The Big Build - Bidford on Avon DIY SOS


The Big Build - Bidford on Avon

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Transcript


LineFromTo

I was a very, very independent teenager.

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I'd just always be doing something.

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I wasn't the sort of person that would be just at home doing nothing.

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But two years ago everything changed.

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We never knew that Chloe's illness

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was going to take this sort of turn for the worse.

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And today, this 20-year-old's home is her prison.

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It's like these four walls that I'm stuck in and I can't get out.

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And I listen to everyone else in the other room,

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like watching TV together.

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It's very difficult.

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This is a family in crisis.

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Illness and uncertainty are in danger of tearing them apart.

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It's that desperate that Chloe said,

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"I think you should put me in a care home."

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And that shatters my whole world.

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We're here to stop that happening,

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helped by hordes of local heroes.

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It pulls on my heartstrings

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and I just want to give something back to the community.

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It's an epic task...

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That'll be heavy.

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..that won't be easy...

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It's an on-site mistake, it happens.

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..but it'll be worth every inch of effort.

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As usual we have just nine days,

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we've already found an army and we have him and we have him

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and we have him and we have that.

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And our designer this week is the inimitable Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen.

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-Hello. This is DIY SOS...

-No, I say that.

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This is DIY SOS: The Big Build!

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This is Bidford-on-Avon, Warwickshire,

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home to 20-year-old Chloe who's doing her best to cope with

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a chronic illness in the house she shares with her mum Susie,

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stepdad Phil and stepbrother Josh.

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When I have to explain my condition, first of all I say to people,

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"Don't expect a quick answer, have you got a while?"

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And then...I start explaining.

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Despite health problems since childhood,

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Chloe was well enough to enjoy much of her teenage life.

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But, at 18, her condition suddenly worsened

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and the impact was dramatic.

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Until we found out what was wrong,

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there was no way I could have left that hospital,

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so it meant pretty much the whole year just there.

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And that sort of thing gets very lonely.

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After months of tests, doctors diagnosed a mastocytosis -

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a rare genetic disorder that will require lifelong intervention.

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So I have a problem with my mast cells

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and they're a type of cell in your blood.

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And they deal with all the allergic reactions.

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They basically make me have allergic reaction symptoms

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when I'm not allergic to something.

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My throat closes, I get an ulcerated mouth,

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my skin is constantly like blistering and bubbling.

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Chloe needs constant access to oxygen,

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and has to be fed through a tube in her chest.

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As her condition also affects her heart,

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she's prone to seizures that stop her breathing and every day,

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her joints dislocate.

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She's in excruciating pain all the time,

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because of that, because of the pain receptors, they've actually...

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her brain's pain receptors have shut down the use of her legs.

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The illness has affected the whole family,

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mum Susie has given up her job

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managing the family's car repair business

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to devote herself to being Chloe's round-the-clock carer.

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We're getting about,

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well, between two and four hours of sleep a night.

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Chloe does rely on her mum a lot.

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Chloe does feel guilty about it

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because she feels that everybody's life revolves around her, um...

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And the more frustration... Well, the more she thinks about it,

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the more frustrated she gets with it.

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And it's a vicious circle.

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-Yeah.

-It is a vicious circle.

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Luckily, Chloe also has 12-year-old stepbrother Josh to lend a hand.

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Chloe's amazing, she puts up with a lot of pain.

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I like to help her out cos she's a great sister.

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Joshua is amazing, she's turned into my little big brother.

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If I start having a seizure,

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Josh will just run down the stairs as quick as he can to make sure that

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there's nothing I can hurt myself on,

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he's turned from a little boy into someone

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that knows he's got responsibility and he likes that, I think,

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cos he can be a part of helping.

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But despite this close-knit family strength,

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their house is making everyday life incredibly difficult.

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Chloe's wheelchair is too wide to get into most of the rooms

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so she's confined to the rear lounge,

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a much happier space when she was younger.

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I made a big papier-mache elephant in here, we've painted footballs,

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made bunting, played The Game Of Life on the table.

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And then it just all had to go.

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For the last 18 months, this has been Chloe's...

