The Big Build - Wigan DIY SOS

He's had a lot of his life taken away from him.

We want to give him back as much as we possibly can,

not stuck in a bed in a care home all his life.

We're here to help a family get their son back home.

'I can look after him better.'

I can take him out in the chair.

We can't do - we just go and see him.

'From praying for him to be alive...'

..we now want him home.

To care for a son who's been robbed of his future.

'He's 36, he's only a young man.

'He's still got the same heart.'

It's just that his body

doesn't function in the same way as it used to.

This is a family that desperately needs to heal before it's too late.

'I think people...'

..people on the outside don't see

how it's affected both my parents, but especially my father.

'I don't cry in front of Mark.

'I know he knows that I do cry,'

but I don't like him to see it.

I can look after him better.

Cos I'm his dad.

And it's my job.

We're in Wigan to build a home that brings this family back together.

With a flamboyant designer and just nine days,

we don't expect an easy ride.

It's not just an issue of coverage, is it, Laurence?

It's an issue of authorship, Nicholas.

We need the usual suspects of course, and we need a small army.

We need a small army!

-Mate, they're over there.

-Ah!

Are you up to do a job that's almost impossible?

ALL: Yes!

This is DIY SOS: The Big Build!

CHEERING

Wigan, near Manchester, is home to the Burrows family.

That's retired scaffolder, Frank, and Christine.

They've been happily married for nearly 40 years.

They have two grown-up children -

Michelle, who's expecting her first child, and their son, Mark.

Mark was a bit of a jack-the-lad, weren't he?

He was a nightclub manager, and he loved his job.

And he loved the outdoor. Absolutely adored the outdoor.

Fishing and camping - that was his whole summer.

He was a very loving son.

I was so proud of him.

Mark moved back in with Frank and Christine in 2011,

in their small two-bedroom bungalow, when he lost his job.

The garage became his storage, and he moved in the bedroom there.

And, um...

life was good, because the prodigal son had returned home,

if you like.

I got Mark a job working for my company as a scaffolder.

-It was a turning point, yeah.

-It was good.

He was happy, yeah.

A month later, Mark's life was to change for ever.

In the April of 2012, Mark went to Sheffield for a night out.

He got into an argument with three football supporters.

A single punch was thrown, and Mark fell badly,

hitting his head on the pavement.

He was rushed to hospital.

AMBULANCE RADIO TRAFFIC

The fall caused massive brain injuries.

Frank and Christine drove the hour and a half to Sheffield

whilst doctors battled to save him.

Longest journey of my life, and we didn't know much then.

It was made quite clear, 7:00 in the morning,

that they came to us and said,

"Your son is alive, but he is utterly and totally different now,

"and he will be for the rest of his life."

There he was, this lean, fit young man with a tan,

cos he'd been on holiday, and he looked normal, natural,

apart from everything else, and we looked at him, and...

(Come on, love.)

I've had my heart ripped out.

That's what I feel like.

That someone's just taken him away.

And I keep kicking myself as to why.

As healthy as he was.

Why it had to happen to him...

..and not me.

I miss him so much.

Mark is now severely brain damaged.

Although he shows signs he understands instructions,

he can't speak or move, and is reliant on carers 24 hours a day.

As soon as he left hospital, Mark went to live in a care home.

He recognises family when they visit,

but he's had to remain in a home ever since his incident.

We see him every single day, we are his main stimulation.

He relates to us.

Now, don't get me wrong, they are doing a marvellous job.

But we are his family, and we want him home to live with us,

not stuck in a bed in a care home all his life.

Frank and Christine live in a modest bungalow,

but having been made redundant,

they're struggling to raise the funds they need

to convert their home for Mark's needs, so he has to remain in care.

It doesn't work for a disabled person.

We can't get him through the door.

If you do manage to get him to the bedroom,

there is nothing at all that we have to lift him onto the bed,

there is nowhere for him to have a shower,

there is nowhere for him to have a bath.

He means everything to us.

He is our son, he's a part of this family.

He's had a lot of his life taken away from him,

and we want him home to live with us.

I can look after him better.

Cos I'm his dad.

And it's my job.

Sorry.

It's almost like you need us

-to build a little extra house on the side rather than...

-Yes.

..do anything, really, with this part of the house.

That was the idea - he needs to live independently from us,

although he... he will only be next door.

And a communal area so we can all kind of meet together in the middle.

-Right.

-And spend time together as a family,

but he can also have his independence.

So with us building this sort of interconnected living space,

is not just about him having space,

-it's about a potential for recovery, you think?

-Of course.

It's finding the roots and the ways that he can improve.

We want him to live the most fulfilled life he can,

and that's our ultimate goal.

All right, we'll do our best and we'll try and... You know, we're going to have to take away

a large chunk of your garden and a large chunk of the side of the house.

-OK.

-And it's going to look very different when you come back.

'This family are determined to get their boy out of the care home

'and living with them,

'and it might be a bit of a shock, but we're not doing it alone.'

-Ooh!

-Hey!

'Yeah, we've got the manpower, but what we don't have is much time,

'so it's bye-bye, family...'

