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00:00Making a fresh start under blue skies is a dream chased by thousands of Brits.
00:05This is freedom. Pick your vista. Anyone you like.
00:10Pursuing bucket list experiences...
00:13Yay!
00:15...and newfound freedoms.
00:17We could walk around butt naked if we wanted to.
00:19While Brexit has made it a battle...
00:22I've applied for two visas. I've been denied two visas.
00:25...many are still giving it a go.
00:28I wanted to know what else life had to offer.
00:30I like the idea of just spending every day together, don't we?
00:34We do.
00:35From launching bike tours in Spain...
00:38This is my office here. I couldn't ask for more.
00:40...to glamping sites in Italy.
00:42Build it and they will come. We hope.
00:46But will it be a smooth ride?
00:50Or their ideas come crashing down?
00:52Oh no!
00:55As they begin their new lives in the sun.
00:58It's an adventure.
00:59Loving life.
01:01Today...
01:01Ready for another day in the sunny Dardyne.
01:04After a bumper launch night, can a pair of publicans keep the tills ringing?
01:08I'm just making a little sign with our opening times.
01:12Then we're going to go into the lake and put it up.
01:14In Spain, there's cause for celebration.
01:17I'm officially a resident.
01:18But is it one step forward and two back?
01:21For a couple's guest house renovations...
01:24Slightly bigger hole than we expected.
01:26Looks like we've just had an earthquake.
01:28And after winning the keys to a French B&B on a TV game show...
01:33What the...
01:34What?
01:34What?
01:35A couple from Belfast claim their life-changing prize.
01:39Do you think it's real?
01:40Oh, God, yeah.
01:41I don't.
01:41I just don't feel like we're in someone else's house.
01:44I guess it's not an everyday occurrence where you get a house handed to you.
01:57For many British families, the daily grind has become just that.
02:02A grind.
02:03With barely any time to enjoy the moments that really matter.
02:07Oh, there's a pecan there.
02:09I've never been in that one.
02:10But the Dunn family from Huddersfield decided they weren't going to settle for that.
02:15There we go.
02:17We can start practising horse riding already.
02:20I'll get some cowboy boots.
02:23Emily and Dave, along with kids Willow and Hugo,
02:26have moved to the Dordogne in south-west France,
02:29where family time isn't a luxury, it's made a priority.
02:34Bonjour.
02:39From exploring local markets together
02:42or enjoying the countryside surrounding their new home
02:45in the village of Santestef.
02:48We wanted them to be free on the bikes.
02:50Free to move around and bike ride and enjoy the countryside.
02:55Best life ever!
02:58You're definitely taking advantage of it, aren't you?
03:00Yeah, 100%.
03:01To sustain their new lives here,
03:04the couple bought and recently relaunched an English-style pub.
03:08Ready for another day in the sunny Dordogne.
03:11A big career change for former car sales manager Dave
03:14and travel agent Emily.
03:17I'm not very good at looking after plants.
03:18I like to kill them.
03:20We're creating a hub for people, aren't we?
03:22Yeah.
03:22Somewhere where we hopefully pull the French in and the English
03:25and, you know, allow people to meet people that they've not met before
03:30and just, yeah, bring the community together.
03:35But after sinking a huge chunk of their savings
03:38into getting their new business open,
03:40it's now important they see a return on their investment.
03:45If the business is paying for itself...
03:47We need to break even, don't we?
03:49Yeah, if we can break even, we're both comfortable with that, aren't we?
03:52Yeah.
03:55It's early June, and after serving over 150 people
03:59at their pub's official opening three days ago,
04:03all has now gone quiet.
04:07The launch on Friday was a huge success, wasn't it?
04:10Yeah, it was.
04:11The best part was people were spending money.
04:14Today's Monday.
04:16And a bank holiday.
04:16And a bank holiday, so we probably will be quiet
04:19cos we're not doing food.
04:20We have put it out on social media that we're open.
04:22If you want to come in and bring a picnic, feel free.
04:26So far, a couple of locals have popped in for a drink.
04:29What can I get for you?
04:31Uh, demi-guides.
04:32Ah, oui?
04:33Not having their kitchen open for food orders yet
04:36means the other potential customers are heading elsewhere.
04:41On est huit, hein?
04:42Er...
04:42Manger ce midi?
04:44Er...
04:44No, er, non manger, er, just, er...
04:47Ah, boire?
04:48Oui.
04:48Eh, bon, bah, tant pis, alors.
04:50Merci beaucoup.
04:51Désolé.
04:52Merci.
04:53Bonne journée, au revoir.
04:55But this is a shame, you see.
04:56We've got to be ready for it.
04:58Yeah, no, no, we have.
04:59But we've got a couple of weeks to get started.
05:01Being new to the pub trade,
05:03the pair want to find their feet behind the bar
05:05before launching their new menu.
05:08So how much did we say we were going to charge for fish and chips?
