ETTC 17 Sep

years ago this countryside played an important role in the battle of trafalgar find out why and where i am in just a moment rolling hills and dales a rushing river a lighthouse on a rocky outcrop and a thatched cottage reflected in a tranquil lake escape to the country presented by sonali shah [Music] on today's show we're welcoming a couple home after 20 years in the united states they're eager to buy their very first property on rural english soil and our idyllic landscapes don't disappoint you could just stand there all day can you just looking out of there that's very very pretty what's inside the windows just about scores top marks too i would say it's a nine and a half out of ten so almost perfection oh i would give it a nine so that's that's my like a lot and i notice it blackberry is on a branch today i'm in hampshire in the heart of the new forest national park it's protected now but at the end of the 17th century timber had grown into a thriving industry and was building britain's naval fleet this included three ships which fought in the battle of trafalgar in 1805. that rich maritime heritage combined with great natural scenery makes the new forest a defining feature in this county bordered by five counties hampshire takes an enviable position on the central southern english coast fringed by a captivating solent shore the county has a rich maritime history with world famous sailing events such as cows week held in early august since 1826. hampshire was once part of wessex and king alfred made the county town of winchester his royal seat visitors today will find michelin star restaurants festivals and cathedral culture that embraces art history and even film screenings there's much woven into the history of this county but for those with a bit of cash in their pockets hampshire offers the best of coast and countryside for modern millennial life too property shopping in hampshire can be a costly affair the average price of a detached house here is around 509 000 pounds that's more than 165 000 pounds above the uk figure a major contributor to that is a price hike in the new forest which is ranked the most expensive national park in england and wales to buy property in something today's buyers will certainly have to bear in mind husband and wife simon and candy first chanced upon one another unexpectedly after taking flight from the uk as young adults to pursue exciting opportunities on the other side of the pond i had just moved to atlanta i didn't know anyone there i didn't expect to go to america and meet a brit and fall in love oh and now i have two children two dogs two cats two have two of everything [Laughter] they packed up their ark which was a large detached house on a modern estate and made their way back to blighty just three months ago i've been out in america for the last 22 years i went to university there and then got a job at a tv station and then opened up my own tennis academy i loved american and you did too we loved the weather we had good salaries and and good jobs and we had everything we wanted but there was just something missing and uh simon finally agreed that we could come back to the uk after me nagging him just a little bit yeah only takes about 20 years of nagging a night 20 years of nagging i agree to something 20 years of nagging works [Music] they have two children 11 year old felix and xanthe who's nine and for the time being home is a four bed rental in a suburban hampshire village we're renting a house here in southampton it's about five minutes away from my work but we absolutely love the new forest and everything all the horses and the wild ponies we're very much animal lovers we have fuzz we've found the perfect school for the kids in the new forest a small independent school which is absolutely fantastic not to mention there are three pubs within about a five minute walk so we're both very happy to mention although they've quickly settled into hampshire life they're reaching to buy their very own property even though we're both in our 40s and we have owned loads of homes before we haven't had one together in the uk so it's sort of a new experience and i'm sure there's going to be lots of challenges with it but we're really looking forward to it simon works as an i.t consultant and candy is now a tennis coach they were both raised in england but it was an unmissable scholarship that lured candy to move abroad sports has always been a passion my grandmother actually played at junior wimbledon my father and mother played tennis as well i picked it up at school when i was eight years old just with a sponge ball and then by under 10 i was playing in the uk nationals tennis is one of those games you can really play until you're 70 or 80 as long as you don't get too injured when we moved somewhere we joined the rugby club the football club the tennis club if we end up near the sea we'll look into these sailing clubs the kids have expressed interest in it and candy's expressed interest in it as well so i think that would be a great thing to try they are clearly a very active family but it's also fair to say that their energy levels aren't always in sync i think i'm the dreamer simon's the practical one you rule with your head i rule with my heart you'll jump straight into things i'll think things through yes i think that's why we're a good combination because we're very very different i love going to the gym if i have some free time or going out walking or simon's more sedentary [Laughter] one factor that does unite them is the love for their animals two cats plus their two beloved dogs light and saber i can't imagine life