Original subtitles

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

Hello. ..and our two children,

we've lived in this magnificent chateau for the past five years.

Ahh, that's lovely.

That's my little corner of paradise. ANGEL LAUGHS

It's not just our home...

Woo! BOTH LAUGH

..but our business.

That's a proper kiss.

And with over 1,000 chateaux in France...

Wow. Oh, my God.

Absolutely incredible.

..we're not the only Brits buying into the French fairy tale.

Do you like it? Wow. I mean, yes.

It is gorgeous.

We'll follow some more daring owners...

It looks to be a massive undertaking.

..and familiar faces...

Why?

..as they battle to renovate their homes.

That is disgusting.

And we'll reveal more about our own chateau life.

That is lovely.

There'll be ups...

Oh! Sweetheart, this is beautiful.

..and downs.

What are you going to do? Not do it today? It's going to take all day.

Yeah, but there's no alternative.

But however hard the going gets...

No-o-o-o-o!

..these plucky Brits... Oh!

..get to live the dream as custodians...

God bless France.

..of their very own castle.

Today...

Oh, my wisteria's going to go.

..it's all hands on deck.

Yes!

BOTH: Woo!

..as one couple take on a massive garden project.

You're talking about, what, an acre of lake?

I mean, it's huge, absolutely huge.

New chateau owners turn on the style...

I'm just not used to this kind of thing.

..as they set out to impress the locals.

Smile.

I am.

And one family project is left in limbo...

Ah, no! Oh, my God, that looked like it was going to break.

..as the costs spiral out of control.

OK, so, here is that wall which has just cost...

SHE COUGHS

..£7,000.

Just got to find a way of paying for it, now.

In Northern France, lies the picturesque Chateau de Montvason.

Built in the late 1800s, it has 30 rooms,

its own lake and is set in 8.5 acres of land.

It was snapped up for £278,000, two and a half years ago,

by development consultant Emma and partner Paul,

who used to work in the car industry.

Since we've been restoring the house,

the house seems a lot happier.

It was kind of neglected and abandoned for so many years.

Now, it's just kind of, like, glowing.

So, we feel like it's happy, so we hope it's happy.

Located close to the Normandy coast,

Emma and Paul run the place as a B&B and events venue...

You like?

..and recently hosted a major event in the chateau grounds.

I'm going to be sad when we leave.

I literally, probably will cry.

I really will.

Now they're eager to make even more of their outdoor space,

by making it more accessible.

So, we basically started last year by clearing the first lake

and then realised there were two.

The second lake lies adjacent to the first one,

but it's covered in overgrowth and is totally dry.

So, what we're going to do is

reconnect the two to make a big, circular lake

with an island in the middle.

So, it's a big job,

but, yeah, I'm really, really excited

cos it's part of the project for this whole area

so that we can have a view over the lake,

we can get a boat back on there

and really get this garden back to what it used to be.

Joining the two lakes is a huge challenge.

THEY SPEAK INDISTINCTLY

Today, Emma wants to clear a path down to the dry lake bed

and has brought in friend Sam to help.

OK, so, Sam, I think what we should do

is we're going to concentrate on...between these two trees. Yeah.

Um...I'll start with this side

and if you want to start with that side... Oh, OK.

..we will meet in the middle, cos that'll be fun. Sweet.

Sam's helping out as Paul suffers from a debilitating condition

that can sometimes prevent him from doing physical work.

Paul's had to sort of stop, really, with any heavy work,

because of his illness, it just flares up.

The medical condition I have is called psoriatic arthritis.

Luckily, I've got lots of friends that have come over to help.

My friends have been amazing.

As a competitive weightlifter,

Sam is making light work of the undergrowth.

Woo.

That is good. Yeah!

This is fun for me.

SAM LAUGHS

And I'm not training for my Olympic lifting at the moment,

so this is good to keep strong and fit.

Yeah, you've only been doing it for half an hour, Sam.

