All language subtitles for Escape to the Chateau DIY S04E20.540p.HDTV.x264-GTi.English

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

and our two children...

Yay! Oh, well done.

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

Look, look, look, look, look, look,
look, look, look, look, look.

Oh, my God.

That is so beautiful.

It's not just our home...

Ugh, and we are up.

..but our business.

You may kiss your bride.

And all over France, there are
other Brits doing exactly the same.

Oh, my God.

We'll follow a new wave
of intrepid chateau owners...

If I open some windows,
might help get rid of some dust.

..and some familiar faces...

..as they take on these
majestic buildings.

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

Thank you...!

TOGETHER: Yay!

There'll be triumphs...

This looks incredible.

Do you like it, Laura? I love it.

..and setbacks...

Oh!

..as they battle to renovate their
homes and earn their keep.

OK, I'm ready.

But no matter how
hard the going gets...

This is probably, yeah,
my worst nightmare.

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

Today...

..this couple push on
restoring their boathouse.

I heard something cracking then.

I don't think you should
be underneath. OK.

Just to be on the safe side.

In northern France,

the language barrier becomes
more of a brick wall.

And over at our place, it's time
to plan for the next season.

One of the best things
is our 39 fruit trees.

A couple years from now, we'll
pay for our chateau with fruit, eh?

All over France, there are
hundreds of sleeping chateaux

waiting for new owners to
awaken them from their slumbers.

Just like this medieval marvel,

the 13th century
Chateau de Rosieres.

With 16 bedrooms,

five outbuildings,

and 130 acres,

it was bought for £650,000 in 2016

by parents to be, writer Amy and
French farmer, husband Marc.

Hi, Chunks.

The last three years
have been wonderful,

getting to know this place.

Challenging, working
out what to do with it.

The more we live in the chateau,

the more we pictured what
we would like it to be,

and it helps us move forward.

Located an hour and a
half's drive from Lyon,

the plan is to open the
chateau as a luxury B&B

with yoga and meditation centre.

They've been hard at work
restoring outbuildings.

This room is going to be stunning,
I'm so excited about it.

The couple are keen to make
progress before the baby arrives.

Today, work continues with
a team of carpenters,

who've arrived to fit a mezzanine
floor in the yoga barn.

SAW WHIRS

SHE LAUGHS

We have a bit of
a pressing day today

because the carpenters come
from quite a long way away,

cos we think they're amazing,

and they were working with
Marc's brother before.

So, in one day, they have
to put up this entire floor

and do the staircase.

So this is the beautiful staircase.

As they're keen to recycle
as much as possible,

Marc has got hold of a
second-hand set of stairs.

This staircase comes from an
old farm in the next village.

The people were doing
some renovation in there,

and so they were
just giving it away.

What I really love about it is

that the steps are
made of sweet chestnut,

which is the traditional
wood from the area.

It's a really hard wood
that's quite expensive to buy,

so I was really pleased when
I managed to get this staircase.

And he's keen to preserve its
character as much as much as he can.

I found some little
pieces of old wallpaper

that I think look quite nice,
so rather than stripping them,

I'm just glueing them back to remind
us that it's an old staircase

that had a history before
being in this barn.

Lovely idea, Marc. I think Angel
would applaud your way of thinking.

THEY SPEAK FRENCH

SAW WHIRS

Are they going to pop
it in place or...?

They are going to put the
staircase in place now. Yep.

We gotta hope that it's going to
fit, it's also incredibly heavy.

SHE LAUGHS

No?

Marc.

Oh, my God.

So I think the final fitting will
be done next time they come.

Merci.

Looks like it might need a bit more
work to fit it into position,

but at least the floor
is now in place,

ready for the finishing touches.

400 miles north is the
striking Chateau de Dohem.

Set in over an acre of land, with 15
rooms and its own swimming pool.

Bought eight years ago for £600,000
by former company director Wendy,

she now shares it with
builder husband Marcus.

We love Chateau life, don't we?
Yeah, love it here.

It's just like taking
a step out of reality,

and, increasingly, we're spending
more time here, aren't we?

Yeah. As we're doing
more business here now.

