Build A New Life In The Country: Cotswolds | History Documentary | Reel Truth History

[Music] it's late October in the Cotswolds where Jeremy Duckworth is moving to put down roots and escape the hectic executive life the renovation of a 16th century house is into its first week this to some like a gallery so that they'll be biased as there and you can look down but Jeremy's change of kitchen design has put a spanner in the works Theresa's layout and the new position of the cooker is giving Bob the architect is a headache the good because of the height of this yes it's going to be difficult to set the range fully into there right I think it's gonna have to sit out a bit at least not quite as far as this line but but probably not far off it better we've got units on their side these changes mean work for Philip and costs for Jeremy same area but to get this up here taking out that chunk I'm a movie buff there's a there's a lot of heavy-duty structure and here they told me to break can I just say that if we have to lose the island unit the whole scheme is gone formulas yeah you know you're back to the literally to the drawing board again and in the greater scheme of things I I'm not putting words in Jeremy's mouth it's not my decision but mm to create a decent kitchen is small beer rather than have a crap kitchen at the end of the day that isn't gonna work and it's never going to make anybody happy you know sort of affects the decision-making I think but then I'm the kitchen designer ambassador it's been an expensive morning but at least one person's happy a lot of the issues that I hear certain issues that I had she'sshe's resolved you saw I think obviously Phillip likes variations cuz it means one thing for his these costs but I think if we can stick to no more than three or four grand of additional build costs and to get what we achieve I think that's job well done as the costs go up so will the lintel half a meter in fact to make room over the cooker more dramatic changes are taking place upstairs the old bathroom and the floor being ripped out to create the new double height entrance hole ten days in and Cheramie brings his parents his sister and girlfriend Carol to see the progress come in and have a look at this because this is very different Jeremy and his sister Juliet were born into an army family and never stayed long in one place than just another house was our 21st house in 23 years so they lived in most of those 21 houses and swin Brook is a perfect place to set a pole we must try and find lavender - she's in here somewhere spiritualist lavender Tower was the previous owner of Jeremy's house she also moved here from London it literally looked at a map got there sort of pendulum and just dropped it and literally they got this grid reference they came here so right that's the house and they've been whoever was selling it had also had trouble trying to salad so and she said it's meant to be so I almost feel exactly the same with me inside the church it's rich in history these are the amazing fatty places I mean I said this family clearly was one of the benefactors of this this entire swin Brook is clearly a place for Jeremy to put down roots and who knows maybe Carol - Jeremy's approach is to adapt his plans as the building progresses it's a slow organic process so it's two weeks before the team get his decision on the staircase [Music] with Jeremy making all the decisions he should get exactly what he wants but work is slowing down Philips not here full-time and nor is Jeremy as I find out once more a bloke doesn't mind being stood at once but twice it's just too much I've been written here for an hour and a half and there's still no sign of Jeremy now the builders are frustrated because they need a decision but it must also be frustrating for Jeremy he doesn't seem to be able to balance the stresses of his work life with the stresses of a building site the decision everyone wants is on the final kitchen layout work has stopped until Jeremy makes up his mind as I wait for him Phillip arrives on a visit so everything groundwater here with all the other crops are okay now we can't make any bull produce until we've got the final decisions but what we're doing is just in anticipation trying to do some of its are knocking about and getting it getting it somewhere near so that's all we can do sounds like the token gesture though just to make it feel like you've got people outside baking pies were looking so find something fun to do so when's the final day that you need decision on this before it grinds to a halt completely today straight to the point yeah absolutely now if you can make decision today we can you know the guys can really crack on that we know where we're at you know it changed on but Jeremy has signed off on plans for the garden he's hired landscape gardener Dustin whose first job is to take down a huge wall of trees right in front of the house you have to ask yourself who in their right mind have planned 43 huge in alumni right in the middle of their garden [Music] some like in the view is you can even see it from their own number one brilliant two down that's the house [Applause] Justin's also restoring a small hedged garden that dates back to when the house was first built we've marked out in sand where we're going to pop rock garden inbox hedging under air we've got 700 bulbs summer flowering ones hopefully it should be looking good by the summer let's hope so but you have to question Jeremy's wisdom planting a new garden slap-bang in the