Can These Extraordinary Historic Homes Be Restored To Glory? | Country House Rescue | Real Royalty

foreign [Music] house has been in the Kelly family for 31 Generations but after years of neglect this once magnificent building is near derelict the Kellys are holding on to their Birthright by their fingernails [Music] if we can't make it work at them at the moment the only option will be to sell the family has called in businesswoman Ruth Watson to help turn their fortunes around it's her biggest challenge yet this is the worst case I have ever had to help with after more than 900 years of History could this be the end of the line for the Kellys at Kelly house this building is literally falling down do you feel you've been a servant to the Kelly Family oh yes definitely it's so rotten I can see the sky [Music] thank you Kelly house is a grade one listed mansion in the far west of Devon the estate and even the village itself are named after the Kelly Family generations of Kelly's have lived here for nearly 1 000 years the family has fallen on hard times and this proud house once the heart of the community now stands neglected isolated and in a severe State of Decay 67 year old Warren the 31st Squire of Kelly is at his Wit's End the stumbling block to turning it round has been simply a lack of money the advice we were given a long time ago from one of the English Heritage people was you need to win the lottery [Music] Warren and his wife Liz live next door in the converted stable block Warren took over the estate in 2007 when his mother died but over the years as the heir and not the owner Warren looked on as the house gradually deteriorated I think we probably survived by keeping our heads down the estate once owned swathes of Devon Cornwall and Somerset but generations of Warren's ancestors have been forced to sell most of the land to keep the house going all the Farms that would have supported the estate have long been sold off so we're left really with buildings and nothing very much to support them the Kelly's circumstances reached crisis point when they were hit by crippling death duties just after the second world war when two heirs died within a year of each other my father inherited two lots of inheritance tax and sort of struggled through the rest of his life trying to sort things out with the recent death of his mother there's now a third tax bill Warren's daughter Sophie and boyfriend Chris have uprooted their lives in Yorkshire and have returned to help save Kelly far from leading a comfortable country lifestyle couple find themselves instead camping out in the main house it's not unusual to find half a ceiling on the floor sometimes as the newcomer Chris realizes that the Kelly's need more than money if they're to survive we need focus and Direction I'll be honest it's gambling really we're gambling with our family home which way do we Gamble and is it actually going to pay off more than ever before the future of the Kelly Family at Kelly house hangs in the balance [Music] the other end we're trying to make the best of what is here there must be something something we can do [Music] history hit is a streaming platform that is just for history fans with fantastic documentaries covering fascinating figures and moments in history from all over the world we've got unrivaled access to the world's leading historians with hundreds of documentaries featuring everything from Boudicca to the British royal family we're committed to Bringing history fans award-winning documentaries and podcasts as you cannot find anywhere else sign up now for a free trial and a real royalty fans get 50 off their first three months just be sure to use code real royalty at check [Music] in a last-ditch attempt to preserve this important part of our heritage self-made businesswoman Ruth Watson's been called in feels quite difficult to have got to this stage none of us want to be the last Kelly at Kelly hello hello good morning you're Warren I am yes welcome to Kelly is this as bad as it gets um possibly it's very similar all around well we live with it anyway this is the Victorian entrance so I really ought to take you around and show you how the house was designed to be I would love to because there's obviously a more fabulous view somewhere Warren's seen the sad decline of Kelly house and well remembers the time when this Grand arm was loved and lived in and this really is the angle this part of the house was designed to be seen from why have we sort of part painted well we're in the process of slowly painting it um but doing it ourselves at the moment how long has this bit taken to do uh we started about 18 months ago and eventually we should work our way around that's the internet nothing Millennium I hope not but probably two or three years as Bina Kelly living on this site for over 900 years and its remarkable history is something that Warren is very proud of from here we went through into the main staircase area in case with your lovely Venetian window yes and the stars on the ceiling two very decorative a little putty in the corner this horrible vertical crack going down well it's been there for years does it make you sad seeing how fine it should be and how not fine it looks I suppose I've lived with it so long and I just feel it's an old house you don't see it anymore no we don't I don't think we see it I'm not all that worried in a way I'm like a house which is sort of shows that it's been around for a long time and has history it doesn't fall down [Music] Warren's lived at Kelly for most of his life and has witnessed the generations of gradual decline ah this is the bullseye window that's beneath the pediment that's right so we're right in the center of the house yeah when Warren was young this now derelict part of the servant's quarters was his playroom well I think launched me through lack of money the place has deteriorated and of course you know there are less people around in the house and that's what you know we need to tackle again Warren's daughter Sophie is desperate to see Kelly kept in the family returning to live in the main house has given her an insight into the true State of Decay we've had a rather bad attack of dry rot because the prevailing wind comes and this gets most of the weather it's sort of the water seeped through and attacked the woods and then you get the eventual dry rot which unfortunately you don't notice until the worst of the damage is done to feel your fire fighting all the time rather or dry Rock fighting maybe very much so yeah there's always the worry if you open the door is the ceiling's still up with such a long and illustrious history Ruth wants to find out from the family why they're in such trouble today [Music] now I don't want to be rude but you've had 900 years to get this right I mean not you personally but the kids have had 900 yes if we sort of just even go back 25 30 years do you think any progress has really been made on not a huge amount of progress no we're a family in Decline but we're still here if we can find a way out of that then going well and good I mean Elizabeth you must be a fairly sanguine kind of person and actually the reverse of me because I would have been nagging like crazy for 30 how many years 43 I think it just falls on deaf ears all right okay okay an attempt has been made to paint the house is there any reason why we can't get a lattice or a bit of scaffolding and actually just finish that job you can see the level you can get to with ladders above that's unfortunately um it is rather dangerous but scaffolding again there's a cost involved in getting scaffolding setup with no funds available and the house in such disrepair Kelly house finds itself again in crisis Sophie have you thought about this we've looked at things like um team building events and things like that and um then sort of work away sort of weddings and stuff like that yeah kind of brighty things gonna want to be married here that's why we were doing the outside you'd have to be a Kelly right if the Kelly is at a standard chance of saving their ancestral home they'll need to raise their game or face selling it I'm not sure whether Warren really realizes the desperate straight season but will the Kellys be able to meet Ruth's exacting standards it's just partly finished or should I say partly started [Music] the Kelly family was given this land in Devon at the time of the Norman Conquest and they've lived here ever since but despite its long history 31 Generations later the future of the Kelly Family hangs in the balance [Music] the present House was built in 1742 and formed the centerpiece of a farming estate with land in Three Counties it's a fine example of a Georgian Country Manor with a Venetian window characteristic 18th century moldings and an impressive 19th century book collection the Georgian house was attached to an earlier Tudor building that incorporated a medieval Hall but after years of neglect many of the estate buildings have fallen down at the heart of the village Kelly house used to employ most of the community but today it's seen as a forbidding place it's always been a bit of a mystery really Kelly house as to what's behind the gate and what's inside the door this always seems to be the sort of place that you you go past cost rather than want to go in all I knew was it was a fantastic building that looked like it was falling down around everybody's ears desperate to maintain the family's Heritage Ruth Watson's been called in to help if we can't make it work at the moment the only option will be to sell if that happened um we would certainly move a long way away and I don't think we'd ever come back no just wouldn't want to Warren's the 31st Squire of Kelly a semi-retired architect when he's not carrying out essential house repairs he's enjoying his various Hobbies he and wife Liz don't live in the main house but in the stable block which Warren converted into a flat soon after they were married [Music] it's an extra building and the first thing I think is how cold must this be in the winter you've got no insulation well I don't mean was is once the temperature exterior temperature goes below 45 it starts getting very cold and you start putting more wood on and trying to catch up with it but it's hopeless when the couple first moved in there was no glass in the windows Warren planned to glaze them himself but never got round to it the windows were a mistake I'd rather stromise we could have these plate piece pieces of plate glass cut out and hinged in just to cover for the time being that was in 1974 he still hasn't done the windows the bottoms yes they were all earth right I said I've got two children I can't have that I'm I'm I hold all the cement up and put cemented these windows yourself yes he let me do this you've been a sort of servant to the Kelly Family oh yes definitely General factors but anyway that is a wife and a mother and what else right I know a very nice person it's I don't normally do this thank you get a bit of them here on a martyr oh dear I don't like to be forward to that but yes what needs to be done try and do it to the best of your ability okay I'm sorry I'm feeling a bit careful about this I'm just going to leave foreign not many women would put up with what Liz has been through I only hope that her future involves not just windows that open but somebody else to do the building work for her daughter Sophie and boyfriend Chris have moved back to help save the house they hope to start up small businesses Chris selling bespoke picnic blankets and Sophie making homemade chocolates currently camping in the main house the couple want to move into a flat in the derelict Tudor Wing once they've renovated it this is hopefully the part we're going to live in um the ceiling is down at the moment because it was bowing quite dramatically and we decided to take it down before it fell down what needs doing is the electrics that's already on the way a kitchen we have a good quote from a reputable companies come by by wear recommendation we're going to have to do a lot of work on it and we're going to do the work we're going to get it into into a state where there's going to be a bed roughly where you're at Chris I have to say that you're the only person and I'm sorry about this Sophie but who actually I believe might get on and do something here there does seem to be a real Kelly thing going on about just I I it's just not it's not even just in action it's a kind of almost a a denial of what's Happening do you do you feel that I think my dad's very good at it and it sort of come through my dad has a lot of hobbies he's built himself a canoe he's learned how to do stained glass and he's built a classic car he's built a classic car and he's let his house rot yes I think it's very much the possibly spend enough time on the house to be able to make a positive impact now we're here hopefully it can change having met Sophie and Chris Ruth sets off to explore the extent of Decay for herself beneath the Tudor flat at the rear of the house she discovers an Elizabethan kitchen with original paneling the fireplace over here would have been the place where they originally did the cooking for the house but in it is a lot of residue from the Jack doors building their nests and I have to say they look to have been a lot more industrious than the Kelly Family [Music] one of the latest additions to the house is a Victorian Annex which has another self-contained apartment that Warren started refurbishing could be let out whether it's for a long-term tenancy or whether it's for Holiday let's this is a space that could be earning some money and at the moment it's just partly finished or should I say partly started was not one but two rentable Flats on site it's clear that there is potential to bring in a healthy Revenue stream at Kelly back in the main house Ruth discovers that every shower of rain threatens another Fallen ceiling or outbreak of dry rot oh dear lord it's so rotten I can see the sky through the first floor up to the second floor and all the way out so what do you do you you've cut in front of it Ruth's worried that the Kelly's are way out of their depth she wants to know exactly how close to collapse the house is and has asked local English Heritage official Francis Kelly to visit Francis Kelly are you related at all my goodness this my goodness you have an at-risk register don't you we do and has Kelly reached that register Kelly's been on that register since it began so here we are at Kelly house so the condition is poor and their priority is C but it was bracketed a it means that to slow Decay with no solution agreed previously it was rapid decay that's Kelly house itself but I do notice that the stable block which is where the Kelly's live is a a so it's been at Great risk and it continues to be a great regrettably yes it's not in good condition the real issue is that they've got a house in very serious State of Decay and stable Block in even worse State of Decay it's these are Heritage assets of immense value to the nation we brought to try and help the family to do something or we've got to try and help the house I mean English Heritage is really our remit is to back for the building really rather than the family [Music] without urgent action the future at Kelly house looks extremely Bleak I'm not sure whether Warren really realizes the desperate Straits he's in so I'm going off to a house called Woodchester where they have a number of very particular problems which they're dealing with in an Innovative way I think this could be somewhere that he really could learn from Woodchester mansion in gloucestershire is a country house with a difference Ruth's here to meet Stephen Davies it's chairman nice to meet you come on inside what's extraordinary building when the trust was founded it had a very far-sighted and Visionary idea which was to make the Mansion available to students to train on and it was the only building in the country where student Masons could come out of their classroom and come down here and actually fix stone learn to cut it and learn to fix it on the building and you've got plenty of stone for them to play with we're not going to finish I don't think they're going to run out are they construction of the Mansion started in the mid-19th century but was never completed today apprentices get to practice their skills here on a real building while the house benefits from their work and it brings in tourists too how many visitors do you currently get a year we get between five and six thousand what kind of Revenue are they producing they're bringing us over thirty thousand pounds a year well that's not to be sneezed we don't sneeze at it although in this house we snooze at quite a lot of things [Music] the severity of the Kelly's predicament is evident having done her research Ruth heads back to Devon to present her findings to the family hello [Music] I have to tell you that this is um probably the worst case I have ever had to help with I don't know what that gives you a sense of Pride or foreboding but anyway this is this is difficult it's quite obvious that money is the problem um I think also that really has been a lack of focus as well about how to go about doing this and I don't hold you totally to blame Warren for this I think this has been going on for probably 100 years or so it can't be left to just be talked about and to be sort of darned and patched so what we've been doing really isn't it well it is yes yes Ruth starts with the most critical problem Kelly house is on the brink of collapse having seen the scheme at Woodchester she wants Warren to focus on a major restoration program to be undertaken by supervised apprentices I know of at least two or three organizations all of which have courses and schemes whereby people who are wanting to train in all the crafts and arts that are particular to period houses have to come and work on live buildings and the obvious thing is that Chris stays behind also to learn some of these skills because you can be both laborer because there will always be some neighboring work with quad but also you can learn how to do some of these skills because they will be there and The Marvelous thing about that is that first of all you get the work done but it gets done to the kind of standard that Warren really likes and approves of and that way I think you actually could end up not having to go to bed at night worrying about which part of the house is going to fall for you next yes that would be a relief Ruth is also Keen for the isolated estate to renew its historic links with the village she wants the family to organize an event before the years out that will relaunch Kelly house and connect them with the locals once again I would suggest definitely opening the house for certain gets people involved in the project I also think that you need to involve the village in a way that actually you're inviting them to come and help you need to investigate what labor is out there what craft skills are out there that might actually just be prepared to come and do a couple of hours every week but getting apprentices in and enlisting local volunteers is only the start saving Kelly house will need a regular income and Ruth has thought of how this can be attained [Music] what I really think