So, tell me that in a couple of hours.

What's the story with the lake, Emma?

I think it's been covered over for about 20 years.

The people we bought it off had dogs,

so they enclosed the lake, so that's why there's a lot to clear, you know.

But, yeah, it was a boating lake in the early 20th century.

I guess it was built as a boating lake.

Do you have any photos of it? No.

But we've got a plan, from the 18th century... Yeah.

..and it shows this circle of water

with a little island in the middle and I was, like, going,

"No. We've only got one little thing.

"Like, that must be wrong."

Discoveries in chateaux and their grounds never cease to amaze me.

SAM LAUGHS

After an hour of hard graft...

..the girls finally make it to the lakebed.

We're in the lake. Does it feel good?

Yeah, it does, actually.

You can see where the water's going to be.

Ah! That's the island.

The water comes around here...

..and goes through there and then round the back

and then joins the lake at the back, so it does a cir...like a cirle.

Oh!

Go...

EMMA MUMBLES

Oh, my God.

That is really good, isn't it? Yep.

Teamwork. Two girls, loppers and a saw.

SAM LAUGHS

Really good. Thank you, honey.

It's a good start,

but they haven't even cleared a tenth of the space,

so the hard work has only just begun.

Nearly 200 miles south,

is the stunning 19th-century Chateau la Perriere.

It has 20 rooms,

an outdoor swimming pool

and ten acres of land.

It's been renovated into a luxury retreat

by interior designer Karen and husband Paul,

who runs a workplace design company.

Along with children Tom and Katy, they're currently based in the UK.

15 years in, our aim is still to be here full time.

We hope over the next five years,

that as our children have got older

and as our renovations come more to a completion,

that we can then come and live out here full time

and actually live the dream 365 days a year,

rather than 30 days a year.

Located in the Loire Valley in North West France...

..Karen and Paul's latest project

is to convert an outbuilding into a wedding venue.

So far, they've ripped down the ceiling in the coach house...

Eurgh!

That is disgusting.

..and cleared out the stable block.

Pleased?

Yeah, really pleased.

A month on, and the whole place has come on leaps and bounds.

They've forked out £2,000 to remove part of the connecting wall,

but by far their biggest outlay

has been replacing the 200-square-metre roof,

and the costs are continuing to rise.

We've had a bit of a bombshell

because, last week, we got a call to say,

"By the way, all your beams in that section of the roof need replacing."

So, we are now...

..13,000 over budget...

..on a...what was supposed to be, a £35,000 roof.

Ouch, that's a big hit.

The job appears to be more complicated,

as the outbuilding is built against a cliff.

We've got this rock face that goes all the way down

into the stables itself.

And the problem this rock face presents

is the water comes off and it's got nowhere to go.

And previously, water would just run in underneath the tiles

and it has been making the structure of the roof rot.

And, so, the roofer has devised a plan.

On this section of the roof, we're not going to have any tiles.

It's just this impermeable material.

This stuff is really, really strong

and this material is actually going to penetrate into the rock face itself.

It's then going to go over this wall, down through the gully

and then up to the pitch.

So, now we've got this great solution, which means we're

going to have a dry building and it's not going to rot all our wood.

With Paul working back in the UK to finance it all,

he's yet to see what it looks like. RING TONE

Hello.

Hello.

Do you want to know where I am?

You are by the top of the roof, by the stables.

That's exactly where I am.

OK, so here is that wall... Mm-hm.

..which has just cost you...

KAREN COUGHS

..£7,000.

How can you say that so easily?

Cos I've said it a few times, now,

on my way down and in my head.

It helps ease the blow.

Hm, perhaps for you. Yeah, lovely.

What do you think?

Ah, it looks great.

It's my new favourite place to stand now.

I can stand here and go, "Wow, look at that roof, look at those tiles.

"They're amazing."

Just got to find a way of paying for it now. Yeah.

