All language subtitles for Escape to the Chateau DIY S01E18.720p.CBC.WEB-DL.DD2.0.H.264-BTN.English

♪ ♪

That's me, Dick Strawbridge, my
darling wife Angel,

and our two beautiful children.

Nearly three years ago, we up
sticks for a whole new life in

France and bought this
magnificent chateau.

Angel: Oh!

We've been doing it up ever
since.

Oh baby, you're so strong.

Dick: Turns out, we're not the
only ones.

Woman: Oh yeah, yeah.

[dishes breaking]

Woman: Oops.

Dick: Dozens of Brits are taking
the plunge

to rescue these stunning
buildings.

- [bang]
- Woman: Oh!

What amazing colours.

We need to get on top of it.

Get on top of the goats.

Dick: In this series, we'll
reveal more on how we're running

our chateau as a business--

Ah, back on dry land!

I'm still finding things that I
haven't seen.

Dick:--and we'll help these
daring families run theirs.

Here's to the meeting of two
like-minded couples.

- Yes, cheers.
- Cheers.

Dick: As they face the
highs--

I'm absolutely terrified.

Dick:--and lows--

♪ ♪

It's extremely expensive.

It's financial suicide.

Dick:--of running these
gorgeous buildings as everything

from B&Bs to beautiful wedding
venues.

Owning a chateau isn't
glamorous.

[coughing]

Woman: Anyone who thinks it is
is delusional.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: Today:

The stress of prepping a chateau
for an opening party

takes its toll.

He lost four kilos in the last
two weeks.

Four kilos is quite a lot.

Dick: But come the big night, it
looks like it might bring in

some business.

- Nicole: Your wedding--
- My wedding.

- That's right.
- [laughter]

I might have to talk to Martin
about that.

Okay.

Dick: At one chateau, a mother
disagrees with her daughter's

plan to bring in some much
needed cash.

I would never have done a party
like this.

Personally, absolutely not.

It's great having my mother
here,

but stress levels have risen,
because she's never happy

with what I'm doing.

Dick: One man's caravan
renovation plans take

a backward step.

Little bit of wood to be cut out
and sort of put in again but--

- [crack]
- Oops, and the floor.

[laughing]

Floor needs replacing as well.

[laughing]

Dick: And a bride suffers
prenuptial jitters

before her chateau wedding.

Oh my gosh.

Everyone's sitting down, not
that I'm panicked

or anything now.

- Oh my goodness.
- Oh yeah!

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: This is the 18th century
Chateau d'Humières,

and it's being renovated by
British designer Nicole,

and her Belgian boyfriend,
Stephan.

How many rooms do we have?

No idea.

I don't think I've ever counted.

No, we were always focused on
renovating them, eh?

Plus, you have a short-term
memory problem.

Stephan: It's 'cause I never
sleep, eh?

[Stephan chuckles]

Dick: Located in the Picardie
region of northern France--

--they've been working on it for
three years,

after a chance encounter in a
hotel.

I was sitting in a lobby,
reading a magazine--

I was like, "Ooh, there's a
picture of my house."

All of a sudden, I got tapped on
the shoulders,

I looked up and Nicole was
standing there.

I said, "Do I know you?"

She answered, "You should
because you're looking at my

house."

I'd spent several years
restoring a property in the

South of France.

It was photographed in this
magazine.

So I just thought, "I'll give
him a tap on the shoulder."

And then we ended up as a couple
over here, renovating a castle.

♪ ♪

Dick: They're now converting it
to an upmarket B&B.

Needs to be generating money.

Needs to be self-financing.

Dick: They were also planning to
open a tea room to start earning

some money, but after Nicole
went to see my wife Angel

for some advice--

You want to be a destination
place and bring 20 grand in

per month.

Dick:--she returned with
some news for Stephan.

The main things that I learned
is basically the bottom line is:

If we just do a tea room, it's
not a good idea.

Dick: So Nicole came up with a
plan.

Now we're going to be
concentrating on getting the

rental spaces decorated and
ready.

Dick: She wants to focus on
getting a B&B guest room within

the chateau finished.

And as for the hall--

- Maybe as a breakfast room.
- Exactly.

It could be perfect as a
breakfast space, and then--

Also for other types of events?

- Exactly.
- Or how do you see it?

- Use the room for other events.
- Yeah?

It could be courses, it could be
conferences.

Every other week, we'd plan a
course.

Who knows?

- We have to think about that.
- People can book it.

People can use the space.

Dick: So now they're rushing to
get the hall--

There's been some plumbing
issues,

and there are holes in the
floor.

Dick:--and guest room--

Nicole: Putting up wallpaper,
it's taking ages.

Dick:--ready for the summer.

Getting the electric cables into
the walls to put the lighting.

Connecting all the electricity.

We're clearly not ready.

You know, we're just not.

Dick: But with their target
deadline fast approaching,

their new plans have been thrown
into chaos

with their application for a
vital loan from the bank

rejected.

It was a complete blow which has
affected how the work has been

able to progress.

Had the mortgage come through,
we'd been able to have some more

people on board working faster,
getting things done.

