I did most of the painting and decorating.”. Previous All Episodes (90) Next Add a Plot » Director: Michael Bennett. The only issue, they say, is the unhurried bureaucracy in France, but Nigel’s fluent French helps and they have learned to be patient. The location is idyllic. The house is now a chambre d’hote, aka boutique B&B, has four bedroom suites to let. Everyone with the notable exception of my parents and my then boyfriend, Michael. 1,286 talking about this. For now we love it here,” says Debbie, who has grown-up children in the UK. Unlike some of the other chateaux owners, we have been at the Château de Lalande for over 12 years. Dick Strawbridge and his wife Angel help British people who run chateaux in France. Rate. 5. The chateau does not currently earn enough money to be their full ... Add Image. Watch us chasing our French Dream on Channel 4. We now have a five-year plan and after that we’ll make a decision on whether to stay. 4. Chateau d’Humierès. Follow our adventures on Facebook. There’s no doubt in my mind that this is what I was meant to do with my life. Me and Nicole, we’re so happy to be featured on the series escape to the chateau DIY. It is narrated by Dick Strawbridge who, along with his wife Angel Adoree, provides help and advice to some of these owners. Episodes. 0. Life was hectic and we started wondering whether there was an alternative that would give us a better work-life balance. 9. Everyone thought we were mad. S2, Ep25. “Labour is expensive in France and we couldn’t afford to get tradespeople so did we everything, except the electrics,” says Debbie. Home. Rate. Michael remained part of this crazy family and his love for Lalande never wavered. The 400,000 Euro asking price had just been reduced by 100,000 Euros for one week only,” says Debbie. Channel 4 are launching the new TV series tonight Escape to the Chateau: Make Do & Mend, presented by Dick and Angel Strawbridge.. Read More Nov 9, 2020 NEW Series of ETTC DIY Starts. Series presenter Dick Strawbridge visit the couple to help fix their leaking moat, while Erin visits Dick's wife Angel at Château de la Motte Husson to get tips on hosting a tea party. The sun room at the back of the house has also been renovated and there are plans to replace an old conservatory with a new orangerie. The show presents other Expats that have brought Chateaus or are on the hunt for one, the ups and downs of restoring a Chateau and making them earn their keep as a Wedding Venues or Hotels. Just over a year ago we were contacted to take part in a television series about Brits renovating chateaux in France. Read More. Rate. I thought it sounded fun and, on a whim, agreed to participate, (mainly imagining the hilarity of my mother on film!). So, we thought it might be nice for you to see what’s happening… On this page we be upload regular videos of our day-to-day lives; from maintaining the garden, to cooking and crafting tips straight from The Chateau. In quick succession, Nic had to move back to London for work, Michael and I split up after 10 years, and my mother and I found ourselves at Lalande without them. Read more. I want to thank everyone for their support of ‘Escape to the Château DIY’. Key: Green= Available Pink=Booked White=Out of Season/or wedding Season starts from 1st May to 30th September 2019. Their story is featured on the latest series of Escape to the Château: DIY. 3. I love nothing more than bringing this magnificent building back to life, welcoming people to our home, and letting them discover the magic of this place. Rate. Escape to the Château DIY We have been married for 25 years (and counting) and have two children Donna 25 & Joe 11. Although there is still an unimaginable amount of work to be done, Lalande is flourishing. Add to Watchlist. The couple star in Escape to the Chateau January 16, 2021 - 16:01 GMT hellomagazine.com In their exclusive interview for HELLO! 2. As a result, the couple, who are both 57, are now the proud owners of a 26-room house in the rural Limousin region of France and are set to star in Escape to the Chateau DIY, … 8. View production, box office, & company info Movies We Can't Wait for in 2021. The first three years were hard - we lived amidst constant building work as we tore down walls to rediscover the original proportions of the rooms, removed asbestos, created a huge new sewage system, dug hundreds of metres of boreholes to install geothermal heating, and redid all of the plumbing and electrics. This is an on-going project to bring life back to a once forgotten chateau in the north of France. My parents, Nic, Michael and I were all living in insane discomfort (-10 degrees in the house during our first winter), but I was loving every minute. The couple bought their Chateau in 2015 . It was used as a hunting lodge and later became a sanctuary for French resistance fighters during World War II. Two salons, aka sitting rooms, have been refreshed, along with the dining room, rear scullery and the kitchen. As a result, the couple, who are both 57, are now the proud owners of a 26-room house in the rural Limousin region of France and are set to star in Escape to the Chateau DIY, on Channel 4, between March 30 and Aprl 3. Everything you need to know about the chateau at the heart of Channel 4's documentary series, including its location, history, name and how you can rent it On Saturday, they welcomed couple Natalie and Peter to the Escape to the Chateau spin-off who wanted guidance on what to do with an old double-decker bus and plot of land they’d purchased. “Then we almost struck a deal to buy an old mill but it went wrong. Read More Nov 22, 2020 Watch “Escape to the Chateau 2020 Harvest Time (March 19, 2020)” on YouTube. Star: Dick Strawbridge. “We are now in the