-Hello.

-Hello, Michelle, hi..

Nice to see you, take care, Frank, catch up with you later in the week.

'..and hello new workmates.'

Would you like to explain who the designer is on this, as well?

He wafts about a bit, and he's quite fragrant.

CHAMBER MUSIC PLAYS

But he's a decent bloke.

So who's the designer that you're most worried

that we might turn up with?

ALL: Laurence.

THEY LAUGH

Er...yeah, this looks like it, driver,

just drop me here, that's fine.

Yes, that's exactly who's turning up.

THEY LAUGH

It is actually. Laurence is coming, look.

'But the builders are mistaken - he is a man of the people.

'He's arrived by bus, although that's more to do

'with the budget we've got these days, to be honest.

'And he's got off about three stops early.

'Still, it will give us time to get on with the job.'

-Name?

-Stu.

-Stuart.

'We're a site of highly trained individuals.

'And Mark.'

DOG BARKS

'That's funny. That's very funny!

'Make sure you pack that skip properly - I want it airtight.'

It's a big, big, big, big concrete pad, isn't it?

It's a big concrete slab.

Also, there was a big building here as well.

'Yes, we've had to do some prep, so we pulled down the old garage,

'and poured the concrete so it set in time for our building works.

'Which we need to happen...

'well, almost immediately actually, because the designer is now here.

'Despite looking very much like the Italian love child

'of Shakespeare and Cher, I am of course very much looking forward

'to working with the man, and indeed his highly pruned facial hair.'

What's your overarching theme with this house?

Well, obviously the big thing we've got to do

is to unite the generations, cos you've got the parents,

who've got a very, very specific take on taste,

and we're not touching their zone, if you like,

we've got Mark, but we've got that transitional space between the two,

which they will share.

'Laurence has designed both his hair and the home in two halves.

'We're not touching Frank and Christine's side.

'Instead, the old garage will become Mark's apartment.

'We'll be extending the original footprint to create a carer's area

'with pull-out bed and a kitchenette,

'and at the back, we'll build Mark's bedroom and wet room.

'The old guest bedroom gets a Laurence-like styling makeover,

'as does the old dining room,

'but we'll also make it wheelchair accessible,

'and we'll be constructing a brand-new communal lounge,

'accessible from both sides of the bungalow.'

I want my vision of Mark's space, which is going to be very youthful,

very energetic, quite...

It sounds a funny word to use, but sort of slightly Mediterranean,

and I like this kind of Ibiza look that's around a lot at the moment.

A little bit industrial.

So wish me luck, Mr Knowles.

-Good luck(!)

-LAURENCE LAUGHS

'Yeah, the jury's out on that one, to be honest.

'Not that it matters,

'because the unstoppable force that is a Big Build has begun.'

So that beeping is our delivery,

so that means materials are coming in

for us to build the building with.

And all the noises coming from this side

means there's a bit of demolition going on,

so that gives me a happy face.

See?

'That's terrifying, isn't it?

'And he's not the only one, because there are 50 people

'on site today, all happy to give up their time to come and help out.'

Where you off to?

Electricians.

Where you going?

We've got to sort the drawing out,

there's a few things we need to discuss.

'Unbelievable, they're actually going to a cafe

just to talk about plans.

'At least the other trades are cracking on with it.

'We've got just nine days to do a build that would ordinarily take about three months,

'so it's going to be a tight squeeze.

'Frank and Christine's old garage

'left a very narrow strip for us to build, in between their bungalow

'and the neighbour's garage wall, there on the left.

'None of which should be a problem,

'because Mark's already been out ahead of us and measured up.

'I am of course being ironic,

'because he is a fool and always measures wrong.

'He can't even reach. Look at that - it's embarrassing.

'We've got just three hours to construct the skeleton of the extension,

'so we're using pre-constructed timber-framed panels to get ahead,

'but at the speed of continental drift,

'our compact Irish colleague has spotted a thinness issue.'

Just step into the hole there for me for a second, will you?

Not much room for building a wall, is there?

Hold on...

-Argh!

-Would you get in there to be able to fix some brick slabs?

-No!

-Ohh!

-Oh, you nearly burst.

-Nearly popped.

THEY LAUGH

He'd be your boy. He's a bit skinnier, isn't he?

That's true, actually.

But to be honest, you couldn't get a tool in there.

-He is a tool.

-He is a tool!

-Hey!

-THEY LAUGH

'So how do we get our rendering tool in there?'

I've got a suggestion.

That's the neighbour's garage -

I was thinking of asking the neighbour if we could prop his garage up on acrow props...

-And take his wall out.

-..and take the wall out.

That's a good idea.

'Yeah, it might sound daft, but it's the only way we're going to be able to save this build,

'because without a friendly neighbour, we can't make the exterior waterproof.

'Not that that's stopping the guys from building it.

'They're ahead of schedule, and, by Jove, they're not stopping for anyone.

'Ooh, it's a bit tight, isn't it? It really is.

'So all I have to do now is track down the neighbour,

'who's out at work, and get them to let us knock down their wall.

'Hmm.