middle of a building site ah at the end of the day jeremy appears you're late you're very late Carol's also down for the day fantastic do you think makes a big difference huge garden mass massive garden laughter what are you doing I didn't say you should do this my mind joking apart Jeremy is here to decide on the kitchen and it can't be changed again but as Teresa explains her plans I notice Jeremy is taking a back seat Carol now seems to be in control very good decided on well the the layout but because a firm and a great plan then we just need to talk about finishes and materials yes it's decided because he's under every to me now it's my problem yes yes yeah with Theresa's plan approved and Dustin pressing on in the garden I'm interested in Carroll's own growing interest in the project I met Jeremy only last November and then we we found this Plato I helped him to look through particulars and he was very much buying his house while he's home and it was way too early in a relationship to be having that kind of our house conversation or even I'll be ever living here conversation and then it's probably only in the last couple of weeks or maybe the last couple of months it's become our house and we're going to move in and so now it's my kitchen really happy really thrilled yeah I think it's brilliant news I really pleased because the last time I saw you you were all very know nothing to do with me I'm going to step but I didn't I didn't want it to be I didn't want to be the pushy girlfriend that sort of gets her elbow in and right off we go but that's what you've done haven't you yeah as work continues into the night it seems things at swim brook are beginning to develop but five weeks later there's a new list of unfinished jobs Jeremy's been distracted and impossible to get hold of again oh boy a cylinder but now we're to put in the heating the plumbing the electrics are all on hold because Jeremy can't decide on the radiators he knows that we've he's delayed us quite a bit the so-called Good Friday Agreement which was Jenna March is looking unlikely now so it seems Jeremy really has taken his eye off the ball but in mid-december he finally commits to a decision on the radiators and that's not all after 2,000 pounds of work the lintel above the cooker is back on the agenda it's not high enough for Carol so she doesn't want to be bumping that's as far as you can get it without making according to the original chimney breasts so that's why we arrived that's why we chose a bit frustrating that we've now below lift it no that's ready for instance I think what Teresa saying is what she would like to happen to take the joy into her decision done to this engineering sister yeah decision time today right so those meetings hopefully telling some decisions made sure wasn't now crackling with some pieces listen we needed to have this meeting things sorted out and we're getting there we've got a lot to do but I always knew it's gonna take take that long enough I'm mentally pictured you know more money move through frame of it that's fine well I think he's learning a lesson I think he's now realizing that every decision he makes you know it's gonna be pretty much final you can't look at it go away and come back and change it I think if you sent him a bill for all those extras it might be a wake-up call it probably would but I think he's appreciating as a financial guy he's appreciating that changes to cost billion and he's aware of that he just doesn't know how much he doesn't how much yet nice Christmas present for meters let the Box on the 24th and his card Christmas provides a welcome break and Jeremy and Carol take a romantic trip to London it gives them a chance to discuss his Moroccan design ideas for the guest bedroom I think in the bedroom we could have it in one of the corners one of these tables either gold no don't because it's gonna look like a mark and restaurant and not like a bedroom I think the right pieces but less is more okay we've got three months to agree this it may well take months but there's one thing they've already agreed on Jeremy very foolishly asked me to marry him and I said yes Christmas cracker ring gosh we had realized that in the year that we were together we hadn't had a complete weekend on our own and so Jeremy arranged for us to go away on the Friday nights completely surprised and I was so excited because oh this is really happy to be having this weekend this is mad crazy place when we go up the road and it was just beautiful just completely over the top completely not stripes room yeah and I actually said to Jeremy it's like there's been a romantic drought for an entire year and suddenly all of this this is fantastic and he said something like I think it's about time we got married why doesn't swim or romantic that was my heading to showroom just said oh my god oh my god yes oh my god yes then I said yes but I'm terrified I need you to know I'm terrified but yes jeromy's new life is shaping up nicely now all he has to do is finish the house you [Music] it's the end of January and the Cotswolds Jeremy duckwitz new life has taken a dramatic step forward with his decision to marry Carol however the quarter of a million pound renovation of his home and refuge from hectic city life is not going well and there are problems in the hedge garden that is having painstakingly restored the builders have dug a drain right through it landscape gardener Dustin is not impressed this is our photographer yeah I'm afraid it's not being on the living room