- 2 days ago
Help! We Bought a Village - Season 4 Episode 19
Category
😹
FunTranscript
00:01Buying a home abroad is a big step to take.
00:04This is my piece of heaven now.
00:07But imagine taking that to a whole new level.
00:10I'm down! Amazing.
00:13The ghost villages of Europe are crying out for help.
00:17It's just like Battle of the Somme in it.
00:19And a strong-willed few have answered their calls.
00:22Our whole world, our whole life and belongings are now in Ichaka.
00:27In this series...
00:29There's a real sense of history and you can feel it.
00:32..we rediscover the settlement's time left behind.
00:36Like ten people living in the whole of Rabatana now,
00:39where once it would have been thriving with schools and shops.
00:43..and meet the intrepid Brits...
00:45Trying to get this board in the hole without falling through.
00:49..who are trying to save them.
00:51It is more tricky than you imagine.
00:54..but can they turn these crumbling villages...
00:58This is going to be a big crash.
01:01..into beautiful homes...
01:04This is no longer a ruin. It is now a chateau.
01:08..and successful businesses.
01:10What are gorgeous.
01:13..or will it all prove to be...
01:15That was a close shave.
01:16..beyond their grasp.
01:18As it stands at the moment, in two years' time, it might collapse.
01:21..as they restore the past to build their future.
01:25The village has come back to life and that's exactly what we set out to do.
01:37Today...
01:38Ooh!
01:39Well, you're up.
01:40Quite windy up here.
01:42..Kevin and Anna scale new heights
01:45..in a bid to save their historic French estate.
01:48This is not just DIY.
01:51If it goes wrong, it's a horrible, expensive mistake.
01:55In Italy...
01:56You're on it!
02:02..Lucy and Gerry begin a brand-new phase of their Borgo's resurrection.
02:06The dream is to cut the trees down
02:09and get the lake back fully functioning.
02:14..while experienced saviours Carl and Francesca...
02:17We'll just test the shower.
02:20There's no end on it!
02:21Oh!
02:22Oh!
02:23That was a bit silly, isn't it, Carl?
02:26Well, at least you know it works.
02:28..to prove there's always something to learn
02:31when saving a lost village in Europe.
02:34It's definitely a bigger project than we've ever done.
02:38We haven't bitten off more than we can chew.
02:40It's just we didn't really calculate the timings.
02:42MUSIC
02:55Standing for centuries,
02:56the ghost villages of Europe have witnessed,
02:59and even played a part in,
03:01some of the most significant events in world history.
03:04This one has actually got German writing on.
03:09Like Kevin and Anna's rural estate,
03:12La Roserie, located in the west of France.
03:16Starting out life in the 17th century
03:20as a bustling farm and vineyard,
03:23it was home to a large community.
03:26But during World War II,
03:28it became occupied territory by the German military.
03:31One of the reasons that this was commandeered,
03:35apart from the fact that it's a grand house,
03:38is the railway line that is adjacent to the silo,
03:43which goes all the way back into the nearest town,
03:45which is Luden.
03:47And from there,
03:48the grain would have been railed back to Germany.
03:52Despite its chequered past,
03:55since 2020, the couple from Milton Keynes
03:58have been determined to give La Roserie fresh purpose
04:01in the 21st century as a holiday destination.
04:10We weren't necessarily looking for an estate of this sort of size.
04:13We wanted somewhere that was big enough for us to have a comfortable home
04:16and for us to have holiday accommodation.
04:20But we're very pleased at the extent of the buildings that we own now.
04:25Alongside running their jeet,
04:27the pair have converted the old carriage house into a pub
04:31and now have the other 11 derelict buildings in their sights.
04:35The really, really major work would be if we converted these barns behind us
04:41into further habitable accommodation.
04:44We take on a different level of madness.
04:50It's now mid-August.
04:56Despite recently discovering major roof leaks in their network of barns,
05:02this morning, Anna and Kevin are needed at their jeet.
05:07Their birds like to sit on the pergola
05:11and do their daily mess.
05:16As their holiday business must be run around their village
05:19restorations.
05:22We've got a jeet changeover today.
05:25We had guests leave yesterday who had been here for four or five days.
05:29Yeah.