Which is great.

Situated just 26 miles
south of Calais,

the couple run the chateau as
a self-contained holiday let

and party venue.

We are very, very busy with hen
parties, and birthday parties,

and couples weekends, where it's all
catered, and it's all lovely,

and people come and
thoroughly enjoy themselves.

Today, they're hosting their first
Venetian-themed hen weekend

and are pulling out all the stops.

I bought these rather colourful,
garish masks from a local shop.

The plan is to spray them all,

and then I'm going to use them
as props for the masquerade ball.

Before tomorrow's masked ball,

the 10 eager hens will arrive
to a welcome dinner tonight,

which Wendy still needs to prepare.

Quite a lot of our hen parties
tend to be younger ladies.

You're missing the actual...

This group are a
slightly older age range,

and I think it's going
to be rather lovely.

Oh, yeah that's better.
Oh, look at that, yeah.

Wendy isn't the only one
with her hands full,

as Marcus is on the case as
chief cocktail maker.

So...

..25ml dry gin.

This is my Singapore sling recipe.

This is what the girls have
asked for tomorrow night.

I've never made one, so I thought
I'd better have a go at it.

And so I'm about
to see what it's like.

I think they are definitely going to
be a slightly more refined group

than what we're used to.

Think that will do it.

So how is this going?

Maybe I should have a straw. Yeah.

Hmm. Here, give us a go,
give us a go, give it over.

SHE LAUGHS
Give it over.

Have you ever had
one of these before? No.

So I couldn't tell you
whether it was right or not.

Me neither, but... But it tastes...

..it looks the right colour.

I better finish this one.

Yeah, I think you've done it.

I'll take one for the team.

THEY LAUGH

I have to keep an
eye on the clock constantly

cos I'm very aware that,

at this point, the ladies will be
just stepping on to the minibus

with the karaoke and fizz on board.

And within a short period
of time, they will be here.

You'd better get
your skates on Wendy,

those hens are sure to be peckish.

Coming up...

..this couple set out to create
a beach-inspired boathouse.

I think I've got the
heavy end here, Mitchell.

Have you? I think I've got the
light end. Not for the first time.

Time runs out for the launch
of Amy and Marc's yoga barn...

Not quite against the wall,
around the rug.

There's no electricity in here.

And at our place...

Where's my strawberry people?

I get some help with the harvest.

Oh, my God, there's loads, Dorothy.

This is the stunning 19th century
Chateau La Grande Maison.

With 45 rooms...

..and three acres of wooded
grounds...

..the chateau sits on the banks
of the beautiful River Dives.

It was bought by
musicians Ben and Billie,

who have lived here for
eight years with daughter Ella,

and now run it as a luxury
guesthouse and events venue.

Owning a chateau
is immensely rewarding,

especially the restoring the place,
bringing it back to life.

It's an amazing space to live in.

It is incredible.

Located a stone's
throw from the Loire Valley,

they're keen to make the most
of their riverside location

and plan to create
a stylish glamping area.

We really want to enjoy
the land and the river.

So we're going to try and unlock
some of the potential there.

It's going to improve the amount of
numbers we can have for weddings

and courses and events and things.

Part of the master plan is to
turn this dilapidated sheep shed

into a boathouse,
but before work can begin,

they need to make sure
the structure is safe and sound.

About a year and a half ago,

we had a tree fall down
in a bit of a storm.

And it came down completely flat
on top of the boat shed.

It's hammered these two big posts
into the ground about that much.

And if we want to do any
sort of restoration to it,

and make it look a bit smarter,

we really want to make the
roof line really straight.

And plus, it's very
easy to whack your head.

Howdy, partner. Hiya.

Hi, how you getting on?
Good timing. Yeah, good.

Ben has a big ambitions
to raise the roof.

He plans to lift the entire
building up with acrow props,

and then place concrete blocks
below the structural posts...

I think I've got the
heavy end here, Mitchell.

Have you? I think I've got the
light end. Not for the first time.

..before gently
lowering it down again.

How is that going to work?
Seriously.

Well, I'm sure it's possible.

I'm going to keep my distance. OK.

