To get a bit annoyed when Dick and Angel Strawbridge insist they're "normal"

[Frankola]

I love Escape To The Chateau. I love Dick and Angel. I really do.

However, it really annoys me when they frequently insist that they are "every day people" and that "anyone can do it".

They ARE NOT every day people! Dick is a respected engineering and environmental expert who has appeared on tele for years before ETC. He's done Scrap Heap Challenge, Coast and all sorts!

Angel is actually a qualified chartered accountant with a professional background in business studies. She was a successful businesswoman in London, creating The Vintage Patisserie hospitality business and also appeared on Dragons Den - where she secured funding for her latest investment.

They were introduced by their agent. Does that sound "normal" to you?

Do every day couples pitch their search for a new life to production companies? Channel 4 even funded their house searching France for them to find the Chateau as they approached them from the very beginning of their project to maximise the potential they saw in this.

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for their success. But I find it a bit insulting almost to expect the doting British public to just buy that these people could be any Tom, Dick or Harry (pun intended).

Any one else feel like this?

That said, they both have a good understanding of how TV works due to their backgrounds (particularly Dick) and he said that when they were talking to production companies, they made a conscious decision to make the programme full of fun, laughter and love rather than stress and arguments.

This is so great. Especially after the last series of Grand Designs for example, when the couples can't make it through the build without splitting up. Nice to see positivity for a change! I'm all for it.

We know a family who have done what they have without the TV aspect (moved to France bought a dilapidated chateau, renovated it and turned it into a successful business) and they are just rather normal people - admittedly with drive and commitment but no massive family money or special connections.
Obviously it's going to differ somewhat once it's your family life being televised but I think that the point is more you don't have to be a multi-millionaire to do what they have done.

cool yeah, I found some of the episodes in the latest series of grand designs really hard watching! it was very sad.

There was an article in on MailOnline yesterday that said Dick and Angel 'have plans to sell the chateau' - was quite surprised as their whole brand is kind of built around it now, with their merchandising spin-offs etc. They also seem to be fully booked for weddings until 2022...

Wonder what (if anything) they would do next.

I'm not surprised. I watched the last episode where they were giving the party guests a chateau tour and in each room there were those ugly oil electric heaters, the upkeep of the place must be astronomical. People say about it being a brilliant place for the children to grow up in, but I don't see that it's practical at all, they still can't go outside without constant supervision because of the moat. Fair play to them, they're set to make a huge profit and I would assume they will move on to a new venture. I wonder what will happen to Angel's parents though, they will hardly want to live in an annex of a property that has nothing to do with them.

If you actually read the article there is no mention in it that they themselves have said anything about selling the chateau. It's just some random estate agent in London talking about how much it could be worth. I don't think they will ever sell it.

misty the one I clicked on said that they were going to sell it now that it was an established wedding venue. It is now worth £2 million.

I hope they don't sell it, I've totally bought into the thing that it's as much their Forever Family Home as it is their business etc.

I think they'd be wise to head back to UK. Dick is entering his pension years and let's face it isn't in the best shape. I doubt Angel could run it by herself.

I wouldn’t be surprised if they sell in with in the next five years (or at least move on) as Dick is a project person. Ie. Never happy unless he’s working on some new project or other.

I read in one article that they employ two pr people, so it’s not a small enterprise anymore. I imagine They employ people to run the wedding business and holiday business as well (charge £75 to do spend the day gardening at their house).

They have done well, and the tv programme is free publicity other businesses can dream off. However, it’s no longer a twee, little cottage enterprise.

@MissSueFlay - you’d be surprised how many ‘Forever homes’ on Grand Designs get sold shortly afterwards. There may be a myriad of reasons for doing this - job move, finances, and a new challenge, but it’s surprisingly common.(don’t have actual statistics).

Dick sets off my spidey sense.

They don't want to sell it in the literal sense. Obviously they need to 'sell it to people' to appeal to them as a venue or destination.
They have long term plans for the place, Dick has mentioned before that it's all for their children and planted trees and referenced what they will look like when the kids are older etc.

They did a lot of work, but some of it is cosmetic.

The roof still needs doing, the walls are crumbling and the windows are only patched up. So in reality the place needs a lot of money to be done up properly.

It's worth it as a business, but the whole business is very much dependent on Dick and Angel and the Channel4 advertisments series so if someone decides to buy it and run it then it might not be quite so lucrative.

The amount of food they made for that picnic!

that's what I thought @ChardonnaysDistantCousin, it's the Strawbridge connection, Angel's vintage style, that sets it apart from other gorgeous chateau wedding venues.
I missed Dick talking about the future of it (not watched all the series), that makes me feel a bit better

The first Mrs S has remarried, and is very happy. She keeps bees.

I don't watch the show as I am not a fan of Angela.

I love the show, total escapism. I'm not bothered whether they're 'normal' or not - it's great telly when I want to switch off my brain and can't be arsed to read a book.
The chateau reminds me of a French exchange I did back in the 1980s. I stayed in the Bordeaux region with a family in their glorious summer home that had been in family for generations. Looked absolutely lovely from the outside but was very rundown inside.
The wall cupboards were lined with old newspapers & every time I opened the bedroom windows, more chunks of plaster fell off the wall. When I asked the mother about it, she just shrugged & told me to put them in the bin...

housinghelp they have a team of staff to do all the work, why couldn't she run it herself?! bit insulting to her I think!

Bolly because to me Dick was not only the driver of the dream but the main doer. I didn't mean it in any insulting/derogatory way, more that he is the engineer and according to them did a lot of work himself which saved lots of money. That of course might be all for the cameras.

housing he did do a lot of the building work yes, but I am not sure what that has to do with her being able to run the business.

She has run her own business before, I am sure she is still capable now..

Bolly I wasn't referring to the business end so much, more the continuing upkeep/renovation/repair of the chateaux in general. Yes she could get workmen in, but it seems that Dick does a lot of work himself which most likely saves a lot of money.

I would imagine they can happily pay someone (probably steve!) to carry on any building work.

He probably did most of the work at the start to save money, I imagine they are much more well off now that the Chateau makes a lot of money!

dont you all think the new guide lines going out twice for exerxing is more social mixing long drive then walking eating its risky

dick and angela strawbridge no way are they normal showoffs to much money