With the inside of the building still to do,

let's hope they can get those costs under control

sooner rather than later.

Coming up...

A new chateau owner takes her first steps to success...

We're opening the gate. Hah!

I thought I was doing left, right. Nope.

..and Emma and Paul...

I've got you the last biscuit. Thank you.

..make an unexpected discovery.

Look what we've got.

Oh, wow. What are they?

This is the 17th century Chateau Domaine De La Salle.

It has 12 bedrooms and sits in an impressive 52 acres of land.

It was bought for £315,000 by Mariam and husband Jonno,

who moved in 18 months ago.

I just feel really happy here

and I love that we're building up something for the future.

There's just an endless amount of stuff to do,

but it is nice, even though I complain about it.

You complain about everything anyway,

so this is about as good as it gets. Yeah, that's true.

Located near Bordeaux in south-western France.

They've recently transformed the chateau's salon into a grand

reception room, so they can host events.

Now Mariam wants to get the word out they're open for business

and has arranged a special party for the locals in two days' time.

I invited the mayor and the two ladies who work in the office,

and they said, "Ooh, that's lovely. Thank you very much."

But anyway, I saw him this morning

and he said he can't actually come, unfortunately, but it's OK.

He said, "I've invited the others in the village,

so you've got so-and-so coming and so-and-so coming

and I'm not sure yet who else."

I was like, "Oh, that's lovely. Thank you." Oh, my God.

I don't know how many salmon sandwiches we've got to make.

Mariam has a special theme for the party

and wants the salon to look the part.

We're arranging everything in the room to be as

if it were the late 1930s.

We might cheat a few times with 1940s objects, but...

So we're trying to put that mood into the room.

On hand to help is 18-year-old son of family friend, Charlie...

You've sorted the radio out for me? Yes.

Do you want to show it to me? Cos I haven't seen it working.

..who's a massive fan of all things vintage.

That is so beautiful.

Ooh. Ooh, there's a light on.

Oh, well done! How did you do that?

Oh, you know, I'm a genius.

It can play music, can it? Yeah.

Well, I hope it's vintage music.

Oh, I like it.

Can you dance to old stuff like this? Course I can.

OK, you show me how to do it.

Right. OK.

Isn't my arm meant to be down? Up? Doesn't it matter? OK.

Left, right.

Quick, quick.

Right. Quick, quick. Left.

Left, right.

So if you're slow, you come out like this, you open the gate.

I thought I was doing "left, right"? No. OK.

Right, inside leg. Leg, hop.

And then for the next round,

you close the gate. OK.

Left, right. Quick, quick.

I'm lost.

Practice makes perfect.

Looks like Mariam needs a few more lessons yet.

Over at Chateau de Montvason,

Emma and Paul are redeveloping the lakes and their surroundings

to create more usable outdoor space for their guests.

They've finished clearing out their dry lakebed,

now, they're turning their attention

to an old outbuilding, which overlooks it.

What's the plan? Plan.

So, are you good to try and clear the roof

so we can get a bit of light? Yep. So we can see stuff?

So cut the ivy back, yeah? Yeah.

Me and Sam will start having a look at what we can clear in here.

Emma has brought in friends Jim and Sam to help out.

Wish me luck! Going in.

She believes the building has been left untouched for 40 years.

It's called the Vine House, because

it used to house the vine from the chateau.

It was like a greenhouse, as well.

We thought it would make a great alfresco dining area,

so we just thought we'd clear it

and make it a bit rustic and have a kind of...

..an extra area for parties and have a barbecue

and then have it overlooking the lovely forest and the lake.

That's the vision.

It's a nice idea,

but it's not just a matter of clearing out decades of ivy...

If there's a bit that's proud, just cut it neat at the end. Here?

As Emma is a stickler for detail.

Which bit? That bit? No.

Jim. Jim. Look at me. Look at me.

All right. The bit that's sticking up! This bit?

No. That bit, there.

Now I understand. No. No.

Don't do that, then.

