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help we bought a village s04e19 skyfire
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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 a slot battle of the Somme, innit?
00:19And a strong-willed few have answered their calls.
00:23Our 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.
00:32We 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.
00:43And 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.
00:55But can they turn these crumbling villages?
00:58This is going to be a big crash.
01:02...into beautiful homes...
01:04This is no longer a ruin. It is now a chateau.
01:08...and successful businesses.
01:09One are gorgeous.
01:13Or 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...
01:37Ooh!
01:38Well, you're up.
01:40Quite windy up here.
01:42Kevin and Anna scale new heights 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...
02:02...Lucy and Jerry begin a brand new phase of their Borgo's resurrection.
02:07The dream is to cut the trees down and get the lake back fully functioning.
02:15While experienced saviours Carl and Francesca...
02:18We'll just test the shower.
02:20There's no end on it.
02:24That was a bit silly, isn't it, Carl?
02:27Well, at least you know it works.
02:29...prove there's always something to learn when 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.
02:45We have to pay for the moment.
02:46We have to pay for the moment.
02:49We're to pay for it.
02:50We have to pay for it.
02:51You might pay for it.
02:53We have to pay for it.
02:54You might pay for it.
02:55Standing for centuries, the ghost villages of Europe have witnessed,
02:59and even played a part in, some 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, La Roserie.
03:14located in the west of France.
03:18Starting 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.
03:33One of the reasons that this was commandeered,
03:36apart 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,
03:46which is Luden,
03:46and from there,
03:48a grain would have been railed back to Germany.
03:53Despite its chequered past,
03:55since 2020,
03:56the couple from Milton Keynes
03:58have been determined to give La Rosary fresh purpose
04:01in the 21st century as a holiday destination.
04:09We weren't necessarily looking for an estate of this sort of size,
04:13we wanted someone 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
04:30and now have the other 11 derelict buildings in their sights.
04:35The really, really major work would be
04:38if we converted these barns behind us
04:41into further habitable accommodation.
04:44We take on a different level of madness.
04:54It's now mid-August.
04:58Despite recently discovering major roof leaks
05:01in their network of barns,
05:02this morning Anna and Kevin are needed at their jeet.
05:07The birds like to sit on the pergola
05:10and do their daily mess.
05:16As their holiday business
05:17must be run around their village restorations.
05:22We've got a jeet changeover today.
05:25We had guests leave yesterday
05:26who 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,
05:34so it's a last-minute booking.
05:35Yeah, very last minute.
05:37But with expensive roof repairs on the horizon...
05:41Gives it a little bit more curb appeal, I guess.
05:44They need all the bookings they can get.
05:48Anna, we've had a message from the guests.
05:52Right.
05:52They're progressing well.
05:54They're going to be with us by four.
05:56Always good to know the guests are going to be on time
05:58when you've got a lot to do.
06:00So no pressure, then.
06:03Powering through the cleaning,
06:06the jeet is ready just in time...
06:08Hello!
06:11Welcome.
06:12Come on in.
06:13..for the arrival of their guests from Belgium.
06:16They still have to decide if they sleep together
06:19or they take a look.
06:20Okay.
06:22Yeah.
06:24Decisions.
06:25Yeah, yeah.
06:26Hard decisions.
06:27Hard decisions.
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.
06:37They love the pool, didn't they, those two kids?
06:39Yeah.
06:39Yeah.
06:41It doesn't get any easier.
06:43You'd think we'd be seizing pros by now, but...
06:47It's quite a lot of work.
06:48Yeah.
06:52The following week, there's still no time to relax
06:55or enjoy a pint in their new pub.
07:00Today, we're going to start the roof process.
07:04We're going to start on this side
07:05because 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.
07:18Yeah, this is proper.
07:19Never done it before.
07:20Never done it before.
07:21Not quite sure how to do it.
07:22Yeah.
07:22If it goes wrong, it's a horrible, expensive mistake.
07:35Across in Italy and also stepping out of their comfort zone
07:38while battling to save
07:41the lost farming village of Borgo Monticolae to the east of Rome,
07:47Lucy and Jerry from London
07:50have 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
08:02into its next phase of life.
