The Big Build - Conwy DIY SOS

Welcome to DIY SOS,

this week coming to you from a little village near Betws-y-Coed,

which is in beautiful, mountainous, North Wales.

My team are like coiled springs ready to go. Oi! Come on!

We have only nine days to turn an empty shell into a family home,

so David Williams and his eight year old daughter, Erica,

can leave their dilapidated caravan. David's wife died two years ago.

Now he's ill too.

It makes me feel really scared, cos I lost my mother

because of cancer and I might lose my father as well.

My main worry is leaving Erica in the bloody dilapidated caravan.

That's a huge problem for me.

And it's a huge task for us.

-That's never going to patch in, is it?

-No.

-Look at the water in that!

And we'll be battling the elements and working every hour we can

to try and turn this family's life around.

We've need this all in, otherwise the house won't work.

DRILL RATTLES

As usual, we've entered into a mammoth build, and the question is,

being a rural community, are we going to find the people to help?

Anybody know if there's anybody around that can help?

THEY SHOUT

I think we'll be all right, don't you? This is DIY SOS, The Big Build.

CHEERING AND APPLAUSE

This is David and Erica Williams.

Through illness and family loss,

they find themselves stuck living in a dilapidated and damp old caravan,

next door to the shell of what was once going to be their family house.

It was going to be a big house, our dream home,

with the perfect kitchen, exactly how Mum wanted it to be.

My bedroom was going to be massive. Everything we've always wished for.

Tragically, Erica's mum, Gemma,

passed away two years ago before the house was finished.

Eight-year-old Erica and her dad, David,

have now been living in the caravan for over six years.

This is my Dad's bedroom, where I used to sleep.

It used to be quite a nice little room, but it isn't any more.

It's full of cobwebs and things.

And this is the hallway/kitchen.

And then that's our bathroom.

And then we come to the living room.

And this is actually where Dad sleeps now.

Right, here's my tiny, cramped, bedroom.

There's not much in it.

That's my favourite photo of my mum and her mum with her pet dog.

David and his wife, Gemma, moved into the caravan

when Erica was only two. David immediately started the build.

But after four years of hard work, just as the house was beginning

to come together, the family were hit by tragedy.

I think it was Friday evening, late October, 2008.

The doctor phoned me up - "Would I take my wife to hospital?"

When they'd finished prodding her and poking her and analysing

and doing what they do, they said,

"Oh, Gemma's got an advanced tumour on her pancreas,

"and she's got five months to live."

You think, "Well, that can't possibly be right,

"there's something wrong there."

Erica was only five-years-old at the time.

You can't take the baby's mother at five, you know?

You know, she lasted five months and that was it.

Then a few months after my wife died, I started becoming ill.

'Late October/November 2009,'

I was told I had an advanced tumour on me colon.

Whilst David coped with treatment, a family friend, Emma,

looked after Erica.

Gemma just wanted to build this home for her little girl.

She felt so lucky that they were going to have this lovely house

that they could move into.

And, you know, I always promised her that I'd look out for Erica.

David's doctors immediately started treatment,

but six months of chemotherapy has left him weak, unable to work,

and trying to recuperate in a freezing-cold caravan,

with his daughter, Erica, as his main carer.

I really, really worry about my dad, and it's not going to help him

get any better with sleeping on the sofa

and living in a tiny, cramped, caravan.

Finishing this house and getting David and Erica

out of the crumbling caravan is now vital.

How long have you looked at this building and thought

of you and Erica actually sitting in a finished building together,

and having that normal "kid running around the house"

kind of life that everybody sort of takes for granted?

Well, that's what we've always wanted for her,

but I've looked at it every day and thought, you know,

"How's it going to happen? Is it going to happen?"

Which you don't get to choose when cancer comes along, obviously.

What's your prognosis, with your illness, now?

Erm, at the moment, I've just got to wait and see.

It's not possible, they tell me, to detect a few cancer cells.

You've got to have hundreds, which, you know, if you've got hundreds, then it's too late.

But I've got to wait and see, and I'm told that if I'm alive

in five years, then I'm obviously not dead.

And if I'm alive in ten years, then I'm definitely not dead.

And that's the prognosis I've got at the moment.

Well, we hope we can change the building, obviously, but my worry

is how much we can change things for Erica, cos at the end of the day...

Well, with Erica, if the house gets finished,

then you're turning her little life back up the right way round,

which is where it should be,

and we can move on with developing her as an adult, then.

All right, well, where are you staying at the moment?

In a tiny touring caravan the other side of the Wye.

So we've moved you from a very large caravan...

Into a tiny touring caravan.

OK, well, it's a temporary move, because within nine days,

you'll be back here,

and we'll be showing you off what we've done with this house,

which I promise you, will be as much as we

and the local community, can do.

To start our build, we need to clear the site,

and that means getting rid of the caravan.

It may be falling apart, but it's full of memories,

and is the only home Erica has ever known.

MUSIC: "There's A Reason" by AA Bondy

Well, I feel quite sad, but, you know, life's life.

We've got to move on.

We couldn't just live in that smelly old caravan forever.

The basic structure of this house may be in place,

but there's a lot of work to do.

We definitely can't fix this alone.

-Can you hear a rumble?

-I can hear the pitter-patter of little feet!

-Can you hear a rumble? Can you hear that?

-Rumble?

Look at that! Too many to count!

Wonderful, Welsh warriors coming to the rescue.

I love it!

Window fitters over there. There you go, look.

CHATTERING

-Sparks!

-So you're on window fitters and general?

-And, erm...

-Talkers.

-Yeah, that figures!

What a fantastic turnout, isn't it? I think we can get this started!

Ladies and gentlemen, site is open! Get at it! Get in, have a look!

Let the dog see the rabbit! In you go! Come on, hut, hut, hut!

David has put a lot of hard work into this building

and has got the basic structure in place, but, actually,

the only thing we don't have to do here is build walls.

