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00:00Across France, there are thousands of breathtaking chateaux.
00:06Many forgotten and crumbling into disrepair are now being brought back to life by adventurous
00:15new owners.
00:16The plan for here is a swimming pool.
00:18We are, yeah.
00:20They're taking on monumental challenges.
00:23Nice and slowly.
00:24Restoring history while building homes.
00:28Wow.
00:29I think they've outdone Versailles.
00:32And thriving businesses.
00:33Squeeze in much tighter.
00:36There'll be triumphs.
00:37Welcome to the tower, sweet.
00:40Oh, my God.
00:42And setbacks.
00:43I wish you hadn't come up with this something.
00:46What a nightmare.
00:48But for those who dare...
00:50I love all this. I absolutely love all this.
00:53The rewards are extraordinary.
00:56Today is a very good day.
00:58Very, very good day. I'm really happy.
01:00Because this isn't just restoration.
01:02The best thing about having a chateau is being able to gather all the people you love.
01:07It's the chance to become custodians of their very own castles.
01:16Today, one couple make a risky business decision.
01:20I'm really nervous because it's our first tour ever.
01:24Another has a bit too much fun.
01:27As a family, we quite like constructing things.
01:30Not as much as we like breaking things.
01:32Hopefully, that's going to work.
01:34And you, Shetla, have great expectations.
01:38No pressure.
01:39No pressure.
01:47Surrounded by the delights of the Dordogne is Domaine de la Barde.
01:54Once a high-end hotel, it comes with 32 rooms, several outbuildings, and manicured gardens.
02:06Today, professional chef Tim, his wife, Chris, and their two sons, Oli and Owen, call it home.
02:16What's wonderful for us is that it's a human-sized chateau, so it's not palatial.
02:21It's a very big family home, and that's what we need.
02:24We need a family home that's beautiful for us, and we need it big enough to accommodate a business as
02:28well.
02:32Located less than an hour from the vineyards of Bergerac, the chateau was abandoned when Tim and Chris bought it
02:40in 2020.
02:42Since then, they've worked hard to bring it up to spec, and now offer accommodation for up to 24 guests.
02:51But they're not stopping there.
02:54We plan to expand the business, so we want to touch on tours, weekend packages, and get a wafer for
03:03our guests.
03:04And the first tour group that we have this year are very much food and wine enthusiasts.
03:11And we do have a room round the back, which is a very nice ambient temperature.
03:18So the whole plan is to make a very nice, lovely wine cellar.
03:25So far, Tim has started building new racks.
03:29It's not bad, is it?
03:30Already that looks quite good.
03:32And removed an old concrete door frame, revealing some of the chateau's original 14th century stone.
03:44Bringing this back to life is amazing for me.
03:50Today, it's Chris who is helping turn the old storerooms into a wine lover's paradise.
04:01I think this is going to be really, really beautiful and a good thing to have as well, business-wise.
04:07Because, you know, people, when they go to big properties like this, they kind of expect to find a room
04:14like this in a big chateau or a big property.
04:17So, yeah, I should say, we've got that. We've got a wine cellar as well.
04:22The very first little paint on this wine cellar.
04:28I think this is going to look really, really elegant, lush, beautiful.
04:36Oh.
04:37Hello. It looks lighter, doesn't it? Do you like it?
04:41Yeah. Yeah, once it's all painted on colour and that, it's going to look really quite nice.
04:46Yeah.
04:47I haven't seen your lights for this.
04:50Ah, yes.
04:50What colour is it?
04:52Er, they're kind of brassy, bronzy.
04:55Oh.
04:56Like, you know, like picture lights.
04:57OK.
04:58So, I think it would be nice if they're just sort of, it would be more decorative.
05:02Yeah.
05:02Yeah.
05:03Very nice.
05:04You're lovely.
05:06Lovely job.
05:06Well done.
05:07Yeah, it's going to look really, it's going to look really luxurious too.
05:10There is another light though, that Tim and Chris would like to have in pride of place.
05:17It's a nice light.
05:18It's got a bit of meaning to it.