What's the worst that can happen?
Well, quite a few things, actually.

There's quite a few bad
things that can happen.

Can you hold that there?

There's nothing
even about the ground.

Is that my imagination
or is that lifting it already?

Maybe put your hard hat on now.

Hmm.

What I'll do is just
raise it a little bit,

and then do the same in the middle,
and start raising it from there.

Yep. That is definitely lifting.

Wow.

I can see a difference
already, Ben. Yeah.

With one side supported,
Ben moves on to the middle beam.

Oh, I heard something cracking then.

Did you?

I mean it...I suppose it could
just be the corrugated sheets.

I don't think you should
be underneath. OK.

Just to be on the safe side.

Slowly, slowly, Ben. Just make sure
you take it nice and steady.

It's going up.

Billie, take a look from the front,
see what you think.

Wow, Ben, that's incredible.

It's not quite chic yet, is it? No.

But it's not quite shack either. No.

Great. I can't believe you lifted
a building out of the ground.

Yeah, we did. You are so clever.
HE CHUCKLES

We didn't know if the
shed would even survive.

It's now really looking
like a good project

that's worth continuing with.

Now that the building's been raised,

the structural posts will need
concrete blocks beneath them

to support it and make it safe.

Enjoying your land

and outdoor spaces is all
part of the chateau dream.

And when our family
first moved to France,

one of the things
that really excited me

was the chance to have my
very own walled garden.

It's my pride and joy.

I reckon within the month,
you're going to see some life here.

And there's nothing I like more
than being in it

and enjoying the
changing of the seasons.

There's something very nice
about taking control

and getting things in the ground.

I have a book.

I love this because there's
a plan to the garden.

I will rotate things
through the beds

to make sure that the same
things are using the soil twice.

We had the pumpkins here last year,

the pumpkins are going back to
an area they've never been before,

different nutrients,

and we've got some other
things to plant,

the salad's going to go in there.
That's the south bed.

Here hasn't really
been used in the past.

We've got leeks in over winter.

Behind them,
we've got our beans going in.

But from my perspective,

one of the best things is our
permanent plants we've put in.

From having a couple of old
pear trees to 39 fruit trees.

A couple of years from now,
we'll be flogging it.

We'll pay for our
chateau with fruit, hey.

That's not going to happen.
Arthur and Dorothy, nom, nom,

will get out here and enjoy it.

39.

And I've got a little baby
almond tree to plant out. 40.

After all that hard work...

..the garden comes into
its own in the summer,

when Angel and the children

can quite literally enjoy
the fruits of my labour.

Come this way. Ooh!

What've you found, what've you
found, what've you found?

Strawberry!
Oh, my God, there's loads, Dorothy.

Popeye. Popeye the sailor man.

Argh! Wop-wop!

Toot-toot!

They're flipping Good!

Dad!

Oh, good, put it in the pot.

Come here. There's strawberries.

Look, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa,
where's my strawberry people?

Nearly 300 miles southeast
at Chateau de Rosieres,

after finishing the mezzanine floor

and securely fitting the staircase,

Amy and Marc are adding the
finishing touches to the yoga barn.

This TV? I'm thinking twice
about my wonderful ideas to move

half the chateau into the barn.

As Amy is also a yoga teacher,
she's arranged

to teach her very first class in
the barn in just four hours' time.

So they've pulled in some local
villagers to help get things ready.

We're very, very lucky to
have such nice neighbours.

These are quite old chandeliers,

they're not particularly
high quality ones,

but they're ones that were left
behind by the previous owners

and we thought, rather than
have them in the house,

they'd be quite funky out here.

Before they can be hung,
all those bulbs will need checking.

Hey!

The chandelier is
ready for Marc to hang.

It is solid, isn't it?
Oh, I hate this.

I hate heights.

Ohh.

Oh, no.

Don't trip on that rope.

I can't even watch that, I hate it.

Hopefully, this should work.

There's no electricity in here.

Because there is no power,

Marc needs to go next door
to check the connections.

Mm-hm. Found it.

This is our problem.

They had to disconnect the
electricity to the barn, but,

obviously, they didn't
tell me when they did it.