without animals i just love going outside and being with them and interacting with other people that love animals as much as i do the animals would come extremely high on the list of of everyone not ahead of you honey are you sure no did you have your fingers crossed when you said that everything's crossed thanks honey candy and simon have requested a location as close to lindhurst as possible a large village in the center of the new forest near to where their two children attend school so we'll be concentrating our property hunts all over the park within a reasonable drive for the school run before we start we're all meeting up to get better acquainted hello hi candy and simon hello welcome to hampshire thank you very much do you know what you're looking for in a property we're pretty open to anything i think more important to us right now is a location we would ideally be as close as possible to the kids school i mean the outside i'm sure we don't have any particular requirements and inside we can change what's inside if we didn't like it i think something we really want though is four bedrooms and because simon's working from home we'd love to have an outside annex somewhere he can have some peace and quiet because currently his office is in the house it's a relatively small house where we've got dogs and cats and kids and adults and things going on in the background so i think it would be nice for him to have some peace when i'm trying to work another thing we'd absolutely love is some outside space we don't necessarily need a big garden but if we could walk out of our gate onto open forest so we could walk the dogs because i go out there probably three or four times a day simon a couple more times as well and that's what we've been used to in america we had about 262 acres of woods behind our house so we literally just went out there were no roads to cross we also have cats that go in and out so something safe for them as well any deal breakers well i'm not sure simon thinks there are but for me it would be having very small dark rooms with low ceilings because i'm quite tall so big open rooms would be fantastic and one of the things we'd really like in our house is an eat-in kitchen we spend most that the time in that particular room the children generally eat before we do so just having that open space where we can see them and sort of communicate after school would be fantastic what about amenities how close would you like to be to to a village or do you want to go quite rural uh closer to a village i think ideally we could somewhere we can walk to a local shop pubs or pub that kind of hopefully some sports grounds if there's a local athletic club or tennis club and cycling tracks if there's anywhere we can all bike together and walk the dogs of course and remind me of your budget our budget is 950 000 pounds well we have some fantastic properties already lined up are you both ready to house hunt we can't wait let's get going a wish list having been spoiled by large proportions in the u.s simon and candy are after a spacious home for their great budget of 950 000 pounds they are pretty open about style but want four bedrooms a kitchen diner plus a private office for simon all the space to build one they're also hoping for a secure garden with dog walking opportunities and sports facilities on their doorstep we've got a great mix of homes to serve up to our buyers but the price will remain a guessing game until the end of each tour and to finish up we'll be unveiling the mystery house which literally goes the extra mile or so to deliver two for the price of one [Music] a map our first destination is the village of burley around 15 to 20 minutes drive from the children's school near lindhurst a traditional new forest village burley is full of character properties and surrounded by lush countryside among a diverse range of amenities residents here are served by a couple of pubs shops a mid-19th century church and a village hall which hosts 10 film nights throughout the year of recent box office releases just a short five-minute walk from all that's on offer in the village is where we find the property we've come to see well here we are your first house i like it it looks nice yeah it does it's not something i say i would have ever had in mind but i don't dislike it it's different i don't think we've ever looked at a white house before it's a very pretty looking house brick built but painted as you can see it dates back to 1900 and this house was actually the old stable to the house next door so that's the history of the property i like the stable door they're getting in and out as well that'd be handy for the pets well if you like the uh approach time to head inside very much great the main entrance takes us via a porch through a beautifully tiled hallway and into a rather grand sitting room how's this for good proportions this is really nice yes really nice and open nice and light i like the skylights over there it's quite our style i think it's quite uh modern uh initial instinct is very very good and a room like this i mean you've got two kids you know animals being with you yes it's it's it's a good size room i think for a family which is excellent so as you come through the door there's actually a shower room to the left and when we were outside you saw the stable door correct that actually walks into a really sizable boot room stroke utility so it's a house that's ready for pets okay yes that's great and muddy walking to have that mud boot room would be really good for us and it's somewhere to throw all our stuff when we come in and then keep this area hopefully quite