05:20It was one of the things that they kept from Chris's family home before it was sold.
05:28And it's quite a nice sort of statement piece, I think.
05:33Their plan is for it to hang over the main tasting area.
05:39I'll hold the light and you, er, you basically tell me...
05:44Yeah?
05:45..where the light wants to hang.
05:50Just a wee bit more.
05:52That will be better.
05:54Really?
05:55You sure?
05:56Yeah.
06:02As soon as Tim has cut the chain, Chris's family heirloom can be put on display.
06:10Seems a very small bit of chain.
06:12Just want to see if it'll be...
06:15That's all right as well.
06:19I was thinking we'd have like a barrel over here.
06:22There's stools around it.
06:24You can sit, have a, have a drink of wine.
06:27Have a cha and everything.
06:28Yeah.
06:28Yeah, that'd be right.
06:29The personal touch has also added more than just character.
06:34I've not got a lot that, erm, represents my side of the family.
06:40So having my mum's light up in the wine cellar,
06:43there's, erm, a part of my heritage being part of this property.
06:47So I'm very, very ecstatic and very, very happy that we're doing this.
06:52But like a new wine, there's a long way to go before any tasting can be done.
07:05200 miles away, among the volcanic hills of the Auvergne,
07:11are the ruins of the 14th century Chateau d'Azerain.
07:16All that remains intact of this once formidable fortress
07:22is a magnificent great hall,
07:25a medieval kitchen
07:28and an elegant dining room
07:31decorated with stunning 16th century frescoes.
07:39in 2022, Oxfordshire based antique dealers Catherine and Steve
07:46rode to its rescue
07:48and snapped it up for under £100,000.
07:53We were already spending a lot of time in France
07:56and living in a small Cotswolds cottage in the UK
08:01limits us from our crazy oversized items that we have.
08:06It's kind of almost like a theatre backdrop to us, isn't it?
08:10It is. It's the whole scale of the building as well.
08:13It gives us the opportunity to do things
08:16that you just couldn't decorate in the same way in a normal-sized house.
08:24Located under 150 miles from Lyon,
08:29experienced renovators Catherine and Steve
08:31are keen to retain the castle's history
08:35but keep their creature comforts.
08:38And today they're focusing on the 700-year-old kitchen.
08:43We've come a long way with the kitchen so far
08:46but there's lots and lots of finishing off to do.
08:49We have the flooring to finish.
08:51We being you.
08:54The earth floor would have once been covered in straw or rushes.
08:59Hopefully that's going to work.
09:01Catherine and Steve though have opted for reclaimed limestone.
09:06Having this flooring done will be monumental.
09:10I think it will help suppress some of the dirt as well
09:13that keeps on being churned up on the original floor.
09:16I might need to take a little bit more off that slide.
09:20It would be great.
09:22Yeah.
09:22No pressure.
09:31All right, that's that side of the fireplace done.
09:34Two cuts over there and getting there.
09:40These cuts, it just takes so much time and effort to do it.
09:48This is the crucial bit.
09:51Is it going to break or is it going to go where I don't want it to?
09:57Not bad.
09:57Not bad.
09:58Nearly.
10:02Perfect.
10:08Happy with that one.
10:11Right now I just need to find an off cut for that last corner.
10:17Is it going to fit?
10:19Yeah.
10:21No.
10:22Not until I've cleared some of that corner out.
10:26Nothing is ever easy.
10:32Hopefully that will be fine.
10:39Yep.
10:42Looks really good.
10:43It's going to look really good.
10:46I love it when a plan comes together.
10:48Just the plan is enormous.
10:51The plan is the size of a house.
10:54Next on Catherine and Steve's to-do list
10:57is transforming a dull kitchen into an exotic antique.
11:09Coming up, there's some bad behaviour.
11:13Becky's a bit of a hooligan when it comes to DIY.
11:17And Catherine and Steve make a daring decision.
11:21Fingers crossed that it's actually going to work when it's finished.
11:24Yeah.
11:30In the idyllic countryside of southwest France
11:34stands Chateau de Segonville.
