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00:01Christmas is a magical time of year.
00:05Wow!
00:06One, two, three!
00:10Wow!
00:12But it comes with a long list of jobs.
00:15It's always good fun with logistics like this and a tree this big.
00:19Especially if you live in an enormous chateau.
00:23There's a lot more work involved than we ever imagined.
00:26We're following intrepid owners.
00:29Take the wait.
00:31Ow!
00:32I just trapped my hand.
00:33As they prepare for the festive season in France.
00:36Crunch time is pretty soon.
00:38We'll witness the highs.
00:40That is fantastic.
00:41You're so clever.
00:43Christmas has officially begun.
00:48The lows.
00:49This is literally chateau life.
00:51Ten step backwards, one step forward.
00:53The joy.
00:54Welcome to our Christmas wonderland.
00:56Exactly what Christmas is about.
00:58One, three, two, one.
01:01And magic.
01:02Yay!
01:04Look at the chateau.
01:05As they turn their castles into a winter wonderland.
01:09Merry Christmas everyone.
01:11Merry Christmas.
01:12Merry Christmas.
01:13Today, a chateau pair pray their chapel renovation doesn't go up in smoke.
01:24It's looking a bit more dirty and dusty than I remember it.
01:28Tensions rise at a family party.
01:31I don't know if we'll be keeping the angel demon.
01:34He's an Italian clown.
01:35Italian clown.
01:36Who has Italian clowns on their tree?
01:38Hmm.
01:39And one couple's Christmas idea reaches dizzying heights.
01:44And as long as I don't look down, I won't feel giddy.
01:48In the Languedoc region of southern France lies the impressive 19th century Chateau du Puy-et-Prin.
02:05Set on a former winemaking estate, this lavish property has 39 rooms and was bought for £390,000 in 2003.
02:20Off we go.
02:22By Tim, a photographer, and Sasha, a former fashion designer, who are handing over the Christmas reigns to daughter Lily and son-in-law Luke.
02:37It's so lovely that Tim and Sasha have trust us enough to deal with all of the visual aspects of it, the decorations and the stylings of it.
02:45Everything, I think, is going to look fantastic.
02:47Yeah, we have to keep it simple so we don't overdo it in such a large space.
02:51I don't think Tim and Sasha like the word simple, do they?
02:55They don't.
03:01Located an hour and a half's drive from Toulouse,
03:05last year they pulled out all the Christmas stops with a magical wedding.
03:11And this year the pressure is on Luke and Lily as they've been put in charge of hosting a huge party to thank all their suppliers.
03:25We've got a week to get everything ready, get all the decorations done, get all the preparations in the kitchen, getting everything really Christmassy.
03:35This is the first time we've been left in charge of Christmas so it's quite exciting and I hope we can make it really special.
03:39Their first idea is to transform the courtyard into a winter wonderland.
03:47Are we going to do the bubbles first?
03:49I honestly don't mind whatever you want.
03:51To start with, they want to brighten up the existing lights.
03:57You want it on each cable connector?
04:02Yeah.
04:06There we go, the first one.
04:08It's going to look great.
04:12While Luke and Lily continue outside...
04:15A little bit higher.
04:18...inside the chateau...
04:20You've got to get your reindeer in the middle, for goodness sake.
04:25Tim and Sasha are already in the Christmas spirit.
04:31This is the box I packed last year.
04:34And it has in it a Christmas tree that Lily created.
04:43All these stars Lily cooked, baked in the oven when she was a kid.
04:52Ooh!
04:54Look!
04:55We've got that!
04:56It still works!
04:57Christmas is about memories.
04:59It might be a silly piece of art that your child made when they were three years old.
05:07But it still has a place on the Christmas tree.
05:11She might want me to move it, mind you.
05:14They may be taking a back seat, but they can't resist getting involved.
05:19I hoard everything.
05:23You got one working?
05:24Please work.
05:25OK, good.
05:28It's already starting to feel Christmassy.
05:32I'm really liking how it's starting to look and I can't wait until the last ones are up so we can see it as a completed decoration.