needs to happen first and foremost is to complete the work that's been started on the annex and the flat above the tuja kitchen instead of just starting it doing a bit here in a bit there it's really got to be finished because that's income and you need income Sophie and Chris plan to move into one of the apartments on site but Ruth thinks this is a luxury they can ill afford coming to the flat I don't want to disappoint you but I really don't think that you two should take up occupation there that is a source of Revenue and I think what you should be doing even if it's just for the next one two three years is actually camping in this house I've got to be a speaker on a personal level here I'm I'm not very happy about not being able to live in the flat and it might rain so it'd be a selfish thing but at the moment Sophie and I feel like we are camping it's not just camping in our own home we're camping in someone else's house I understand that emotionally but this family desperately needs income and Sophie you're not going to want to hear this either but I think in the short term you should go out to full-time employment because I think that's where you can best serve the interests of the family lastly after generations of procrastination Ruth wants to see the family pull together really would love to see before my outside of the house properly finished painting [Music] Ruth's visit has reignited Warren's enthusiasm for his ancestral home and just Weeks Later restoration work begins in earnest the prince's foundation for the built environment specializes in teaching fledgling Craftsmen historic building methods because of the the importance of the house and the importance of every piece of the fabric within that we've got to conserve and save everything we can nice and gently and just work it in that's lovely the apprentices will work throughout the summer it's the first step on Kelly's road to Restoration but will the family follow Ruth's advice and finish what they've started paintworks rubbish the floor hasn't been done and will Ruth's compromise prove too much for Chris it all seems at the moment like someone else is going to be reaping the benefits and I'm not particularly happy [Music] there's been a Kelly at Kelly house in Devon for nearly 1 000 years but this historic lineage could soon end as after years of neglect this fine country Mansion is on the verge of collapse with no money to pay for Vital repairs drastic action is required Ruth Watson's been called in to help realizing the gravity of the situation she's given the family a wake-up call Liz Kelly thinks it's just what they need we're just sort of dragging our feet what should we do what should we do and I think it's given us a shot in the arm if you like or a kick up the butt got us moving [Music] with little Revenue coming in Warren has seen the house deteriorate over the years but Ruth's come up with a no-cost solution that will Herald the start of restoration a team of apprentices from the prince's foundation for the built environment has begun a regeneration program at Kelly and they've made a start repairing precious 18th century walls yeah we're about ready to get this Stone back in there if we slide it sounds good backfill it with as much of the Earth as you can as well as learning their craft the apprentices are also creating a Living Museum of historic building methods tutor Henry rumbold is delighted that his pupils get the chance to hone their skills on such a significant building the greatest thing for me about the house is that for this three weeks the house has come alive we've had these 10 or people working here and it's become livable and enjoyable and and so it just shows by by bringing trash people into the house and doing this work that is regenerating the house [Music] buoyed by the progress Warren Kelly's called in a group of building surveillance students from Plymouth University to do some of the heavy work they make a start clearing years of neglect in The Tudor kitchen [Music] but we really like seeing beetles and Rod and so hopefully it makes them feel a little bit better but if Kelly house is to survive it urgently needs a regular income with two Flats on the estate Ruth wants to see both refurbished and let boyfriend Chris and daughter Sophie were hoping to live in one of the properties Chris is far from Overjoyed in the prospect of having to give it up well it wasn't entirely happy days for me because I did want to be moving in here we're doing all the work on it at the moment and getting everything sorted out to be able to move in we just spent thousands of Sophie's savings on the electricians um and another a couple of thousand more on the um kitchen which is going to go in here eventually and uh it all seems at the moment like someone else is going to be reaping the benefits and I'm not particularly happy with that without an urgent cash injection Kelly house is doomed despite his disappointment Chris realizes that at least in the short term compromise is necessary local holiday letting agent Adam bolt has been called in to assess the Tudor flat located in the heart of Kelly's historic estate Sophie and Chris hope this will get them a premium rent this is it's going to be the kitchen area straight dining room expected yes real estate is two bedroom sleeps sleeps four to eight depending on whether they want sort of um additional sleeping in the uh in other rooms so really it's for this room I think is getting close to completion I'll have a look around and we can have a child Orchard that sounds good fantastic okay but Chris and Sophie are only part way through their refurbishment I mean our clients now we're looking for really a minimum of what they've got at home nowadays um if not looking to pass that really and so yes uh where we are now there's still a long way to go [Music] without obviously seeing an end product but I would look potentially in the region of about 600 pounds that we would advertise the property at now obviously charging that sort of money our clients are going to be expecting a certain finish you know you haven't got a ceiling in the other room so it's quite difficult to tell us yet but we'd be there with thereabouts but you know the selling points obviously the history and so on are going to help to balance that out for you the valuation comes as a big disappointment I'm not happy with the price um I think he's wrong I'll be honest 600 pound a week is less than 100 pound a night for four people this isn't a Travel Lodge and it will never be a Travel Lodge you know we want to this is this is a four-star accommodation five-star accommodation that's what already aiming for [Music] it's three months since Ruth's last visit with only four weeks until the Kelly house relaunch she's back in Devon to check on progress and is surprised to discover that change is in the air Joy of Joys there are people working on the stonework and that is really good news because they look like they know what they're doing Improvement is being made as work takes place all over the estate and Chris has been busy learning new skills with the apprentices [Music] hi you're getting the master class well we can see we've prepared the background guys here we've uh we've got a fairly good key on this Ward unless we want to see it all running down all right it's all running down the jumper already um which way am I going to run this then I'll take it on that side on that that blade like so yeah and then in and upwards yeah push it on hard and then just wipe it on now take it off and that's fine that's it that's okay I'm just trying to force it in there because it seems to be coming back out again well it's a technique that uh it isn't easy to understand and to to use it is quite tricky isn't it it is it's trickier than I expected but Kelly house needs to earn its keep Ruth has suggested the family renovate and rent out two Flats [Music] work has yet to start on the Victorian Annex but Chris and Sophie have been making some progress on the Tudor flat they want to live in it but Ruth's hoping they've changed their mind how do you feel about the notion of camping in the house rather than occupying this flat I'm not sold on it per se I don't really want to be in there but as a means to an end in terms of getting this place rented out definitely well good for you because you've moved your position and because you've been very honest about this initially this was the dream to live here I suggested the house you were very anti that so I have to give you four marks because you know it's nice that you realize that compromises have to be made in order to get where you want to be yes at the end the price that we were given by the estate agent was roughly 600 pounds a week for a weekly uh and that was with two bedrooms yes yes we're still looking at two and a half thousand pounds a month or so which is income you currently don't have ruse pleased to hear about their change of heart but like the letting agent she's concerned that the flat is far from finished I don't want to pour water on your endeavors because I I'm really impressed that you've come on so far I think you're quite away from a stage of letting this out because I do think that anybody whether it's long-term rental or a holiday rental do require Finishing Touches as well as working on the flat Sophie has been busy looking for full-time employment Sophie what about you in the job I did suggest that perhaps you went out and got paid employment yeah I've I've found a few jobs that I would like to have but I've applied for about 10 so far and nothing's come back but a couple of them have still got their deadlines Ruth's becoming increasingly anxious not only are the flats unfinished Sophie still hasn't got a job and any thought of Revenue coming in is a long way off Ruth wants to find out what Warren's been up to looking at Fabrics really for possible use in the Annex in the first floor room right you don't think that's a bit the cut before the horse I mean these kind of papers go for about 80 pounds for a real retail you're looking at probably 20 30 bottles I mean it's it's not like doing the downstairs Lou no have you got enough money amongst the family members to get the flat done and the annex done we're going to struggle I think yes it's the answer Kelly house desperately needs an income and Ruth's afraid that Warren's got his priorities wrong I really would like to see that flat done because as long as that's done then you've got some Revenue coming in and I think that is really really important that's what I'm looking to see from you and from the whole family I'm looking to see that flat done yeah perturbed by the lack of progress roof departs worried that the procrastination that has reigned here for Generations is set to continue the seem to be pottering around too much there is no overall plan no structure no feeling that they're working as a cohesive unit to get this work done in a structured fashion so really as I leave I actually feel a combination of frustration and disappointment [Music] next month Kelly house undergoes something of a sea change the apprentices of restored crucial Timber and masonry while the student surveyors have brought a new lease of life to the once abandoned Elizabethan kitchen Sophie and Chris continue renovating in The Tudor flat and Warren almost finishes painting the front of the house Kelly house might be slowly emerging from its slumber Ruth wants to see the estate reconnect with the local community Emily has organized a relaunch showcase the recent renovation program and attract much-needed helpers invitations have been sent out and with a lot riding on today Ruth Watson's back to oversee proceedings [Music] today is the day of the launch party at Kelly and I don't know how it's going to go I have no idea I have no idea whether they've done anything at all actually um it all looks the same I can only hope the Kellys are launching their work in progress Museum but have left putting it together until today I thought I'd find you in here how are you we're fine okay this is some parts of the part of the museum work in progress Museum so we're just assembling items for people to look at these ones just putting up other joints right because we've had the students from the prince's Foundation here doing a lot of work so we've got quite a lot of examples to show people of all the horrible problems we've found and I don't be picky when I've only just arrived but there isn't a lot here and I know you have got enormous mats so we've got more to bring into the room for today for today why is it being taken to the last minute before the last minute is because it's only just been finishing so we've been taking photographs this morning what time are you expecting people three o'clock with doing tea and Cake in um the probably the dining room and then have this on display and we're going to project the website onto it in the Next Room to bring in Revenue the Kellys urgently need to let two dormant apartments on the estate Chris and Sophie have been redecorating the Tudor flat but Ruth discovers that it's still nowhere near finished [Music] I was told on my last visit the flat was nearly ready and they only had to do a bit in the bathroom I don't know what they think they've got to do but it's an enormous amount the finishes are so poor the bath is stained it needs re-enammling the paint Works rubbish the floor hasn't been done the Basin and the unit problem is it needs a lot more work but above all it needs more professionalism Ruth wants to know from Chris why it's all taking so long the annex are meant to be first things to be finished and completed in order to get Revenue in in order to have some money coming in to do things yeah there's so much that is still of such poor quality I think that actually what's required is for you to go to a bath store of some description and actually tell them to come in and make a bathroom in there you know it might cost a thousand pounds but it would be done deal finished you did hit the nail on the head it's a thousand pound yeah that's a thousand pound we don't have and in order to get even close to that we need Sophie and I need to actually be working drawing an income so that either we've got the income to put that thousand pounds in as an investment or however that works or we can borrow against the the ability to repay it without a cash injection the flats will remain unfinished but Chris has come up with a timely solution to the problem we've both decided that the best way to move this forward is for us both to be drawing an income what's happening on that front have you been for interviews or have you been looking for jobs what's been happening I have a job waiting for me and that starts fairly soon it starts as soon as I want it to and in fact I started yesterday right good how is Sophie progressing with her job search believe it or not she's been offered a job manufacturing chocolates is this for Sophie to go and work with a chocolate producer chocolate supplier no it's actually a company that produces dairy products locally um and she took them some of her chocolates right and they basically said we want you to work for us manufacturing chocolates but also selling their products alongside her own while I was certainly surprised that Chris announced that he was going to go back to work and Sophie too it's a jolly good thing because really they're not achieving very much here and at least it will bring some money in with the grand relaunch of Kelly house due to begin Warren and Sophie are way behind schedule and a sudden storm threatens to turn weeks of planning into a washout [Music] Kelly house in its Heyday used to employ most of Kelly Village but for Generations the Mansion has been in Decline isolated from the community thanks to the help of Ruth Watson this handsome house is undergoing a Revival and is once again opening its doors to the public it's the day of the Kelly launch party and although it's wet and miserable the family is still hoping to draw in the locals in a bid to sign up volunteers but Warren Kelly and his daughter Sophie are running out of time and Ruth wants to ensure that the new work in progress Museum due to be unveiled today looks professional um guys can I stop you um these look very good but let's move this right down the middle of the room this here so it's right in the center so people can go around either side of it okay you know I think we need to spread our treasure The Killers have no idea how many people will turn out but Ruth's convinced they need to make better use of the space [Music] [Music] okay that's better I'm gonna put these in the intentions are really good right I approve of that and applaud it it's the presentation which is just not great oh that leg's a bit dodgy kettle despite the dreary weather the relaunch of Kelly house has attracted hordes of locals after years of seclusion the doors of Kelly house are once again open to the public the Mansion has been gradually falling into disrepair for years but not all the guests share Ruth's sense of urgency when it comes to Restoration you know behind there you can actually see up through the next floor and up to the ceiling and out you just sort of seal this off and go and live in the next office breakdown wouldn't you so you just sort of resigned to it yes you have to be thank you well no you don't family and friends are hard at work promoting the house and signing up as many volunteers as they can we're going to do tours sort of By Appointment you know for small groups I can't believe they've done it so quickly well experts there will be guided tours which will publicize for you know groups to come Warren's going to do his short speech in a little while just outlining what it is that everyone's here this is the visitors book have you signed everything's book despite the rain nearly 200 people turn out the relaunch has proved a huge success the purpose of today's launch really is to display the start of our work in progress Museum and this is really going to record the work that we're doing on the house over the next few years there are sheets around if anyone would like to become a friend of Kelly house and receive our newsletter which is quarterly or indeed become a volunteer and we have plenty of jobs for volunteers thank you all for coming [Applause] [Music] Kelly are delighted to see inside the house after all these years I think it's absolutely overwhelming it's amazing how many people have turned up to support family and the house and the projects that are undergoing and it's just what the community needed support back for all the support that the Kelly's have given the community brilliant for one man it's a chance to visit the property his father worked on in the 1930s and we've always said it's a shame that a state like this had to go down like you know but you know so it's more or less if it can be rectified and you know yeah five months ago Kelly house was in peril today thanks to the hard work of the family the first steps have been made towards a brighter future so a successful afternoon lots of people yes anybody signing up to be a volunteer give money help do anything useful we've had about I think 15 people sign up to volunteer and a reasonable more something up to be friends