11:39The 17th century building has 42 rooms,
11:45several outbuildings,
11:47is surrounded by five acres
11:50and belongs to music teacher Becky and civil engineer Mark.
11:57After initially using it as a holiday home,
12:01they moved here permanently in 2020
12:04along with daughters Charlotte and Sophia.
12:07Becky's father George soon joined them
12:09to help turn this chateau into a real family home.
12:14We drove up the hill to find it.
12:17The views, first of all, were the first thing that hit you.
12:20And then the fact that you could see the chateau itself
12:23as we went up was a beautiful sight to be seen.
12:28It was just an amazing house.
12:32I never tire of looking at the chateau.
12:34I never tire of looking at the views from the chateau.
12:38Just an hour's drive from the city of Toulouse,
12:41Becky and Mark bought the chateau in 2018 for £645,000.
12:49Since they moved in,
12:51the couple have been busy renovating the rooms.
12:54Three, two, one...
12:58Whoop!
13:01That worked!
13:02..and executing ambitious engineering projects.
13:07It's tight.
13:08Hold on.
13:09..to turn the outbuildings into luxury chate...
13:14We're in!
13:15We've got the stairs in without any hitches.
13:18..which they now rent out to paying guests.
13:23Their next outbuilding project, though,
13:26is a family affair.
13:29My father was the first person that came here
13:31after we bought the house,
13:33and it's been harder for him to go up and down the stairs.
13:36And we felt it would be nice for him to have his own place
13:39and be independent from myself and the girls
13:41and all the hubbub that goes on in the chateau itself.
13:46So far, what we've done is knock down a few walls,
13:50rebuild those in stud partition.
13:53Painting's gone on, the plasterboard is all finished,
13:55and now one of the key tasks left is to give him a kitchen.
14:00Let's go.
14:01Mark splits his time between France and Saudi Arabia,
14:05where he works.
14:07Let's see what boxes we can attack first.
14:10And as he's returning to the Middle East today,
14:14Sophia and Grandpa George are pitching in to help.
14:19Ah, that would be a sink, wouldn't it?
14:30It actually is exciting to see all these changes,
14:35and I'm sort of wandering around and seeing what I can do to help
14:39and to see what's going to happen in what will be my room.
14:47Hello.
14:47Hi.
14:49How are you getting on?
14:50All right.
14:52As a family, we quite like constructing things,
14:55so we've got lots of building blocks.
14:57Not as much as we like breaking things.
15:00Speak for yourself, I like building things.
15:02Becky's approach to DIY is just rip open the packets,
15:06build it and don't worry about the spare parts afterwards.
15:11So she's a bit of a hooligan when it comes to DIY.
15:14He's not wrong, but I tend to get it right.
15:19Dave made a start,
15:20but with Mark about to leave for work in the Middle East,
15:24they'll have to keep up the pace to get George's kitchen complete.
15:35Up in the Auvergne, antique dealers Steve and Catherine want the convenience of a modern kitchen.
15:45Right, all yours.
15:47So basically what you've made is giant Jenga?
15:50Yeah.
15:51But the looks of an unusual antique.
15:55A friend of ours found a base of an old apothecary shop
15:59and they stripped layers and layers of paint off and revealed the most beautiful...
16:04It's stunning. It's amazing.
16:06So there are sort of scrolls on each drawer front with a different ingredient on
16:13and it's just beautifully aged, lovely thing.
16:16So I just took that as inspiration and the plan is to try and...
16:22...replicate it. Yeah.
16:24In our own way.
16:26It's like a jigsaw puzzle.
16:29And keep our fingers crossed that it's actually going to work when it's finished.
16:32Yeah.
16:33To transform a 21st century kitchen into a 19th century chemist
16:39we'll need a little bit of magic, or 40 fake drawer fronts.
16:45So, while Steve cuts out the framework, Catherine conjures up a plan.
16:54All of the black bits have several layers to it.
16:58We're just going to do a base layer of paint, then it will have gold size,
17:03then it will have gold leaf, then it will have the sign writing
17:08and then they will each have a crystal knob put on.
17:22It's a really difficult thing to try to not make it too perfect.