Oh, enthusiasm around today, which is nice!

A build isn't just about building, it's about logistics, and we have miserable man who deals with that.

It's all a bit mad first morning. 73 people turned up to do the job.

You know, 20 plasterers, 12 chippies, loads of fencers, and everything else going on.

-It's just getting materials in and keeping things flowing up and down here.

-Cheer up, smiler!

Everyone's raring to go, but one vital thing's missing - that'll be a floor.

The floor's arrived!

'Carpenter's putting the floors down,

'and once the floors are down, then we can start plasterboarding'

the ceilings, which will then release the walls.

We've got to follow the carpenters when the floor's going down.

-Andy.

-Hello Andy, and this is Joe. Hello, Joe, how you doing?

Andy and Joe made the stairs for us last week, came and measured up.

-Oh, lovely, so you're all ready to go, are you?

-I hope so, yeah.

-Will they fit?

-Yeah! We'll soon find out!

-Hang on a second!

Oi, what's going on? Turn around, turn around! What's going on with...

What's that about? What's going on with the trousers down his leg?

-That's all the trend, innit?

-Is it?

-Oh, he's very trendy out there!

'From designer pants, to this week's designer, who certainly isn't pants.

'In fact, she's a superstar of the interior design world.'

A very famous lady indeed.

This designer is a bit sort of up there, as a pose to where we are.

-She's tall? What, she's taller than Mark, you mean?

-She's not!

She's bound to be taller than Mark, isn't she?!

Essentially, she'd done work for the Jordanian royal family.

She does top-notch, posh pads. She's very keen, apparently,

to get involved. So I'd like you to give her all the love

and affection we always give our designers.

-Yeah, no, no, no.

-Make her feel at home in the way that we always do.

We don't put 'em down, it's you, with their colours

and curtains and everything, and their design!

-You do fight them.

-That is right, actually.

-You do fight them.

The ladies name is Nina, so bowing, I think,

is probably how you should address her.

-Do we have to say, "Ma'am," and all that?

-Ma'am? No, but you should!

-And also, you should...

-ALL: Oh!

CHRIS: Senor!

That's right, we have the doyenne of interior design,

Nina Campbell, on board.

Nina has designed royal residences

and five-star hotels around the world.

Nina's passionate about creating warm, homely designs,

which is just what David and Erica need.

She's determined to turn this breeze block shell

into a beautiful, Welsh, country cottage.

-Hello!

-Hello.

-You're Lady Nina.

-I am. And you're Lord Nick.

-Well, I only wish! Oh, there you go!

-'Ello, mate! 'Ello, Lady Nina!

-Hello, how are you?

-Would I kiss you, or curtsy?

Only if you give me one of those purple shirts!

Have any shirt you want, as long as you ain't changing the plans!

-No, as long as they're what we asked for!

-Yes.

I was wondering if you'd take Lady Nina round the site,

introduce her to various people?

-I could do that, yeah, by all means.

-Shall we start at this door?

-The kitchen?

-Yeah, cos I think it's the more natural way of entry

into the house, really.

Can you imagine living in a caravan for that amount of time?

What this family need is the things we take for granted -

walls, ceilings, floors, electric light, curtains.

So what are we going to do?

Nina's dream is a cosy cottage fit for David and his princess, Erica.

Outside, the wall and sloping roof over the utility room

will blend right in, thanks to beautiful Welsh slates

with a copper finish. A hand-crafted slate wall

and a proper garden will help bring this cottage to life.

From these breeze block walls will emerge a handy utility room,

a spacious relaxing lounge, and a classic country-style kitchen.

-Lady Nina, can I take you upstairs?

-You may, with pleasure.

-Lucky fella!

-At my age!

-At my age too!

-I'm still getting yeses!

Be careful, there's a bit of a hole. Take my hand.

-Thank you.

-Ta, sweetheart.

-First of all, this is Chris.

-Hello, Chris, how are you?

-Very pleased to meet you.

-Very pleased to meet you.

-So important to get this open and get more light in.

-Yes.

Cos it's so much more cheerful.

You get a sort of joyous feeling if you've got, you know,

outside and light and trees and green and everything.

-This is Lady Nina.

-Hi, I'm Alistair.

-Alistair.

-Nina Campbell?

-Yes, hello.

-Oh, hello.

-I'm Mark, very nice to meet you. Welcome on board!

Thank you!

David and Erica have both been sleeping in appalling conditions.

David on the sofa, and Erica in a cupboard-sized compartment.

But this place is big enough for bedrooms

that you could only dream about.

Nina's insisted on keeping the biggest room for Erica, with

her own en-suite bathroom to make up for years of sharing with Dad.

For David, we're creating a comfortable room with a view

to help him rest and recuperate,

and a guest bedroom, and a main bathroom,

and I think we've created the mini-palace

that David and Erica deserve.

Will all the doors be the same size? I think that's a bit important.

That one will be cut down anyway,

-cos that's going to be a funky little shape.

-Right, exactly.

-Yeah?

It's going to be very odd if the doors are different sizes.

-We like your style, Nina! OK.

-I don't think he needs a desk here.

-He has a desk under the stairs...

-Right.

-And then we just stick a little chair in here.

-Lovely.

So that's fine. I just want a tick, a gold star, for being accommodating!

Could somebody give me a tape measure?

I just want to make absolutely sure that this lovely bed

-that we've got her is going...

-What did you want? Two metres?

-Definitely,

cos these beds are really lovely, they're iron beds with twiddles

-and there's a pair of them.

-We'll see what we can do.

-I understand what you're saying.

-For you, anything.

A Lady she may be, but Nina's no slouch

when it comes to winning people over.

I present exhibit A, Billy.

What's that you said Lady Nina is just colours

and pretty painting colours and everything?

-No, I said she was an interior designer.

-You said fluffy things, like...

-No, I didn't say that!

I said she was an interior designer,

but your view of interior designers is that they only do fluffy things.