yeah so we might be up to about 75 or that'd be good how have you found this whole experience has it been good or bad yeah very good absolutely it's it's given us an incentive to get on and do something that's given us the energy as well I do think you have now got the opportunity to do this and really it is going to be down to your energy and drive yeah it is hard work Warren and you come from a long line of people who've idled their way around and now you know it's got to change because that's the only way this house and you within it will survive you can do all of these things it's just a question of whether you will do them [Music] foreign [Music] Hall is an impressive stately home set in eight Acres of Splendid grounds but this great house now divided into 23 Apartments faces an uncertain future the residents are struggling to meet the annual renovation costs and can't agree on how best to increase Revenue whitbourne Hall is made up not of one individual but of 40 people Ruth Watson has definite ideas on what needs to be done too many people here have got too many opinions there's a lot of talk here surely things have got to change evolution is a painful and bloody process sometimes can Ruth win the community over and encourage them to pull together to save whitbourne hall for the future I question how this place really is managed and run foreign [Music] Hall is a grade 2 listed palladian Mansion nestled in the Worcestershire Countryside This Magnificent House was built in 1860 by the wealthy bickert and Evans Family but over the years they struggled to keep the estate going in the summer of 1977 the family invited a group of friends to move into whitbourne in return for help with its upkeep they set up a commune-like existence in a bid to live harmoniously together Quentin collie was one of the original members the ethos at that time of that group was self-sufficiency and I suppose people could see that as being a hippie style of life how's communal living in Britain began in the late 1940s but became fashionable in the 70s the Romantic dream at whitbourne Hall however didn't last long three years later the community disbanded and a company was formed to purchase the property for seventy thousand pounds whitbourne is still home to an Eclectic group of individuals but the only surviving members of the original Community are Quentin and his wife Heather we still believe the house the gardens those are our home and it's a beautiful place to live today it's a very different story from the altruistic ideal the estate has been converted into 23 self-contained units lived in by 37 residents two recent recruits are Dez Dodge and Raj Sani there's a real mix of people I'm an engineer Des is a hairdresser Quentin and Heather our retired School teachers whitbourne Prides itself on its Democratic ethos one thing Size Doesn't Matter here we're all we're all equal but with all residents having a say decision making is far from plain sailing people are always going to have differences of opinion whether it's to do with should you have gravel outside should you be using herbicides should we be allowed to park here as opposed to park there I think that's been a little pessimistic I think on a lot of issues that there is a consensus isn't a roof repairs refurbishment and preservation are a constant costly concern for whitbourne the Hall's current annual maintenance Bill stands at 42 000 pounds next year it's estimated at nearly double that and the community is divided on how to solve the Hall's Financial woes at the end of the day majority rule is the name of the game [Music] desperate to secure the Hall's future Raj has called in businesswoman Ruth Watson in a bid to get the residents to agree on a plan of action today Ruth's in Worcestershire to meet them [Music] on the events committee yes lovely hello everyone dares and your chairman current chairman chairman and Quentin and you were one of the original members of the community back in the 70s a few lifetimes ago fantastic well I have to say some rest impressive Porsche I've ever seen it's just amazing I'd love to see the rest of the house yeah Ruth begins her tour in the grand hall one of whitbourne's five communal areas [Music] quite extraordinary isn't it everything about it I feel as if I'm in some kind of huge Roman baths or something or other the glass roof in good order um raise the Lord in the fact that it's now water tied we've had a lot of work done on the roof on the lanterns above the what what you actually see however there's a fair bit of work to do on the plaster work it's all interior now so it's more decorative built 150 years ago which born Hall is designed to impress on every level and the Gilded drawing room is no exception now I expected it to be big but what I didn't expect was it to be quite so beautiful I mean it's just really Charming we do know that each panel that we have here for the windows originally in 1860 costs 970 pounds per window per window which is roughly the cost of building the stable block at the back of the house my God so it was obviously a pure gold leaf yes it would be to keep costs down residents share General upkeep between themselves from keeping the gardens in trim to preserving the intricate fabric of the building I got it re-plastered new moldings put on and over the last year we've been painting it so who who mean gilding is a craft who does the gilding there are a number of us that are talented in the respect we can hold a paintbrush and we've just had to copy what was here already we do all the outside work ourselves except for cutting the hedges there's a group of people here still willing to put their time into cutting grass and in fact I'd say that people fight over who who gets to do the lawn it's such a privileged job and I bet it's the men fighting absolutely to generate an income whitbourne Hall hosts weddings it's licensed to hold 12 a year but is failing to achieve this figure many weddings have you got planned for this coming year five five would you like to do more I I'm going to get shot it I personally don't have a problem with having a lot more weddings um however I do feel that other people in the house may have problems with that right so five you're not even got 50 of what you could do weddings bring in little Revenue to get to the bottom of the estate's finances Ruth and the residents retire to the library [Music] I'd like to understand the finances better of the house because it's obviously not a cheap place to run we have a service charge which contributes to how much is that and that is 22 000 a year so approximately a thousand pounds per residence yep and then in addition to that of course it's the um the events that we hold here right and that equates between 12 and 15 000 a year in terms of profit or turnover turnover right so that's not a contribution is it as such it's whatever the profit you're making from it is okay and how much do you think the house costs to run this year's budget is 42 000. so at the moment your total income is via the service charge and that's in the region of 22 000. you have should have income from events but there's a question mark about whether they really are contributing um so there is actually a whacking great shortfall isn't there yes in the past whitbourne met major renovation costs by selling vacant apartments but the last one has sold for 150 000 pounds and now the residents need to find alternative ways to raise cash have the residents had any other thoughts about where it's a means of procuring more income Potters art displays in the house as a possibility local shows being held here right but we're not talking about large amounts of money this is the problem no it's one of the worries that people have that any activities you do here might impinge on their enjoyment of the hall that's right I that is a major concern of most of the residents there's going to have to be a balance a trade-off between intrusion on people's lives and the necessary money that's got to be raised to keep the police renovated and running with the opinions of nearly 40 people to consider Ruth's got her work cut out if she's defined an agreeable viable solution what seems to be the problem not enough money but also residents who may or may not like the idea of more things occurring here the fact is they bought these Flats because they were peaceful and quiet and the idea of sharing this house with a lot of people celebrating weddings and the like I don't think it's going to go down very well with everybody whitbourne Hall is in crisis without help the crumbling building and its ethos could be lost forever I think the hall has to decide whether it's a hobby or a business but has Ruth come up with a radical resolution to whitbourne's democratic failings I'm in favor of a despot a dictator taking over here [Music] magnificent whitbourne Hall in Worcestershire was built by wealthy vinegar magnet Edward bickerton Evans in the mid-1800s as a testament to his success the Mansion was constructed in the Greek Revival style inspired by extravagant expeditions to Europe its impressive Portico boasts six ionic fluted pillars each 30 feet in height they are slightly Barrel shaped to give a correct sense of proportion to the eye the house also has one of the largest glass ceilings in any private residence in Europe and are now derelict Palm House the bickerton Evans resided at whitbourne for over a century then in 1977 the ailing Mansion became home to a community of friends who resided here as a family living eating and working the land together three years later they disbanded and formed a company to buy the property today Whit born Hall is home to 37 residents who live in 23 self-contained Apartments despite its fine appearance the hall is in need of constant repair this year's maintenance bill is 42 000 pounds and next year it's expected to double but revenue from the annual service charge and events are failing to reach anywhere near that amount Ruth Watson has been called in to help secure whitbourne's future by Raj Sani with the house of this size one can never under the amount of work that may suddenly need doing Ruth's on a mission to find practical answers to the estate's financial problems but before she comes up with a plan she needs to canvass the opinions of as many residents as possible the first Port of Call is Quentin and Heather collie who were part of the original community [Music] a few of the Palm House boys so how long have you actually been living here we came in October 1977. my goodness and then you all lived to ensemble in the house to begin with what made you decide that you needed your individual accommodation trying to share bathrooms I think we were getting a bit tired of all eating together all the time how much do you feel that the original concept of Community Living still exists if people are being in one's opinion slightly unreasonable you have to deal with it with a public face but it somewhere along the line that pressure's got to be released hasn't it so you can come in here and have a little hiss it's just as well that nobody's got a bug in here what would you think is the best way forward in terms of actually producing more income for the house I think if the house could earn its living Monday to Friday so that when everybody else came back at the weekends we could all enjoy it together it would be great [Music] maintaining the Hall's Tranquility is also top of the agenda for Captain Cliff McFarlane who lives above one of the Hall's main function rooms I think it's in the balance of raising revenue but not disturbing us too much because we live here but do you think that's actually possible um I think the special events that would be in keeping art shows yoga and other practices I would prefer Quiet Things the staging of events at whitbourne is clearly a sensitive issue one way to boost Revenue while ensuring Serenity could be to increase the 1000 pound flat rate annual service charge but the size of Apartments varies dramatically and not everyone is in agreement with such a proposal Dave you bought your own little unit yes I say little it may be huge is it well mine is one of the smallest actually yes where the Butler lived Butler's Pantry in the battle yeah the whole fact is just about this country Margaret Rodney do you think you're paying off service charge yes do you think it's right and fair that everyone pays exactly the same regardless of the size of their apartment yes you paid the same service charges everybody else in the five room Apartments I mean do you think that's equitable I think it is an unfair deep down I do think it's a very unfair system it's become a sort of Posh block of flats with some you know that's how it is now [Music] previously Whit born was in the luxurious position of having a solution to any funding crisis over the years the way Money's been raised here is by selling things off they've sold off the Stables they've sold off Apartments but now they've reached the end of the road so from now on in they've got to find money from another source [Music] with the last flat sold whitbourne needs to become commercial while still remaining a home Town Clark Richard Chapman moved in only 18 months ago and has already recognized this there's a lot of talk here I'm quite happy to live here as we are but if they want more business to support the house then surely things have got to change so your personal how would you take this forward well I think I will investigate the daytime conferences I think the hall has to decide whether it's a hobby or a business over the years the way of life at whitbourne has evolved from its classless routes it's now home to a broad range of inhabitants from retired pensioners to working professionals keeping everyone satisfied is a delicate process as raj Sani who came here four years ago has come to realize do you think that running events successfully is the way out of the problem I do I personally have no restrictions on the number of events and the type of events that we hold the downside is that you really do have to pay attention to every little single thing because you have the potential of upsetting people quite easily there has been um I've experienced it what would your individual attack be on how to get more money in here that's why I got you anyway to do this Ruth has discovered that there's certainly no shortage of opinions at whitbourne and as a result little consensus this house desperately needs a good income stream so right now I'm in favor of a despot a dictator taking over here the residents are willing to become commercial but only on their own terms so Ruth needs to find a solution that will preserve their privacy while still bringing in Revenue one option is to take advantage of the Hall's idyllic location Ruth visits a farm eight miles from whitbourne to meet Mark Gordon an entrepreneur who markets a novel way of making a profit from tranquil rural settings this is really amazing featherdown Farms is a New Concept in Holiday accommodation that celebrates outdoor living it combines comfortable camping in homely tents with added mod cons this is absolutely love them there's so much attention to detail it's really quite sophisticated in its rusticness and the the sleeping Arrangements there are three bedrooms just behind you there's a little Hideaway one for the children where they not only sleep but they play it's great and what about for adults though comfortable master bedroom out the back and then two bunk beds in the adjoining bedroom and you've got a real proper table which you can sit eat drink read talk I'm completely convinced of its idyllic nature I mean this is everyone's dream but tell me more about the commercial side of things a couple of Crews come over at the beginning of the season and they put the tents up and then at the end of the season they take them down again and how popular are they um been going for three years now and they've been booked out really really we've had to put up the full sign usually shortly into the season and what of rents to people have to pay to come and stay in average average of about 400 pounds for a weekend or a midweek break here and what's in it for the landowner um the farmer will get a fixum of money every time the tent is full the most successful locations turn over thirty thousand pounds a year but Ruth wonders how this could work for a country house like whitbourne now I have a problem because I love this concept but the house I have in mind is not a working farm it's a very large country house I mean no hope for them no that shouldn't be a problem at all because we've got a new product in development called Hideaway homes and these will be situated next to country houses instead of next to working Farms uh and the theming instead of being a farm theme will be around the 19th century and exploration Ruth's also aware that residents would prefer events to take place on weekdays and thinks the communal rooms at whitbourne could be utilized effectively to bring peace Harmony and revenue Ruth's come to try yoga in London's fashionable Primrose Hill to meet ex-lawyer Jonathan satin who's made spiritual exercise good business [Music] you're in a city doing this do you think Yoga Works in rural areas is there a call for it I think yoga were anywhere yeah I think it is location driven you can run Retreat sites which people obviously do and I think there's not quite a few bill that they will come but I think that if you have a very good teacher and you have a good environment and you're teaching the right styles of yoga you price it correctly it should work is there an I think if you're running a retreat 20 is a good number I think you can transport this into a lot of different places I think you could run these in country houses yeah you can do it one day courses during the week could earn Whit born around 15 000 pounds a year while still maintaining the resident's privacy [Music] encouraged by her research Ruth's back in Worcestershire to present her findings to the residents at whitbourne Hall [Music] first of all I'd just like to say to you that the success of this house is down to you it's only the way it is because a dedicated band of people have worked very very hard on keeping it the way it is now first Ruth tackles the thorny issue of the property's annual service charge your running costs exceed the service charge by about ten thousand pounds a year so My First suggestion which will not be music to your ears is that the service charge is going to have to go up so to my mind the Equitable way of going about this is to do it by square footage but I really do think that it's fundamental that running costs are met annually by service charges so we now get to the how you get an income streaming Ruth firmly believes that the splendid Mansion should be attracting more weddings weddings are top of the list because that's the place where most people are prepared to spend a lot of money those weddings I don't think should realize you as profit anything less than four thousand pounds it has to be professionally done if you were to interview a wedding planner and you said what we want from you is a fee for use of location and that sum has not got to be less than four thousand pounds if you were to say you can do 12 events