05:38But with the courtyard to finish, the wine barn to deck out and a festive feast to prepare, the bells for Christmas won't be ringing for Luke and Lily soon.
05:55In the beautiful Dordogne region of Southwest France is the impressive 14th century Chateau Domaine de la Barde.
06:14Set in ten acres, this former hotel comprises of 32 charming rooms, several outbuildings and stunning formal gardens.
06:29Since 2020, it's been lovingly restored by Tim and Chris, who live here with Owen and baby Oliver.
06:42This Christmas is very, very special, especially for Oliver, because this is his first Christmas.
06:49What's wonderful about doing it in a Chateau is it's so much bigger that you can have more and more people, so it just becomes a really beautiful day.
07:02Located 100 miles east of Bordeaux, Tim and Chris run the Chateau as a high-end B&B.
07:10And last year...
07:12Welcome to our Christmas wonderland.
07:15They hosted a festive gingerbread house competition.
07:19Everyone is a winner! Bravo! Bravo!
07:27For this Christmas, the couple are planning to host a big party for their friends.
07:33And hope to impress their guests by renovating the Chateau's huge stairwell.
07:43So the stairwell, it really is monumental, it's medieval, so it will be great to do the whole medieval theme.
07:50It's about old weapons and tapestries and hunting and that kind of feel.
07:56We like to make the Chateau as magical as possible. It's going to look magnificent, I'm sure.
08:03I've got some... Do them, please, sir.
08:05To help out, Tim's roped in builder mate Steve and brother Ben.
08:12Once we've got the first two sets of legs built, we can then attach side rails and put the next two sets of legs on.
08:20First, they want to hang some lights. Which, on a Chateau scale, means building an eight-metre-high scaffolding tower.
08:33This should do it. I think.
08:37It makes my life a lot safer. I don't want to be doing that off ladders.
08:41I never really want to work off sort of five foot higher. This is the way forward.
08:45But it's all very heavy. As long as I don't look down, I won't feel giddy.
08:59While Tim has his hands full, in the salon, Chris and Owen have their own Christmas project.
09:09Colour, do more colouring for me.
09:11As they want to carry on the family tradition of making personalised decorations for the tree.
09:23So cute.
09:25This year is very special because it's Oliver, our baby, first Christmas.
09:31I love this picture. That's when he was sleeping when he was so tiny.
09:35Once we've cut the picture into shape, we're going to glue it and then we're going to varnish it so it lasts a long time.
09:44And Oliver will be finally part of our Christmas tree with all the family's pictures.
09:50All right, Owen.
09:53I've just got one more to cut. Then we're going to go outside to glue it because I've got this spray.
10:00There we go.
10:02What do you think about this one? Look, it's you and Oliver. Do you like that one?
10:07Yeah.
10:08Is that a yes or a no?
10:10Yes.
10:11Having got the thumbs up from Owen, the family's Christmas plans are up and running.
10:18Go.
10:20Plus nine.
10:24But with the stairwell to renovate...
10:27Right, watch me stained glass window.
10:30...and a party to organise...
10:32Tim and Chris's festive workload shows no sign of lightning.
10:43Still to come, a chateau pair need more than Christmas spirit to fix their chapel.
10:50I want to see a big crack at the front.
10:53And the Christmas lights go out for Tim.
10:57I can't see how I remove this without breaking it.
11:01In the Gironde département of South-West France is the delightful 15th century Chateau La Gorse.
11:19This stunning property sits in 71 acres and boasts its own private lake.
11:27Whilst inside, it comprises of 22 grand rooms.
11:33The Chateau was bought in 2003 for £890,000...
11:41...and is home to Edward, Anna and children Emma and Charles.
11:49Christmas is absolutely magical for the kids at the Chateau because it's the only time that we try and take off...
11:57...and just spend time with them and do things with them.
12:00Because everything is so big, it means there's a bigger tree.
12:02And so for our kids, when it's a bigger tree, they're expecting more presents, aren't they?
12:08Located 15 miles from the city of Bordeaux, Anna and Edward run the Chateau as a summer wedding venue.