-That's your old-fashioned views!

-Lady Nina designed all of this!

Everything. The doors, the size of the doors and everything,

and she's moved a few things,

but I thought she weren't going to move things.

-Taken a bit of a shine, have you?

-She's fit, in't she?

I'm not gong to step on your toes, mate. I'm not going to...

-You did!

-She's not my speed!

-I was just getting along nice,

and he came in and gave her a big wet kiss.

-He's taken a shine to her.

-Well, it's your fault!

I didn't realise he was...

Nina, is it all right if I say you look very fit?

-I'd love you to say I look fit, yes.

-See!

-Unbelievable! What's going on?

-What is going on?

-It's better than looking unfit, anyway!

I've got to get him to be professional, you're...

I just gave her a London cheek-to-cheek kiss, he got upset cos I got close to her!

How did you get her to ask me difficult questions about buildings?

You told me to go on paints. I trust you no more, Knowlesy!

Oh, now I'm getting it in the neck!

'Lady Nina has cast her spell on the team.

'Now, if she can weave her magic over the build,

'this should be plain sailing. What could go wrong?'

Got about six inches in front.

-'Oh, dear! Mr Smiley is going to love this one!'

-Go on, Mark!

Jammed in the hedge, eh? Better keep a very happy face on.

Where's my happy face? Can I find my happy face? Yes, there it is.

'Well, the schedules on these jobs are so tight, that even

'when we get a hold-up, we need to keep going.

'So we'll have to unload it, where it is.'

I have an important job holding the door open, so it doesn't slam on anyone's fingers.

Got to think about health and safety in these jobs!

Sadly, though, the black clouds roll in,

and proper Welsh rain is drenching everything.

Weather's turned nasty! Up here in Wales, you get a bit of rain,

so you sort of expect it, but we could have done without it today,

especially as our guys started to render the...

Preparing to render the outside, and this wood will be

all soaking water up, getting thick and swelled up.

And the guys up at the roof working. It's just really unpleasant.

Mind you, not that it's dampening anybody's spirits.

Everybody seems to be keeping at it and just piling in.

People out in the traditional Welsh wet-weather gear - a woolly jumper.

-Take that, Dan.

-I got it, mate!

Keeps coming down. It's like this here.

Everyone says, "Well, it is Wales,"

but the last time we worked in Wales, I went home with a suntan!

My friend, colleague, and buddy, Julian Perryman,

is donning a new waterproof jacket.

Sat in the van there with a nice green colour.

Erm, we've yet to establish what shade of green it is!

What is wrong?

Everybody's taking the mick out of my jacket, but I think it's lovely!

It's almost...

It just as well have been pink, than green.

You know, it's like, a very weak effort at being green.

It's not green.

Well, the thing is, I got told

I was working in the middle of a woodland, in the middle of a forest,

so I thought, "I'll get colour-coded, I'll buy a green jacket."

I'll hold you on that, right? There's a forest, right,

and where do you see a shade of green like that amongst the forest?

Well, look, I'll tell you what, I'll stand over here and you won't see me!

-MARK:

-Anybody see Jules?

-Remarkable! Julian has vanished into the trees.

No more will the green cagoule be mocked!

This heavy rain isn't letting up, which is a problem for everyone, but especially the boys outside.

Our landscapers have had to down tools.

Well, what we're going to do, we're just going to carry on

prepping the wood, ready for these raised beds.

Tomorrow, we've got all the slate coming in,

so we'll crack on getting some flooring placed down.

-How much of that have you got?

-40 tonnes coming in.

-40 tonnes?!

-40 tonnes, tomorrow.

Where are we going to put 40 tonnes of decking and slate?

-All hands on deck!

-Oh, my God!

-It's a morning's work!

-Erm, any walls going up?

-Yeah, we've got a slate wall

going on the front, slate retaining wall splitting the drive from the garden itself.

-How much slate?

-20 tonnes of slate. Happy days!

60 tonnes of assorted slate turning up.

That's absolutely fantastic!

-And it's raining like no-one's business!

-You're getting wet there!

It's just, like, so wet. It's ridiculous.

THEY LAUGH

Wet builders are one thing, but wet render is no joke.

My boys have had to call it a day.

They've put on the block work, put adhesive on, pushed the mesh in,

but it's just too wet.

It's been on an hour and a half. It's just not pulling in.

Hopefully, we'll have a better day tomorrow.

The infamous Welsh rain is saturating the site,

bringing work to a grinding halt. Our only real option now is to get everything covered up,

head for home, and hope this doesn't last for days.

THUNDER RUMBLES

Look at that! What a result! Day three, and what a day!

You can feel the transformation right across the site.

Of course, you can always rely on some people to overdo it.

HE MIMES SINGING # This is my world today

# My world you're living in every day

# And this is my world today

-# And I couldn't have it... #

-It's buzzing along, isn't it?

Nina is using local slate and copper

to give the front a truly Welsh look, which should be amazing.

But working with slate isn't easy. You need an expert.

John, this is absolutely gorgeous, I love it! What's happening up here?

-What are you doing up here?

-We think we might finish that bit off

with one of our trademark Welsh dragons. We make lead Welsh dragons

and put them somewhere on every job that we do.

-We really like putting them on ones in England!

-Bet you do!

The rest of the outside will be rendered

using a special water-soluble mix to keep the rain out,

which is particularly important living out here.

-So why are you here?

-My wife volunteered me!

-Is that right?

But it's for a good cause!

It's an honour and a pleasure to work for you,

-to do this for other people.

-That's really nice of you, mate,

but you're not working for us, we're working with you, and that's what makes it special.

Such a sad state of affairs, that a young girl like that loses her mum.

What you're going to do here is create a house

where she's going to be able to have some extraordinary memories

-with her dad.

-Exactly.

You know, it never fails to amaze me,

given the current economic climate,

that people who are working for themselves can give up the time

to come and make a difference for others.

'And this will make such a huge difference to the family.