'The front is throwing up a few problems,

'but the back isn't exactly a walk in the park either.'

What about the garden, then, cos it's a weird old space, isn't it?

Actually, in design terms, I quite like this.

The house is so much higher,

it means you're going to be looking down onto the garden,

and I want to, I want to use...

I want to make a very bold kind of swirl shape in the middle of it,

and then have the planting either side.

'Laurence wants to make a big feature of the garden,

'so we're going to create an elongated,

'wheelchair-friendly resin descent.

'But with 50,000 tonnes of soil

'and 30,000 tonnes of hard material to remove,

'it's not going to be easy.'

Also, I think circles is going to work very well here.

'I don't look convinced, do I?

'Or moisturised, or attractive.'

When in doubt, get the guns out!

'Yes, and we're going to need those guns and many more like them,

'because unfortunately we can't get a digger in,

'so everything has to be broken and removed by hand.

'And, of course, they're not doing this just for the love of it -

'they're doing it for Mark.

'The hope is that by bringing him home,

'it will stimulate him and improve his condition.'

Let's go outside, buddy, go and get some sunshine.

-Get out in the sunshine, yeah - it's a lovely day for it.

-Yeah, it's gorgeous.

One of Mark's favourite pastimes is coming outside.

'He's been in a care home now for two years.

'I've travelled the 20 miles Frank and Christine do every day

'to visit him and meet his carer, Dave.'

What's your main interest, Mark, you still interested in music?

Yeah, loves his music. House music, rave music, things like that. Yeah?

Well into that, aren't we, mate?

It's not the big things for Mark, it's the little things,

you know? Things that most people take for granted.

It's the small things that make Mark's day.

When his mum and his dad and his sister

and people like that come into his life, his smile, you know,

his eyes light up,

that's when you realise that there's still somebody there,

you know, there's still somebody within this body that's trapped.

For Mark to move home, it's going to be absolutely massive for him,

it's going to make so much difference to Mark's life as a whole.

There's no denying that Mark's receiving amazing care

at the centre - it's just not home.

This is, or at least it will be, if we can get it done.

We're pushing on with the build. We'll need to reconfigure

the space on the bungalow side which means taking down a wall

to make enough space for a new carer's area,

kitchen, bedroom and wet room.

Many hands make light work.

Should play for the England cricket team(!)

Well, this really big space is the new building for Mark

and, as we've said, the trick is to build a new bungalow

alongside the old bungalow and weave the two together which is

what this hole is all about here. Once the steels are in here,

we get to make this space become part of this space and it's all

woven together despite being, essentially,

two different buildings. Quite cool, don't you think?

Taking the neighbour's wall down is a real issue.

We actually can't complete our build without doing it.

So this is the man we've been looking for, Karl.

This is his house, which he's moving into on...?

Sometime over the weekend.

-Three days.

-But there's a bigger issue, isn't there?

-There is.

-In that we need to take down a wall of your garage.

So hopefully our plan of attack is we'll get in there, we'll clear

all the stuff out of your garage and we'll support the roof.

-Yeah.

-Take all that out and do it all brand-new again.

-That's good.

-Yeah?

-Yeah, that's fine, I'm good with that.

Are you a man who likes a man-hug or are you not really...?

Oh, yeah, I'm always up for a man-hug.

Thank you very much. Watch out.

Not you.

Yeah, I wasn't quick enough to stop that, was I?

Wouldn't you like neighbours like that?

People who just say, "Yes, by all means, knock down our garage."

Which is exactly what we start to do.

Of course, there's a real goal here

and that's to bring this family back together.

They've always been close and, although Mark's sister Michelle

no longer lives at home, it was her that contacted us

and asked for our help.

How are you dealing with it all? Because, as brother and sister,

you were very close.

Yeah, we were, we still are and it's hard cos sometimes

I still go to ring him and forget, erm, that I can't ring him.

He was always the life and soul of the party, so I still miss him.

Can you still see Mark in there? Do you know what I mean?

Yeah, he's still there and he's still the same person.

He just struggles to communicate, cos he is, he's still

an individual person, he's still got the same personality,

he's still got the same heart,

everything about him is still the same, it's just

that his body doesn't function in the same way as it used to.

It's been a disastrous couple of years, hasn't it?

Yeah.

Sorry.

We all have good days and bad days but...

people on the outside don't see

how it's affected, erm, both my parents. They don't see

the hurt that they go through every day, especially my dad.

He's really... He's really struggled to cope with it

cos, in a way, as a family

we've grieved but you're grieving for somebody that's still there.

When you go to sleep at night and these things go over in your

head, what is it that you wish for? What's the endgame for you?

Just for Mark to be happy, it's all about him being independent

and...and setting up a structure and a life for him that he needs

in able to grow. He's 36, he's only a young man and he needs to be

able to develop and grow and he'll have his own place,

he'll have people that love to be around him

and he'll just have a good life and be happy.

It's a new day in a new town and a new van for Billy.

Seatbelt!

-Right.

-How long have you been driving?

-Since 1967.

Did you pass your test?

# I've been driving in my car... #

-Right, don't...?