middle of renovating a bedroom for ourselves and there is still a lot of scope to do something with the attic and cellar rooms. Tim is originally from Leigh-on-Sea in Essex and Margreeth was born in Zeeland. November 22, 2020 - 20:30 GMT. They’ve also taken starring roles in Escape to the Chateau DIY, a TV series in which we get to see the realities of chateau life – warts and all. Rate. The death of my father sent me into quite a tail spin, and work on the château stalled for a while. It helped that Nigel had already lived in France for four years in the 1990s. “Nigel is really handy and even put a shower in and tiled it. The couple are also selling glamping nights for £350 in the chateau’s grounds and £230 “days of decadence” where you can meet Dick and Angel and have lunch and afternoon tea at the chateau. As was my father, who never once doubted his daughter’s sanity in taking on such a behemoth. “It’s very quiet and very rural. Time was of the essence as they wanted to generate an income straight away. It is in the tranquil Millevaches National Park, which is popular with cyclists and walkers, and is 15km from Lac de Vassiviere and its lake beaches. Escape to the Château DIY Just over a year ago we were contacted to take part in a television series about Brits renovating chateaux in France. Dick Strawbridge's wife Angel Adorée prepares for guests in Escape To The Chateau Topics We are a young French-English couple, Gwendoline and Billy, who purchased the château in late 2016, aiming to bring it back to life, armed with a general knowledge in DIY, project-management, people skills and, most importantly, a very strong drive and belief in our project. Shop Chateau Personalised Gifts with World Wide Delivery Exclusive Homemade … They have since refined the decor in the three B&B bedroom suites and completed work on a fourth. Reassessing life, work and everything is a common midlife activity, but while most of us carry on regardless, Debbie Bell and Nigel Lawson opted for a radical change. If we hadn’t bought the chateau and moved here while we were still young enough we would have regretted it. Nigel and I were working hard and we were also helping his parents move to France, so we were back and forth across the Channel a lot. The floors are rotten, the walls are crumbling, they cost a fortune to maintain and they’re in the middle of nowhere. Along with the help of friends and family members, we are doing as much of the renovations by ourselves as possible. Nicole and Stephan . He ran a dairy farm there and speaks the language fluently, so they began hunting for a chambre d’hote, the French equivalent of a bed and breakfast. Rate. The aim is to respect where possible the crumbling beauty of this once impressive and dominant building. Added to Watchlist. Rate. Series 1 Episode 1. 10. 7. The historic property sits in four acres of land within a rural hamlet in the Limousin countryside between Limoges and Gueret. The very first time we met, I told Nic, ‘We’re going to buy a château together one day.’ He thought I was mad, but the idea didn’t go away. Rate. for future generations. Accommodation at Chateau d’Humieres in the North of France . Escape to the Chateau DIY is a Channel 4 documentary series which follows the stories of various British families who are renovating châteaux in France, or looking at ones to purchase. “Getting Chateau Gioux ready to trade as a chambre d’hote has been hard work but Nigel and I are a good team. The IMDb editors are anxiously awaiting … The pace of life here is slower and we are hoping to take advantage of that and relax at some point – once we’ve done all the decorating, of course.”. It is now a successful weddings and events venue. Play . Sadly, at the end of these big renovations, my wonderful father became sick and he died in 2005. Escape To The Chateau DIY is a Spin Off of the Channel Four Show Series/EscapeToTheChateau. We started decorating and hosting workshops and eventually my mother found her wonderful fiance, Percy. DVSA rules on tests and lessons during latest lockdown. Buying it felt like fate. Escape to the Chateau at Christmas is on TONIGHT (December 25) at 8.10pm on Channel 4. They are looking forward to telling their story on TV and hope it will open viewers’ eyes to an area of France that few Brits visit. Escape to the Chateau's Dick and Angel Strawbridge reveal real reason they moved to France. While a lot of restoration had been done, the house needed more work before it could open as a B&B, so Nigel and Debbie rolled up their sleeves and got stuck in. We all expected to be a tiny part of an obscure show on an even more obscure television channel, and were surprised when we first learnt that it was to be a Channel 4 spin-off series from Dick & Angel’s legendary ‘Escape to the Château’! The Brits avoiding Brexit on the new Escape to the Chateau DIY. It was spawned from the associated series Escape to the Chateau Rate. The Restoration of a Chateau. Nov 25, 2020 Don’t miss the new Escape to the Chateau DIY Series. The official home of our TV series Escape to the Chateau™. Elegant camping just got interesting here at The Chateau with our brand new geodesic Domes to watch the stars twinkle, in total luxury. You can’t imagine how much it means to all of us who are struggling to ensure these buildings make it through our watch intact (and improved!) “It’s a wonderful place. And at the end of this mammoth task, we still hadn’t started decorating! Nic and I have been best friends since university. Hello and welcome to the Chateau des Lys, we’re Tim & Margreeth Alexander, an Anglo-Dutch couple until recently based in Zeeland in the Netherlands. By moving to France and renovating their chateau, Dick & Angel have discovered that the French are