'There's a member of the family that we haven't introduced you to yet.

'A member that needs their own little bit of special care and attention.'

-Come on, up the steps!

-Come on, you! This way!

'It's Erica's dog, Charlie, a constant companion

'and invaluable friend since Mum died.'

He's never been fond of washing,

but caravan life means he's got even scruffier than usual.

The local grooming parlour have offered him a makeover,

and a B-A-T-H.

-Come on, doggie!

-He doesn't look nervous, does he?

-Mind you, he doesn't know what's going to happen next, does he?

-No. Come on, in you go!

-Hello!

-DOG GROOMER:

-Hello! How are you?

-Very good.

-Good!

Charlie, say hello!

-Important information you might need to know...

-He hates water!

He will try and escape.

See you later, Charlie! Come on, let's go

and get a milkshake or a bun or something, shall we?

-So how long have you known each other?

-Erm...

-Since you were born, I think.

-Yeah.

-Yeah!

My little girl is six months younger than Erica,

-so they've been in school together ever since, haven't you?

-Yep!

Do you ever talk about your mum with Emma?

Cos, obviously, they were friends.

-Or do you not talk about your mum very much?

-Sometimes, but not much.

-Not much.

-My mum died about 12 months before Erica's mum,

so when you came to stay with us, it was quite nice,

cos we had little chats, didn't we, about our mums.

And we decided they were sitting up there together, having a chat, didn't we?

So you've ended up sort of joining in and helping out a bit really?

When David had to go into hospital for an operation

and some of his treatment, Erica comes to stay with us.

And tell me about Charlie, cos he's a little special friend.

-Mm-hmm.

-Why do you think you and Charlie are such good friends?

Mm, he's always been there.

-So it's like somebody who, like, you can rely on, Charlie?

-Yeah.

You think Charlie misses your mum a lot?

-Yep.

-And you think he's worried about the future?

-Yeah, he probably is.

-So am I, though.

-Are you?

-Yep.

-And what are you worried about?

Well, Mum was in hospital and we lost Mum, and Dad's in hospital,

so we might end up losing him.

-But he's fighting against his illness, isn't he?

-Yep.

And you've got loads of friends helping to make things better.

-Yep.

-How important has it been for you that Emma

and Emma's family have been around?

Very important.

Do you think doing up the house is going to make things

better for you and your dad?

-Yeah.

-How is it going to help, do you think?

Well, a house is warmer and there's more space,

and that might make Dad feel better.

And when he feels better, he'll be happier, and hopefully,

when he's happier he'll get better quicker.

'Finishing the house will give Erica security.

'Whatever happens to David over the next few years,

'the house will be hers.'

Thank you! Did he end up bathing you or did he get himself bathed?

He did a bit, yeah. My sleeves are a bit wet!

-EMMA:

-He's a different colour!

-And his fur's shiny for once!

-What do you think then? Marks out of ten?

-Ten.

-Ten?

-Thanks very much!

-EMMA:

-Thanks a lot!

-Thank you.

-Thank you!

--OK!

Back on site, the first 20 tonnes of slate is here.

The landscapers are busy building flower beds and sandcastles,

the floors are going down, plasterers are plastering both

inside and outside, and upstairs, Nina is fretting about walls.

The bed is two metres long, and I just think it's too snug.

And I'm just asking very nicely and seductively

if this wall could just come over 50mm.

Absolutely. I haven't seen your seductive asking.

-Would you like to give us a preview?

-No, you've had it! I've seducted.

-Yes. Quite enough.

-Have you?

You're all seducted out for the moment, are you?

-Yes, I'm seducted out!

-OK!

-So David's room is excellent.

-All right, gentlemen?

-Not bad! How are you?

-Very good, yes, thank you.

-So, we've got his bed here.

-Yes.

Cupboard going where that gentleman's standing, and then he's got a chair.

We're not giving him a desk, to give him space. He feels to me like a free-spirit.

I think he'll much prefer having room to move around in.

-What do you make of these skinny jeans the kids wear?

-They're fantastic!

-I remember when my legs were skinny!

-Do you remember putting them on and sitting in the bath

-to make them shrink?

-Is that what you did?

-Yeah.

-With skinny jeans?

Well, with jeans.

You bought them and then they shrank in the bath to you,

and you got out and I got pneumonia, probably!

I can't remember! Who cared!

-Is that what you do with your jeans, mate?

-You see, we were young once!

-No, just get them as big as I can to get them round me, like.

-Yes.

-Yes!

Dad, David, is currently in remission from his cancer,

but he's been severely affected by the chemotherapy,

and won't be able to work until he gets his strength back.

I can't go that fast. I'll catch up later on.

I see my future, you know,

the goal for me is rearing Erica to the best of my ability.

That's my challenge at the moment.

The house is going to make a massive difference to Erica.

She's developing socially and she goes to sleepovers

with her little friends and so forth,

and she's always saying, "Oh, they could come back to mine."

So it would make a huge difference to Erica's life in general.

Fingers crossed that I'll actually get a good future.

Not living in another caravan at the end of this.

And I grow up and get a good job, and live in a fantastic place.

David's determination to provide for his daughter

is obviously his driving force.

It's no surprise really that so many local trades have turned up to help,

including these two.

The solar panels they're installing will not only power the home,

but also provide a bit of income. Very handy.

-Well, it's a fair old run of photovoltaic, isn't it?

-Yeah!

But it's a small system, we've put it on for them now,

so, overall, per annum, he'd be looking at a £500-600 saving

-on his bills over 25 years.

-Is that right?

-That's right.

Whatever they generate, they use first. Anything they don't use exports automatically.

And it's like all untoward here, isn't it?

You can't actually see it so much from the surrounding trees.

The south-facing area there, we spoke to Mark, he's going to trim them.

Just get more sunshine in and make sure it doesn't overgrow.

In the winter, the sun's a lot lower. 20%, er, 20 degrees lower.

