All language subtitles for Escape to the Chateau DIY S01E07.720p.CBC.WEB-DL.DD2.0.H.264-BTN.English

I'm Dick Strawbridge, and along
with my wife, Angel, and our two

children, we left the U.K. for
a whole new life in France

and bought this
magnificent chateau.

We haven't ever regretted what
we've done.

It is so worth it!

We've gradually been making it
into our home as well as running

it as a business.

[hammering]

That's a long way up.

But it turns out we're not
alone, as dozens of Brits are

doing exactly the same thing.

[children laughing]

Sometimes you have to pinch
yourself to think, "I own that."

Dick: In this series, Angel and
I will reveal more about our

journey as chateau owners.

Find a lot of scrap here, it's
worth money Might be able to pay

this lad.

And guide these daring Brits
where we can.

It's a solid old bridge, matey.

Dick: As they renovate--

This is looking good, I'm quite
happy with this.

Dick: Repair--

I've never done this before, so
it should be all right.

Dick:--and struggle to transform
these buildings into their homes

and businesses.

Go, go, go, go, go!

Absolutely magnificent!

This is the glamorous chateau
life that everyone thinks I

lead.

Just trying to avoid getting my
face near the toilet seat.

Trying not to panic now.

Dick: But however hard the going
gets, these plucky Brits can

always say, they're kings and
queens of their very own

castles!

Cheers!

Chin, chin!

Dick: Today, one couple go in
search of their dream chateau.

Angelina Bailee-Smith: It's a
nice drive, it's just got

magical appeal.

And it's got like really cool
outbuildings.

There's turrets as well.

Dick: While Angel and I go
hunting for treasures in our

attic.

I love these baths.

I could fit in there.

Darling--

[laughing] I know.

Dick: And as one chateau owner
struggles to be ready for the

summer:

Mamma mia--it's the curse of
the accursed pool.

Dick: Another faces problems
before their biggest event of

the season.

He's dug the whole floor up and
put the whole place out of

action for months.

That's yet another thing on the
list of things to do, and we

could well do without.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: Chateau Bailleul.

This 17th century castle is the
rented home of Phil and Angelina

Bailee-Smith.

Following the success of their
first-ever paid event here,

they've decided to make the Pays
de la Loire region of northwest

France their permanent home.

So they're stepping up the
search for their own place.

I've got the map.

I have the leaflets.

You've got the leaflets.

We good to go?

Yeah, let's go and have some.

Dick: But rather than waiting
for the perfect chateau to crop

up, today they're hitting the
road to search for themselves

and they've got a cunning plan.

We've got leaflets with us,
which are in English and French.

Basically, what it says is, "Is
the chateau for sale?"

and our details are on it, so--

Because not all chateaus are
listed with estate agents.

Dick: But whilst they're on the
same page with the location and

search method, the style of the
chateau is another matter.

First of all, it's about what it
looks like, isn't it?

- Yeah.
- Yeah.

- It has to be pretty.
- So that's--

I don't really like the medieval
look.

This is where we're going to
have a slight difference of

opinion.

I don't care if it's a real
wreck and it needs a lot of

work.

I just want something that's
still got lots of outbuildings,

still got the land.

Dick: When they find one--

Phil: Let's have a look.

Dick:--delivering their leaflet
is easier said than done.

Angelina: There's no post box.

Maybe he took out the post box,
he was getting too much mail

from people like us.

Phil: Yeah, too many letters
saying, "Sell me your house."

In the U.K., this would be a
National Trust or something,

wouldn't it?

So you'd get to these gates and
there'd be somebody saying,

"Oh, it's five [indiscernible]
or something."

Yeah.

I bet you, it's someone's failed
event business.

They've done it all up and then
gone bankrupt.

[laughing]

It could be.

I mean, it doesn't look like
it's been open for a long, long

time.

It's a nice drive.

It's just got magical appeal.

And it's got like really cool
outbuildings.

There's turrets as well.

It ticks a lot of boxes, but who
knows what else it's got, you

know?

That's kinda like, oh, the itch
you need to scratch, you need to

know what's there, you know?

Phil: Disappointing you can't
drop something right now.

Just remember where it is.

- OK, fine.
- Yeah?

Mm hmm.

Dick: So it's back on the road
again.

The lush countryside of the Pays
de la Loire was the location of

choice for royalty, nobles and
artists for centuries.

Today, hundreds of their
historic homes remain, so it's

perfect chateau-hunting ground
for Phil and Angelina.

We'll just keep our eyes open,
drive around some more, and see

if we can spot some more.