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-Everything room I call it.

-..everything room.

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It's not my bedroom and I don't ever call it bedroom.

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I just call it my cell,

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because it's like these four walls that I'm stuck in

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and I can't get out.

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With no room for Chloe to call her own and isolated from everyone else,

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this cramped home is physically forcing the family apart.

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Chloe spoke to me a few weeks ago in the middle of the night

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and she said, "I think you should put me in a care home..."

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She said, "..because I've taken over your lives,

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"I've taken over the house."

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And as a mum, I couldn't find an answer.

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I couldn't find an answer to keep us together as a family.

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And that shatters my whole world.

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If this young woman is to have the independence she so badly needs,

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her home simply has to change.

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I just... I just want some space to call my own.

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And having my own bedroom that's not the lounge,

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so my family have some space too.

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I want space for them as well.

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And that's where we come in.

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Particularly upsetting that Chloe can't join us this morning.

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-Yep.

-So what's happened over the weekend?

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Chloe had a particularly bad seizure.

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She was taken to hospital,

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and then unfortunately on Friday morning she had a cardiac arrest.

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But she's OK.

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Is that something that happened before?

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Not as bad as this.

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So this is as bad as it's been?

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Yep. What do you need... what do you need from this house?

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-Just some...just some space. All we ask...

-Just some space.

-Yep.

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If you were able to adapt the house

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so that she was mobile around the house,

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then it would bring the whole family together.

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We're going to have to break your house to do it.

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You put a smile on his face.

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I think it's the break bit.

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It's the breaking bit.

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He'll enjoy that bit.

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Morning, everybody.

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I'd just like to say thank you ever so much for everybody.

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It means an awful lot,

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Chloe is really sorry she can't be here today.

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Chloe is restricted to an electric wheelchair,

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so she's just had to live in the front room.

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And it's as Chloe put it, it's her cell.

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There's not enough room in there for us all to go in,

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and she can't get in with us

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so we sort of shout through a wall so we're very segregated.

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-Just need to be a family again.

-Yeah.

-Yeah.

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-Are we up for doing that? ALL:

-Yeah.

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As usual, we have only nine days to get this gigantic job done,

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let the orgy of destruction commence.

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To give Chloe some independence,

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we're building her a self-contained flat.

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We're also going to open up the downstairs

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so she can use the whole space when she wants.

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And we're rewiring the entire house too.

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Thankfully, for everyone's safety, Billy's not on his own.

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He's got ten electricians to "lead".

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To be honest, see, I'm Jurassic sparks, you're the young sparks.

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We'll get it together and we'll do it.

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Luckily, there's not much work to be done upstairs.

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We're going to move these walls back here and make the hallway bigger.

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We're changing the bathroom round.

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We're rewiring up here.

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We've ripped all the carpets out. Billy's got sparks everywhere.

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We've got furniture up the stairs

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and we're going to have to redecorate and carpet

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and put a new bathroom in and dress all the rooms.

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So, yeah, we're not doing much up here.

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Yes. And of course we need to get stuck in straightaway

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as there's no time to waste.

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You can't just run into battle. Come up with a plan and stick to it.

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That's what we're doing. I'm getting your pipes,

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you're getting the ripping bar, we'll pull the ceilings down,

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we'll expose the underside of the joists.

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-Let Doug see the rabbit, see what's going on.

-Yeah. See.

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Not sure how Chris and Jules speaking Devonian

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will go down in these parts.

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Anyway, to rip this place apart and rebuild it,

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we're going to need a grand plan and for that we need a grand designer.

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Here he comes. Here is he, in the middle of the build,

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everyone's turning around, look, look, by limo, Lawrence.

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By limo. You going with the vampire look again, are we?

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Oh, we are, you know, keep the undesirables at bay.

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Do you have a routine to go through before you get started?

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I do, I need to be entirely lubricated

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-so I can just slide straight through the side.

-Lovely, well, let's see.

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Anybody want to volunteer to lubricate Lawrence?

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'No volunteers and no wonder, Lawrence isn't completely human

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'which is good because there's too much design work here

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'for a mere mortal.'

