Original subtitles

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

and our two children...

Welcome aboard, mateys.

..we're now five years... Woo!

..into restoring this once-abandoned chateau.

That's beautiful.

It's brought its challenges...

Oh!

..and some amazing rewards.

Thank you for my flower garden, Mr Strawbridge.

And across France,

there are dozens of other Brits who are on their own chateau adventure.

Yay. We'll meet some old friends...

Smile. I am.

..and new faces.

These rooms really haven't been touched in 60 years.

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

It is SO much better in real life.

There'll be highs... Yay!

..and lows...

Oh, no.

Oh, God. What a disaster.

..as these plucky Brits...

Time is money.

..transform these once-unloved buildings into incredible homes...

I just cannot believe how much work you've put in for us.

..as well as businesses...

Woohoo!

..and get to live the dream as custodians of their very own castle.

Cheers, everybody.

Today,

as rain almost stops play...

I need to get a bucket.

I'll go and get a bucket.

..one exhausted pair are all AT SEA hosting a busy event.

I feel like I'm sailing on the good ship Titanic.

Hm-hm. Looking forward to seeing the iceberg.

HE READS IN FRENCH That's worth a try, isn't it?

The language barrier gets one couple in a PICKLE.

Is it pickle?

C'est piquant?

Non. No piquant. No? Perfect. Tres bon.

look, I need to lean on it.

And these two raise the bar in northern France.

Sorry. No, it's fine.

It's better we know now.

All over France, there are many chateau-owning Brits

working hard to make their magnificent homes work as businesses...

..like the proud owners of the 15th century Chateau Mareuil.

South London couple,

retired caterer Belinda and her lighting-designer husband Lee...

..who bought this medieval marvel four years ago for £378,000.

The attraction for me was the smallness of it,

in the sense that you could almost put your arms around it,

that's the way it feels to me.

I felt it was manageable and we could do things to it

and put our own stamp on it.

Situated 40 miles from Limoges,

the couple run the chateau as a B&B and events venue...

..and have spent the summer diversifying their social calendar

by hosting a classic car weekend.

Mesdames et messieurs, s'il vous plait, mangez.

Having already spent £150,000 on renovations,

their savings are now running dangerously low.

How long will it take to get it financially viable?

The answer has got to be I don't know.

I'm not sure that's ever going to be achievable.

However, we have made the decision now that we will not

undertake any more significant renovations

without having made that money

through business generated from this chateau.

To top up the chateau's maintenance pot, Belinda and Lee

are embarking on new territory,

hosting their first ever fashion show.

This is something we started talking about a couple of months ago now

and it's come to fruition.

It's certainly the first time we've ever done anything like this.

Who is wearing this one? I'll try it on.

Friend to the couple and fellow-Brit-abroad Joan

has decided to sell off some of her extensive and glamorous wardrobe.

We're just deciding on what the girls are going to wear.

Just fighting over dresses.

So, everyone's having a fight over the dresses.

Look at this beautiful thing.

Yeah, that's lovely, that, it's very unusual.

I have no idea of price, 20, 25?

Yeah, I need to get on the ladder to get up to you.

All of the dresses will be modelled by local ladies.

What do you think? 20?

Yeah. I think 20's a good price.

And today is rehearsal day.

Back in a minute. I'll just tag this one.

As Belinda and Lee need to make some money,

they've offered their poolside as the catwalk.

This is gorgeous, this.

LAUGHING: I used to fit in this one time.

With 60 people expected, they're charging an entrance fee

of 15 euros per person, which is about £13.

There may be a personal cost, in terms of... Our marriage. ..fatigue.

Well, there's always that. No, fatigue. Fatigue, yeah.

But apart from that... It's going to work.

There's a lot of people helping, but there's an awful lot to be done.

There's a huge amount to do.

It's just running out of time's my worry.

Ladies, can I just introduce you to John?

He's going to be doing the photography today. Hi, John.

If it all goes well, Belinda and Lee want to make this an annual event,

so they're having photos taken for their website.

When you've got your first costumes on, if you see John. OK.

WOMEN CONTINUE TALKING

Hello. Oh, it's gorgeous.

But you've got to take that in.

I've got a bulldog clip. That's gorgeous.

Wow, I've never been around so many glamorous women.

This is what I'm wearing tomorrow to go with my outfit. Aw!