05:30And we've got another group arriving today.
05:32Yeah, they only booked yesterday as well, so it's a last-minute booking.
05:35Yeah, very last minute.
05:37But with expensive roof repairs on the horizon...
05:40Gives it a little bit more curb appeal, I guess.
05:44They need all the bookings they can get.
05:49Anna, we've had a message from the guests.
05:51Right.
05:52They're progressing well.
05:53They're going to be with us by four.
05:55Always good to know the guests are going to be on time when you've got a lot to do.
05:59So no pressure then.
06:02Powering through the cleaning, the jeet is ready just in time...
06:08Hello.
06:09Welcome.
06:10Come on in.
06:12...for the arrival of their guests from Belgium.
06:15They still have to decide if they sleep together or they take...
06:20Okay.
06:21Uh...
06:22Yeah.
06:23Yes.
06:24Decisions.
06:25Yeah, yeah.
06:26Hard decisions.
06:27Hard decisions.
06:28Yeah.
06:29A nice family that have checked in.
06:31Oh la la.
06:34I think they're going to really enjoy themselves.
06:36Yeah, I think so.
06:37Particularly, they love the pool, didn't they, those two kids?
06:39Yeah.
06:40It doesn't get any easier.
06:43You'd think we'd be seasoned pros by now, but...
06:46It's quite a lot of work.
06:48Yeah.
06:52The following week, there's still no time to relax or enjoy a pint in their new pub.
06:58Today, we're going to start the roof process.
07:03We're going to start on this side because there's less clearing to do.
07:07And what I want to do is start to take some of the tiles off.
07:12This is not just DIY.
07:15This is proper building.
07:17Yeah.
07:18This is proper.
07:19Never done it before.
07:20Never done it before.
07:21Not quite sure how to do it.
07:22Yeah.
07:23If it goes wrong, it's a horrible, expensive mistake.
07:26Across in Italy, and also stepping out of their comfort zone,
07:40while battling to save the lost farming village of Borgo Monticolae to the east of Rome,
07:47Lucy and Gerry from London have learned to celebrate all the small wins along the way.
07:55Definitely one of the nicest lifestyle additions.
07:59As they guide the Borgo through a tricky transition into its next phase of life.
08:06We're three years into buying the farm.
08:13There's not been a single day I regretted being here, which is interesting.
08:17There's been so many days which are like a real struggle, a real stress.
08:22But the valley is more than anything I could have imagined or wanted.
08:27I mean, it's one of the most painful places on the planet.
08:32As they await planning permission to rebuild the Borgo's earthquake-damaged properties,
08:38the pair are focusing on saving other parts of its heritage where they can push things forward.
08:44One of the greatest strengths of this place is how many options it offers us.
08:56For me, it's like being driven by the history of what was done here at a farming level
09:02really drives the choices we make about what we do.
09:05Yeah.
09:06How successful Lucy and Gerry's efforts to revive the settlement's farming roots are
09:13depends greatly on the impact of climate change,
09:16a factor their predecessors knew less about,
09:19meaning monitoring the valley as a water table
09:22has become a regular part of the pair's routine.
09:28Gerry? Yeah?
09:29You know, this is an old cow drinking trough.
09:32And the more they explore, the more parts of the original infrastructure they find.
09:38We know, because we spoke to our neighbour Luciano, whose dad used to have cows here,
09:44that he said all the way along the river, my dad built these mini pools
09:49to give the cows somewhere to drink.
09:53We've found one or two, but coming down here we've just found another one.
09:58It's really cool that they've survived as well, that they've not been washed away.
10:03However, the same can't be said for where the Borgos Lake once sat.
10:08We're standing in the middle, really, of the old lake.
10:12You can see behind us the banks.
10:15The water wasn't at that level.
10:17The water was basically at the level where our feet are.
10:22What's happened is because the dam at the moment luckily is still standing,
10:26all of the stuff that gets washed down during flood events
10:31has filled up the old lake with mud and stone and gravel.
10:38Wetlands have been essential in agriculture for thousands of years.
10:42And the lake would have long been a reliable source of water for livestock, irrigation and water storage.
10:51So restoring it should help safeguard the Borgos' future.