While Marc fixes the cables,

Amy looks through
the collection of art

to hang on the yoga barn walls.

Yeah. That one will go as well.

Before people come to do yoga,

I just want it looking really
special because they're friends,

they're people from the village,

they're going to start talking about
what we've got going on up here,

and I want them to
see the potential.

Back in the barn, Marc's now managed
to get the electricity working,

so it's full steam
ahead dressing the space.

Am I allowed to direct you from
down here where to put the stuff?

More or less.

Not quite against the wall,
sort of diagonally a little bit.

Whatever it takes to do a kind
of semi circle... Yeah, I see.

..around the rug.

They think... They've been
implying I'm some sort of dictator.

It looks nice and cosy.

I'm really pleased with the lighting
and the way everything looks.

With the help of the neighbours,

the yoga barn is now ready
for Amy's first lesson.

Roll your mat out, you naughty boy,
and turn it up the other way.

There's always one.

Honestly...

But soon, Amy has all seven of them
getting their chakras aligned.

Ooh, merci.

Amy's long held dream of
having a welcoming yoga studio

has finally become a reality.

I think people really enjoyed it.

Do you? Yeah. Good.

I'm looking forward, actually, to
doing regular classes here, I think.

400 miles north,

the hen party is due to arrive
at Chateau Dohem in an hour,

and Wendy's giving the Venetian
masks their final flourish

ahead of tomorrow's masquerade ball.

The dining room is
quite theatrical anyway.

So, I think, once I've got these
placed around strategically,

with my feathers,
it's going to look really good.

But having searched her storeroom,
she appears to be featherless.

My handyman seems to have, perhaps,
thrown the black feathers away.

I can't find them anywhere.

Bonjour, Andre Luke.

My plan for tomorrow night

was to dress the dining room
with black and white feathers,

it's giving me a complete
meltdown at the minute.

Did you put the black feathers...

You don't know, one minute.

Have you found them? Oh!

It's ok, it's OK.

C'est bien. No, c'est bien.

OK, OK, no problem, pas problem.

Where had he put...oh.

God almighty's sake.

Where had he put them?

It had fallen down behind the
boxes where the others ones were.

That's actually given
me a heart failure.

Ah, dear. There we go. Ugh.

What a dark haired hero.

You so are.

Oh! I was having a complete
meltdown then. It's fine.

I know he was getting it
in the ear hole, wasn't he?

Andre Luke couldn't
understand anything,

and he said, "I put it
for Serge to throw away". Ah!

SHE GASPS
Ugh.

Well, he didn't,
I found it. Panic over.

With the crisis over, Wendy barely
has time to catch her breath

before there's more unwelcome news
from the other side of the channel.

There's a two hour delay
at the Eurotunnel.

It kind of throws a spanner
in the works a bit because,

by the time they arrive,

it's probably going to be
fairly close to, sort of, 6.30.

It's not ideal.

We're trying to pack in
as much as we possibly can

for the ladies while they're here,
so it's incredibly frustrating.

Ooh.

Nearly lost my milk there
for my baguette dumplings,

which are a French revelation.

Oh...

Thankfully, all is not lost.

The girls are on the Eurotunnel.

Alan, our minibus driver, will call
me as soon as they arrive in Calais.

So from Calais, we're
looking at about 40 minutes

for the girls to get here.

But as dusk turns into night, there
is still no sign of the hen party.

It's dark. I know.

We're going to sit here, are we?
Yeah.

All Wendy and Marcus
can do now is wait.

Ugh.

Well...

Well, a little bit later
than we would have liked.

But it does mean there's more
sausage rolls for me now tomorrow.

There's always every cloud.
Every cloud has a silver lining.

Indeed, indeed.

We'll, I think we'll just gonna have
to go straight main when they arrive

for the dinner now, you know...
I think so. I mean, look.

..straight into dinner.

Well, they deserve a big whoop-whoop
when they get here, don't they?

Yep.

Let's give them a wave. Yay!

Four hours later than expected,
the hens arrive on their party bus.

HORN HONKS

Aww!