at four thousand pounds a year profit making I think that's entirely realizable I like your thing about a wedding planner I think that that would work very well because I think it would take pressure off the people in the house but I would have thought we could have done more daytime conferences here um it doesn't strike me as being the absolute obvious place to have confidence events because unfortunately you're up against hotels and places which are so so well geared up to it licensed to operate 12 events per year witbourne should be making 48 000 pounds from weddings alone and they could be realizing even more by capitalizing on the Hall's peaceful location there is a company called featherdown that have set up on working Farms I have to say this sort of glorified tents but they are so much more than tense they are actually rolling out another model which is to do with country houses and it's um called Hideaway homes now not only are they lovely for guests to come and stay in but actually they're very lovely for the landowners because you get a cut from the rent that's paid now it did seem to me to fit in with the ethos of what you were doing here because it's essentially quiet as well as luxury camping Ruth's Keen for the hall to make use of the grand communal rooms on weekdays you obviously could try the idea of yoga retreats as well I think again it fits in with your ethos and there are lots of people prepared to spend quite a lot of money to go away for a week to do yoga and you would obviously have to get Professionals in I totally accept I'm speaking from a point of view of somebody who has never done yoga in their life and couldn't Ruth's Parting Shot is to get the residents to stop talking and start working I'd like to charge you with the notion that you would trial the featherdown Farms thing just to see how it worked I mean it would be good for you be good for them you know is it a concept that you could roll out or not um I think it'd be a good idea to see if you can contact some yoga centers to see whether they would like to come and do some yoga here and I also think that you ought to be trying to find a wedding planner so when I come back I'll be very interested to hear how things have gone on but in the meantime thank you very much for your time and I should win my way remarkably Ruth's suggestions appear to have gone down well with the residents but the honeymoon period doesn't last long Roger I'm going to stop you how many people have you got signed up we've got two right [Music] whitbourne Hall set in the heart of the Worcestershire Countryside is in financial trouble with little Revenue coming in to fund ongoing renovation the residents are at odds as to how best to generate a healthy income Raj Sani moved here just four years ago but has already become frustrated whitbourne Hall is made up not of one individual but of 40 people you are bound to get some people who are very calm and Placid and go with the flow and then you're also bound to get people who aren't [Music] to help the community agree on a Way Forward to come up with a range of money making objectives but the initial enthusiasm has waned there's a lot Mission a lot more debate a lot more decent really I'm aware of the fact that evolution is a painful and bloody process sometimes no decision has been made on increasing the service charge residents are against the notion of daytime courses in yoga when this was mentioned in the company meeting there was a lot of laughter why should Ruth feel that was appropriate for us but Raj is determined to act on Ruth's suggestions essentially there might not be a loss of money in yoga but an area associated with growth and with personal development is NLP neuro-linguistic programming claims to train the brain to think more positively Raj is convinced that such classes would fit in perfectly with the sedate atmosphere at whitbourne Tom Mackay an NLP expert from London has come to meet Raj and fellow resident Des Dodge with a view to running weekday courses here Tom um we talk about NLP what exactly you know does that Encompass what you know what is it about it's often described as the technology of achievement so it's about how we think how we manage our emotions and how we even use our physiology to achieve more success in any area so it's about how we can communicate better with other people but also how we communicate better with ourselves it is a question of taking you out of your comfort zone in a way so you don't do any hypnosis a lot of techniques are quite hypnotic although they're not specifically what we call hypnosis had you time in mind like a time scale in mind well we have a wedding that first weekend in September thereafter we're afraid with people willing to pay up to 95 pounds for NLP day courses this could prove a travel free and lucrative Revenue stream for whitbourne It's a Wonderful setting and it's probably the most Serene and peaceful place that I'd run a course in the fact is that the house is empty during the week I think putting workshops on is is a very good and suitable way of using the space we've got I think it's got huge potential but courses alone won't go anywhere near keeping the estate afloat Ruth Watson has got wind of dissent among the residents at whitbourne determined not to allow them to Scupper her plans she's back in Worcestershire to confront them I can't help feeling that the structure of how this house is run has somehow got to change because I think that's where the future the success of whitbourne Hall its survival that's where it all lies Ruth's main concern is that any progress at whitbourne is being hampered by the community's egalitarian ideals I don't think that you're a genuine democracy but because I don't think everyone has a real vote all the time and I question how this place really is managed and run because to me it dips and dabs from certain areas and and and certain ethosis and certain conventions and it doesn't add up in my head to a whole Cliff what are your thoughts I like the way we sort of get together and when we discuss things and we work it out it does take longer to do that but I think we actually achieve a more comfortable solution I think that the for me the cover comfortableness is probably what I am uncomfortable about if it does mean that this house is imperiled in some way financially because you don't raise enough money to keep it going and to look after it then you know the Comfort to me has to be secondary it's how this works verbally in I'm afraid of slightly business way wage down by bureaucracy Ruth thinks the residents aren't being entirely open about their feelings did a survey to assess what they truly think of the Hall's infrastructure and to ensure total honesty it's to be completed anonymously I would like every single resident here to actually fill in this form I just think that it would then give you a little bit of an opportunity to make changes should they be needed or to see you know whether whether the majority of people think this does work as well as it possibly could survey covers a wide range of issues from what the community think of the management structure to the issue of the annual service charge I do think the effort that you make is absolutely unquestionable you know you all care and you all work hard but I think the effectiveness of what you all do I think has to be really you know tightened up Ruth is struggling to get the residents to agree on a way forward but they do consent to trial up Market camping in the secluded grounds if the trial proves a success which born will need more than their eight acres of land but could gain access to neighboring Fields with the tent up the residents are finally pulling together and putting the finishing touches to the newest Residence at Whitmore anybody want some music while they work [Music] how's it supposed to get up to that top bun I was going to say something then but it might be misconstrued as part of the deal tents are erected at the beginning of the holiday season all the residents would have to do is coordinate arrivals departures and laundry once a week Ruth is back at whitbourne to check on progress I've come to see the Posh camping trial there's no one in the house so I'm hoping that they're all up there doing something [Music] hello hi Ruth how are you great super take a look at the bedroom I feel like I want to go and hack sticks off live beasts and yeah get out there and Grill them it's great it actually fits in yeah do you seriously thinking of moving in here and letting out the flight I don't blame you I think it's utterly delightful I really really do I'm totally taken with it is everyone on board for this I mean any dissenting voices well we haven't heard us yet yeah but the fact is because it's very new because it's only just gone up right um you know I think there's yet there's a few that possibly haven't seen I haven't seen anything but everyone who's seen it has been suitably impressed I hope but as in all democracies there's often opposition Richard Chapman is leading the Rebellion I think they think it's wonderful um and I think they see it as a Panacea foreign but I'm skeptical about it the the place won't be our own because we will have people here all the time I I don't think it would suit the hall six willing volunteers and their dog have been drafted in to put the whitbourne camping trial to the test Quentin is on hand to welcome them this is the campsite wow and that's fantastic [Music] the guests are more accustomed to a hotel when it comes to holidays or it's nice and solid isn't it so the notion of Country House camping will be put to the ultimate test Hannah as well as being self-sufficient holiday makers are encouraged to be eco-friendly too even down to generating the electricity for Ruth she's simply pleased to see some action at whitbourne Hall as far as I'm concerned this Posh camping is fantastic I love the notion of it whether it will be a success I don't know what I am finding though is that the key players here the people who actually are on the board as it were are really beginning to realize that a this must be run on more commercial principles and B that they're the ones doing all the work too many people here have got too many opinions but they're not putting their money where their mouth is yeah [Music] after a comfortable night The Reluctant campers are up early for a hearty breakfast isn't it it does and Ruth is back to see how they fared did you enjoy it we did we did very much we had really good fun yeah that's good and you had a shower how was that grown-ups how did you find um lighting fires and making water hot and things like that yeah the fires were fine I've got them going this morning within about 20 minutes half an hour yeah no problems with that how much do you think that's important that you're in the grounds of a big country house and that you could have access to it and perhaps it's more formal grounds I that's very important because otherwise it would have just been the campsite we could have been anywhere but to be on the grounds of a lovely stately home it just made it very special feels very safe as well for the for the children yeah and the dog as well I mean I really don't like camping so this was yes absolutely yeah so success with some judicious planning a village of six tenths could turn over thirty thousand pounds a year if the residents agree to it the most effortless way for whitbourne to increase revenue is to host more lucrative weddings but in the last six months the residents have failed to acquire the services of a wedding planner or increase their five original bookings Ruth is not happy [Music] there's something going wrong about the way you're selling them I'm dealing with houses that are nothing like as marvelous as this with nothing like his good Gardens who are easily getting 40 50 60 weddings a year I don't know whether it's to do a selling technique I don't know whether you as a body of people are putting up too many obstacles about where people can do it what they can do but something is going wrong I suspect that if there are too many reservations about what people can and can't do then that's one of the problems Ruth's also far from impressed by the progress that's been made in arranging weekday courses now I had suggested doing yoga but you are going ahead with the NLP but it is a struggle to get the right number of people and Raju put enormous amount of work and time into it the reason that I chose NLP is this it has a crossover it has a large personal um how many people have you got signed up we've got two right and how much work have you done how many hours a lot exactly I don't need to go any further it's not a model that works my belief is that you have expended a lot of energy on the NLP and that if that similar amount of energy had been put into the yoga you probably would have got a better response Ruth leaves whitbourne Hall disappointed by the distinct lack of progress at the moment we're still waiting through this so it's going to survive in this new era has got to be run on more commercial footings and that means they do have to do events and they basically do have to stop conferring about every single last thread of the carpet over the next two weeks Raj pulls out all the stops to make her trial NLP course a success Raj is also attending and has managed to Triple the number of attendees instructor Tom Mackay is sharing his ethos of a happy state of mind with the class find that time felt really confident that's it go back to that time see what you saw hear what she heard really feel his feelings of confidence increasing imagine with every breath you can find yourself feeling more and more confident even more confident Let It Grow stronger and stronger with every breath more and more confident more and more comfortable very good very good great good just 12 NLP day courses per year could bring in around 12 000 pounds if you can do something that seemed impossible you know what else can you do that seemed impossible as well coupled with the income from weddings and up Market camping this could secure whitbourne's Future Let's go that's going it's going yes that's crazy Autumn the all-important results of Ruth's survey are in that's a bit of a knock that one stings and the residents are surprised at some of the conclusions for those that tend to say too much for them to stop and think well that would save a lot of bother wouldn't it I am not making any comment [Music] it's an important day at whitbourne Hall Ruth Watson has conducted an anonymous survey of residents and the results are out today could I got the survey results oh brilliant right [Music] well I need to have I need to have longer to look at this is obviously quite detailed the questionnaire has revealed some surprising conclusions 61 percent feel that communication between the management team and the residents needs to be improved that's a bit of a knock that one stings and one-third think their opinions aren't being heard for those that tend to say too much of them to stop and think I am not making any comment I genuinely believe that the people who push here are pushing for Whit born not for themselves and this is where people are taking it too personally I mean at the end of the day it's those that do the pushing they get the jobs done when it says leaseholders need to be honest and say what they really think yeah well that would save a lot of other wouldn't it one contentious suggestion made by Ruth is to raise the annual service charge the questionnaire reveals that 89 think it would be prudent to do so I think that's a fairly obvious problem for some residents like Dave Goodman who's lived at whitbourne for over 20 years an increase would not be such good news I mean it might mean that because the service charge is going up to too much for me that I might have to make plans a bit earlier to to move definitely you know it is a very sad fact foreign months since Ruth's first visit to whitbourne and she's back to meet the residents for the last time the real point about this is that you've gone from the community that you talk about to something which is not a community there are aspects of it which are still communal and then there's some other bits which are completely commercial and this is really the the nub of the problem we still believe in the the the ethos if you like of the community even though it possibly does throw up quite a few interesting moments and what have you but we we get over those we get around them the problem is that that relies on the people who have that ethos and I'm looking you know 30 40 50 years down the line at the future of this house when by necessity those people will not be here the residents are in the process of considering running day courses and glamorous camping at whitbourne but Ruth thinks they're still missing a trick my vote is still for weddings as your most obvious easiest route um I don't know whether we've improved on the Fuca for next year have we not yet but we have got quite a lot of um inquiries in Department I think this needs to be put on professional footing because this is the easiest quickest source of making money for this place the months Ruth has struggled to motivate the residents but at least her hard work hasn't gone completely unnoticed I think it's been a very worthwhile exercise it made me realize just what we have going for us I'd actually say you've acted as a catalyst and it's something that is needed perhaps we would have got there eventually but you've just speeded us some side I mean I would run a mile from all these meetings I just you know it's just not for me I think you're all completely crazy living here um please find a way to raise the service judge because that will initially just really resolve all the immediate problems about what you've got in the kitty let's drive on with this wedding thing take the easy route that's what I would like you to do is take the easy route hopefully Ruth having come here will motivate people into taking some action people will think okay you know we do have to share the whole we do need to bring in some extra Revenue um otherwise there is a danger of things falling apart [Music] foreign [Music] Court in herefordshire has been empty for almost a decade and is in a perilous State carries ward has owned the estate since 1967. it's determined to keep the house and the family it wouldn't be sold if I was around no way desperate to save Abby door from dereliction granddaughter Claire sage has called in Ruth Watson to help but finding a solution isn't going to be easy the whole family is so uninformed to bring in much needed Revenue Ruth wants to see this fine house open as a bed and breakfast well from my point of view I could think of nothing more ghastly as Ruth Watson finally met her match in Charis Ward we haven't got a committee I actually do know what I'm talking about I do not know no those flickers I am Jack Sprat [Music] oh [Music] Charis Ward fell in love with Abby door Court over 40 years ago she sold her small farm in Warwickshire and bought the estate for twelve thousand pounds it is a very special place the whole atmosphere here is totally different to anywhere that I've ever been to before and I think that's where its strength lies a