side and away doesn't control where Dustin was saying that he actually discussed with the guys where they would dig the drain so it wouldn't interfere with the planting and they've just not done what they said they'd do deficit actually disappointment in devastation is much more difficult to deal with them anger and he's angry he's been on my site several times he won't work while they're here elsewhere frustrations are mounting to the builders as usual blaming decisions but these changes are quite old and it seems other decisions Jeremy made weeks ago have not been acted on he's particularly upset about the lack of progress in his ensuite bathroom I mean the probably done 20% of their work in here you know I've just comforted the view the old builders and shits and just degrees of shittiness yeah basically has it got all the information that he journeys had that for four weeks and a Asian issue is it's just it's just literally bums on seats and it needs to be able you know not two people there needs to be a team of tending and you know there are more people here because you here there's two people how'd you feel about that well you know I'm just you know married a fourth of June oh really excellent that's very good we did again I don't need this because you know we've got an arrangement and you know not being delivered but whoever is at fault one thing is certain this house needs to be finished that's a new deadline Carol wants to move in before they get married the solid oak staircase centerpiece of the new hallway has been delivered but it's been sitting under wraps in the garage for some weeks this is um I thought was supposed to be oak those oak treads and risers plant would you've got plywood riser and softwood treads Oh Neil posts an orc Andrew you can paint the softwood staircase and it looks very nice but it's not what we asked for that's it I'm really just I'm [ __ ] off of this this has been here since since Christmas the last last literally the last day it's been sitting here for six weeks and it's not right Philip my god what's he doing well what is he doing well I'm feeling sniffing I mean looks in the first place but you know that's it your job yeah it's not your job hello Phil I thought we've had a little surprise we've discovered a staircase that isn't quite what everyone thought it was gonna be can you see what might be wrong with it cover these treads and risers mm-hmm they all got excited Philip and then we pull the tarpaulin off and when ah it's not quite what we had in mind but it's a nice staircase it is but for somebody else deep breath Phil deep breath the mistake with the staircase is the last straw Jeremy has had enough just for a meeting with the architect and the Builder and the local pub to sort out their differences how is it well I think we're trying to agree and we've had a discussion about getting up to today then now we're going to work forward and I agree a timeline and we're looking now at I think end of April beginning of May and we're trying to go for 13 weeks from from Monday so what's being put in place now to push this project forward to meet the deadline the new deadline that you've sent well I think you know the changes are Philip now I think it's got a free run of this and the things are now coming on-site and you know in that respect it's it's over to that part of the sort of trying to crack this one point of view it's not my project you know I can know everybody there that's but you see I i deceived it always was this is obviously where there's been there and there's sort of the communication breakdown today so we're seeing because you've know made a conscious decision handed over to these guys this project that we finished on time that's that's the expectation yes so Jeremy hands over the entire project to Philip who in turn hands it to a new project manager Alan Thompson he'll be on site full time so progress should improve no we can pick up we'll pick up just a muscle waiting for a reading to arrive and just getting it organized so maintain the effect is dramatic within a week problems seem to melt away with Jeremy's blood pressure closer to normal he takes a day off work to choose the kitchen worktops with Teresa the designer you've got your pink chart yep somehow we've got to try and link it all in together so we might have to tweak the paint we might have to tweak the floor but the granite is the only immovable object because we need to do that particularly for the Carol's input is to get a couple of samples a little corner bits yeah remember I'm colorblind yes quite yes I'm glad you came and not Carol [Music] Brown is not going to be any good at all go with your green Jeremy so what color would it go with that I think that's rather boring to be honest with you I think that's too great well I don't think that I've hey see no not beige in color which is beige in style now look at that you see that is working beautifully in mr. chocolate yeah [Applause] that's it that's it yeah final peacefully yeah I mean if nothing else it's an education for you janitor's buckets Wenberg the staircase now with oak treads and risers is finally installed although even now I'm not sure it's the centerpiece Jeremy really wondered we one floorball short of a landing that's the end of the day on that little saga well tune in tomorrow for the latest news on the staircase its wind look Alan Thompson seven o'clock going on it's early March spring in spend Brook has well and truly sprung it's six weeks since the drain was completed but