And don't take this the wrong way on behalf of Wales,

but is there enough sunshine here to make it work?

-Should be OK, yeah!

-It rains a bit, doesn't it?

Shame it don't work on rain, really! That'd be quids in then!

To make sure these work to the maximum effect

and get as much money for the family as they can,

we're going to carefully trim the local trees.

-I've put the mad Irishman in charge.

-Oh, man alive!

I turned up this morning, met the tree-fellers, and was like, "Great!

"We've trimmed a few trees at the back, but we'd like to create

"a little window to give a view out,

"let some light into the property," and all that carry on.

I said, "I'll be back in five minutes,"

so I come down the stairs and it's all gone!

You've got to manage the wood. It's all got to be managed

so that the healthy trees get a bit of a chance to grow and grow strong.

A lot of this stuff was dying in there cos there was no light coming in to it.

It's rather exciting to see this!

-CHAINSAW WHIRRS

-Wow!

Tell you what, I was glad I didn't leave them for too long!

-Yeah.

-This brilliant view! We've got a bit of light coming back

into the property, and it's all sorted.

We've got all your vegetable beds and stuff.

Yeah, that's true. I think I need to take the rest of all of this.

Oh, my God! What do you think this stuff is?

Good job they're not barbers, innit?

-Well, you look as if you went there last night!

-Do I?

-That wasn't very nice, Nina!

-No, I mean, you're quite, you know, trim.

So things grow tall if you get plenty of light on 'em?

-He must have been brought up in a cellar!

-What a job, eh?

I really want to do it, so much! I've always wanted...

That's the job I always wanted. I always wanted to be a tree-feller.

-CHAINSAW WHIRRS

-Never mind about tree-fellers!

It's a very important day for that fella, Chris.

-How are you, mate?

-Yeah, very good, thank you, but I heard you're about to make a phone call?

-Well, I am, cos 11 years ago today...

-You missed one of these shoots!

-Yeah.

-I remember that. I've not quite forgiven you for that to be honest!

Well, it was the birth of my first daughter, Elizabeth.

-Today?!

-Today, 11 years ago, Elizabeth was born.

PHONE RINGTONE PLAYS

-Hello, Nick Knowles.

-BABY CRIES THROUGH PHONE

-'Hello, Nick Knowles!'

-Ah, it's you!

-How's it going?

-I can hear a baby in the background!

-BABY CRIES It's my daughter.

My daughter, Elizabeth May.

Listen, listen, listen, listen.

-BABY SCREAMS

-'Crying like a good 'un.'

-'Yeah.'

-'So, just like her dad!'

-THEY LAUGH

'Oh, he's aged a bit, hasn't he? And me! How come he hasn't?'

'Ello, darling! You know we wished you a happy birthday this morning?

Yeah, well I'm just having a cup of tea with Nick and the boys,

and we just want to sing you a little song.

All right, so are you ready for this?

ALL: # Happy birthday to you

# Happy birthday to you

# Happy birthday, dear Elizabeth!

# Happy birthday to you-u-u!

APPLAUSE Hip-hip-hooray!

Happy birthday, darling!

Did you like that? "Thank you," she's crying.

ALL: Aww!

Now, our designer Nina may be used to working with A-list clients,

royals and superstars,

but this little client has a few ideas of her own about what she wants.

You're jolly kind to let me come and help you do your house,

-but I think you have a plan for me?

-Yes.

This is very good.

-Do you want to be an interior designer when you grow up?

-Maybe.

Now, Dad's room, that's very important - he's having a wardrobe to put his clothes.

He's having a bed.

And what does this say here?

Oh, dark green rug. OK.

What colours are you going to want in your bedroom and bathroom?

Well, I did the wall...

Oh, the wall's the light blue, that's very nice.

What would you like in your room?

Well, perhaps some sort of welding device here.

Maybe an old tractor here.

A bit of dilapidated construction machinery here, partially renovated...

Dad, that's not even your bedroom! That's the kitchen.

I know why Erica didn't ask you what you want in your bedroom.

While Nina studies Erica's plans, the boys have come down to say a quick hello.

Erica.

Nice to meet you.

< He's silly, isn't he!

You were saying it was minus 17 in your caravan.

-Last winter, yeah.

-How did you keep warm? Did you not have a heater?

-We didn't keep warm, we kept cold.

-You wrap yourself up in newspaper?

No, we had a heater. But the faster you pump the heat in, it comes out through the windows.

How did you manage to keep your spirits up for your dad?

That smile, that's the smile that keeps you going!

Hopefully, what we're doing for you will get you there

and get you much better, quicker.

Yeah, sure it will. Thanks very much.

And you, as well.

-You'll bring all your mates home, will you?

-Yeah.

The school Erica and her friends attend is at the heart of the community.

We are a small country school, really,

just 57 pupils,

and all the parents are very, very supportive of the school.

And if we have anything going on at the school,

everybody is very willing to help as well, which is great.

Erica's very popular, she's quite a confident little girl as well,

very bright. And she gets on with all the children in the class.

For her, I think one of the main things is,

at the moment, she's unable to bring friends back home after school.

And when the house is finished, it's going to make a huge difference for Erica.

She will then be able to have sleepovers with a friend,

and for a child that age, it's very important.

'Thank goodness we've got so much help, then!

'It's busy, and everyone's doing what they can.'

-Is this today's delivery?

-It is.

-What have we got today?

-Carrot muffins today.

-Thank you very much!

'Now, no-one loves a cake more than our Jaws.

'But I've got another little treat lined up for him.'

What's your favourite thing, not including cake now,

but in terms of, what sort of shows do you go to see?

Tractors.

How much do you like tractors?

A lot!

-Alistair's wife is one of the foremost tractor writers in the country.

-Is she?!

-She writes for Tractor...

-Tractor Magazine.

-Oh, I've seen that! Tractor Magazine.

-And she's got a tractor.