12:23And last time celebrated Christmas by baking some homemade mince pies.
12:35Mmm. This is really nice.
12:38Really good. Merry Christmas, Anna. Merry Christmas, Ed.
12:46This year, Chef Edward is eager to experiment by pushing the boat out for Christmas dinner.
12:53I'm going to be trying something a little bit different this year.
12:59In France, there's a tradition to do a three-bird roast of chicken, duck and turkey.
13:07I'm just hoping that when it's cooked, it all kind of comes together.
13:11It could come out a bit of a problem, really, but we'll see.
13:15But first, they need to ensure the Chateau is looking its festive best.
13:21And are eager to decorate their tired holy chapel in time for the big day.
13:29The chapel is looking pretty sad at the minute.
13:32It's been a little bit neglected.
13:34The floorboards are needing a good hard waxing.
13:37And all the furniture is just looking a bit sorry for itself, really.
13:40And we want to make it extra special for Christmas time.
13:46OK, right.
13:48The chapel is full of old antiques.
13:51And some have extra significance.
13:54So these chairs have been in here since, well, before we got here.
13:59And it's part of the family that owned it maybe in the 1800s.
14:02They have the initials of some of the owners.
14:05It's rare to have something like this, so it's very important to us that these are well taken care of.
14:15It could be a slow process, as the chapel hasn't been touched in more than two decades.
14:24It's looking a bit more dirty and dusty than I remember it.
14:28First job is to give it a good Christmas clean.
14:33Tackling the cobwebs for a person that is pretty short is hard.
14:38But with this, it helps.
14:41Edward has a bigger festive challenge, as the centuries-old altar is in need of repair.
14:49And I've got a bit of woodwork to do, because right now we're leaving these little drapes like this.
14:57And it's a shame, because they shouldn't be there, they should be here at the back.
15:02So you can see all the lovely carved wood.
15:05With this being a little bit broken, we've had to keep the velvet in front.
15:09All Edward can hope is that it's an easy fix.
15:19The right size? Nope.
15:21I think it's like that.
15:23There we go.
15:24So I know that it goes that way around.
15:32It's gone in well.
15:33I now have to try and get the pieces back towards it.
15:37I want to see a big crack at the front.
15:43That's better.
15:45That's a top job.
15:46That'll do me.
15:48A lot easier than I thought, to be honest.
15:52That's good.
15:54I'm happy with that.
15:56It's a case of so far, so good.
15:59And then, yeah, we've got to clean it up and give it a polish.
16:07Should have got the kids doing this.
16:09Could have practised brushing the teeth.
16:12It's set to be a painstaking task,
16:15and with the floor still to restore,
16:18and the rest of the furniture to repair,
16:21Anna and Edward's Christmas prayers are far from being answered.
16:29Yeah.
16:35In southern France, at Chateau du Puy-et-Prince.
16:39Nearly done though, aren't we?
16:40Yeah, it shouldn't take us too long.
16:42It's five days until Luke and Lily host their first Christmas party.
16:48And the courtyard is beginning to sparkle.
16:52You can never have too many baubles.
16:53The lights are working, they're looking fantastic,
16:57and I cannot wait to see them at night time.
17:00With the outside looking Christmassy,
17:04they need to get the wine barn to twinkle.
17:07I think this is going to take me all week.
17:10Starting with the table decorations.
17:12It doesn't matter how you package them up after Christmas.
17:19The following year you take them out,
17:22they get very badly tangled.
17:25But once it's done, it's worth it.
17:28There we go.
17:29We're untangled.
17:31Which is just as well as Tim and Sasha are here with the Christmas trees.
17:38Oh, it was a devil to get in the car.
17:41Just fits.
17:43Yeah, this is a good-sized tree.
17:49It's going to fit over really nicely there, I think.
17:50I can't wait until it's cut open and we can start decorating.
17:54It's absolutely massive.
17:59Perfect, perfect.
18:00Well, that works well, though, doesn't it?
18:01It does work well, yeah.
18:03Having got the seal of approval,
18:06Tim's also bought a smaller one for inside the chateau.
18:10And that's a perfect shape.
