Original subtitles

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

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

and bought this magnificent chateau.

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

It is so worth it!

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

it as a business.

[hammering]

That's a long way up.

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

doing exactly the same thing.

[children laughing]

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

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

journey as chateau owners.

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

this lad.

And guide these daring Brits where we can.

It's a solid old bridge, matey.

Dick: As they renovate--

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

Dick: Repair--

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

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

and businesses.

Go, go, go, go, go!

Absolutely magnificent!

This is the glamorous chateau life that everyone thinks I

lead.

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

Trying not to panic now.

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

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

castles!

Cheers!

Chin, chin!

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

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

magical appeal.

And it's got like really cool outbuildings.

There's turrets as well.

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

attic.

I love these baths.

I could fit in there.

Darling--

[laughing] I know.

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

summer:

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

Dick: Another faces problems before their biggest event of

the season.

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

action for months.

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

could well do without.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: Chateau Bailleul.

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

Bailee-Smith.

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

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

France their permanent home.

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

I've got the map.

I have the leaflets.

You've got the leaflets.

We good to go?

Yeah, let's go and have some.

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

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

and they've got a cunning plan.

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

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

and our details are on it, so--

Because not all chateaus are listed with estate agents.

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

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

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

- Yeah. - Yeah.

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

I don't really like the medieval look.

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

opinion.

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

work.

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

still got the land.

Dick: When they find one--

Phil: Let's have a look.

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

Angelina: There's no post box.

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

from people like us.

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

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

wouldn't it?

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

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

Yeah.

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

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

[laughing]

It could be.

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

time.

It's a nice drive.

It's just got magical appeal.

And it's got like really cool outbuildings.

There's turrets as well.

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

know?

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

know what's there, you know?

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

Just remember where it is.

- OK, fine. - Yeah?

Mm hmm.

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

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

choice for royalty, nobles and artists for centuries.

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

perfect chateau-hunting ground for Phil and Angelina.

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

if we can spot some more.

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

Some are hidden away amongst the forests.

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

Angelina: It's very bare.

Big project.

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

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

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

stupid."

And now you are stupid.

Now I am stupid, yeah.

[Angelina laughs]

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

OK.

Dick: Searching for a chateau you need to use your

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

Phil's dreaming here, and so does Angelina.

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

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

sheer scale and size of it.

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

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

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

Yeah.

And I still really want it.

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

distance catches Phil's eye.

Wee, hold up.

Oh!

Oh, this is nice!

Oh, look at that!

Will we go out and have a look?

Yeah.

All right.

C'mon, let's cross.

Oh, look, it's beautiful!

It's such a nice stunning view.

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

ornate, and lots of character on the outside.

Don't get too excited.

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

Yeah?

Yeah, hopefully we get a better view then.

Come.

♪ ♪

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

I think it's down this road.

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

twisties.

Can you just keep an eye out?

Angelina: Yeah.

It's somewhere coming up.

I want to have a look.

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

It's really pretty, isn't it?

I like the outbuilding.

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

Oh, look, they have cellars as well.

Yeah.

Angelina: it's near the grounds.

Phil: Yeah, I like that.

It's huge.

It looks like an abbey, doesn't it?

[bells ringing]

Stables.

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

I really like the character.

Post box, yeah.

I like this.

Dick: Could this be their future chateau?

Let's go.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

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

Baglionis.

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

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

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

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

idea to decorate it with pictures and some of the

interesting items left over from the Baglionis.

The Tower of Curiosities was born.

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

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

some sort of, like, bravery.

So now I can lift spiders up with them.

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

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

I mean, just look at this.

I've got some of these downstairs.

I'm not even sure what they are.

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

How gorgeous is that?

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

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

lovely.

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

What else am I going to find in here?

I can't get this out.

I think it might be like a matchbox or something.

Obviously from a set.

Look, all matching, all matching.

Isn't that beautiful?

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

there's more attic to search.

The chateau that keeps on giving.

♪ ♪

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

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

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

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

Hiya baby!

Did you think I got lost?

[indiscernible]

I'm just having a look.

It's still a long way up.

I'm just having a little look.

You got your gloves on, you're rummaging.

[Angel chuckles]

Look what I found.

Look how lovely.

Smell it.

What do you think it is?

Smell it?

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

It's sweet, isn't it?

What do you think this was for?

I don't know.

Sort of like--

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

Oh, baby!

Need to have a little look.

And it came in this, hold on.

More clues.

And it's like--

Well, that's for--

I'm picking.

There's a mirror there.

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

I didn't.

That comes out and it'll be a mirror.

So it's a lady's set?

Oh, yeah.