05:11Which is still a work in progress.
05:14We'll start small.
05:15We've got to start small.
05:16We've got to start small.
05:16If we don't start small, we're just going to make a mess of it all
05:18and then...
05:18Yeah, burn out.
05:19People won't come back.
05:20No.
05:21Until they're ready to launch their food service,
05:24their priority is getting more people in for drinks.
05:27I'm just making a little sign with our opening times,
05:31telling people that we're open.
05:32Then we're going to go into the lake and put it up
05:35because it'll be really busy down there today
05:37with all the families being off.
05:39And hopefully we can drive some business.
05:43I can't spell that.
05:46Fortunately, Willow and Hugo,
05:47who are settling in well to their new French school,
05:50are on hand to help with translation.
05:53There's no internet upstairs
05:54and I need to know how to spell Wednesday in French.
05:57Unless you know, do you know how to spell Wednesday?
06:00Yeah, but how do you spell it?
06:04No, it's Merc.
06:06Merc ready.
06:08Right, Merc ready.
06:11Merc ready.
06:13Here we go.
06:15Nowhere around here opens on a Monday
06:17and we've decided that we will
06:19so that we can have Wednesday off
06:21to be with the kids,
06:22because that's important to us.
06:25As Emily holds the fort at the pub,
06:29Dave heads to put the new poster up
06:31at the village's local lake
06:33that's popular with families.
06:36Knowing that we're going to be quiet today,
06:38I think I'd rather be down here myself, to be honest.
06:40I should have brought a staple gun.
06:44This is going badly.
06:47If Em sees this, she'll be very upset with me,
06:49because it's not straight.
06:52There we go.
06:53Hopefully that'll get a couple of people in.
06:56With their future in France at stake,
06:58Dave and Emily desperately need these quiet days
07:01to become a thing of the past.
07:1090 miles to the east is the little village of Fenier,
07:14which is just a stone's throw
07:16from the lakes of the Milvash Plateau
07:19and the meandering River Cruz
07:21that winds majestically through the landscape.
07:24It's now home to Roy and Nicola,
07:27who've moved here from Devon to run a B&B.
07:30I can't believe how warm it is today.
07:32No, my naturist.
07:34Previously, Roy was a pastry chef
07:36and Nicola has experience running a tea room,
07:39but their new life isn't something
07:41they spent years planning or saving for.
07:45Instead, it's a prize they fought to win
07:47in a TV competition.
07:51It hasn't sung in that we've won this.
07:53No.
07:53At least once a day, one of us say,
07:55we're youngness.
07:56We're youngness.
07:56Can you believe her?
07:58The pair had been picked out of hundreds of applicants.
08:01How are you?
08:02And were pitted against five other couples
08:04across three weeks of challenges.
08:07This has given me the realisation that we have to have double linen.
08:13There you go.
08:14All in a bid to prove to the judges that they could be top B&B hosts.
08:21We're behind.
08:22We'll pass a wee bit of time.
08:24We'll not be behind.
08:25There's no rule for error here.
08:27There's no room.
08:28The competition pushed them to their limits
08:31and tested their teamwork.
08:32So there's a getting cold while you're faffing round.
08:36Stop dressing there.
08:38It's over.
08:38It's over.
08:39But after giving it their all, they were crowned the winners.
08:44You have won a B&B in France.
08:48What the...
08:49What?
08:50One?
08:50Congratulations.
08:51We haven't made it.
08:53We haven't made it.
08:53Oh, my God.
08:54What?
08:56So the moment we won is still a shock to me.
09:01I don't really remember what happened that night.
09:03We're still in crowd nine.
09:04The property they've won is a stunning French townhouse
09:08at the heart of the village.
09:10Four of its five bedrooms are turnkey,
09:13while on the top floor there's an added bonus
09:16of a huge attic, prime for expansion.
09:19And outside there's a storage barn and a pretty courtyard.
09:24Nicola and Roy plan to hit the ground running
09:27by opening their prize B&B this season.
09:31There's a million things to do before we open.
09:33We think we're ahead of ourselves and then we realise
09:35that there's so much more to do.
09:37We have things to do every day, all day.
09:42It's now September,
09:44two months after Roy and Nicola won their life-changing prize.
09:49Today they're packing up their things
09:51and moving out of their home in Paynton
09:53before catching the ferry to France.
09:59The stuff we're taking with us is all personal stuff, really.
10:04Erm...
10:04I didn't downsize any clothes or shoes.
10:08Should I?
10:09Roy did, but I didn't.
10:12With very little time to spare today,
10:14they'll need to lean into their winning teamwork once again.
10:19You haven't told me what's in that box yet, because it's blank.
10:21I haven't numbered it yet.
10:22French customs have to see a list of what they're transporting,
10:27so they've devised a system for labelling their boxes.
10:31One to five.
10:32Yeah.
10:32The trouble is, they can't quite agree on what the system is.
