I enjoy watching…of course I do!
I love to see people do, win and have the spirit and determination.
Yes they are talented and Angel quirky…but I really do not like her
interior design! I like flamboyance, colour and a vivid imagination
but not in the way she projects it.
But I am pleased that the show is on TV.
As some of you may recall I have faith in France and in enterprise and love
to see people live their dreams.
Our journey to S W France was a tiny version of this extravaganza as our
property was smaller and in different condition to that of these Chatalans.
And we too came from London and put every thing into the project of
receiving guests and enjoying the process. …apart from the renervations…of course.
I hope that it brings more people to France.
I hope that there are more TV productions which bring the positive side of French living into the picture.
Harry there are all sorts of reality TV…
I found the spin off more annoying than the original.
The couple running the Château de Jalesnes seemed to have renovated to an extremely high standard and I wish them luck - but it did underline the fact that even if you have a stunning property it is hard to make a profit in the wedding venue business. One of the throwaway lines mentioned just how much competition there is. Even Dick and Angel have had to branch out into foodie weekends, château tours/“fun” days (with lunch & high tea), even gardening days (where you have to cough up 50€ to help them in the garden).
I didn’t warm to the other couples - the pair renting Château du Bailleul seemed out of their depth. Plus they had managed to combine the worst aspects of renting with owning. I felt sorry for them.
The artist/producer couple were just annoying - if you have a budget of 300k€ why on earth look at 500k€ properties (which need at least the purchase price again for restoration).
hmmmm yes competition there is indeed.
As I have mentioned before the power of the media lets not giggle at it!
If you have it flaunt it.
Yes the couple with chateau de Jalesnes have created a quality place to stay
and seem serious in their handling of reaching perfection.
3.000 euros for wedding flowers is an not essential.
Having investors is not ideal but, perhaps it worked out well for them. After all most
hotels in UK have investors.
The couple renting well do they realise how much work is needed to make a garden
and interior fit for a wedding?
Where is their help?
Who will take care of the rooms and clients during the wedding?
This is not a 2 person job.
And who are the caterers!!!
Unrealistic is it not to upgrade and make habitable a property which you are
renting.
Looks unprofessional.
PS resteration at least a million…with electrics and plumbing at huge cost and furnishings…
believe me no change out of a million. 50?euros for a few hours of tea and fun…why not I would
do it .
There are some notes here which suggest it is a couple of their friends.
It did seem excessive 
Agree totally - they appeared to be trying to do everything themselves, not even the redoubtable Mr Strawbridge managed that.
Depends on what you have to do and how big the place is - I wouldn’t be surprised if Château de Jalesnes took more than that, Dick and Angel probably haven’t spent nearly that much (wild guess based on what I’ve seen in the TV shows).
Oh yes of course it will take a few million if you are bringing to life a 20 bedroom chateau!
A bed and mattress will cost min 1.000 a basic ikea style.
Looking out for bargains takes time…lots of time searching.
I was lucky to buy lots of lovely things from Lotts Road galleries in London
when items were so reasonably priced. It was a joy to be there every week and
then bring the goodies here in 2007.
ah new foss or fosses for the chateaux that will be pretty exspensive…and the roves…the sky is the limit.
We need to remember that Dick is TV production.
I have absolutely no idea who these people are - I realise from what you are all saying that they are reality tv diy people but that’s it, and as I don’t have TV and my tablet won’t do flash I’m not about to see their programme. Bizarrely my quality of life seems fine 
Vero we all like different things of course.
Why did you raise the point of your quality of life?
It does not compare to the life of a Londerer wanting
to change courses to entertain the needs of holiday
makers in castels in France.
Of course you have spent time in London with your father
when he inspected restaurants with Egon Ronay.
You have to be a little contrary to want to be a chatalan.
Every chateau owner I have met seems to be that way.
Spot on Barbara, when we restored a 425 sq metre farmhouse 8 years ago using French artisans the cost was over €750 per sq metre, that did include full under floor heating and cooling.
I mean Barbara that watching their programme, or not, makes no difference to my life, and I am unlikely ever to seek to watch it because it doesn’t sound particularly interesting, to me at least. Each to each 
of course.
I think its cultural - stereotype or not the Brits are a bit obsessed by property.
Having watched some more of the “DIY” spin-off does anyone else think that buying a property with an obvious termite infestation is a bit… unwise?
Yes we are a bit obsessed with property.
To many of us it is a sense of security.
For the fairly poor owning a nice house is great.
We have less chateaux in UK than there is in France so, perhaps we are
attracted to their fairytale image.
Some of us are still enchanted by these magical stories.
Delusion of grandeur comes to mind with this reality series IMHO
The likes of DS have a resilience extraordinaire and the resourcefulness to carry it off.
Sadly, this is not always the case and there are clearly some who have bitten off more than they can chew.
Can you explian why you have commented on a subject that you have no knowledge of and is of no interest to you?
because, as a member, I believe I can without first asking your permission to do so 
hmmm going to say that I feel that we are all entitled to be what we want to be as long as we are not disturbing others?
Delusions of grandeur comes in many forms…not just realised and performed by TV producers or
chateau owners.
This is very true and I know that I always secretly hope that these idiots will come a spectacular cropper, but that’s the way some of us are made and it’s futile to pretend otherwise and convinces nobody. With some of these people one can see the wheels coming off their plans a mile off, but the suspense is excruciatingly pleasurable, even if one can read the signals a mile off. 
@Charles Field. I can certainly explain.
People are of interest to me, I hadn’t heard of these people and now I have. I probably know as much about them as I need to.
It is interesting to see what people talk about and what they think of things even if those things aren’t directly of paramount interest to me. I am not interested in football either but I am still aware that Bayern Roma Liverpool and Real Madrid are through to the semifinals of some important competition that lots of people are interested in.
It is possible to be interested in many different things, in varying degrees.