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What's the over-arching theme and what is their emotion...

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-Cornwall. Cornwall.

-We're in the Midlands,

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we're in the middle of the Midlands.

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They have spent a lot of time in St Ives,

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I think we should use colour and texture in a way

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that will be modern and exciting.

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Just because it has to be disability friendly,

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it doesn't mean it has to look disability friendly.

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Listen, this is really important to me,

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my mother was severely disabled for most of my life.

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I grew up with it. She was adamant that...

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She used to say, "Stylish first, ramps second."

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For a young person like Chloe, design is incredibly important.

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Chloe wants to have a glamorous life.

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You facilitate the life, I want to make it pretty,

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that's the way it always works. That's why we're such a good team.

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That's why we love you. You come in and you spangle up our ordinary.

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And Lawrence has pulled out all of his spangles

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to not only give Chloe a place of her own

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but also to create a space for the family to be together.

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First up, we need to widen the hall and doorways and make room

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for an open-plan kitchen-diner that's fully accessible for Chloe.

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The front room we're keeping the same,

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but the major magic is happening in what was the back garden -

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a massive extension will provide Chloe with independence

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thanks to her own self-contained apartment,

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complete with bedroom, wet room and sitting room.

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Upstairs, the bathroom and spare room are getting a total revamp

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and Josh's bedroom will become an urban chic chill-out zone.

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Well, that's how Lawrence put it.

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And we'll be turning Susie and Phil's bedroom

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into a well deserved Cornish retreat

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because, well, these guys have had a really tough few years.

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So in effect we're totally transforming 99% of the house,

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except the front room.

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That is sacrosanct and must not be touched.

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Hang on a sec, hang on. Did you not get the memo

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-saying we're not going to do too much to that room?

-Yeah, we're not.

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Well, I can see how little you've done to the room already.

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We're not touching that wall.

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We're just taking this wall out and we're moving that wall in.

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And we had to take the ceiling down because the steel's to go in.

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We'll put it all back, you won't know.

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-Really?!

-Yeah. No.

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-Yeah, cos this is her favourite room.

-Was!

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So we're not touching it.

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We were told that the blinds we're retaining as well

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-so that's why we've left that piece of ceiling there, so.

-Right.

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Memo got squished, so now just keeping the blinds in that room.

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That's it, is it? That's all that's left basically.

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Yeah, you see, communication has never really been our strong point.

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At least out the back,

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everyone's been working as one on the extension.

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Look at it fly up.

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And this time we are using structural insulated panels

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or Sips for short.

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They're like a board sandwich with a foam filling.

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This is the shape of the building

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which you can see they're already starting to put roof timbers on.

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Extraordinary, isn't it, the speed that it goes up?

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So that's incredible, that's two hours.

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But it's not just the building materials

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that are going to provide warmth here,

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there's a lot of love from the local tradesmen helping out.

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So you know the family anyway?

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Yeah, I know Suse, I used to socialise with Suse back in the day.

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I like to think, you know, someone would do it for me

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if my daughter was in the same situation

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so, like I say, I know Suse so it was a no-brainer.

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-What do you get out of it?

-You get a sense of community,

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you're helping someone who really needs something.

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And with the level of graft on the site turned up to the max

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we have somehow managed to take a house apart

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and created an entirely new building in the garden.

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Not bad for just one day's work, is it?

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What have you built?

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-It's huge.

-I know, it's massive, isn't it?

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My God. It's what you wanted.

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Now this little problem is

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that we've got to get it roofed and ready for tomorrow night.

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Get the whole thing watertight,

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we have got to get the steels in tomorrow.

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You think you've got problems, I can't find a particular shade

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-of dusky pink I need for her bedroom curtains.

-Oh, my God.

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That's a crisis.

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Can someone call Ban Ki-moon at the UN and tell him what's going on,

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see if we can get a task force together to help Lawrence?

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Thank you.

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You know, after 16 years,

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this programme still never fails to amaze me.

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All this in just seven hours.

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And this isn't all of it. Come through this way.

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Here's another part of the extension.

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We aren't even in the original part of the house.

