To be a bit fuming at Escape To The Country

[jamoncrumpets]

Yes, yes, I know I am watching tv in the day and should be out working or volunteering or something, but both kids are ill so we're all having a down day today.

Anyway, I'm fuming because the couple (male, female) are viewing houses and every single time they walk into a kitchen the presenter says 'Well, will this do for you Sharon?' and then when they get to the outside space, garage etc, he turns to the man and says 'What do you think then, Nigel?'

The woman has already said that she isn't much of a cook. He's not letting her off the hook, he is absolutely DESPERATE to sell her a big old kitchen so she fit more neatly into her gender role.

I've never seen this show before, is it always like this? AIBU to want to take the presenter to a female boxing club and have him pummelled for a few bouts?

I live in the country. I live at the end of a track, have land with chickens, goats, 2 donkeys (fostering, not mine), 2 dogs and a cat. We 'escaped to the country' when i was in my early 40s. My home has a 4 bedrooms, a massive dining kitchen, a back kitchen, a boot room, a snug, a living room, a study. There are only two of us, but we do have a lot of friends and family visiting and staying for the weekend. We are NOT rich - we live in the north😂
HOWEVER.....
I will be 60 next year. DH will be 65. We will be selling our dream and moving to the centre of a market town. We will be going to a smaller house with a tiny garden. We will be able to walk to the shop (currently a 10 min drive to a small co-op and 30 mins to Tesco), see a doctor ( we have a GP visit in the nearest village on a Tues and Fri morning, otherwise its a 30 min drive), jump on a bus, ( now, this IS giving my palpitations of excitement, driving for 4 miles through snow and ice to get to a main road is getting harder).
I have to be honest and say its not what I want, but its what we need.
Perhaps a new version of Escape from the Country might be more appealing😁

Instead it should be escape to total dump and all these wealthy people should have to go and live in a really rough area in a small house for a month. The type of place where you have to look lively during the day never mind at night.

It annoys me when they ask the budget and it is about £600000-700000 sometimes more. I would be more impressed at £120,000 or even less on some programmes. Why not vary the type of people and budgets.

Living in a dump! That would be funny.

The running costs on some of these places must be immense, heating, electrics, general maintenance etc plus looking after all that land, surely you would have to employ a gardener particularly if you are retired and getting older, it all looks seriously expensive and hard work and it must be a tie as well, you can’t exactly go on that river boat cruise if you have alpacas and chickens to look after.

Laila I would so watch 'escape to the ghetto'.

'Barry's glamping business hit hard times and he's been made bankrupt. it's time for a fresh start - with a CLAMPING business'

😂😂 escape to the ghetto, with Barry brilliant.

We watched an episode while waiting for a hospital appointment.

I was foaming at the mouth because it was the only episode I had EVER seen when the person actually bought the house. And the woman liked it because it had a red front door and she liked the rug

The twin concepts of a) paint and b) vendors tending to take their rugs with them were clearly lost on this lady.

Neverthless DH was hooked! Although he does complain that none of the episodes he has Sky plussed have been "as good" as that one. Probably because he has never been so bored and thus grateful for entertainment as he was that day.

I admit I'm surprised by that, OP. Usually they're very good at identifying the specific things each person wants -and going on about those at length-. I've definitely seen ones where the husband is the keen cook and they keep pointing that out.

I would love to know what these people cook that requires a kitchen the size of an aircraft hangar.

They mostly have no idea of country life.

Sign me up for Escape FROM The Country. This sounds like the perfect programme for me. I'm looking to sell a country house in the middle of nowhere, 25 minutes from the shops, 40 minutes from nearest city and decent hospital. Would be delighted with a tiny flat in central Edinburgh, York or London. The more traffic noise and clamour the better.

They've been tied to city or suburban homes for decades as wage slaves.
Many are taking early retirement so only in their 50s/60s. Why shouldn't they live their rural dream for a while.

My DFiL is still hale and hearty 20 years into his retirement - loves tending his garden and allotment.
Would you prefer him to have moved into a retirement flat with a window box?
He's got a big house but a young family wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway so he's not depriving them of a house.
ETTC is an irritating show but there's some ageism on this thread that shouldn't go unchecked

The one thing I notice is that ALL the couples hold hands constantly. Maybe it is where I live but adults holding hands when wandering around the shops are few and far between.

And yes to the massive houses- more bloody rooms to clean even though they are used 4 times per year.

toooldtobearsed good luck with the escape from!
As for escaping to - jules Hudson ! Have become very fond of him for some reason. Originally an archaeologist. Think he’s interesting and far more so than his ‘posh boy’ air would suggest.

I will always remember the episode of, I think, Location etc, where the couple had won the lottery and the wife was complaining about how stressful it had been to win so much money.

I swore loudly at the telly.

I was channel hopping the other day and when I put this on my ex was one of the people looking around.
Their budget was a full on lie lol so now I would raise an eyebrow over other budgets too

I only watch this show when I want something calming because it's like the telly version of one of those calendars you pick up from WH Smith to see pretty pictures of scenery. I used to get very irritated by the fact that the couple almost never buy, but now I just watch it for the production value.

Also add me as another who would love to watch the hypothetical Escape From the Country! Maybe it would be like a reality show version of Stath Lets Flats

Maybe it is where I live but adults holding hands when wandering around the shops are few and far between.

Yeah, you don't see it often, although DH and I used to hold hands, until 6 years ago. I've been in a wheelchair since, so both of his hands are needed to push that.

Fenella that couple lost everything they won 1.8 million but blew the lot on handbags and cars, etc, he had an affair they lost the house and she ended up back living with her parents.

Betty Boo and Captain have nailed it for me....
Couldn't ha e put it better myself
And I never tire of the househunters pausing by the front door.....wait for it ......."Hmmm I can hear traffic "
Of course you can you daft arse , you are in the country not the bloody Arctic .
Don't get me started on the acres of land required.......anyone else laughing like mad at the thought of them mowing til the cows come home ( or the llamas ) for that matter

Its an absolute joke and doesn't reflect the majority of people in this country.

THAT'S THE WHOLE POINT! It's property porn. I don't want to see people (on this programme) buying a two up two down in Derby.

Sadly I believe gokart about staged.
Someone I know was invited to take part in British version of Storage Wars & said was all staged.

I would love Escape From The Country too, although our escape from the country is guaranteed as they keep building houses on all the fields near us.

@Toooldtobearsed2 I live in a town that that in the North. It's full of more mature residents have a great retirement. Walking groups, active churches, theatre, a glass of wine at the cinema and a wonderful GP, plus we're really close to the country still. Good luck