How about that? That's lovely.

You look so pretty. Brilliant. Lovely hat.

Wait, wait, don't take it off.

There you go, Joan. Am I all there?

Yeah, you've got the hat in as well.

ALL LAUGH

You two get back in the frame.

Happy, relaxed and sunny.

I'm so happy I'm so chilled.

And not tired at all.

Not at all. I don't want to sleep ever again.

Do you want to give me a kiss? No. Stop it.

While the models get ready for their close-ups...

That's it.

So, if we get it up by where it's got to be...

..Lee and his mate, Tim, have a job to do at their convenience.

We need to put a new door on the toilet

and the changing rooms for the swimming pool

because up till now it had a curtain on it.

It's got to have a proper door with a lock on it.

Originally from the chateau pantry, this door will now be used

to preserve the modesty of the fashion show guests.

We've got two battens of wood.

We're going to put one batten there, one batten there.

We've taken the hinges from the kitchen and screwed them on here.

And then, once that's fixed firmly to the wall, the door can be hung.

And when it shuts, it shuts against the batten on this side

and we can put a hook on it.

These boys may be busy,

but they soon find time for a toilet-based pun.

If I asked myself is this toilet going to be fit for a fashion show...

I would say it's going to be a ROYAL FLUSH.

It's going to be a ROYAL Flush.

Oh, I'm looking into it.

But at the moment, I've got nothing to go on.

Oh, dear. Steady on, lads.

You don't want this door-fitting to send you ROUND THE BEND.

Ha-ha. There it is. Perfect.

Perfect.

That's fabulous. Does it close?

Next year, it will.

BELINDA LAUGHS Say that again.

Let's go. Right, I'm off.

OK, so that's one job down,

but there are plenty more to go

before the fashion show can be called a success.

Nearly 300 miles north sits the beautiful

19th century Chateau de Dohem.

With 15 rooms, bags of charm and its own swimming pool...

OK, go on, in you go. Whoa. BOTH LAUGH

..former company director Wendy bought her dream house

eight years ago for £600,000.

I knew that I wanted to buy the chateau

the moment I laid eyes on it.

It has the most wonderful warm feeling about it.

Perhaps, though, when she embarked on the restoration,

she wasn't expecting to find a husband in builder Marcus.

We worked together for probably the first two summers or so, didn't we?

The rest is history, I guess.

Located just 26 miles south of Calais,

Wendy and Marcus run the chateau as a self-catering holiday let.

And so far this year,

they've revamped their outdoor swimming pool...

I think it looks really beautiful.

Here's to having a wonderful week.

..and welcomed the first holiday guests of the season.

Wey! ALL CHEER

Now the couple are turning their attention to a project they started last year,

the creation of a wedding barn in the chateau courtyard.

There's a lot at stake.

I mean, we've put all of our time and passion and money

into the project.

Ta-da. Oh, ha-ha.

Incredible.

That's a good thing.

Today, the wedding barn renovation continues,

with Marcus taking delivery of gravel for the base of the floor.

We really must get a move on and get this barn done.

We've got a few lets pending in April and May,

so we're going to most definitely need it finished.

So, the more we can get done right now, the better, really.

As they can only work on the barn when the chateau isn't rented out,

they've roped in Wendy's sister, Belinda,

her partner, Spencer and her son, Ryan to help out.

Urgh.

Yeah, a flurry of activity today.

We've just had another delivery of the gravel.

We really want to get this down and get it compacted to the right level.

We're going down with a hard insulation onto this

and then the floorboard is straight on top of that.

It's quite critical to get this right.

We want to get that that line in the middle line.

To help the floor achieve the correct height,

Wendy is learning how to use a laser level.

No, you're fine there. Fine there.

Does it have to be exactly on the line? Near enough.

Come on, put your back into it.

Right, now, don't take any more.

That's fine, I'm going to come down this line, all right? Yeah.

This is a new skill for me

and I have to say it's much preferable to raking.

Nice to have extra pairs of hands.

Many hands make light work, as they say.

Bit too high here?

Tres bon. Tres bon. C'est magnifique.

With five pairs of eager hands on the job,

it's not long before the gravel is down.

While the boys crack on, Wendy turns her hand to something more crafty...

..new light fittings for the barn.

So, these look lovely with the beams, but they're quite plain.