10:55The dream is to cut the trees down, dig out a lot of the build-up, the mud, the stone that's built up behind the dam,
11:07and get the lake back fully functioning.
11:11You want to put trout in it and do some trout fishing, because there used to be trout here.
11:15And it would be great also for us for water storage, basically.
11:19Just help maintain water on the farm.
11:22Well, raise the water table.
11:24Exactly.
11:25And it's just restoring the history of the village.
11:28Having always hoped to reinstate the lake, in August the pair are making a start.
11:33Cutting the trees is the first stage in restoring the lake.
11:40Exciting, we're starting on the lake, finally.
11:46But having been hidden from sight for decades,
11:50it's one of the biggest tasks the pair have ever taken on.
11:53Coming up...
12:04Put it down, put it down a second.
12:06Carl and Francesca's rescue mission is at risk of freezing.
12:10Every day I come round now, it's getting colder and colder and colder.
12:15While in France...
12:17This is not what I wanted.
12:19Kevin and Anna's roof repairs already require a rethink.
12:24It's a right mess up here.
12:26Worse than I thought, to be honest.
12:38Bringing a ghost settlement back from the brink can sometimes feel like a marathon...
12:43OK.
12:44..where the finish line keeps moving.
12:52I always wanted one of these.
12:54But in Northern Italy, not far from the city of Turin,
12:58experienced village saviours Carl and Francesca, from West Yorkshire,
13:02are continuing on their second lap around the course.
13:07It's definitely a bigger project than we've ever done.
13:10Yes.
13:11And when it is finished, it will be amazing.
13:14Leaning into their knowledge and experience from already saving the former winemaking village of Marais,
13:20which is now a thriving holiday destination,
13:23the couple are now attempting to replicate their success...
13:27You'll have some big muscles when you've finished what you love.
13:30..at a neighbouring settlement...
13:33..that was also abandoned for decades.
13:38If you're working on it full-time, though, you've got two or three guys,
13:46then it can be done in six months, eight months...
13:49..when you're doing it all on your own.
13:51We haven't bitten off more than we can chew.
13:53It's just we didn't really calculate the timings.
13:55That's about all.
13:57It's mid-November.
13:59And after a busy summer at Morais,
14:02Carl and Francesca are now spending every day working at Contini.
14:09Go for it.
14:11Piano, piano.
14:13Can you do it with one hand?
14:14Yeah.
14:16The seasons have changed.
14:18So have the working conditions.
14:21Every day I come round now,
14:24it's getting colder and colder and colder.
14:26Unfortunately, I can't light this fire
14:29because this fire is for central heating.
14:33If there's no water in it, then it could do damage.
14:36And it might not do any damage,
14:37but I'm really not prepared to take the risk
14:40because these are quite rare now.
14:42But with temperatures forecast to be below freezing in the coming weeks,
14:46Carl and Francesca have an idea.
14:47Put it down.
14:50Put it down a second.
14:52To stay warm,
14:54they want to install a smaller temporary wood burner.
14:57Can you lift it on?
14:58Yeah.
15:00When Contini was first built,
15:03around 150 years ago,
15:05the main farmhouse would have had one large open fire to cook on,
15:11but to also heat the whole building.
15:14Where have you put the lid slow?
15:15In the rear.
15:16Ah.
15:18The village's heating system was updated over time.
15:22But when it was abandoned in the mid-1980s,
15:24it was still fairly rudimentary.
15:27They used to have the fire here.
15:31And the tube would go up,
15:33all the way hanging from the ceiling.
15:37You can see the little bolts and see them.
15:39So now,
15:41we just have a piece of pipe.
15:47Going into that, and then into that.
15:49It's done.
15:51Albeit a temporary solution,
15:53the stove will allow Carl and Francesca
15:55to keep working as temperatures drop.
15:57Well,
16:02What down there?
16:03Your fire's going.
16:07Good.
16:08Ooh, that's hot.
16:09Is it?
16:10Wow.
16:11Yeah, good.
16:12Straight away.
16:14The following day,
16:15with the village having warmed up,
16:17Francesca's getting on with upcycling a second-hand dining table.
16:24While upstairs, Carl's working on the plumbing.
16:28The minute I turn it on cold, water should come out.