FAINT CHEERING

Yay!

Let's eat.

THEY LAUGH

Oh, it's been a long journey,
a long journey.

I've got the girls!

Oh, here we go, girls.
Oh, wow!

Right, ladies. Oh, thank you.
Thank you. Yes.

Ooh. Oh, it's beautiful.
A welcome adventure.

THEY LAUGH

Cheers!

Who said they were starving?

And with the ladies all settled,
the hen weekend can commence.

Well, this is delicious.
I've got a few.

Now it's full steam ahead.
Game face on.

Grrr. Argh!

Cheers! To Nancy.

They seem an absolutely
lovely group of ladies.

I want to cuddle them all.

UPROARIOUS LAUGHTER

Coming up...

I'm not allowed to lift,
so I'm in dictator mode.

..tempers become a bit
frayed at Amy and Marc's...

Yeah, I think Amy's a bit stressed.

I didn't realise that
was going to take two hours.

..and Wendy and Marcus
dress for success.

Ah-ha, well, hello.

That's a lacy little number.
Is the mask all right?

All your costumes seem to make you
look like a madam for some reason.

SHE LAUGHS

Over in Western France, Ben and
Billie's riverside revamp

is well under way.

Their shed survived being
raised from the ground

long enough for them to prop up the
roof supports with concrete blocks.

It's going to be the
moment of truth -

going to take down the supports,

and hopefully everything
will stay in place.

Of course it will.

That's half a turn.

That's one turn, and it's
not doing anything.

That was just one turn and
it's completely settled.

Yay! Fantastic! Yeah, that's good.

You've done it.

Shall we have a look?

With all the props removed
and the building secure,

Ben and Billie move
onto the next stage

of transforming their boathouse -

cladding the exterior to
give it a beach hut look.

We're just basically making
the shed more glamorous... Hm.

..so it can be part of the glamping.

While Ben focusses on
the exterior makeover,

Billie turns her attention
to the interior.

Ooh. Erm, Ben?

Oh, my goodness.

Looks completely blue.

It's not that blue is not a
good colour for a boat shed -

blue's a great colour
for a boat shed -

but it was supposed to
be grey, so let's see.

Oh, there you go. Phew.
What a relief.

We worked out that if we
had two glamping tents

we could actually, in the summer,
bring in as much money

as the top floor of the chateau,

which took sort of a year
and a half to build,

and a hell of a lot of money, so...

..for just some effort
and imagination,

and a bit of expenditure,

we've got, potentially, a really
good earner for the summer.

You're quite right, Billie.

As Angel and I know all too well,

making the most of your outside
space can boost your income.

I look forward to your
finished results.

Over 200 miles southeast,
with the yoga barn complete,

Amy and Marc are planning to finish
what will be the retreat cafe

for a celebratory dinner tonight.

Right. So, we could do a chain.

Oh, yeah, yeah, like a
human chain. Yeah.

But first they need to find
some furnishings,

stored in yet another outbuilding,
to dress the space.

I'm not allowed to lift,
so I'm in dictator mode.

With Amy now six months pregnant,

they've luckily got the help
of some of tonight's guests...

Good? We're going that way.

..as well as Marc's new boy toy.

Perfect. You're a very good driver.

Thank you very much.

I'm very impressed by your driving.

Stop being patronising.
SHE CHUCKLES

TRUCK HONKS

With the dining table soon
ready for a quick wipe down,

Marc decides to fix
the outside lamps.

Though with only a few hours
until dinner is served,

they're in danger of spreading
themselves too thin.

Can it go any faster? It's just...
We're slightly running out of time,

and you've got to cook
the boar as well.

We're trying to clear
and decorate the place

and hope that Marc finishes
in time to make the dinner.

Can I possibly just add these to the
stack down there? Yeah, yeah,

in the other room. Thank you.

The problem is it's going
to get dark soon, so...

We need to have everything down here
cos we've got all these trenches

in the way and all sorts, so...

SHE GRUNTS

I think we've been a bit ambitious.

It always takes longer
than you expect,

but we'll do whatever
we manage to do.

With dinner to cook as well,

maybe fitting the lamps
was not the best of ideas.