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

it dates back to the beginning of the last century.

What a find!

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

have we?

That's ridiculous.

Angel: I want to show you through here.

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

the tower.

I love this bath.

What can we use it for then?

We could turn it into a car for Arthur.

Just step away, have a look at this.

Look at the size of that.

Yeah.

And where's this going to be?

Well, I do--I do like it.

Um--

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

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

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

[Angel chuckles]

I could fit in there.

Darling--

[laughing] I know.

No, OK.

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

For now, this will stay up here.

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

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

we went and bought this.

Yeah.

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

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

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

them.

Took me months to fix this up.

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

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

going to be a little girl.

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

♪ ♪

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

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

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

been struggling.

They will decide whether to continue or not after seeing how

their biggest wedding of the year goes.

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

decided to have their wedding here.

Hello!

Happy to see you.

So happy to see you.

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

Hello, good to meet you, Michael.

Lovely.

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

out for the big event.

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

be.

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

tower.

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

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

door's locked.

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

find the cause of the problem.

♪ ♪

[sniffing]

Dick: Michael and Jonathan have a serious problem with their

sewage.

And the timing couldn't be worse.

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

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

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

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

adjacent rooms are currently unusable.

They need this fixed quickly.

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

could well do without.

[speaking in French]

Dick: The local plumbers think the problem might

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

and it's preventing the sewage from flowing away.

It has this, um, contra slope.

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

There is a block as well.

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

block there of course it's going to smell.

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

flooring, which was laid down just ten months ago.

♪ ♪

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

square metre, this stuff isn't cheap.

This job is turning into a nightmare.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

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

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

and business partner, American, Steve.

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

and continued on as friends.

We do things--

Somehow we are still good friends.

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

OK.

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

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

It costs money to have a chateau.

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

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

opening of the season as soon as possible.

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

been plagued with problems.

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

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

volunteers are still rebuilding.

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

one did.

Want to give this a little teeny squirt here?

Where?

Just the top of the wall.

Dick: But work soon has to stop.

Here comes the stone.

This has been a long wait.

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

pool's patio.

Mandy: This I like.

Dick: But today it's finally arrived.

All right.

♪ ♪

Steve: Oh, watch this!

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

century archway.

Forklift Driver: No, no way, no way.

Not happening.

You know--

[laughing]

It'd look great over here.

What's a few tonnes of stone?

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

Mamma mia!

It's the curse of the accursed pool!

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

it can't fit through the arch.

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

at a time.

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

This is absolutely, you know, wonderful.

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

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

amusing because it's just the way it is.

I should probably name this, Catch 22 Chateau instead of

Chateau Madame.

♪ ♪

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

chateau leafleting operation has thrown up its first response.

This will be something interesting I think.

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

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

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

estate.

My mind is running wild thinking, you know,

"What's it like inside?

You know, what else it's got?"

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

neighbours.

Those are the main things.

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

in?

Has it got features, you know?

How much work is it?

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

of really wanted to know what's inside.

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

investment.

I'm really excited.

Dick: With over 20 rooms, numerous outbuildings and 10

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

home and events venue Phil and Angelina have in mind.

Angelina: It's really stunning outside the chateau.

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

has to offer.

Dick: What it certainly will offer is a challenge.

They think the chateau's been empty for years.

Entrez.

Wow!

Look at that!

Look at that wallpaper.

It's really nice and neutral.

Love the colour scheme, and that staircase.

Oh, right!

[sarcastically] Glad she's happy.

She won't be the one fixing it.

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

Angelina's seal of approval.

Look at that!

Look at that feature.

That chandelier is so huge, really, really stunning.

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

No, of course, but it's pretty.

It is pretty.

There's some great plasterwork.

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

Lots of it missing there.

I like the gilding.

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

chateau.

Rose-tinted glasses, pessimist.

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

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

Angelina looks ready to put in an offer.

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

people just walking through the main entrance into this room.

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

gorgeous.

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

what you're seeing in your head currently.

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

difficult.

There's one whole piece.

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

move or--

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

over-excited.

OK.

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

also the cost of getting it up and running.

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

some of Phil's concerns.

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

shop 'cause it's beautiful.

But I know how much time everything takes on these

places.

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

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

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

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

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

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

Luckily, our attic has a plentiful source of free objects

to decorate the place, and in particular our Tower of

Curiosities.

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

Hold on.

It is a grape preserver.

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

and 1874.

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

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

It preserves bunch of grapes.

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

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

water.

This is definitely one for The Tower of Curiosities.

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

But look, look.

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

Dick: What?

Angel: That'd look good on you.

Look, it's like an old Victorian hatbox.

Dick: Darling, it's cardboard.

