Escape to the Chateau

[The80sweregreat]

Channel 4 last night ( sunday). Dick Strawbridge and his partner have bought a 45 roomed Chateau in France, looks beautiful on the outside, but crumbling inside and needs extensive work. Everything you can think of! Bats in the belfry that are protected and have to stay too.
Did anyone watch? I really enjoyed it, but what made it for me was how laid back the couple were about everything!

[Izzabellasasperella]

I really liked this. The chateau was beautiful. I don't believe they have no more money to spend on it though.

[OhIfIMust]

Yeah they had a 20k budget for the whole rest of the interior then installed an £18k heating system! Doesn't add up! Definitely loved the show though.

[dolkapots]

I really want to cut Dick's moustache!

The figures so don't add up.

[RedMapleLeaf]

Ooh, I'm glad others have found this. The mind boggles a bit. I'd love to know more detail about the other rooms, the chateau's history etc. I'm not too sure about Angel's taste but I guess that's why she's a designer and I'm not.

"Dick Strawbridge and his partner"? You sound like the Today Programme!

[The80sweregreat]

REd. I suppose it does sound a bit twee! They are married now ( read an article on line about them) he is a minor celeb, was on a programme called the two hungry sailors ( and other channel 4 programmes) and she has appeared on Dragon's den in 2010 but the partnership with her and Deborah Meadon and Theo P didn't come to anything in the end. She owns a vintage patisserie and written books although I guess that was given up in order to move over there. I quite liked the diamond shaped wall paper, to have all that retro stuff just lying around must be amazing! I wonder how long it was empty for? agree that the numbers don't add up, one minute they have 2k left, then he gets a water system installed? good programme though, I am finding it fascinating ( would love a laundry room myself for the washing , sad I know)

[pandaskitchen]

I watched it and enjoyed how have-a-go Dick was. Heating, plumbing, building, cooking I wish I was that practical.

Dick's mustache fascinates me, it looks like a small creature that might sneak off his face in the night and scuttle around his empty ghostly Chateau through little mouse holes and behind skirting boards.

Angel seemed lovely but was a bit arty farty, though I liked her wall paper and hair.

[The80sweregreat]

panda, he is amazing. If I asked my DH to make a helter skelter for the children from scratch too, he would very politely tell me to go away and do it myself! ( especially as there is 450 pages of renovations to do beforehand and they need water, plumbing, electricity) He is so laid back about it all. I am sure it will be fabulous and worth a mint when its all done although I, personally, would struggle so far away from the nearest town/ shops. I wonder where the nearest school is for the kids?

[dolkapots]

Dick reminds me of a cross between Steve McDonald (Corrie) and a schnauzer. I was delighted to see Angel wearing overalls in the second episode sans makeup. She looked far too glamorous hoking through rubbish before.

I am disappointed that they are already minor celebs. They obviously have more money than the programme is letting on. Dick is totally amazing at the DIY although the diagrams that he keeps drawing on the mini whiteboard is annoying me but when I saw Angela hammering on that braid I was thinking that my kids would have that pulled off in ten minutes!

I was not impressed with their vintage kitchen units though. The tiles were lovely but the gold/navy units?

[Pissant]

Ah I missed this.

Will see if it's on catch up!

[AuldYow]

Just found this on catch up, really enjoying it. Not sure I'd be doing it with a toddler & 6 month old

Does anyone remember the programme he was on before with his first wife? Something about being green - anyway I loved that too.

[shitchef]

That completely confused me, what's happened to Brigidt, they seemed really happy together?

[Pissant]

No - I don't remember another show.

I was amazed at the scale of the project. I suppose it's good to have a goal - but it would scare me to have so much to do.

No way a 20K budget is going to do it though ;)

[shitchef]

I think it was called 'It's not easy being green'. His older kids appeared in it too.

[yoyoyoy]

Yes shitchef I was puzzled about what happened with his first wife , they seemed a really happy couple . Angel seems to have him running around doing all these jobs at the click of her fingers but then they've only been together a few years , I wonder if he will be quite so obedient after a few more years together . I love love love the chateau ,it is a really lovely part of France .They seem to have caught the Grand Designs disease of running out of money only to magic up another few thousand from nowhere when needed . I wonder how much Channel 4 stumped up for filming .

[dolkapots]

I don't find the pair of them easy watching; they are almost trying too hard. Who turns up to a work site with flowers in their hair?! Dick keeps calling her Angela, yet her name is supposed to be Angel Adoree that's a good one for Baby names. Maybe I am a just a grump but it has irked me that this was presented as the other Escape programmes but they are not average people who run out of money after the first two weeks. I will of course have to watch the next episode as it is the wedding.

[neonrainbow]

The chateau is my dream home. Id get horses for the stables and ride around my estate being lady of the manor all day.

[hownottofuckup]

Is anyone watching this? They've got decapitated unicorns on the wall

[cosmicglittergirl]

I watched it, but only the last episode yesterday; I'd not seen it before. I initially thought he was her dad until I'd googled them.
I can't decide what I think, on the one hand it's all achingly cool and I liked a lot of the renovations on the other I kept wondering why on earth two people who can't muster a word of French would then move to France. Also, that moat would give me the heebee geebees, the thought that the children might fall into it.

[Chocolateteabag]

I loved the "Not easy being green" programmes he did when with his first wife big crush on his son James so it feels somehow wrong watching this one?

[dolkapots]

Cosmic they moved there because Angel wanted a castle and they could afford one in France. They offer wedding packages and for a bargain £4k you can hire the chateau for 4 days.

[cosmicglittergirl]

4K for 4 days is pretty good actually... I might watch the first episode on catch up.

[bakeoffcake]

I too kept looking at the most and saying "I'd never be able to rest with 2 children and that moat". The whole place was very beautiful though.

The money side of it did annoy me. I saw him being interviewed on tv and he wouldn't answer how much they had spent. I reckon it must have been a six figure sum.

[The80sweregreat]

the voiceover lady said 100,000 for renovations at the end. they paid 280 for it.

[PeterandJudithSurname]

I loved this and really liked Dick and Angel. Such a beautiful place, although they'll definitely need a fenced off garden for the kids to play in so they don't fall in the moat. I liked Angel's style.

[dolkapots]

I missed the £100k figure in the programme. Was that for the whole chateau or just the rooms the have renovated?

The £4k is just for the hire of the chateau. No bells or whistles included. Food is £60 per head per meal. I would pay that amount to have Dick locked in the bathroom. He seems to like the sound of his own voice and I can imagine him attempting to hijack the wedding.