18:13Looks fab.
18:14I'm actually going to plug the lights in.
18:17There we go.
18:20This job here was 29 euros.
18:23And I got someone to put the lights on, so...
18:25It's a win-win situation, really.
18:27I'm charged by the bulb, actually.
18:29You're charged by the bulb.
18:31There we go.
18:33I'm so pleased with this tree.
18:35Thank you, Luke, very much.
18:36You're welcome.
18:37With the tree starting to shine...
18:41Darlene, it's bauble time.
18:44Sasha wants to add her own Christmas touches.
18:48I've had this for, I'd say, 40 years.
18:53And he has always been on top of the Christmas tree.
19:00Lily will take one look and have a fit,
19:04and we'll see how quickly she notices.
19:08It might not take long,
19:11as Lily is a real stickler for detail.
19:14Right.
19:17I think we're at a good place for this now.
19:20We'll just, er...
19:22Need to do the star at some point.
19:24No, it looks really good.
19:25I'm really happy with the colour stylings and everything of this tree.
19:28I'm looking forward to when everyone walks in and sees it for the first time.
19:32But I think we should go and check out some of Sasha's tree.
19:34Yeah.
19:37We like to go over the top, you know.
19:40That's not over the top.
19:42If you were selling a Christmas tree, that is your shot.
19:45That's a Christmas tree.
19:47Here they come.
19:51Lovely.
19:53Festive.
19:54Very festive.
19:55Feels like Christmas.
19:56It's Christmas.
19:57Yeah.
19:58Yeah, it goes really well there.
19:59That's sweet.
20:00I, er...
20:01I don't know if we'll be keeping the angel demon at the top.
20:04Angel demon.
20:05He's not a demon.
20:06He's an Italian clown.
20:07He's a clown.
20:08Italian clown.
20:09Who has Italian clowns on there, truly?
20:10Hmm.
20:12Aww.
20:13Aww.
20:15Sasha may have lost the battle.
20:19But with the Christmas trees up and the wine barn looking festive,
20:24at least Luke and Lily's party plans are starting to gather pace.
20:31Over in the Dordogne at Chateau Domaine de la Barde.
20:40It is feeling quite arctic.
20:42I reckon we'll get snow at this sort of altitude.
20:45Tim's finally finished building an eight metre high scaffolding tower in the medieval stairwell.
20:53Look at that.
20:54This is perfect.
20:55This is exactly where I need to be.
20:57Hang a light.
20:59Beautiful.
21:01To make the space shine in time for their Christmas party tomorrow,
21:06Tim's bought three giant festive bauble lights.
21:10So my objective is to have each light at a different height.
21:18I've been given this very short bit of chain.
21:21I need to extend an awful lot.
21:23The smallest one is going to be a metre.
21:25The longest one is probably going to be two metres.
21:27So I could open a big can of worms doing this.
21:31These just come out like this, which is easy enough.
21:35So I know the wiring is going to go down into here.
21:39I don't know that I'm actually getting anywhere.
21:40I can't see how I remove this without breaking it.
21:48Always the case that everything takes longer than you first expect.
21:52Ta-da!
22:07Thank God for that.
22:08Only two more to do.
22:11While Tim can at least see the light,
22:15Chris is eager to ready one of the several centuries-old tapestries.
22:20I'm just checking that there's no holes on it.
22:25You bought it from someone who inherited it from his grandma.
22:31I love this tapestry because of the scenery.
22:35It's quite romantic, quite sweet, and it's got really nice colours.
22:41But basically, it's the dimension of it.
22:43It's big and we need big things in the chateau.
22:46So, yeah, it fits what we're going for.
22:48Good.
22:51It's in good condition.
22:53I'm very pleased with it.
22:55Yeah, it's ready when Tim's ready to put it up.
22:58The pressure is on for Tim.
23:02Possibly about there. No.
23:03But first, he has to find a way to hang his Christmas baubles.
23:12Maybe like there.
23:15That might need to be a bit lower.
23:17You're going to go higher bit with that one.
23:19How about the small one?
23:22A bit lower?
23:24Did you just take that higher?