You can imagine what a hole such
a place creates in your pocket.

So it's really put a lot of
pressure on.

Dick: With no money to pay for
extra workers,

Nicole and Stephan have had to
work even harder to try and get

the hall and guest room
finished.

Nicole: This is the room we're
going to be renting out so that

we can have a little bit of
extra income coming in.

Clearly we're not ready now.

Got some painting to do,
we've got curtains to put up.

There's a load to do but we'll
have it done.

We have to.

Dick: And they're making life
even more difficult by throwing

a party tomorrow for friends and
family to kick off their new

plans for the hall.

Nicole: This is a bit of a
practice run, really.

See what kind of atmosphere we
can create.

See how many people we can get
to fill the space.

Ooh.

Dick: It all looks rather
stressful.

Four kilos I lost already so
far.

Yeah, he lost four kilos in the
last two weeks.

Four kilos is quite a lot.

I mean, it's adding a bit of
stress, 'cause we've had to

organize things in time, but
it's worth it, I hope.

Dick: With cash short, quick
fixes and easy patches are the

order of the day.

We have this blank spot in
between, but a big difference of

height so we're just filling
this up with concrete,

and levelling it out.

And we have a temporary floor
for when people come,

otherwise they might fall down.

Dick: Job done, but Stefan's
looking exhausted.

♪ ♪

Last night, we got three hours
of sleep and now it's just

getting through the day.

Each one you see, you just have
to sort it out, get it done,

trying to survive until tomorrow
evening, actually.

Dick: But with just a day to go
before the party,

there's still a mountain of work
to do.

♪ ♪

Dick: This is the 16th century
Chateau de Lalande,

home to Stephanie Jarvis.

Stephanie Jarvis: I always knew
that I wanted to buy a chateau.

I think probably from the moment
I was reading fairy tales as a

child, it was really clear
that's what I wanted to do.

Dick: Located in central rural
France, she and her friend Nick

bought this place together after
pooling all their resources.

I had a two-bedroom flat in
London, he also had a

two-bedroom flat in London.

He said it would be way more fun
if we sold both our flats and

got maybe a four-bed terrace
house in Arsenal with a garden.

And I was saying to him one
night, "It's so depressing.

The things I'm seeing that we
can afford with everything we've

got pooled together and I know
that for the same price,

we could buy a chateau in
France."

So I started looking, we sold
our flats and bought here.

Dick: The chateau cost her about
£600,000.

Not a bad price for a
500-year-old, 17-bedroom palace.

♪ ♪

Dick: With 60 acres of land, a
lake, and a private chapel.

But it needed a lot of work.

We redid all the electrics, all
the plumbing,

had to put in septic tanks.

Obviously all of the asbestos
had to go.

We insulated every outside wall
downstairs.

So big works.

The renovations were very
expensive, but then the

maintenance costs start to hit.

And that I hadn't really thought
about that much.

Dick: With bills to pay,
Stephanie's come up with two

ways the chateau could generate
some cash.

The chateau generates money
mainly through chambre d'hôtes,

B&Bs.

The chambre d'hôtes is working
more and more every year,

but by far, most of the business
comes through workshops we have,

maybe six a year.

Dick: The workshops are for
groups of musicians who stay for

a whole week.

She also has a long-term plan.

I want to make two new
apartments over the garages,

and I'd like to rent them as
gîtes.

Dick: And to pay for this, she's
launching a new event.

We want to try and start sort of
singles weekends.

So that's the next big project
for this year.

Dick: She plans on hosting
singles parties where 20 to 30

single people come to the
chateau for a weekend to meet,

dine, and play games.

It's quite nice to just go away
somewhere in the middle of

nowhere and meet lots of other
people around the same age group

who are single, and so wanting
to meet lots of people as well.

Dick: As a trial run, she's
invited 30 close friends and

family for an Easter weekend
dinner party.

It's even got a theme.

Tonight is the Under the Sea
theme dinner,

so I'm mainly doing fish and
lots of salads.

Dick: But the person she thought
was helping with the cooking

can't make it.

And I can't cook!

My mother collects cookery books
so I've got every cookery book

I could find.

I spent the whole night just
going through cookery books,

looking for recipes.

It's not so much could things go
wrong, as what will go wrong?

Dick: First job Stephanie takes
on is a simple

garlic mayonnaise.

♪ ♪

I may have broken the whisk.

Yes.

[whisking]

♪ ♪

This is much better.

Oh, mama, très belle.

♪ ♪

Dick: Stephanie's mom Isabelle,
who's French, has joined her

daughter for the weekend.

Isabelle: Mayonnaise.

It's been a bit of a struggle.

The first machine was broken,
the second machine is working.

Um, but we're getting there.

That's just totally not nice .

You get here something is
broken.

Stephanie: Always.

She's much more organized than
I am.

[laughter]

I think she finds the party
quite stressful,

because she just sees the work
that needs doing.

I would never have done a party
like this.

Personally, absolutely not.

Mummy doesn't understand how she
had a daughter like this.

No, I think there has been a big
mistake at birth.

- A switch?
- A switch.