10:36No, it's not one to five, though.
10:38One to five is one, two, three, four, five.
10:41I've now got two, three, four and six.
10:45This is going to take longer.
10:46Box one.
10:47When did you put that there?
10:48On there, when you were talking.
10:49You didn't tell me.
10:50But eventually they figure it all out,
10:53and soon the van starts to fill.
10:56We have about 25 to 30 boxes.
11:00Plus, we're having a range cooker delivered this afternoon,
11:03so the range cooker should go here,
11:06and then we'll have to build the rest of the stuff around it.
11:08While most of their belongings don't need to be handled with care...
11:12I wish you could load everything, I guess.
11:16Nicola does have a collection of special ceramics that are fragile.
11:20I have plates that I adore, and they cost a fortune,
11:24and they used to have them in the tea rooms,
11:26and if they get damaged...
11:29I don't know what'll do.
11:31This must be Nicola's expensive plates.
11:33They are very expensive, and they're heavy.
11:40So, make sure they don't fall off that wall.
11:44With a ferry to catch,
11:46Roy works quickly to get most of their belongings in the van.
11:50Where's my plates?
11:51On the bottom, we have everything on top of them.
11:53But they're not, Roy.
11:54No, they're not.
11:55They're not!
11:57Where actually are they?
11:59There, with the pillows on top.
12:01OK.
12:03Having packed up and cleaned,
12:06reality hits.
12:08Where are we, how's the end of?
12:12Once we leave today, that's...
12:14The job's gone, the accommodation's gone...
12:16We're homeless for a day.
12:18Well, we live in a boat for the day.
12:20Yeah, yeah, we're homeless for a day.
12:22And then, yeah, we'll move on to our new adventure and our new home.
12:27After battling to win this life-changing opportunity...
12:32Let's go to France.
12:34Now that the game's over,
12:35can they make their new lives as B&B hosts a success?
12:43Coming up...
12:45Things get heated as a couple push on with their Spanish guest house renovations.
12:50It's too up to be doing this sort of work.
12:52I'd rather be on the beach.
12:54And temperatures also rise for Emily and Dave.
12:57Wow, it's super hot.
12:58As they take a gamble on a new event to pull in punters.
13:02I'm just in the process of making lasagna for 50 people.
13:06Not really sure on the quantity.
13:17Making the move to mainland Europe after Brexit can be tough.
13:21But there are still plenty of people determined to overcome the hurdles.
13:25There you go.
13:27Like Nigel and husband Fede,
13:30who moved to the small mountain village of Pelopos
13:33after leaving behind their lives running a pub in Bath.
13:37Congrats.
13:38Thank you very much.
13:40While Fede is Spanish-born and has family roots here,
13:44Brit Nigel must have a residency permit.
13:48And five months after buying a former guest house at the top of the village,
13:52there's good news.
13:55I'm officially a resident.
13:57I'm really happy.
13:58A lot of hard work Freddie's put into it.
14:00And, you know, that's the result.
14:02It takes a lot of pressure off.
14:03And we can focus properly on getting the B&B up and running.
14:07Cheers.
14:09With their paperwork now in order,
14:12the pair can crack on with their ambitious plans
14:14to try to open their new bed and breakfast business in October,
14:18while also continuing to immerse themselves in village life.
14:25I'm pretty sure Nigel will learn Spanish.
14:28At the moment it's quite limited, so just greetings.
14:32No, what's the wine?
14:34The wine word? Vino.
14:36Yeah.
14:36Tinto de verano.
14:37Tinto variano.
14:38De verano.
14:40Tinto vino.
14:41Tinto vino.
14:42Tinto vino.
14:43There you go.
14:46It's now mid-June, and after difficulties plumbing in a new guest en suite,
14:51Nigel and Fede have been given permission from the town council
14:55to dig up the road outside their property,
14:57as they need to create a new connection to the main sewerage pipe.
15:02I'm just going to flick it so it makes a line on the floor.
15:06To keep costs down, the couple are doing most of the work themselves,
15:10with some help from neighbour and local builder Brian.
15:14We're just marking out the mapping of the floor
15:16to where we're going to dig up,
15:18so this just gives us an outline that we can follow.
15:22Although they've received some guidance from the authorities
15:25about where to locate the outlets for water and waste,
15:29finding their exact location still involves an element of guesswork.
15:34I think the waste pipe's coming down here somewhere.
15:38The main water is there.
15:40Before they start digging,
15:41they need to turn off the water supply to the house.
15:44There's one against the wall, there's one against this wall.
15:49But as their background is in running pubs,
15:52they're more used to bar taps than stop taps.
15:56It seems there is still water pressure in the streets, so...
16:02And Brian's power drill is proving no match for this old concrete road.
16:08This piece is thicker than anticipated.
16:11With renovation work inside the property currently on hold,
16:15pressure to fix their plumbing problems is rising,
16:19as are the Spanish summer temperatures.