Look for the usual signs of--of
"chateauiness".

Some are hidden away amongst the
forests.

Dick: Sure enough, ten minutes
later they spot one.

Angelina: It's very bare.

Big project.

Phil: I think it's probably too
far gone, but there's something

that shouts, "I like a project
that's too far gone."

Two years ago I would have sat
there and gone, "Don't be so

stupid."

And now you are stupid.

Now I am stupid, yeah.

[Angelina laughs]

I'll stick it--I'll stick it in.

OK.

Dick: Searching for a chateau
you need to use your

imagination, but looking at the
state of this place I think

Phil's dreaming here, and so
does Angelina.

I absolutely loved that, but I
know you reckon it's too ruined.

It's so like big and
intimidating, like just the

sheer scale and size of it.

It's a bit scary, isn't it?

If it's half as ruined on the
inside as it looks on the

outside, I might about just get
it finished before I die.

Yeah.

And I still really want it.

Dick: As they drive past a
cornfield, something in the

distance catches Phil's eye.

Wee, hold up.

Oh!

Oh, this is nice!

Oh, look at that!

Will we go out and have a look?

Yeah.

All right.

C'mon, let's cross.

Oh, look, it's beautiful!

It's such a nice stunning view.

It's like a chateau that I would
want, you know, it's pretty,

ornate, and lots of character on
the outside.

Don't get too excited.

Shall we go in and see if we can
find the letterbox?

Yeah?

Yeah, hopefully we get a better
view then.

Come.

♪ ♪

Can't tell which one of the two
roads it's on.

I think it's down this road.

I know it's down one of the
roads somewhere near some

twisties.

Can you just keep an eye out?

Angelina: Yeah.

It's somewhere coming up.

I want to have a look.

Dick: This chateau ticks a lot
of Phil and Angelina's boxes.

It's really pretty, isn't it?

I like the outbuilding.

I couldn't see that before, it
was hidden by the tree.

Oh, look, they have cellars as
well.

Yeah.

Angelina: it's near the grounds.

Phil: Yeah, I like that.

It's huge.

It looks like an abbey, doesn't
it?

[bells ringing]

Stables.

That'd be for all my cars and
all the rest of it.

I really like the character.

Post box, yeah.

I like this.

Dick: Could this be their future
chateau?

Let's go.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: We bought our chateau back
in 2015 from a family called the

Baglionis.

They offered to clear the attic
out of the odds and ends they'd

accumulated over the years but
Angel told them to leave it all.

In 2016, we installed a lift
into the chateau's west tower

and rather than keep the shaft
plain, Angel came up with an

idea to decorate it with
pictures and some of the

interesting items left over from
the Baglionis.

The Tower of Curiosities was
born.

Today, Angel is hunting for more
items to install in the tower.

Dick bought me these work gloves
and, man, they've just given me

some sort of, like, bravery.

So now I can lift spiders up
with them.

I'm still finding things, um,
that I haven't seen, you know?

Dick: Angel hones in on what
looks like a lady's suitcase.

I mean, just look at this.

I've got some of these
downstairs.

I'm not even sure what they are.

Dick: And is intrigued by a set
of little glass bottles.

How gorgeous is that?

I mean, that with a little dried
flower in it on a table.

They are going to actually clean
up really, really, really

lovely.

Dick: Straightaway, it's an
excellent find for the tower.

What else am I going to find in
here?

I can't get this out.

I think it might be like a
matchbox or something.

Obviously from a set.

Look, all matching, all
matching.

Isn't that beautiful?

Dick: Angel will take these down
for cleaning later, but for now

there's more attic to search.

The chateau that keeps on
giving.

♪ ♪

These look like all of the
old--studying books.

A book that someone else has
used and loved, I don't know,

I just love the idea they it's
lived before.

And, yeah, I'm a bit of an old
romantic, so--

Hiya baby!

Did you think I got lost?

[indiscernible]

I'm just having a look.

It's still a long way up.

I'm just having a little look.

You got your gloves on, you're
rummaging.

[Angel chuckles]

Look what I found.

Look how lovely.

Smell it.

What do you think it is?

Smell it?

It's like-- It's a little burner
of some description.

It's sweet, isn't it?

What do you think this was for?

I don't know.

Sort of like--

[whispering] I haven't
got my glasses on.

Oh, baby!

Need to have a little look.

And it came in this, hold on.

More clues.

And it's like--

Well, that's for--

I'm picking.

There's a mirror there.

- You see that?
- OK, now I do.

I didn't.

