Escape to the Chateau

Dick and Angel Strawbridge continue their French adventure in a second series. It's 18 months since they left their Southend flat for a new life in a fairytale castle in France, but restoring the dilapidated 45 room chateau which cost them only ú280k has not proved easy. With just nine rooms renovated so far and areas in the vast 12-acre estate still to explore, they've only just scratched the surface of the renovation. But the chateau must start paying for itself. The couple have grand plans for staging weddings and also to feed themselves through crops and livestock. The adventure has only just begun. In the first episode, Dick and Angel host their first ever paid event at the chateau. Dick tries to turn an old oil-tank into a pig-roaster. Angel creates a Versailles-inspired downstairs loo. And Dick seeks to harness the energy of the searing summer sun.

After successfully hosting a three day wedding at their French chateau, Dick and Angel are now keen to expand their business ideas. Could the two-acre moat provide a lucrative fishing spot? Could their private woodland prove a forager's fantasy? Renovation work at the chateau continues with Angel's vision for a luxurious second guest suite taking shape. Angel also wants an elevator installed, pushing Dick's engineering skills to the very limit. Will the chateau survive such a monumental conversion?

As winter descends on the chateau and Christmas looms, Dick and Angel Strawbridge rush to complete their huge to-do list before the arrival of the family from England for a grand French Yuletide. The lift installation is testing Dick's ingenuity and enthusiasm to the max, while Angel continues to uncover treasures in the attic, including an historic collection of old vinyl records. Dick and Angel rush to get all their ducks in a row as eventually the fires are lit and the Christmas lights sparkle, and the heart of the once deserted 19th century chateau begins to beat again.