Renovation fit for a king
SCHEDULING-wise, it’s quite rare to find an episode of Grand Designs having to compete with a different episode of Grand Designs being shown on a rival channel at the same time. But that’s exactly what happens tonight. Well, exactly-ish.
That’s because, in the same 9pm time slot as Channel 4’s GRAND DESIGNS: HOUSE OF THE YEAR, there’s a one-off ITV documentary entitled A ROYAL GRAND DESIGN.
Why ITV insisted on calling it that I’m not entirely sure. Perhaps they just fancied winding up Channel 4’s Kevin McCloud. I’d imagine that could be fun, although not nearly as much fun as winding up Channel 4’s Krishnan Guru-Murthy.
Anyway, both these programmes are worth a look, so if I were you I’d have one of those clever new VHS tapes at the ready, so that you can record one of them and watch it a bit later. I think you can buy them at Woolworths, same aisle as the pick ’n’ mix.
The royal documentary is all about an ambitious project King Charles undertook 15 years ago, when he was still very much the Prince of Wales.
Charles’s bold plan was to help rescue Dumfries House, a dilapidated 18th century stately home in East Ayrshire, in the UK’s most rundown area, and to bring it back to life, benefiting the whole community in the process.
Since he was quite a busy fellow even then, Charles obviously couldn’t do this all on his own.
So he headed up the group that purchased this 2,200-acre estate, and a whole bunch of dedicated folk then set to work, indoors and out. Cameras have been monitoring the project for more than a decade, so it’s a fine way to appreciate just how remarkable and inspiring the transformation has been.
With the footage dating back so long, it also captures Charles at his most passionate and committed, visiting the people hard at work on this extraordinary job, hearing how they have been getting on and – off camera – no doubt seeking their thoughts on other pressing issues of the age, such as whether they are hoping that Julian Clary wins Celebrity Big Brother.
Meanwhile, as I was saying, Kevin McCloud ploughs on with his House Of The Year thing on Channel 4.
The places featured this week (in an episode with the theme “pioneering houses”) include one whose owners have created a blend of mock-Tudor, modernism and industrial chic (clearly these people can’t make their minds up).
There’s also a property in London which, to all intents and purposes, has what’s best described as a mountain on its roof.
Honestly, who in their right mind would ever want to buy a house like that? Actually, I think I know just the guy.