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!

He's got short hair and a beard now. He's gone less hippy and more hipster. www.jamesstrawbridge.com/JAMES_STRAWBRIDGE/about_me.html

Dh and I loved this series. Especially enjoyed our puerile sniggering at every mention of 'shaft'

Is there anything that Dick can't do? He was even doing the 8 course meal this week. Every girl needs a Dick

Have just seen last nights one.
I must admit that if my dh had worked for days on that lift he would have had a go in it first.
Dick is amazing , he seems to be able to do anything. The turkey and trimmings looked lovely. Is there anything he cant do? There seems to be more than one of him! He is everywhere. Hate the tash / beard though, i think its aging.
Its a beauiful house, but i would hate to pay the bills for it.
It will be amazing when its all done.

The money issue is fascinating isn't it.
I'd love to spend my days mincing about stencling and tying lavedar bunches together.

That moat without a fence around it gives me the heebie jeebies. I couldn't relax living there with a young family.

Do Angel's parents live with them? I don't know how they do it all otherwise. When mine were little I found it hard to clean my teeth some days, let alone put my hair in coiffs and swan round in a kaftan decoupaging everything in sight

Oh it's them, I would have watched it had I known. Him with the moustache and a new wife.

Thanks Borp he's lost that 'something' though hasn't he?

I was also amazed at Dick's flexibility (snort) ,sorry! I LOVED angel pottering around the table dec and him and his family, doing the prep. looking after the kids etc. etc.

The can't bear the moat without a fence. It was the first thing that struck me about it.

It's the law in fr. to have a fence or alarm on all swimming pools , don't know about moats though, it's going to be difficult to let them go out to play soon isn't it? Rather than a lift I would've put something in place on the moat!

Watched the Christmas episode last night. I am a little less unimpressed with the lift seeing that it has a flip-down seat in it so you don't have to stand. Still would have made more sense to have a bigger one though, if you're going do something as absurd as put a lift?? in the tower?? of your chateau??

It's OK about the moat. The kids don't need to play outside, they have a helter fucking skelter (no. 1 priority when refurbishing a delapidated mansion is to build a mini helter skelter out of plywood, obvs).

The moat sans fencing really scares me too. It is practically on their door step so the kids couldn't go out at all without constant supervision. Maybe it is for the best though, I can imagine Angela draping faux ivy through the railings and perching taxidermied animals on top.

Dick seems to be a really good all rounder. I thought Angela's hosting skills were crap though, she brought a plate to the guests (who were on a fine food weekend) and said "I'm not really sure what it is".

I think the interior is starting to look tacky. Dick needs to lock up the stencils/printer/wax paper for a while. I wonder when Angela says "I am working so hard I literally don't get time to go to the toilet all day" who she thinks she is trying to kid; her hair is perfectly done under the french beret and the kaftan thing she wears doesn't even have a crease in it.

I was aghast at her murdering the books!

Ppeatfruit it's bonkers the loi Raffarin alarm/fencing legislation only applies to swimming pools & from hearsay each department applies the rules slightly differently.

Fish ponds, river frontage, or natural swimming pools/bathing lakes are not covered at all.

To be fair the children do always look supervised. I have ambitions to waft around wearing a kaftan & my hair in pin curls. I mentioned to my DP about having a tower of curiosity and he look at me like this >>

Dick certainly is handy.

Dick must get a very good pay off for all his endeavours.

I almost regurgitated my dinner when Angela said about Dick walking the streets selling his body

Me too NancyDon I wondered what she would 've said if one of the guests had said "Oh dear I 'd have loved that book as a gift, I'm learning french!!!"

Yes Budgie but it's bonkers legislation any way , how can you fence or alarm the sea fgs ? Their dcs are properly supervised which is what you have to do esp. near water.

Yes me too Woes he's not god's gift in the looks department, good little worker though .

A stannah stairlift would have been a lot cheaper than the lift.

The records on the wall like 'balloons'. Eugh.

Trip to Paris looked lovely - jealous - much!

Very cute kids.

Moat aside, they look like they have a lovely way of life. The town looked gorgeous at Christmas. I've always hankered to live in a town like that.

I must say, the shots of the chateau in autumn were beautiful. It's a fantastic building.

does anybody know when the next one is on??

I guess it depends on whether any more renovation funds are needed

ha ha,i didnt realise it had finished

Oh has it finished? It'll be repeated though.

New series starts tonight, I'll be watching for sure. Anyone else? It's sort of preposterous and lovely in equal measures imo.

They think big this pair!