16:26I'm sitting down, I'm on a five-minute break.
16:30I'm watching Brian.
16:31It's too hot to be doing this sort of work.
16:34I'd rather be on the beach.
16:36After fruitlessly chipping away for most of the morning
16:39and no sign of the waste pipe,
16:42it's time for Plan B.
16:45Brian's brought out his digger.
16:48Slightly bigger hole than we expected, but hey,
16:51it seems to be taking out the whole driveway.
16:55Bringing in the big guns is a messy affair.
17:00Looks like we've just had an earthquake.
17:02But they're feeling hopeful it will speed things up.
17:10Two days later, Brian is back on site and the hunt continues.
17:15I hope, I hope, it's after work I go.
17:19But as there's no X to mark the spot...
17:22There's a stone.
17:24..there's no way of knowing if their freshly dug trench
17:27ends at the existing pipes.
17:31But finally...
17:32Success!
17:34There's water.
17:36He's only gone and done it.
17:38We found water and bust the pipe.
17:40Would you believe?
17:43There it is.
17:44There's the water pipe.
17:46Tiny!
17:49They might not have struck gold,
17:51but when it comes to keeping the renovations on track,
17:54this find is almost as valuable.
17:57Now we've just got to find the sewage pipe.
18:07Across in south-west France, it's now late June.
18:11Wow.
18:12It's super hot.
18:14While advertising locally and on social media
18:17has resulted in some extra trade,
18:20Emily and Dave's pub is still quieter than they'd like it to be.
18:24So today, as well as being open for drinks as usual,
18:28they're also preparing to serve a special evening meal service
18:31complete with live music.
18:35I'm just in the process of making lasagna
18:38for somewhere in the region of 50 people.
18:42Not really sure on the quantities.
18:44I'm hoping that I'm over rather than being under.
18:48But as Emma says, I am a bit of a feeder, to be honest,
18:51so I'm sure I have over-catered.
18:55I'm just so scared of not serving people enough food.
18:59As the pair are still not quite ready to launch a full menu,
19:03they hope their offering of lasagna followed by a chocolate fondant dessert
19:08served across two evening sittings will give them an opportunity
19:12to get some practice in.
19:13We're actually over-booked.
19:16We said that we were going to cap it at 40,
19:18as it's our first paid catered event.
19:22And we've pushed it to 43.
19:24Plus the singer and his team, he's 46.
19:28Hopefully I'll get to eat at some stage.
19:30So that's a lasagna for 50 people.
19:35Choosing today to trial a meal service is a deliberate choice,
19:39as it's a big date in the French cultural calendar.
19:43Today, all across France, it's an event called Fête de la Musique,
19:48a celebration of music, basically.
19:50So lots of places around have got various acts on tonight.
19:55The towns have got things happening as well.
19:59So I do feel quite fortunate that 45 of those people
20:02have decided to come and dine with us.
20:05The two-course set meal will cost 20 euros per head,
20:09and they hope plenty of drink sales will boost their profits
20:12to cover the cost of hiring their own musician.
20:16Tonight we've got some live music,
20:18about three, four hours' worth of singing.
20:21I'm not very excited about tonight yet,
20:23because our friend who's supposed to be helping me
20:26is actually quite poorly,
20:27so I don't know if I'm going to be on my own.
20:29Hopefully she'll feel better, but if it's just me,
20:32I don't know how I'm going to run the bar
20:33and get the food out to 45 people on time.
20:37Full of stress.
20:38As the clock ticks towards 3pm,
20:41there's still no news from Emily's friend,
20:43and the couple are starting to consider
20:46whether they may need to hire some waiting staff moving forward.
20:51Once the tourists start arriving,
20:52I just think it's going to be flat out then
20:54until the end of August, isn't it?
20:55Yeah, I think we'll probably need some help out front.
20:57I don't think I'll be able to do it all.
20:59No.
20:59Reach out for somebody part-time maybe and get us through it.
21:04Musician Chris has just arrived to get set up.
21:08And the scorching French summer temperatures
21:10means he's also feeling the pressure to deliver.
21:14I hope I'll still be standing after four hours.
21:18It's going to be a bit hot for everyone to start dancing too early,
21:21so I'll probably keep quiet for the first two hours
21:25and then ramp it up when it gets dark.
21:27Back in the kitchen with the lasagnas cooking,
21:31Dave moves on to 90 pieces of garlic bread.
21:35I might be able to get out and hear a song or two
21:39because the last concert that we had on, that didn't happen
21:43because I was just too busy inside
21:45so we didn't actually hear any of the music.
21:47So I couldn't tell you whether it was good, bad or indifferent.
21:50We just need a steady flow through the bar.
21:53The last thing I want is Em getting overwhelmed
21:55and feeling like she's not got any support from me
21:58because I'm just in the kitchen.
22:01Is he cooking then?