17:28There's a lot of painting to be done overall.
17:31There's just an enormous amount of work going into it.
17:35It will be worth it.
17:39Creating a set of fake apothecary drawers shows real commitment.
17:45As does renovating a crumbling castle.
17:48I know it's not for everybody.
17:50Some people look at it and they look at the walls and they think,
17:52how can you be in that space?
17:55But for us, it's just a magical way to live.
18:02Inside, Catherine prepares stage two of their ambitious idea.
18:08This is the template for drilling the holes for the knobs.
18:12There's the knob.
18:14We need the knob to be about here.
18:23I actually think the shape's fine.
18:26Phew!
18:27Just lots of painting and faulty drawer fonts to do.
18:31It's clear that Catherine and Steve are determined to create an extraordinary home,
18:38even if it means hours of detailed decorating.
18:49Further west in the Dordogne, Tim and Chris are hoping to add a bit of spirit to their wine carve.
18:58Wine cellar is getting very close now.
19:01Chris has put a lot of paint on.
19:02I've got a few finishing touches that I want to get on with.
19:06Just to try and punch a bit of character in.
19:10Give the room a little bit of judging.
19:13Tim has got this brilliant idea of, basically it's a trompe l'eye.
19:18You're in wine cellar in La Bargue.
19:20Trompe l'eye.
19:21It's playing with your eyes, so you think it's something, but it's something else.
19:26He's got this picture of the Chateau Mont-Basiac, which is a local, very, very famous chateau in the Mont
19:34-Basiac vineyard in Bergerac.
19:37And when you're sitting in our wine cellar, it'll make you feel like you're in the vineyards of Bergerac.
19:44So that's the feeling we're going to go with this trompe l'eye.
19:49But to get a view of a chateau almost 30 miles away is going to take some creativity.
19:58So I'm thinking, up on the wall, sort of here-ish, we'll put like a sort of fake window, and
20:06that'll all look quite nice.
20:10So, while Chris turns some of the old chateau window frames into new fake ones...
20:16There we go.
20:20Tim prepares a base for his backdrop.
20:25Once the glue's on, it's time to set the scene.
20:31Oh, OK, so that's cool.
20:32So I've got...
20:33I've got a bit of excess.
20:38Oh!
20:40God, it's fiddling, huh?
20:44One down, two parts to go.
20:48Nearly put it upside down.
20:51Upside down.
20:52The last thing Tim needs is a panorama drama.
20:56It is very fiddly.
21:00I'm kind of aware that I haven't got, sort of, ten goes at it.
21:06I've got to get it...
21:08Oh!
21:09See, like that.
21:10I don't want to get paste onto the picture.
21:17Because it's so big.
21:28First step complete.
21:32Next, Tim needs to bring the outside in.
21:38So hopefully my picture will sit on there.
21:42Then I'll put the frame around it.
21:45That'll get screwed in the wall as well.
21:46And put a couple of screws through.
21:56It's going to be pretty much something like that.
22:09Yeah, looks OK.
22:11OK.
22:15Chris's window frames will hopefully complete Tim's illusion.
22:21So pretty much, they will go like that.
22:36As well as the frames, Tim's upcycling an old handle.
22:41I would like it there.
22:43Because that's where it would be on a window.
22:44It would be low.
22:51Yeah, looks pretty good, doesn't it?
22:56If I didn't know better,
23:00I'm in Bergerac.
23:01I'm in a vineyard.
23:03But with the shelves still empty
23:05and a tall group on its way,
23:08Tim really needs to make his wine cellar a reality.
23:17Still to come,
23:19Becky has a hard time.
23:22You just never know when you drill a hole around here
23:25whether you're going to get something solid or not.
23:28And Catherine and Steve perform some real magic.
23:33It's coming to life.
23:34Yeah.
23:41In the Haute-Garonne region of southwest France,
23:45Mark and Becky are in a rush to fit Becky's father's cottage kitchen.
23:51We've managed to finish putting the cabinets together.
23:54The only thing with this is that Mark's due to catch a flight in a little while,
23:58so we'll get this done quickly and make sure he's all packed
24:02and get ready to go.