What are we going to do with it, then, to make it more jazzy?

Well, I've got a little plan going on.

To pretty it up, I've bought some foliage. Oh, lovely.

They're very delicate little flowers.

What have you got?

I've got a wire... Right, poke that through there. Yeah. Like that

Yeah.

It's actually lovely to be able to start thinking about the interior.

See where I'm going with it? Yeah, it works.

Ah-ha-ha. Who knew?

Yep, got it. Perfect.

She's decorating some cartwheels as part of her interior-design vision.

Don't do my finger. No, I won't do your finger.

That's it.

It's been very boring stuff for girls,

where it's all about damp proofing and membraning.

Who wants to know about that?

We want to know about fabrics and foliage and softening stuff.

Boring? Damp proofing and insulation boring?

Some of us live for this kind of thing.

Are you ready for this, Spencer?

He's ready.

Oop.

Da-dah. What do you think?

Very good.

It's lovely, isn't it?

You're down on the side. Can I plug it in?

Yes!

Three, two, one, go.

ALL CHEER

Do you love it? That's clever, yeah.

Oh, look.

What do you think?

With the new lights installed, the barn is beginning to take shape.

Well, I think you've earned yourself a cheeky little glass of fizz.

Mm-hm.

Sounds good.

You've made a good start,

but there's still a floor to go down and electrics to finish

before the barn's complete.

Coming up.

Come on. Hurry up, chop chop.

Belinda and Lee's fashion show is looking like it could be a wash-out.

We've got potential rain forecast for tomorrow.

So, we're going to have to take the show indoors,

which is an awful pity.

And this couple's new business idea almost falls at the first hurdle.

If this doesn't work,

our taster evening will have to be postponed and that is a nightmare.

This is the elegant 19th century Chateau Les Bernards.

It sits in 12 acres of land,

boasting 16 rooms...

..a swimming pool,

tennis court

and eight-roomed gite.

It was recently bought for £490,000 by Surrey couple,

engineer Simon and his wife, former-mortgage-broker Debbie.

Three months in, no, we still can't believe that we're actually here.

Yeah, I think sometimes you go round with the dogs for the morning walk

and you just think, "Oh, my God, this is ours".

Located 24 miles north-east of Vichy in central France,

Debbie and Simon's plan is to turn this tired chateau

into a modern family home and B&B.

The whole point of coming was to have a different pace of life.

Yep. And actually, just to be in charge of our own destiny.

Just rip it. Yeah, that's it.

So far this year, Debbie and daughter Georgie

have redecorated the first of the 16 chateau rooms.

Wow.

You and Georgie have done well.

Feels like we've really... Achieved something.

..really sort of achieved something and we're on our way now.

So, that's actually a really, really nice feeling.

Now they're turning their attention to a possible business venture...

Bit dirty in there.

..Chinese cookery weekends hosted by enthusiastic home-cook Simon.

My sister is currently staying with us,

so we are going to go off to a local market

just to show them the local produce.

We're hoping to buy some treats for a meal tomorrow night

when Simon is going to show all of us how to cook ourselves a Chinese feast.

So, that's the plan for while they're with us.

No pressure. OK.

For Simon to use this opportunity as a trial run,

they need a decent kitchen.

Right, that's another cupboard out of the way.

He's brought his much-loved cooker all the way from Surrey,

hoping it will work in their French kitchen.

Mind, the door's open.

Oh, my God, this is heavy.

Before the class can commence, engineer Simon needs to install it.

Ready? Yeah. Push.

I hope this works, because obviously if this doesn't work,

our taster evening for tomorrow evening,

that we are all looking forward to,

which is actually really important for the business side of the chateau,

will have to be postponed. And that is a nightmare.

Right, all done, electric is in, voila.

Well done. Thank you.

Yay. Oh, my God, we can cook.

That's so exciting.

OK. Time for a cup of tea?

Definitely time for tea.

Well, you're definitely cooking on gas.

Now you can trial your Chinese cookery concept.

That's beautiful.

Over 100 miles west, at Chateau Mareuil,

it's the day before the fashion show.

Come along, ladies.

Come on, hurry up. Chop chop.

And the local models are all dressed up...

OK, smile again.

..for the website photo shoot taking place in the chateau gardens.

Look this way.

Great, thank you. Look at this one, here.