Do you mind starting the, the...
No. ..the boar?

No, but I've got all the
decoration to do as well.

That's the problem. Oh, you
can get on with that then.

Yeah, I think Amy's a bit stressed.

I didn't realise that was
going to take two hours.

As you're also tonight's chef,
Marc, the kitchen's calling.

Just need two light bulbs
and I'm good to go.

400 miles north,
at Wendy and Marcus's place,

after a late arrival last night,

the hen party weekend
is in full swing...

Here is a very naughty French cake.

..with high tea, French style.

As the hens tuck in, their hosts
prepare for tonight's masked ball.

Literally, as they, as they
leave the table now,

we've got to clear it and start
setting up for Venetian night.

So that's going to be fun.

I think your hand went up? Not mine.

Yours, then. Oh!

Have you got the bottle, darling?
Cheers, ladies! Yay!

Happy hen do!

As the hens swap the
table for the tub,

indulging in more bubbles...

..Wendy's free to start
on tonight's feast.

So we're going to get
the dinner prepped up

and then we'll go and
dress the dining room.

Um, we are running a
little bit tight, um,

cos I'm a bit conscious of the time.

They probably aren't expecting
what's coming.

As the evening draws in,
Wendy and Marcus set the scene.

So if I tell you where
to put them...

Find Nancy.

Fancy Nancy. N... Yeah, right where
is it going? On the plate?

No. No. No, no,
course it's not.

Next.
SHE CHUCKLES

Eh... Oh.

I have no clue what
I'm doing at all, do I?

It needs some artistic bent.

SHE LAUGHS

Sheila. Sheila.

I met a camel called
Sheila once. In Dubai.

Amanda.

Amanda the Panda. That's it.

You've touched every single
one of them that I put on.

You followed me around,
straightening them,

or unstraightening them.
Giving it my artistic leaning.

A+ for effort, Marcus.

I'm fussing and prettying.

Fussing and prettying. Yeah, that...

I do it well.
Yes, you do.

These are my black feathers.

I want drama.

I want theatre. I want...

Wow. ..Italian wow, yes.
I want opera.

It wouldn't work without
black feathers.

Wendy? Yeah?

Do you want to come see
if this is enough potatoes?

Yeah. Yeah, that's lovely.

Not another one? Chuck a lot of...
No. A lot of salt, oil.

Blah, blah, blah.
Chuck a lot of... Yeah.

Exactly what I was after.

Voila.

Wendy and Marcus have gone
all out to deliver

on the Venetian theme,
with attire to boot.

SHE LAUGHS

I feel more like Batman
than the Phantom.

SHE LAUGHS
No, you look fine.

Ah, no don't do that.

No, don't do that.
You look fine, hold on.

Let me adjust you a
little bit. Just faff.

OK, present me with a rose. Come
on, this is what you've got to do.

Show me how you're going to present.
I don't know.

No, not the bunch.

Yes. Yes. You've had it!

Yes. You've got it. Right. OK, we
need to get this show on the road.

Yes, yes. The hens
are waiting for dinner.

Keep your eye on the bruschetta
for a minute. Yes.

THEY CHATTER

Before dinner is served,

it's also time for Wendy to slip
into something more comfortable.

Aha. Well, hello.

That's a lacy little number.
Is the mask all right?

All your costumes seem to make you
look like a madame, for some reason.

SHE LAUGHS

OK, let's do this.

I look more like a
mad scientist now.

Also on tonight's agenda is
a pre-dinner cocktail...

I can't help it, it's not very easy.
OK, All right.

I've done poured all that
one away now. Don't worry.

..and Marcus' first ever
Singapore Sling.

That's it. There. Now stop now.

This themed weekend has
taken two days to prepare.

Good evening.

But with Marcus as
master of ceremonies

presenting the cocktails...

Oh, my. Thank you.

..the Venetian Masquerade Ball
can now begin.

And one for you.
Merci Beaucoup.

And say "phantom."

ALL: Phantom.

Cheers, girls.

Ooooh! Oh, my word.

Oh, that's amazing.