This bit, here. There? Yes. Right there? Yes.

Right. Next? Not that.

Whoa. OK.

Thank you, that's perfect, darling.

What about this? No.

Don't touch it.

Now Emma's satisfied,

she's free to help Sam clear out the rest of the building.

I've got you the last biscuit.

Thank you.

Interesting here. Look...

..what we've got.

Oh, wow.

What are they?

Looks like original flagstones to me, Paul.

That's really cool.

Isn't it? Jimbo, come and have a look.

I'm resting. Are you? So...

OK, if I must.

It's just nice. It's nice and old.

Flags. What do you think? Flagstones.

These are flagstones, aren't they?

Lovely. Aren't they gorgeous? So this is where we can put the table.

The floor's a great find and now the old Vine House is finally

emerging from the overgrowth.

But there's one thing left to do.

Once we get rid of this, which is just a rubbish tree,

we're going to see the light come through to the Vine House really,

really fast, by doing this.

To get rid of the tree, Jim's set the loppers aside.

Oh, my wisteria's going to go.

Here it goes, Sam. Yay. Woo.

Yes. Woohoo. Well done.

Mr Chatelaine, he say yes. Yes. You like it? I do.

Oh, my God. It's fantastic.

We're going to have a table for people to sit in,

and then maybe do a bar thing at the back.

Yeah. Rope lights everywhere.

Candelabras.

It's fantastic. You like? Yeah, I do really like.

These guys have worked really, really hard today. Oh, God, yeah.

Literally haven't stopped.

There's still plenty to do.

With decorating and dressing, and the lake still to sort out,

these guys can't rest of their laurels.

Eurghhh.

Nearly 200 miles away, at Chateau La Perriere.

Paul is now in France with Karen inspecting the expensive new roof

in the outbuilding they're turning into a wedding venue.

So, there's the new beam.

It's a big old beam, isn't it?

Makes a change from what it was last time.

The entire roof is now officially watertight,

but the cost has spiralled to even greater heights.

Brakes are now on... Way over budget.

..on spending money, because we're just way over budget.

The original budget on the roof was 30,000.

It came in at 32,000 Euros.

It was never 32. I never heard that bit.

And it then went up to 40

and then it went up to 45 and then

we got the final bill

and it came in at...

..53,000 Euros.

Yeah. I feel in a way I've failed a bit because I didn't...

No, that's not true.

I think there's many factors you have

when you've got a chateau like this.

We had the right guy. He's done the right job.

When he's talked us around it,

we can see where we've spent all of that money. Extra money.

Um. We needed to finish the project. It's a business.

What we now need to do is get it looking

fabulous like the visions you've got and the designs you've done

and then we've got to get some bookings.

There's a lot of pressure.

I've got to bring these bookings in and actually...

Um, yeah.

I've actually got to make this work.

Chateau life is never straightforward.

Saving money where they can is crucial,

so Karen and the family have decided to do their next project

on their own, an outside clay pizza oven.

So we've been talking to people about how they want to eat and stuff.

We thought it would be good fun to have it out here by the pool

and the terrace overlooking the castle.

They do them at the shop down the road, but they're 490 Euros.

And that's in the reclaim place, as well.

And that's in the reclaim place.

Doing it themselves is costing just 170 Euros,

which is about £150.

They start by building a domed-shaped sand castle mould

on the fire-brick base.

Looks good, doesn't it? Yeah.

Preparing the clay is a messy job.

The next bit is the fun bit.

We've got to mix the sand and the water and the clay all together

and apparently, the best way to do it is with your feet.

One, two, three.

Oh, that does not feel nice!

Push in the clay. Just get in there.

Just get in there. It's going to be really disgusting with the water.

That's eventually what you're going to look for, isn't it?

Go on, give us a hug. No.

With everything mixed, they have to carefully mould

the clay around the sand castle, which has been covered in newspaper.

Is it going to be that thick, seriously? Yeah.