I don't really understand why
I'm attempting to make

mayonnaise when there's so much
to do.

Dick: Luckily, some of Steph's
friends have arrived early,

and help make a start on the
decoration for the

under sea theme.

So we got a lot of fabric.

But I'm not too sure how we're
going to turn this into waves.

Just tent it.

Tent it so that it's like
hanging in waves like this.

Michael: Okay.

Dick: Her friend Michael doesn't
seem convinced by the

under water theme.

So I think this is going to be a
lot bigger than I thought it

would and I'm not sure it's
going to feel like

we're under the sea.

Dick: Oh ye of little faith.

♪ ♪

Dick: Back in the kitchen,
Stephanie has more pressing

concerns.

Mummy has arrived not so much to
save the day with the mayonnaise

as to criticize the mayonnaise
and tell me what the--

- No, no, no: constructive--
- Oh, constructive criticism.

Yes, so that you can make it
perfect.

I think it just needs salt.

I'm stepping away from the
mayonnaise now.

I've just got to let it go.

♪ ♪

Dick: That small bowl of mayo
took over an hour to make.

♪ ♪

I'm a bit concerned that my
timing's been a little off.

This is the sort of thing my
mother talks about with like me

not being very organized but
quite enthusiastic.

But the mayonnaise is done.

That's what matters.

Dick: Good for you, Stephanie.

But there's still tons to do to
be ready for tonight's party,

which is scheduled to start in
two hours, by the way.

I still have to make my costume,

and do my hair, and make the
pasta,

and the canapes and the
salads.

There's still a lot to do.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: Chateau des Lys:

This mid-19th century austere
yet beautiful building was once

a boys' school.

It's now run as a B&B by Brit
Tim and his wife Margreeth.

[splash]

Dick: But they're not bringing
in enough income.

Our biggest problem is, we have
under capacity during the summer

so we have to sort that out
because if we can get that

together then life becomes a lot
easier.

Dick: So they've got big plans.

Located just an hour's drive
from Calais, in the picturesque

Picardie region--

--they think they're perfectly
positioned to develop a

luxury caravan park and lease
their gîtes in a

co-ownership scheme.

So we turned it really from a
sort of big empty barn,

which was lovely, into something
which you can live in.

I love it.

Dick: But all sales on the gîtes
have been on hold for the last

six months while Tim is battling
a colony of bees

in one of their chimneys.

After multiple attempts to get
rid of them,

today he's hoping they're
gone for good.

Tim: Let's go and check.

Ah, ooh!

[laughter]

♪ ♪

Tim: Well, I think the bees are
gone.

Brilliant.

Gîte's safe and people won't
get stung on their bum.

We have won the battle of the
bees and they've all gone,

so we can get on and we can sell
the gîte.

Dick: Their other project, the
caravan park,

is still in its early stages.

They've got the first caravan in
position, but it's a sad old

thing in need of TLC.

Tim's replacing the outer wooden
panelling to make it

weatherproof.

[banging]

It's all secondhand wood from
Holland.

And it's interesting: In
Holland, this stuff, they just

recycle it, you go to a
breaker's yard, fix them up,

and it's normally cheaper than
buying new wood.

I can't find anything like this
in France that I could use,

so normal wood, which is quite a
lot.

I've got enough here to do the
whole of this side.

It's costing me about, I think
about 200 euros.

We just sort of, you know, buy
it, bring it down, paint it,

so it's got a nice weatherproof
outside coat.

I quite like it.

I mean, I quite like the fact
that it's all different,

you know?

It's--it also means it's
seasoned so that means

it won't warp.

♪ ♪

Dick: Yup, new or untreated wood
will contain moisture.

Then when it dries out, it can
twist, bow or curl.

Tim just needs to make sure he
regularly waterproofs his wood.

Some bits are easier than
others.

This one bows in the middle,
which is a shame.

Dick: Tim and Margreeth have got
their first guests arriving to

stay in a month's time.

Tim: This is looking good.

I'm quite happy with this.

But I'm almost at the stage now
where I can go inside this

and we can sleep in it.

Dick: Uh, almost.

Tim: The fire is in position,
looking good.

We'll be able to light that
soon.

It's just mainly cleaning.

It's been idling in the field
now for quite a long time,

but it's water tight so there's
no real damage anywhere.

The electricity's become a bit
dated.

Halogens are out.

LEDs are in, so probably have to
change a few bulbs.

And now we can get some beds in,
maybe get a little cooker,

have a little kitchen.

Dick: Sounds like a fair bit of
work to me.

♪ ♪

There's a couple of rotten bits
there.

But that's not disastrous.

Little bit of wood to be cut out
and sort of put in again, but--

- [crack]
--oops and the floor.

[laughing]

The floor needs replacing as
well.

[laughing]

Dick: Better add that to the
to-do list.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: A nine-hour drive south of
Tim's is another chateau:

Chateau de Brametourte.

This 1,000-year-old fort is home
to Alison Ward and Paul Hunter.

Alison Ward: When you buy a
chateau, you think most of your

cost is done when you buy it,

but in reality, the costs are
what happens

year after year after year as
you start renovating,

and trying to convert it into a
business.