16:34When the pair bought Contini,
16:37there was still one of the original outdoor toilets.
16:40But having previously demolished it...
16:45Well done!
16:48Getting the new guest en-suites up and running...
16:51Is a huge step forward in getting the village ready for 21st century living.
17:01We'll just test the shower.
17:04There's no end on it.
17:05Oh!
17:09Surely he'd have put an end on it.
17:13That was a bit silly, isn't it, Carl?
17:16It's okay.
17:17Well, at least you know it works.
17:19However, later on, Francesca hears dripping.
17:24I wasn't sure if it was the drainage.
17:29And as experienced village saviours,
17:32they know that rescue missions can often be one step forward...
17:38..two steps back.
17:41It's definitely leaking upstairs!
17:43Across in Western France,
17:56also keen to get a handle on the leaks at their estate...
18:00Ooh!
18:02Well, you're up.
18:04Quite windy up here.
18:05Yeah.
18:07Kevin's taking to the roof for a closer inspection.
18:11With Anna ready on ground level to clean and restore any original tiles that can be reused.
18:17I think there's more broken than good.
18:20So far, I've taken off about 20 tiles and there's only been two decent ones.
18:26Ooh!
18:28Ooh!
18:30This is not what I wanted.
18:33A lot of these tiles through age have broken,
18:37which is why it slips about as much as it does.
18:41And you can see all this moss, when it's wet, it just adds extra weight.
18:47Yeah, it's a right mess up here.
18:50Worse than I thought, to be honest.
18:51This is as it was maybe two, three hundred years ago.
18:56The Industrial Revolution of the 18th and 19th centuries,
19:01combined with innovations in kiln technology,
19:04allowed for mass production of uniform and affordable tiles.
19:08Meaning early villagers fitted clay ones over the barns,
19:12often popular in warm climates to help keep buildings cool.
19:15Kevin now hopes to replicate their installation method,
19:20but with some modern extras for longevity.
19:26You'll have two like that,
19:29and they will be in mortar so that they can't move.
19:33Then you have a small one over there, like that.
19:38Then you have another one.
19:39So once you've got that base like that,
19:43you've got a solid bottom.
19:46And I've bought hooks.
19:49They're aluminium and they won't rust.
19:50The lifespan of these will certainly be as long as we're here.
19:54It's a job which is proving it's got challenges.
19:58It's not going to get any better, it's just going to get worse.
20:01And the more that we leave it,
20:03the more longer term damage that we'll have to the actual structure of the roof, the wood.
20:07We've done about, I don't know,
20:11maybe a good metre.
20:14So we'll have done four square metres.
20:17We've only got 116 to do on this side
20:22and then 120 to do on the other side, so...
20:26Not only is it going to be a huge undertaking,
20:30but with only a few original tiles salvageable at this stage...
20:34Just leave that soaked for a little bit.
20:37Was that my next bag?
20:38No, these are broken.
20:39Oh, OK.
20:41It also stands to be an expensive one.
20:44I think it's going to be a case of doing a bit at a time.
20:47The roofs are going to be the bane of my life for the next six months or so.
20:53A few days later...
20:57Come on, we'll show you around.
20:59OK, thank you.
21:00After checking in their latest cheat guests...
21:03The kitchen, obviously.
21:05And there's a utility room here.
21:08Kevin's keen to make the most of the summer weather,
21:11to crack on with the roof.
21:13That's inside out.
21:14Once he's figured out his new harness...
21:21Then loops round.
21:24Ooh!
21:28That ain't right.
21:30End up like the hunchback in Notre Dame.
21:33While early villagers would likely have had little or no safety equipment,
21:38Kevin's taking no chances.
21:43This enables me to move up and down.
21:48But if I were to fall, this locks it.
21:54Especially as the roof repairs have become more complex.
21:59Not only do tiles need replacing, but now so do parts of the wooden framework.
22:03There are a few gaps, so if I see anything that isn't as strong as I would like it to be,
22:11I want to fix it.
22:13Been a bit of movement through time, I would think.
22:18And they've popped.
22:23This latest discovery means that getting these centuries-old barns watertight
22:27before the seasons change...
22:32..is going to take even more work than they first thought.
22:40Coming up, things also get tougher for Lucy and Jerry...