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If you turn left, I'll go into what was Chloe's room,

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you can go into what was the kitchen,

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past the only remaining wall holding up the ceiling.

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It's incredible. But even we have to go home

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when it gets really, really late.

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First thing next morning, we're back in

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and it's reassuring to see that everyone's 100% focused

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on the things that really matter on this build.

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That's the key thing.

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You're over-haired and you're just a bit scruffy.

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I'm trying a new look. It's winter, I'm going into my winter plumage.

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Yep, but it's scruffy, you look un-kept.

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You should be smart, you're representing us all.

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You don't want to walk around looking a bit trampy.

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Well, I'm on a building site.

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You know, I shave. I look respectable.

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You haven't got any hair at all.

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I mean, there's a distinct lack of hair all over.

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-Are you sure this isn't jealousy?

-No, it's not jealousy.

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-Really?

-Honestly, I've never, ever, ever

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been bothered about being balding.

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Never.

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-Doesn't bother me.

-It's just that it does grow quite quickly.

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And it, you know... But it looks good, though, doesn't it?

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-Like a hobo!

-All right, no, I'll take it on board.

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Thanks very much your input.

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It's not nice, is it?

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I've got feelings!

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Well, if my new look's not impressing everyone,

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this certainly will -

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the start of Chloe's self-contained flat, complete with wet room.

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One of the things I'm doing is I'm making a big fuss

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of the central wet room space, as a kind of a feature, if you like.

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So it's not a sort of a, "Oh, we've had to squeeze in a wet room!"

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Actually, it becomes part of the architecture.

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I'm changing colour on it, changing texture on it.

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It's funny how something we all take for granted

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can become such a problem.

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Chloe's been unable to get to the upstairs bathroom

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for the past two years,

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so even a simple trip to the loo presents problems.

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And having a shower involves a two hour round-trip to her gran's house,

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which has a ground floor wet room.

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The scenario is that Suse has to get her out of bed, dressed,

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into her chair...

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Here goes trouble.

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..then into the car, round to Mum's house.

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-You OK?

-Yeah.

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Not having a bathroom is one of the hardest things.

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It's, like, as a 20-year-old girl, you kind of just expect.

0:16:190:16:24

It's degrading in a sense.

0:16:240:16:26

It takes away that dignity.

0:16:260:16:27

It's a couple of hours' job, which it takes a lot,

0:16:290:16:33

a lot of effort for both Suse and Chloe.

0:16:330:16:35

And just the strain of a car journey can cause Chloe to collapse.

0:16:370:16:42

Chlo? Darling? Mummy's just going to take you back out to the car. OK?

0:16:430:16:48

We couldn't wash her today.

0:16:510:16:52

She's just had a small seizure.

0:16:520:16:56

Her brain says, "Thank you very much, but no thank you."

0:16:560:16:59

To protect her body, it sort of shuts down.

0:16:590:17:03

We're home, Chloe.

0:17:030:17:04

Chloe can't live in that room all of the time.

0:17:100:17:12

She can't do it. If she did have to go into a home,

0:17:120:17:14

it would tear the family apart.

0:17:140:17:16

My family are my absolute world.

0:17:190:17:21

I'll do anything for my family to keep them together...

0:17:220:17:27

..and to...

0:17:280:17:29

..make our family work...

0:17:300:17:32

..as a family.

0:17:330:17:34

Anything.

0:17:340:17:35

And so will we, Suse.

0:17:370:17:38

On site, there's been an arrival that's causing something a stir.

0:17:410:17:45

That'll be heavy.

0:17:470:17:49

What, you think so, Chris?

0:17:490:17:50

Really? You think so?

0:17:500:17:51

That's 89 kilos a metre.

0:17:510:17:53

-We'll need more men.

-If we just cut it in half, we can just...

0:17:530:17:57

..use half the amount of blokes.

0:17:580:18:00

-It's not going to work.

-No.

0:18:000:18:01

Cos it will...

0:18:010:18:02

Quite right, Chris. Now, this big steel is heading for the hole

0:18:040:18:07

that's at the bottom of the original house.