passionate horticulturalist 81 year old Karis has single-handedly cultivated a stunning Garden out of the surrounding fields her creation attracts visitors from all over the country Charis brought up her three children in the main house but ten years ago when the property became too much to manage she moved out into a smaller Cottage on the grounds this is warm for a start having always lived in very cold houses the feeling of being warm is quite surprising left empty and unloved Abby door court is falling into disrepair houses can withstand anything houses Will Rise From the Ashes if they're going to garris's granddaughter Claire Sage is passionate about Abby door court she and siblings Hannah and Julian grew up with their parents in the old servants quarters Claire's parents now live away but the siblings all in their twenties still live on the estate but it's Claire who has a strong Affinity with the house I can't explain what it is about the house and living here that I just I can't bear to see it how it is and how it's falling apart and knowing how it was I think that's the worst and how happy we all were in the house and how happy the house was Claire still lives in the servants quarters and works as a hospital administrator but it's her dream to give up her job and devote herself to restoring the Mansion to its former glory my goal in life now is to make the house work and to make it a business and a home grandmother Charis insists she's happy to take a back seat I don't really mind what happens to the house as long as it doesn't intrude on the garden I can't wait back out Judith but as head of the family carries very much overseas proceedings and if Claire's to get her wish she'll have to convince her grandmother that she's up to the job we do differ but we have discussions and some of the things she says I don't agree with and some of the things I say she can't see that would work in a bid to win her grandmother over Claire's called in renowned hotelier and businesswoman Ruth Watson to help save the crumbling pile Ruth's come to herefordshire to meet Claire she receives a warm welcome albeit under a rather precarious porch hi there hello just about yes I think this this find dilapidation doesn't it let's go in let's go in Ruth discovers that part of the house is already being redecorated and the ornate plaster moldings restored [Music] so what's what's here Claire what are all these we had a horrible water leak in the drawing room and the bedroom above remains pipe burst so our water is pouring through so um lucky all ensures so we'll have all the work redone at the moment but the insurance money will only pay for the rooms affected by the leak financing the rest is up to the family foreign that's a very ugly mug on the wall yeah we had um gutterings were blocked on the other side so we didn't realize for quite some time we've now kind of remedied it so it's drying out just nobody realized that all householders have to actually just get up once so you have to clear the gutters yeah it's just no one's a responsibility for it we all just closed doors and it was out of sight out of mind and no one's really thought done anything with it so when your grandmother vacated did she do that you said it was because the house was too big but did she literally just lock the door and say sorry don't care anymore pretty much bluntly yes that's kind of just it was just too much this might be in a bad state of repair but Claire is still lost in the romance of Abby door Corp this is the drawing room just in here now this isn't a small room no this is definitely the main feature this is what a beautiful room this was just a lovely kind of family room really had lots of kind of sofas and chairs we had a rocking horse in the window normally one wouldn't think this but the pipes bursting mean that you were able to make an insurance claim it was a blessing in disguise actually it was horrendous when it happened and to see the damage that caused was just unbearable but now it's just so exciting coming in here and just seeing it and imagining how it's going to look like when it's finished Claire realizes that this is a good opportunity to get the whole house up and running if she can persuade her grandmother to help just watch your steps oh this is slightly overgrown here's my grandmother hard at work yes very good to meet you and what enormous effort she must put into this Garden it's so labor intensive it's just very labor intensive I suppose but um it's not too bad the gardens are looking in very good array and the house looks in Desperate streets did you feel that you deliberately abandoned it or that you just know you've been abandoned it kind of in a way we just left it be you know because but it wasn't abandoned no no I think it's been easy to kind of close doors and it's left of the time other than when we've had the parties and things with carries now in her 80s the return of three grandchildren to Abby door court is something of a blessing did you expect all the grandchildren to come back no never so what would you have done what I'm doing now which is living here and doing the garden and then the rest of it would have just well something would have turned up I expect dual court is languished for some 10 years and is crying out for affection to find out where their loyalties lie Ruth gathers together Charis Claire and brother Julian so the neutrality possibly if your grandmother enthusiasm if I'm you know taking it a step further about the house is actually in direct contrast to how you feel about the house I think that's how it works well is that I'm so enthusiastic about it my future is bringing the house back to how it was I'm trying to understand where everyone lives for a start Caris here in the huntsman's cottage and Jules you're over in The Gardener's Cottage yep that's right and do you normally come and work here or have you got a would it be you have a job somewhere else I do have a job yeah um I work full-time in Hereford at the moment right and I do help out when I can here you lean more towards your grandmother's love of the land I would say so yeah yeah but if all could be kept together and all could be enjoyed together yeah that's the harmony that we can all have our own roles and and work together and keep the place going I'm with the garden with the main house with the ancillary Cottages yeah that would be lovely so we've each got our own everyone would be happy can I receive from you even me but I shall be here that much longer shall I hopefully now that's the thing about gardeners you know they tend to go on a long time the problem is who's going to take ultimate responsibility and put a stop to the rot at abidore court the one thing I'm absolutely certain of is that Charis really loves the garden loves the landscape and the house doesn't mean too much to her and that Claire really loves the house and it's just as well that somebody does because I think it is going to be down to the grandchildren to make this work having met Ruth Julian and Claire realize she's got a battle on her hands to win over their grandmother she can probably come across as quite intimidating with some of some of the questions Ruth yeah no no I think Ruth can come across quite intimidating I think they've got a similar characteristics is that the kind of the better way but I think it's good it's kind of it's a bit like an arm wrestle at the moment and yeah we're waiting for someone to give rescuing Abbey door Court from ruin is a massive undertaking it would make a beautiful bedroom but there has to be some investment here [Music] I don't believe you come on come on I don't know [Music] the history of abidore court in herefordshire stretches back to the 12th century when it is said to have provided accommodation for the nearby door Abbey the stable yard was built in the 17th century when the house became a coaching Inn today the estate has 140 Acres of prime land and an Exquisite Garden on the banks of the river door [Music] the centerpiece of the estate is this charming mansion these Grand rooms with their fine moldings and handsome facade were added to the existing house in 1857. Claire Sage wants to see the deserted house restored and dreams of giving up her job to run it commercially but she needs to convince her grandmother Charis Ward that she can manage a viable business here the only current income is from visitors to the gardens plant sales and a tea room open at weekends but these only bring in 2 000 pounds a year and the house will need to dramatically increase its Revenue if it's to survive Claire's called on businesswoman Ruth Watson to help still living in the old servants quarters where she was brought up as a child Claire meets Ruth here at the back of the house hello hi morning chair how are you good thank you yes not so bad little horses so this was the servants quarters but you've always lived here haven't you so I've always lived this is the sitting room just in through here I have to say it's quite little it's cozy it's nice I love it how do you relate to that bit over there I guess because this has always been home so for me this is kind of where I feel comfortable and I'm happy and and through there I kind of see as the future of of here really well so if that sort of work is that the business yeah my grandmother wonders why because she said she always says I wonder you can live in there but I don't think I have a will in my mind I won't ever live in there how are we doing in terms of decor and dilapidation because we talk about the main house having lots of things wrong but I mean this ceiling doesn't look the best I think under the bath I've got them old pipes on the bathroom they've had a leak and we didn't realize we're not sure what this one is that's kind of just steadily getting worse we've got water coming in on the stairs and on the landing I've got buckets catching that but that's kind of there's nowhere near as bad as through there and it's kind of I'm used to it I guess now okay I just live with it it's just where you're talking about the dam yeah just at the top and the side on the stairs the water comes through there I've got a bucket catching the trips that come through when Claire was growing up her family lived in the modest servants quarters while Charis lived alone in the main house next door it's interesting because other people would be more selfish they would want to be in this part of the house and you know hang that bit I've always been in that half of the house my grandmother had this half and we came in from family occasions and things like that so it's always been very separate sweet it's sweet and the kitchens come on we're on our way to the kitchens weren't we the house hasn't been lived in for around 10 years but Claire has warm memories of her childhood here this is one of the kitchens here Now isn't that strange one always expects an agar to be piping hot not frigid cold yeah very much used to be it was always kind of this was the center of the house when we were younger we used to sit here with Children of Leaning up against the argue with my grandmother in the chair there my mum there and then kind of Sunday night TV on in the corner and the dogs around us doesn't feel that way now does it no it's not it's a I don't like being in this room so much now it's nowhere near what it was like when we were small and I fell on the house that's going to this state at the moment I just think if we can bring it back and people can come and enjoy it I think that's the main thing that I want for the house definitely Claire has already started making some income by opening a tea room at weekends for visitors to her grandmother's garden and this is obviously the Stables it is yet to do the old Stables that when they first came here yeah done a really nice job it was very professional it's it's got a nice homely feel but it looks proper as well lovely yeah this is a good omen for the house thank you in her first year Claire has made a success of the tea room but even with the money from the gardens it won't make nearly enough to pay for the upkeep of the house Ruth sets off on her own to find out what potential the rest of the estate has to offer she starts in the Menage once used for exercising horses it's the most fantastic space and if you got rid of the tractors and logs and put them into one of the other outbuildings how about this for an indoor market or a permanent retail space I mean it's such a waste not to be used Ruth is also convinced that the house itself has money making potential in such a picture-perfect location the property could make an ideal guest house but it will take upwards of a hundred and fifty thousand pounds to restore the mansion you know one thing about this house is there isn't a rotten view out of any winter it is so beautifully situated but this room is above the drawing room and it's where the damage occurred through the roof and it's lost all its cornishing it would make a beautiful bedroom but there has to be some investment here and my view is that while the whole of the house needs redoing and certainly the upstairs bedrooms you might as well go the whole hog and actually make if not all the bedrooms ensuite at least a number of them because if this is going to trade in any capacity it's got to look rather better than it does now [Music] as a successful hotelier Ruth knows that guests looking for a Country House Retreat demand a high standard of accommodation you can actually see daylight through there [Music] boasting some of the most beautiful countryside in England herefordshire is a popular destination with tourists and Ruth thinks Abby door Court should be capitalizing on this to secure its future he's on her way to nearby heyon y home to the world famous book Festival to meet organizer Peter Florence how many visitors do you have here we have 75 000 visitors every year well we used to worry about hotels and bnbs but actually what happens is that every guest room anywhere around here is full the kids are in a tent in the garden and it's a wonderful Gathering social Gathering people come home like a kind of Thanksgiving without turkey so somebody who might be setting up a BNB within half an hour 45 minutes is not going to have any problem filling their rooms no and there's so much that goes on through the year even in festivals terms there are festivals every month around here what sort oh there's the Fantastic ledbury poetry Festival there's the Cheltenham Festival which is even within 45 minutes driving distance as well does he ever go any food festival which is now I think one of the most exciting in Britain so all the time visitors love to come to this area and the joy of it I guess is that it's a very peculiarly British weekend that they would have when they came with no shortage of visitors it's clear that Abby door Court could attract year-round paying guests Ruth's next Port of Call is the old vicarage 30 miles away in Norton pristine like Abby door it was once dilapidated but has been lovingly restored and turned into a successful BNB by Paul Gerrard and John McCall hi and hello I'm John John hello and I'm Ruth and what a very handsome house you have yes stag reviews was it really difficult to find three years of struggle yeah yeah but we got here in the end Paul and John bought the house in 1997 for 240 000 pounds and spent a further 150 000 pounds lovingly restoring it it's wonderful with the dual aspect it's really beautiful room yes it's lovely yeah lovely very nice what we want to do share with people was our home and in that sense everything we do here is based on home so guests are welcome to use this drawing room called study or the dining room or whatever really and it's a friendly environment where there's no little signs telling you not to do things and that's been very successful because guests come back time and time again was it in a early Palace state or it was very much unloved yeah and everything was here but hidden away on the layers and loads of paint this room took 16 weeks of work for example really yes so a lot of investment in time and Dare I ask money yes a little bit but we didn't keep too close a time if you wanted to remain sane but was it tens of thousands to restore yes it must have been yes something you love doing yes you have to enjoy meeting people you have to enjoy being with people it is very hard work but the rewards financial and otherwise are are enormous the old vicarage has fewer bedrooms than Abbey door Court rates are 100 pounds per night and with a high occupancy it brings in enough money to support the business [Applause] having done her research Ruth's even more convinced that abidore can operate as a successful business she's back to share her findings with Charis and Claire hello how are you Claire full marks for asking for help I have to say that because I do think the house is in a pretty palest State you know I know you've had the damp problems which have been caused by pipes but I do think there is actually quite a lot of work that needs to be done here because if this house is going to trade I'm afraid the standards need to be raised first Ruth has a money-making idea for the Menage I have noticed that there's a real absence of shops when I drive around to the place if you could actually have a monthly event that wasn't just about produce but was about everything to do with crafts local crafts people coming here food producers for sure but everything that anyone wanted to sell because you've got that amazing space the Minaj the benefit for you is that you charge rent for the Stalls you get an uptrade because you've got the Tea Room there and if you were to provide light lunches as well so much the better I think you should have a stall yourself selling cakes and all the wonderful things people like to buy and go away and scoff we've got plant cells already so you can add to your plant cells and of course people can go into the gardens as well next Ruth turns her attention to accommodation several bnbs in the village she's worked out that Abbey door Court could turn over around 60 000 pounds a year providing an income of at least thirty thousand what I think the house could be turned into is a five-bedroom most I went to they only have three bedrooms they have fabulous views but the house is no nicer than this in the bedrooms are a lot smaller than these would be they are charging 100 pounds per night they are about 85 percent occupancy full the year round and they are making enough money for two people to live quite happily off the earnings and and to keep investing back into the house if you could see that your whole family your grandchildren would be able to live here enjoy this house this estate this garden and all get a living from it is that something that you think that you might be prepared to do to help well obviously somehow or another we've got to find money to do it there's no doubt about that what I do know is that there is a shortage of accommodation in herefordshire and that you do have the most extraordinary amount of happenings going on from food and literary festivals to you know that the places teeming with events it's just wonderful and I I don't think you'll have any problem filling I really don't I quite like the idea do you yeah it's going to be