22:45..as they try to restore the Borgo's ancient lake.
22:49There's a slight risk the tractor will get stuck.
22:53Jerry thinks not, so we'll see.
22:54I will see.
22:55And with two villagers on their hands,
22:58the jobs mount up for Karl and Francesca.
23:01You can see for miles,
23:03and I can also see what work I've got to do.
23:04In central Italy, it's the end of August.
23:08And Lucy and Jerry are taking steps to restore the Borgo's old lake
23:11by removing trees that have invaded the lake bed.
23:13Willows are very fast-growing and they're blocking up the exit of the dam.
23:14And the problem is that whenever there's a heavy rain,
23:15the water runs round the side of the dam,
23:16digs into the field,
23:17and they're blocking up the exit of the dam.
23:19If we let that carry on,
23:20then the dam is going to go down the road.
23:21In this country, it's the end of August.
23:22And Lucy and Jerry are taking steps to restore the Borgo's old lake
23:26by removing trees that have invaded the lake bed.
23:29Willows are very fast-growing and they're blocking up the exit of the dam.
23:36And the problem is that whenever there's a heavy rain,
23:39the water runs round the side of the dam,
23:42digs into the field and undermines the foundation of the dam.
23:46If we let that carry on,
23:48then the dam is going to basically fall over
23:51and it would obviously be a complete ecological disaster
23:53if we let the dam fall down.
23:55Having secured permission to fell the hazardous willows,
23:59Lucy and Jerry have called back skilled forester Carlo
24:04and his brother Filippo.
24:12Willow trees are renowned for their fragility
24:17and their unpredictability as well.
24:20They tend to explode if there's too much tension
24:25and you go cut through it.
24:26You just release it too quickly and it's quite dangerous.
24:32They're the biggest willows we've definitely worked on since we started.
24:38As the brothers carefully cut...
24:40Jerry's on piling duty.
24:53But recent unseasonal weather threatens to hold him up.
24:54There's a slight risk the tractor will get stuck because the idea was if we did it in August, the lake bed would be dry, there wouldn't be that much water.
25:06Unfortunately it rained two days ago, which kind of makes things a bit difficult.
25:10It's not too muddy, but I'm slightly worried the tractor's going to get stuck in the mud.
25:17Jerry thinks not, so we'll see.
25:20Having had a few tractor near misses since becoming village owners...
25:24Today Jerry's taking a slow and steady approach in the mud, but also to avoid getting stuck on tree stumps.
25:36I'm just worried that you need to...
25:39I know, I'm going to.
25:43That's why I stopped the car.
25:45Okay.
25:50But tree by tree...
25:51More of the old lake comes back into view.
26:05The only fly in the ointment coming towards the end of the day.
26:11Oh my God, look how close they are to Carlo.
26:14The hornets are buzzing around Carlo's head.
26:18It was going too well, and then this tree came down, which is a really big one, really heavy one, and it had a hornets nest in it.
26:29So they all flew out.
26:31And then, so we moved on to try to take down the next big tree, and that's also got a hornets nest in it.
26:39For everyone's safety, they decide to down tools for the day.
26:43But what's been achieved so far is no mean feat.
26:48We have gone from a little wood of willows to basically now having a lake bed.
26:57I would say today is the biggest visual transformation achieved in a day.
27:02Oh my God, 100%. Yeah.
27:03Maybe next summer we will be stocking the lake with trout.
27:12Next summer?
27:14That, you think we'll get the lake, to be fair, maybe we will get the lake, we'll definitely get the lake done before the house was built.
27:21100%.
27:23Which was not really on our, like, that was on our to-do list order, but it goes to show if bureaucracy is involved, everything takes twice as long.
27:29Yeah.
27:31While planning permission to rebuild the farmhouse remains up in the air, hitting major milestones like this with the old lake moves Lucy and Jerry a huge step forward.
27:43We've done really well.
27:45It's a good day's work, definitely.
27:46Over 300 miles north in Piedmont, Karl and Francesco are also on the cusp of a breakthrough.
28:07Yeah, I think it's strutting.
28:08Having now located the source of the water dripping into their new guest rooms.
28:15Yeah, it's come out of the cold water pipe.
28:19It's what, residual water that was left in the cold water pipe.