23:26They all need to be slightly lower, maybe.
23:29Yeah, okay.
23:31It's hard to tell, isn't it, cos the scaffolding's in the way,
23:34so you can't really see it.
23:35What does it look like from down the bottom?
23:38Oh, yeah.
23:43Yeah, okay.
23:45If you're happy with that, with the heights, I'm happy.
23:48Yeah, I'm happy with that.
23:50We can leave it at those heights, that's great.
23:53I just want to get the scaffolding down
23:54so I can see what it actually looks like lit.
23:59It's beginning to come together.
24:02I've got your tapestry, Tim.
24:04But with the rest of the stairwell to dress,
24:08and a Christmas party still to plan,
24:12Tim and Chris won't be popping the festive fizz
24:16for some time to come.
24:20Coming up.
24:25It's the moment of truth for Luke and his special festive tipple.
24:30Woo!
24:32Wow, that's strong.
24:34And Ed's Christmas dinner could be a recipe for disaster.
24:38I've cooked quite a bit, just not three different birds as such.
24:49In the Languedoc region of southern France,
24:53it's the day before Luke and Lily host their first Christmas party.
24:58And they're cooking up a feast in the kitchen.
25:02We're going to be stuffing mushrooms.
25:03I have a blend of onions, leeks and mushrooms,
25:08that I'm just going to sweat off for a little while now.
25:11And then I'll be adding in some sage that Lily's collected from the garden for me,
25:15and some garlic.
25:16Lily, meanwhile, is making a Christmas classic.
25:20Lily, meanwhile, is making a Christmas classic.
25:23I'm on the pigs and blankets with a French twist.
25:26We're using saucisse de toulouse for these sausages.
25:31We couldn't get chipolatas, so it was a perfect way to get a French twist in it.
25:36I'm just portioning them up, then I'll wrap them in the bacon.
25:39And I think we'll be able to trial a few later on, won't we?
25:43I think we will.
25:45Luke actually does most of the cooking at home.
25:49Sometimes I can probably be a little bit over-controlling, would you say?
25:54No comments.
25:56Yeah.
25:58But most of the time at home, I just let him do it.
26:01We're nearly done with this.
26:03The stuffing smells absolutely incredible.
26:06With the mushrooms almost prepped,
26:09and the pigs in blankets baking...
26:13It smells good. It smells like Christmas.
26:17Luke's eager to test his Christmas cocktails.
26:21Mmm, that is so good.
26:24This is a cocktail called Santa's Little Helper.
26:28It is a blend of spiced rum, red vermouth, cider,
26:33simple syrup, cloves, cinnamon, all mixed together.
26:37Whoo!
26:41Wow, that's strong.
26:43Oh, look at this!
26:45Not ones to miss out.
26:47Tim and Sasha want to try the drinks and nibbles themselves.
26:52Take a seat.
26:56I'm going to start you off with a mistletoe margarita
26:59with cranberries and lime.
27:01So it's just got that Christmas twist to it.
27:04But you've only got one glass there.
27:05I have.
27:07It's a taste.
27:10Oh, that's delicious.
27:12It's really delicious, yeah.
27:14We've got some pigs in blankets going on here.
27:16Oh, boy.
27:18These are just divine.
27:20So good.
27:22They're good, aren't they?
27:23The next one I'm going to do for you now is Rudolph's red nose.
27:26Can I rename it?
27:31I'm in heaven.
27:33I'm in heaven.
27:35It seems Tim and Sasha have certainly been won over.
27:39We've never been looked after so well.
27:41No.
27:43By our daughter and son-in-law.
27:45I've never seen so many cocktails in a row.
27:47They've done brilliantly.
27:48Absolutely brilliantly.
27:49Of course they have.
27:50I'm so impressed.
27:52It's proved to be a big hit.
27:54All Luke and Lily can hope is they get the same festive cheer from their guests tomorrow.
28:08In the southwest of France, at Chateau Lagos.
28:12I've kind of broken the back of this.
28:14And it's not broken my back, so we're doing all right.
28:19Edward and Anna are still sprucing up the chapel.