08:10We're three years into buying the farm.
08:12There's not been a single day I regretted being here,
08:15which is interesting.
08:17There's been so many days which are like a real struggle,
08:20a real stress.
08:23But the valley is more than anything
08:25I could have imagined or wanted.
08:28I mean, it's one of the most peaceful places on the planet.
08:32As they await planning permission,
08:34to rebuild the Borgo's earthquake-damaged properties,
08:38the pair are focusing on saving other parts of its heritage
08:41where they can push things forward.
08:46One of the greatest strengths of this place
08:51is how many options it offers us.
08:55For me, it's like being driven by
08:58the history of what was done here at farming level
09:02really drives the choices we make
09:04about what we do.
09:05Yeah.
09:07How successful Lucy and Jerry's efforts
09:10to revive the settlement's farming roots are
09:12depends greatly on the impact of climate change,
09:16a factor their predecessors knew less about,
09:19meaning monitoring the valley's water table
09:22has become a regular part of the pair's routine.
09:31And the more they explore,
09:34the more parts of the original infrastructure they find.
09:38We know, because we spoke to our neighbour Luciano,
09:42whose dad used to have cows here,
09:44that he said all the way along the river,
09:46my dad built these mini pools
09:48to give the cows somewhere to drink.
09:53We've found one or two,
09:55but coming down here,
09:56we've just found another one.
09:58It's really cool that they've survived as well,
10:00that they've not been washed away.
10:02However, the same can't be said
10:04for where the Borgos Lake once sat.
10:08We're standing in the middle, really, of the old lake.
10:11You 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,
10:25luckily, is still standing,
10:26all of the stuff that gets washed down during flood events
10:30has filled up the old lake with mud and stone and gravel.
10:38Wetlands have been essential in agriculture
10:40for thousands of years.
10:44And the lake would have long been a reliable source of water
10:47for livestock, irrigation and water storage.
10:51So restoring it should help safeguard the Borgos' future.
10:57The dream is to cut the trees down,
11:01dig out a lot of the build-up,
11:03the mud, the stone that's built up behind the dam,
11:06and get the lake back fully functioning.
11:11You want to put trout in it and do some trout fishing,
11:13because there used to be trout here.
11:14And it would be great also for us for water storage, basically.
11:18Just help maintain water on the farm.
11:21Well, raise the water table.
11:24And it's just restoring the history of the village.
11:28Having always hoped to reinstate the lake,
11:30in August, the pair are making a start.
11:37Cutting the trees is the first stage in restoring the lake.
11:43Exciting.
11:44We're starting on the lake, finally.
11:47But having been hidden from sight for decades,
11:49it's one of the biggest tasks the pair have ever taken on.
12:02Coming up...
12:03It's pretty down a second.
12:05Carl and Francesca's rescue mission is at risk of freezing.
12:10Every day I come round now,
12:11it's getting colder and colder and colder.
12:14While in France...
12:16This is not what I wanted.
12:19Kevin and Anna's roof repairs already require a rethink.
12:24Yeah, it's a right mess up here.
12:25Ooh, worse than I thought, to be honest.
12:38Bringing a ghost settlement back from the brink
12:40can sometimes feel like a marathon...
12:43OK.
12:45..where the finish line keeps moving.
12:51I always wanted one of these.
12:54But in northern Italy, not far from the city of Turin,
12:57experienced village saviors Carl and Francesca,
13:00from West Yorkshire,
13:01are 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
13:15from already saving the former winemaking village of Marais,
13:19which is now a thriving holiday destination,
13:22the couple are now attempting to replicate their success...
13:27You'll have some big muscles when you're finished, won't you look?
13:30..at a neighbouring settlement...
13:35..that was also abandoned for decades.
13:43If 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...
13:48..but when you're doing it all on your own.
13:50We haven't bitten off more than we can chew.
13:52It's just we didn't really calculate the timings.
13:54That'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.
14:08Go for it.
14:09Piano, piano.
14:11Can you do it with one hand?
14:13Yeah.
14:13Ooh!
14:15The seasons have changed.
14:18So have the working conditions.
14:21Every day I come round now,
14:23it's getting colder and colder and colder.