THEY CHATTER

And the Venetian dining room seems
to be just what the hens ordered.

CHATTER CONTINUES

It's been so beautiful, you know
they've really worked so hard...

Yes. ..to make sure that we've
had a wonderful time.

Cheers!

For Wendy and Marcus, hosting this
weekend has been a lot of hard work.

But it has clearly been
worth all the effort.

Admit you love a cape. Yeah,
I love it. I love a cape.

I got you a cape, I got you a cape.
Yes, I do like the cape, yes.

It's flowing behind me.

It's going to be hard to get him
to take it off to be fair.

When you hear them laughing
and enjoying themselves

and just really letting their
hair down, it's so worth it.

It really is. I love it.

THEY LAUGH

It's been a busy few
months for these two.

They've transformed an old barn
into a welcoming wedding chapel,

with outside bar...

..and replaced dodgy old decking
around the pool

with smart and sophisticated
limestone paving.

And they have even bigger
plans for Chateau du Dohem.

We are looking with a very serious
eye to converting some more

parts of the chateau that
haven't been converted yet,

to make some more bedroom space.

Because currently when we
have a full house hen party,

Marcus and I have actually
nowhere to stay onsite.

We're hopeful to have this done
within the next four months.

So we're only hopeful it's going
to be done by four months?

We're only hopeful of it, are we?

Well, we're hopeful if you want
to remain married to me.

It sounds as if you need
to get cracking, Marcus.

Coming up...

Four minutes left people. No.

..Ben and Billie's
new riverside area...

Might need two of us to
give this a big shove.

..goes from blank canvas
to glamorous camping...

We're hoping we can pull it
together in the next hour.

..Amy can finally relax...

Ooh.

I do like a meal I
didn't have to cook.

Dinner's ready.

..and enjoy a meal
in their own cafe.

Just south of the Loire Valley,
Ben and Billie are adding

the finishing touches
to their new boathouse.

Ah, that's nice. Gorgeous.

And daughter Ella has arrived
to help.

There's nothing more exciting
than opening a box

that includes a new tent. Ooh!
It's got its own bag!

As well as transforming
the old sheep shed,

they've taken delivery of a bell
tent for glampers to stay riverside.

I love that smell. Yeah.

Smells lovely and new, doesn't it?
Smells like fun. Amazing.

I'm getting properly excited now.
So am I!

This is like being ten years old!

LAUGHTER

I think Ben's got too excited to
stop and look at the instructions.

Well, we've never put up
a bell tent.

They're meant to be very, very
easy,

and, apparently, the world
record is ten minutes.

OK, guys,
let's see how long it takes you.

OK. Ready, steady...

Are we good? Yep. Great. Go.

If you go round there
and pull that one.

Take your poles and extend them...

So that's the main pole.
..at the first end inside the tent.

Tightrope walking. Yeah.

Find the top and match it with
the end of the pole

that has the metal inner tent loop.

Four minutes left, people. No!

I'm going in. OK.

I'm in.

This is really weird. Woooo.

Might need two of us to give this
a big shove. Ready?

One, two, three. Argh!

We're at 11 minutes 30. Oh, no.

I wonder what the second
fastest time is.

Right.

Always the last peg.

Like that. Stop the clock.

Exactly 37 minutes.

Yay. 37 minutes.

It's a family record.

That's the fastest we've ever put up
a bell tent. Yep.

Not bad for a first effort,
well done. Whoa.

Do a three-point turn.
Just the essentials.

To add some chateau chic
to their new venture

and make the best impression,
they're bringing the inside in.

Right, what else is essential
for survival, then?

Um, the grand piano?

LAUGHTER

Go. Got to go round.

This is a little bit crazy putting
this kind of furniture in here...

A little bit crazy is an
understatement. But we like it.

We like crazy.
What's the point of being normal?

This looks quite big
to get in there.

Oh, no.

Can you come down a bit?

One, two, three.

Are we going to take this every time
we go camping?

Every time we go camping.

And I've just seen a place up here

that might be perfect
for a chandelier.

Which is essential
when you go camping.

Ben, nothing says chateau
quite like a chandelier.

Yay.