She's got a David Brown 25 petrol,

and she's got a Massey 35, four-cylinder.

-35, yeah, we used to have a 35.

-So when did you meet the missus, then?

We met at the show, which is this time of the year,

and I saw her tractor, and I said, "That's a tidy tractor!"

And he said, "You should see the driver!" I said, "Is it a girl?"

And he said "Yes!"

And I said, "I'll have to meet her!" And that's how we met. So...

THEY LAUGH

Sorry!

Well, it's an everyday story, really, boy meets tractor!

THEY LAUGH

Mate...

It's a lovely story.

We've got two children now, and...

Are they called Massey and Ferguson?

We're halfway through the job, and up at the house we have another massive turnout.

70 people on day five is a record

and because of the amazing local support, we're rocketing through the work.

Down there the kitchen's going in. It's going in so fast you'll miss it.

Our country-style kitchen will be a big change from the tiny kitchen space

David and Erica have had to use for the last five years.

And continuing our local theme,

we have a lovely limestone floor going into the utility room.

-What do you think of the limestone?

-Will you get through that today?

-We have to get it done today. Have you got any more pencils with you?

-Loads.

-Or pens or anything.

-And I will lose them all.

-Oh, dear.

Look, there's another one in your pocket.

The landscapers are performing miracles

and the slate them is continuing with a beautiful slate wall.

Basically we're just going to put a wall from the post here, nice decorative wall,

-leave a gateway here leading to the front of the house.

-Yeah.

And I'm trying to get into the far side of the bank there.

It's perfect slate. There are good size stones there for the footings to make the wall strong.

Perfect, good start.

A beautiful wall for a beautiful site.

This place has beautiful views, but you can't see them for the trees.

Here, we're going to fell that middle sycamore

to create a window to see this lovely valley down there

and all the colours across there.

So, instead of being close in, there's a little window to the world.

That's what we wanted to see.

Window to the world. That's absolutely beautiful.

Due to our rain delays, the render for the outside walls is only just getting its final layer.

All these hold-ups mean other jobs are being pushed back.

Critical jobs, like working drains.

-You've got this trench to go through here.

-Yeah, 600, going through.

-That's 600 deep?

-Yeah.

-All the way down...

-All the way down, yeah.

We just need to get at least over halfway down,

to pick up the soil stacks, to give us a chance tomorrow.

We know we're in a position now. We couldn't get this done quicker.

We've worked through the house, you haven't stopped, you guys,

but scaffolding's down, roof's almost finished, they're still doing bits and pieces.

But we've got to get this all in or this house doesn't work.

Come rain, wind or shine, our new friends, these guys working on site,

will not be put off their goal -

a new home for David and Erica.

But then community spirit could have been invented

in Welsh villages. Look around.

You'll find no better example of pulling together when it's needed.

How big a support has Emma been during that time?

Oh, fantastic. Emma was Gemma's friend. That's a tongue-twister!

And she used to take Gemma out for a coffee

and really take her mind off it.

Then, since Gemma's been gone, she's been fantastic with Erica.

Couldn't have managed without her, really, she's been huge.

That's why Erica's so happy. She's had such good support.

We're really lucky cos it's a fantastic community.

So, although David's thanking me for it, I had lots of support as well.

Other parents in the school as well have been great.

Everyone just mucks in, you know, it's a great place to live,

and Erica's easy, she just gets on with things, you know.

We've hit a rock-hard problem - granite.

We need to get this trench dug by tomorrow,

but it looks like it's going to be a long night.

Get the pipe up, get to that, then go down the side there.

We already have a drain to tap into. We just follow it down the ramp.

Then you'll have working toilets.

-Is he telling me the truth?

-He is.

-Is he?

-Yeah.

-No panic.

-LAUGHING

Only panic when you see me panic.

We only have two days left now, and there's still so much left to do.

To make matters worse, it's raining again.

It's a bright morning in North Wales, but last night's weather has done some damage,

to our outside render.

It's slow drying, and the heavy rain has stripped it from the wall.

-That won't patch in, will it?

-No.

-Look at the water in that.

-That's blown all the way down.

-It's got right in behind it.

It's a big problem, but we've got the best building talent around to sort it out for us.

Like Super Al.

-Here he is. Morning, Al. You all right?

-Morning.

-Had your tea?

-Yes, very much.

-Tea's your food.

-Oh, definitely.

Is that something you can do - patch them up?

Not a problem.

Nothing's a problem for Al. Not a problem.

I'll just make sure you're constantly fed with tea.

How do you like it? Milk? Sugar?

No, black.

One sugar and leave the teabag in.

Works for you, mate. I'll go and make one. Thank you, Alan.

So, while Super Al sets to work saving our skins,

the digging seems to have stopped behind the house.

Is that good news or bad news?

Taff, are you happy?

Happy.

They should be able to flush the toilets.

-Flushing toilets!

-How's that?

God!

Alan, tea, one sugar, no milk,

teabag left in.

That's it. Perfect.

That's breakfast with a... with a pinch.

Enjoy. Thanks, Alan.

Cheers.

Whatever makes you day. Problem solved.

Which leaves time for this.

Look at his little face.

-Hello.

-Hiya.

-How are you?

-Fine, thank you.

-How are you doing?

-All right.

-Nice to meet you.

-Hello.

-All right?

Are you aware that your other half took a fancy to your tractor

before he saw you?

Probably quite excited to meet someone to talk about tractors with

cos most women hate tractors.

He looks right on it, doesn't he?

Yeah, he looks a proper farmer.

-He does.

-You've made his day with that.

-Aw!

-Made his year, honestly.

Thank you.

Look at that!

That's one happy Devonian.

And the mood is infectious. On site, everyone is smiling.

Super Al has fixed the render and the cottage is getting its final touches.

Yeah, that's perfect.

Yeah, it went perfect.

Quit while you're ahead.

-Quick!

-Could you possibly put that blue chair that end for the moment?

-'See if you can get away fast enough!'