14:26Unfortunately, I can't light this fire
14:28because this fire is for central heating.
14:32If there's no water in it, then it could do damage,
14:35and it might not do any damage,
14:37but I'm really not prepared to take the risk
14:39because these are quite rare now.
14:41But with temperatures forecast to be below freezing in the coming weeks,
14:45Carl and Francesca have an idea.
14:49Put it down. Put it down a second.
14:52To stay warm,
14:53they 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 auto-heat the whole building.
15:13Where have you put the lids, though?
15:15In the rear.
15:16Ah.
15:17The village's heating system was updated over time,
15:21but when it was abandoned in the mid-1980s,
15:24it was still fairly rudimentary.
15:27They used to have the fire here,
15:30and the tube would go up all the way hanging from the ceiling.
15:36You can see the little bolts in the ceiling.
15:40So now we just have a piece of pipe
15:46going into that and then into that.
15:48It's done.
15:50Albeit a temporary solution,
15:52the stove will allow Carl and Francesca
15:54to keep working as temperatures drop.
16:00Well,
16:01it's your press here.
16:02What, darling?
16:02Your fire's going.
16:07Good.
16:08Ooh, that's hot.
16:09Is it?
16:09Well.
16:10Yeah, good.
16:11Straight away.
16:13The following day,
16:15with the village having warmed up,
16:17Francesca's getting on with upcycling
16:19a second-hand dining table.
16:24While upstairs,
16:25Carl's working on the plumbing.
16:27The minute I turn that on cold,
16:31water should come out.
16:34When the pair bought Contini,
16:36they were still one of the original outdoor toilets.
16:40But having previously demolished it...
16:44Well done!
16:47Getting the new guest en suites up and running,
16:54is a huge step forward
16:56in getting the village ready
16:57for 21st century living.
17:01We'll just test the shower.
17:04There's no end on it.
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,
17:21Francesca hears dripping.
17:24I wasn't sure if it was the drainage.
17:29And as experienced village saviors,
17:31they know that rescue missions
17:33can often be one step forward...
17:38..two steps back.
17:41..it's definitely leaking upstairs.
17:52It's definitely leaking upstairs.
17:53Across in Western France,
17:56also keen to get a handle on the leaks at their estate.
18:00Ooh!
18:01Well, you're up.
18:03Quite windy up here.
18:05Yeah.
18:06Kevin's taking to the roof
18:08for a closer inspection,
18:10with Anna ready on ground level
18:12to clean and restore any original tiles
18:15that can be reused.
18:17I think there's more broken than good.
18:20So far, I've taken off about 20 tiles
18:23and there's only been two decent ones.
18:27Ooh!
18:29This is not what I wanted.
18:33A lot of these tiles through age have broken,
18:36which is why it slips about as much as it does.
18:40And you can see all this moss,
18:43when it's wet,
18:44it just adds extra weight.
18:47Yeah, it's a right mess up here.
18:49Ooh!
18:50Worse than I thought, to be honest.
18:51This is as it was
18:53maybe two, three hundred years ago.
18:56The Industrial Revolution
18:58of the 18th and 19th centuries,
19:00combined with innovations in kiln technology,
19:03allowed for mass production
19:05of uniform and affordable tiles,
19:08meaning early villagers
19:09fitted clay ones over the barns,
19:11often popular in warm climates
19:13to help keep buildings cool.
19:17Kevin now hopes to replicate
19:18their installation method,
19:20but with some modern extras for longevity.
19:26You'll have two like that
19:29and they will be in mortar
19:31so that they can't move.
19:33Then you have a small one over there,
19:36like that.
19:38Then you have another one.
19:40So once you've got that base like that,
19:44you've got a solid bottom
19:46and I've bought hooks.
19:49They're aluminium and they won't rust.
19:50Lifespan of these will certainly be
19:52as long as we're here.
19:54It's a job which is proving
19:56it's got challenges.
19:58It's not going to get any better,
19:59it's just going to get worse.
20:00And the more that we leave it,
20:02the more longer term damage
20:04that we'll have to the actual structure
20:06of the roof, the wood.
20:08We've done about, I don't know,
20:12maybe a good metre.