0:18:070:18:10

Well, I say that - it would be, if it wasn't too short.

0:18:100:18:13

The structural engineer has made the opening for 5.7.

0:18:130:18:16

5.7 opening.

0:18:160:18:18

And given the amount of people involved in a job of this size,

0:18:180:18:21

we can't be sure how the steel ended up too short.

0:18:210:18:24

He recalculated, said, yes, but the steel wasn't altered.

0:18:260:18:30

It's an on-site mistake. It happens, doesn't it?

0:18:310:18:33

-It's a bit of communication, really.

-Yeah, yeah, it happens.

0:18:330:18:35

Problem is, we've just got to get over it.

0:18:350:18:38

I told you - communication isn't really our thing.

0:18:380:18:41

Open that up. We'll get a foundation in,

0:18:410:18:43

-we'll build a column on there to take the steel.

-Do it.

0:18:430:18:45

It's a little bit of extra work, but it's got to be done.

0:18:450:18:47

Yeah, there must be a simpler solution.

0:18:470:18:49

What have we got on the end of that steel, leaving that there?

0:18:490:18:52

We've got a...

0:18:520:18:54

200 bearing.

0:18:540:18:55

Doesn't matter how many times you measure it, Chris,

0:18:550:18:58

it's not going to get any longer!

0:18:580:19:00

See, we were going to cut it back to here...

0:19:000:19:03

..because of the kitchen design.

0:19:040:19:06

The answer to the problem is leave that pier there,

0:19:060:19:09

and let them redesign the kitchen.

0:19:090:19:10

Do the job.

0:19:100:19:11

I'm paid for thinking.

0:19:110:19:13

Did he just say, "Redesign the kitchen"?

0:19:140:19:18

That means talking to you-know-who.

0:19:180:19:21

I've got to tell you something.

0:19:210:19:23

Have we... It's not... Are we doing the wrong house?

0:19:260:19:29

It feels like it. No, I'll tell you what we're doing.

0:19:290:19:32

We've got a slight problem with the steel.

0:19:320:19:35

The pier is about 700, which comes right through your kitchen.

0:19:350:19:40

You what? 700?

0:19:400:19:41

-Deep?

-Right out into the room.

0:19:410:19:44

No. No, no, but that's fine. That's work surface depth.

0:19:440:19:47

That's just exactly what I was going to do to it,

0:19:470:19:50

which was to take the original 300 and pack it out to be 700.

0:19:500:19:53

I love that man.

0:19:530:19:54

So, you know, what's your problem?

0:19:540:19:56

-Absolutely love him.

-Let's talk about the curtains.

0:19:560:19:59

This is why I love working with him,

0:19:590:20:00

cos you give him something like a massive problem like that,

0:20:000:20:04

and he just, like, in his head it's dealt with,

0:20:040:20:06

and he's rearranged the room.

0:20:060:20:07

Oh, I love that man.

0:20:110:20:13

Two, three!

0:20:160:20:18

It looks a lot better up there

0:20:260:20:27

than it did on the floor, doesn't it, lads?

0:20:270:20:29

A good feeling to get the steel in. You're getting somewhere then.

0:20:290:20:32

Every step you take, you're getting nearer the end.

0:20:320:20:34

Every brick that's laid, you're getting nearer the end.

0:20:340:20:36

Every shovelful of rubbish that's lifted,

0:20:360:20:39

getting near the end.

0:20:390:20:41

Every breath you take, I'll be watching you.

0:20:410:20:44

Mind you, this is not a dumb site.

0:20:460:20:48

Our tea lady's an off-duty lawyer,

0:20:480:20:50

so that's a barrister playing a barista.

0:20:500:20:53

Had some friends walking their children to school

0:20:530:20:56

who thought it was hilarious that I was this side of the bar,

0:20:560:20:58

so I've been ribbed a bit about that.

0:20:580:21:00

But I know that if the teas and coffees don't run on schedule,

0:21:000:21:02

then everything else goes to pot.

0:21:020:21:04

So that's when I thought, "I've got the DIY skills of a hamster,

0:21:040:21:07

"but I can make a mean cup of tea."