- Huh? - Oh.

- Look. - Laval.

It's made in Laval actually.

Yeah.

'B" for probably Baglioni.

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

Yup, that can stay up here for now.

I really have no idea why I like old things.

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

is old is very well-made.

I just wish I was in that era.

I know it's weird.

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

- What's this? - Huh?

That's mine.

- Is it? - Yeah.

Does that count?

Huh?

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

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

I bought that?

Really?

- Didn't you? - No.

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

that.

Hah!

I love that.

OK.

♪ ♪

Dick: At Chateau de Jalesnes owners Michael and Jonathan are

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

their west tower.

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

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

hill and sitting on this little ledge here.

So do you want to come have a look?

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

[laughing]

- All right. - It stinks!

[drilling]

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

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

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

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

investigation in more detail.

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

♪ ♪

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

Dick:--they discover another problem.

There's a foreign body in it.

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

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

what's causing the problem.

So there's your problem.

Dick: Part one of the problem solved.

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

new plastic pipe.

We've cleared it.

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

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

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

flow.

Dick: Unfortunately, for Jonathan and Michael this may

involve digging up even more of the flooring.

Dick: And even more of the concrete.

This job is getting bigger by the day.

♪ ♪

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

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

stone for the pool's patio but--

Steve: It'll never happen.

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

There we go.

It's a handsome piece of equipment.

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

manually transporting the one and half tons of stonework to

the poolside.

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

Dick: The margelles are the pieces of stone that will

surround the pool.

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

That's fine.

One of your laddies want to do this?

♪ ♪

Steve: I'm feeling for you.

So you have a map for these or--

A what?

Sketch.

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

corners that make this angle.

Dick: The stonemason cut the margelles to cut perfectly

around the pool but there are no instructions where

each piece should go.

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

attach this to me and push me in the pool.

[laughter]

John: Steve, no problem.

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

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

Man: So it's for the other side.

You think it goes over there?

Or does--does that makes sense?

John: Yeah.

It's not straight.

This is straight.

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

perfect.

John: That's a radius here.

Steve: Let's do this.

This radius here should be here.

Maybe this does belong on that side.

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

Hello.

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

to figure it out as we go.

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

A curve.

So that's not the way it goes.

Dick: Mm, that doesn't look right.

All right, you gonna do the numbers?

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

Well, OK.

So I'm going to just use my--

That's upside down.

I was going to say superior talent but--

Until you put it upside down, right?

[laughter]

How many more are there down there?

Two.

Five.

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

it's not a perfect fit.

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

Dick: But John thinks he can rectify that.

John: Oh, I can tidy the angle.

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

couple of little touch-ups on the side.

Steve: Yeah.

Dick: And Steve's determined to be optimistic.

The margelles look terrific.

It's been a long time.

The whole process has been just so long.

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

of the tunnel.

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

In just over a month the guests arrive.

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

Dick: I wouldn't count on it.

Steve should know by now that anything to do with chateau

renovation can be a bottomless pit of expenses.

This is not a way to make money.

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

♪ ♪

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

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

potential new home and business.

Phil: I do not want to wallpaper that.

Dick: Phil has serious reservations about how much

renovating this place will require.

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

doing this.

I mean, it's already this bad.

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

of its charm.

Phil: Do you know what?

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

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

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

the first floor.

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

isn't it?

The wallpaper is not peeling.

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

Original floors, certainly old, you know?

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

pipework and everything.

It requires redecorating as opposed to ripping apart.

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

you know, work away.

If you say so.

♪ ♪

This is the main bedroom--

There's just a random door.

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

go have another beer.

How random.

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

anyone will.

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

windows, Phil and Angelina find out a potential issue.

Dick: The chateau is a registered building.

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

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

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

knowledge of just the way things work.

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

impose, they'd bankrupt us overnight.

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

and Angelina move outside to finish their tour.

Do you see that over there?

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

of motorbikes.

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

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

hold parties and other events here.

Phil: The neighbours are too close.

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

Yeah.

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

having too many parties.

Phil: For me, it's already done.

That's a risk you can't take.

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

Phil and Angelina's viewing has ended in frustration.

This chateau isn't for them.

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

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

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

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

people aren't going to be happy.

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

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

you know?

All right, let's go.

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

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

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

second day of the big sewage repair.

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

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

for the biggest wedding of the year.

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

today.

How are you, Servio?

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

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

These are old terracotta-style pipes.

They must have been broken somewhere in the process and if

they ended up lodged down here.

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

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

stuck in it.

Dick: The plumbers removed more concrete flooring and dug right

underneath and around the pipe.

OK.

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

downwards.

