working flat out
as they're opening
as a high-end B and B
in just 8 weeks' time.
So, far, it's been
a bit of a struggle.
-This one?
-It's not going in,
it's pushing it down.
But the DIY novices have
now finished their first room:
a grand family suite
named after Napoleon.
We want someone to have that
wow factor so they turn up
and see the chateau
and literally go wow.
Today Matt and Helen are
turning their attention
to the South Eastern Turret.
So, the day you've been
looking forward to putting
your shields up.
They're transforming it
into a medieval armory
themed reception room.
The reason we decided to call
this the armory is
because it has real presence
this room,
and we just felt like we
wanted to keep the history,
keep the feel of the place.
Of course, you know,
you couldn't have an armory
without having some shields up.
Matt has grand plans as
they're going to hang the
shields just below the flags.
The eight replica shields
were purchased online
for about £70 each.
It's at this point in time you
start praying that the screw
has taken and
I've done my job properly.
Yeah that they're
hung on the wall.
Looks good. Yeah.
-Are you happy with that one?
-Really good, yeah.
One safely up,
seven more to go.
I would like something
with color this time please.
Right, so.
It seems Matt's opting
for the do it by eye method
to line them up.
Around there. Laughs.
If you're happy Matt...
but not measuring and
marking between the shields
is not without its risks.
About the same height
if you can see, Hel?
It's hard to tell without the
point, I'm not witnessing it.
It is. Kind of
in the same place?
Down slightly, I think.
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
Wheey.
You know what you need?
A tool belt, so you can
be a professional DIYer.
If that's a thing.
-Tres bien?
-Tres bien, oui.
Oh, oui oui!
-This one next?
-Yep that's good
In Medieval times,
most Chateaux in France
had an armory,
a place where they stored
weapons to fight the enemy.
Is it longer than the others?
But by the 18th century many
became rooms purely to show
off the owners' collections.
I do like this shield.
Got a little bit of
sparkle in this one.
It's gotta be my favorite.
Oh!
Oh!
I was expecting you
to catch that one.
-You didn't...
-I don't know if a piece has
fallen off.
A piece? What's good is
now officially seen battle,
hasn't it?
-[laughs]
-So, um, you know, we were
looking for authentic pieces.
We can safely say that this one
has fallen from a great height.
Many a true word, although
it looks like Matt's shield
alignment needs
a bit of a tweak.
I think the red and
blue one might need...
moving slightly.
Might need what?
You could do it with a...
It's, at the moment,
it's to the right...
Okay I've got to
come down anyways.
It seems Matt has his work
cut out for a while yet.
Forty five miles to the north
sits the fairy-tale
15th Century Chateau Mareuil.
Oooh!
Originally from south London
Belinda, a former commercial
director,
and Lee, a lighting designer
bought their chateau in 2015
for £378,000.
One of the reasons we
fell in love with it,
it's an honest building.
In other words, it was
built as a medieval fortress.
It was a working fortress.
And what I particularly like
what we've done is we've
turned it into a home.
We feel very much that
we are custodians.
It's lovely but it does
have its responsibilities.
Located forty miles from
Limoges in central France,
it's been transformed by
the couple into a B and B...
And an events venue.
Madames et Messieurs...
s'il vous plait, mange !
Belinda and Lee are using
the quieter winter months
as an opportunity
to refurbish their kitchen.
They've already made a start...
But an important
job is replacing
the old wooden shelving.
Along this back here
we can have two shelves one here
and one slightly higher up.
The shelves have to be
strong enough to hold Belinda's
impressive collection
of cook books,
so today's task is to
source the wood to make them.
That would be lovely something
like that would be really nice.
Smooth on both sides
and just rough around the edge.
-A bit like me.
-[laughs]
We're going to see
if we can find sort of
what we're looking for
and if they also cut it to
shape and plane it down for us.
-I hope so, 'cause
that will save us.