-What's that? HORN TOOTS ONCE

-Those people are just saying hello.

-No, that's two toots.

-Yeah.

Right, that's friendly. One toot's not friendly.

-You make me laugh.

-All right.

You should have a warning sign, you know.

YOU should have a warning sign.

In fact, we're thinking of posting warning signs around every town

and village that we go to in future.

At the house, the sparks have started without Billy. No problem,

they're just getting on with it, as they do.

But what they are concerned about is Laurence's design reputation.

Just see how it's going, OK? Good.

What would your first natural question be

to Laurence about the design that's coming up?

Me? What would mine? No, I can't repeat it.

-Come on! Ask him, no, ask him!

-Spit it out, I'm man enough.

I mean, a lot of it, for me, is...

Some of the designs, to me,

go over the top, you know, I suppose I'm just a simple lad.

Light in the middle and the light down there.

Well, the nice thing is that there is always

room on the planet for simple lads such as yourself.

It sounds like a strange thing to say

but I want to use a very visible track because he's got

the track that takes him into the bathroom which I, you know,

I don't want that to be just an isolated...

We've got to work round it,

I want it to be part of the design scheme, I want it to be reflected

in what we do, so we're going to be doing a lot of track lighting.

It's quite 1980s, which I like. The 1980s is a slight theme there.

-Do you remember the '80s?

-Oh, just.

-Yeah, you see...

Only a young lad, me.

You obviously weren't doing them properly if you remember them.

So are your fears allayed? Or have I made them worse?

Rub salt into that wound.

No, no, no, we'll just do whatever you want.

You can see where they're coming from, can't you?

Laurence isn't exactly known for his conservative design palette

but then Mark, who we're building it for, was never that conservative.

Of course, he loves his music so I can understand.

So the Ibiza thing, is this...?

I've really sprung off on the Ibiza thing,

and I... As you know, I always think it's really, really important

with all of these schemes that they are sensational design schemes.

You know, it's a very sensitive issue for me

because my mother was disabled. She, you know,

she spent most of her life in a wheelchair

and one of my big missions in this kind of context is the fact that

too often it's all just about need,

so there's no room for that wonderful...

..help that actually something looking nice can give you as well.

Yes, he might be wearing more lacquer than a French dresser

but Laurence has a point.

This family deserves some good fortune,

even if it means we have to dig deep.

Just a second.

Get my bicep up!

When it's finished, it's going to be a big apartment, which means

there's space for friends

and that's something I'm sure Mark will benefit from.

You're a friend of Mark's?

Yes, we've been friends for years, it was just fun 24-7.

He was always up to mischief, always playing games, stupid things,

we were always having parties with him

and... So he was just a really, really genuine, caring guy.

How has it been for all of his friends since the accident?

To go to the hospital and see him in a totally different state,

it wasn't Mark, and to not be able to help him

and to see him just lying there doing nothing, it has been hard.

Tough on the family as well.

Really tough, yeah, they've been torn apart through it all, really bad.

To bring him home I think he'll come on in leaps and bounds,

cos when he's around his family, you can see the old Mark coming back.

Well, that's exactly what we're hoping for.

Having made a great big hole in the bungalow, the steel's arrived,

so we can start to patch it up again.

3,960.

Yeah, that'll do, 3,960.

Don't let him measure stuff!

A quick cut down to size and it should go in a treat.

In at the end...lovely.

Something that Michelle, Mark's sister, said when I saw her

stuck with me.

Christine and Frank have been married for 39 years

but the last two have really tested them.

And I wondered how Christine has coped.

Do you find yourself running through the events that night?

I think it...

it just hits you every now and again,

it just sort of, like, comes over you in a big wave.

How do you feel now?

Just that it's unfair. So, so unfair.

Mark's had a life taken away from him

but I'm more angry for my husband because he's a broken man.

He...

He'd only just come out of hospital when it happened,

for secondary cancer and I thought

I was going to lose him at one point. And I knew what would be

going through his mind would be,

"They should have taken me instead of him."

You're worried about Frank, aren't you?

Very much so.

He's angry for his son every time he sees him.

He can't cope at the minute.

We're together, we're a team and I would say that we've done OK

but it's been really, really hard.

So maybe this is the corner turn.

This is definitely the corner turn, Frank will definitely benefit

when Mark's home and Mark will be home with his family where

he's loved and he's cared for.

He'll be out of one single room that he's been in for two years

in various hospital organisations and he'll...

He'll be free. That's how I see it, he'll be free.

That's what I want.

It's clear getting Mark home won't benefit just him but all the family.

We're 800 man hours into the build

and you can start to see real progress.

So by the end of play today I can actually call

-the roofers in to start getting this felted and battened.

-Yeah.

-And the flat room sorted.

-Yup.

-Brilliant.

What's not so brilliant is clearing up after Billy

but at least the boys aren't moaning about it.

I'll be mostly patching the ceiling today.

Putting these bits of wood up then we can put

bits of plasterboard in, then we can over-skim the whole ceiling.

It's taken a long, long time but my friend, colleague and best buddy

jumped in to join me. Doesn't say a lot but he's a nice boy.