That comes out and it'll be a
mirror.

So it's a lady's set?

Oh, yeah.

Dick: It's a lady's travelling
case, and by the look of it,

it dates back to the beginning
of the last century.

What a find!

We still haven't finished
looking through this stuff yet,

have we?

That's ridiculous.

Angel: I want to show you
through here.

Dick: So far so good, but not
everything up here can fit in

the tower.

I love this bath.

What can we use it for then?

We could turn it into a car for
Arthur.

Just step away, have a look at
this.

Look at the size of that.

Yeah.

And where's this going to be?

Well, I do--I do like it.

Um--

So you're going to find
something to do with it?

I'd like to find something to do
with it.

This is not a two-person bath,
'cause a person at this end--

[Angel chuckles]

I could fit in there.

Darling--

[laughing] I know.

No, OK.

I can't see a use for it at the
minute.

For now, this will stay up here.

Of course, we're slowly adding
our own stuff to the Baglionis'.

When we were living in South
End, before we came across here,

we went and bought this.

Yeah.

We bought it in an antiques
place, for Angel just before she

had Dorothy said, "We need to
have a nice little cot."

Then we came here and look what
we got for free, all the rest of

them.

Took me months to fix this up.

Angel: I remember, this was your
little project, wasn't it?

Sitting outside on the deck with
your wire brush, hoping it was

going to be a little girl.

Dick: Right, so we had to put a
little boy in there anyway.

♪ ♪

Dick: In the Pays De La Loire
sits Chateau de Jalegnes.

It's the home and business of
Michael and Jonathan.

But since they bought this place
two years ago the business has

been struggling.

They will decide whether to
continue or not after seeing how

their biggest wedding of the
year goes.

It was a few months ago that
American couple, Steph and Dave

decided to have their wedding
here.

Hello!

Happy to see you.

So happy to see you.

Hi, good to meet you, I'm
Michael.

Hello, good to meet you,
Michael.

Lovely.

Dick: And now the whole of the
Chateau de Jalegnes is booked

out for the big event.

But today preparations aren't
flowing as well as they should

be.

We've had reports of a
horrendous stink in the west

tower.

I've just been checking the
apartments starting at the top

working my way down but we got
to the ground floor and the

door's locked.

And Michael's just gone off to
get the key and, hopefully we'll

find the cause of the problem.

♪ ♪

[sniffing]

Dick: Michael and Jonathan have
a serious problem with their

sewage.

And the timing couldn't be
worse.

It's a bit of a panic 'cause
we've got guests coming and we

can't put them into, what, we've
got five-six rooms out of action

now as a result, so we need to
sort it out.

Dick: The smell is so bad that
the bridal suite and its

adjacent rooms are currently
unusable.

They need this fixed quickly.

It's yet another thing on the
list of things to do, that we

could well do without.

[speaking in French]

Dick: The local plumbers think
the problem might

be that the sewage pipe under
the floor is the wrong angle,

and it's preventing the sewage
from flowing away.

It has this, um, contra slope.

Instead of going like that to
take it away it's like that.

There is a block as well.

So we have to sort this block
out, 'cause if you've got a

block there of course it's going
to smell.

Dick: The plumbers will have to
pull up the expensive solid oak

flooring, which was laid down
just ten months ago.

♪ ♪

Dick: Each piece will have to be
replaced and at £50 per

square metre, this
stuff isn't cheap.

This job is turning into a
nightmare.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: Just over 200 miles south
the late 17th century Chateau

Madame is being restored by
Brit, Mandy, and her best friend

and business partner, American,
Steve.

We lived together for nine years
and then we parted as a couple

and continued on as friends.

We do things--

Somehow we are still good
friends.

Yeah, we're more than good
friends, if I--

OK.

Dick: They're trying to get this
place ready for the chateau's

first-ever paying guests in
six-weeks' time.

It costs money to have a
chateau.

In some cases it costs a lot of
money to have a chateau.

We need to be taking renters,
uh, in here at the absolute

opening of the season as soon as
possible.

Dick: But Steve and Mandy's
preparations for a new pool have

been plagued with problems.

They had a leak, now fixed after
a loose water jet was mended.

And a wall was blown down in a
storm, which Steve and

volunteers are still rebuilding.

Obviously, stone walls don't
blow down in a storm, but this

one did.

Want to give this a little teeny
squirt here?

Where?

Just the top of the wall.

Dick: But work soon has to stop.

Here comes the stone.

This has been a long wait.

Dick: Six weeks ago, Mandy and
Steve picked out stone for the

pool's patio.