I want to do a shot with you with the water pump.

OK. Get on the water pump, Sophie.

That might work.

Wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but...

Yeah, that's lovely, thank you.

Supermodel Misty seems to have had enough.

She's hiding, look, she's shy of the camera.

She's shy of the camera. That's brilliant.

Although busy, the preparations for tomorrow's event are going well.

We always knew that today was going to be pretty chaotic.

There is still so much to do.

It may be blue skies today,

but things aren't looking so good for the actual show tomorrow.

Rain is forecast, putting the whole poolside parade at risk.

We've got potential rain in the forecast for tomorrow,

so we're going to have to take this show indoors,

which is an awful pity, but there we are.

That's the way it's going to have to be.

I just hope people still turn up.

We've invested so much into this.

So, yeah, there we are.

So, with heavy hearts,

they decide to move the whole thing into the donjon.

I don't know how we're going to work a catwalk out here

and then have enough seats for 60 people.

A medieval watchtower is a beautiful building,

but perhaps not the ideal location for a fashion show.

One of the things I'm concerned about

is that the ground is really uneven.

And the other issue is that we have had some recent damage to the roof,

so there is some holes in the roof and...

..if it's raining really hard, the roof might leak.

Last year, Lee fixed some loose tiles on the roof.

Unfortunately, more were blown off this winter.

And these are all paying guests as well,

so we don't want to let anyone down.

I've forgotten why I've been sent.

Lee's probably more stressed than I've seen him in quite a long time.

He's a pretty happy-go-lucky person,

but I'm beginning to see the signs of strain around the edges.

He's got an awful lot to do and it's all got to be done at the same time.

Stick it underneath, that's it. It's filthy.

Just tip it backwards. I've got it.

But Lee's not a man to let a little rain get the better of him.

It's like Laurel and Hardy, this, isn't it?

To help even out the irregular floor,

he's found some carpet left over from an event held two years ago.

God, this is filthy, this carpet. Where has it been?

Do you need a man to help you with that?

I am a man, in case you hadn't noticed.

No, to help cos it's heavy. And I don't think we can do that.

Cor...

So... ..I never knew this was going to be this much work.

Ow.

You all right? It will get lighter as you go along.

This is half the size of what we were going to do originally.

I know.

Well, we'll just need to walk a lot slower.

We'll just need to walk a lot slower.

This could be a disaster if we don't get the timing right

because the show will be over in 15 minutes.

People are paying money for this, it can't be over in ten minutes.

Yeah, it's a show, isn't it? We can't have a 15-minute show.

As the poolside catwalk was much longer

than the limited floor space in the donjon...

Give a twirl or something.

..the models need to re-rehearse,

slowing down and pausing to ensure the fashion show lasts 45 minutes.

Joan is now describing my outfit. Yeah.

OK.

You come off stage, I start to walk and you start to walk.

You pass in the middle point and then I stand here.

No, no. Yes, why don't you? No.

Misty, you can't be on the catwalk, you're a dog.

No. You're a dog. It's a DOG-walk. And it's a catwalk. Right.

She's giving it that Jack Russell smile.

Superb. Steady, don't want you to get dizzy.

Very serious.

This afternoon, ladies and gentlemen,

Joan is wearing a fetching top followed

by a cheap pair of sandals worn many times before.

I bought these in Dior in Paris.

That's good. Exude, baby, exude.

Don't stop cos I'm timing it.

Oh, sorry, OK.

How long did that take? How long?

Right. Well, this is not good.

No. You had six models.

Six models in 3.5 minutes. No.

We need to make it longer, don't we? Yeah.

Don't worry, Lee. It'll be all right on the night.

Nearly 300 miles away at Chateau de Dohem,

in the wedding barn, they've started laying the hard insulation

on top of the gravel and the oak floor is beginning to go down.

Marcus now has the task of creating a bar next door.

Perfect location for the bar.

I mean, who wouldn't want a nice bar area right next to the courtyard?

We've got to get the correct height

cos I have done a lot of bar leaning in my life, as you know. Yes.

I'm probably going to need to do much more bar research.

Do you need beer for that? Yes. Yes.

SHE LAUGHS

I think about waist high, about there.

I don't know. No, that's too low.

But your waist's a different height to my waist, isn't it?

Yes, it is.

Go on, you do it.

I'm about the...I'm about...