There are all sorts of nice people helping out...

..and with good reason.

If my daughter was in the same position and I didn't have

the funds to have this kind of work done, you'd want someone to

chip in, give you a lift

and it's all for a good cause, so why not help?

-Have you got any kids?

-I've not, no, not yet.

-Are you married?

-Not yet.

Got a girlfriend?

He did have, did have.

Wait for it, ladies, good-looking lad there, on the market,

free and available if you're interested.

-What's the name?

-Brian.

-Brian - look at that.

-Oh, God, you can't.

Bless.

Our third day in, and once again our trades haven't disappointed us.

We've got just three hours to dig our curl-shaped trenches

before the concrete arrives and Laurence turns up to inspect.

I can't believe it.

Look at them go. It's incredible, isn't it?

Like a machine.

What's also incredible is how much enthusiasm Chris still

has for plastering.

17 spreads...

Guess what? The plasterers have turned up today...

-..17 spreads.

-..and they're everywhere,

they're all over the place...

-Come and have a look.

-..and guess who's really happy.

-17 spreads.

Yup, the inside is packed with skilled workmen.

-Well, sort of.

-GERMAN ACCENT: What is your name?

We have ways and means of making you talk!

Hell, no!

And around the back...

..Laurence has turned up to pontificate on his swirls.

They're just not right.

I think I might have just arrived more or less just in time.

What do you mean, Laurence?

Although I have this frightful reputation of being deeply

impractical, actually I do think that mowing this tiny little...

I don't know, what would you call it? ..Brazilian grass

would be rather complicated. Someone got some spray?

I was going to say, "Well, mind the suit,"

but, to be honest, it can only improve it, can't it?

That's a bit wide.

Lord Swirly is, as it turns out, very particular about the curl.

Mm, OK, fine.

Well, it's going to look great from the roof, isn't it?

We've doubled the original area of that roof,

so it's hard graft for these boys ahead.

Although it's tough work, the build part of the project

is coming along nicely.

-We've got two days to do this so...

-We'll be done tomorrow.

The concrete has arrived which means the guys have been busy

shovelling it into trenches in the garden in accordance with

Lord Swirly's grand plan.

I think with relatively small suburban gardens like this,

people are often a little bit unimaginative about the shapes

they put in them, so I wanted to use big spirals to make the whole

thing feel more exciting, to make it feel much more like a journey.

OK, go on.

You know, nature comes in curls and curves and sort of big bosomy

swags, but the problem is it's really difficult, as you can see

here, we're having to make a giant compass now to get the curve right.

Yeah, it's a minor detail but the concrete's already in the trenches.

But Laurence feels, again, they didn't quite hit the mark.

The thing is, the time pressure is to obviously get the concrete out

before it sets and then move it so that it's in the right place,

so it was a very timely visit.

Look at them go.

Yes, now I'm worried.

-TO FIRESTARTER BY THE PRODIGY:

-I wanted to use curls and curls

and big spirals, big bosomy swags.

I know exactly what it's going to look like.

I know exactly what it's going to look like when it's all done.

Nobody else does.

Bricks, bricks, bricks, bricks, got to like bricks to hang out here.

Ah, the garden of Eden was nothing like this.

I'm very impressed, I don't impress easily.

Well, that was kind of weird, wasn't it? I think

the editor's gone for a lie down.

And so ends another busy day on a Big Build.

We're coming up to the halfway point to the build

and although we've made a good start, we need to keep on pushing.

With our extension side all nicely waterproofed, it's time to build

the neighbour's wall up again.

In about an hour's time it'll all be done.

Let's get it done and let's get him moved in. That's what I think, yeah.

Of course, everything changed for Mark one spring night in 2012

but life changed for Frank too.

I'm a dad myself and my heart goes out to him

and everything he's been through.

-It hasn't got any easier for you, has it?

-No.

No, erm, the reliving of what happened to Mark...

..it's just huge for us.

70% of the people who this sort of thing happens to

end up getting divorced. And I said,

"Well, it won't happen to me and Christine."

But, lo and behold, we have been through some

terrible days and times and we seem to argue over the least thing.

It just... I'm thinking, "Well, why is this like this?

-"This can't be right."

-It's the anger inside you, isn't it?

-Well, probably it is, yeah.

-And her too, I imagine.

Oh, good God, yeah.

Have you found it hard because, as a dad,

our job is to protect, isn't it?

Extremely, because I can't,

I can't protect him any more than what he's getting now,

and I felt as though I was letting everybody down then.

Where he is now,

I feel as though me hands are tied, there's very little I can do.

My son was very close to me.

We were very close and, er...

..I miss him...so much.

He's...

He's lost an awful lot in his life.

If there was a God up there, he made him not get married

or have children...

..cos I don't know how I would have coped with that as well.

And, yeah, me heart is broken.

Do you think you've turned a corner with this house being sorted out?

I've got a purpose in life now. It's to look after Mark

and I've not got to worry about what's gone, the past is the past

now, Mark's got a future which we didn't think he had before

and I'm going to make sure that that future is fulfilled,

my son's coming home.