clean let me show you the kitchen then okay surely the kitchen diner of dreams this is very nice it's very important for us to have the kitchen with the eat-in area and i love the large island that is absolutely fantastic i think it's great kitchen it looks very modern and the island as you say is fantastic yes yeah i could definitely see us in here and the light that comes in through here goes into that play area i'm calling it a play area but it could be anything you wanted it to be that's very useful we've had we've had kids rooms um in our last two houses and they're so useful kids just go in there with their friends can play video games play with their toys whatever they want to it's fantastic so far so good i think it's light and airy which is what we wanted the ceilings seem really high i like the lighting a lot not much needs to be changed it's quite our style back towards the front door lie the stairs which take us up to the bedrooms there are four in total alongside the family bathroom which features a heritage suite with a freestanding bath two of the bedrooms are on the cozier side but are perfectly adequate for children of the two double rooms one has a huge vaulted ceiling with a skylight window and the other one is found at the far end of the landing this is the main bedroom this is a very nice size i like it and skylights again i think having the high ceilings makes it feel bigger than it actually is there's a large bed which is great there's plenty of room for us so it's absolutely big enough i like it i mean it's um there's things to think over like the office space and the the guest room when people come and stay and i think our sun is going to be quite tall we're both growing so i'm not sure one of the children would have to have one of those small rooms but the other rooms are absolutely brilliant yeah everything is moving very clean it's fantastic really nice start to think about the price and we'll go outside and see the garden a large patio runs past both the living room and kitchen plus a level lawn which i'd say was an ideal size for two children two cats two dogs and the rest got a nice barbecue area excellent for having a glass of wine in the evening it's not a huge garden but it's actually very manageable size we're not the best gardeners in the world so this this would be a good garden size for us because it's mostly grass there are a couple of small flower beds which we would probably manage to be able to maintain well it's time to uh guess the price of this property who'd like to go first simon jones start certainly um i think it would be around 935 000 pounds so you think we've used most of your budget yes i do yes i'm going to go a little bit lower i'm going to say 895 000 pounds well candy is closer because the house is currently on the market for 849 950 pounds that's a really good price then that means that we can think about if we bought this house breaking through two of those smaller bedrooms and uh perhaps building on or finding simon an outside office space of some some kind well now that you know the price as you say you've got a couple of things to discuss why don't you do that as you walk around yes and then come and find me certainly nice to have another look at it very nice indeed yeah great thank you first choice take your time thank you under budget by a whopping 100 000 pounds our first property is a detached period cottage but one recently renovated throughout with all the mod cons it has four bedrooms an open plan kitchen diner a secure low low-maintenance garden and lies in a vibrant village within walking distance from a range of great facilities i think overall this house is really really good the only issue here we might really have is the upstairs with the rooms being on the small side i think that could cause issues this house is definitely a family home the four of us would fit in nicely there's plenty of space for us it's just a matter of whether those bedrooms would work and also are we too far from the school that's something we have to think about [Music] well what a great house that is very nice and we've got more to see let's get going great thank you a golden wheat field then boats at their moorings focused on making the very most of living in a coastal county our active couple are keen for the family to try out a new sport so we've arranged for them to have a sailing lesson at limington town sailing club good morning holly olly i'm candy to learn the ropes they're meeting instructor ollie tate it's a lovely day today but can we do sailing all year round if you put enough clothes on yeah it's fine all year round um there's less going on in the winter but there's still opportunities to get out on the water and if we uh did one toner boat what would you recommend for a family of four with kids well you can see around us we've got all sorts of different boats from the big cruisers to the races but we're going to go out today and a small dinghy called a quest which i think would be perfect for a family like yours great thank you let's get going all right go this way before they head out on the water buoyancy aids are crucial if you look over your shoulder you can just see the isle of wight out there now the solent between here in limington and the isle of wight is a really sheltered area of water and that gives us a really nice protected area of water to get to grips with sailing i've never been sailing so what are the controls and functions of the boat so starting from the back of the boat we've got the tiller which steers the rudder that helps us point in the right direction and then the main sheet is the rope we pull