Yeah, maybe.

LAUGHS: Get your bricks in place.

With only four days until the chateau is taken over as a holiday rental

and Wendy and Marcus vacate back to Kent,

it's all hands on deck to get the barn finished.

My day is going to be extremely exciting.

Skirting board.

Lots and lots of skirting board.

Inside, the final oak boards are going down in the raised altar area.

How's it going? Wow. Floor's done. Oh, wow.

Look at that.

Look at this. Yes.

Oh, I love it.

Well done. Beautiful.

Yeah, really nice.

End of this week... We'll have a wedding facility.

We'll have a lovely event space, it's wonderful.

Or a pull-down projector screen and indoor cinema.

Ha. It's not a man cave.

It's not a man cave? No, it's not. Not yet.

Sorry, Marcus, I don't think you're going to get that one past Wendy.

Coming up.

That's it.

As Lee solves one problem...

That's it. There we are.

..another arises.

Now the water is running off the marquee

and is dripping onto the audience area.

Debbie and Simon relax into the French way of life.

Oh. They've brought out the posh biscuits.

And the new bar is a brick too far for Wendy.

We've got to get it right. Yes.

I think I'll just leave....

..quietly. OK.

In central France,

it's the day of Belinda and Lee's first ever fashion show.

And, as predicted, the heavens have opened.

It hasn't rained here for weeks and weeks and weeks

and it's chosen today to rain.

I can't remember a time when I felt so exhausted.

I feel like I'm sailing on the good ship Titanic.

SHE CHUCKLES

Looking forward to seeing the iceberg.

What does that mean?

With 60 guests expecting a few glasses of wine

and a sumptuous finger buffet for their 15 euro ticket,

the pressure is on Belinda to deliver.

I am working my way through a mountain of

tasks in the kitchen today,

and we'll be serving this after the fashion show.

Just before they come in and hopefully spend lots of money

on the clothes.

Whilst Belinda bakes up a storm...

..Lee's having to put a gazebo up inside the donjon

to stop compere Joan being soaked.

Let's open it and keep it low. Yeah.

And then lift it into position, and then jack it up a bit.

Let's hope there's no holes in this.

THEY LAUGH

If I go underneath and push it up from inside.

And then open it. I think I'm getting too old for this.

Ugh.

There we go.

All right, I'll push it up again.

That's it. I-I'll pick it up.

Yeah, no, it's...that's it.

That's it. That's it.

There we are.

Oh, dear, look at this.

So we got the marquee up,

it's over the stage,

all the rest of it's dry,

and now, the water is running off the marquee

and is dripping onto the audience area.

You know what they say, Lee. It never rains, but it pours.

Oh, gee. I need to get a bucket.

I'll go and get a bucket.

With all the rain,

this fashion show is turning out to be more work than they anticipated.

Lee's feeling the pressure.

It's important on so many levels.

Unfortunately, people only remember the last event you did,

so if this event fails,

they'll remember what a disaster it was here.

Anyway, I'm not going to concentrate on that.

I'm going to concentrate on the positives and keep going.

Cos otherwise you just give up, don't you?

That's it, Lee. Chin up and stay focused.

Ooh.

Yeah. That's looking good.

You think so? Yeah!

But the water's running off the gazebo.

It's running off the marquee and we've lost three chair spaces here.

The question for you is,

do you think those seats are too close together? Here? No.

Sorry, were you on your way to pick some tomatoes? Pick some tomatoes.

That's absolutely fine, there's loads of room.

My knees are clear. It's fine. That's a metre.

It's all fine. That's good.

It's unfortunate about the water coming in like that,

but, you know what, it might stop raining.

So let's be positive, that's what I'm gonna do.

I am trying to be positive.

Yeah, I am being positive.

Lee, don't let it overwhelm you.

Remember, they're all coming here to enjoy themselves.

Over 100 miles away in central France,

Debbie's sister, Robbie, and husband Martin

have arrived to help search for ingredients

for the trial run of Simon's Chinese cookery class.

Yeah, they look nice.

Today, we've come to the market at Marcigny.

Merci.

Deux, s'il vous plait. Merci. Merci, monsieur.

Cos they have lots and lots of lovely, lovely vegetable stalls

and we can get the produce for tonight.

Hopefully, we'll get the produce.