Once all the clay is in place...

Right, Tom?

..it'll take at least a day to dry.

Slop it on top. Slop it on top.

Yay.

I think it's looking great.

Really...

really starting to take shape.

It looks promising.

At least one of their plans is coming along nicely.

Coming up.

Look at that, magnificent.

Mariam starts to fret about the party.

I forgot that we have to collect all the little petit fours that

I've ordered for dessert so I didn't have to make dessert.

It was meant to be collected between 11 and 12 on a Sunday

and it's 12, it's 12.05 now.

And Paul sets to work on the lake.

If we've got a powerful-enough pump,

it should...

push the water up into the lake.

But, we don't know that yet.

It's the day of Mariam and Jonno's 1930s party,

and the launch of their chateau as an events venue.

Look at that. Magnificent.

And there's still plenty to do before their guests arrive.

I forgot we had to collect all the little petit fours that

I've ordered for dessert, so I didn't have to make dessert.

It was meant to be collected between 11 and 12 on a Sunday

and it's 12, it's five past 12 now.

With Jonno sent out to pick them up,

Mariam can start getting ready

and is still unsure who's turning up.

I wanted the numbers to be about 12.

I don't know what they could be, but I suppose they could be...

..let's be positive and say they could be not more than 20.

I'm not the slightest bit worried about it,

but Jonno seems to be very worried.

I don't know why he's worried,

cos I'm catering so it's no problem at all.

And he's so much more social than me.

He's the nice guy. Everybody always loves Jonno.

Nobody ever likes me.

Make-up? Not yet. Sorry.

OK, done.

Jonno is now back from the bakers.

Oh, don't they look lovely?

And while Mariam's confident about the pastries,

she's less so about her look for the evening.

I've not put curlers in before like this, so that will be interesting.

Would you like to try a victory roll?

I mean, I've never done them before, but...

Like that? Yes. That's exactly what I was going to do.

Have fun, Charlie.

Yes, ready.

Mariam wants all the guests to come dressed in vintage clothes

and is eager to look the part.

I'm just not used to this kind of thing.

So it's all trial and error.

I think there's too much spray in there.

THEY LAUGH

I think this is...

I tell you what, can I go and wash it?

Go and wash...that side.

While Mariam goes for a quick rinse,

Jonno escapes to the garage,

as he wants his pride and joy on show at the front of the chateau.

This is an MG TC, which is actually a post-war car, but, anyway...

..they made the same thing before the war so there we are.

I think we can safely use it.

It's looks in immaculate condition.

They certainly don't make cars like that any more.

Back inside and Charlie is hoping it's second time lucky.

Now that feels all right.

Ah!

It's very good, I must admit.

Well, I was going for the sort of soft, wavy look, but...

It's good, isn't it?

We know that you're soft and wavy, anyway.

So, it's mission accomplished.

Here's hoping the guests put in as much effort.

Over in Normandy...

All the overgrowth came to here, didn't it?

..Paul and mate Jim are surveying the dry lakebed

which Emma and Sam started clearing a month ago.

These trees. They cut the whole lot back. Everything was covered.

You couldn't see anything,

you couldn't see past this little island here. No.

The plan is to get in experts to prepare the lakebed

before connecting it to the one adjacent to it.

This was originally the joining part to the two lakes. Right.

So, what the guys are going to do, they're just gonna scrape down,

take all this stuff out the way,

then they'll dig all the way down, and, hopefully...

How deep are they going to go, do you think?

Well, they'll go till they hit clay.

This lake hasn't been touched in over 60 years.

Man, when it's done, it's going to be fantastic.

Yeah, absolutely.

Yeah, but, matey, your biggest problem is your water supply.

When this lake is dredged out,

the guys that are doing the dredging,

they have a huge water supply.

And they will come and put hundreds of thousands of gallons

in the lake to get an initial fill.

You're talking about, what? An acre of lake?