28:23Right, okay.
28:25I don't have leaks.
28:27Right, I'm done now.
28:29Good.
28:30So, yeah, I'm happy.
28:31While there's still the decorative finishes to do, having reconfigured the building's entire layout, getting the bathrooms plumbed in is a significant milestone to reach, as they slowly bring Contini back to life.
28:48Right, so I know that that's all okay.
28:50Okay.
28:52But as experienced village saviours, they know that's only half the battle, as keeping a village alive after its rebirth is a continued effort.
29:09And the following day, further water issues have called them back to their other village, Moray.
29:16I've got two leaks on the roof.
29:19One of them I think I've found, so silicone at the ready.
29:23That's that one.
29:25Winter proofing Moray is a top priority, as the pair are planning to take a break from their rescue mission for a few months after Christmas.
29:34Yes!
29:38On top of the world, you can see for miles.
29:42See all the different villages over there.
29:48And I can also see what work I've got to do.
29:51Which includes preparing the village's extensive grounds before they depart.
29:56Obviously, Casa Maria is shut down, and we need to cover some of the plants to try and save them for the following year.
30:05So if it gets too cold, the frost or anything, so we just try and protect them a little bit.
30:12So I'm going to put this over the lemon tree, and I'm no gardener.
30:15While Francesca protects their fruit trees.
30:20It feels warm in there already.
30:23Karl's got his feet back on the ground, and is tending to their vineyard.
30:27I've started and I've done ten.
30:33Check that one out.
30:35So 990 to go.
30:38Pruning the ancient Shiraz vines is a big job.
30:42Hello, Bree.
30:44You come to join us, have you got your ball?
30:46But as the village's history lies deep in wine production that began over a century ago, the couple are determined Marais will stay connected to its roots.
30:58There used to be a vineyard, which was quite well known, but we bought the house 20 years ago nearly, and this hadn't been lived in since the 50s.
31:10So the vineyard's just died.
31:13So I'm going to keep that one.
31:17I've made it a lot worse for myself because when we had a big hail storm in July, I just left it.
31:27Whereas if we hadn't had the hail storm, I would have been in pruning, cutting back and letting the grapes grow.
31:34There's now even more motivation, though, for Karl to keep the vines in good shape.
31:38As next summer, Marais set to host its first wedding.
31:43It's for a family member.
31:45So we've been thinking about putting bits of ideas down on paper.
31:50And by June, this will all be really nice and green and look really nice and have grapes on it.
31:56Albeit they'll be small and young.
31:58And then they're going to do photographs in the bandstand.
32:02Looking forward to doing it.
32:04Pretty much so.
32:05If it goes well, it could pave the way for more village events.
32:10But it's a lot to take on alongside their work at Contini, which they want to push forward with before downing tools at Christmas.
32:18I want bathroom one finished, tiled, decorated, fully functional, even with hot water in it.
32:29We'll do it, we'll do it. We've got three weeks, yeah.
32:32If we can do it before we get away, that would be good.
32:35No, I'm sure we will get it done. I'm confident we will. Definitely.
32:40Not like.
32:49Coming up, Anna's also working to a deadline to rescue another corner of La Rosary.
32:55I really need to get it done because if we were to get a booking, obviously it can't be kind of like half-stripped.
33:02And can Carl and Francesca work through their to-do list in time?
33:07Did you not read the instructions?
33:09There weren't no instructions on it because she said, it's simple.
33:12It's simple.
33:27In Western France, it's now early September.
33:33Using tiles he and Anna have been able to salvage so far, Kevin's battling on.
33:38To try and save the estate's barn roofs.
33:45It is slow, but I'd rather do it properly and get everything hooked in.
33:55The challenge I've now noticed is that we've got two different types of tile.
34:00Some are wider than the others.
34:03What I think I need to do is space out the bottom ones a little bit further.
34:07But we're learning as we go along.
34:10By the time I get to the end, it'll be perfect and I'll start again.
34:13Not, I can assure you.
34:16Not only is it a steep learning curve...
34:19I'll mortar these in and then I have to put the ridge tiles back on.
34:25But the autumnal weather isn't helping much.
34:27It doesn't affect the consistency of the mortar at all.