28:23They're eager to have ready for Christmas.
28:27It's really starting to take shape now.
28:29And I think, of course, when I do the floor, it's going to make a huge difference.
28:34Getting it in every little nut and cranny there.
28:40We just want it to look nice.
28:43There's not a moment to waste.
28:46With so much to prepare before the big day, they don't have much time.
28:53This part works.
28:54Still keep it looking nice and shiny.
28:59Last little home straight now.
29:02It's pretty much finished the floor.
29:08It's already looking really, really good.
29:11Nearly finished the floor.
29:14Finished the floor.
29:16All done.
29:18Pretty darn happy.
29:20It's gone well.
29:22We're waiting for the floor to dry.
29:24Add on the last little bits and then the chapel will be back to its former glory.
29:29Yeah.
29:31Owning a chateau of this magnitude means the renovations never stop.
29:38But Edward has bigger things to fry as he's taking on the challenge of making a Christmas three-bird dinner using turkey, duck and chicken.
29:50I've cooked quite a bit, just not three different birds as such.
29:59This looks quite big.
30:02Really not used to turkey breast.
30:04I'm particularly fussy when it comes to food.
30:13Let's see how this is looking now.
30:16Turkey is wrapping round quite nicely.
30:20I think that's what I was aiming for.
30:22Rather than sage and onion stuffing, I want to put a bit of sage in with butter and thyme.
30:32I think I'm ready.
30:34The whole point to wrapping it is to make this sausage shape.
30:44And when we cut it, it presents really well.
30:47Edward's giving it an extra seal as he wants to experiment by cooking it the sous vide way.
30:57There we go, that's ready to go.
30:58So three hours before we eat, I'm going to pop that in the water.
31:03It's proved to be relatively straightforward.
31:07And with just the veg to prepare.
31:10Carrots are quite Christmassy.
31:13And that all-important jus.
31:17Little bit of red wine.
31:19Anna and Edward's festive plans are heating up nicely.
31:28Over in the Dardogne region.
31:35Put it wherever you want to.
31:38It's already beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.
31:43I think my favourite is this one.
31:47Owen and Chris have finished off the family's personalised tree.
31:52While Tim has been working wonders on their medieval stairwell.
31:59The lights are working. We've got a few tapestries up.
32:04Everything's really good.
32:06I absolutely love the lights. It's perfect.
32:08It's exactly what we want it to look like.
32:11It still requires some finishing touches.
32:13But with their guests due in just half an hour.
32:19Tim's first eager to prep his niche party food.
32:24Well, it's Christmas time.
32:27Everybody loves Brussels sprouts.
32:29And even people that don't like Brussels sprouts
32:31can be made to like Brussels sprouts.
32:33What I'm going to do is I'm going to roast these off in curry oil
32:37to give me a nice Christmas Brussels sprout curry.
32:39I'll do a Brussels sprout gel fraise,
32:43and then I'll do a Brussels sprout korma.
32:46I don't want to make anything too spicy.
32:52With the sprouts left to roast...
32:55OK, here we go.
32:57..it's just a matter of adding some last-minute colour
33:01to the stairwell.
33:04The deep red, sort of plush velvet look of the curtain,
33:07you know, it's kind of old and medieval.
33:10Just help bring this stairwell to life.
33:13Decide what you think best.
33:15I don't like the look of it.
33:21There.
33:23What do you think?
33:25Infinitely better.
33:27I wanted weaponry, I wanted taxidermy.
33:30Rural France thrives on hunting.
33:33So I want to include that.
33:34Magnificent.
33:38Just a few days ago, the chateau stairwell was bare, dull and dated.
33:48Now it's been given a new lease of life.
33:53The striking opulent lights give it a focal point.
33:59While the addition of centuries-old tapestries,
34:05stylish furnishings and relics create that medieval magic of a bygone era.
34:16And they've finished just in time.
34:19Doing great, love it.
34:22Got lots of people, the chateau is full, and we're very happy because this is what Christmas is about.
34:33With everyone in the party mood, Tim's ready to reveal his latest pride and joy.