-A lot of time and work.
This is beautiful. This edge.
Yeah.
-Beautiful.
-Yeah.
-Do you think?
-I like that.
I do. I really like that.
You can see it's a tree.
-You've got your
measure tape with you?
-No.
See that one's not bad there.
Third one down.
The front looks properly
rustic, doesn't it?
I wish you had your
measure tape with you.
now. I don't know
why I didn't bring it.
I just rushed out without it.
I know. I'm really annoyed.
I'll always carry a tape
measure with me.
I'm trying to remember,
now, I remember learning
how you measure things
with a mobile phone.
You find out how big your mobile
phone is,
and then you can use that
to measure things with.
Lee, that is just a bit bigger
than my phone.
This is one, one, three, six.
-One, one.
-Three, six.
What's that in millimeters?
-Yeah.
-It can't
be one, one, three, six
in millimeters is four foot.
One, one, three, six.
That's what it said.
One, one, three, six, right?
If that's millimeters
that's four foot and your
phone is not four foot big.
A more reliable measuring tool
might be in order...
[speaking French]
-There we go.
-She's probably thinking
what a dumb pair of klutzes,
-come to a timber yard to buy
timber without a measure.
-[laughs]
Armed with the right tools
let's hope they can now see
the wood for the trees.
So, measure the piece of wood.
I'll go that end.
Yeah, you go.
Perfect we could get four
out of this at 1500.
Now the only thing we need to
just check on, onto your face.
Is the width. So, the nearest
part we need 300,
-300.
-Uh!
All right, let's go
and talk to the boss.
Plank, possibly this
piece or this piece.
[speaking French]
Non.
Yeah, you can do that
way but not that way.
-Well, It's going
against the grain...
-Ok, je comprends.
This particular timber
can only be cut vertically
not horizontally
which means it won't work
for Belinda and Lee's shelves.
Luckily there's another
option available.
This is smooth. Yeah.
There's some alternative
pieces with the rough edges
that we're looking for
and he's going to cut it
precisely to length for us.
What we're going to
do is get it cut and get
it delivered next week.
-We've done it.
-We've got our wood, we've
got our shelves.
Good day.
First step complete but
they're not out of the woods
yet as there's still
lot of work ahead of them.
Coming up...
A delicate touch is
needed at this chateau.
We need to try and save
the cornice that we have.
Ah! It's gone.
At Chateau Mareuil...
This is classic chateau DIY.
...Belinda and Lee's
hopes begin to sink.
What seems like a simple job
to start with
actually becomes much more
complicated and more
time consuming
and that's the problem here.
And at Chateau la Briance...
How we looking?
Helen's knight in shining
armor has arrived.
Shall I wear this one tonight?
This is the charming
seventeenth-century
Chateau de Saugé.
Home to Donna, originally
from County Durham,
and her Scottish born
husband, former Construction
Director, Paul.
They moved in just
over a year ago.
It does take your breath away
when you look at
the chateau some days
and it's just incredible,
it's an incredible old place.
Located 50 miles east of
La Rochelle in western France,
the couple snapped up
this 45 roomed beauty
for just £279,000 in 2018.
When we met them last time,
they turned one wing
into a self-contained apartment
and transformed
the old scullery into
a catering kitchen.
They also created a tearoom to
bring in some much-needed cash.
We had a three months delay
with paperwork on the tea room.
We worked night and day to make
sure it was completed on time.
And that that's really that's
what was frustrating
because you're there,
what effectively was
during the summer months,
that should have
been the peak season.
And we weren't able
to capitalize on that and
that was really disappointing.
With the tea room
unable to open,
they focused on
the renovations,
where they hoped to
use the £450,000
they had budgeted for the work.
We had a very detailed original
detailed budget for the work,
but we never at the time that
we had that budget we never had
all that money available to us.
We're at the point where
we need to be careful
of what we spend.