I mean, in total... I mean, it's huge, absolutely huge.

Water features can be a great asset,

but I just can't see how Emma and Paul can get enough water delivered.

We're fortunate enough to have a pretty epic one,

an 8,000-square-metre moat fed by a nearby stream.

I must have a problem over here and look at the level of that moat.

But it's not always plain sailing.

The water level is high.

The water level should be at the level of those stones.

But we're blocked up, the moat's not emptying.

Overflow pipes ensure the moat can't flood the chateau,

as long as they're free of leaves and debris.

Can you hear the difference in the noise? Listen.

WATER RUSHING

That difference in the noise is everything escaping.

And with a bit of luck,

the water level will be down within a day or so.

Paul doesn't have to worry about water levels just yet,

but once his lakes are joined and filled,

he's hoping his well can keep the water topped up.

Right, so what you're going to have to do, Jim... Yeah.

..is screw the pump to the end of that bit, there. OK.

The 12-volt pump Paul is experimenting with is a tad feeble,

and, sadly, there just won't be enough water in the well

to keep the lake topped up.

Nice and tight. Right, now, the aim is to chuck that in the well...

..and then there should be a bendy bit up the top.

Bendy bit. Yep.

And then, connectez-vous. Get that on there. Right.

OK, so, if we've got a powerful enough pump,

it should push the water up into the lake.

But...we don't know that yet.

THEY LAUGH

It'll push some, but just not enough.

The pump needs attaching to a battery,

and Paul wants to experiment charging it using green energy.

Seeing as this is the test, I'm just going to wind them together.

As well using solar panels, he wants to harness the wind.

Right, we've got a

600-watt generator,

and these...things.

Wings. Vanes. Vanes. Whatever.

One of those. That one.

Paul's bought a wind turbine for £150,

and with the help of Emma's son Jude they're assembling it.

So, try not to lose the nuts and bolts.

Putting it together is one thing,

but wind power in a wooded area is a flawed concept.

Can I fix it to the fence post, just temporarily?

See that fence post there? That tall one?

You know all these little talks that you guys go off on,

to, like, decide where it's going?

Where is it going?

Well, it's going around the corner, eventually. Yeah.

But at this moment in time,

we need to see whether the thing's gonna turn, right,

with the wind that we've got.

But we promise that we're not going to leave it there forever?

We promise that we're not going to leave it in your view.

That's why he said to have a lie-in and brought me breakfast in bed.

But you can check in a year's time, all right?

I've been told by Emma that it shouldn't be in view from the house.

That's what I've been told.

And it won't be in view of the house, eventually.

We'll take your word for it, Paul.

In the Loire Valley, Paul and Karen are converting the coach house

and stable block into a wedding venue.

It's not the most accurate way of measuring something.

But after a new roof put them thousands of pounds over budget,

Karen is having to be creative transforming the inside.

So my design is going to be a little compromised, but, um...

..it is what it is.

She's taken it upon herself to design and construct

a giant three-metre-high sliding door.

The concept of the door will allow us to close the gap

which we've opened between the coach house and the stable room.

Having the flexibility to have two separate spaces sounds a good idea.

With Paul working back in the UK,

Karen's getting help from 15-year-old son Tom.

There you go.

I'm really pleased.

Really pleased. Yeah, it's good.

After taking two days to put it together...

One, two, three. Ah! No!

Oh, my God, that looked like it was going to break.

..they're finally ready to hoist it up.

So, what are we doing? So we are going to...

To help with the heavy lifting, they've drafted in mate Quintin.

We're going to sort of pivot on that bottom end.

Now come towards me, put your side down now, Karen.

Oh, back up there.

Karen, I've got it. You need to go that way.

Yep.

OK, we're up.

Can I just say, that door looks gorgeous?

Yeah, it does look really nice.

It looks really good.

Quintin now just needs to screw in the rest of the rail

for the door to hang on.

OK. Right. Shall we get this baby up, then?