Hopefully, yeah. We're not sure yet. We're looking for it.

Alors, quatre Euros et 20 centimes.

With a rough idea of what he wants to cook,

Simon needs to see what the market has to offer.

We got cauliflower, Chinese leaves and a few leek,

he says he can use for the noodles

to break it up in the absence of the bean sprouts.

They've got ginger. Yeah, spring onions, two Euros a bunch.

I think it's per bunch, is it? It must be. Mm.

Wow-wee.

Next, there's still one staple of Chinese cooking

on the shopping list they need to find.

Beansprouts is a really important thing we're looking for.

Yeah, probably the main ingredient.

It's always useful in these situations to know the French word,

or it can take you ages searching.

Germe de ger?

That's worth a try, isn't it? They look like them, don't they?

I think they're pickled, I will ask her. A pickled noodle dish?

It looks like beansprouts, but we'll see.

And if you don't know,, you can always ask a local.

Germe de soja.

Ah, non, c'est des haricots mungo.

Is it pickled? Er, beans. Beans, yes. Mungo.

Pickled? Uh, c'est piquant? No. Not piquant.

No? Perfect. Ah, OK.

Search over, fledgling cookery teacher Simon

now needs to confirm tonight's menu.

Ah, merci.

Oh, they've brought out the posh biscuits. Oh, yes.

No, no, none for me, thank you.

OK, tonight, beef and oyster sauce. Really good.

Eggs fried rice. Have we got eggs? Yes.

Yes, we've got eggs. We have.

Can't remember the last time we had a proper stir-fry with beef.

Beef, yeah. Yeah. That's really good.

Newly plumbed-in cooker, I'll have you know. Yay!

Yeah, that's exactly.

More than one ring, now, that's very exciting. Five rings.

Five. Five rings. Five rings.

Yeah, so anyway, that's, I think, enough, isn't it? Four dishes.

Yeah, I think that's plenty. Yeah.

Slice up the meat, as well, the proper way this time.

Yeah, cos I always do it the wrong way. You're banned from that anyway.

At what point do you cook the giant spring onions?

Giant spring onions. Because they are honestly bigger than the sack.

We'll see. We're looking forward to it. Yep. It'll be good.

It'll be a good night. Yeah. It'll be good. OK.

When it comes to teaching, it's all about sharing your knowledge.

I'm looking forward to seeing how you go about it.

Over at Chateau de Dohem, as they're going back to the UK very soon,

Wendy and Marcus have been putting in the overtime,

and the wedding barn floor is almost complete.

The floor looks amazing and the skirting is to be fixed on

and then we're just finishing it off

with a little bit of moulding.

I think in a big room like this,

you really need a statement skirting board.

With the barn almost finished, Wendy also wants to make another statement

with her classical-style pillars.

So if we could put them up just before the steps, either side. Yes.

So when the bride and groom arrive, you know you've kind of reached...

D-Day. ..the steps. That's it.

You've either got to turn around and run or, yeah,

or go up those steps. Yep, OK.

Lovely. Thank you, Spence.

Yeah, that's perfect, that's a really nice feature.

Don't mark my floor, now.

Be trouble.

I found them in an old barn.

They were an impulse buy.

Wendy bought the pillars at the same time as the barn doors.

I bought the Gothic doors on the internet in an auction.

I came running out to tell Marcus,

"I've won them, I've got the Gothic doors!"

And he said, "Where are they?"

and I said, "Oh, I don't know".

Well, actually they were in Warwickshire, in a barn.

We had to hire a van to go and pick them up and when we got there,

stuck in the corner, were these old pillars.

And I just thought, "They will look fantastic inside the barn."

That's going to look really lovely with flowers on top.

Very nice, thank you.

Happy with that.

Thank you very much.

Carry on.

With time running out, Marcus needs to crack on with the bar,

and project manager Wendy needs to keep him on schedule.

I'm actually really impressed with the progress,

only started yesterday.

Thanks.

THEY CHUCKLE

Is that the top height? Yeah. Seems very high.

Well, you said you wanted it higher.

I said about having it there and you went,

"Oh, no, no, it's got to be higher." Right.

It's gonna be up there. That's a bit high, I think.

I was only going by what you said in the first place.

Look, I need to lean on it.

I mean, I know I'm short. Yeah.

But I think if you come up any higher,

it's going to be uncomfortable for short people.