22:02He is. It's just awful, isn't it?
22:05It's got to be hot in there.
22:06Yeah, he's got a fan on him, but he's nearly done now.
22:11In hindsight, I think we probably should have just said
22:13we're going to open on the evening for the concert
22:15so that we had the full day of us both being able
22:17to prepare the food together rather than me having to man the bar
22:20whilst Dave's in there on his own working twice as hard.
22:23But we have had a couple of people in, so...
22:25and the regulars that we like, so it's worth it.
22:29The first sitting, we've got 23.
22:32They'll all be on that side because the sun stays on the terrace at this side quite late
22:36and then the 8.30 sitting will be on this side when the sun's dropped down.
22:41With no sign yet of extra help front of house
22:44and their first guests due to arrive in an hour...
22:48Dave, can I just go and freshen up or not?
22:51Yeah.
22:51There's no turning back.
22:54He's trying to stop everything blowing away at them, isn't he?
22:57So can Emily and Dave pull together to make their first paid meal service a success?
23:07Coming up...
23:08Oh!
23:09Hey!
23:10That was a bit bright!
23:11Roy and Nicola explore their prize B&B.
23:15Our wine shower.
23:16We're going to store all the wine.
23:17Are the naughty guests?
23:20And Nigel and Fede spot some fresh inspiration for their renovations.
23:24You can see the photo.
23:27Here is our house.
23:29When it was white.
23:31So that's the colour we are trying to get to.
23:43In the little village of Fenier, TV show winners Roy and Nicola have just arrived at their prize B&B
23:50with their possessions.
23:53It's a moment they'll remember for the rest of their lives.
23:56Let us go.
23:58I hope it's this one.
24:00I hope it's fall over.
24:02If Roy can find the right key.
24:05It's always the last one.
24:10During the competition, the couple ran the house as a bed and breakfast for just 24 hours.
24:16One, three.
24:18It seems bigger than what it was before.
24:20It seems bigger, doesn't it?
24:22So they didn't have long to get to know the place.
24:25Here, I don't remember this.
24:29That's Wheatley.
24:30That is old, isn't it?
24:33It's beautiful.
24:34It's gorgeous.
24:36This is the first time they've been back since they won a couple of months ago.
24:42Do you think it's real?
24:43Oh, God, yeah.
24:44I don't.
24:44I just don't feel like we're in someone else's house.
24:47Like, this is not an everyday occurrence where you get a house handed to you.
24:51To me, this is just...
24:52Someone's going to come along in a minute and say you need to leave because you're intruding.
24:56I can actually get butterflies driving over the town.
24:59I can't wait to see the rest of the house.
25:01I can't.
25:03While they might be the new owners, they still have plenty to discover.
25:08Where's the lights up? Can you remember?
25:10No idea.
25:12Oh, over there, beside the...
25:14What's this?
25:14Oh.
25:15No.
25:16Here.
25:17Oh!
25:17Hey!
25:19Oh, dear.
25:20Do you remember what's in here?
25:21The latch.
25:23I remember that.
25:26Wow.
25:26Here, one of this clothes is behind you.
25:29Our wine cellar.
25:30We're going to store all the wine.
25:32Are they naughty guests?
25:35Most of the bedrooms have already been decorated and just need bed linen and pillows before the
25:41couple can open up for business.
25:44Ah.
25:46Now you're talking.
25:48While upstairs, there's the bonus prize of a huge attic, offering bags of potential for
25:54their future in France.
25:56Why, come on.
25:57I'll save you from the spiders.
25:59Yeah.
26:00So, this is the games room then?
26:01Is there a light?
26:04Yep.
26:05I'm not scared though.
26:06You're the one that's chicken.
26:08Pool table here.
26:10Yeah?
26:10Yeah, definitely.
26:12TV there, with a sofa.
26:14Oh my God, look at the spider's webs.
26:16There's nobody been up here in a way.
26:18Better work it out in here.
26:19You're right.
26:21Well, everywhere else is pretty much fine.
26:22It's a turnkey.
26:23It's a turnkey downstairs.
26:24Yeah, but for what we want up here, we've got work to do.
26:29Hang on.
26:30Where's my torch?
26:31Nicola and Roy will finalise their plans over the next few weeks.
26:36But for now, there's still a van parked outside waiting to be unloaded.
26:42My arm's going to break.
26:44While most of the boxes are light enough for the couple to carry on their own, the oven
26:49they've brought from the UK is a problem.
26:52Whose idea was it about a six-range cooker?
26:56Huh?
26:57Yeah.
26:57But after taking part in the competition, the pair are no strangers to thinking on their
27:02feet.
27:03And Roy soon spots a possible solution on the neighbour's roof.
27:09Roy's found a couple of guys in the building site.
27:11Found the road to help lift the cooker off.
27:14I can lift it but I don't lift it from the van down.
27:16Yeah.
27:22And the step.