that the hardest for you but if the family is to make a success of a business they'll have to decide how they manage the project how do you feel about merging with the others and you know everybody benefiting I think we need to talk about that definitely finally Ruth leaves Claire with some homework now before my next visit I'd like to charge you with some activities I think Claire you need to go and look at BNB to see how they do it I think it would be very encouraging and inspirational and I'd also like to see if we could do a trial of this internal farmer's market stroke Trading area in the Mirage it's a brilliant space and I think if you could set that up with stoneholders coming to sell their Wares let's see how it works I think it could be a real success I really think that if this family all pulls together in the way that it can do because you're all strong determined hard-working people I think this is really attainable the idea that abidore court is sustainable that the family can all live here together and the family can all Prosper here to make any change at abidore Claire realizes that her grandmother needs to be on board the BMB idea is definitely something that's come up in the past but I think I never really got I think because my grandmother said um not really we all just can we all know that won't happen let's move on to the next thing but Ruth knows that to make a success here the next Generation needs to be given the opportunity although her grandmother didn't think she would like the idea of running a BNB Claire actually said yes she would love doing it but there's a long way to go because this family have now got to sit down and talk to each other about who does what they've got to create some kind of proper strategy that will work long term and above all there's got to be some funding found from somewhere if Claire's to achieve her dream of running Abbey door Court as a business she must prove that she's got what it takes do you think your grandmother's got confidence in you sometimes I question it but it's not going to be easy she's the one that stirred it up and started it [Music] Abby door Court in herefordshire is in trouble Claire sage has drafted in Ruth Watson to save the family home from dereliction I've lived him whole life for 27 years it's horrible to see something you love just deteriorate like that but Ruth faces two obstacles the house requires a massive cash injection and needs to earn its keep it's Claire's ambition to run the house as a BNB and successful hotelier Ruth thinks it's a concept that could work but Claire's grandmother Charis Ward is less convinced well from my point of view I could think of nothing more ghastly but I'm a bit worried about what Claire might be landed with despite karis's concerns Ruth wants Claire to experience the BNB industry for herself Saturday 7 A.M and Claire's come to Hanover House in Cheltenham it's a smaller property than Abbey door court but requires just as much work sorry I'm James yes Hello nice to meet you welcome to Hanover House this morning I've got um two cup breakfasts five scrambled eggs and smokes salmon and one poached egg today Claire's assisting owner Veronica Ritchie have you ever cooked scrambled eggs and we'll microwave from my University days tomatoes and mushrooms to go on making breakfast for six guests might appear easy but it requires a lot of planning and organization this BNB gets through 1200 sausages over 2 000 rounds of toast and 2 500 eggs a year this is when it all starts to get very complicated everybody wanting different things [Music] coffee is it one scrambled eggs the Tea Room seems very easy right now there's a poached egg isn't there with this one too yeah if that has that bacon doing two more to come down is that right here we go okay this is how you thought it would be it's another work I think that's the main thing that's coming across at the moment actually today is quite organized it takes Veronica almost four hours to prepare cook serve and clear breakfast and then it's time to move on to the bedrooms just check the teapot oh this has to be replenished washed and brought back for the new guests I'll do this then you and Anna will strip the beds remake them how long does it take to do everything in the room I would think you're looking at a good hour easy dressing gowns first impressions are very important Claire when people come into the bedrooms yeah on top of this there's cleaning laundry and ironing even with help this would be a full day's work for Claire at Abbey door that's right Sophie Claire's arduous shift has made her realize that working in the hospitality business is tough kind of an experience really enjoyed it was really see how much work there really is what their day is really and then I'll take it back to the family and we'll go from there really [Music] as well as opening as a BNB Ruth wants the family to consider alternative revenue streams she suggested they utilize the outbuildings at Abbey door and trial of farmers market in the Menage but grandmother Charis is skeptical I think there are too many farmers markets there are so many and yes I think a farmer's market is not the thing to do here really Claire's pulled out all the stops to arrange today's market but there's one thing that she hasn't been able to organize in view of the weather I don't think it's going to go very well and I think people will be put off from leaving their homes and Karis remains lukewarm about the event I really have no feelings about it I mean it'll either work or it went and we're using Cutlery napkins and all that on the tables and all the crisps can come out now as well [Music] despite Claire's optimism the bad weather means a poor turnout it's been a very interesting day and some lovely people about but have sold one item I don't know how I feel it's quite exhausted from it yeah I learned things and learn for next time the trial still manages to raise 500 pounds which Claire will donate to charity farmers markets can prove lucrative and such Ventures require time to become established Abby door court is in need of more immediate funding [Music] after years of Decay it's finally adorned on the family that drastic action is required over the summer they struggle to agree on a solution to abidore's predicament they finally agreed to pool their savings to raise the 150 000 pounds needed to finance restoration but as they procrastinate the house continues to languish [Music] it's four months since Ruth's last visit and she's back to find out what progress has been made at abidore court well nothing much has changed here the ceiling's still falling down it's still being propped up Sycamore seedling still about to cause even more damage Ruth discovers from Claire that it's not just a financial plan that the family have decided on when I last met with you all and I was suggesting the house should be a b b is that happening or not yeah we've looked into it um and we've just kind of got quite stuck on it that the money we need to raise to kind of set ourselves up as a BNB and we just can't meet that money at the moment and also the work involved running a BNB and it's just wouldn't just don't think that's the right thing for us at the moment so where are you going we're looking at weekly and weekend rentals self-catering to come and have the house for the the time they want it so why do you think that that requires less investment than having it as a BNB because we can put the house to a level that we think well we're going to get someone to come and advise us from when the letting agencies to come and advise us what we need to do I think there's a whole raft of things that are required for weekly rentals that would actually probably come in more expensive the other consideration is that weekly rentals tend to only take place in school holiday times at Christmas Easter whereas B and B I mean it runs throughout the year and this is such an ideal spot so I'm quite surprised that you know the family seem to have made that decision especially when you haven't even had the rental people in to say what they consider is the right thing for this house with the whole family now investing in the project Claire's found her Ambitions for the family home relegated to the back burner I still am Keen to want to be but I just think maybe in the future that's something we can look at you're now saying we instead of I is this significant it's we know very much we um Hannah my sister and Jules my brother the three of us are very much together now we're gonna do the business of three of us at one point this was your baby entirely and then it started to be chipped away at by the members of the family I mean have you gone through a painful curve at all on this yeah it's been it's been hard but that's life and you've got to keep moving forward it's been it's been emotional couple of months definitely do you think your grandmother's got confidence in you sometimes I question it but I did get carried away I know I did but then I think yeah it was my dream and it still is but just on a different level now I think so just got to keep moving forward with it Claire is not the same girl I met three months ago I find the whole thing hugely depressing because yes hopefully the house will get done but all that energy I saw before all that desire to turn this house into something special and Claire at the helm of it has gone by the wayside with a proposal to convert the house into a holiday let and Claire now out of the driving seat Ruth wants to talk to Charis and get to the heart of the matter Claire wanted things to happen didn't she I mean he's the one that stirred it up and started it so you never had any intention of letting her just come and do her own thing really she couldn't have done it no one person can do this on their own I think it would be an absolute nightmare for her with the Tea Room in the garden and a BMB and I think it is ideal as a country house really this just seemed to happen so you think there's less work involved in running it as a BNB oh I think so yes yeah my worry about it being um used for families is is how many much the facilities would still need to be done to the same standards the B and B but the the cash flow wouldn't be as great we'd have to wait and see Karis also has personal reasons for not wanting to open as a guest house well I certainly don't think we can set up in opposition to other people in the village that are doing BNB how many bedrooms are available in the village do you know no idea I don't go into it but I I wouldn't want to do that at all would you be worried about sort of stepping on people's toes then very much yes people can't stop other people trading if somebody wants to do uh yes I think we're in Canton and we live in a very small area it matters what the neighbors think it's just what the neighbors think we haven't gotten in a lot of neighbors but you don't want to um get in other people's way [Music] there's no doubt about karis's influence on this family and I think the problem is that she is so subjective in her decision making and the whole family is so uninformed in so many of the things that they're contemplating doing or not doing that I'm really concerned that actually the wrong decisions will be made both for Claire and for this house concerned about the direction the project is taking Ruth calls Charis Claire and siblings Julian and Hannah to a meeting as she's still convinced that running a BNB at Abbey door court is the way forward I mean we're definitely not work shy and it's not a question trying to find an easy option to make money what we're saying is on a day-to-day basis B and B's is going to be a lot more work if you want to forsake BNB be my guest but please don't think that having family staying for a week or more is going to make life a lot easier because it's not this present time in our lives we don't have the time to run a BNB you don't because you've got a full-time job but Claire job and if I can remind you Claire said at the beginning she wanted to leave her full-time job in order to devote her attention and time here now if the remit has completely changed and I suspect it has completely changed I am Superfluous to any decision making here and nobody's going to listen to a word I say that is absolutely fine that is completely your prerogative to do so right but I have completely wasted my time because I actually do know what I'm talking about when it comes to BNB weddings events what have you that is my business has been it for 25 years I actually do know what I'm talking about frustrated by the lack of progress Ruth is beginning to wonder if the family will ever make any Headway at abidore have you ever heard of a committee who actually come to a good decision we've got a committee we do it as a family and we all go along as a family and aren't we just harmoniously jog along and I hope it'll work if this has all been harmonious every bit of the discussion then I will lay all my worldly possessions that that is not the truth because nothing in a family is ever harmonious from top to bottom and I do not believe for one second that every single one of you has agreed every single step of the way with every single decision that has or hasn't been made I'm not trying to put dissension in the way of this I'm trying to put practical aims and needs in the way of this Karis says this is not a business this is a family and of course she's right and I wouldn't wish it to be any other way but a family can still be potent it can still be well advised it can still know where it's going and I remain unconvinced that this family does Ruth Stern words appear to have done some good foreign Hannah and Claire make a start on clearing out 40 Years of detritus [Music] and renovation begins on the house [Music] abidore Court is at last showing signs of life [Music] thank you [Music] autumn and Ruth returns for her final visit to visible signs of progress scaffolding is up and the renovation has begun starting at the top with such an ambitious project underway Ruth is Keen to check with caries that every detail has been thought through do you know how much this roof is going to cost I don't like to think about it we will 30 000. I don't know I have no idea have they not quoted sort of what do you mean we're a bit big on anything because things are sort of in with things you know who is running the project good question well I don't know really I think we all are at the moment a bit yeah can we go and have a look around upstairs yes yeah yeah so you can see the scaffolding from inside then I'd like to see more than that [Music] once the roof is watertight plans are in hand to renovate the entire house but with the family savings tied up in the scheme Ruth's Keen that they ensure a healthy return on their investment hundreds and hundreds of books so what are you planning on spending on restoring the house as little as possible and how little would that be I just don't know Karis I do not know no those figures I am Jack Sprat I honestly I will be perfectly serious to you I do not know so when the builders came and said they were going to do the roof and things they didn't give you a price no I don't think so we've all I don't believe come on come on I don't know I don't know I don't believe a word I'm not I can't give you figures I don't believe a word I cannot give you figures because I am prerogative totally not sure don't ask me to believe it I'm not sure of them with renovation finally underway Abbey door Court can look forward to a more confident future but if it's to thrive the family needs to face up to some home truths you need to stand up for yourselves because there will never be a point in time when your grandmother will think foreign after a decade of neglect and months of deliberation restoration work has started in Earnest at Abbey door Court in herefordshire Ruth Watson's in odds with Charis Ward about how best to trade the property she's convinced that opening a BNB would be the most lucrative Charis feels self-catering is the better option to get an idea of what the house could earn granddaughter Claire sage has invited holiday letting agent Clive Sykes to view foreign it's beautiful isn't it amazing oak floors um from a holiday perspective um this room the most important thing that needs to be seating for everyone who is effectively sleeping in the property so if they're probably sleeping 16 then there needs to be 16 comfy seats and just through there we've got the dining room kitchen if you want to go through I'll show you the rest of it great okay there's still a lot of work to do but Abby door Court's potential is clear you've obviously got people on your books who've been doing this a long time how many weeks of the year can they be assured of renting out the property the larger properties traditionally have had a slightly shorter season than than the smaller properties for that reason um I I would be reasonably confident of doing even the first year in excess of of 30 weeks bookings I mean the season generally runs from Easter until the end of October I would hang my head in shame if we didn't do gross rents of 30 000 in in year one and and very very roughly obviously agents commissioned in the region of 20 and that's it is pretty standard in our industry and obviously all your overheads if you've got any loans any mortgages any any debts obviously that needs to come to the equation all the cleaning and maintenance and insurance and everything so very roughly half of that should be a worst case scenario should should be profit if abidore traded as a BNB Ruth's worked out that even at 65 occupancy profit would be around 30 000 pounds a year double that of the self-catering model resigned to the fact that she might be fighting a losing battle Ruth gathers the family together for the last time I think congratulations are in order um scaffolding building work progress being made on the house Charis how have you found this tedious tedious slow why slow because in fact it's happened a lot more quickly than if I hadn't been around hasn't it oh yes it probably wouldn't have happened at all Claire how have you found the process because for me the biggest change is is what's happened with you because you're the one who asked me to come you were the one who all excited about getting the house restored maybe having a BNB here and you've kind of rather gone backwards as it were in coming forwards um it's been a roller coaster we've kind of gone up and down up and down and the beginning writing to you was my aim was to rescue the house and yes if I could have a part of it when we didn't know where to go with it so yeah there's lots of ideas coming in going and now it's just it feels really exciting because we're going somewhere all I'm saying to you is that yes you won't fail with doing holiday let's I know you won't fail there will be money coming in and it will be letable but I still would like you to not shut the door on the notion of BNB because I think you can make more money out of it which would you consider keeping the door open on that I definitely would yeah the major thing has been achieved which is that this building is currently being restored Karis I have to say that I actually really like and admire you I know that you have got