Sorry. No, it's fine.

It's better we know now. Yep.

But we've got to get it right. Yes.

I think I'll just leave, quietly. OK.

This is the first bar I've ever built, so.

You know, it's all trial and error.

I don't even mind laying some that are a little bit rustic-y

and a little bit, you know, not fully lovely,

but they're part of the feature.

I've never done bar work,

so I'm sure it'll be fun on hen weekends,

pulling a few pints for the ladies,

or whatever it is they want to drink.

It's just nice to have this space, I think it will get used a lot.

That's gonna looks lovely.

That's enough detail, isn't it? Yeah.

Just picks up nicely from the top of the building.

Good work, Marcus.

You've got Wendy's seal of approval.

HE SIGHS Bar's open.

Thought you might like a practice. Oh, go on, then.

Oh, go on, come on. Go on, go on.

Perfect. Sante. Sante. Cheers. Well done.

This is the perfect height for my elbow.

Lucky I stopped you when I did. Yeah.

See? Can't take my eye off you for a minute, can I?

I take back everything I called you.

A few weeks ago, the barn was an unfinished shell.

But, now, with just one day left

before their holiday let guests arrive,

Wendy and Marcus have created a wedding venue they're proud of.

With the extra business this will bring in,

their dream of moving to France and living here permanently

is one step closer.

Coming up...

Mushrooms. Mm-hm.

That sort of size.

..Simon's cookery class becomes a spectator sport.

I'll just watch.

And Lee's fashion choices leave a lot to be desired.

I could have had a shower, but it is what it is.

I don't stink too bad.

In Central France, chateau-owner Simon

is prepping for this evening's Chinese cookery lesson.

With the menu sorted and all the ingredients ready for action,

it is time to welcome the pupils to class.

Okey dokey. Right. Shall we...?

Ooh. Where do you...? Oh, we've got to stand up.

Oh, this is very professional. It is, isn't it?

Right, mushrooms. Mm-hm.

That sort of size.

Do you want to do some of these, Rob? Yeah. Go into four.

Like so.

George, do you want to cut the pepper? That's the easiest one.

This way.

Yeah, we're off.

I'll just watch.

No, I'll get the spring onions ready.

So, we don't want these rubbish.

Peel it.

Right.

If you see, the grain of the meat is running that way...

With the veggies all prepped,

Simon teaches everyone how to slice the meat finely for a stir-fry.

You cut across the meat.

When you eat it, this will fall apart.

Have a go? Yeah, I'll go first.

Yeah.

Well done. Well done, George.

Well done, George.

Right, so we'll marinate it in oyster sauce.

We've got to lay the table.

You carry on. I'll give you a hand, Dad. OK, darling.

Do you know, I've watched him do it so many times,

I never normally pay any attention.

So, it was good.

While Debbie and Robbie lay the table...

..Simon can turn up the gas and finally put the cooker to good use.

Chinese cooking is all about how quick...

Yeah.

Now that they've learnt how to cook...

Fingers to hold the bottom chopstick.

..it's a quick lesson in how to use chopsticks.

And then...

Hey, that was movement.

ALL: Yay. Well done.

With the lessons over, the meal can begin.

What's it like? Really lovely.

Where are you?

The taster tester, what do you think, guys?

No, that was really good.

It was very nice to go shopping for the ingredients

then see you prepare it and sit and eat it together.

Cheers to the great students. Ah.

Thank you, chef.

Cheers, Simon.

This was the first step to rolling out a business plan

for the chateau's future.

I can definitely see it as something we would do

in the autumn and winter months.

One, because obviously it keeps us busy, helps us meet more people.

Hopefully our French will be a bit better.

Hopefully someone will invite us back and teach us to cook French food. Yes, of course.

So, yeah, that will be really good.

Over at Belinda and Lee's,

it's just under an hour before the fashion show begins.

I think I'm losing weight.

It's all this work.

The bad weather and change of plans has put them behind schedule.

And they need to get a move on if they want to be ready on time.

I really was hoping to be a bit better prepared than we are

so that I could have had a shower.

But anyway, it is what it is.

LEE SNIFFS

I don't stink too bad,

so should be all right.

Label.

Just double-checking that everything's got a label on it.

Even Joan is feeling the pressure.

I didn't sleep very well last night.