uh to pull in the sail at the bottom of the sail there's that metal bar that's called the boom that swings around as it gets windy and the sail's held up by the mast at the front of the boat the boom's a bit to avoid with your head so you don't get knocked out that's the sound it makes [Music] to begin simon is given charge of the steering whilst candy is responsible for attacking the boat okay let's go for attack and straight into your turn big push big push that's it perfect keep looking forward your hands over yet there you go attack is a basic maneuver which involves changing the position of the boat in relation to the direction of the wind learning how to harness wind power is the fundamental skill needed for sailing and let's head towards that black and white post swapping roles it's simon's turn to take control of the sails and just easing the sails out just until they start to flap same as before great stuff guys make sure the boat's not leaning too far that way keep it really really helping her out simon okay okay nice and fast now yeah maintaining the balance of the boat is done by distributing the weight of all the crew on board so you see those toe straps there i do i want you to slide your feet under those okay that strap oops and i want you to lean back bum over the side of the boat and put some weight into put all your weight into those toe straps bit more really really get your ball out the boat yeah with the wind up the boat is picking up some pace lovely right let's go for attack okay okay all right so look around me first okay superman get it under here and then come on oh there you go sorry i should be on here always look about to see which way the rudder the rudder wasn't actually turning then okay there we go let's swap this over then i switch my hands yeah now you can straighten up straighten up first okay oh yes yes yes good then i switch nice good job nearing the end of their session they're sailing back into the harbour so guys did we enjoy being out in the water oh we had the best time thank you so much you're gonna get the kids out as well i think so they'll really enjoy it once we get them involved i think we'll we'll be buying a boat before we know after that exhilarating taster session a boat may be topping the wish list but it doesn't come before the new house purchase so it's back to dry land and onto the more pressing business of property the map we're making our way to the western edge of the national park destined for the hamlet of furs hill about half an hour's drive from lindhurst the small riverside town of fording bridge is just a few miles away known fondly as the northern gateway to the new forest its well-stocked high street has a good selection of shops and pubs alongside pretty double-fronted character cottages gracefully spanning the river avon is the town's iconic medieval bridge which records suggest existed as far back as 1286 and possibly even earlier 10 minutes by car and deep into the countryside we find our next property what do you make of this 1920s beauty within the national park i like it i'm impressed by the front of it it's really nice and i saw a sneak of the back garden there and that looks fantastic and it's extremely peaceful here exactly let's go in all right great with its tranquil national park setting the location and look of this detached 1920s property have sparked a flicker of interest from both parties and there's more inside that i hope will meet expectations to either side of the front door sit two well proportioned reception rooms including a smart formal dining room with a wood burner and beyond this is the kitchen family room i thought i'd bring you to the heart of this house first i wasn't expecting such a modern kitchen i don't think that is surprising yeah the kitchen is is big and having that table in there is great which means this is a sort of reception room chill-out area for the children it's quite different you've got two different areas very different feels i think this is more old-worldy and that's a lot more modern the door's over there near the kitchen look like they fold out as well yes that's a bi-fold door so you can open the whole thing out and this feels quite alfresco in many ways again you get that inside outside here completely with the patio on a similar level to the kitchen and you have access from the outside straight into the kitchen as well which i think you would probably end up using that so let's go and see another reception all right okay a grandfather clock sits in one corner so you have two reception rooms the dining room and this room i think this is a nice cozy room i can see us leaving the kids in the other room and settling down in here it's sort of a post dinner room exactly the room is a little bit closed off for me i think we're more used to having open rooms but i know in this age of home and this style of home you get a bit smaller closed off rooms so it's just sort of getting used to that again would actually make a nice sizeable office it seems simon has his designs on this handsome room although there are other options for him to work from home [Music] upstairs there are four bedrooms all of which are roomy comfortable doubles ideal for the whole family plus guests two have their own fireplaces which is also a feature in the family bathroom at the back of the house is where we find the largest bedroom complete with its own ensuite it's a nice surprise yes this is uh extremely large and look at that oh that's absolutely stunning just looking out of there that's very very appreciative of you imagine waking up to that every morning yeah that's really nice i think