Yep.

We have a chandelier in a tent,
I mean, who has that?

It's the only way to camp
at a chateau, Ella,

and it looks fabulous.

And all done in almost record time.

I'm going to live here now.
How lovely is that?

Just one month ago this was
an old sheep shed,

little more than a rickety shack
with a pile of logs.

Now, this beach-hut by the river
is a wonderful spot for guests

to sit and, well, just do nothing.

Bliss.

Oh!

Cheers.
Cheers, Billie. Cheers, Ella.

We're beyond happy.

And I think we can add to this.

I think we're really
onto something here

that could massively increase
the revenue. Definitely.

Kind of almost double the value of
the chateau business. Mmm.

With the new glamping area
and renovated boathouse,

Ben and Billie are investing in the
chateau's future, their future.

Well done, chaps.
It looks absolutely wonderful.

In the Ardeche region,
at expectant parents Amy and Marc's,

it's full steam ahead to get
the cafe ready in time

to entertain their 12 guests
for tonight's inaugural dinner.

Is it OK here?
Yeah, yeah, that's great.

With an hour before
the remaining guests

are due to arrive, there is still
much to put in place.

Yeah, perfect.

I'm trying to make this room
look beautiful.

I, basically...I'm way more at home
with a jack hammer

than I am interior decorating.

It's not going terribly well.

We're hoping we can pull it
together in the next hour.

I have faith in you, Amy, as I do
in Marc's culinary skills.

He's in charge of making tonight's
mouth-watering wild boar stew.

A traditional dish
from the local area,

known as Daube de Sanglier, I can
see it's in good hands.

The meat isn't sticking
to bone any more,

I think it's going to be delicious.

Things are less relaxed
in the cafe, though.

I thought we'd be finished way
earlier and we're just so behind.

And Marc's a little
prosaic about it all,

like, he's, like, "Well, they've got
something to eat off,

"they've got something to drink
out of, what else do they need?"

It's been stressful,
for Amy at least,

but their cafe is finished
just in the nick of time.

The run-down outbuilding has been
completely transformed

into a warm and welcoming space,
ready for tonight's dinner.

Now it's time to
get into the party mood.

Oh, it looks beautiful.

Woo.

LAUGHTER

Well done. Ooof! Well done, you.

Oh, look at that.

As Amy gives Marc's culinary efforts
her seal of approval,

it's time for dinner to commence.

Oh, carrots! I do like a meal
I didn't have to cook.

Dinner's ready!

Amy and Marc's coach house
has been given a new lease of life

as a warm and inviting entertainment
and dining space.

It'll be a great asset
to their business.

Just having a place, where we
can cater any kind of event

is going to be so, so valuable
and tonight we've proved

that we can actually dress it
for retreats and make it look nice.

I really didn't think I could.

This year, Amy and Marc
have transformed two
derelict outbuildings

into warm, watertight
and wonderful spaces

as part of their plan
to offer retreats.

And they've created a serene
meditation space in the woodlands.

I love the peace and quiet
and spectacular landscapes.

We've just got the essence
of our business up and running now.

The yoga barn is looking good
and just waiting for a safety rail

on the mezzanine, and other
projects are still to be done.

Our master bedroom, but I think we
need more than one person

for a retreat, so... Possibly.

..or so we might need to do
a few more bedrooms.

Or it's a very exclusive retreat.

With a whole yoga studio
for themselves.

For now, though, these two
are awaiting the arrival

of their biggest project so far,
a new Anglo-French production,

and I wish them
all the best for the future.

Next week...

..a new batch of chateau
DIY adventures...

..as one family's
preparations for the wedding season.

Oh, no!

..go awry.
No.

Not all over the patio.

Creating a potager garden,
turns into a smashing experience.

Fragile stuff. Ha-ha!

Working on bringing
the outside in...

Oh, my God,
that's fantastic, well done.

..and shopping for their very own
fairy-tale castle,

sees a couple getting
a reality check.

If the owner wanted to have
a coffee or whatever, then,

"ding, ding, ding, ding" -
the servants had to run.

I don't think we can afford
servants, unfortunately.

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