20:14So we'll have done four square metres.
20:17We've only got 116 to do on this side
20:21and then 120 to do on the other side.
20:26Not only is it going to be a huge undertaking,
20:30but with only a few original tiles salvageable
20:33at this stage...
20:34Just leave that soaked for a little bit.
20:36Was 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 the case
20:45of doing a bit at a time.
20:46Yeah.
20:47The roofs are going to be the bane of my life
20:51for the next six months or so.
20:55A few days later...
20:57Come on, we'll show you around.
20:58OK, thank you.
20:59After checking in their latest cheat guests...
21:02The kitchen, obviously.
21:04Yeah, you have it.
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.
21:17Once he's figured out his new harness...
21:20And loops round.
21:23Ooh!
21:28That ain't right.
21:30End up like the hunchback in Autodam.
21:34While early villagers would likely have had
21:37little or no safety equipment,
21:38Kevin's taking no chances.
21:43This enables me to move up and down.
21:47But if I were to fall,
21:51this locks it.
21:54Especially as the roof repairs
21:56have become more complex.
21:59Not only do tiles need replacing,
22:01but now so do parts of the wooden framework.
22:05There are a few gaps,
22:07so if I see anything that isn't as strong
22:09as I would like it to be,
22:12I want to fix it.
22:14Been a bit of movement through time,
22:16I would think.
22:19And they've popped.
22:22This latest discovery
22:24means that getting these
22:25centuries-old barns watertight
22:27before the seasons change
22:31is going to take even more work
22:33than they first thought.
22:39Coming up,
22:41things also get tougher
22:42for Lucy and Jerry
22:44as they try to restore
22:46the Borgo's ancient lake.
22:48There's a slight risk
22:50the tractor will get stuck.
22:52Jerry thinks not,
22:53so we'll see.
22:55And with two villagers
22:56on their hands,
22:57the jobs mount up
22:59for Carl and Francesca.
23:00You can see for miles,
23:02and I can also see
23:03what work I've got to do.
23:17In central Italy,
23:19it's the end of August,
23:21and Lucy and Jerry
23:22are taking steps
23:23to restore the Borgo's
23:24old lake
23:25by removing trees
23:26that have invaded
23:27the lake bed.
23:29Willows are very fast-growing,
23:31and they're blocking up
23:33the exit of the dam,
23:35and the problem is
23:37that whenever there's
23:38a heavy rain,
23:39the water runs
23:39round the side of the dam,
23:41digs into the field,
23:43and undermines
23:43the foundation of the dam.
23:45If we let that carry on,
23:47then the dam
23:48is going to basically
23:49fall over,
23:50and it would obviously
23:50be a complete
23:51ecological disaster
23:52if we let the dam
23:53fall down.
23:54Having secured permission
23:56to fell the hazardous willows,
24:00Lucy and Jerry
24:01have called back
24:01skilled forester Carlo
24:03and his brother,
24:04Filippo.
24:11Willow trees are renowned
24:14for their fragility
24:16and their unpredictability
24:19as well.
24:20They tend to explode
24:22if there's too much tension
24:24and you go cut through it.
24:25You just release it
24:26too quickly,
24:27and it's quite dangerous.
24:32They're the biggest willows
24:34we've definitely worked on
24:35since we started.
24:38As the brothers
24:39carefully cut...
24:40Gera, gera, gera.
24:46Jerry's on piling duty.
24:50But recent unseasonal weather
24:52threatens to hold him up.
24:56There's a slight risk
24:58the tractor will get stuck
24:59because the idea was
25:01if we did it in August,
25:02the lake bed would be dry,
25:04there wouldn't be
25:04that much water.
25:06Unfortunately,
25:07it rained two days ago,
25:09which kind of makes
25:09things a bit difficult.
25:10It's not too muddy,
25:12but I'm slightly worried
25:14the tractor's going to get
25:15stuck in the mud.
25:17Jerry thinks not,
25:18so we'll see.
25:20Having had a few
25:21tractor near misses
25:22since becoming village owners...
25:28Today, Jerry's taking
25:29a slow and steady approach
25:30in the mud,
25:31but also to avoid
25:33getting stuck on tree stumps.