Dick: Based in the Languedoc
region of France, they want to

make a living running it as a
wedding venue so they can give

up their jobs as HR and IT
consultants.

It's been 10 years of graft.

10 years of having to travel and
work different parts of the

world and come back here and do
the renovations, turning it into

an incredible environment for
people to have their weddings.

[drilling]

Dick: They've now finished the
wedding terrace, and tomorrow,

it will be used for its very
first wedding.

Paul and I love turning the
place into something beautiful

with a "wow factor" that our
clients can really enjoy.

♪ ♪

Dick: Today, the bride and groom
have arrived.

♪ ♪

- Wow.
- Hannah: Lovely, we're here.

Dick: James and Hannah have
invited over 30 family and

friends to their wedding.

[bell rings]

- [dog barking]
- [laughter]

Dick: With Paul away working,
Alison is holding the fort.

- Hello!
- James: Hiya, hi.

- Welcome.
- Hannah: Hi, thank you.

[chatter]

James: Hello.

Dick: Before they're shown up
to their suite, Alison wants the

soon-to-be-married couple to
take part in an ancient custom.

If I can just explain to you a
tradition,

which is to say the Lord's
Prayer.

Okay.

I got this sign of the Knights
of the Templar in front of the

front door, and that actually
makes sure that you have a

future happy marriage and it
also blesses the house at the

same time.

- Okay.
- Is that all right?

Sounds good, yeah, lovely.

Alison: Our Father who art in
heaven.

Hallowed be thy name.

Thy kingdom come Thy will be
done.

On earth as it is in heaven.

Amen.

- James: I'll follow your lead.
- Hannah: Our Father--

James: Who art in heaven.

Hannah: Hallowed be thy name.

James: Thy kingdom come.

Hannah: Thy will be done.

James: On earth as it is in
heaven.

Hannah: Amen.

Alison: And enter the house.

♪ ♪

Dick: James and Hannah last
visited Chateau de Brametourte

18 months ago when the bridal
suite was still being renovated.

Here we are, through the old
courtyard door,

into the new suite of angels.

Hannah: Can't believe how
different it is.

James: Wow, that's amazing.

Hannah: I love all the
furnishings as well.

- Lovely.
- James: Wow.

You've got the balcony out
there.

James: Of course, yeah.

- Hannah: Oh, fabulous.
- James: Spectacular, wow.

The views are absolutely
stunning.

That is lovely.

So when we came here before,
this balcony wasn't here at all,

so it was literally just a hole
here.

I'm really, really pleased.

So excited to stay here now.

[laughing]

Dick: Over the next few hours,
the rest of the guests arrive.

- You've got both bags?
- Yeah.

♪ ♪

Dick: But unfortunately, it
seems some of them have brought

some typical British weather
along with them.

[thunder rumbling]

♪ ♪

Part of the reason why we chose
the South of France was because

of the weather.

You can never really guarantee
the weather in the U.K.

Just hope that the sun comes out
for us tomorrow.

[laughing]

Dick: With a storm forecast to
last through tomorrow,

the big day, it looks like all
of Paul and Alison's hard work

developing the wedding terrace
may have been wasted for this

particular wedding.

[rain falling]

♪ ♪

Dick: Just under 500 miles
north at Chateau d'Humières,

it's all hands on deck.

It's really fun, actually, when
everyone's just mucking in

and we're working together to
get it done.

Dick: Nicole, Stephan and their
small team of volunteers

are racing to get the chateau's
main hall ready for the upcoming

party tomorrow, and its new
guest room open for business.

♪ ♪

It doesn't feel like the end is
almost in sight.

There's still loads to do and I
think as people get kind of more

knackered, then the hysteria
sets in and then you just get

the giggles for nothing, which
is great.

This looks much better.

Or moved on.

Much closer to finishing
touches,

which is the bit I really enjoy.

Dick: Ever resourceful Stephan
has a plan to add a striking new

feature to the hall.

He's acquired a beautiful
ceiling rose.

This is a bit that came from
another chateau.

A chateau not far away from
here, which regretfully,

was torn down for some reason
and I think it will go

very nicely in the entrance
hall.

This is the fun part.

This is the preparation of the
glue for the moulding on the

ceiling, which is actually
cement.

Sets in about five minutes.

Dick: You can't hang around with
this stuff.

Stephan will need to get it up
and in position on the

ceiling quickly.

And it's like concrete when
it's set.

Sort of making like a dough.

Sort of cooking.

Putting some on the parts so it
attaches to the ceiling without

falling down on us.

♪ ♪

If you hold it, I will screw it.

♪ ♪

Yeah?

- You like it?
- I think it's brilliant.

Mm hmm.

I know how to fix it.

Okay, let me think.

Here's a piece of wood.

[drilling]

♪ ♪

[drilling]

[Stephan exhales]

Make sure it has time to settle.

My only concern actually, is the
cement actually is already hard.

♪ ♪

Dick: Stephan leaves it in
position for five minutes--

Seems to stay up.

--and then starts to undo the
plank holding it up

against the ceiling.

Whoa, what if it doesn't stick?