where you have got today by guts and determination hard work and all those good old honest qualities and good luck and some good luck as well we all need that but I do believe you also make your luck and the fact that you are a very difficult indomitable and contrary woman only makes you more interesting to me Claire I think and Julian you need to carry on respecting and loving your grandmother but you also need a certain stage to stand up for yourselves because there will never be a point in time when your grandmother will think that you are capable of doing everything because of the person she is so what you have got to show is the same indomitability the same hard work and the same qualities that your grandmother has in order to make this work the funny thing about all this is if Charis hasn't done this to actually spite me she's certainly done it to prove that she doesn't need my help but so what it's happening and good for her foreign [Music] [Music] Hall in Norfolk is in trouble William and Anne Brennan run the Mansion as a hotel but they're struggling to keep it going if they don't find a way to make it earn more profit they'll be forced to sell up I don't wanna bow out of something which could have succeeded the couple have called in Ruth Watson to help keep the estate in the family and preserve this historic country house for the nation if we say had to sell that would be terrible gissing Hall might look impressive from the outside but Ruth soon discovers that all is not as it seems nobody has curtains like this nowadays those pots are not hidden you can still see them not good at managing people if you haven't reached crisis points yet within a month you will [Music] foreign Hall lies in the heart of norfolk's unspoiled Countryside William and Anne Brennan first set eyes on this handsome 44-roomed mansion in 1986 when they saw it for sale in a Sunday newspaper we came up and it was an extraordinary sight this great lump red brick lump in the middle of an icy field it was love at first sight for the brennans they sold their family home in London and purchased kissing for 150 000 pounds well we're really only looking for weekend Cottage this of course is a weekend Cottage so we then thought well so why not well it was terrific but that's if you like ruins and wrecks the couple sank their remaining 40 000 pounds of savings into renovating the derelict Hall and turning it into a home for them and their daughter Harriet but they soon discovered that the house was too expensive to run as a family home and started taking in paying guests it then became a hotel but with no experience of the hospitality business fine artist Anne and William have found themselves with a shortfall of forty thousand pounds a year with nine core employees there are often more staff than guests at guessing tonight so we've gone quieter again um daughter Harriet successfully managed the hotel and built up the business but she's left to become a lawyer 25 miles away in Norwich I worry about them a lot I do and I don't think they need looking after I mean they're really they're both really bright whether they're made to be Hotel managers that's a different question since Harriet resigned two years ago the hotel has been without a full-time supervisor having had no specific training William and Anne run it as best they can while not good at managing people which is obviously a problem some people just they just love being Mr Hotel [Music] no now pensioners the couple live next door but they're devoted to the hall and want to see it earn its keep so that they can take a back seat and enjoy their retirement here to be a hotelier for an artist is a sort of sentence of death but the couple have borrowed over 35 000 pounds to renovate the hotel if they don't get the business on track soon they'll be forced to give up their cherished kissing we are getting old on his Coop it's exhausting it's depressing and dispiriting anxiety making they've called in Ruth Watson to help Ruth has had Decades of experience in the hospitality trade and has turned around the fortunes of numerous country houses it's a frosty day in Norfolk and Ruth's on her way to meet William and Anne but she detects trouble before she's even arrived one of the problems they've got at guessing is that it really is in the middle of nowhere well south of Norwich and a little bit north of disk but there isn't conurbation and if you're going to trade somewhere you need people for any remote Country House Hotel effective signage is vital this is obviously the main Drive and drive not whole Allure oh look at this what is this what are these awful red tubes they obviously Gates hung there but looks like a building site with this palette as well not good everything's looking very sad and it's mid-winter but the Marquee has got mold going up the sides of it this looks very sad [Music] hello hi hi thank you very much [Laughter] [Music] how long have you had the house the house about 20 23 and a half years really yeah and why did you buy it in the first place the advertisement in 44 room dimension for sale Norfolk the thing is Ruth we weren't particularly business mind it was really just not with it at all in a way which hadn't really you can tell [Laughter] what pleasure do you get from living here for me I know this isn't this is driven quite I never do much in my life before and this has been a long-term project right and for it to fall apart because we're getting older because our daughter's doing something else which she is doing and should do for her life it shouldn't matter and it doesn't matter the bigger scheme of things but for me it would be a massive defeat and I'd love to see if we can get this onto a proper even Keel I think in view of the fact that this is supposed to be a hotel it probably would be appropriate if I came to look at the bedrooms the hotel has 21 bedrooms with the elegant proportions and original features of a Georgian mansion but for a Country House Hotel the rooms don't quite live up to the stately ambience [Music] is Anne's favorite wonderful like a lot of them are this big as well one the variety of sweet is even bigger right I do think the decor is grim actually and it's not just big I'm sorry it sounds so cruel but there's something very lifeless about this and I think the blue carpet sort of sucks the I don't know it sucks something out and this furniture does unfortunately look like sort of early 70s yeah it just doesn't have any possess or character I mean it's not old-fashioned enough to look wonderfully quirky what it really needs is some sense of design so there's also a bit bare somehow feeling the room well considering you're a painter an artist I mean you know I'm I am surprised how few artworks the room itself is delightful The Lion's Share of guessing's Revenue comes from weddings so Ruth sets off on her own to check out the most important room in the hotel the bridal Suite [Music] you were very short-sighted you might find it agreeable but for most people it's well below par I don't think they get how to do bedrooms somehow foreign by what she's seen so far Ruth sits William and Anne down in the bar to discuss how they think improvements can be made to the ailing business I think you've been incredibly honest and very intelligent to know that you don't know what you're doing that's the sign to me of intelligence to asking for help rather than stumbling on in an idiotic way thinking you do know how to do things what do you think actually does work here what does work if you like is weddings perhaps slightly underpriced weddings we get lots of them I can believe that in the summer when the trees and the gardens in full flower that this is a very pretty quiet lovely venue to to be the wedding business is by far the major earner at gissing not the hotel trade I haven't heard the phone ring once today no so what are the receptionist an observation well probably not a lot before going any further Ruth wants to find out if William and Anne have the aptitude to turn things around at gissing given Sound Advice that you thought was sensible given a structure do you think you're actually self-disciplined enough both of you to adhere to that I well what can I say I really weren't going to work for it very very hard I mean in a sense what more can I say if I agreed to I would stick to it we want to know whether a completely foolish and Daft or whether we can achieve what I've always sort of wanted to achieve but perhaps deserve to achieve because I've you know I've underachieved I haven't done what I should have done amongst other people I'm not now absolutely um yeah whether we can get it up and make a go of it and and get it so that trades happily and can have less anxiety that's what you'd like yes okay and if you did have to sell how do you see your lives um we just have to get on with it [Music] I think what I've gained so far is that this is certainly a big rambling building with some really fine bedrooms it needs a lot of love and attention and William and Anne really want to give it that but there's a problem they don't have enough money and I'm not sure they have enough competence either Ruth Watson wants to put guessing Hall back on the map but she's beginning to wonder if this time she's taken on more than she can manage are you good with people variable when people live in chaos like this it's also indicative of a state of mind [Music] getting Hall in Norfolk dates back as far as 1470. but the handsome mansion that stands here today was built in the early 1820s incorporating impressive Gables and a grand clock tower for centuries gissing was owned by the Kemp family the imposing facade that stands here today was completed in 1828 part of the elaborate regeneration included diverting the nearby road so villagers were kept out of sight by the early 1900s the family had begun to run out of money by 1936 the estate had been sold [Music] Anne and William Brennan fell in love with the derelict kissing Hall in 1986 so much so that they bought it [Music] since then they put all they have into renovating the property a and now run it as a hotel but guessing is in a remote part of Norfolk and the business is ailing if they don't find a solution soon they'll be forced to sell up it's terribly frustrating and debilitating if you can't focus on what you should be doing Brennan's have called in Ruth Watson to find a way to make gissing Hall more profitable so they can slow down and enjoy their retirement Ruth has explored some of the 44 rooms at gissing critical of the couple's taste in decoration she discovers the main function room is no better okay let's watch you rather grandly call the ballroom which to me looks like that when we came right it was actually a big drawer I have to be honest it's not my favorite room and I think the decor is letting things down I mean the curtains are very old-fashioned and they're new these characters she wanted something traditionally being you nobody has curtains like this nowadays I think they're revolting I'm sorry I think they're revolting I know that this could look a lot better than it does and it's all to do addressing it it's not because the actual space is bad it's how you present it this room Great Space lots of lovely light again I mean it should be a huge benefit to you Ruth wants to ensure that the couple are making full use of guessing's potential but she's surprised to discover that one of the Hall's fine drawing rooms is not open to guests instead it's being used as a workplace [Music] so Karen Ruth this is currently our office two main desks computers involves what else storage but actually it's a nice room it should be used for something completely different now I think it'd be nice to have it back as more as a drawing room definitely you know oh yes or a special party yes yes it's wasted you're quite right upstairs Ruth finds that it's not only the ground floor rooms that aren't being effectively utilized [Music] they've undoubtedly done a lot of restoration here but so many rooms I still go into which are just tips when people live in chaos like this it's also indicative of a state of mind the brennans drifted into running gissing as a hotel having realized that the family home had to earn its keep neither Ann nor William are trained hoteliers and Ruth is concerned about the image this portrays William what can you do I can do things like cooking breakfast I can do menial things I do maintenance I understand electrics and plumbing but on the whole as other people you should be doing yeah and people in the business kind of think well hold on at one moment is trying to look smart and telling us what to do and then he can't killu or I can't commend it or it is meant nearly so those practical things I have to use my brain what can I do with my brain what can I do with people are you good with people variable tend to be a little bit too wanting to be liked and obsequious almost or a bit preemptory I've got a touch of Basil in me somewhere you know which is a worry that can amuse the customers though as well when this place was run not very well uh I think the trapezoid might have been thought a car or or a laugh the problem is that doesn't make a business work [Music] daughter Harriet managed the hotel for three years but has since left to pursue a career as a lawyer she's also worried about Anne and William being left to run the hotel alone Ruth wonders if Harriet might hold the key to getting getting all back on its feet I don't know how much longer they're going to be around but I'd want them to just have to try and be able to enjoy and relax for the rest of their years they've got here really you're obviously really enthused with your new career and that's going to take up a lot of your time and your your focus over the next good few years but could you see yourself ever coming back here to either live here or to run the place um well living here is different isn't it and I still live here and now but to run the place no I not at the no I don't to be honest I I know what I'm doing now is is what's suits me better and probably what I will be best at so yeah [Music] well the clear message derived from that conversation with Harriet is that she's done her bit here and she's not coming back so if William and Anne have had any hopes that she was going to be their Messiah once again I think they need to dismiss them gissing needs to bring in more revenue and Ruth is beginning to realize that unless they bring in a leader and soon the hall won't survive but there's one part of the business that is successful weddings Ruth wants to know what potential cleontel think of the setup and meets a couple who are considering getting married at guessing Hall hello hello this is very fortuitous I didn't expect to see you again now I'm Phil and I'm Hannah hello welcome nice to meet you so once you got inside um you've been shown round and what what's your feelings now I think we're being really impressed actually because we're kind of looking for somewhere where it's kind of a blank canvas and I think with the Marquee it is a blank canvas so we can do what we want with the inside I think in terms of the menu and everything and just their willingness to help and cater for what you want for the day which is really refreshing compared to other places we've kind of looked at who seemed just really rigid in what they can offer you and the prices because no leeway to discuss things from that point of view would be really impressed with that yes I think the um Ballroom wasn't as beautiful as the Marquee the ballroom was still a little bit old-fashioned what did you think about the curtains did you notice them yeah okay thank you kissing clearly has appeal as a wedding venue but it isn't realizing its full potential so Ruth has invited one of the country's most prestigious event organizers to visit the hall Peregrine Armstrong Jones has organized numerous Royal events and Society weddings including the natural celebrations of the beckhams and Elizabeth Hurley so this is the what they call the ballrooms okay grandiose title but a good space I think it's a great space isn't it it's nice and Airy views Over the Garden that'd be a big spacious Garden so yes it does work Peregrine this is seriously the monkey which doesn't look too good outside but it seems to be a good space inside I mean what do you feel it's nice and clean yeah and the good thing about the backdrop is that it's white which means it goes with anything does it matter not having windows or somewhere that guests can pour out onto lawn is that it's a shame isn't it because we've got this these lovely Grands and here we are in a box and we can't see any of it so really what would be good would be to take out sections of this Walling yeah and replace it with this um this glass paneling yeah and then you can sit here and feel your own yeah a wonderful room overlooking the garden gissing Hall might be a smaller venue but with shrewd planning Peregrine's convinced there's potential to increase business and income Ruth is confident that there's a gainful Way Forward for kissing she calls William and Anne to a meeting hello I think it's a fair submission to say that if you haven't reached crisis points yet within a month you will I would suggest to you that actually running a hotel here is very very difficult and it's not something I would want to take on you have the essential problem that you're too far off the main route so my suggestion to you is that while you don't immediately just close down the hotel operation because that would be foolish I do think you should consider tailing it out because what I do think this place is ideal for is events doing the weddings is a good thing and I think you know they just need to be done better because by doing them better you will get more business and more money coming in and that's the name of the game the house might be a satisfactory wedding venue but Ruth's more worried that William and Anne don't have the Acumen to effectively oversee gissing you must get a manager if I'm going to call spread this page I don't think either of you have the capability or the desire to run this place in an operational role on a day-to-day basis it's not going to work so having a manager is essential but if a new manager is to be brought in to enhance the wedding business attention needs to be paid to the tired appearance of gissing Hall presentation is all it's such a cliche but people judge you on it so when I come to your drive eventually I find some really rather saggy old sign boards where the paintwork's not very good and you know they just don't look very good at all and then I find a pair of iron gates which are hanging on these strange tubes now I know that they have only just been put in but they do have to have brick Piers put around them because at the moment they look as if they're guarding some Juvenile Detention Center we had a really eminent wedding advisor down and his name is peregrine Armstrong Jones and he was responsible for Liz Hurley's wedding so he knows how to do these things with Panache and Flair and he had a number of suggestions to make one of them was that the side of the Marquee which overlooks the pond should be opened up so that you put glazing in whether it's plastic glazing or whatever in