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?

Angel if you are reading this. TELL US WHAT SKINCARE YOU USE.

Yes, Minty, you’re so much more worldly wise than everyone on here, us sheep shall now follow you and your ways instead. Starting with reversing into parking spaces.

(Sorry, people confused by that, Minty took exception to my parking habits on another thread and has followed me here to correct me in my ignorance about makeup on telly.)

minty.... but.. she has been filmed with no makeup on? Why do you think she hasnt?

This thread

Also absolutely at people not being worldly if they don’t have millionaire and TV celebs as friends. You ridiculous creature.

Much of the money they get comes from the show on Ch4, A standard History Channel contract (for which Dick has done a few programs for) is about 75000 pounds a year . By October 2018 they where fully booked for weddings and almost all their various other events where booked for 2019, I checked their website. Its not rocket science as to where the money comes from, just hard graft.
As for using English trades in France, I have two words Customer Service. Often it can work out cheaper to get someone from the UK to do the complicated stuff.
I really do not understand why there are so many people bashing the Strawbridges, are you perhaps jealous of their success.
Next year they are touring the UK

Are people really still bleating on about his first marriage? He's been separated/divorced from his first wife for 10 years! She's also re married! People get divorced and re marry all the time, why is it disgusting in this situation?! His first children are in their 30's! They are adults with lives of their own. Why would they want to be hanging about in France all the time with their parents/younger siblings. I know no one who would do this in their 30's. His daughter was in a few episodes when they first got the glamping floating things in the lake. And his son was in a recent episode.

Jolie - You're coming across as very bitter and strange. Also you do realise people are living well into their 90's now days don't you? Arthur and Dorothy will be quite grownup by the time Dick gets there.

I think they’re lovely.Shes just gorgeous and they’re clearly potty about each other. My engineer dad had an MBE for military service. It’s really not glamorous to start from and yes you can see the graft they put in.

Every week I have to put up with dh wailing bloody Brexit it should have been us.😂 I always say I want a chateau but no way could I do their wedding business, the stress!!!! It looks exhausting.

Last weeks drink in the meadow made my jealously peak. I’d love a meadow, might sprinkle a few seeds round the back garden and dream.

This weeks made me think of many a French picnic with my family. Not quite as idyllic.😬

They are a fabulous and inspirational couple and I am in awe of their achievements. They have never disguised the fact that each event they held has paid for the next room renovation. Also Dick has done voiceovers and the money they have been paid by ch4 naturally has allowed them to achieve more and more throughout the chateau. No idea why people have a problem with that?

I think the money thing is because some of their shtick is about being economical, resourceful etc when the taxidermy in the first series & stuff like the heat press doesn't come cheap. They clearly are paid well for the TV work & probably earn loads from the Chateau itself & probably get discounts, eg the boat done up in exchange for promotion of the boat yard. Clearly getting the son to help cater was to show off his talents & likely boost his profile which is fair enough.

My family have a French property, it can be quite difficult dealing with tradesmen so I don't blame them for shipping in UK workers.

They are economical and resourceful. They have used loads of stuff that would have gone to landfill otherwise. They buy a lot from charity shops. They grow their on fruit and veg.

Whats wrong with doing all that as well as buying taxidermy online?

They dont claim to not spend any money..

Yes, Minty, you’re so much more worldly wise than everyone on here, us sheep shall now follow you and your ways instead. Starting with reversing into parking spaces

Good show. You will be far less of a risk to the world now you realise you don’t know more than the HSE.

she has been filmed with no makeup on? Why do you think she hasnt?

Have you worked in TV at all? If so, you’d realise how much work goes in to preparing a face to make it look like it is bare.

They're fab. Love the show.

What a hoot this thread is, someone posting a photo of Dick's ex wife and going on about the 'poor woman' and what a numpty he is....the shame of it 😂 very amusing.

minty

I am not stupid.. you can very obviously see when she has got no makeup on.

But ofc you must know best

Oh pack it in, Minty. We've all seen Angel's makeup free face as viewers of the programme.

How bitter do you have to be to try and discredit someone else's compliment? 'She's hot great skin' no she doesn't, no she doesn't 'she doesn't always wear make up, actually' yes she does, she does, don't you know how tv studios work?

Sad.

Got*

They dont claim to not spend any money..

I never said they did claim this but particularly in the earlier shows there was a focus on making what little money they had stretch far. Yes they are resourceful but it's easier to be when you already have that expensive equipment & tools in the first place.

Nothing wrong with spending on taxidermy but it's slightly disingenuous to spent 3k on it & lament the cost of something else. Don't get me wrong, it's perfect for their look which is what they are selling after all.

On such a large property with numerous out buildings they will be paying a lot of tax, has this been discussed in episodes?

I like their show & them a lot, but if it was so easy you wouldn't have so many chateaus for sale in the first place or back or the market after a failed venture.

What nasty people Jolie and Housinghelp seem. Posting horrid things about people who have done them no harm

Nasty to have an opinion on people who have put themselves on tv countless times? I said I don't like them, not that I want them hung, drawn and quartered. That would be nasty. I also said I was aware IABU.

I never said they did claim this but particularly in the earlier shows there was a focus on making what little money they had stretch far

Of course they did. They had less money then than they do now. Isnt that obvious?

I dont think its disingenuous to spend on one thing and save on another, no.

On such a large property with numerous out buildings they will be paying a lot of tax, has this been discussed in episodes?

Their enourmous bills have been dicussed yes.

I like their show & them a lot, but if it was so easy you wouldn't have so many chateaus for sale in the first place or back or the market after a failed venture

I am fairly certain nobody including them has said its easy. The show doesnt make it look easy at all.

housing you're nasty to claim you can't stand a child on the show. A young child ffs.

Exactly jbfletcher1, I remember in the lift episode very early on, before the chateau was even up and running Angel said they were down to their last pennies. She then ordered Dick to put the lift in, at a cost of £20k. A lift that was so small it was barely functionable, but it looked so pretty, so was worth it. Totally fine for them to do whatever they want, it's their money and reality tv, so I suppose they need as many twists as possible. Dick even calls himself a 'telly tart'.

Sagrada yeah I accept that that might be nasty. In that case I am then.

housinghelp

The lift was well after the "last pennies" episode. They were making money from tbe chateu when they put the lift in.

Yes they are more successful now but I don't think they were hard up before.

Enormous bills for the upkeep of the chateau eg heating, roofing but taxes?

The show doesnt make it look easy at all

Compared to the realities of owning French property when you speak French & have French family I think they make it look pretty easy. That's not to say they don't work hard. But running a business in France is a lot more bureaucratic than the UK. Obviously it varies from area to area but even in the DIY show I don't think they have discussed the role of the Marie.