you'd want to put a coffee machine in there so you could go without having to go downstairs that's it you could just stand there all day couldn't you yeah it's a really good room very nice indeed exactly i think if we could put the upstairs of this house with the downstairs of the other house somehow that would be fantastic yeah let me just call my architect in the meantime would you like to start thinking of a price this is going to be a tricky one i'm not sure about this one yes put our thinking caps on well you've got until we get outside [Laughter] we'll walk very slowly [Music] that's the tour of the house complete but there's far more to take in in terms of the grounds as well as the enclosed garden to the front the rear of the property opens onto a huge expanse of lawn giving great scope for kids and dogs all in all the plot totals a third of an acre but there's a whole lot more just next door the big bonus with this house i think is that gate which gives you direct forest access so you don't even need to leave the front of your property to go in to the new forest it's there and that's exactly what we wanted yes yeah that is fantastic a manageable garden size and then open access to the forest yes we go straight out the kids can take the dogs out there as well as us so that's very good indeed there's a shed-like area there a garage and what i think would make a lovely office for you simon that does look like the perfect location it's far away enough from the house that nobody's going to walk out to disturb me unless they really really need to it's not too bad a commute in the morning i think that would be a very pleasant commute particularly on a day like today when the weather's so nice the only thing left to discuss is the price who would like to guess how much this property is on the market for first well you went first last time so i'll go first this time and i will guess perhaps a lowball offer of 750 000 pounds you think i have gone 200 000 pounds under your budget i'd like that you'd like it very much i'll go a little higher than that at 795 thousand pounds simon is closest to the mark the property is currently on the market for 850 000 pounds okay that's a hundred under budget so that's that's nice my guess i think was probably based on the house but not the location we don't really know much about where we are so probably when i look into that i'll think of myself as quite an idiot for coming in at that low price well the new forest is the most expensive national park in england and wales to buy property in so as far as how far your money will go you've really picked them we've picked the worst spot possible but yet the most beautiful exactly there's a reason it's expensive um now that you do know the price and you know that you have a hundred thousand pounds left in the bank have another look around we'd like to do that there's lots to look at thank you see you in a minute priced in september 2018 again under budget by 100 000 pounds this wonderful period home comes with the requested four bedrooms an open plan kitchen and living area plus two further reception rooms with good possibilities for simon's office both inside the house and out the whole lot is set in an idyllic location and benefits from direct access into the wilds of the new forest i love the open forest access i love the size of the house and the bedrooms are all really great the proportions are good there's things we both want to change so i think that's the same for both of us i'm mulling over living here in my mind at the moment it's just because of the distance from the school i think if we didn't have the school trip involved i think i would be very happy living here [Music] well a house full of character isn't it just and it's been a solid first day of property hunting i'd say let's hit the road okay great a tangerine sunset over the new forest then a sunny new day a field dotted with hay bales with a budget of 950 000 pounds simon and candy have recently arrived back from america after setting their sights on a home in hampshire for them and their two children we've presented some strong properties so far but it's not a done deal yet for coming up we've got a mystery house to fit the extended family too my mother-in-law actually requested her own bedroom bathroom kitchen this would be ideal both of the mother-in-laws together they sit here together watching tv hers and her sofa and i'll be getting behind the scenes at a historic hampshire agricultural event so the people of romney is very very important this is our 176th show sonali is standing beside an ornamental fountain it's day two of our property search and time to reveal our mystery house which offers simon and candy the option of some extra income in a car we're coming towards the end of our journey together what would you like to see it's the only thing we haven't seen is um a property with sort of outbuildings that are ready to go for simon so perhaps that is the mystery or we get our own cow perhaps that's the mystery which would be even better this is certainly my last chance to impress you both isn't it it is the last chance and we are very hopeful yes do your most impressive i'll try our last property destination is the hamlet of mockbegger right on the western fringes of the national park approximately half an hour's drive from the children's school and although i can reveal that our elusive mystery house won't come complete with its very own cow well there's no shortage of cattle roaming freely around the serene lanes of this beautiful rural new forest hamlet the house we've picked out as our mystery option adjoins farmland with