OK, on three, Tom. One, two, three.

Voila.

And there it is.

Yay!

It still needs some finishing touches, but at least it's up.

It's a massively satisfying thing to do,

and to get a door that size would have cost, I reckon, £1,500.

I'm happy. I'm really happy.

No wonder she's happy - Karen spent just over £200 and made it herself.

And that's not the only saving Karen's made on this trip.

So first things first. Taking the sand out, is it?

Take the sand out.

There's also the clay pizza oven.

So this is the very first time Tom is lighting the fire.

That's if they can get it working.

I think maybe I needed to push it a bit further to the back.

Are we ready? Yep.

One pizza.

THEY LAUGH

Is it actually going to cook?

Shall we have a peek? Yeah. Love it.

Karen has endured a difficult few months,

having to cut costs and get wedding bookings in,

while Paul has been away working in the UK,

but there's finally a bit of light at the end of the tunnel.

We had a wedding viewing last week,

and they're delighted, and I got an e-mail

to say that they completely fell in love with the chateau,

and they'd like to proceed

and move ahead to the next stage of costings and things,

so that's really exciting.

It's great news.

Wedding planning is a long-term process,

so any income will come after you firm up those details.

A lot of the inquiries tend to be at least a year in advance,

but to be able to see somebody get married here, I mean,

that's something I've always wanted for the chateau, always.

Until Karen gets bookings confirmed,

she'll have to find new ways to bring in more money.

I got the crunchy sand.

Definitely a bit of sand, we need to work a bit harder

on getting that sand out. Not too bad.

It's a good first try, isn't it? Yeah. Mm-hm.

Coming up...

Ooh!

..it's show time for Mariam and Jonno.

I don't like thing this sort of thing at all, to be honest.

I always find it a bit nerve-racking.

Really? I'm never nervous.

That's what makes me nervous.

SHE LAUGHS

And it's the moment of truth for Paul.

It's not turning, Jim.

Just stare at it for a while.

It will. It will turn.

In southwestern France, it's 1930s party time for Mariam and Jono...

Smile. I am.

..as they launch their events venue in the Grand Salon.

Here we are.

Would Madam like a drink?

Could I have some bubbles, please?

CORK POPS Oh!

They're hoping to impress the locals to generate more business.

Thank you.

I don't like this sort of thing at all, to be honest.

I always find it a bit nerve-racking.

Really? I'm never nervous.

Well, no, because you're you.

I probably should be, though, shouldn't I?

That's what makes me nervous.

MARIAM LAUGHS

To calm his nerves, Jono's making a vintage cocktail,

which he hopes will be a party hit.

I've never made it before,

but there's always a first time for everything.

It's called the Jack Rose and is made of apple brandy,

grenadine and lemon juice.

It's certainly got a bit of a nip to it, I'll say.

Mm.

Within minutes, the guests begin to arrive.

Vous etes supers! LAUGHTER

SPEAKS FRENCH:

It already seems the salon is making a big impression.

Yeah, it's really nice to see everyone's reactions to the salon

and I love the fact that everybody's made an effort,

because, to be really honest with you,

it's not very French to do this sort of thing.

It's not very French at all to be dressing up to go out for a cocktail.

With everyone here, the party can get started.

JAZZ MUSIC PLAYS

The cocktails are actually going down extremely well.

It's rather popular, I would say.

It's all going swimmingly

and Mariam has a surprise in store in a bid to keep wowing the guests.

I've got one of our neighbours coming to do a little bit of magic,

so I'm really looking forward to that.

LAUGHTER

To me, this is quite an important evening,

because it's just pushing ourselves that step further

towards having events and having people book the place

so that they can have their own events.

APPLAUSE

It's proved a big success and has hopefully gone a long way

to putting Mariam and Jono's chateau on the map.

As usual, Mariam has carried everything off very well.

Oh, stop it already.

It's fun. It's good fun.

And it looks as though the party could be a late one.