24:05And as Mark is chief DIYer,
24:08there's no time for mistakes.
24:12Right, so...
24:13Because we were trying to save money,
24:15we didn't channel out for putting the wiring into the wall for the electrics,
24:21so we're going to have to do something clever
24:23in order to bring the units out a little bit
24:27so that we can fix them to the wall, which is what's needed.
24:35Hopefully this works.
24:36You just never know when you drill a hole around here
24:39whether you're going to get something solid or not.
24:45Mark's only been here a short while this time.
24:48He's only had, what's he had, seven, eight days.
24:52It's not really very long.
24:54It's very difficult to try and sort of balance the time out,
24:58so we hope that the phone doesn't ring
25:01and that he's able to give us a bit more of his time,
25:04especially for the girls, it's so important.
25:06We would like him with us full time.
25:11So, after a bit of a struggle,
25:13we've managed to secure the rail to the wall
25:17such that it won't fall out.
25:20So the next thing is to put the cabinets on
25:22and see if they fit.
25:25OK. Yes? Yep.
25:27This goes onto the rail, doesn't it?
25:29It does.
25:30OK, so lift it.
25:33There you go. That's pretty good.
25:35Oh, one unit down.
25:40It comes across a bit.
25:41There you go. That's in the right place.
25:43A teeny bit more. Not much.
25:45Where? At the end, I would say.
25:48Yep. You're pretty good, darling.
25:50Right, let's get the workshop on.
25:56That's it from my side.
25:58That's perfect.
26:00That looks good, doesn't it?
26:01It does look good.
26:03Doesn't it suddenly sort of change things?
26:05Yes, it does.
26:06No, that's great.
26:08I think we've done quite well.
26:10We've managed to put all three units in.
26:12Suddenly we've got a little kitchenette.
26:14It's very important that my father has a nice space for himself.
26:18Nice for him to be able to sit and look out and see his garden
26:21and enjoy the greenery.
26:23Yeah. I wasn't sure if we'd get as far as this
26:25because of the challenges of getting the fixing of the rail on the wall.
26:30But in the end, that came out.
26:31Yeah, you did it.
26:32It's not bad. No, no, it's great.
26:33No, no, it's great.
26:33We've managed to get it in, so that's fantastic.
26:36All right.
26:37I think we'd better go and catch a plank.
26:39Let's go. Yeah, that's good.
26:41With Mark now heading straight back to the Middle East for work,
26:45it's up to Becky to look after the chateau
26:49and make progress on her father's cosy cottage.
27:01Living in a rural French chateau means being faced with all sorts
27:07of unusual problems.
27:09My sandblasting experience is pretty limited.
27:11This is real big-boy stuff.
27:13And Chatelain are constantly having to learn new skills.
27:19It's always daunting.
27:20You know, am I qualified?
27:22Well, I'm definitely not qualified to do this.
27:24In the Pyrenees, at her 14th century hunting lodge,
27:29Connecticut-born Trish has a woodworking challenge.
27:33Today I am going to rebuild a gate.
27:36This is a gate that keeps the sheep on their side of the field.
27:41The thing doesn't swing.
27:42It's really heavy.
27:43It's falling apart.
27:45I want a gate that swings.
27:49Since she moved into her six-bedroom chateau,
27:53Trish has picked up an enormous amount of know-how.
27:57So the first step is really just deconstruction,
28:00which is always the fun part.
28:06This is very therapeutic if you've had a stressful day.
28:13The gate's wood, though, won't be wasted, as it will be reused to build the new one.
28:21Now comes the scary part, the table saw.
28:24That thing scares the hell out of me.
28:27To add strength, Trish has decided to remake the gate with overlapping joints,
28:33something she's only just learnt.
28:36What I saw on the video is that you put the blade at about half the width of your board,
28:43and then you just kind of do little slivers, and then you can chunk it off.
28:50And now the idea is just to remove these bits.
28:55I never imagined I'd be doing some of this type of stuff, but I really enjoy it.
28:59It's gratifying when you create something, even if it's not perfect, you know, just to think, oh, I did that.