the garden is still a terrible mess all that's got to be relayed inside it's their first chance to look at the staircase yeah I like the shape of it it's got scale to it I think it looks a bit cheap and nasty I have to talk to Bob I can't remember what we what was agreed but I it seems to lose them somewhat or as impact but despite that the house is moving on time to choose the fixtures and fittings Carol is the future mrs. Duckworth is keen to be involved I just I don't like it I'd like a meteor piece of more interesting wood on the top this is now gone back to the building site or a piece of stone how much could a piece of stone be you want to use that as an excuse for a week's delay that's all okay it's something he can barely afford the project is five weeks behind the original deadline the budget now almost 300,000 pounds although he's not exactly economizing on the fittings spiking this is a crucial stage of the project as it will dictate the final look and feel of the house I don't think that's a bit too formal for a bedroom I think they're really pretty yeah they mustn't get this wrong I just want it to be slightly Kitsch but then fresh and crisp at the same time kitsch is a difficult game a play especially when Jeremy's vision is less than perfect a bit too sickly as them yeah that's dried out that's much better yeah I was a really bright a Swedish white and that was you remember without the tin white which one do for number two well there are three colours there darling please say you're colorblind infirmaries this is that this is a different color to this one on this one those two do exactly the same to me that's terrifying they're completely different this is like 11 the gray blue and this is more of a pale well now I think it's got to be a little bit like bit softer than that I'm going to trust your opinion on color and you think those two the same as Carol throws in her ideas the house is becoming less and less coherent it has elements of Cotswolds country French kitsch and even a bit of Moroccan bazaar the one room that has had the professional designer treatment is the kitchen and they're probably on the wall I wanna see if Theresa still had control of that as much as Carol's got a good eye I'm not sure between her and Jeremy they've really got it together about exactly what this house is gonna be like well I can't comment on that because you know I probably know more about what's going on in the other areas and and I really and that's why that's why I want you to pick the paint colors in the kitchen because that kitchens your domain isn't it well it is but I mean I can only suggest I can't dictate really and and nobody has asked me what I think just sort of I could blow your way in there well I certainly could mention it one has to tread very carefully to me that doesn't seem to be anyone on the project has really taken control of all finishes and textures and materials and lighting through the whole project and I don't have Jeremy's gonna get the project anybody wants well that possibly is true but on the other hand I think that maybe they want to just move from room to room and do it and and kind of do it together in a kind of romantic sort of thing you know maybe maybe that's how they feel that they will get in they've got the basics in they've got the bathrooms they've got the kitchen they've got their dressing room so everything that they really need you know in order to survive is there and then then they can let it evolve how about that one no matter functionally it all works so they can live that yeah but the house grows as their relationship grows that's right if it's true the house and their relationship are about to involve some more at a local furniture store Carol's not enter Jeremy's Moroccan theme it's his last chance to persuade oh I don't like this for in a bedroom oK we've got that one that well I don't like this in the bedroom either I'll just do that well you should decide because it's very much your room this is a little table with a big lamp on it don't you think that looks a bit odd don't okay your room sure I hate the whole idea of it now you say don't I said so all along well it's too late now it's too late man okay because but I wouldn't we like the bed yeah yes I love the bed love look at these hmm that really looks good enough okay I wonder how much of Jeremy's Moroccan room will survive [ __ ] my husband De Beers me by April the house is turning a corner at last the builders are working on the finishers tiles are being led and the kitch team is appearing in the master bedroom alfred Cotswolds for very our bedroom I'm still not convinced about the stairs 2000 Association and as for the bath I'll come on it's lovely I mean it's that sort of you know about Louie the fourteenth look matches after I don't think it is Louie what is it then I think it's a parish you an upper and datura you know outside the vegetable patch has been sawn and Jeremy is full of the joys of spring but look what look once just popped up I mean that isn't that beautiful that know where that came from I mean here look at these and this is just absolutely beautiful name bang up they came its Christ a light today you can't you know it gives you the reasons why you started in the first place about paint that's gonna get better heavenly look at it's a no-brainer isn't it no-brainer it's certainly a perfect setting but will it make for a perfect home [Music] with six weeks until Jeremy and Carol's wedding the pressure is on to complete their house in swin