I was more worried thinking,

"Oh, Belinda's going to kill me if this doesn't come off right".

But I'm sure it will all be fine.

And in the kitchen, Belinda's feeling the heat.

So, it's really important that this fashion show is a success.

If we want to do any more renovations to the chateau,

it's got to be paid for.

And the only way we're going to pay for that

is to do things that are going to earn us money.

Lovely to see you. Thank you very much for coming. Thank you.

Soon, the guests begin to arrive...

It's cherry, yes.

..and are presented with a champagne cocktail.

Everyone seems to be in good spirits, which is great,

considering the weather has been lousy today.

And the Chateau Mareuil cocktails

seem to be going down quite well, actually.

So, all in all, I'm pleased and relieved

and I'm looking forward to getting the show on the road, really.

GUESTS CHATTER INDISTINCTLY

Hiya. Hiya.

Just come to check to see how it's going on here.

We've had quite a few guests already turn up.

Is the table ready for me to lay food out in the bar?

Yeah. Is there a cloth on it? No.

Just get us a cloth and I'll... I'll go and do that now.

..I'll go and put it on.

I'm going to go and get a cloth. Don't go too far.

That'll do. I'll go and sort that out.

Oh, my God, what have I done to deserve this?

As guests take their place in the donjon for the 45-minute show...

I've got my security man here to escort me to the stage.

Shall we go?

Shall we go? Ah...here we go.

..the models are ready and primed to walk slowly.

And it's showtime.

Welcome, ladies and gentlemen.

Mesdames et messieurs, please sit back, enjoy and have a nice time.

Thank you.

These are classic colours, aren't they?

Very, very flattering.

If anybody wants to have a little touch of the fabric,

please help yourself.

Woohoo! LAUGHTER

Not the men. Not the men.

I've lost my arms, yeah.

This is very, very '60s,

nice colours as well.

You'll like this shape, perfect.

There we are.

Ooh, there's music, I can hear the music playing, Lee.

Back in the kitchen, Belinda and Lee add the final touches to the food.

Oh!

I'm sorry, I'm trying to rush it.

Don't, I'll do it.

No, I'll do it, I know what I'm doing.

How difficult, is it?

I think I can put some mushroom filling in a vol-au-vent.

It's just like plastering.

LAUGHS: It's not at all like plastering.

I don't see that at all.

This was made by Mark Melia, he's a Liverpool designer.

APPLAUSE

A big thank-you to Lee and Belinda.

Thank you all for coming and supporting us,

because if you didn't do that, we couldn't do these sort of things.

So, I hope you enjoy the rest of the afternoon.

Eat, drink, be merry and spend loads of money.

AUDIENCE LAUGHS

APPLAUSE

After the full 45-minute show, the immediate pressure is off Joan.

Mm.

Oh, yum. Delicious.

Didn't touch the sides, did it? I needed that.

And she can now start to sell the clothes.

That's 35.

Thank you, darling. Enjoy.

Oh, it was absolutely amazing.

Everybody was so fantastic, the models were brilliant.

This is two.

Oh, are there two?

There you go, sweetie.

It's been a really fantastic afternoon.

Everyone turned up who said they were going to turn up.

Everyone paid, which is important.

A few extras turned up as well. Did we have a few extras?

Mm-hm. Perfect.

The show was lovely.

I think everyone loved seeing the beautiful clothes.

And the proof of the pudding is that we've sold quite a lot.

And the rain held off at the end as well, which was really good.

Perfect afternoon.

People were saying it was brilliant

and when are we going to do the next one, so that's a good sign.

Yeah, if people want us to do more, definitely.

Congratulations.

This successful event means there's money back in the savings pot

for future chateau renovations.

Next time...

WENDY LAUGHS

..Wendy and Marcus reach new heights getting ready for a VIP visit.

Mum has not let me on the big ladder.

Look at the ladder I've been given today.

So, this is it.

This couple hope to impress their own important guest.

There'll be a lot less pigeon poo here when you're practising yoga.

If they do, it could mark the start of their fledgling business.

Is this the first handstand in this room in 600 years?

I reckon so.

Lee? Huh? Ah.

And Belinda and Lee's long-awaited delivery...

Ah, no.

..threatens to put a spanner in the works.

This is not good.

This is a very, very bad sign.

Subtitles by Red Bee Media