Mandy: This I like.

Dick: But today it's finally
arrived.

All right.

♪ ♪

Steve: Oh, watch this!

Dick: The forklift just has to
deliver it through the 17th

century archway.

Forklift Driver: No, no way, no
way.

Not happening.

You know--

[laughing]

It'd look great over here.

What's a few tonnes of stone?

Dick: I think Steve or this pool
might actually be cursed.

Mamma mia!

It's the curse of the accursed
pool!

I went to some fair expense to
get a truck with a forklift but

it can't fit through the arch.

So now we have to lift up every
stone and carry it in there one

at a time.

Anyway, I'm very happy this is
finally here.

This is absolutely, you know,
wonderful.

Dick: That's the spirit, Steve,
onwards and upwards.

I have to say, it's a little
annoying, but it's mostly

amusing because it's just the
way it is.

I should probably name this,
Catch 22 Chateau instead of

Chateau Madame.

♪ ♪

Dick: 300 miles away in the Pays
de la Loire, Phil and Angelina's

chateau leafleting operation has
thrown up its first response.

This will be something
interesting I think.

It's come from the owner of
Chateau de la Ferté.

The imposing 19th century pile
they spotted by chance from the

road, and he's open to selling
it and the whole ten-acre

estate.

My mind is running wild
thinking, you know,

"What's it like inside?

You know, what else it's got?"

Few key things to look for now,
outbuildings, parking space, and

neighbours.

Those are the main things.

Obviously, the chateau in itself
is like, what condition is it

in?

Has it got features, you know?

How much work is it?

Today, well, I'm really excited
about seeing a place that I kind

of really wanted to know what's
inside.

Dick: The owner, Mr. Jean-Claude
Conier bought the chateau as an

investment.

I'm really excited.

Dick: With over 20 rooms,
numerous outbuildings and 10

acres of land, this chateau
could be perfect for the lavish

home and events venue Phil and
Angelina have in mind.

Angelina: It's really stunning
outside the chateau.

It's not just about the outside
really, it's about what else it

has to offer.

Dick: What it certainly will
offer is a challenge.

They think the chateau's been
empty for years.

Entrez.

Wow!

Look at that!

Look at that wallpaper.

It's really nice and neutral.

Love the colour scheme, and that
staircase.

Oh, right!

[sarcastically] Glad she's
happy.

She won't be the one fixing it.

Dick: Next door, the chateau's
huge drawing room also gets

Angelina's seal of approval.

Look at that!

Look at that feature.

That chandelier is so huge,
really, really stunning.

There's a little bit more than
wallpapering to do.

No, of course, but it's pretty.

It is pretty.

There's some great plasterwork.

You know, stunning plasterwork
everywhere, very, very ornate.

Lots of it missing there.

I like the gilding.

It's got the traditional
features that I wanted in a

chateau.

Rose-tinted glasses, pessimist.

It's not--it works, it works.

Dick: Phil might be keeping his
feet firmly on the ground but

Angelina looks ready to put in
an offer.

Just imagine if when this is all
done up, you know, and then

people just walking through the
main entrance into this room.

It'll be an amazing first
impression, really, really

gorgeous.

This is--I'm just thinking about
the work involved in making it

what you're seeing in your head
currently.

Well, the plasterwork, from my
point of view, isn't that

difficult.

There's one whole piece.

You copy that and every one
that's missing you can either

move or--

Let's have a look at the rest
before you start getting

over-excited.

OK.

Dick: When viewing a chateau, I
try to see its potential but

also the cost of getting it up
and running.

And given the state of the
interior I'm not surprised at

some of Phil's concerns.

She's having fun and running
around like a kid in a sweet

shop 'cause it's beautiful.

But I know how much time
everything takes on these

places.

And if I'm looking at it going,
"that's going to take ages,"

it'll take three times as long
and three times as much money.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: Yes, running a chateau is
an expensive business.

That's why Angel and I are
always on the hunt to save or

make money at
Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson.

Luckily, our attic has a
plentiful source of free objects

to decorate the place, and in
particular our Tower of

Curiosities.

Angel: That's a--what's that,
what's that?

Hold on.

It is a grape preserver.

Dick: Our chateau was built by
the Baglioni family between 1868

and 1874.

When the family vacated in 1999
they also abandoned a lot of

their stuff in the attic, and
some of it is fascinating.

It preserves bunch of grapes.

You put the stock in this end
and you fill the water up the

other end and you store grapes
for a long periods of time in

water.

This is definitely one for The
Tower of Curiosities.