To start earning much-needed
income they are busy turning
the chateau into a B&B.
Their next job is to
remove one of the
original four staircases
in what will become
the guests' lounge.
We need to remove this wall
and this staircase
so we can regain this
area for the living space,
but it's more controlled
demolition than anything
more significant.
I'll have the heavy end
then Donna can have
less heavy end.
I have a bit of finesse
on the demolition.
I'm not sure
that's strictly true.
However, they divvy it up,
they can't afford builders
so this tricky task lies
entirely in their hands.
First job is the delicate
matter of removing the cornice.
We need to try and
save the cornice that we have
because it would
be very difficult to
try and replace that.
Re-using the cornice
is a good idea and will
help to keep down costs.
-There we go. It's gone.
-Have you got that.
Ooh!
[laughs]
Yay!
Gosh.
That was a hard part
not an easy part.
Don't stand it like that
cause it will actually
fall over and smash.
There's the odd little chip,
but otherwise they're pretty
much intact which is brilliant.
Very delicately done, but now
time for some brute force.
Right, knock the wall down now.
Any celebration's short-lived.
Your face, you look like
a ghost. You're white. [laughs]
Sometimes you can work for
a week and just,
you don't feel you're
getting anywhere,
that doesn't look any different.
But on a day when you demolish
something, it's immediate.
After over an hours' hard
graft the wall's history.
Timber!
You're happy with the space?
Yeah. It's made a huge
difference to the room,
isn't it?
-Yeah.
-Yeah.
A great start, now there's
just the small matter
of tackling that staircase.
Just 75 miles away
at Chateau Mareuil,
Belinda and Lee are a week
into their kitchen renovation.
They are already 80 euros over
the thousand-euro budget
and are running out of time.
-We've got guests
coming at the weekend.
-We've got guests coming over.
So, I need this kitchen
for the weekend.
Yeah.
-So...
-So, we're now Thursday.
Yeah. So, there's
a lot of pressure on as
far as I am concerned.
I need a working kitchen
literally in two and
a half days' time.
I don't want guests
to hear me scream.
Well, or me screaming at you.
Screaming at me and I can't
do anything about it.
[laughs] Joy of joys.
How are you, all right?
To help remove the old kitchen
worktop and sink,
Lee's persuaded his
friend Terry, a local plumber,
to lend a hand.
That's it.
I think it's a lift out.
That's it. Yeah.
It feels really good and I
am really pleased Terry
is here to help.
I feel a bit more confident...
-You're trying lift it?
-No, I'm seeing if they
have stuck this side as well
which I'm not sure
if they have.
But even with the extra
manpower the sink's
refusing to budge.
They've stuck loads
of silicon underneath
to hold it down in place.
They've got silicon
everywhere by the looks of it.
Lee plans on reusing the old
sink as a dog bath for Misty,
so he's keen to get
it out in one piece.
I don't know how Belinda is
going to have her kitchen
working for Saturday morning.
Looks like we have to work
overnight to get it done.
Oh, yeah it's lifting.
Lift the whole unit...
This is classic chateau DIY.
You don't know what
the people before you
have put in or botched in.
So, what seems like a
simple job to start with
actually becomes much
more complicated and
more time consuming.
And that's the problem here.
So, what we're going to
do now is just try and lift
the whole thing out Lee.
-I'll go backwards.
-Yeah. Argh gee!
Misty doesn't look happy
about her new dog bath,
even if it has caused
an unwanted delay.
-To you to me to you.
-How are you doing?
-Is it going to
be ready for Saturday?
-Come back in a week.
-Yeah.
-And it will be done.
Yeah. Yeah. Too late.
-No, you have water and drainage
and dishwasher.
-Yeah, okay, that's fine.
-It's just maybe
not the tiling.
-That's fine.
After a slow start, Lee and
Terry have picked up the pace.
And after a tough few hours
of fitting and re-plumbing,
the new £200 sink
is finally ready to be sunk.