27:24And another step.
27:31Merci.
27:33Oh, thank you.
27:34Get yourself a drink.
27:36Merci.
27:37Merci.
27:38Merci.
27:40I love the French.
27:42My French is improving.
27:44I went, bonjour.
27:45Do you speak English?
27:50Now that the cooker is safely over the threshold,
27:54there is one more vital job to do before the couple can settle down for the night.
27:59Here, catch.
28:01They need to check that Nicola's most prized possessions have survived the journey.
28:07They're not everyone's cup of tea but they're mine and I love them.
28:10With the news that all the crockery is intact, Roy and Nicola's first day in France couldn't have gone much
28:17better.
28:18It's all good.
28:19And it's been a promising start to their new venture.
28:23It's beyond our dreams of what we could ever possibly have.
28:33In Pelopos in southern Spain, it's more of a bumpy start to life as B&B hosts for Nigel and
28:40Fede.
28:41There's just no sign of it, is there?
28:43No.
28:44Well, it makes me wonder whether it's in the next one.
28:45As their hunt for the waste pipe connecting their property to the village's main sewage system continues.
28:52It's a case that we need to find this pipe, not that we want to.
28:56If this is what digging gold's like, blimey.
28:59It's a setback they could do without, especially as they've started to get inquiries to book their B&B.
29:06So they need to find a solution, and fast.
29:11Can you ring the water board and tell them that we've dug up where they told us to?
29:15We've only come across the water in pipe, not the sewage pipe.
29:19We don't want to go digging any further, because we could be digging down to the end of the drive.
29:26While Spanish-speaking Fede phones for help.
29:35Nigel and Brian do the spade work.
29:39And an hour later, after further information from the water board and almost two days of digging, they finally strike
29:46gold.
29:48There it is. It's there.
29:51Or so they thought.
29:53It goes the wrong way.
29:55We found it at long last, but instead of coming out and down where it's meant to, it's coming straight
30:00down to the drain down the bottom.
30:03Which has a knock-on effect, as they try to lay the new pipe work.
30:09That's just right.
30:12We're short by probably half a metre.
30:15We measured it to here, where I'm stood, but unfortunately we've had to dig out more, so we're a little
30:20short on pipe.
30:22At over €100 apiece, new piping doesn't come cheap.
30:26So Nigel and builder Brian need to work out a plan to minimise costs.
30:32I'm meant to be the foreman and watch over everything, not be involved.
30:36Grab a hold of it.
30:43To help bolster their renovation budget, Fede's begun a new part-time job, a cleaning role at the village school.
30:51At the moment there are four kids in the village. Unfortunately not enough for opening daily.
30:56They just use it from time to time to teach the elderly and doing community courses.
31:02It looks more like a museum of the education of the last decades.
31:08Fede was last here over 20 years ago, when he attended a craft workshop.
31:15I remember being here when I was maybe 14, 13 years old, but just for one day, but it had
31:23such an impact to be socialising with the kids of the village.
31:28I still remember just only one day that I had here.
31:32This place still plays an important part in the life of the village, offering courses for adults and it's about
31:39to have a new student.
31:42Nigel will be here at some point this month learning Spanish. Hopefully he will be well behaved, but I think
31:48we all doubt it.
31:50With the school's spick and span, it's time for Fede to move on to his next cleaning job.
31:57This building is home to the local council and the village doctor.
32:01So this is where my granddad used to work when he was the doctor of the village.
32:08It is nice to be back and be part of the history as well of the village.
32:14The mayor's office contains another snapshot of times gone by.
32:19You can see the photo of the whole village and here is our house.
32:27When it was white, so that's the colour we are trying to get to.
32:33While the pair are drowning in plumbing problems, restoring their property back to its former glory feels like a pipe
32:40dream.
32:41But back at the top of the village, Nigel's doing all he can to help them get back on track.
32:48The downpipes coming down the side of the building to here and then put the manhole a bit further down,
32:55which then will hopefully let the sewage pipe go to where it's needed.
32:59So we won't hopefully have to purchase anything else apart from another manhole cover.
33:05I'm going to cut it all out here now, this whole pipe, clean it all out, square it off.
33:11And then tomorrow, I'll put a concrete base in it, brick it up, put the pipes in, and the job
33:18will be good.
33:19Relying on Brian's expertise, Nigel and Fede hope that after a tough couple of weeks, they can soon put their
33:26plumbing issues behind them.
33:32Coming up...
33:33You OK, Em? Not really.
33:35..with their pub kitchen open, the pressure ramps up for Dave and Emily.
33:39It's a little bit stressy right now because I can't physically do this on my own.
33:44..while in Spain...
33:45Are you all right? You're leaning.
33:47..things are also nerve-wracking for Nigel and Fede.
33:50The wind's picking up, so I want to make sure it's secure before we go up there.
33:55Cool.
34:06In the rural village of Santestef, it's a big day at Dave and Emily's new pub.