29:07All right.
29:09One down, 15 to go.
29:13Once all her planks are prepared, it's time for Trish to put her jigsaw back together again.
29:20This is my bottom.
29:22Let's start with this side.
29:25That's looking pretty good.
29:28And then what I'm going to do is just drill some holes and then put a little wood glue on
29:34it and hope for the best.
29:39She might have only just learnt what to do.
29:42Which side was which.
29:45But Trish is always happy to have a go.
29:49That looks pretty good.
29:51Not quite.
29:53Might need a little bit of a...
29:57I have a number of projects that are not one-person jobs that I try to make one-person jobs
30:04and things go a lot slower, but that's okay.
30:07It's a beautiful day outside.
30:08I'm happy to be spending the day outside, so life is good.
30:13It's not long before Trish has assembled the second gate, too.
30:21She even adds a crossbar for extra stability.
30:27We got an X.
30:30Woohoo, look at that.
30:32It's not too shabby.
30:35All right.
30:37It swings.
30:41It's a little uneven.
30:45Unfortunately, this side's a little too high.
30:49Five centimeters.
30:50So I think what I'm going to do is just take out the hinges in the post and just move
30:57them down five centimeters rather than dismantling this whole bit.
31:02After a quick adjustment...
31:05Oh, I hope this works.
31:11It swings.
31:12This one swings.
31:14Hey!
31:16They're now even.
31:18It's turned out pretty good.
31:20I've applied some new skills.
31:21That's always a good thing.
31:23Yeah, I mean, I'm happy with it.
31:25It's got a little overlap, but it's better than a gap.
31:29I think I'm pleased with what I've done in a day's work, and it's beer o'clock.
31:34It's yet another job well done.
31:37And once the remaining gaps are filled, Trish's land should be safe from sheep.
31:44But when you own an ancient chateau, every day's a school day.
31:56In the Auvergne, Catherine and Steve are hoping to disguise their modern kitchen behind a false set of drawers.
32:07It looks a lot more apothecary already, if you step away from it.
32:13So it's got the lovely faded black, the crystal knob, the spot where it would be gold-leafed and then
32:21black sign written on top.
32:23I think it's going to look amazing.
32:25It's just a long old slog to get there.
32:30But Catherine isn't the only one keen to bring back the past.
32:35So I'm just going to finish off taking the last of the loose lime mortar off the walls,
32:42and then it'll be ready to get the first coat of the lime mortar on.
32:49Made from limestone or chalk, the popularity of lime mortar only declined after the introduction of Portland cement in the
32:5919th century.
33:01If you leave too much of this loose ducky stuff on, when you try and get the new lime mortar
33:07up, it sticks to that dust and then pulls away from the wall.
33:12As it's both breathable and aesthetic, it's still the choice of most Chatelain.
33:18I love to get on with lots of projects and sometimes I reach a point where I've had enough of
33:24one and I want to start something else.
33:27But with the nature of the building and with a lot of the materials that you use, especially the things
33:32like the lime mortaring, it's quite an old technique and it requires time and layers.
33:37We like things to look lived in.
33:39I don't want to be in a museum and I don't want to sort of have modern living.
33:46I want a sort of comfortable between the two.
33:51That's not looking too bad.
33:54I think we'll see how we go from there.
34:01First, though, there are 40 fake handles to put on 40 fake drawers.
34:09I'm hoping every time somebody comes in the kitchen for the first time they're going to try and open the
34:13drawers.
34:15Is that what you heard?
34:16Well, that would be the perfect thing to happen, wouldn't it?
34:20I really like the glint of the crystal knobs.
34:24It's coming to life.
34:25Yeah, it's brilliant.
34:27Love it.
34:28I absolutely love it.
34:33Huge progress on the kitchen cupboard fronts today.
34:37Our slightly crazy production line, I think, has paid dividends for us.
34:43And all the walls are now prepped for the first coat of lime plaster.
34:48With so much to do here, it's clear Catherine and Steve's adventures
34:54have only just begun.
34:59People say that, you know, buildings talk to them and this chateau certainly spoke to us.