-Perfect.
-Perfectamundo.
Yeah. We've got to
be happy with that.
That looks really nice.
Isn't it? The sink looks exactly
the same color as the worktop.
-Yeah.
-Looks fabulous. Thank you.
-It's a great job.
-Thank you, Terry.
-Aye.
-The dog bath is
in the barn.
-Needs a good scrub
that dog bath.
-Well, same as the dog.
With guests due to
arrive in a few days,
Misty's bath can wait.
Let's get the kitchen up and
running first.
Over at Chateau La Briance...
-Quite heavy, all good?
-Yeah.
New owners Matt and Helen
have eight weeks
before they open their
high-end B&B and wedding venue.
-There we go...
-Room to move? Yep, fantastic.
Having finished hanging
shields in their medieval
style Armory...
They now want to add more
wow factor - a suit of armor.
Well, let's take the sword out
first because
we don't want that getting
in the way it's got a heavy end.
I could give you a little
tap with that one.
The tricky part is it
needs assembling as it's
arrived in kit form.
Sadly, the assembly instructions
are not too good.
It's one sheet of paper
with five different pictures.
So, it looks straightforward,
I think. We're starting
with the legs.
-Is there a left and, oh, yes.
-There is a left and right.
-These clicky bits must
go on the outside, I think.
-Yes, they will.
It's a novel idea,
the replica suit cost £500
and is made from a soft metal,
so it's a lot lighter than
a 25 kilo Medieval one.
-There we go.
-How we looking?
[she laughs]
-How we looking now?
-Brilliant.
-Shall I wear this one tonight.
-[laughs]
After less than an hour...
It is a bit fiddly, but fun.
Their knight is
ready for battle.
So, what are we going to name
our knight?
Well, I was thinking
is he's been built in the
bar area near the juke box.
I think he should be called
Sir Dance-a-lot.
Now they need to put
it in the armory
without any hiccups.
Check his head height,
above the door frame.
-Lower. Are you okay?
-Yeah. Right.
Plenty of head height in here.
Right. Put him between the two
here and then we can put
something beside of him.
-Fantastic. He looks better.
-Yeah.
He fits in so well, doesn't he?
With everything else?
Stick that there, just...
underneath the shield
it looks brilliant.
I thought I was your
knight in shining armor.
-Always.
-Ah.
Mission complete,
making them one step closer
to opening their dream chateau.
Coming up...
Donna and Paul get to grips
with the old staircase.
I don't want to leave
you underneath here.
Cause the tread's
not very secure.
And at Chateau Mareuil,
Belinda and Lee have a problem
with their plumbing...
So, this came out so
it must to go back.
With just hours to go
before guests turn up.
The idea of them arriving
and this is still in chaos.
I mean look at this,
this is terrible.
I know I totally get that.
At Chateau de Saugé,
Donna and Paul are continuing
to free up space
in their salon.
They've already demolished
the internal wall
so now it's time to take
on the unwanted staircase.
Got it.
Starting by separating
it from its supports.
I think the staircase
itself is going to be relatively
heavy for us to manage.
So, I think when we put
a brace on the back end,
just hopefully when it does
drop, it will drop on the brace.
-Yeah.
-So, what's like?
-Hatch a plan as to how
we can lower it.
-Okay.
The staircase weighs
around 450 pounds
so the last thing they want
is it falling on top of them.
Just as a precaution
we'll stick this prop here.
Good idea to have something to
help hold them in place.
Can I just ring to make sure
our insurance is in order?
Paul has to prise the side
of the stairs
that's holding the steps
in place away from
the wall and the joists.
It's coming all
the way through here P.
-All right, what are we doing?
-So, I think what we do,
we pull this corner both
and towards us here
and it should gently fall.
-Gently.
-Two inches.
-Okay.
-And then...
if it does, we'll worry about
it then, if it doesn't,
we'll rethink it.