Every room, I'm not joking, has
like something in it.

But look, look.

I mean this is, ha, ha--go on,
baby.

Dick: What?

Angel: That'd look good on you.

Look, it's like an old Victorian
hatbox.

Dick: Darling, it's cardboard.

- Huh?
- Oh.

- Look.
- Laval.

It's made in Laval actually.

Yeah.

'B" for probably Baglioni.

It looks like it's been eaten by
a mouse.

Yup, that can stay up here for
now.

I really have no idea why I like
old things.

I don't know if it's the history
or a lot of--a lot of stuff that

is old is very well-made.

I just wish I was in that era.

I know it's weird.

Dick will never get it, but he
humours it, so that's good.

- What's this?
- Huh?

That's mine.

- Is it?
- Yeah.

Does that count?

Huh?

No, it doesn't count if it's
already mine.

[chuckling] In fact--in fact,
you bought it for me.

I bought that?

Really?

- Didn't you?
- No.

No, that's even worse that you'd
think I'd buy you something like

that.

Hah!

I love that.

OK.

♪ ♪

Dick: At Chateau de Jalesnes
owners Michael and Jonathan are

struggling to sort out a sewage
problem that's stinking out

their west tower.

Instead of it being a nice slope
like that it's like that.

And all the paper and stuff is
coming, trying to get up the

hill and sitting on this little
ledge here.

So do you want to come have a
look?

No, you're having a laugh, I'm
not going in there.

[laughing]

- All right.
- It stinks!

[drilling]

Dick: The repair could be very
costly, especially as their

biggest event of the year is
just around the corner, 45

guests hoping to be staying here
for a week-long wedding event.

Dick: With the pipes exposed the
plumbers can now start their

investigation in more detail.

Dick: The waste from three
toilets meet at this junction.

♪ ♪

Dick: As well as the sewage pipe
going uphill--

Dick:--they discover another
problem.

There's a foreign body in it.

As part of the renovation work a
piece of concrete or plastic, or

a bit of both, has got in there
with jagged edges and that's

what's causing the problem.

So there's your problem.

Dick: Part one of the problem
solved.

Two pieces of old pipe were
lodged in and were blocking the

new plastic pipe.

We've cleared it.

We have taken out the two pieces
of debris that were blocking it

and the last thing we've got to
do is try to sort out the slope

of the pipe, which is going in
the wrong direction for the

flow.

Dick: Unfortunately, for
Jonathan and Michael this may

involve digging up even more of
the flooring.

Dick: And even more of the
concrete.

This job is getting bigger by
the day.

♪ ♪

Dick: Just over 200 miles south,
at Chateau Madame, after

six-weeks' wait Steve has
finally got his delivery of

stone for the pool's patio
but--

Steve: It'll never happen.

Dick: The forklift can't fit
through his 17th century arch.

There we go.

It's a handsome piece of
equipment.

Dick: So he and volunteers, John
and Myles, begin the task of

manually transporting the one
and half tons of stonework to

the poolside.

I think I'm going to start off
with the margelles.

Dick: The margelles are the
pieces of stone that will

surround the pool.

Steve: This stuff's all been
shaped to go around the steps.

That's fine.

One of your laddies want to do
this?

♪ ♪

Steve: I'm feeling for you.

So you have a map for these
or--

A what?

Sketch.

Well, uh, no, but what it is, is
those two guys there are the

corners that make this angle.

Dick: The stonemason cut the
margelles to cut perfectly

around the pool but there are no
instructions where

each piece should go.

If we put this in here and the
angles don't work, you can just

attach this to me and push me in
the pool.

[laughter]

John: Steve, no problem.

So the first thing I'm noticing
is that this is radiused here

but not here, which makes me
think that this is backwards.

Man: So it's for the other side.

You think it goes over there?

Or does--does that makes sense?

John: Yeah.

It's not straight.

This is straight.

Steve: Obviously we're doing
something wrong because they're

perfect.

John: That's a radius here.

Steve: Let's do this.

This radius here should be here.

Maybe this does belong on that
side.

Yeah, we just got the radius
around the wrong way.

Hello.

So let's just put this like this
for the heck of it and we'll try

to figure it out as we go.

All right, so this it kind of
making sense to me.

A curve.

So that's not the way it goes.

Dick: Mm, that doesn't look
right.

All right, you gonna do the
numbers?

Well, the numbers don't make a
lot of sense.

Well, OK.

So I'm going to just use my--

That's upside down.

I was going to say superior
talent but--

Until you put it upside down,
right?