order to open up that Marquee because he thought it was a very good space but it was actually hiding its light under a bushel as it were by not having that view out um in terms of the ballroom we all agree it's a really really good space but we don't like the curtains it just needs to be made more joyous more Charming than it is because it's a great space and it's of huge value to you another of guessing's 44 rooms with potential is the main office which Ruth thinks could make a drawing room for brides finally and arguably most importantly Ruth wants to raise the establishment's profile I really do think that if we're going to relaunch kissing Hall making this absolutely the place to come in South Norfolk then I think we also need to do a wedding fair a wedding fair will redefine gissing Hall as a leading venue bringing together vital trades people including photographers cake decorators dressmakers and Caterers with potential Brides to be partners and their families we want success here we don't want the defeat that you are so frightened of are you up for that yeah of course yes I'm doing as I'm told Ruth you're my family embrace the idea with joy right Joy William and Ann are demonstrably frightened about living here at getting Hall and it's such a shame because actually all it needs is some honing and fine-tuning and a good manager and at the end of the day they rescued getting Hall and I think it's time for kissing her to rescue them after Ruth's departure William and Anne take stock of her adjudication wish more depressed I think we realized I think a couple of days ago was that what the day that more people commit a suicide than any other time of the year well that's part of some for us it's past two so I personally I can't speak for her but I think it's really quite helpful the overall thing that really is things could really happen Ruth's most fundamental proposition for the brennans is to phase out the hotel business and concentrate on becoming an upmarket wedding venue she wants the couple to Stage a wedding fair in just eight weeks to ensure guessing is up and running in time for the spring season [Music] it's the new year and despite the wintry weather William calls in the builders to improve the offending gate posts as instructed by Ruth quickly that's great great so I'll see you later the Marquee is dismantled and taken away for cleaning this will look a totally different Market I'm sure when we come right over the windows along the front there yeah sure it looks great while Anne gets down to business shifting years of accumulation from the old office this room is going to be the Green Room for brides to come and sit and relax away from the action and not have to go to their bedroom I love throwing up making spaces [Music] the brennans are also cracking on with rebranding gissing Hall designers Annie Owen and Tony Hatt have ditched the old-fashioned image designed by Anne and have opted instead for a more modern fresh feel and so we came up with a letterheading which combines an easily identifiable logo we were looking for a style which would combine this as traditional elements and also make it a much more modern looking of course yes I can understand that of course graphic with a very strong identity and following that on those are two suggestions for the signs so the sign that you now have which has your sketch on it would turn quite dramatically into this but William and Dan have a long way to go if they're to turn their fortunes around do you have the necessary skills I obviously don't and Ruth's worried that without support gissing Hall will sink without Trace what's missing here is leadership and that's what they absolutely need in the role of the manager thank you guessing Hall in East Anglia is in danger of being sold owners Anne and William Brennan have been running the country house as a hotel for around 25 years but the pensioners are struggling to make the property pay running a hotel is quite difficult and we have made rather too many mistakes Ruth Watson has drafted a portfolio of ideas to help turn the Brennan's fortunes around controversially she suggested the couple phase out running guessing as a hotel and instead concentrate on creating an upmarket wedding business the pressure's on at kissing as Ruth wants the brennans to host a wedding fair in one month's time to relaunch the venue prior to the start of the spring season work has begun in Earnest all over the property well this wonderful room is going to be the manager's office we're Plastering and then the carpet's going down next week and then before that we decorate bit model but you get the sequence the Dank Marquee has been taken away for spring cleaning and the hall is in the process of being rebranded capitalizing on its secluded location Ruth wants the brennans to rejuvenate the bridal Suite which was created in the 1980s she's called in interior designers Charles and Nikki Wright to assess the decor and give the Brennan some advice so I think Chase me that's a disappointing fire for for a room of this scale it's been four weeks since Ruth was last at guessing and she's back to check on progress she's Keen to find out what the designers think and head straight to the bridal Suite with Anne to meet them hello hello what's your impression uh I think just in this room the question was why you chose this room for the bridal Suite having seen some of them having so many years ago um so what would you be suggesting well um you've got the main staircase at the front of the house and obviously the front of the house is is yeah it's the major room so you're basically suggesting one of the major rooms at the top of the stairs whether it's one or 21 I think it's the other one would probably make a better Bridal Suite yeah I'm I'm a bit concerned about that entrance into this whole area I don't feel I think we have to think of how a bride would feel if she's coming here and it's her big day that room wherever it was 21 you've got lovely big heavy paneled doors room 21 is a spacious blue carpeted room with great potential but will the brennans have sufficient time to transform the blank canvas we've got a wedding fair coming up do you think that there's time to get this done it's pushing it but it is possible Ruth is convinced it can be ready but first she wants to make sure the Brennan's are focusing on a more crucial matter well full marks to William and Anne for cracking on with how guessing who looks but what we need now is to interview a manager because what really matters is that the business works William and Dan have taken Ruth's advice and have advertised for a new general manager the response has been encouraging they've received over 50 applications for the post if people start to diss their ex-employers I immediately go cold a short list of candidates has been drawn up for interview how are you both at interviewing do you have the necessary skills I obviously don't but right now Ruth wants to make sure the brennans are up to speed age shouldn't matter but obviously experience does I don't think you should feel at all bad about at any juncture saying look I'm really sorry but I actually don't think this is the right job for you [Music] Ruth sitting in on the first two interviews to see how they get on [Music] either [Music] hello it's quite all right after a slow start Anne and William begin to get the hang of it is my wife Anne and the weather Proprietors and this is Ruth hello do you like Norfolk yes what sort of place do you think if you came here you'd be coming to could you expand on that little bit have you in the past had experience of actually getting weddings what Drew you to that job the manager matters is the owner's own thanks for your time yes thank you thank you but with five more contenders still to see Ruth wants the brennans to appoint a manager within the month it's looking very promising wonderful yeah yeah absolutely that is key many congratulations with what you've done so far it's really good and remarks thank you yes you've been so very helpful well that's very kind of you but I'm really pleased that you're doing your bit too because that's what's important bye-bye I have to say that I'm not just delighted I'm also slightly surprised about the progress that William and Anne have made here and it's really good they've taken everything I've said on board but there's the nub they're doing it under my leadership and that's what's missing here is leadership and that's what they absolutely need in the role of the manager [Music] more determined than ever William and Anne are working hard to transform gissing Hall into an upmarket wedding venue they're pinning all their hopes on the wedding fair to bring in much needed trade the couple have borrowed 20 000 pounds to begin refurbishment of the house and grounds [Music] designer Jane fidion has been drafted in to revamp gissing's faded Decor the brennans are relocating the all-important bridal Suite to room 21. but it's a huge undertaking [Music] now [Music] the day before the wedding fair and all hands are on deck and kissing [Music] the old office is being transformed into the new bride's morning room but designer Jane isn't happy with how it looks I think it looks better if we take it the color straight to the top it'll make the room look taller um the the other thing the cream above the picture rail tends to make the room look squash do the top with gray please lovely lovely all right nice one Anne is determined to ensure that gissing looks its very best so nine lights clear droplet um matte paint effect with diamonds and be nice [Music] fancy and she's eager that the bridal Suite lives up to Ruth's expectations this bed I think is such it's a much better the bed than the other one no it's doesn't it make a difference when you get when you get the cushions on it does you know just you know I was laughing say to people well actually you know dressing up a bedroom it's a bed throw and six cushions yeah and I think that that actually looks really quite nice but do you think we can do some tinkering with the frame in the morning yes so we could under your guide I brought the paint well I'm going to take this home and polish it but with only 24 hours to go before the wedding fair starts Williams worried they won't be ready in time oh is there a chance to go a little bit over today because we're running yeah younger bit over here thanks so much well I might be done by seven eight o'clock if I'm if I'm lucky but that that all depends get the chandeliers up is a two-person job really so we're sort of up against it really I am a professionally look stressed that's what I do but I don't actually I quite part of his agitated and ridiculous but part of it is quite calm [Music] hello okay brilliant let's be up we'll be out there in about three minutes okay bye thanks very much bye uh do you mind I'm sorry let's go [Music] the day of guessing Hall's wedding fair has arrived Ruth's on her way back to Norfolk for her final visit it's been a month since she was last at the house and she's inspired by what she sees now that is a Triumph proper propagate posts well they've actually done a really good job I think they've trimmed the edge of the drive and re-graveled it Shame about not clearing up the bricks but gosh they've really made progress there's a lot riding on today for the brennans they're hoping that the relaunch will bring in more wedding trade and ultimately more Revenue [Music] [Applause] but as Ruth arrives at the house she discovers that the brennans aren't as prepared for the big day as they should be outside and in well it's all going on here Digger drivers putting down gravel and lots of cushions and tool boxes and things I wonder where Anne and William are in all this [Music] the brennans will be unveiling the new Bridal Suite of today's fair and Ruth wants to make sure everything's been taken care of from the bottom up and we're good and and I'm so excited that's a piece of blue carpet does that mean it was in the rooms yes excited I'm so excited oh and I love this carpet isn't it magnificent and do you have people doing fantastic things to the room yes Jane has been utterly brilliant Jane the same thing I'm concerned about is is this all going to be ready by five o'clock of course it is of course yes nearly done here I like the confidence yeah somebody's got to do a bit of furniture maybe that's right breakfast table in the window I'm just giving the chairs a bit of a brushing side tables lamps um Dressing Table to come in over there and a little bit of um dressing up with a tray and some nice China and make it look a little as if somebody might be about to have breakfast or supper or something and a picture to hang with a lot of work still to be done Ruth goes to check on how the bride's morning room is coming along Ting though never mind apparently the sofa will hide whatever's behind there this is flowers and brick bats again fantastic you've cleared it out and fantastic that you're trying to get it ready and it's going to be a Marvel assassin to you when it is but how long is this going to be before um the painter has finished his job Charlie I think you need another 20 minutes yeah about 20 minutes you should be all right yeah and yeah we're going to do the radiators behind you yes right the brennans are trying hard but Ruth's worried that because they're up against the clock Anne and William are failing to pay attention to detail those pots are not hidden you can still see them at five o'clock when it comes to be dark okay that ain't hidden stick around this side yes lady I'll do that foreign [Music] The Wedding Fair is due to start in just over an hour and the event is at last beginning to take shape the staff are pulling out all the stops this suppliers have arrived and so has a rather important guest Tom Pickard has been hired as gissing's new general manager he experienced in event organization he's not due to start for a month but Tom's come along today to get the LIE of the land this is where the Civil ceremony will take place yeah yeah in the bay window yeah yeah I'm down for the ceremony 120 masks because then when they go through their wedding breakfast we can't accommodate anyone 120 is Ruth's got some specific advice for Tom if you have to get tough with William and Anne and say look you're now not Consulting you're interfering then you have to get tough with them that's the Thin Line isn't it yes absolutely I think it'll take a while but they'll let it go a bit by bit yeah yeah until they can just sit back and yeah you know just keep keep an eye from afar on what's happening and it's trusting yeah you know I've got to gain their trust and that will take time yeah but once it's there and it's it's well it's part of the way you're getting the trust is actually you know built into business and the possibility yes that will help anyway I'm pretty glad you're on board Tom today is William and Dan Brennan's big chance to make a difference at kissing Hall it's a bleak Friday evening in Norfolk during one of the coldest winters on record not exactly the best night for a big turnout will The Wedding Fair be the Roaring success the brennans hoped for well Tom might take one look at the chaos and go home or will it be a disaster don't let people put posters on front of the windows foreign and William Brennan want to retire they've been running gissing Hall as a hotel but Ruth Watson has convinced them to turn the business into an exclusive wedding venue in a bid to increase Revenue Ruth persuaded them to relaunch the mansion with a wedding fair today the couple have diligently followed Ruth's suggestions they've employed a new manager remove the unfashionable curtains in the ballroom turn the disheveled office into a restful morning room for brides and they've transformed room 21 from a cold uninviting space into a warm Sumptuous Bridal Suite [Music] despite the bad weather The Wedding Fair is well underway but Ruth's not happy with the positioning of some of the commercial stands next time you have a wedding fair tell Tom don't let people put posters Windows because you've just spent a lot of money having beautiful Windows 200 people Brave the frosty conditions to attend the event Brides Grooms their families and even specialist suppliers realize that gissing has much to offer if enough people book weddings here the whole success could be assured it's very dreamy and it's very impressive the way it looks I think that really counts the beauty of getting Hall is it's not too big and it's very personal for a bride and groom it's always been nice I've done the extra as potential clients sample the Delights of guessing Ruth discovers that all the hard work is paying off but that looks a bit meaningful I hear you've got a wedding here we have indeed yeah yeah it's fantastic so so what what have you loved about this thing it's more there it's just the character of the place you know we've been to seen other hotels and they're all chains and they're all very corporate yes and this just has something about it that's poor personal and more kind of meaningful because it was for the two of us accommodation your hand here accommodation and have you seen the new Bridal Suite I haven't seen it yet you're gonna love it yeah we've already had one booking from this so maybe there'll be more to come but I think it's actually more than that it's showing William and Anne what can be done here how well it can look and how it can be received by potential brides and grooms and I think just looking around it's good business Ruth bumps into some familiar faces who have returned with good news interactive it's Hannah and Phil yeah nice to meet you very good to meet you again now what happened are we having a wedding we are yes we have book here yeah yes and have you noticed anything about the windows in here is like this room looks so different doesn't it look better thank you awesome girls and a great great Garage Address session with the future of getting Hall looking more prosperous Ruth sits down with William and Anne for the last time have you found the process agreeable has it been tough do you think it's been absolutely it's frightful yeah nerve wracking why does that not surprise me but do you think most most um enlightening it really has and now you think the possibly could have an exciting life here not just financially but overall it could be quite different for us for the house for our daughter even in director it could make the whole thing may be hugely different and Robert says oh thanks Europe but it's well very big we will give you a huge thanks advice if it works so you can you can rescind the thanks if it doesn't work oh yeah I should write you that as a complaint we just won't speak to ever again [Laughter] there's been so much effort over the last few months and today in building up the business but it's always been about Anne William gissing Hall their love of it and their desire to stay here I think the auspices are looking really good now I think Anne and William can live here happily ever after [Music]

Channel: Real Royalty

Views: 1,133,385

Keywords: real royalty, real royalty channel, british royalty, royalty around the world, royal history

Id: P9-mBcAy02A

Length: 189min 1sec (11341 seconds)

Published: Fri Jul 21 2023