-[laughs] Okay.
-Right.
Un, deux, trois.
-Ta da.
-It worked.
I just need to get it
down to ground level.
Phase one complete.
Now for the small matter
of getting it down.
-Pull the bottom.
-I don't want to
leave you underneath here.
-Yeah. Take it out
of the way. It's light.
-P, no.
-It's light.
-No.
We'll drop it on to the ladder.
As a sensible precaution
to make the staircase safe,
a step ladder is repurposed
as a safety net.
When you're ready.
Uh, I can't lift it.
-That's it.
-Yeah.
Unfortunately, the ladder isn't
doing a sturdy enough job.
The tread's not very secure.
I don't like you
being under there.
Problem is, clear your feet.
ean I do have a hoist,
I could have used that.
That's what you used.
Last time, you used a strap
around you to lift it.
If it's worked before
Paul it can work again
and using a strap allows
for a lot more control.
Right. Get out from
underneath it.
They really can't afford
the staircase to fall
and damage the salon's
original hardwood flooring...
-Do you want to pull it
this way a bit.
-No, hold on.
-Is there all right?
-Okay. Pull it here.
-To me? Yeah.
-To me, to you.
-Go.
-Ready?
Yeah. So, it's down.
Excellent.
That's one job done
but the day is just
getting started.
As well as tackling
the urgent renovation work
at the chateau
they're also juggling
the running of their
newly opened tearoom.
After a three-month delay,
they opened their doors
five weeks ago
meaning Donna has to spend
four days a week running it.
I've given up any hope
of being able to bake
and cook for guests.
So, now it's here
I'm really enjoying it.
Since the tearoom started to
get popular with the locals,
Donna's helped by
fellow ex-pat Sue.
Usually everyone descends
all at once, which puts us
under pressure, doesn't it?
But today luckily, they're
coming in intervals.
So, that's a lot better for us.
But the day is young, yeah?
Yeah. Expect the unexpected.
The tearoom needs to bring in
much needed cash fast
in order to help Donna
and Paul fund the
chateau's renovations.
Let's hope the customers
start arriving soon...
In central France
at Chateau Mareuil,
Belinda and Lee are
preparing a warm welcome
for guests due to
check in later today.
If we just keep
this ticking all day long
-it will be warm
enough in here.
-A thin one.
The lounge is looking cozy,
but the kitchen is
far from finished.
The shelves they ordered
haven't arrived
and Belinda's library
of cookbooks is taking
over the kitchen.
Right what you've got,
is you've got a working worktop.
-Right.
-The work surface is
water resistant
and it's being sealed
as you can see.
Okay. So, I can
use the kitchen.
Don't worry about it. Yeah.
The sockets are all
electrically safe.
We just need
to be straight basically.
So, the idea of them arriving
and this is still in chaos.
I mean looking at this is
terrible. Yeah.
I know, I totally get that.
I'm totally reviewing that.
So, the kitchen is not
the state I hoped will be at,
at this point in time.
What I would have like to
have had is all the wall behind
me tiled
and it would been nice
to have had the shelves in,
but it is what it is
and we have to make do,
which is this
is chateau life, you know -
nothing runs smoothly,
nothing ever does.
They best get busy,
as there's only a few hours
until the guests arrive.
-Done.
-I'm missing a knife -
this is very annoying.
I do need the kitchen so badly.
Because I very
much like to offer
particularly the French
visitors and they're all French.
I'd like to offer them
a cooked breakfast.
So, sort of English breakfast,
so scrambled eggs,
bacon, tomatoes, toast
and they really love it.
So, if I offer it,
they always accept it.
And with a hearty breakfast
comes plenty of washing up...
so a working dishwasher
is a must.
Now this came out
so it must go back,
but I can't remember
how it came out.
Hello.
-[laughs] Sorry.
-Can you hear me?
What goes in, must come out.
-And it's working.