-How are you?

This has blown away. I'm just blown away like this.

-I've never seen anything so beautiful.

-And the slate and copper?

-It's amazing.

It sits into the trees and the countryside perfectly.

I just watched this. I wanted to cry when I watched this being done.

-And having the workforce there?

-The workforce is amazing.

-I want to take them all to London in a bus.

-HE CHUCKLES

A totally different house.

-I'm ready to move in.

-I wouldn't mind living here, would you?

-No, fantastic.

'Just as our thoughts turn towards cleaning and polishing,

'there's a knock at the door and women bearing gifts.'

'There's so much generosity in this village it bodes well for Erica's future.'

-Thank you. You've bought a whole load of groceries.

-Oh, yes.

-That's very kind of you.

-Anything to help.

-Thank you very much. Little helpers there.

-Yeah.

-Hello.

LAUGHTER

It's nice. People bringing up groceries, so they move into their house with groceries.

Come and look at this.

Chris here came in before we arrived to do the fixed plumbing.

He was here two days before we were, working on his own, and then,

I just said to him... We found this old Belfast sink.

I said, "Wouldn't it be nice if we could get this in here,

so that when she comes home with the dog having been out for a run,

she can wash the dog."

He said, "I can fix up a tap." So just done that.

Look at that.

-Beautiful. Thank you very much for that, mate, and everything else you've done.

-No problem.

'While Nina finesses the interior in the way only she can,

'family friend Emma is having a quick peek outside.'

Decking, lawns, flowers.

'Emma has been a rock for David and Erica

'and she's been desperate to see their home finally finished.'

I can't believe it's the same house. It's just amazing.

Really amazing.

I can't wait for tomorrow,

-to see her face and David's face.

-You seem quite emotional.

I think because you've been so close to them.

Oh, you know, just the state of the place before.

They were just living in that awful caravan.

I mean, they'll turn up tomorrow and see this - they won't believe it.

'Only nine days ago,

'David and Erica Williams lived in a caravan that was unfit for purpose

'opposite the shell of what was once going to be their family home.'

It started off all happy.

Mum and Dad wanted to build a house and wanted to give me everything she'd never had.

'But, with mum's death and dad's illness, their lives were put on hold.'

I didn't have any answers as to what the next step was.

'But in just nine days, designer Nina, our boys

'and, most importantly, the wonderful Welsh community

'have performed an unbelievably immense transformation.'

'Turning a shell into this stunning three-bedroom home.'

'And set behind this magnificent slate wall is the newly landscaped garden.'

'Raised low-maintenance beds and pine decking with a view across the valley.'

'It's now an inviting place for Erica and her friends to play,

'with Astroturf and a trampoline.'

'And to make the most of this glorious Welsh weather,

'we've installed six photovoltaic solar panels.'

'Not only will these supply electricity,

'they'll also make David a bit of money -

'upwards of £500 a year supplying unused electricity back to the grid.'

'This will be invaluable,

'as David will be unable to work whilst he recuperates.'

'Moving through our brand-new patio doors,

'we enter the perfect country kitchen.'

'With a bright decor, granite worktops

'and brand-new appliances throughout.'

'The main focus of the room is a hearty oak table,

'the perfect place for family meals and perhaps for entertaining when David is better.'

'And just so Charlie doesn't feel left out, there's a brand-new dog bed.'

'The look and feel are continued next door

'in the handy utility room with a luxurious limestone floor and granite surfaces.'

'Under the stairs, we have a study area for David, with a beautiful antique desk.'

'The lounge is designed purely for relaxing, mellow colours,

'comfy chairs and a wood-burning stove make this a warm and cosy room.'

'And all the artwork in here has been designed especially for Erica.'

'In the caravan, Erica was squeezed into a tiny bedroom with no space for her possessions

'and a big hole in the wall.'

'But now we've given her a special bedroom of her own,

'decorated in blues and pinks, with two ornate brass beds.'

'It's the perfect place for an eight-year-old to start living a normal life.'

'To relax, have friends to stay, or just spend time being a kid.'

'Erica has had a lot of sadness and worry in her short life

'and she's never had a room where she can spend time by herself.'

'This is her space now.'

'We have two bathrooms upstairs to give them both a bit of privacy.'

'With Erica getting her own en suite in pink.'

'The future is uncertain for the Williams family

'and if David does fall ill, he will need help

'so we provided a spare room for visitors, or a carer, to come and stay.'

'David is recovering, but it's a slow process. Living in the caravan would have been bad enough.'

'No bedroom, holes in the floor.'

'But living there while trying to recover from the effects of heavy chemotherapy,

'while the temperature tumbled to minus 17, must have been almost unbearable.'

'But he can now continue that recovery in comfort

'with a big double bed covered in local woollen blankets,

'he won't have to be cold again.'

'And the stunning view from the window is enough to put a smile on anyone's face.'

'This house is a fresh start.'

'We can't fix David's health, but this home could be Erica's security,

'a place for David and her to start enjoying life once again.'

'No matter what happens in the next few years, this is Erica's house.

'And that's something that everybody who volunteered to work on it has known all along.'

-What did you need, Erica?

-Um...a house.

-What sort of house?

-Um...

-A pretty house?

-Yes.

-A beautiful house.

A nice house fit for a little princess, isn't it?

Three, two, one.

Open your eyes.

Wow.

-That's not our house, is it, Dad?

-No.

That's fit for a baby princess, isn't it?

It's amazing.

-Yeah.

-It's pretty amazing. We're pretty amazed, I have to say.

-Oh, yeah.

-Are you ready to have a little look?

Come on, let's have a little stroll in, shall we? Ready?

And this is your new garden. You've got all the herbs here.

-Wow!

-Look, Daddy, Swingball!

You go for it. Open the door.

After you.

-Look at it.

-Look at that, heh?!

-Look, Daddy!

-Wow, look at that, eh?

-Look what's over there, Dad.

Pictures!