Stephan: Never lucky.

♪ ♪

Dick: At Chateau de Lalande,
preparations are underway

for tonight's Easter party.

Owner Stephanie has plans to
hold singles parties to bring in

more money, so tonight is a test
run with 30 close friends and

family.

Half the guests are here, the
other half are about to arrive.

The rooms are ready-ish.

Dick: While she struggles with
dinner, her friends help

decorate for the party's under
water theme.

♪ ♪

I'm hammering the nails into the
beam so we can put strings back

and forth from which we can
drape these pieces of material.

There's a hand-carved beam from
about 1490.

- So let's not destroy--
- Yeah.

One nail per beam--

One nail per beam would be good.

♪ ♪

Dick: In the kitchen, Stephanie
not only has lots more food to

prepare--

I have to make another mousse
and I have to make a pasta bake.

Yeah, there's a lot to do still.

Dick:--she needs to get ready
for the party herself.

I'm still a little bit concerned
about the fact that I still

don't have a costume.

Dick: And with less than an hour
until the party's due to start,

with the decorations and
cocktails nearly ready--

I need another bottle of the
Blue Curaçao, I believe.

Dick:--in the kitchen, tensions
are rising.

Stephanie, I think you
complicate your life.

A radish is a radish.

Your serve the blooming radish.

- Stephanie: Sorry?
- Cucumber is a cucumber.

Serve the cucumber.

This is why my mother doesn't do
the cooking.

You would get a radish, a
cucumber--anything else on

someone's plate?

- Isabelle: A potato?
- A potato.

A radish, a cucumber, a potato.

I believe in healthy cooking.

It's great having my mother here
but stress levels have risen,

because she's never happy with
what I'm doing until it's done.

Afterwards, she's like, "Oh,
you did so well.

That was really great."

But every step of the way, up
until it's done, just a bit of

micromanagement going on.

Let's face it:

Without my presence, there would
be chaos.

There would be 20 of them in
here.

♪ ♪

Dick: It's 9 p.m. and the
chateau is full of

hungry guests.

♪ ♪

Dick: But at last, the food's
ready, if an hour late.

Okay, everyone!

[applause and cheering]

It's time to come and eat.

Bring your plates.

♪ ♪

Dick: And it looks great.

It's been a hell of a lot of
work and I didn't know that we'd

get it all done.

Especially when we spent an hour
on the mayonnaise this morning.

Dick: Finally, Stephanie can
enjoy herself for a bit.

Now I get to relax because I
finished cooking.

Kim's cooking tomorrow.

Dick: The good news is, one of
Stephanie's friends has

volunteered to cook breakfast
tomorrow.

The bad news: She's still got
lots of other things to arrange.

I'm going to sleep when I
finally get to bed.

I'm not sure when that's going
to be.

Tomorrow morning, we have to be
up.

Dick: Let's hope she's ready for
action then.

♪ ♪

Dick: But 320 miles north, back
in Picardie,

Tim and Margreeth's first
caravan guests arrive

in four week's time.

The interior still needs
renovating plus the new hole in

the floor.

[Dick clears throat]

But Tim's turning his attention
to the fire pit outside.

Tim: I'm sort of envisioning it
going around like this.

Making a circle.

These are good, old rocks,
aren't they?

Dick: The great thing about old
chateaux is there's usually a

plethora of handy materials just
hanging about.

So I've got a whole pile of
stones.

I reckon there's probably part
of the original paving for the

chateau which is long gone.

My little barrow will take six
of those before it starts

breaking.

So we're going to backwards
and forward with six at a time.

So the only problem with this
system is that there is

a considerable distance between
the stones and the fire pit.

We need a lot more stones, I
think.

Tim: We need a lot more stones,
don't we?

- Margreeth: So, good luck.
- Tim: Thank you.

I think two more after this,
don't we think?

♪ ♪

- [Tim grunts]
- Margreeth: Perfect.

Dick: As Margreeth lays them
into the circle--

--Tim carries on with the donkey
work.

[Tim affects gasping]

♪ ♪

This is really coming together.

Oh!

It's great.

Do we need a full circle?

We are nearly there, aren't we?

Margreeth: Yeah, it looks so
good.

Tim: Yeah, does look good,
doesn't it?

It's much better than I thought
it was going to look.

Margreeth: Me too.

♪ ♪

Tim: Well done, looks great.

♪ ♪

Tim: That's it.

Dick: Margreeth's is off to
make a well deserved cuppa

as Tim tests out his handywork
with the help of son, Joe.

- Tim: What do you reckon?
- Joe: Chocolate.

Oh, we got chocolate.

- Hey!
- Joe: Can I have some too?

- Have you helped, boy?
- Tim: Have you helped?

Joe: Yeah!

Margreeth: So, this is working
really well.

- Tim: It's lovely, isn't it?
- It's really nice.

- Cheers.
- Margreeth: To the fire pit.

- Tim: The fire pit.
- Margreeth: Well done.

[Tim laughs]

How far do you think before the
caravan's finished?

What year is it; 2017, isn't it?

- Okay.
- No, I don't know.