not as interested in their old castles as we are. Escape To Chateau DIY - Weddings, Events, Family - Château des Lys Picardie; Home; Rooms & Gîtes; Groups; Weddings; Prices; Bookings; The Château; Somme Estuary; TV Series; Gallery; Blog; Video; Find Us ; Prices. Built around 1895 for members of the French and Belgian nobility, the sturdy building was one of the first to use a steel frame, which was clad with granite. More recently it was a home for the elderly before reverting back to a home for an English couple. "We have tried to be like them, in that we have done almost all the work needed on the house ourselves. Dick and Angel are filmed offering advice to Debbie and Nigel as they renovate their French home, Chateau Gioux, and turn it into a B&B. But Lalande is a happy place and it gave me the strength to carry on. Dick Strawbridge and his wife Angel help British people who run chateaux in France 6. Welcome to The Chateau, Home of Dick & Angel Strawbridge & Escape to The Chateau! 22 Mar. 2019 Episode #2.25. Escape to the Chateau: DIY. This website and its associated newspaper are members of Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). “They were great and they inspired us to just have a go,” says Debbie, an entrepreneurial foodie who is best known for creating a farm shop and cafe at Raskelf, near Easingwold, before moving into food business consultancy and launching a small lettings agency. ©JPIMedia Publishing Ltd. All rights reserved. Escape to the Chateau DIY. The documentary series is a spin-off from the hugely successful Escape to the Chateau, which saw Dick and Angel Strawbridge renovate a 19th century, 45-room castle with a moat in north-west France. *The story of Nigel and Debbie’s transformation of Chateau Gioux will feature on Escape to the Chateau DIY, on Channel 4, over five days from March 30 to April 3 at 4pm. Tim and Rebecca Jones, owners of Chateau de la Ruche in the Loire Valley region of France, are stars of Dick and Angel Strawbridge's second series of Escape to the Chateau: DIY.. They put in an offer for the house in October 2018 and moved there in April last year. 10 years later, at the age of 29, we each sold our two-bedroom London flats, and bought Lalande. One thing we know is that there is never a dull moment at The Chateau! Read More Nov 8, 2020 The Chateau Sisters will finally be aired on ETTC DIY. Documentary | Episode aired 1 May 2018 Season 1 | Episode 17. 27/51 Château de Bourneau . We're always up to something. Escape to the Chateau DIY (2018–2020) Rate This. He is very handy and I love interiors and cooking.”. Even so, nothing could have prepared us for the incredible public response to ‘Escape to the Château DIY’, which has quickly become a cult classic! We were really disheartened but when we got home that night Nigel looked at a French estate agent’s page on Facebook and saw Chateau Gioux. “We both love France and so we started looking for somewhere to live that we could run as a business.”. I thought it sounded fun and, on a whim, agreed to participate, (mainly imagining the hilarity of my mother on film!). I couldn’t have dreamt of a nicer man to welcome into our family. The interiors, which retain their period features, were furnished on a budget thanks to finds from brocantes (flea markets) and Debbie and Nigel also upcycled some of the furniture they bought from the previous owners of the house. “Suddenly, a year after we first saw it, it was within our budget. Dick Strawbridge, 60, and Angel Adoree, 42, offer their DIY tips to families hoping to solve dilemmas with what they have in Escape To The Chateau: Make Do And Mend. Escape to the Chateau (then cash in): How Ch4 couple Dick and Angel are making MILLIONS after turning tumbledown £280,000 French castle into £2m wedding venue - and charging up to £38,000 per event We have 2 holiday gites to choose from, or you can rent the chateau for your wedding, party or meeting. 1. Debbie cooks breakfast and an evening meal for guests. Are driving tests allowed in England? Their story is featured this week on the latest series of Escape to the Château DIY, which sees series presenter Dick Strawbridge visit the couple to help fix their leaking moat, while Erin visits Dick's wife Angel at Château de la Motte Husson to get tips on hosting a tea party. The chateau is only 30 miles from Calais, just as well, as they split their time between there and Kent, UK where they have jobs. We’d also like to replace the oil-fired heating with air source heat pumps,” says Debbie. Escape to the Château returned on Sunday March 18 on C4 at 8pm for its third series. They managed to get three bedroom suites ship-shape and made their own quarters down in the cellar rooms, where there is a small chapel and a priest’s confessional. Rate. Nov 17, 2020 No need to apologize Dick! “Nigel found Chateau Gioux and thought it would make a great chambre d’hote but it was 100,000 Euros over budget so we had no choice but to forget about it. (Read our interview with Dick and Angel in The Good Life France ezine) Owning a chateau can be challenging and sometimes downright painful. For more details on the property visit www.chateaugioux.com and find it on Instagram @chateaugiouxlimousin. It was meant to be.”. Rate. 28/51 Château … Chateau and moved here while we were still young enough we would have regretted it associated Escape... Two children Donna 25 & Joe 11 over 12 years been at the Château de Lalande for over 12.... Four years in the North of France handy and even put a shower in and tiled it Suddenly a. During latest lockdown says Debbie on-going project to bring life back to home. Ettc DIY Starts to stay and events venue work needed on the new Escape to the,! 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