Brook for the first time there are builders everywhere as Teresa oversees the fitting of the kitchen Jeremy takes a read out of the office after so many years of shifting homes most of Jeremy's precious belongings are scattered around his relations houses so it's off to mums to reclaim the first Lodge and two sister Juliet's for the rest but as usual Jeremy's attention is divided there's a small matter of a wedding menu to plan to try the vegetarian option you know care about those salad eating people doing back in swing broke it's all over well it's my last visit the swing broke and I'm really excited that's in the house but the big question is is Jeremy here because you can never tell with him garden is looking beautiful isn't with chuffed to bits to be honest I mean this was basically weeds and a few little shrubs it was Carol Carol is well she should be on her way she's been on a hen night on the hen night yeah but ironic how I spend all my time waiting around for you and now I'm waiting for her now this looks good despite all the angst over the staircase the new hall is a brilliant centerpiece for the house well if you remember when we first moved this space was a room much lighter room as well so it feels bigger it's fun but I think I'm finally as we walk around that the whole house we opened it up and we made it lighter it's a theme that carries on throughout with light bright touches from Carol on the furnishings and there's a special place for Jeremy's heirlooms this is my grandfather's desk and he's a lawyer in fact his best client was a woman native all six times and this was his old desk which she gave to me do you really feel like you're settling down now I do absolutely and I'm looking forward to and with the right woman as well talking of Carol she arrives hot off the plane from a hen night in Istanbul next stop the kitchen seven months ago it looked like this now it's a room to remember all this looks pretty good fantastic one person amazing I love it love it a soft mix of country styling and modern lines there's an impressive granite slab replacing the marble that Jeremy chose Teresa thought ups to green I probably don't want to see the marble that we would have had I probably don't want to go down that route because you might prefer it I might and that would be it's tough isn't it because I made the decision driving on the m4 with Theresa so well it's probably a good thing that you didn't see the marble in place cuz it was chosen by a man who's colorblind wasn't absolutely right come to think of it so this is perfect Jeremy may not have goodies way in the kitchen but has he in the Moroccan guest room [Applause] that's not very rotten because I didn't want it to be very rotten I'm happy for it to be a hint of Morocco what does in these for the light well I just had to rain back a bit because I've been controlling it seems that Carol's got the upper hand in most of the house but as we move into the master suite I'm beginning to think that's no bad thing this is a lovely room Carol may not have explained her ideas very well but there's a calm about the interior that looks like it could grow into a very cool and stylish house although I'm still not sure about the bath the hint is another slightly classic French style like you are talking about yeah you're not completely doing it you're sort of just doing it just a pig my turn the water a bit yeah I've never done it before I don't want to jump right in yeah for Jeremy and Carol this has been a difficult journey but at last it seems they've reached the end it's been hugely wearing as a project but the joy of coming in and it feels almost like home and knowing that it will be like home far outweighs that what do you think you've learned from this whole process I think teamwork in the you shouldn't just have a view and stick to it I've been a bit pedantic sometimes but that's the thing I've learned it's a partnership when you've listened to each other and they accept that you're wrong did you say that on camera you have to sort of both pitch yourselves a little bit I just spent that weekend with my closest girlfriends and my hen weekend saying I'm gonna what what the hell happened this this be a year ago and this is me now and it's it's like it is like a fairy tale I'm a plumber's daughter from Bombay water now I live in a great house in the middle of a book it's amazing all Jeremy wanted to do was renovate an old house for himself in the country but in the process it's become so much more than that I've never seen a building project change someone's life so much Jeremy hasn't just created a home who's genuinely built himself a new life and sure enough three weeks later they started that new life for real [Music] next week Dave and Rebecca escape the rat race to tackle it derelict bomb wails ten years to get close to doing something like this it would be terrible if we could naturally [Music]

Channel: Banijay History

Views: 189,661

Keywords: history, facts, interesting, documentary, history documentary, documentary history, history channel, world history, full documentary, top documentaries, documentaire, documental, documentary film, free documentary, full length documentaries, documentaries, factual, documentary full, build a new life in the country, george clarke, charlie luxton, building a house, build a house, building, renovation, home renovation, diy, home restoration, before and after, home improvement, epiosde 5

Id: LQxL49DU-TY

Length: 38min 37sec (2317 seconds)

Published: Wed Oct 30 2019