Original subtitles

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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