34:40Oh, wow.
34:42Oh, wow.
34:44Oh, wow.
34:46Oh, wow.
34:48And it certainly seems to have made an impression.
34:53The lights and the tapestries look lovely.
34:56Yeah, we're very impressed.
34:57And it's absolutely beautiful.
35:00It's a stairway to heaven.
35:02Simple as that.
35:05It's been a great success.
35:08And the party celebrations can truly begin.
35:12This is a beautiful family Christmas.
35:16It's what Demendelevard was always meant for.
35:19It's a beautiful big family home.
35:21And we just want to share it with our friends.
35:23It's absolutely fantastic.
35:25Everybody's happy.
35:26The kids are having a blast.
35:27I'm having a blast.
35:29It's joyous.
35:31Merry Christmas!
35:33It's a great way to start the season of goodwill.
35:36And it looks like this Christmas party will last long into the night.
35:48Still to come.
35:50It's Christmas crunch time for Edward's three-bird dinner.
35:54Unfortunately, we seem to have lost the chicken.
35:57And Luke and Lily have a special festive surprise.
36:01No-one knows what's happening.
36:02Yeah, it's going to be good fun.
36:03It's going to be so much fun.
36:07In the Gironde département of South-West France,
36:14Christmas is in the air.
36:17Cheers, Ez. Thank you.
36:19As Anna and Edward's three-bird Christmas dinner
36:23is coming along nicely.
36:25Oh, that's looking good.
36:28It all seems to be running like clockwork.
36:32So while the feast is left to cook,
36:34the couple hope to celebrate in style by finishing decorating the chapel.
36:43Let's see.
36:46The chapel is looking really good.
36:49With the stained floor dry,
36:52they just need to add back the restored chairs.
36:55It's looking so much better in there, a lot cleaner, a lot tidier.
37:01I'm kind of gleaming.
37:05And it wouldn't be complete without candles.
37:08It feels really nice to have the chapel looking good again.
37:19That's it now.
37:21It's brilliant to see it like this.
37:23All nice and neat.
37:25Amazing.
37:27Having been left neglected for two decades,
37:31this once unloved chapel
37:34has been transformed back to its former glory
37:40by freshening up the antique altar,
37:45sprucing up the floor and old chairs.
37:50The chapel is reborn in time for Christmas.
37:55The chapel is looking fantastic.
37:58Such a relief now that the chapel is looking good
38:01and feeling like it's being taken care of.
38:04And we're going to keep that up now.
38:06The scene is set for the festive season.
38:10Christmas time is the best time.
38:13But with daughter Emma and son Charles getting hungry...
38:18The most important clients of the year have arrived.
38:22Edward just hopes his Christmas three-bird dinner
38:26also pays off.
38:29It is smelling so good and it looks fantastic.
38:33I'm quite happy with how the duck and the turkey is looking.
38:37Unfortunately, we seem to have lost the chicken.
38:40It's become part of the turkey.
38:43But it can't complain.
38:45It all seems very well cooked.
38:48It's a case of so far, so good.
38:52Getting ready to serve.
38:55But it still needs everyone's approval.
39:01Is it hot, Shushu?
39:03Mm-mm.
39:04Good?
39:06I'm very, very happy.
39:08The food is beautiful.
39:10Daddy, I like what you did.
39:12Do you like it?
39:13No.
39:14Good.
39:16Absolutely delicious.
39:18Even if I say so myself.
39:21It's proved to be a winner.
39:24Cheers!
39:26And the ideal start for Edward, Anna, Charles and Emma
39:30to kick off the festive season.
39:31In the Languedoc region of southern France, it's just two hours before Luke and Lily's first Christmas party.
39:50The wine barn is almost ready.
39:53And they've booked a surprise acrobat show as an extra special treat.
39:58I'm really excited to see everyone's reactions to it because no one knows what's happening.
40:02Yeah.
40:03It's going to be good fun.
40:04It's going to be so much fun.
40:06They can't afford to relax just yet, as there's lots of last-minute finishing touches.
40:13And then I just have to press down and the scent a bit.