a handsome approach through white gates welcome to your mystery house wow it's another really pretty one yes a little different to everything we've seen so far but very attractive i like it first impressions are good the house itself dates back to the 1930s but has been renovated and extended since and as an annex more of the annexes and that later first i want to see if the house suits and if it does i think things are going to go well today the mystery house may be over 80 years old but recent renovations have completely transformed the home into somewhere that could fulfill the hampshire dream for them and the rest of their family as we're about to discover in the kitchen diner everything is well suited to modern family living and finished to perfection would this suit the family this is great yeah this is perfect very nice yes this is a really really good kitchen on first impressions there's absolutely nothing to do it's all open very modern and very pretty eating here and through there is great kids can just sit here have their breakfast and then head off to school it's a fully equipped kitchen and you have two sets of french doors one here and one through the dining room straight out into your garden means it's very light and airy there's a lot of light in here it's uh lovely i would say it's a nine and a half out of ten so almost perfection oh i would give it a nine so that's that's my like a lot and i notice him yeah simon's hard to please so the footprint of our mystery house delivers large rooms with great square proportions and there are a lot to choose from the kitchen breakfast room sits right next to the dining room at the back of the property whilst to the front lie another two reception rooms a large family room would be ideal as a kid's den and there's also a decent sized study or guest bedroom although the rooms are all separate there is an open plan flow and over here we have another reception room oh like the house that keeps on giving isn't it the fireplace is really nice it's sort of understated but quite classy and the room's really nice and big you could see a very social gathering here and still more to see let's have a look to candy and simon the upstairs is equally as important as downstairs and i'm sure it won't disappoint alongside a modern family bathroom there are four bedrooms up here all are doubles and all are immaculately presented just like the ground floor the master bedroom has its own spacious ensuite shower room heading back outside we're checking out the outbuildings right across from the house that candy was drawn to earlier to one end is a double garage plus a utility room and to the other is a self-contained annex this consists of a sizeable kitchen a modern shower room and a large bedroom with enough space to double up as a living room and direct access into the garden well that's a huge price because i was expecting one room and sort of quite a basic room at that and this is really really nice i think we could live in here and uh the children could be next door yeah i did not expect this at all this is this is amazing well there you go i think the mystery house has worked then you didn't really think of this sort of setup did you certainly didn't ask not at all no not at all and that's why i thought this would make a good mystery house because it has everything you've asked for but in addition you have this business potential if you'd like to take advantage of it you could rent this out and in the gaps you know when if you know visitors are coming and you want them to have the the posh area yeah when the kids are teenagers they might like this area with their friends i fight it out and my mother-in-law actually requested her own space own bedroom bathroom kitchen this would be ideal both of the mother-in-laws together they sit here together watching tv hers and her sofa there we go simon is being very chivalrous for if it were me i would have set this aside as my office no questions asked but simon can take his pick from a number of potential offices as there's also a timber summer house with power the house and annex sit well in a third of an acre plot where a large lawn garden features various seating areas including a decked patio just off the kitchen [Music] you really do have a lot on offer here yeah the whole house is absolutely perfect is there a butt yes what's the butt well the butt is the distance from here to the school the butt is not is something we'd have to consider well should we discuss price to help you decide i'm going to go for 800 000 pounds okay um my guess would have been around that i think for the house but then you throw in the annex particularly and i'm going to go for 945 000 pounds so almost all of your budget yes simon you'll be pleased to know that candy is close again the asking price the house is on the market for 900 000 pounds seems like a lot of house and it's in very good condition for that price yes there's there's nothing that needs doing to it at all there's lots to explore have another look around get yourselves familiar with what's on offer and i think have a good old chat between yourselves very well thank you thank you take your time the priciest property in our selection yet still well under budget our mystery house is a large modern home with four bedrooms four reception rooms plus a contemporary kitchen a bonus self-contained annex offers huge potential as an office all for guests and the pleasant grounds have views across neighbouring paddocks and farmland i absolutely love the house and the annex is an added plus this house is definitely tempting the big downside again is the distance