I mean, I think if I get a run
of it, um, I think I can do it

in two or three days.

Dick: Tim's confident he'll be
ready for the first guests in

four weeks.

Before then, I want to help him
out, so I've invited them to

our place for a business chat.

- This'll be fun.
- Yeah.

- Looking forward to this.
- Me too, yeah.

Dick: Who knows?

Maybe Angel and I can offer them
some helpful advice.

Tim: He seems to know what he's
doing.

Margreeth: I'm obviously very
excited about meeting Angel.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: Over 550 miles south, at
the opposite end of the country,

it's the day before the first
wedding of the season

at Chateau de Brametourte.

It's August, but you wouldn't
think so.

We should get the fire going,
shouldn't we?

Dick: All the hard work carried
out developing the new terrace

by the pool for wedding
receptions

could have been to no avail.

Alison: On the day, you can't
plan for everything.

We've just gotta find the best
solution and use the chateau

and its grounds to its best
ability.

[rain falling]

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: It's the morning of the
wedding

and the storm appears
to have passed.

Bride Hannah is relieved.

Hannah: It was a bit of thunder
and lightning last night.

Torrential rains and the panic
was really starting to set in.

Obviously, last minute nerves
and things,

but hopefully we won't see any
more of it today.

Dick: The storm has delayed the
preparations.

Little bit further back.

♪ ♪

Dick: With the wedding just five
hours away,

everyone's got a job.

So we've got 100 flags.

Woman: Yeah, we can always cut
it and take it down.

Yeah, okay.

Alcohol should be in there now.

Hannah: Okay.

We've got all the--well, not all
the sparklers.

The majority of the sparklers.

- Hannah: Okay.
- That's the open tins.

Okay, yes.

- We're getting there.
- One step forward?

Yes.

Dick: But an hour before Hannah
walks down the aisle,

the weather worsens.

Alison: We've had such unusual
weather conditions.

Last night, there was a tempest.

And now the wind seems to be
getting up.

So we're just trying to work out
what's the best place

to be serving the drinks in the
canapes

to make sure they're not going
to be blowing away.

Dick: Poor Hannah.

Is her dream wedding going to be
a wash out?

[wind blowing]

♪ ♪

Dick: At Chateau d'Humières,
Stephan is about to find out if

he successfully stuck a rose to
his ceiling or if he's about to

be hit in the face with 10 lbs
of falling plaster.

[drilling]

♪ ♪

Dick: Phew!

It's really nice.

Dick: The next day, the day of
the party,

after just a few hours sleep,
Stephan's now got to find out

if the ceiling can withstand the
weight of a heavy chandelier.

So bring it up, you go up the
scaffold boarding.

I'll give it to you, then we put
it on the ceiling, and then the

ceiling falls down, okay?

Okay.

♪ ♪

Okay.

♪ ♪

Okay.

We have to somehow attach these
things.

Then we can pull this up.

Dick: The chandelier means a lot
to Stephan.

It's a pretty old chandelier.

This came out of the house of my
grandfather.

This has all the potential to go
dramatically wrong.

Pulling too much, the entire
thing will come down.

♪ ♪

Stephan: It's cool working
blind.

♪ ♪

One cable in.

Phew.

Yeah.

♪ ♪

Now we take it off.

I'll take your side.

Yeah.

♪ ♪

- Don't push it so hard.
- Man: Okay.

Dick: He needs to attach it to a
hole in one of the wooden beams

in the ceiling.

An easy job if he could see what
he was doing.

Need to turn it.

Yeah.

Oh.

Yeah, we're done.

Ah.

[Stephan exhales]

This is super safe; I think you
can--

[Stephan grunts]

Can't pull it off.

Nicole: I think it's brilliant.

Dick: Well done, Stephan.

♪ ♪

Dick: Along with Nicole, they
spent the rest of the day

getting the place ready.

Let's leave it there for now.

I think it might be all right.

Dick: But with two hours until
the guests arrive,

Stephan notices his ancient
digger is spoiling the view.

He wants to move it, but Nicole
is concerned for his safety.

Stephan's been working day and
night.

Slightly worried about him
actually, 'cause he's been

working so hard.

Dick: He's exhausted and injured
himself last night.

As you can see, I fell over.

I was getting some stuff out of
the stables and I just

completely fell on the tractor.

Luckily I still have all my
teeth, but my chin is bruised.

Dick: I wouldn't advise
operating heavy machinery

when you're as tired as Stephan,
people.

♪ ♪

[tractor motor]

Stephan: Now the resting place
of the digger is between the old

stuff.

It's really helped us out
actually because without it,

I don't think we could have
managed so far,

so it's very practical.

Dick: Luckily, Stephan parks it
without doing himself or anyone

else any injury.

Stephan: Part of chateau life, I
think, hmm?

Nicole: Tweak the curtain a
little bit.

Dick: Back in the chateau, the
guest bedroom is ready for

business.

Nicole [laughing]: Considering
the constraints that we've had,

I think it looks really nice.

Hopefully everyone else will
too.

It's great to have a room that
people can rent at last.

The colours here are kind of
subdued and relaxing.