40:18And Sasha has a festive one of her own.
40:22We've got these lovely giant candlesticks.
40:25They'll be covered with winter berries like this and pyracantha.
40:29The nice thing is using things from your own garden.
40:32I would like it to be a nice welcome.
40:36There you go.
40:38I'm almost there.
40:40Tim is also keen to add his own Christmas stamp by making a unique table decoration.
40:48This is string doused in PVA glue wrapped around an inflated balloon.
40:53The string is now dry, ready for me to bust and hopefully leave the shell of the string intact.
41:04Which will become the Christmas decoration.
41:07Tim's never done this before.
41:10You can hear the glue breaking off the balloon.
41:14And can't afford to get it wrong.
41:17That feels pretty good.
41:19So here we go.
41:24Job done.
41:26I'm left with the structure.
41:28Look at that.
41:30The next stage is for me to spray that.
41:33And we're almost done.
41:45It's all looking good.
41:47I will then put Christmas tree lights, fairy lights inside.
41:50So as they don't all slump to the bottom, I'm wrapping the lights around some cellophane.
41:59I haven't a clue if it works, but I'm hoping it will.
42:03There we go.
42:05Turn them on.
42:07And just to make sure how it looks.
42:11So I'm quite pleased with that.
42:14Happy Christmas.
42:16With the night drawing in.
42:19And the party about to begin.
42:21You said glitter?
42:23Yeah.
42:25Glitter.
42:27I feel like something out of the Addams family.
42:29Lily just needs to pour the welcome drinks.
42:32We're putting a Christmas twist on it.
42:34So we're doing a cranberry syrup with the champagne, with the candy cane.
42:38So we've got candy cane champagne.
42:42Candy cane champagne.
42:44My goodness me.
42:46Well done.
42:48Happy Christmas.
42:49With the Chateau's courtyard in full sparkle.
42:55It's showtime.
43:03So these are chicken satay bites.
43:06Everyone has arrived.
43:08And they seem to be enjoying the festivities.
43:12It's going very well.
43:14A little bit too well.
43:17But the highlight of the evening is yet to come.
43:21Any second now, the whole group's going to come over.
43:24And we're going to reveal our secret cabaret.
43:25It's been a great evening.
43:47It's been especially fun for us.
43:50Because we haven't organized it.
43:52It's all down to our daughter and son-in-law.
43:53It's something that we hadn't imagined coming up with.
43:58It was an amazing acrobatic act that looked as it came out of a Cirque Soleil.
44:05Yeah, it's been absolutely great.
44:13With Tim and Sasha's blessing, Luke and Lily have pulled a Christmas cracker.
44:20It's gone really, really well.
44:21We're so happy with how it went.
44:23Really looking forward to a quick break.
44:25And putting our feet up for a well-deserved rest, I think.
44:28Yeah, absolutely. It's so rewarding seeing that everyone's having a great time.
44:32Everyone's just raving about everything.
44:34And it's just, it's a great feeling.
44:38It's been the perfect way to begin the Christmas celebrations.
44:41And for Luke and Lily, it's set to become their annual festive party.
44:51Next time.
44:52So it's all a bit backwards and higgledy-piggledy because I've been making this up as I go along, really.
44:57Making room at the stable doesn't always equal silent nights.
45:01Oh, Harry. Oh, Harry.
45:04Oh, Harry.
45:05A potential recipe for disaster.
45:08How much brandy you're going to put in?
45:10No idea. Literally have no idea.
45:13You okay?
45:15And moving in a feast-sized table.
45:17Well, I'm going to be.
45:18Proves a right Christmas carry-on.
45:21You've got to lift it right up.
45:23I like your options.
45:48I like your choice.
45:49I like your imagination.
45:51I like your options.
45:53I like your options.
45:55I like my options.
45:57It's obviously pretty good to have been a paradise.
45:59Between on wrestling and adae mar Cat Vitamin 8.
46:01The depois Kurt Lil USA.
46:03Loигр Started D ‑‑
46:07The night shift as a crossing sea diary calves as a the eye.
46:10Hello.
46:12I like yourema of what I like.
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