25:37I'm just worried,
25:38but you need to...
25:38I know, I'm going to.
25:42That's why I stopped the cut.
25:44OK.
25:48You're next.
25:50That's tree by tree.
25:56More of the old lake
25:57comes back into view.
26:01Whoa!
26:04The only fly in the ointment
26:06coming towards
26:07the end of the day.
26:11Oh, my God.
26:12Look how close they are
26:13to Carlo.
26:14The hornets are buzzing
26:16around Carlo's head.
26:19It was going too well,
26:20and then this tree came down,
26:24which is a really big one,
26:26really heavy one,
26:26and it had a hornet's nest in it,
26:28so they all flew out.
26:30And then...
26:32So we moved on
26:33to try to take down
26:34the next big tree,
26:36and that's also got
26:37a hornet's nest in it.
26:39For everyone's safety,
26:41they decide to down tools
26:43for the day.
26:44But what's been achieved
26:45so far is no mean feat.
26:48We have gone from
26:50a little wood of willows
26:53to basically now having
26:55a leg bed.
26:57I would say today
26:58is the biggest visual transformation
27:00achieved in a day.
27:02Oh, my God, 100%.
27:03Yeah.
27:05Maybe next summer
27:08we will be stocking
27:10the lake with trout.
27:12Next summer?
27:13That...
27:14You think we'll get the lake...
27:15To be fair,
27:16maybe we will get the lake...
27:17We'll definitely get the lake
27:19done before the house is built.
27:21100%.
27:21Yeah, definitely.
27:22Which was not really on our...
27:24That was on our to-do list order,
27:26but it goes to show
27:27if bureaucracy's involved,
27:28everything takes twice as long.
27:30Yeah.
27:31While planning permission
27:33to rebuild the farmhouse
27:34remains up in the air,
27:35hitting major milestones
27:37like this with the old lake
27:38moves Lucy and Jerry
27:40a huge step forward.
27:43We've done really well.
27:45It's a good day's work,
27:46definitely.
27:58Over 300 miles north
28:00in Piedmont,
28:01Carl and Francesca
28:02are also on the cusp
28:04of a breakthrough.
28:06Yeah, I think it's starting.
28:09Having now located
28:10the source of the water
28:12dripping into their new guest rooms.
28:15Yeah, it's come out
28:17of the cold water pipe.
28:19It's what...
28:21Residual water
28:21that was left
28:22in the cold water pipe.
28:23Right, OK.
28:25I don't have leaks.
28:27Right, I'm done now.
28:28Good.
28:29So, yeah, I'm happy.
28:31While there's still
28:32the decorative finishes to do,
28:34having reconfigured
28:35the building's entire layout,
28:38getting the bathrooms plumbed in
28:39is a significant milestone to reach
28:42as they slowly bring Contini
28:44back to life.
28:47Right.
28:48So we know that that's all OK.
28:51But as experienced village saviours,
28:54they know that's only half the battle,
28:56as keeping a village alive
28:58after its rebirth
28:59is a continued effort.
29:08And the following day,
29:10further water issues
29:12have called them back
29:13to their other village,
29:14Moray.
29:15I've got two leaks
29:17on the roof.
29:19One of them,
29:19I think,
29:20I've found,
29:20so silicone at the ready.
29:23That's that one.
29:25Winter-proofing Moray
29:26is a top priority
29:28as the pair are planning
29:29to take a break
29:30from their rescue mission
29:31for a few months
29:32after Christmas.
29:35Yes!
29:38On top of the world,
29:41you can see for miles.
29:43See all the different villages
29:44over there.
29:48And I can also see
29:49what work I've got to do.
29:52which includes preparing
29:53the village's extensive grounds
29:55before they depart.
29:58Obviously,
29:59Casa Maria is shut down
30:00and we need to cover
30:02some of the plants
30:02to try and save them
30:03for the following year.
30:04So if it gets too cold,
30:06the frost or anything,
30:08so we just try and
30:10protect them a little bit.
30:11So I'm going to put this
30:13over the lemon tree
30:14and I'm no gardener.
30:17While Francesca protects
30:19their fruit trees,
30:21Whitfield's warm
30:21in there already.