And I didn't want to subtract
from the view.

So hopefully they work with each
other.

Dick: Renting out the bedroom
will start bringing in

much-needed income.

Feels great.

Just--but we're not ready
yet.

Dick: But with 30 guests
arriving in less than an hour,

there's no time to hang about.

And we need to put this sofa
out.

- Man: Where is it going?
- Nicole: If you can, upstairs.

♪ ♪

Nicole: I need to get my bread
there.

Hopefully nobody wants anything
soft to drink,

'cause there isn't anything.

What shall we do with the piano?

- We'll just take it out.
- Move it into that room.

[laughing]

People know that it's not about
it being finished.

And if there's a bit of tarnish
left, it doesn't matter to me,

that adds character.

Hopefully the style, with the
wallpaper chosen,

it doesn't really need to be
finished, in a way.

- So--
- [bang]

Obviously the hole in the floor,
we haven't had time.

So it's just, you know--it's
just there.

Dick: Well, the guests will be
here soon, Nicole.

We'll see what they think when
they arrive.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: It's 11:30 the morning
after the Easter party

at Chateau de Lalande and owner
Stephanie is still asleep.

[door creaks]

Dick: There is an important job
to do.

Luckily, one of her friends,
Michael, is on hand.

This is the most important part
of the whole weekend.

This is the Easter egg hunt.

So what we've done is we've come
down to the woods before

everyone's woken up and we're
going to hide eggs throughout

the bluebell field.

♪ ♪

There we go.

He's hiding.

♪ ♪

That's always fun, but when a
local drives past and sees these

crazy foreigners running around
their fields,

dressed as animals.

[laughs]

They always wonder what the
hell we're up to.

♪ ♪

These are the last two.

We gotta hide them somewhere
really good.

I think I've got a spot.

♪ ♪

Dick: Stephanie and the rest of
the guests make their way up to

the woods to be given their
instructions.

The boundary is the edge of the
bluebell field to our right,

the farmer's fields to the back,
and the river to our left.

- The river?
- Michael: The river.

- Oh, that's a long way.
- Michael: Down to the river.

- Is that a fair distance?
- No.

Okay 1-2-3, go!

♪ ♪

Dick: There's 250 eggs to find.

But it looks like the
weekend's festivities have

taken their toll on Stephanie.

I'm feeling quite fragile this
morning, hence the sunglasses

'cause I went to bed at 5 a.m.

Dick: But not everyone's
struggling to get motivated.

I've got five, including a
bunny, a little bunny.

Golden bunnies!

- Look how many I've got.
- I've got five.

Oh, that is good.

- Can I have that in mine?
- Yes.

- Because I love them.
- Okay, sure.

♪ ♪

Dick: After 45 minutes hunting,
it's all over.

♪ ♪

Stephanie: We found all the
eggs.

That's the big end to Easter
morning.

We can go and eat now.

♪ ♪

Oh gosh, it looks really good.

Dick: Fortunately for Stephanie,
her friends Kim, Frank and Evo

have taken charge of serving up
brunch.

♪ ♪

Thank you everybody for coming
for Easter.

It's been amazing seeing you
all.

[applause]

♪ ♪

Dick: It's been a great weekend.

Stephanie's decided it's been a
good test of her abilities,

so is going to attempt it for
real with a singles weekend

next month.

I'm really hoping that we can
make some money with this,

because the chateau's got to
find constant new ways

to pay for itself.

And hopefully it'll work.

Dick: But her mom and friends
helped out a lot this weekend.

Chances are they won't be around
next time.

Stephanie's going to have a job
on her hands.

I'm looking forward to seeing
how she does it.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: You don't expect bad
weather in August in the

South of France, but that's
exactly what Alison is

experiencing in
Chateau de Brametourte

30 minutes before the wedding.

That front area of the chateau
is really like a wind tunnel.

Dick: It means the planned
reception on the newly finished

wedding terrace might have to be
moved.

We're going to check about 15
minutes before the ceremony

how the wind is and if it's
still bad, we're going to make

changes in the plan.

Dick: But the groom is thinking
about other things.

It's been a bit frantic this
morning, getting everything set

up so once that's all over and
done with, we can just have a

really good night.

Dick: In another room away from
prying eyes, bride Hannah is

applying the finishing touches.

Hannah: Any chance you can
just, um...

- What did you want doing?
- Um, my necklace, please.

James will probably expect me to
be a little bit late,

so that's fine.

[laughs]

Dick: It's not raining so the
wedding can take place

in the courtyard.

Gosh everyone's sitting down,
not that I'm panicked or

anything now.

Ah!

- Oh my goodness.
- Woman: Oh yeah!

Dick: And as Alison sorts the
last few details--

[bell rings]

♪ ♪

Dick:--the big moment
arrives.

♪ ♪

Woman: A very warm welcome to
Chateau de Brametourte

here in Lautrec.

This very special day for Hannah
and James.

- I give you my heart.
- James: I give you my heart.

- Woman: My promise.
- Hannah: My promise.

- That I will walk with you.
- That I will walk with you.

Woman: Wherever our journey
leads us.