34:12A ticket? Come on.
34:14..as their first paid dinner service is starting soon.
34:18Merci beaucoup.
34:19While Dave has some help from the pub's former kitchen assistant, Veronique,
34:24who they've recently rehired...
34:26Four.
34:27Yeah.
34:28..salad.
34:29..Emily's friend has confirmed she definitely isn't well enough to help front of house,
34:34so nerves are creeping in.
34:37It's a little bit stressy right now because I can't physically do this on my own.
34:43So...
34:45God knows what I'm going to do.
34:47Hmm.
34:49Desperate for the evening to go well, they've no choice but to draft in some emergency help.
34:56OK, seven.
34:58It's 80, 70.
34:59Uh-huh.
34:59OK.
35:00OK, thanks.
35:01It's good.
35:03Local student Tim, who has previous waiting experience, has come to their rescue.
35:08Veronica's here.
35:10Veronica's here.
35:10She's been doing lots of work.
35:12Um, Tim's come along to help us, um, with, you know, if the bar gets really busy, then we
35:18could still be under pressure.
35:19But definitely don't drop any plates because we haven't got enough lasagna.
35:24OK, we've just got the good amount.
35:26Ready?
35:27Yeah.
35:27C'est bon?
35:28Oui.
35:28Oui.
35:29Oui.
35:30Everybody's ready.
35:31Emma, are you ready?
35:31No.
35:32OK.
35:35Ready or not, their beer garden is filling up, keeping Emily busy on the bar.
35:42This one's slightly sweeter.
35:43That one.
35:44Yeah.
35:45And it's soon time for Dave and Veronique...
35:48Two more, are we?
35:49..to dish up the first 23 portions of lasagna.
35:54This one, I pray, is for the singer.
35:58This one, vegetarian.
36:00OK.
36:01Vegetarian, OK?
36:03With Tim's help, their diners begin to tuck in.
36:07Dave's bumper-sized portions going down a treat.
36:11Lasagna, salad, garlic bread.
36:14Absolutely delicious.
36:16Has everybody got the food?
36:18Have you served Chris?
36:20Yeah, they've had it, yeah.
36:23We couldn't do it without Tim.
36:27It was full-on for about ten minutes there,
36:29but Tim's just been back and forth, serving all the food,
36:32so I was just doing the money and the drinks,
36:35so we've just got one table of sticks left at seven,
36:38and then we're done, and then we can work on the half-past eight.
36:42So far, so good.
36:43So far, so good.
36:44So far, so good.
36:46So far, so good.
36:47Their first sitting couldn't have gone better.
36:52But as their second set of diners begin to arrive...
36:56I'll take one of each.
36:57One of each?
36:58Yeah.
37:00Emily is soon swamped.
37:03Yeah, I can help you bring them out.
37:05Are you OK?
37:05Not really.
37:07Leaving Dave no choice but to jump behind the bar.
37:11Just order these two drinks.
37:13OK.
37:14And I'll buy some sparkling water.
37:16OK.
37:17Just two glasses of grenadine of water then, please.
37:20OK.
37:20But he can't afford to be too long, as he's needed back in the kitchen
37:25to keep their second food service on track.
37:29It's OK if we come back?
37:31Yeah.
37:32The plates?
37:32Yes.
37:33Oui, oui, oui, oui.
37:34OK.
37:34I feel like Tim might be feeling under pressure a little bit now.
37:39While it may have been a little heated in the kitchen and behind the bar...
37:44Sweating buckets.
37:46..every plate is eventually delivered without a hitch.
37:49And their guests can dine to the sound of musician Chris.
37:54Everybody seems happy.
37:56Everybody's fed.
37:56The bar's not under as much stress now.
37:59Tim's doing an amazing job.
38:00Veronica's doing an amazing job.
38:02We can get everything cleared back and just look after people
38:05for the rest of the night then, fingers crossed.
38:07We'll see.
38:08I might have spoken too soon.
38:10Having faced an empty beer garden just two weeks ago,
38:14their efforts to advertise the pub and get their kitchen open
38:17are beginning to pay off.
38:21Ten euros.
38:23Merci.
38:24We've had a good night.
38:25We're having a great night.
38:26It's been a lot of fun.
38:27It has.
38:28Food's been fab.
38:29It's lovely.
38:30Really lovely people.
38:31Lovely atmosphere.
38:31It's been great.
38:32Tonight there was a lovely dinner.
38:34First time they had dinner over here.
38:37One of the first, but I think many will follow.
38:43I am proud of us.
38:44We look keen and we deal with it, don't we?
38:47A massive success.
38:48I think so, yeah.
38:49I mean, you know, we're only not even a month in
38:52and thus far the business is paying for itself, isn't it?
38:55It's covering its bills.
38:57I'm pretty optimistic, actually.
38:59Yeah, it's definitely time to have a drink.