[laughter]

How many more are there down
there?

Two.

Five.

Dick: As they assemble the last
piece of the puzzle it's obvious

it's not a perfect fit.

Steve: So their wiggle factor is
they give you extra stones.

Dick: But John thinks he can
rectify that.

John: Oh, I can tidy the angle.

I mean, they've got it that
close, I can do that with a

couple of little touch-ups on
the side.

Steve: Yeah.

Dick: And Steve's determined to
be optimistic.

The margelles look terrific.

It's been a long time.

The whole process has been just
so long.

But seeing the margelles are
really like the light at the end

of the tunnel.

Dick: Now Steve needs to lay
down the rest of the patio.

In just over a month the guests
arrive.

That's enough time, it seems to
me, to get things done.

Dick: I wouldn't count on it.

Steve should know by now that
anything to do with chateau

renovation can be a bottomless
pit of expenses.

This is not a way to make money.

Let me tell all people, this is
not the way to make money!

♪ ♪

Dick: Back in the Pays de la
Loire, Phil and Angelina are

continuing to explore the 19th
century Chateau de la Ferté as a

potential new home and business.

Phil: I do not want to wallpaper
that.

Dick: Phil has serious
reservations about how much

renovating this place will
require.

Phil: I'm thinking about all the
work that would actually go into

doing this.

I mean, it's already this bad.

Dick: But just as he is about to
give up the chateau reveals more

of its charm.

Phil: Do you know what?

Angelina: [indiscernible] It's
better up here.

Oh, wow, it's in such good
condition.

It's amazing how the difference
is between the ground floor and

the first floor.

Usually it gets worse but this
chateau is the other way around,

isn't it?

The wallpaper is not peeling.

There's a bit of dampness, it's
not too bad.

Original floors, certainly old,
you know?

Phil: There is a heating system
in place, the radiators, the old

pipework and everything.

It requires redecorating as
opposed to ripping apart.

Whilst you sleep here and wash
and clean you go downstairs and,

you know, work away.

If you say so.

♪ ♪

This is the main bedroom--

There's just a random door.

That's so I can sneak out of bed
in the middle of the night and

go have another beer.

How random.

I see its potential on which to
save it because I don't know if

anyone will.

Dick: But as Mr. Conier talks
about the chateau's French

windows, Phil and Angelina find
out a potential issue.

Dick: The chateau is a
registered building.

Phil: He just mentioned that
it's on the historic register.

It'd be like a Grade I listed
building in the U.K.

That could be a real issue for
us because we've got limited

knowledge of just the way things
work.

Phil: Worse still, if we do it
wrong the fines that they would

impose, they'd bankrupt us
overnight.

Dick: Putting this troubling
news to one side for now, Phil

and Angelina move outside to
finish their tour.

Do you see that over there?

You might just see stinging
nettles and no roof, I see a row

of motorbikes.

Dick: But as they continue to
check out the chateau's grounds,

they spot a neighbour's house
which could ruin their plan to

hold parties and other events
here.

Phil: The neighbours are too
close.

I think that's a big problem for
what we're trying to do.

Yeah.

Angelina: It's--you know, could
be killed by saying, no, you're

having too many parties.

Phil: For me, it's already done.

That's a risk you can't take.

Dick: As we know all too well,
chateau hunting is tough.

Phil and Angelina's viewing has
ended in frustration.

This chateau isn't for them.

Angelina: I think it's nice, but
there were just so many issues

which are crucial in order for
us to run a business.

It's quite clear that it's not
for us.

If you've suddenly got a raving
party until 3:00 in the morning

people aren't going to be happy.

So, hopefully, we get some more
responses back and we get to see

something that we do actually
like and will work for us,

you know?

All right, let's go.

Let's get searching on the
Internet a bit more, eh?

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: At Chateau de Jalesnes in
the Loire Valley, it's the

second day of the big sewage
repair.

Six rooms have been out of
action due to the smell, and

they need to be available for
the 45 guests coming here soon

for the biggest wedding of the
year.

Michael's partner, Jonathan, is
away on a business meeting

today.

How are you, Servio?

Dick: Leaving Michael on his own
to manage the French plumbers.

They've already got rid of the
blockage in the pipe.

These are old terracotta-style
pipes.

They must have been broken
somewhere in the process and if

they ended up lodged down here.

Dick: Today the plumber's
dealing with another problem.

The pipe slopes in the wrong
direction so waste can still get

stuck in it.

Dick: The plumbers removed more
concrete flooring and dug right

underneath and around the pipe.

OK.