34:35The challenge I've got with the rain is that it makes the surface everywhere just a little bit more slippy.
34:46Becoming dangerous to continue.
34:51Much to Kevin's frustration...
34:53Oh!
34:55...he's forced to down tools and take shelter.
34:58It's raining, which has stopped us a bit earlier than we wanted to, but it's just not safe.
35:05It's that slippery...
35:07There's no point.
35:09A good old cup of tea, though, I deserve that.
35:12However, four weeks later, after being exposed to the elements, the roof has leaked again, badly.
35:23It's just getting worse.
35:26And this year we have had the wettest year that we've known since we've been here.
35:35And then typically the October through to December is the wettest, dampest period anyway.
35:41So it's certainly been a freak year in terms of the weather.
35:49And potentially making things even worse...
35:51..is that Kevin suspects the chimney flashing is also faulty.
36:01Yeah, that's good.
36:03And to assess it requires scaling new heights.
36:09You can see it trickling down all the way down there.
36:13Less so here.
36:15But as all our village saviours know, when one problem arises,
36:19often another soon follows.
36:25I don't know if it seems to be sprayed back into my eyes.
36:30Inside the estate's holiday jeet...
36:33Some of these bits come off quite easily.
36:36Some urgent maintenance is required.
36:39The wallpaper in here is looking a bit tired.
36:41Gaps appear between the drops over time.
36:45And it's been up for four and a half years now.
36:50I really need to get it done because if we were to get a booking,
36:54obviously it can't be kind of like half-stripped, half-not-stripped,
36:59and not re-wallpapered.
37:00So, yeah, it's quite time-sensitive.
37:06I haven't told Kevin yet, but what I'm thinking about doing in here
37:09is panelling to about this height and then wallpaper on top.
37:14The popularity of oak panelling rose during the Renaissance movement,
37:20spreading from Italy through Western Europe
37:23and would have likely been a decorative choice for the estate's earliest owner.
37:28The quality of the oak used often depending on the social status of the household.
37:33Using oak, though, across Kevin and Anna's estate could prove costly.
37:42Are we going to have traditional oak panelling for our manoir?
37:46No, we're going to have MTF, 15 euros a pack from the DIY shop.
37:52She's such a cheapskate, she really is.
37:57But staying on budget is crucial while the roof repairs rumble on.
38:01Er, so...
38:04You're still alive.
38:06I'm still alive.
38:08Er, I can't actually see a problem with the flashing.
38:13No.
38:15Er, I'm clearing out all the moss.
38:17Yeah.
38:19Er, I think the problem could be a bit higher up with the tiles.
38:24Who knows?
38:26Yeah.
38:27Jobs have a tendency to get a little bit bigger as you go along.
38:33And with two huge projects on the go, and just themselves to tackle them,
38:38Kevin and Anna are facing their busiest period as village owners.
38:42Back in northern Italy, Karl and Francesca are also under pressure.
38:58Right, silicone.
39:00I'm sure I've got one open somewhere.
39:01With just three weeks to go until they depart for their winter break, they're trying to complete their to-do list at Contini.
39:14But tensions are mounting.
39:17Francesca's all we want to get figured out.
39:20We'll paint it, we'll spray it, we'll do it, gold, we'll do it.
39:24We've got loads of building work to do yet, darling.
39:27You can't be dressing it up to undress.
39:30Look, you're dressing it up already and it's like...
39:31I'm not dressing it up, I was moving those out the other room.
39:35Go away.
39:37To allow them to throw themselves into hosting their first wedding at Moray next year,
39:43Karl's keen to stay focused on getting the master ensuite fully plumbed in before they leave.
39:49But you'll need Francesca's help.
39:53Don't scratch it.
39:55Did you not read the instructions?
39:57There weren't no instructions on it, cos she said.
40:00It's simple.
40:02Well, yeah, but you feed it through.
40:05You just sit here and watch the expert.
40:06I'll just sit here and watch the expert.
40:08But I'm telling you what to do.
40:11Yeah.
40:12Because you get it wrong.
40:13I love it.
40:14I'm just sat watching the master at work.
40:20You taking it?
40:21No, darling.
40:24This morning's task is to try and fit a freestanding tap for the traditional claw-footed bath.