39:01Yeah.
39:11Eight hundred and fifty miles away in Pelopos, things are also moving forward for Nigel and
39:17Fede because at long last they can put their plumbing problems behind them.
39:23The road is finished.
39:24The new en suite is finally connected to the main sewage.
39:28The waterboard were happy and it's all back to normal and it's all hunky dory.
39:33Hiring builder Brian to complete the extra works has dented their renovation budget.
39:38But as DIY novices, there was no other way forward.
39:43Now that all the groundwork is finished and isn't going to be dusty from now onwards,
39:50so we can now continue with the project.
39:53As September rolls around, the pair have been working hard to try and make up for lost time on their
39:59B&B renovations.
40:02This is the fourth bedroom. Not sure where I got the colour scheme from.
40:06Looks a bit like a well-known airline.
40:09They've now managed to refurbish four out of their five guest rooms, including the old first floor living room.
40:17Coming to my boudoir.
40:18Which is now...
40:21..a furnished guest bedroom with a fully functional en suite.
40:26We've been given the furniture, updated it with paint and we've made a coffee station in there.
40:34While they're making progress, there are still parts of the B&B that remain untouched as the pair face another
40:41unexpected setback.
40:43August has been a difficult month for us.
40:46A dear friend of ours has been seriously ill in hospital and I've had to return to the UK to
40:55support them.
40:56It's one of those things that, you know, you need to down tools for your friends and family when they
41:01need you.
41:02Things are more positive back in England, which makes it easier to return and get cracking and get the house
41:08back on track.
41:10The time away from the B&B has, however, forced them to make a difficult decision about the booking they
41:16had penciled for next month.
41:18Due to the delays over the summer period, we've cancelled the guests for the beginning of October because we don't
41:25think we'll be ready.
41:26We're just playing it safe to make sure that we don't let them down at the last minute.
41:31While it's disappointing to let the booking go, now that Nigel's back in Spain, the pair are determined to push
41:39on and today they're tackling the job at the top of Fede's wishlist.
41:44You dropped your sponge, that was a wet one.
41:51With the picture adorning the wall of the mayor's office still fresh in their mind, and with the help of
41:57Brian and friend John, they're giving the B&B's exterior a glow up.
42:03Cappetito.
42:04Cappetillo.
42:05It's making already a big difference because everybody in the village is passing positive comments on how bright and beautiful
42:13it looks.
42:14But a property this size can put even the most skilled workers through their paces.
42:22We've finished painting the centre of the house, so we're just gonna now dismantle some of the scaffolding to get
42:28it past the electric wire that drops in front of the house.
42:31And because we're dismantling the top of it, there's no support there now, so you've got to be really careful
42:38that it doesn't fall down.
42:42And as time is of the essence...
42:44Are you alright?
42:45You're leaning.
42:46You're well leaning.
42:47They opt for a shortcut not found in any scaffolders manual.
42:52Take that leg off, Brian.
42:56Needs to go your way.
42:58Yeah.
43:04And time isn't their only challenge.
43:07The change in the seasons and the property's location at the very top of the village means they're also exposed
43:13to the elements.
43:15The wind's picking up, so I want to make sure it's secure before we go up there.
43:23Fortunately, Nigel and Fede can lean into the expertise of Brian and John.
43:29And only once they've secured and checked that the scaffolding tower is safe, can work resume.
43:36I knew I'd do that.
43:38All down the wall.
43:40But with less of a head for heights, Nigel's keeping his feet firmly on the terrace.
43:46This edge is too dangerous to use for a ladder.
43:49So I'm having to lean over the wall.
43:51Which is manageable.
43:53Just not ideal, but needs must.
43:57I think whichever way we do it, it's a bit precarious.
44:01It's been a challenging summer for Nigel and Fede's renovations.
44:04But they're not giving up on their dream.
44:08And continue to give it their all to get their B&B open as soon as possible.
44:18Next time...
44:19Bonjour!
44:21Nicola and Roy feel the heat as they welcome their first guests.
44:26Did that pad catch?
44:27Yeah.
44:28I forgot the turn door.
44:30Temperatures are also raised...
44:32Martin, I think I've got a problem.
44:33..as Emily and Dave host a summer party at their pub.
44:37Maybe some people will eat.
44:38Maybe everybody will eat.
44:40Maybe not.
44:40And in Spain, Nigel and Fede switch from renovating to hosting.
44:46We're 20 minutes past the time I said breakfast would be
44:49and we're still waiting for guests.
44:50I don't get as stressed as him.
44:52I am like the balance.
45:05Because there's so many people's growing at the fine-college.
45:06I'm fine.
45:06I'm fine.
45:11I'm fine.
45:12But you get as much fun as I can do in a space for it.
45:14Do you have a meal?
45:17I'm fine.
45:19So do you have to eat?
45:19I don't even try?
45:19Do you have any vegetables?
45:24You're fine.
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