Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Child-safe in minutes.

Meet the Other Phone.
Child-safe in minutes.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Telly addicts

Related: Film discussion forum.

Original poster

Escape to the Chateau

150 replies

The80sweregreat · 06/06/2016 12:20

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!

OP posts:
cosmicglittergirl · 20/06/2016 17:26

Ah, thanks!

AuldYow · 20/06/2016 19:00

If Angel is her business name why did she print this on the wedding invites. Was the wedding a business venture?

dolkapots · 20/06/2016 19:21

I think Angel Adoree is her speshul name.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 20/06/2016 19:22

Can't be real, surely?

Original poster
The80sweregreat · 20/06/2016 19:35

hmm, I do think that Angela/ Angel is good at getting what she wants, I wish I had my dh wrapped around my finger like that sometimes! he would just say ' no' and that's that!

  • her parents seemed in awe of her too.
lovely place although I think I would struggle to live somewhere that remote. a gite already renovated would be nice though, without any bats or flies.
OP posts:
AuldYow · 20/06/2016 20:40

I think I'm just jealous, she seemed to have everyone wrapped round her finger.

I want a castle, tick
I want a helter skelter, tick
I want an arch in a mashoove load bearing wall, tick
I want my parents to be on call babysitters, tick

I'd be given the Hmmlook and told to stop being ridiculous. Nice work if you can get it though but I don't think I could put upon people like that.

cosmicglittergirl · 21/06/2016 14:03

I'm now watching the first episode while the kids are asleep!

yoyoyoy · 23/06/2016 17:23

Looks like a classic case of male menopauseitis or no fool like an old fool as its otherwise called . He met Angela in 2010 and split up with his wife in 2010 - hmm . I give him and the retro redhead 2 years tops .

expatinscotland · 23/06/2016 18:00

'I think I'm just jealous, she seemed to have everyone wrapped round her finger.'

Would you really want to suck Dick Strawbridge's cock to get all that, though? Blech. I'd rather go into convent. She's got an old spoony who separated from his wife quite conveniently (and who, hopefully, if she had a good solicitor, got a fair slice of whatever coin he had) and has grandkids the same age as her own children. What's to be jealous of? She didn't come across as a very nice person.

cosmicglittergirl · 23/06/2016 21:36

I've watched all of it now. I can see why they fell in love with the castle, it is amazing, but still too remote for my taste. And not worth sucking Dick's dick for.

Essentially I got the impression that Angel is very driven and has masterminded a lucrative business for them, tapping into Dick's expertise and telly contacts. I would totally watch another series of how it has worked out.

AuldYow · 23/06/2016 22:40

Hmmm yeah, now I've thought about it I think I'll take the jealous part back, I now have to try to sleep with the mental image of her/me giving him a BJ Confused

& yes to a second series to see how it all panned out badly

woesinwonderland · 04/12/2016 15:00

The second series is now here. Started last week, second episode tonight at 8pm on channel 4.

ChardonnayKnickertonSmythe · 04/12/2016 21:15

A lift.

They are putting in a lift. I'm speechless.

ppeatfruit · 06/12/2016 10:08

Oh I'm glad I found this thread Grin This is a very funny show (not deliberately of course !!!) You've all said exactly what I thought!!

The lift is completely mad esp. if they're counting the pennies Xmas Hmm. I was thinking "You could both do with walking up the stairs a bit more, not going in a lift" Grin.

ppeatfruit · 06/12/2016 10:12

We live in an old house in France for 50% of the year. Ours is next door to a lovely house with only ONE tower, our neighbour has spent well over 100 thousand just rerroofing it. Shock

woesinwonderland · 06/12/2016 13:26

I just caught up with the episodes on catch up. I was wondering where the two young children were whilst Dick was installing lifts and Angel was badly embroidering napkins, until the end where it seems that Angel's parents are still there 21 months later acting as au-pairs/cooks/cleaners/decorators.

I am dying to take a pair of hedge clippers to Dick's moustache.

I really liked the decoupage toilet doors but the faux trailing ivy with birds on the overhead pipe killed it for me.

Angel is clearly a mumsnetter as she has stunt pineapples in every possible place!

ppeatfruit · 06/12/2016 13:35

That kitchen they 'did up' was so dark, in a semi basement too, it needed a pale colour scheme not the weird one they\she gave it.

When we moved in here the walls of the kitchen were brown striped paper, the cupboard doors were DARK brown to match the heavy ceiling beams Hmm me and a pot of off white emulsion were inseparable for months Grin

Cosmicglitterpug · 06/12/2016 13:35

Looking forward to catching up with this.

woesinwonderland · 06/12/2016 13:42

Yes i couldn't quite figure out the rationale for the navy and gold colour scheme. It didn't even look nice.

ppeatfruit · 07/12/2016 09:22

Another funny thing is that there is a french law that every swimming pool has to be either fenced or alarmed , to stop the alarming number of small children that were drowning in them. It obviously doesn't apply to moats !!!!! Can you imagine the cost of fencing in 2 acres of water Shock!!

woesinwonderland · 07/12/2016 10:15

Despite the voice over claiming that Dick and Angel are down to their last 2p they seem to be able to wish money out of thin air!

ppeatfruit · 07/12/2016 11:40

Yes weird that! Maybe they have to wait for his next pay packet because it's impossible to get loans from french banks !!!

BorpBorpBorp · 07/12/2016 15:23

I can't believe they're putting in a lift that doesn't even look big enough for a wheelchair. What's the point?

I can't believe he doesn't say no. "No, of course I'm not putting a fucking lift in the fucking chateau. If you want one you can put one in yourself."

I can't believe she covered everything in butterflies. I can't believe the stuffed wolf. I'm just finding it all quite hard to believe.

Macauley · 07/12/2016 15:24

I really want to visit their local charity shop where they managed to get all those chairs for the wedding, fabric and that beautiful bed.

The money thing annoys me as the programme mentions they are needing to generate money to cover renovations. Next thing they are installing lifts and not that upset they made no profit on the wedding they hosted Hmm

Budgiebonbon · 07/12/2016 15:56

Loving the second series of this- i'm looking forward to seeing what Angel(a) does to dress the Chateau for Christmas.

Having looked at the website it says that Dick has done some paid for for National Geographic, which has been used as a cash injection.

In France there are fantastic second hand furniture antique fairs & Flea Markets, they seem to take furniture from house clearances but a lot of it is very big- much too large for a lot of modern houses. 10/12 seat dining tables & chairs are 10 a penny.