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

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

It seems a bit basic to me.

What do I know about plumbing?

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

progress report.

[phone ringing]

Hello.

Well he's been in.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is that what you were expecting?

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

here.

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

plumber thinks will work.

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

Go!

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

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

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

whole place out of action for months.

Results: chuffed.

OK.

[speaking in French]

Dick: It's a fix.

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

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

wedding when 45 guests will be descending on Chateau de

Jalesnes.

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

set of problems to deal with.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

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

Jonathan the volunteer tweaked the margelles around the pool.

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

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

Mandy arrives with flowers and plants to decorate.

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

ago.

Mandy: Look at this!

Steve: What do you think?

Looks great!

Looks amazing.

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

there.

Yeah, it looks really great.

What do you think?

Bravo!

[laughter]

So where am I putting my plants?

A spot over here.

Yes, which is not all ready.

Well, what more would you like?

[Mandy laughs]

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

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

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

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

No.

Great!

So these are your roses.

What do you think?

Oh!

Well, it was a rose, then.

Great.

I think it's great.

I love that.

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

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

Chateau Madame a woman's touch.

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

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

I'd have more flowers everywhere.

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

all the time.

Mandy: OK.

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

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

[laughing]

You know, but now that I think about it.

No, it is, it's wonderful.

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

garden.

But ever the perfectionist, Steve can't resists downing

tools to come and supervise.

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

want to have privacy for the shower.

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

going to be in bathing suits?

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

hibiscus up here.

All right.

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

You have to come up with the question.

How does it look?

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

there to hide the shower.

[laughing]

I think those look terrific.

OK, I'll plant it.

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

OK.

Okeydoke.

Dear oh, oh dear, oh dear!

[laughing]

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

Mandy to plant the entire bed.

I think you've got it really nice.

It looks very nice.

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

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

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

Mm.

At the very, very, very beginning.

Mm.

It was awful.

Yeah, I think so too.

But now really it looks great.

Yeah, the change is enormous.

Mm hmm.

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

Tomorrow the first guests of the summer arrive and Mandy and

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

It's scary.

I'll have to try to cope with that.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

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

viewing their first chateau Phil and Angelina have been

continuing the hunt for their dream place.

Phil: Yeah.

Really nicely done.

This house is so nicely decorated, honestly.

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

Very simple floor plan.

Angelina: Mm hmm.

Two main rooms on each side turn into turrets.

Angelina: OK.

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

It's really lovely.

Look at this, my very own chariot.

I can be carried around in it.

Phil: Not carrying you anywhere.

Dick: Nothing they see is quite hitting the mark.

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

me.

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

Is it perfect?

No.

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

home at Chateau Bailleul for another year.

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

years.

I still love it.

I still enjoy it every day.

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

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

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

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

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

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

ongoing.

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

and owning a chateau to call our home.

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

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

Bailleul, Phil and Angelina.

The dream is still alive.

Not after that singing it's not.

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

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

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

Curiosities, but things keep grabbing out attention.

Now that must be something specific.

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

Put a little belt holder on it.

Ah!

Look at that, baby.

What's that?

Let's see.

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

That's a fossil.

Angel: A real fossil.

That's a real fossil, darling.

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

those spirally things.

Our little Arthur loves fossils.

This could go in his room.

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

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

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

What is it?

This is a travel case.

This is the way you used to travel.

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

It is, it's big.

This is late-19th century.

They built them big then.

I absolutely love that.

It's a seine net.

What's a seine net.

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

and you catch the things in it.

So I could potentially use that for decoration?

You can use that for decoration definitely.

OK.

All those little lead weights in the bottom there.

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

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

the Baglionis first moved into this place.

You know what that is?

No.

This will be for floor scrubbing.

How do you know this stuff?

That is lovely.

That is, that is--

Very old.

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

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

So uncivilized, isn't it?

Mm hmm.

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

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

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

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

We used to wean a calf.

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

I would agree.

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

What?

[Angel laughing]

Dick: That's enough hunting for now.

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

found and place them in the tower.

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

they do.

It's now here on display.

It's part of the history of this place.

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

away.

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

to add to this room.

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

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

Dick: Next time: Angel gets crafty.

What are you doing in my kitchen anyway?

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

some candles?

Dick: And wedding cakes.

What's going on here?

Angel: Ta-da!

Mm, mm, mm!

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

chateau but--

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

Dick: There's one problem--

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

it's so old.

Dick:--after another.

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

It looks like it is the main pipe.

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

pool ready for their guests.

This is full of sand.

[thunder peals]

That is very threatening.

Without any question the most frustrating thing!

♪ ♪

♪ ♪

♪ ♪