-Wow, look at that!

-They've even got one of me

as a baby in black and white.

Daddy, look on the table.

A little kitchen for a little girl!

Really lovely cooker and oven.

Dog basket.

Kitchen, part two.

In fact, this is a utility room.

You've got your washing machine and tumble drier in here,

a sink where you can wash clothes or do any of the things, like wash off boots,

when you come back from a long walk.

This is an area, because of the flooring, this is where you can dry Charlie,

once you've washed him outside so you don't get the floor messy, it is easy to clean.

Erica, David, what do you think so far?

It is fantastic. I don't know about information overload,

-what about emotion overload? Is that a new phrase?

-Is it what you expected?

-No, it's better.

-It is 10 times more than what I expected.

-All right.

-Shall we see if we can find your bedroom?

-Yes.

-Now, I think we thought...

-Can we a look in there?

-I think we thought that was your bedroom.

-OK.

-So we might have made that... Would you like to look at that?

-What's in there?

Daddy, it's a bathroom.

Look how fancy the bath is.

Ah!

Daddy, come in. I think this might be my bedroom, Dad.

-You think?

-Do you think so? You never know, do you?

-It's quite pretty, it isn't?

Do you want to have a sit on the edge of that bed and see what you think?

You think that's your bedroom?

-May be.

-It is a bit blue, isn't it?

-Maybe this is the spare room. What do you think?

-Yeah. Spare room.

Not your room. All right.

Come on, then.

Actually, Dad, I think this might be...Yeah, your room, Daddy.

-Wow!

-I can tell. Look at the things on the wall.

-Have a sit on the bed. See what you think.

-Lovely. Fantastic, isn't it?

That is the thing, the isolator, and the thing

that's feeding the panels on the roof... the electricity back into the system.

It makes sure any electricity you make on the roof you use first,

-so it cuts your bills down and then feeds it back into the system.

-Nice new coat hangers.

-Lovely, isn't it?

-You've got towels down there, as well, when you have a bath,

so you don't have to use mine!

That leaves one final room to show off - Erica's.

Daddy, I've got room for my friends to stay, as well.

Charlotte's Web!

What do you think of the room?

-Yay!

-Do you like the paper?

-What's up there?

-Bunting that says my name.

-Pretty, isn't it?

-Yeah.

Which bed's going to be yours, do you think,

-and which bed's going to be for the person who comes to visit?

-I think, um...

I think I might have...

-that bed.

-You might have that one over there?

-I can move my photos and things to the bedside table, over there.

-OK.

That is my mum and her mum, with their pets.

Where did this photo used to be?

In my old bedroom I had a tiny little shelf, there,

and my photo used to sit on it.

-So this is your favourite photo, is it?

-Yeah.

-The one you keep by your bed?

-Yeah.

Let's have you both sat down for a minute.

So, is this the bedroom you sort of thought and wanted and...

-If I could give it a mark out of 10, I would give it infinity.

-Infinity.

-Uh-huh.

-From your point of view, David, what do you make of the place?

-It's fantastic. Fit for a princess.

That is just what was required for her to grow up in.

-Absolutely spot on.

-This is going to help you in terms of recovery?

Absolutely. 100%.

Do you think Charlie's going to like this?

He's not allowed in my bedroom but he will like the rest of the house.

-You think so. You were telling me Charlie was very worried about the future.

-Uh-huh.

Do you think, now that you've got a lovely house like this,

-and he has somewhere nice to live, he'll be less worried about the future?

-Yeah.

Because this means that the future is going to be better.

-I think you're are right.

-Mmm.

-I think you're right and you have a lovely house,

where you and your dad can keep warm,

so this winter there'll be no more cold.

Unbelievable. Fantastic.

She can just get on with the rest of life, now.

Live like a normal little girl.

Shall we go and say, "thank you" to all the people?

Would you say a few words and tell them why it is so important?

-Yeah.

-Is that all right?

-As long as Daddy stands with me.

-Of course Daddy'll stand with you. We'll both be stood right with you.

-OK.

-Come on, let's go.

CHEERING

Why don't you come up here, hop up, so people can see you?

Hop up on this bit here, there we go, now.

-Just so that everybody knows, what do you think of the house?

-Amazing!

LAUGHTER

-What's the best room in the house?

-My bedroom.

So what things can you do now that you couldn't do when you had the caravan?

-Play swingball.

-Yes, play swingball!

Can I tell you, after all the work that's gone in, the main thing is that there's a swingball.

David, would you like to explain to people, why,

because people haven't met and not everybody knows the situation.

Why is this such a big deal to you and Erica?

It's a massive deal. The house is absolutely unbelievable, fantastic.

But even if they never touch the house,

the fact all these people just turned up, wanting to help,

makes life worth getting up in the morning, makes life with living.

I'd like to say a very huge thank you to all of you

trades that have done just the most amazing job. Thank you very much.

-Bit shy on her own?

-Yeah.

-David...

-Thanks very much.

I hope you enjoy your new house.

We put the slate roof on, and the copperwork.

You like your new house? Fantastic!

Once upon a time there was a little girl who lived in a tumbledown caravan

outside a pile of rubble, and her dad told her one day that pile of rubble would be a house.

She'd had a lot to deal with in her life, but an amazing thing happened. An army came

and turned that pile of rubble into a beautiful home.

And that army didn't come from far, far away, it came from this village,

and the next village and another village nearby.

where people heard what needed doing and did it themselves. These people.

And whilst Erica faces an uncertain future,

what these people have done is make a little girl's dream come true.

A house, that for years, seemed an unreachable dream

has become a reality and a home.

A place where Erica can grow up like any other little girl,

and look forward to a happier future.

My favourite things about my house are my bedroom, my bathroom, and swingball!

Maybe you know somebody who needs some help.

If you're in a helpless situation

with your house or know someone who's struggling,

then please apply to DIY SOS The Big Build,

by visiting our website at...

Thank you.

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