Dick: This gives just enough
distance to let the pipe slope

downwards.

But Michael's not sure about the
method used to do it.

Michael: All he's done is stuck
a stone in it.

It seems a bit basic to me.

What do I know about plumbing?

Dick: At mid-morning Jonathan
calls Michael asking for a

progress report.

[phone ringing]

Hello.

Well he's been in.

He's just cleaned all the rubble
from underneath the pipe.

He's put a stone in between the
kitchen floor and the pipe to

make it go down at a steeper
angle and he saying, "Right,

it's the right flow now, it's
OK."

It's not even brick, it's a
little stone.

And now he says "that's it,"
that's all he's doing.

Is that what you were expecting?

Actually, I should have gone,
Jon, and you should have stayed

here.

Dick: It's an unorthodox
solution but a simple one the

plumber thinks will work.

Well, better get flushing,
Michael, and see if he's right.

Go!

Yes, it's definitely flowing
through, good news.

It wasn't an ideal fix, sticking
a stone over there.

But it saved us from ripping the
whole floor up and putting the

whole place out of action for
months.

Results: chuffed.

OK.

[speaking in French]

Dick: It's a fix.

Over the next couple of days,
they'll lay the concrete back in

and put down the new flooring,
and all in time for the big

wedding when 45 guests will be
descending on Chateau de

Jalesnes.

No doubt by then Jonathan and
Michael will have a whole new

set of problems to deal with.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: 200 miles south at Chateau
Madame, just before he left,

Jonathan the volunteer tweaked
the margelles around the pool.

It's got to be even so it's the
same.

Dick: Now Steve is working on
the rest of the patio.

Mandy arrives with flowers and
plants to decorate.

She hasn't seen the pool area
since work started six weeks

ago.

Mandy: Look at this!

Steve: What do you think?

Looks great!

Looks amazing.

It was only two days ago that it
was weeds and a mountain of dirt

there.

Yeah, it looks really great.

What do you think?

Bravo!

[laughter]

So where am I putting my plants?

A spot over here.

Yes, which is not all ready.

Well, what more would you like?

[Mandy laughs]

Steve: Well, we can rake this
for you and--

- Mandy: It's gravel.
- Steve: Hmm?

- It's got gravel in it.
- It's got stones in it.

- All right.
- Yeah, it's not perfect.

No.

Great!

So these are your roses.

What do you think?

Oh!

Well, it was a rose, then.

Great.

I think it's great.

I love that.

I know, it's beautiful, isn't
it?

Dick: Mandy believes a vital
part of her job is to give

Chateau Madame a woman's touch.

I keep trying to put a little
bit more feminine into it.

I'm trying--I'm all for it.

I'd have more flowers
everywhere.

Well, I'm completely up for more
flowers, not only everywhere but

all the time.

Mandy: OK.

It's fantastic, I can't get over
it.

Wow, that was a success, I can't
believe it.

[laughing]

You know, but now that I think
about it.

No, it is, it's wonderful.

Dick: Once the roses are in,
Mandy cracks on with the herb

garden.

But ever the perfectionist,
Steve can't resists downing

tools to come and supervise.

I think I would put the larger
things to the back because we

want to have privacy for the
shower.

Why do you keep saying privacy
for the shower because they're

going to be in bathing suits?

Nothing is going to block,
unless you want to put the

hibiscus up here.

All right.

Well you ask the question and
I'll try to answer it.

You have to come up with the
question.

How does it look?

I think it looks good, just
something behind your left leg

there to hide the shower.

[laughing]

I think those look terrific.

OK, I'll plant it.

I just need something to make a
hole and then I'm in.

OK.

Okeydoke.

Dear oh, oh dear, oh dear!

[laughing]

Dick: Now that's settled it
takes just half an hour for

Mandy to plant the entire bed.

I think you've got it really
nice.

It looks very nice.

Dick: Coming from Steve that's
high praise indeed.

So, I think that's all I can
really do.

The whole pool area, when I
think about how it was before.

Mm.

At the very, very, very
beginning.

Mm.

It was awful.

Yeah, I think so too.

But now really it looks great.

Yeah, the change is enormous.

Mm hmm.

Dick: But they're not out of the
woods just yet.

Tomorrow the first guests of the
summer arrive and Mandy and

Steve are running out of time to
get the patio finished.

It's scary.

I'll have to try to cope with
that.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: 350 miles north in the
Pays de la Loire, a week after

viewing their first chateau Phil
and Angelina have been

continuing the hunt for their
dream place.

Phil: Yeah.