Do you think now that Mark's coming home, now the house is sorted out,

do you think you and Christine will be able to...

rekindle your relationship?

I've no doubt whatsoever because that's all she ever wanted.

She'll get the family back.

39 years and I've never stopped loving her.

Apart from one person drinking tea, back on the site

we've picked up the pace.

Do a 15-second roundup. I'll count. One...

It's just gone... Hang on, we'll do it again

cos you started counting too early.

-When the camera comes round, count.

-All right then.

-One...

-Ah, there you are.

It's Saturday afternoon. Just to put you up to speed,

the floor's going down in the back rooms.

The plastering is finished.

The kitchen is going into the middle bit of the new extension.

It's absolutely kick-arse in there. It's happening.

Can't mention arses.

I wouldn't get a lot of work, would I?

You wouldn't get a lot of work.

Come on. Let's go and plasterboard that wall. We can do that.

I thought it was a good effort,

although I won't be looking over my shoulder

with trepidation any time soon.

Inside, we're cutting and fitting the carer's area.

Laurence has made it his personal mission to ensure

this space is functional but beautiful,

so he's personally arranged for a bespoke splashback

with Ibiza print made of glass.

Once the glass has been toughened and tempered...

-Yes.

-..that means it cannot be cut.

That is correct, yes. It then becomes safety glass

which means it shatters into pieces that are safe to handle

-once they've broken.

-Right.

So that means if it doesn't fit, it can't be altered.

It can't be altered, no.

Whoever gave them the measurement for the glass has measured it wrong.

They've not allowed for the ply on the wall, so it doesn't fit.

Mark Millar!

HE WHINES AND HOWLS

Yeah, that's not a happy face.

But luckily for him, these guys are professionals.

We're going to cut a piece out of the wall there,

slide it into that side, cut a piece out of that side,

slide it that side, even it out, job will be fixed.

See we don't need problems, we need answers

and that's just what they've given.

Moving on, at least the middle rooms are coming along nicely.

Funnily enough, though, the panelling has gone in upside down

but there we are. I'm not sure I don't quite like that.

Erm, it's one of those things that at this stage in the game,

you think, "Right, OK, well, that's a...

"That's a lucky accident, cos it looks so much more modern

"being upside down."

-NICK LAUGHS

-That's the spirit.

We're also looking on the bright side in the garden,

22 tonnes of topsoil coming in on foot.

-I love that. You see that?

-Yeah, "No negativity allowed."

Yeah. That's brilliant, ain't it?

By end of play today, resin will be in, lawn will be in,

brickwork will be done.

-We're finished, aren't we?

-Yeah.

We're also starting to see the light on the inside.

And if you look up there, there's a good-looking fella. Hello, son.

With the panelling in the two centre rooms complete,

the paint is out... Oh, white.

That doesn't look too bad, I suppose.

Yeah, it's very Laurence. Very bright.

-Flamboyant, shall we say?

-Mm... Yeah, I'm not sure.

We're also installing the hoists.

It's these kind of changes we hope

will change Mark's future for the better.

As a young man, Mark loved the outdoors and the Scouts.

Frank is still an active leader,

so with the help of friends, I've organised a day out.

Nice to be out in the open air.

Oh, it's beautiful. Absolutely beautiful.

-Well, I've brought Billy and Chris and Jules down...

-Right.

..to join Frank to go dragon boat racing.

-Oh, good.

-SHE LAUGHS

Those people getting on that boat

don't realise what they're getting into.

HE YELLS

Hello.

I'm not sure having Frank on the drum is a particularly good idea.

-You all right?

-Argh!

I'm not sure.

Go on, son. You'll be fine. Cock your leg over it. Get on.

-There you are, look.

-Whoa!

-You're all right. Just hold on.

How am I going to beat the drum if I'm holding on?

THEY CHEER

Is he known for his athletic ability, Frank?

He used to run marathons, yeah. He ran marathons.

What, the chocolate bar?

-SHE LAUGHS

-Chocolate bar!

Stand by. One, two, three...

WHISTLE SOUNDS

Look how out of sync they are on the one on the left.

It's like a drunk spider's legs.

Come on, Frank!

Come on, Frank!

-ALL:

-One! Two! One!

Oh, no. I think Julian's got this.

I think Julian's got it.

-CHEERING

-Win for Julian.

You know, a bit of fun like that shows us that this family

still have a real chance of putting the past behind them.

Having started this job, we hit a few snags,

but with the help of new friends, we've just about overcome them all.

That looks absolutely lovely.

Erm, by the look of it, it wasn't an easy installation!

No, it wasn't an easy installation.

By the way that you've chewed out that wall,

obviously with your own teeth.

Yeah! The neighbour's wall

that was flush to our extension has now been re-built.

That's grand. Job done!

And the trades are just about managing

to stay on top of Laurence's demands.

Have you got enough work on at the moment?

It looks like there's an enormous amount of chipping in.

Oh, we're busy. There's a lot to do.

Experience tells me this is usually the place

where the design starts to make sense.

But I'm struggling, and I'm not the only one, to be honest.