Is there going to be some foxtrotting?

Are you going to foxtrot with me?

Oh, maybe. If I have a couple more of these, then I'll be all right.

HE CLEARS THROAT

In Northern France,

Paul, Jim and Emma's son Jude are still assembling a wind turbine.

Right, other way round. Other way round.

That's it. That's how... Yes.

Because otherwise, the turbine'll turn backwards.

And number one.

They hope it will provide power to a pump to top up the water

once the new lake is formed and filled.

The plan is, for the moment,

to prop it against one of those posts over there

and see what's going to happen.

You said it was light.

With the turbine assembled, it's time to test it out.

Go on, Jimbo.

Where is it?

Just about there.

Right, well, it's not turning, Jim.

Hold your horses.

It's not doing anything. Yeah, I know, we need some wind, dude.

Just stare at it for a while.

It will. It will turn.

Well, I'm not too sure.

Right, so... OK, so...

There. It's turning.

Yes, but not...

You're going to get loads of power out of that. Look at it.

LAUGHTER

They also have solar panels, which they decide to cable up instead.

Strip those two out and just connect positive and negative

and be done with it and see what happens.

Woodland is not a great place for the panels,

but there is enough energy in the battery to test the pump.

On at 12.5, OK.

Paul. Yeah? I can hear it.

I think there's probably water in there now.

Yeah, there's water flowing out at this end. Yeah.

OK, we've got water.

Fantastic.

So how long do you think it will take to fill the lake with that?

I don't think it'll ever fill the lake with that, but...

LAUGHTER

..this is just to keep the water flowing into the lake,

so all we need is, you know, get another couple of solar panels

hooked up, it'll go a lot quicker.

And it's free!

This is what I really like about it.

You're getting something for nothing. Yeah.

Effectively. Yeah.

Sadly, more solar panels won't make the difference.

You need to go back to the drawing board on this one.

Another part of the lake redevelopment is the old vine house,

which they cleared out last month.

Today, Emma wants to finish dressing it up.

I have been dreaming about getting to this point,

where the vine house is nearly finished.

I've got some candles, chandeliers and bits and bobs.

So this is the fun bit after the hard work.

To bring a bit of the outside in,

Emma is filling glass globes with plants from the forest.

And then I'm going to hang them so they will catch the light

and I'm going to put candles in some and plants in others.

Oh, that's kind of cute, I like that.

It's a forest in a ball.

A month ago, this old outbuilding was tired and overgrown.

Now it's a stylish rustic space, perfect for having events

and hosting dinner parties...

I love this moment, don't you? It's lovely.

..with an impressive view

overlooking the yet-to-be-filled lake.

It's fantastic. Well done, you.

From what it was before, it's just transformed, isn't it?

I mean, a big thank you to Jim and Sam as well... Yeah.

..because it wouldn't have got done without them. I know.

It's fantastic. I'm looking forward to our first dinner here. Yeah.

Well done. Cheers.

One part of their garden restoration project is complete.

But the newly uncovered lake still needs more work

and to be linked up to the one adjacent to it,

which is going to be an epic job.

We're ready to reconnect it to the first lake

and just restore it to that round boating lake

that we heard it used to be.

It's going to look amazing.

I can really see, you know, the whole picture now

and it's exactly what we were thinking, wasn't it? Yeah.

It's great.

Next time...

LOUD BANG Whoa!

I guess that's in half, then.

..Paul and Karen prepare for a party...

I feel like I am having a hot flush.

..Jono finds himself in a hole...

How's your claustrophobia?

Can you get through the door, there?

There aren't too many fossilised mice, so it's not that bad.

..we go bargain hunting...

I mean, the colour's quite nice.

The colour's quite nice?! It's called rust!

..and as they start to work on their west wing...

If it doesn't add to it, you take it away.

Honestly, I'm fine with that.

..things get political for Emma and Paul.

So, what's your thoughts? I'm not keen.