-You can have a cup of coffee.
Thank you very much!
This is no time
for a coffee break,
there's still
plenty to be done.
We're nearly finished
with this, we're nearly done.
Didn't realize
how heavy they are.
No, we don't need the
ladder in here.
Well, it looks like
we're almost in business.
The kitchen's in better
order,
but the guest accommodation
has a long way to go.
We haven't got long,
but that's the story of my life.
Always running out of time.
This calls for
a bit of team work.
-That way that way.
-Oh, no.
Now look.
Which way did I have it?
Don't Lee!
Or maybe not...
I do think a beautifully
made bed is worthwhile
focusing attention on.
I think we've done
what we set out to.
Which is pretty good actually.
The kitchen's tidy, it's
functional, it's cleaned.
-The bedrooms are clean, dusted.
-Spick and span.
Bathrooms, polished.
Bed changed. I think we're done.
Well done. Even without
the new shelves the guests
are sure to be happy
and when the kitchen
is finally finished it'll
be well worth the wait.
At Chateau la Briance,
Matt and Helen are soldiering
through their renovation work
with less than two months to go
before they launch
their high-end B and B
and wedding venue.
With the armory complete,
they now want to address
the chateau's grand entrance
by building two specially
commissioned cannons to keep
in with their armory theme.
-Right.
-We always had this
thought of having cannons
at the front of the Chateau.
And the idea is when
anyone arrives,
they will see these
glorious looking shiny cannons
that been made expertly
back home in all
and obviously if you're
a friend you're allowed in.
If you're a foe we blast
you at the gate as quickly
as you came in.
So, we've got two different
colors. On the...
-Outside rim of the...
-On the metal rim,
so I think that we've
he's made that easy for us
to see which one is which
by color coding them
from silver to black.
The bespoke cannons
have come in parts...
so it's another assembly job.
What we've got now is
the base of the cannon,
we've got two in here,
they've been packaged
beautifully.
Let's bring it around.
At a cost of around
a thousand pounds each...
they can't afford
to make mistakes.
We turn it up the other way,
I would think.
First, the wheels need
attaching to the base.
-Have we got screws?
-I hope so, I'll check.
But it seems
the instructions are missing.
Just check there
is nothing else in here.
There's still no
screws there, is there?
There must be some sort of
something there...
-All right.
-[laughs]
Can I stand on it?
-It's Christmas.
-[laughs]
[chatter]
This isn't looking good!
[laughs]
They found the screws but
with no instructions,
they're going to have
to use a bit of guesswork
to put the cannons together.
So, now let's go with
this part first of all.
Okay. If I hold it.
Ooh. No, it's alright.
Despite a lack of
instructions, they're
making light work of it.
The washer and then the cover.
You've got enough for all
that, your side?
-I've got plenty.
-Yeah. I've got plenty.
With the wheels safely on...
Cannon ready!
It's just a case of adding
the crowning glory.
There we go.
The first time the English
have had a cannon
on French soil for many years.
That's not too bad.
Great work.
And having built one,
the second canon takes
no time at all.
-Remember now.
-Yes, it was.
-It was?
-Yep.
[chatter]
This is exactly what
I wanted and I can't believe
how good they've come out.
They're a really
really great feature and I am
really pleased with them.
It's another job
ticked off the list.
But with their first
guests due in a few weeks,
they are going to have
to get their skates on
if the rest of the Chateau
is to be ready in time.
How confident are
you feeling that we are
going to get it done?
Each day that it goes
by, you get a little bit
more nervous,
but I'm really confident.
We've got to do it.
We've got people coming soon
even if we get no sleep.
Yeah. Okay. Even if
you don't get any sleep.
I still need my sleep.
Coming up...
On the bottom level we've got
cream cheese and salmon bites
-Please enjoy.
-Thank you.
The heat is on for Donna in the
tea room at Chateau de Saugé.