Erm, what is it? What are they supposed to be?

Are they gremlins? Are they...what? Are they sperm?

What do you think it is?

It looks like one of them lava lamps, doesn't it?

Oh, that could be right, yeah. A lava lamp,

that's what it looks like. Not sperm at all, really, is it?

HE LAUGHS

It reminds me of being in a room of lava lamps. What about you, Karl?

There are going to be things that happen which seem really weird,

but all of those things are part of a very finely balanced,

symphonic approach to design.

-Very tranquil, isn't it?

-Yeah, it's very therapeutic.

Yup, jellyfish.

We might have started with nine precious days,

now we have just hours left, so it's a rush

to get the plants into the garden - all 2,500 of them.

Colour in the garden is brilliant. I love colour,

but Laurence can take it too far.

He wants to paint a seat blue, and it's fine as it is!

We cannot stop the inestimable surge of design like this,

we cannot hold it back, we cannot Canute it.

But a big blue blob in the corner of the garden....

Which is absolutely what we need.

Oh, you - I said to everybody, don't find any brushes!

-Oh, man.

-Yeah, you're losing, man.

You're losing.

-Look! Well, the bad news is, we're so doing this.

-No, but we're not. No.

-We are. Look, it's perfect.

-But it's not just an issue of coverage, is it, Laurence?

It's an issue of authorship, Nicholas.

Design is now in charge.

Hang on, let me see this from a distance.

Honestly and truly, why is it blue? Nothing else in this garden is blue.

Apart from that pot, that pot over there, most of the planting.

It's a lot to do with the fact that, actually,

when you look from Mark's bedroom - our accent is all blue -

this is going to be the first thing you see.

As you absolutely rightly point out, it will stick out like a sore thumb, but that's the whole point of it.

And bearing in mind that Mark's going to be spending

a lot of time in there in bed, he will be able to see this,

and this suddenly, this corner of the garden,

becomes more about being part of his bedroom

than being segregated as an experience from being outside.

I'm giving that a round of applause.

Yeah, all right, he won that, yes, yes.

We've got a last-minute rush on to get the big items in,

and, of course, it's a busy time for Lord Swirly

and his cushion cuddling.

But all in all, he's gone and pulled a blinder, really, hasn't he?

He's very good.

Well, that's it, pretty much. All we've got to do is to have a bit of a sweep up and clean up

out here in the garden and hang a couple of picture inside, and we're done.

Nine days of sterling effort and it looks amazing.

You can't look at this stage, can you? Go on, quickly.

I know! It's amazing, isn't it?

In April 2012, a single punch to the head

left Mark fighting for his life.

They came to us and said,

"Your son is alive but he is utterly and totally different now."

His injuries left him totally dependent on carers.

With a home that wasn't built for his needs,

Mark went into care.

He means everything to us. He is our son.

Where he is down there, they're doing a marvellous job,

but we are his family and we want him home to live with us,

not stuck in a bed in a care home all his life.

We arrived nine days ago to find a family crumbling

and desperate to get their son home.

He's been in for two years in various hospital organisations

and he'll be free.

That's how I see it, he'll be free.

But with no savings or space to make it happen,

they were powerless to change things.

We couldn't have afforded to get him home.

No, we couldn't.

-We want him at home.

-We want him home.

-We want him home.

It was an impossible situation,

and it would have stayed that way indefinitely

if it weren't for these guys.

Just nine days ago this was a tiny two-bedroom bungalow

with a side garage.

Now, finally, Mark can call it home.

We've built a big self-contained flat

that runs alongside Frank and Christine's home.

Widened doors and a wheelchair ramp mean that for the first time

since his injury, Mark can come home and live alongside his family.

Inside has been transformed from an old dusty garage

to a brand-new apartment for assisted living,

giving Mark the independence

his family so desperately wanted for him.

At the front there's a carer's room,

complete with fold-away bed and a kitchenette.

Laurence's design draws on Mark's love of club music,

and it looks stunning.

The bold Ibiza vibe flows effortlessly throughout,

and incorporates all the medical equipment

and facilities Mark needs, from the bed in his bedroom,

to the hoist that runs through to the wet room.

It's functional without looking clinical.

All the floors have been levelled and the doors widened

so that Mark can move between different areas.

We've provided space for his family so they can begin to move on.

The old dining room has been transformed -

it now has a fresh colonial look, and is wheelchair accessible.

And we've built an entirely new lounge,

meaning there is finally an area

for talking and spending time with one another.

We've also refreshed the guest room so that Michelle can finally

spend comfortable time at home with Mum and Dad and brother.

The outside has had a major overhaul.

There are no more steps.

There are swirls - one gigantic one, in fact -

so that now the great outdoors can be used by everyone, including Mark.

You know, I even like the blue.

We've talked about the fact that the last two years have been dreadful,

and you were both saying that you were looking for a turning point.

There've been a lot of people come in

to try and turn things around for you.

We hope this is that turning point you've been looking for.

Open your eyes.

Oh, my goodness, it's beautiful.

-It's beautiful.

-My word.

What a difference.

How fantastic is that?

Wow.

This place is amazing.