30:23Carl's got his feet
30:24back on the ground
30:25and is tending
30:26to their vineyard.
30:29Started and I've done
30:31ten.
30:32Check that one out.
30:35So 990 to go.
30:38Pruning the ancient
30:39Shiraz vines
30:40is a big job.
30:42Hello, Bree.
30:44You've come to join us.
30:45Have you got your ball?
30:47But as the village's history
30:48lies deep in wine production
30:50that began over a century ago,
30:53the couple are determined
30:54Marais will stay connected
30:56to its roots.
30:58There used to be
30:59a vineyard
31:01which was quite well known
31:02but we bought the house
31:0420 years ago nearly
31:06and this hadn't been lived in
31:09since 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
31:18for myself because
31:20when we had a big hail
31:22storm in July
31:25I just left it.
31:27Whereas if we hadn't
31:28had the hail storm
31:28I would have been
31:30in pruning,
31:31cutting back
31:31and letting the grapes grow.
31:34There's now
31:34even more motivation
31:36though
31:36for Carl to keep
31:37the vines in good shape
31:38as next summer
31:40Marais set to host
31:42its first wedding.
31:43It's for a family member
31:44so
31:46we've been thinking
31:47about it
31:47and putting
31:47bits of ideas
31:49down on paper
31:50and by June
31:51this will all be
31:52really nice and green
31:53and it'll look really nice
31:54and it'll have grapes on it
31:55albeit it'll be
31:56small and young
31:57and then they're
31:59going to do photographs
32:00in the bandstand.
32:01I'm looking forward
32:02to doing it
32:03very much so.
32:05If it goes well
32:06it could pave the way
32:08for more village events
32:10but it's a lot
32:11to take on
32:12alongside their work
32:13at Contini
32:14which they want
32:15to push forward with
32:16before downing tools
32:17at Christmas.
32:20I want bathroom one
32:22finished
32:23tiled
32:24decorated
32:25fully functional
32:26even with hot water
32:28in it.
32:29We'll do it.
32:30We've got
32:30three weeks, yeah.
32:32If we can do it
32:33before we get away
32:34that would be good.
32:36No, I'm sure
32:37we will get it done
32:37and I'm confident
32:38we will.
32:39Definitely.
32:48Coming up
32:49Anna's also
32:50working to a deadline
32:51to rescue
32:52another corner
32:53of La Rosarie.
32:55I really need
32:56to get it done
32:56because if we were
32:57to get a booking
32:58obviously it can't be
33:00kind of like
33:01half-stripped.
33:02And can
33:03Carl and Francesca
33:04work through
33:05their to-do list
33:06in time?
33:07Did you not read
33:07the instructions?
33:08There weren't
33:09more instructions on it
33:10because she said
33:11it's simple.
33:26in Western France
33:28it's now
33:28early September.
33:33Using tiles
33:34he and Anna
33:35have been able
33:35to salvage so far
33:36Kevin's battling on
33:41to try and save
33:43the estate's
33:43barn roofs.
33:46It is slow
33:47but I'd rather
33:48do it properly
33:50and get everything
33:51hooked in.
33:54The challenge
33:55I've now noticed
33:56is that we've got
33:57two different types
33:58of tile.
34:00Some are wider
34:01than the others.
34:02what I think
34:03I need to do
34:04is space out
34:05the bottom ones
34:06a little bit further
34:07but we're learning
34:08as we go along.
34:09By the time
34:10I get to the end
34:10it'll be perfect
34:11and I'll start again.
34:13Not.
34:14I can assure you.
34:16Not only is it
34:17a steep learning curve
34:19I'll mortar these in
34:21and then I have
34:22to put the
34:23ridge tiles back on.
34:25But the autumnal
34:26weather isn't
34:27helping much.
34:31It doesn't affect
34:32the consistency
34:33of the mortar
34:34at all.
34:35The challenge
34:36I've got
34:37with the rain
34:39is that
34:40it makes
34:42the surface
34:43everywhere
34:44just a little
34:45bit more slippy.
34:48Becoming dangerous
34:49to continue.
34:51Much to Kevin's
34:52frustration
34:54he's forced
34:55to down tools
34:56and take shelter.