I still get quite nervous
because I want them to have
such a nice experience.
And Belinda and Lee
are cutting it fine...
We've got a party of six people
coming for dinner tonight.
So, we've got a few hours and
Belinda hasn't started cooking.
If they want to avoid
a hoard of hungry guests.
I'm literally changing
the menu in my head as we
speak for something very fast,
I can do at the last minute.
At Chateau de Saugé,
the staircase has been
completely removed
from Donna and Paul's salon.
But this job has created
another on the first floor.
Paul and Donna want to
utilize the space where
the old staircase was
to create an ensuite
bathroom for one of
their guest bedrooms.
So, here obviously we
need to fill the hole,
which is easy enough,
but the challenge is that we
need to consider the plumbing.
Donna is looking for a bath
roughly here and wash
hand basin here.
So, the challenge is effectively
what I don't want to do is
put the joists in in
such a way that I then
have to change them.
Paul must work around
an ensuite bathroom
that's yet to be fitted,
bit of a strain on
the old imagination.
And he's not the only one
feeling the pressure today.
Donna has been graced
with an influx of new
customers at the tea room,
and she wants to make
a good impression.
I still get quite nervous
cause I want them to
have such a nice experience
and I want it, you know,
all to be quite perfect.
With a huge amount riding
on the success of the tea room
it's certainly a job that
requires a lot of hard work.
I never like people to
wait too long, you know,
I mean we do explain
everything is made fresh,
you know, but at the same time
I always like people
to be served within a,
you know, a set period of time.
So, I always kind
of pressurize myself.
Fingers crossed that the locals
taste buds are tickled.
At the bottom level you've got
cream cheese and salmon bites.
-Thank you.
-[laughs]
That's good. Please enjoy.
-Thank you.
-Thank you very much.
Customers happy,
time to check up on Paul,
who's found a novel
way of testing
the weight-bearing capacity
on his newly secured joists.
Seems secure.
Hi. Just want to come
and see how you are getting on.
Yeah. We'll take a bit time
to resonate.
-Stabilize that.
-Yeah.
No, just so he had
to use the epoxy,
It saves cutting out the joists.
I just feel this is a really
important room
cause everybody is going
to see this room on the entry.
So, I really want it
to be really welcoming
and authentic looking.
Mm-hm. Are you getting
on next door?
Yeah everybody is
served happy and yeah.
Are there any surplus.
No.
-No?
-[laughs]
Okay. We'll get
back to my kitchen.
-Inspection done, is it?
-Yeah. Yeah.
It's really nice to
joists going in and yeah,
I was frightened in case
he had his feet up, you know,
watching the TV.
Relaxation time may be
a while away yet
as there's work
still to be done.
It's early days,
but the tea room is proving
a hit with its customers.
It was lovely, the
whole thing was lovely.
Lovely tea room, the cakes were
amazing. It was just lovely.
We'll definitely be back.
It was such a lovely,
comfortable surroundings
to sit in for
your cream tea or your meal.
And we're coming back next week.
Yeah. Back again
They put their heart
and soul into it.
So, hat's off to them.
Everyone's going to wear
extremely happy and full
which is good.
So, yeah, it's
been very good day.
All their hard work is
really starting to pay off.
Back at Belinda and Lee's,
they're finally getting
their kitchen back in order
after starting
the refurbishments
five weeks ago.
Lee has even added
a personal touch
by designing their very own
chateau Mareuil kitchen tiles.
I love my special tiles,
yeah, I really like them.
Do you want to put some things
away while you're doing that.
-Yeah, go on.
-There's all sorts here.
And there was one item that was
holding all the work up.
We've only literally
got the shelves in.
The shelving company finally
delivered after three weeks
and we got those fitted up.
We've been living with this
kitchen with stuff all
over the table and chair.
We couldn't use it and
it can drive Belinda nuts
and Belinda has been driving
me nuts to get it done.
We've got party of six people
coming for dinner tonight.