Hannah: Whenever our journey
leads us.

- Forever.
- Forever.

♪ ♪

I'm now pleased to announce that
you're husband and wife,

and James, you may kiss Hannah.

♪ ♪

[applause]

♪ ♪

James: Over the moon how it
went, really.

Hannah: Yeah.

James: Just everything we
wanted.

Hannah: The views, the balcony,
everything.

It's just been really, really
nice.

Dick: The winds have died down.

And rain stayed off, so thank
goodness for that.

- No rain!
- No rain.

- Yay!
- No rain at all, yeah.

[laughter]

You can't complain with that.

Dick: Which means the reception
on the wedding terrace is on.

[laughter]

Dick: It's been a great day and
it's going to be a great night.

Alison is overjoyed it's all
gone well.

Very pleased and lovely to see
the bride, and I think when I

was watching, I had a tear.

She had a tear, and so did he,
and the mother of the bride,

so we're all having a tear.

It was a very beautiful service.

Dick: So the terrace around the
pool is a hit and a real bonus

for future weddings.

Hopefully, Alison and Paul can
soon realize their dream of

giving up their day jobs and
living and working here

permanently.

Alison: Financially, it is
difficult,

but to see where we've come from
to where we are today is very,

very fulfilling.

We're 95% there.

So I hope we can relax and
actually be based here to enjoy

the environment and making this
a special holiday place,

and a special wedding
destination.

Dick: Good luck with it, Alison.

[cheers]

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: Nearly 600 miles north, to
celebrate their transformation

of the grand main hall, Nicole
and Stephan have invited 30 of

their closest friends to enjoy
its unique charms,

including this wallpaper.

13 weeks ago, Nicole discovered
some old wallpaper--

What amazing colours.

Dick:--that my wife Angel
helped her date to the latter

half of the 18th century.

Angel: "Looks like an extremely
high-quality printing

well worth conserving."

Dick: Nicole has got some
tailor-made to match

the original and it now
decorates the room

adjoining the main hall.

Nicole: That wallpaper we found
in a room upstairs.

- Woman: Oh.
- It's not what you'd expect.

Woman: No, it's not.

I think it's beautiful.

I actually think it looks like a
tapestry.

I love the way Stephan and you
have been doing it,

because it's kind of
traditional, but it's really

kind of a modern twist.

Makes it contemporary.

- This is the entrance hall.
- Woman: Okay.

Nicole: 'Cause this is actually
the centre of the chateau.

This is going to be the events
area.

- You've got to make money.
- So your wedding--

- Yes, like weddings.
- Yes?

- Your wedding?
- My wedding, that's right.

- Okay.
- [laughter]

You might have to talk to Martin
about that.

[laughter]

Martin, I need a word later, all
right?

[laughter]

Dick: With Nicole already lining
up their next booking,

there's a surprise treat for the
guests.

♪ [operatic singing] ♪

Dick: For Nicole and Stephan,
the evening's been a triumph.

I think it was a great idea to
change it to an event's space.

People love it and that was the
aim of it.

Like, that people would be able
to enjoy the place.

♪ ♪

Stephan: So romantic; it's such
a beautiful setting.

It's charming, well done.

[Nicole laughs]

Thanks so much.

♪ ♪

[applause]

Dick: It's a vital first step in
their bid to make the chateau

self-sufficient.

Stephan: We're really happy with
what we did.

Nicole: It kind of is as I
imagine.

It's quite nice.

I quite like it.

♪ ♪

Could have given up somewhere
along the road.

But we brought life back to a
bare shell.

Nicole: And there's a lot that
we still need to do.

There's a lightbulb missing
there.

- Shh.
- [Nicole laughs]

Dick: These two have worked
incredibly hard.

I can't think of anyone better
to take this magnificent old

chateau on to the next stage of
its life.

All the best, guys.

♪ ♪

Dick: Next time:

When I attempt to salvage a
children's trampoline

from our moat--

Oh, dear!

--it's anyone's guess if I
actually know what I'm doing.

At this stage, I'm not 100% sure
what's going to happen.

But with a bit of luck, we'll be
in the dark so nobody will know.

With one couple's roof in
desperate need of repair--

It's pretty grim every time it
rains,

I have to come out and move
the buckets.

Dick:--they hold an event to
bring in some much needed cash.

- 25 plus 30 euros.
- 25 euros.

Woman: What did you say, 75?

Sophie: Let's write this down.

Dick: Easier said than done.

- [clattering]
- Sophie: Oops.

Trying not to panic now.

Dick: Stephanie struggles to
face a big day of work--

Stephanie!

Oh, come on darling, you must
get up.

Dick:--but soon gets into the
swing of it.

It's not every day we have a
digger to play with, right?

Ready.

It's hard to be gentle with a
digger.

Dick: And after Tim and
Margreeth come to ours

to talk about their struggling
business--

Come on in, come on in.

Tim: Wow, can't get over this
place.

Amazing, man.

Dick:--they leave with their
heads full of ideas.

Tim: I can really see this as
being a sort of turning point,

you know?

So inspiring.

Tim: We've got so many things we
can do.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