34:58It's raining
34:59which has stopped
35:00us a bit earlier
35:02than we wanted to
35:02but it's just
35:03not safe.
35:05It's that slippery
35:06there's no point.
35:08A good old
35:10cup of tea
35:10though
35:11I've deserved that.
35:14However
35:15four weeks later
35:16after being
35:17exposed to the
35:18elements
35:18the roof
35:19has leaked
35:20again
35:20badly.
35:23It's just
35:24getting worse
35:25and this year
35:26we have had
35:29the wettest
35:31year
35:32that we've known
35:33since we've been here
35:34and then typically
35:35the October
35:37through to December
35:38is the wettest
35:38dampest period
35:39anyway
35:40so it's certainly
35:41been a freak year
35:42in terms of the weather.
35:48and potentially
35:49making things
35:50even worse
35:54is that Kevin
35:55suspects
35:56the chimney
35:56flashing
35:56is also
35:57faulty.
36:00Yeah
36:01that's good
36:02and to
36:03assess it
36:03requires
36:04scaling
36:05new heights.
36:09you can see
36:10it trickling
36:10down
36:11all the way
36:11down there
36:12less so
36:13here
36:15but as
36:16all our village
36:17saviors know
36:17when one problem
36:19arises
36:20often
36:20another
36:21soon
36:21follows
36:25I don't know
36:26if it seems to be
36:28sprayed back
36:29into my eyes
36:30inside the
36:31estate's
36:31holiday
36:32jeet
36:36some urgent
36:37maintenance
36:38is required
36:40the wallpaper
36:41in here
36:41is looking a bit
36:41tired
36:42gaps appear
36:43between the
36:44drops
36:45over time
36:46and it's been up
36:48for four and a half
36:49years now
36:51I really need
36:52to get it done
36:52because if we were
36:53to get a booking
36:54obviously it can't
36:55be kind of like
36:57half stripped
36:57half not stripped
36:58and not re-wallpapered
37:00so yeah
37:01it's quite time
37:06sensitive
37:06I haven't told Kevin yet
37:07but what I'm thinking
37:08about doing in here
37:09is panelling
37:10to about this height
37:12and then wallpaper
37:13on top
37:15the popularity
37:16of oak panelling
37:17rose during the
37:18renaissance movement
37:20spreading from Italy
37:21through western Europe
37:23and would have likely
37:24been a decorative
37:25choice for the
37:26estate's earliest
37:27owner
37:29the quality of the
37:30oak used
37:30often depending
37:31on the social
37:32status of the
37:33household
37:36using oak though
37:37across Kevin and
37:38Anna's estate
37:38could prove costly
37:42are we going to have
37:43traditional oak panelling
37:44for our manoir
37:46no we're going to have
37:47MDF
37:4815 euros a pack
37:50from the DIY shop
37:51she's such a cheap
37:52skate
37:53she really is
37:56but staying on budget
37:58is crucial
37:59while the roof repairs
38:00rumble on
38:25jobs have a tendency to get a
38:30bigger as you go along
38:33and with two huge projects
38:35on the go
38:35and just themselves
38:36to tackle them
38:39Kevin and Anna
38:40are facing their busiest period
38:42as village owners
38:54back in northern Italy
38:56Carl and Francesca
38:57are also under pressure
39:00right
39:01silly cool
39:03I'm sure I've got one open somewhere
39:06with just three weeks to go
39:08until they depart
39:09for their winter break
39:11they're trying to complete
39:12their to-do list
39:13at Contini
39:14but
39:15tensions are mounting
39:19Francesca's all
39:19we want to get figured out
39:20we'll paint it
39:21we'll spray it
39:22we'll do it
39:22gold
39:23we'll do it
39:24we've got loads of building work
39:26to do yet darling
39:27you can't be
39:27dressing it up
39:28to undress
39:29look you're dressing it up
39:30already
39:31it's like
39:31I'm not dressing it up
39:32I was moving those out
39:33the other room
39:35go away
39:36to allow them to throw themselves
39:38into hosting
39:39their first wedding
39:40at Moray
39:41next year
39:42Carl's keen to stay focused
39:43on getting the master
39:45ensuite
39:45fully plumbed in
39:47before they leave
39:50but you'll need
39:51Francesca's help
39:53don't scratch it
39:54did you not read the instructions
39:56they want no instructions on it