So, we've got a few hours and
Belinda hasn't started cooking.
The thing is if the kitchen's
not efficient to work in,
it just slows you down.
It's very frustrating. So, it's
just got to be right and at
the moment it really isn't Lee.
With a gourmet dinner for
six due to be served
in a few hours,
Belinda needs a working
kitchen pronto.
Why don't we put the
books first?
-Oh, what about the curtains?
-Oh, yeah, curtains.
Last time I saw one of the
curtains it was heading off
to one of the bathrooms
in the cat's mouth.
Oh, amazing. They're not
shredded actually.
I'll tell you what,
I can do one foot either
side of the microwave.
Don't try this home. [laughs]
Be careful Belinda.
I'm moving. Hold on.
If someone had said to me when
I was a kid, when you are old,
are you going to be
living in a Chateau,
straddled in a microwave,
putting a curtain up.
I wouldn't have believed him.
Ah well there you go.
Curtains up, next job is
to tackle Belinda's 200 strong
library of cook books.
So, I was going to put these
big ones down here like this.
So, you see these two are not
the same author as those two.
Okay.
Time maybe of the essence,
but Belinda's not
cutting corners
when it comes to
displaying her collection.
That's Tender.
I've got another one.
Oh, there's Tender volume two.
See that should go before that
one. Do you see what's the name?
And that's number four there.
-One, two, three. Yeah.
-Yeah, that's fine.
-Oh, thank goodness!
-Oh, for goodness...
And with Belinda's
beloved library, Lee's
leaving nothing to chance.
It should be all right.
I've literally hung
on that myself
and I'm not in
substantially weight, you know,
and it actually held
up to my weight.
So, a few books
should be all right.
-How are we doing
for time as well?
-Oh, don't even ask please.
I really need, I need
to start a long time ago.
So, I'm literally
changing the menu in my head
as we speak for
something very fast,
I can do at the last minute.
Then you best crack on
with those finishing touches
or you'll have some hungry
guests on your hands.
Hey this doesn't look bad,
you know?
-It's all right.
-It does look all right.
Before, Belinda and Lee's
kitchen was tired and quite
literally falling apart.
Now it's been given a new lease
of life and plenty of space to
cook for the chateau's guests.
The natural oak shelves
compliment the medieval style
of the building
and showcase Belinda's
carefully arranged recipe
books beautifully.
And the tired lighting has been
replaced with modern fittings.
I'm really pleased.
Yeah.
Actually. I didn't think for
one minute that we would get
all the books on the shelves.
It doesn't look too different
actually but it's really
smartened up that corner.
-Yeah.
-I'm giving it utility, which
you didn't really have before.
Do you like it Misty?
What do you think?
-I love it.
-I think, we even got the seal
of approval from Misty the dog.
[laughs]
And with everyone agreeing
it's a job well done,
Belinda can finally get busy
cooking up a storm for
this evening's guests.
[chatter]
Belinda and Lee have got
even bigger plans
for the coming year.
They want to complete
their kitchen's transformation
by making it even more
user friendly.
And they have a very busy
event season planned.
Belinda!
-Oh!
-Cheers.
Uh, this is chateaux life.
This is what you imagine it
would be like all the time.
-Yes. But it's not, is it?
-It's not. It's far from it.
-This is a rare occurrence.
-Cheers!
It may be a rare occurrence,
but certainly well deserved.
Next Time.
I should've done my pilates.
Matt and Helen have
their work cut out...
It's not quite
going quite to plan.
We're kind of back to where
we were nearly three hours ago.
As their new project
hangs in the balance.
A little bit too far.
I think we are going to
have to let it out again.
One family face a challenge
in the garden ...
It's a brand-new chainsaw
so this shouldn't happen!
And for Donna and Paul,
it's Burns Night,
as they host their first event
of the year.
In honor of Robby Burns
and the haggis!
[applause]