35:06Yes.
35:06It's so personal to us, this building, and I think it shows.
35:13When you really, really love what you're doing, I think it shines through and it makes everything happier, better.
35:22It's very, very special.
35:25For now, though, they can at least celebrate their new stone floor.
35:31Perfect ending to a perfect day.
35:40Coming up...
35:41Right, let's go.
35:43Becky and Mark race to finish Grandpa George's new home.
35:48It's all actually very exciting.
35:51And Chris is at crisis point.
35:54I've been biting my nails thinking we're not going to get it all done.
36:03In south-west France, at Chateau de Ségonville, Mark's back.
36:09Right, let's go.
36:11Last few knockings in the coachman's cottage.
36:15And keen to complete Grandpa George's new home.
36:19So, we're at the stage now where it's down to us to do the finishing touches.
36:23So, it's things like curtains, we've got lights to hang.
36:27So, yeah, it's all hands to deck and let's see if we can get the final push.
36:32The thing that I'm really pleased about is that it's done in time for my father's birthday.
36:37He's 80 and so we can celebrate in his place.
36:42Hopefully this will be quite easy and we've got a different type of curtain header.
36:47Ah, yes.
36:50It should go up in there.
36:53Clicks in, clicks in.
36:56The joy of not having such high ceilings.
36:59Let's see what it looks like when we've opened the curtains.
37:02There we go.
37:02It looks good.
37:03It's the right length too, that's great.
37:05Yeah, that's nice.
37:06Just outside, George is tending to his garden.
37:11It's as hard as bricks.
37:13While he waits for the big reveal.
37:16It's all actually very exciting.
37:21It's not quite what I expected, having such grandeur.
37:28But yes, it's lovely.
37:30I shall be only too happy when it's all off and going.
37:37Inside, Becky's dug up something particularly special.
37:42This is rather a lovely letter that my father received from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth.
37:49It's a recognition of his work overseas setting up British schools.
37:54So he was awarded an MBE, so it's rather nice to see that up.
38:00It's incredibly positive for my father to move into this area.
38:05Though we love each other dearly, it's very important that we've got each other's space.
38:10He'll be able to do all his own cooking and just be a lot more independent.
38:15And it's nice for the girls as well to have grandpa still very close by.
38:20It's just across the courtyard now, which is nice.
38:22And when Mark gets the lights secure...
38:26A couple more turns and we should be good.
38:29Let's see if the lights work.
38:32Yay!
38:34George's cottage is finally complete.
38:37They actually look quite nice as well.
38:39Brilliant!
38:43A few months ago, this chateau outbuilding was empty and cold.
38:50Now, it's been transformed into a warm and cosy home.
38:56A simple but modern kitchenette has been fitted and tiled.
39:00With enough space to entertain.
39:04Special mementos adorning the walls.
39:08And a calm green colour scheme, reflecting the view of his beloved garden.
39:16You going to come and have a look, Pa?
39:17Yum!
39:19So, here you go, this is it.
39:22Wow!
39:24I thought it'd be nice to put some of your pictures and things up.
39:26So, we've got some of the photos up and all your crockery.
39:30And you've got a sink, drawers, you've got...
39:33A little kitchenette.
39:34A little hob.
39:35Very good.
39:36And it's not long before the whole family are round for tea.
39:43I think Pa's pleased with that, don't you?
39:46I think the fact that we've used his favourite colours and put his lovely bits and pieces around and about
39:51always helps.
39:52It's a nice little area, so it's an absolute win in my opinion.
39:56He's got his independence but he's also got the security of still being within the family home.
40:01Which is lovely for us as well, having him close by as always.
40:05Yeah.
40:05But it's nice.
40:05It's a lovely place to be.
40:09Once I've got everything fixed up in the right places, I shall start inviting some people round of my own
40:17age, which is good.
40:18It's the way I'd like it.
40:19For Becky and Mark, it's a project that has ended on a very sweet note.
40:33Over in the Doctrine, Tim and Chris are on tenterhooks.
40:38We've got a really busy day today and I'm really nervous because it's our first tour ever.