39:58because she said
39:58it's simple
40:02well yeah
40:03but you feed it through
40:04you just sit here
40:05and watch the expert
40:06I'll just sit here
40:06and watch the expert
40:07but
40:08I'm telling you
40:09what to do
40:10yeah
40:11brilliant
40:12does she get it wrong
40:13I love it
40:16sat watching the master at work
40:21no darling
40:24this morning's task
40:25is to try and fit
40:26a freestanding tap
40:27for the traditional
40:29claw-footed bath
40:30but adding modern convenience
40:32to an ancient shell
40:38isn't so easy
40:40this is really tricky
40:42when you're in bath
40:43normally
40:44to the right
40:45it's cold
40:46to the left
40:47it's hot
40:53I hate standing around
40:55doing nothing
40:55and to me
40:56this is something
40:56around doing nothing
40:58but after some adjustments
41:02it's time to test it out
41:04right
41:05pull it out
41:06see if it comes on
41:12yes it comes on
41:13that was a bit of a hard job
41:15wasn't it darling
41:16I didn't put a spirit level on it
41:17no I wouldn't
41:21it's the next day
41:23see what we've got
41:25the couple are now
41:26the couple are now installing
41:26a new water heater
41:28you got a minute
41:30yes darling
41:32to provide a constant supply
41:34of hot water
41:35to their guest bedrooms
41:36which will be a far cry
41:38from Contini's early days
41:40when villagers
41:41would have likely washed
41:42once a week
41:43in tin baths
41:45filled using buckets
41:46of water
41:47that had to be heated
41:48on the stove
41:52ready
41:53yep
41:55top first
41:56top first
41:57okay
41:59now though
41:59as holiday makers
42:01expect more
42:01Carl and Francesca
42:03must bring the building
42:04up to today's standards
42:06that's it
42:08we're done
42:11but with one job complete
42:12when saving a village
42:14the to-do list
42:15is never ending
42:18I have to cut them all
42:19the same size
42:21so later on
42:22they're hoping to finish
42:24the upcycling
42:25of a second hand
42:25dining table
42:30repurposing some floorboards
42:32for its tabletop
42:35does it stick pretty quickly
42:37yeah
42:38it's called rapid
42:40rapido
42:43once Contini's fortunes
42:45are fully revived
42:46the table will sit
42:47centre stage
42:48in the guest dining room
42:50that's lined with original
42:52terracotta bricks
42:55terracotta's architectural roots
42:57stretching back
42:57thousands of years
42:59due to its fire-resistant properties
43:03but it was during the Italian Baroque period
43:06that it began being used more dramatically
43:08in grandiose columns and facades
43:14I don't think you've got this one right
43:16that's upside down
43:18why did I do that
43:20being distracted
43:22oh was it my fault
43:24no
43:25era culpa mia
43:27no
43:27you
43:30I'll make a groove
43:34Carl and Francesca have worked tirelessly
43:37to breathe as much new life into Contini as they can
43:40before heading off on their winter break
43:43to recharge their village saviour batteries ahead of next year
43:47which is set to challenge them in brand new ways
43:53when we get back
43:54when we get back
43:54when we get back at the back end of March
43:55we 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
44:01yeah
44:02so we have to get the gardens right
44:03I've got all the vineyard to do before we go
44:06we've still got our work cut out for us
44:08express it
44:09oh no because you're going to do it
44:11go on
44:11what are we going to do?
44:13no stop
44:22next time
44:23oh my word
44:24all this has blown off
44:27La Rosaray is hit by a storm
44:29oh you can see the damage on the slates up there
44:34Lucy and Jerry's building plans finally move forward
44:37that robot is so cool
44:39it's like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory with pipes
44:43the types of things getting shot along
44:45and while love is in the air at Moray
44:50disaster hits Contini
44:53come out
44:54come out
44:55come out
44:55come out
45:26come out
45:26come out
45:26come out
45:26come out
45:26come out
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