Really nicely done.

This house is so nicely
decorated, honestly.

Dick: They've even taken on an
estate agent.

Very simple floor plan.

Angelina: Mm hmm.

Two main rooms on each side turn
into turrets.

Angelina: OK.

Dick: But although there are
always things to tempt them.

It's really lovely.

Look at this, my very own
chariot.

I can be carried around in it.

Phil: Not carrying you anywhere.

Dick: Nothing they see is quite
hitting the mark.

Phil: It's just there's
something that's not working for

me.

I just kind of wanted it a bit
more femininity, that's all.

Is it perfect?

No.

Dick: So they've come to a
decision to rent their current

home at Chateau Bailleul for
another year.

Angelina: We've been in the
chateau for just under two

years.

I still love it.

I still enjoy it every day.

I still enjoy working every day,
you know, doing stuff.

Um, and I'm still creating, and
I'm still learning.

We know the business has got the
glimmers of hope that I can say,

"Let's invest in this more than
just our time."

Dick: They're still open to
finding their own place.

But that's more difficult than
it appears, so the search is

ongoing.

And I'm really, really excited
about the prospect of finding

and owning a chateau to call our
home.

Dick: But for now this is where
they'll be.

We wish you all the best with
your business here at Chateau

Bailleul, Phil and Angelina.

The dream is still alive.

Not after that singing it's not.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Back at Chateau-de-la-Motte
Husson, Angel and I are coming

to the end of our search for
objects for our Tower of

Curiosities, but things keep
grabbing out attention.

Now that must be something
specific.

That's for--it looks like an
arrow quiver.

Put a little belt holder on it.

Ah!

Look at that, baby.

What's that?

Let's see.

Oh, I thought it was part of the
house, it's--it's not.

That's a fossil.

Angel: A real fossil.

That's a real fossil, darling.

I don't know what it's a fossil
of but it looks like one of

those spirally things.

Our little Arthur loves fossils.

This could go in his room.

You know, we never really bring
a torch up here, do we?

- Is that a bed?
- That's not a bed.

- Is it not?
- No, that's a travel case.

What is it?

This is a travel case.

This is the way you used to
travel.

That's quite nice though, isn't
it?

It is, it's big.

This is late-19th century.

They built them big then.

I absolutely love that.

It's a seine net.

What's a seine net.

It's a big circle that you throw
out and you pull it all together

and you catch the things in it.

So I could potentially use that
for decoration?

You can use that for decoration
definitely.

OK.

All those little lead weights in
the bottom there.

They're a couple of quid each,
those lead weights.

A lot of this stuff goes back to
1874 when the previous owners,

the Baglionis first moved into
this place.

You know what that is?

No.

This will be for floor
scrubbing.

How do you know this stuff?

That is lovely.

That is, that is--

Very old.

A lot of the things we find here
are long gone from the modern

world and sometimes I think
that's for the best.

So uncivilized, isn't it?

Mm hmm.

This is for putting on a calf to
stop it suckling.

So when you put it around a calf
and then when it goes to feed on

its mother it spanks Mom and Mom
wouldn't let it feed.

That's how you stop a--that's
how you wean a calf.

We used to wean a calf.

I can't imagine anyone would be
happy using that method today.

I would agree.

Now you'll find that in the back
streets in Soho.

What?

[Angel laughing]

Dick: That's enough hunting for
now.

The next day Angel starts to
clean up some of the goodies we

found and place them in the
tower.

These little trinkets, they
didn't have a purpose and now

they do.

It's now here on display.

It's part of the history of this
place.

Look at it, I'm not going to use
it and I'm not going to chuck it

away.

And I'm sure as we're here
longer and longer, I'm going

to add to this room.

I'm quite looking forward to
seeing it in ten-years' time.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: Next time: Angel gets
crafty.

What are you doing in my kitchen
anyway?

Is it Ok baby if I just use your
kitchen for a minute to make

some candles?

Dick: And wedding cakes.

What's going on here?

Angel: Ta-da!

Mm, mm, mm!

Dick: It's the big day for
Michael and Jonathan at their

chateau but--

Jonathan: Our lift has jammed
itself and on the ground floor.

Dick: There's one problem--

They don't think they've got
anymore parts like it, because

it's so old.

Dick:--after another.

I found the part that's leaking,
it's got a split in it.

It looks like it is the main
pipe.

Dick: And Steve and Mandy
struggle to get Chateau Madame's

pool ready for their guests.

This is full of sand.

[thunder peals]

That is very threatening.

Without any question the most
frustrating thing!

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