from the kid's school we'd have to really think long and hard about that and do some trial runs i think we've got 55 000 extra in the budget so maybe that will go to paying some petrol prices [Music] a gazebo on the decked area that's a really nice house very much to our taste isn't it i actually knew you'd love it that's it when it comes to our house tours now we need to sit down chill out and have a chat i think horses grazing on heathland then marquis set up on a swathe of grass to the northeast of the new forest within the grounds of a georgian stately home preparations are underway for a much anticipated highlight in hampshire's country calendar the romsey show is an annual fixture that happens on the second saturday in september showcasing the best of british farming and celebrating the marriage of town and country through activities crafts and foods with just one day to go before this year's event i've been given an access all areas backstage pass as hundreds of trade stands and exhibitors get ready for the big day judith long is chairman how significant is the show in the in the hampshire calendar well locally to the people of ramsey is very very important it's it's it's a major event of the year for the town within the county then we have a lot of cattle exhibitors and sheep exhibitors who come from quite a distance a lot of horse competitors the show has been running for a very long time how how has it evolved over those years well this is our 176th show uh we've never really checked but we're certainly one of the oldest shows in the country and it started off in the town centre in the marketplace and there was a local um agricultural society a local horse society and a local poultry society and they all had their own shows and then they have the sense to get together and amalgamate well judy thank you i shouldn't keep you any longer you'll be needed elsewhere everything really is being set up with trucks and trailers coming in thank you so much thank you good luck thank you goodbye this year marks the 99th event here on the broadlands estate attractions include vintage machinery plus traders with local culinary delights and a range of heritage crafts aside from tomorrow's celebrated livestock competitions the horticultural marquee is a hive of activity ahead of the floral arrangement contest chris arnold is the chief steward of horticulture and he's racked up a number of prizes himself over the years chris this has to be the most beautiful tent at the show and by the end of today this will be a full blooming tent yes most of it there i wanted to tend to work on into the night obviously and can you see from the day before who might take away the biggest rosette i do have a bit of an idea actually yes the judge looks for overall impression variety of plants on there quality of plants on there and has it got the wow factor basically this year's floral theme is the essence of autumn with seven different classes to choose from and the majority of each display must include natural plant materials now this is a piece of art thank you how long did it take you to come up with this creation well the frame i had at home so i've been playing with the wool and the patterns for about six weeks well the best of luck tomorrow thank you very much well this is a big team effort in the woodland walk class this is oh i love the fairy door yeah she's just popped in for a cup of tea and there are four of you and just three prizes i know we're hoping for first we live in hopes yes just don't confidence best of luck thank you the next day over 20 000 visitors came to experience the one day extravaganza and i'm delighted to report that for their efforts in the woodland walk category celia yvonne and alex were awarded a very worthy second place farmland let's find out if any of our houses have been enough to tempt simon and candy she joins them for coffee beside a grand fireplace well candy and simon judging by your reaction in the mystery house that's got to be your favorite it is that's no mystery i think that's quite clear it was just can we work with that location so that's something we really need to think about we're definitely not as set on our location as we were now i think we've learned that over the last two days so now as a family you really need to decide whether you can make everything else work around the mystery house for example or you're willing to do the commute that mystery house was so beautiful that it certainly made us think well stay in touch i can't wait to hear what you've decided we certainly will we at this point we really have no idea what we're going to do no i don't think we did but we're definitely going to work on it and uh it'll be i think it will start speeding up the process from now on and it was a wonderful experience so thank you very much yes thank you very much my pleasure [Music] well it certainly has been an eye-opening couple of days for candy and simon after more than two decades away in america they've just started rediscovering the british countryside and as desirable as our houses were it sounds like they both have a bit of thinking to do to find the right balance between location and the property itself i wish them the best of luck in their search for their very first home together here in hampshire see you next time on escape to the country horses grazing if you too would like to escape to the country and need our help why not apply online at bbc.co.uk

Channel: Dutch Boy

Views: 14,733

Rating: 4.7355371 out of 5

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Id: UpjVmy453l8

Length: 43min 4sec (2584 seconds)

Published: Thu Sep 17 2020