40:31But adding modern convenience to an ancient shell...
40:35Er...
40:37No.
40:39..isn't so easy.
40:41This is really tricky.
40:42When you're in bath, normally, to the right, it's cold.
40:47To the left, it's hot.
40:53I hate standing around doing nothing.
40:55And to me, this is standing around doing nothing.
40:58But after some adjustments...
41:01It's time to test it out.
41:04Right.
41:05Pull it out.
41:06See if it comes on.
41:12Yes, it comes on.
41:14That was a bit of a hard job, wasn't it, darling?
41:16I didn't put a spirit level on it.
41:17No, I wouldn't.
41:21It's the next day.
41:23Let's see what we've got.
41:24The couple are now installing a new water heater.
41:28Tjipresi, you got a minute?
41:31Yes, darling.
41:33To provide a constant supply of hot water to their guest bedrooms.
41:37Which will be a far cry from Contini's early days,
41:40when villagers would have likely washed once a week in tin baths,
41:45filled using buckets of water that had to be heated on the stove.
41:52Ready?
41:53Yeah.
41:55And the top first.
41:56Oh, top first.
41:57OK.
41:59Now, though, as holidaymakers expect more,
42:02Carl and Francesca must bring the building up to today's standards.
42:07That's it.
42:08We're done.
42:11But with one job complete,
42:14when saving a village, the to-do list is never-ending.
42:18I have to cut them all the same size.
42:21So, later on, they're hoping to finish the upcycling of a second-hand dining table.
42:30Repurposing some floorboards for its tabletop.
42:35Does it stick pretty quickly?
42:37Yeah.
42:38It's cold, rapid.
42:40Rapido!
42:44Once Contini's fortunes are fully revived,
42:47the table will sit centre stage in the guest dining room.
42:51That's lined with original terracotta bricks.
42:55Terracotta's architectural roots stretching back thousands of years
42:59due to its fire-resistant properties.
43:04But it was during the Italian Baroque period
43:07that it began being used more dramatically
43:10in grandiose columns and facades.
43:13I don't think you've got this one right.
43:17That's upside down.
43:19Why did I do that?
43:21Being distracted.
43:23Oh, was it my fault?
43:25No.
43:26It was my fault.
43:27No.
43:28You.
43:30It's not bad.
43:31I'll make a groove.
43:35Carl and Francesca have worked tirelessly
43:38to breathe as much new life into Contini as they can
43:41before heading off on their winter break
43:44to recharge their village saviour batteries ahead of next year,
43:48which is set to challenge them in brand new ways.
43:53When we get back...
43:54When we get back...
43:55We're back end of March.
43:56We actually won't be doing much work here at all.
43:58I'll be doing maybe two or three weeks
43:59and then we're concentrating up there
44:00because we've got a wedding in June.
44:02Yeah.
44:03So we have to get the gardens right.
44:04We've got all the vineyard to do before we go.
44:06We've still got our work cut out for us.
44:08Do you dress it?
44:10Oh, no, because you're going to do it.
44:11Go on.
44:12What am I going to do?
44:14No, it's time.
44:23Next time...
44:24Oh, my word.
44:26All this has blown off.
44:28La Rosaray is hit by a storm.
44:31Oh, you can see the damage on the slates up there.
44:33Lucy and Jerry's building plans finally move forward.
44:38That robot is so cool.
44:40It's like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
44:42with pipes of things getting shot along.
44:46And while love is in the air at Moray...
44:50Disaster hits Contini.
44:53Oh, come out, come out, come out, come out!
45:03You're running a rollercoaster our days before aw dizendo night.
45:09And the ultimate action.
45:10You're running out of space for all of us.
45:11To come out, you can take off every hour of everything.
45:15I really wait for you all for the rest.
45:17Love isanie.
45:19Okay, of course, as I have a moment thought.
45:21All this, all this has been quite long,
45:24that is happening.
45:25But we can take the almock at that blog.
45:27It's really fun.
45:29Oh, come on here.
Recommended
42:02
45:30
45:26
45:28
45:23
45:23
45:30
45:26
45:23
45:28
45:26
45:23
56:44
45:23
1:46:09
40:14
57:30
1:08:45
Be the first to comment