To be honest, the bit you're really interested in

-is Mark's room, aren't you?

-Yeah,

-I'm excited to see that part.

-Yeah, of course.

HE GASPS

Oh!

CRYING: He'll love this.

He will absolutely love this.

Amazing.

I could have never imagined this. Never in a million years.

Thank you so much.

Words fail me, for once.

Nice bright colours in here,

and of course the all-important track,

which means he can come from the bed directly to the bathroom,

-that leads all the way through into the wet room and shower.

-Yeah.

Oh! Wow.

How good is this?

-What a superb place.

-Mark will absolutely love it.

So this is kind of a clubland bathroom.

I can't believe it.

I can't believe you've captured my son.

This is him.

Right, we've got some more to show you, we haven't finished yet. Come outside.

So here we go - as you keep on going down,

there's a bit of an Ibiza night-light thing going on here,

new radiator, kitchenette.

The picture, by the way, is Ibiza old town.

I can't believe the space.

This is the carer's room.

-This here is a fold-out bed so you take the cushions off.

-Oh, is it?

-Oh, yeah!

The idea is to keep the eye busy, keep the mind fired up.

Exactly. Exactly, and that's what he's in need of.

Stimulation will be just exactly what he needs now, isn't it?

I've got some more things to show you, we haven't finished yet.

And again, where have you got the space from?

As much as you wanted your son back home,

Michelle wanted her brother again.

You're definitely right there.

So this is the extra room, so that Michelle can come and be here

and spend time with Mark as well.

It's beautiful.

It's so beautiful. I don't know how to thank you.

It's been a long, long time for Mark, being cooped up,

and we can't wait to show him around now,

because he will love this, absolutely love what they've done for him.

Right, come on, I've got one more thing to show you.

-Wow!

-Oh, my goodness. It's gorgeous!

Never, ever in a million years

did I think that this would be anything like this.

And it's all accessible.

You would not believe the effort that has gone into this.

-I would, I would.

-Certainly can!

Come on, have a stroll down and take the route that Mark

will be taking whenever he comes out into the garden here.

I can't keep my eyes still, there's so much to look at.

There is so much to look at, definitely.

This is truly fantastic.

I'm overwhelmed by everybody's generosity.

Well, after two and a half years, time to bring your boy home.

Oh, yes, yes, yes.

-You ready?

-Yes.

-Yeah.

-We are, yeah.

-Yes, please.

-Come on.

It's amazing, isn't it?

APPLAUSE DROWNS SPEECH

This is absolutely amazing.

-Hiya!

-Hiya, son.

-Hi, darling.

Welcome home, son.

-Welcome home.

-Yeah.

See? You're home, Mark.

You're home, son.

Eh?

It's all right. You'll be fine.

You will be fine. You can't wait to see in there.

Oh, he's crying.

All these people out here have done so much for your house.

MARK CRIES I know.

So, so much for you.

-Guys, why don't you take Mark in and show him his new home?

-OK.

Will do. Come on, son.

There you go, mate, welcome home. There you go.

Now then, Mark,

this is your carer's room, right?

Look at all this. Look at this!

-They're jellyfish, Mark.

-Jellyfish!

You can't catch them with your rod, can you?

Isn't it fab?

Isn't that lovely? I knew you'd love that.

Let's go further, son. Come on, then.

Remember this? This used to be our garage, didn't it?

Now then, Mark, this is your bedroom.

-Eh?

-Look at your bed.

-Look at your bed.

-It's amazing.

Wow.

This is all for you. I think you like it, don't you?

It's all quite overwhelming.

This is all for you, Mark, from all them good people outside.

This day's the start of the rest of your life,

and we're going to be beside you all the way.

Aren't we, eh?

-Eh?

-Eh?

It's important the whole family

are involved with Mark's care - now they can be.

It's beautiful.

Not to have this room would mean that I couldn't come and stay here.

You can see from the minute he walked in,

he had a little smile on his face.

You can just see that he loves it.

He's definitely going to have such a fulfilled life,

and so are we, all together as a family.

APPLAUSE

Sorry about the weather. LAUGHTER

And I'm sorry to keep you out here so long.

I think "thank you" is so inadequate for what you've done.

This has just changed our lives completely,

and Mark's life will be, by far, much better

for what you have done for him.

None of you knew Mark,

but I'm sure deep down

he knows what you've done for him,

and we certainly do. Thank you so much.

APPLAUSE

Can I just say something from my heart, as a mum, to all of you?

Each and every one of you are our heroes.

You have pulled us from the brink of despair.

Thank you to each and every one of you.

Top man. Got your boy home.

Hello!

CROWD NOISE DROWNS SPEECH

-We did your roof.

-Oh, OK.

-This roof and the flat roof at the back.

-At the back as well? You've been busy, haven't you?

-Yeah, we have.

There's a saying - you can choose your friends

but you can't choose your family.

But given the choice, Mark couldn't have done better, really.

They couldn't get past that final hurdle,

but these new friends did that for them.

They came together and gave them a new future.

That's an extraordinary thing, don't you think?

Maybe you know somebody who needs your help.