40:45Luckily, Tim is almost ready for them.
40:49The wine cellar is pretty much there now.
40:52We've got some lighting to put up and wine racks to fit, but then we're really on the home straight.
40:57The lighting may be last minute, but Tim still makes sure it's just right.
41:04I thought if we'll ever have picture lights, then it'll be able to light at least the front
41:10and it'll get some light down as well to the lower things.
41:13So that will be quite cool.
41:15And it looks quite nice.
41:16They're quite classy.
41:22Yeah, that's pretty moody.
41:24I like it.
41:25I like it.
41:28I like it.
41:29As soon as Tim finishes fitting the racks,
41:34Chris has just a few hours to fill them with their collection of 300 wines.
41:44There's a lot of pressure to make everything perfect, but we were able to finish everything in time,
41:50so I'm really happy because I've been biting my nails thinking we're not going to get it all done in
41:56time.
41:59What was once a dusty dumping ground, cluttered and chaotic, unused and ignored,
42:12is today a connoisseur's cave.
42:15The ancient stone walls proudly displayed.
42:20Rows of wine racks resting inside handmade alcoves.
42:26Soft lighting showcasing a carefully curated selection of fine wines.
42:33A family heirloom giving it a personal touch.
42:39And a magnificent view for everyone to enjoy.
42:44All of it, creating a wine cellar worthy of the most discerning guests.
42:54It's all going very well.
42:56Everyone's having a lovely time.
42:58Terence and Monica are the tour group organisers for all of this.
43:02They're also really, really, really big wine snobs.
43:04They know their wine.
43:06So I've got someone fit to show my wine cave to.
43:09So I'm really excited that they're going to be the first people to see it.
43:12So Terence and Monica, I would like you to come and choose the first bottle of wine from our wine
43:18cellar.
43:18Purposely built for this very occasion.
43:21I wish you could have seen it before.
43:23It very much was an absolute, awful place to be.
43:27But yeah, now we've got Chatham Mon Basiac.
43:30Mon Basiac.
43:31Yeah, yeah, yeah.
43:32And a selection of local wines.
43:34Local wines.
43:35Come on through and see if there's anything there that you'd like.
43:39I think there's probably many things that I like.
43:42Chateau Tour de Grande, 2022.
43:44Direct from the chateau.
43:45We only buy direct.
43:46Well, we were tasting this afternoon.
43:47Exactly.
43:51These are all original stone walls, which I love.
43:54This was dumping ground, like so many different parts of the chateau.
43:57We used to just store things, you know, and it was absolutely ruined.
44:01So I made all these cases.
44:03I refurbished the old wine racks from the hotel.
44:06And then, yeah, we've just got a bit of everything.
44:08Oh, this is great. This is a great start.
44:10Isn't it? Isn't it?
44:11I'm really happy with this.
44:12We're very happy with it also.
44:14Now it has an aficionado's seal of approval, Tim's dream is finally fulfilled.
44:22I think Terence loved the wine cellar.
44:25These groups are very specifically about being exposed to the food and the wine of this region.
44:31And now they've come back and round it all off with a visit to our own wine cellar.
44:35It's quite magical.
44:36And Tim's done a really good job, so yeah, happy days.
44:41But Tim and Chris won't have time to enjoy the fruits of their labour,
44:47because it'll soon be the start of the holiday season.
44:59Next time, who's DIY magic for a damaged staircase.
45:04I sadly missed my opportunity to go to wizarding school,
45:08so I'd like to mix potions up in my spare time.
45:11Steve tackles a 700-year-old mystery.
45:14I don't know if they've ever had glass things.
45:17And pre-wedding jitters for a novice florist.
45:21The ceremony is looming, so I'm getting a bit nervous.
45:24In the 잠깐만, I'll see you next time and again.
45:26The ceremony is the of wren.
45:28In the homemade house, the hall was named John B.
45:43It's been a grandführen.
45:43That was named after the funeral of the înthe.
45:44That was named after the early 1890s.
45:47The hall was named after the discovery between the day.
45:49The hall was named after theистs.
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