Living the Chateau Dream: As seen on the hit Channel 4 show Escape to the Chateau

Description

THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE MASSIVE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, A YEAR AT THE CHATEAU! In January 2015 Dick and Angel Strawbridge embarked on the journey of a lifetime when they swapped their cosy two-bedroom flat in East London for a derelict chateau in the Loire Valley. Where Sunday Times bestseller A Year at the Chateau told the entertaining and heart-warming beginning of the family's French adventure, Living the Chateau Dream is about the years of hard graft that followed as Dick and Angel leapt into action transforming Chateau-de-la-Motte Husson into both a thriving family home and a sustainable business. From throwing open the shutters to new suites, to exploring the walled garden, launching their wedding business and hosting guests, no stone was left unturned. With enormous tasks, like installing a lift, plus the beginnings of lifelong traditions, this much-anticipated follow-up includes many firsts for the Strawbridge family. As Dick and Angel recount stories of the next two years at the chateau, we start to understand the true extent of the work and skill that it has taken to make this incredible house into a much-loved home. With never-before-told stories of remarkable discoveries, amazing transformations and once-in-a-lifetime celebrations, this book is sure to delight and inspire in equal measure!

Born in Burma, but raised and educated in Northern Ireland, Dick Strawbridge retired as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2001 before becoming a full-time television presenter and author (with arguably the best moustache in showbusiness). He is a man of many interests, some of which are reflected in his successful and varied television career. Angel Strawbridge is a 1940s vintage-clad redhead from East London. She is the founder of The Vintage Patisserie, a glamorous hospitality company, and author of the bestselling Vintage Tea Party series. In 2011 she opened her first Vintage Patisserie in Hackney, East London. Dick and Angel met and fell in love in 2010. They have two children together: Arthur, born in 2013, and Dorothy, born in 2014. In 2015 they bought a derelict chateau in the Pays de la Loire and became the subjects of the hugely popular Channel 4 hit Escape to the Chateau. After extensive renovations on a shoestring budget, the couple married at their family home in November 2015. In 2020, Dick and Angel published their first book together, A Year at the Chateau, which became an instant bestseller on publication.