0:21:070:21:09

So she's a barrister being a barista.

0:21:090:21:12

Everyone here wants to give this family the space they need -

0:21:120:21:15

not least the next-door neighbours.

0:21:150:21:17

They just need to become a family again.

0:21:170:21:18

And this is what you're going to provide for them.

0:21:180:21:20

I mean, Chloe's been stuck, a prisoner.

0:21:200:21:22

And all of a sudden they can sit down at the dining room table

0:21:220:21:25

and have a meal together, and Chloe will be able to have a shower,

0:21:250:21:27

which has got to be the most important thing.

0:21:270:21:29

The whole plan is basically to have

0:21:290:21:31

-everything for Chloe on the ground floor.

-Yeah.

0:21:310:21:33

She had independence before - she was a normal 18-year-old

0:21:330:21:38

and did all the things you would expect somebody to do.

0:21:380:21:40

And all of a sudden she's confined to a wheelchair.

0:21:400:21:44

And that's just horrific.

0:21:440:21:46

I don't know how... I do not know how Susie's done it.

0:21:460:21:48

I really don't.

0:21:480:21:50

So we have to get this house rebuilt in just a short space of time,

0:21:500:21:53

and the only way to do that is to burn the midnight oil.

0:21:530:21:56

After a good late night, it's day three

0:21:590:22:02

and although the turn out of trade so far has been brilliant,

0:22:020:22:05

today something weird's happened.

0:22:050:22:07

We're very low on trades.

0:22:090:22:12

We started off with 20, we're now up to 23, which is good.

0:22:120:22:14

Another carpenter's just pulled up, so that's 24.

0:22:140:22:17

Excellent. So I need another...

0:22:170:22:20

probably 36.

0:22:200:22:21

Be handy.

0:22:220:22:24

You're not any good at plaster boarding or chipping, are you?

0:22:240:22:27

If only!

0:22:270:22:28

We need people to help out.

0:22:290:22:31

We need a big weekend, basically.

0:22:310:22:32

We need people to come and help us over the weekend.

0:22:320:22:34

We need the numbers up to even have half a hope of getting the walls,

0:22:340:22:38

doors and windows done on this behemoth of a building.

0:22:380:22:42

I'm sure the police will speak to her about this.

0:22:450:22:47

Hello, if you don't have any carpenters at all, do you?

0:22:470:22:49

OK, all right. I'll be back in a minute, they're just taking me

0:22:500:22:53

to a carpenter who lives around the corner.

0:22:530:22:55

That really happened.

0:22:570:22:58

That's how low on trades we are.

0:22:580:23:00

He jumped into the back of a car!

0:23:010:23:02

And whilst the lack of chippies is concerning,

0:23:040:23:06

Billy's swimming in sparks.

0:23:060:23:08

He seems to have started something of a cult.

0:23:080:23:10

I think he's every electrician's aspiration.

0:23:110:23:15

Whenever they come into the trade, he's the mascot.

0:23:150:23:20

But also he's the guy that we aspire to.

0:23:200:23:23

He's living our dream.

0:23:230:23:24

There isn't anyone else.

0:23:240:23:26

-He's your mascot?

-He is.

0:23:260:23:28

-That smile...

-That winning smile.

-Look at it - that's it.

0:23:280:23:31

-That teethy grin.

-This is costing me a fortune, this has.

0:23:310:23:34

So, Billy is...ambassador. Can you imagine?

0:23:340:23:39

-Saint Spark.

-Yeah, yeah.

0:23:410:23:43

Outside, the hunt for local tradesmen continues.

0:23:450:23:48

Don't think we'll find any down there, mate.

0:23:480:23:50

One, two, three.

0:23:500:23:52

FROG CROAKS

0:23:520:23:53

Turn around there, and then go back in there.

0:23:540:23:57

Yeah, there's two chippies in the van!

0:23:570:23:59

Keep at it, Mark, we'll get there in the end.

0:24:000:24:02

At least the back garden's coming on - sort of.

0:24:020:24:04

And Chloe's uncle Dave has big plans for it.

0:24:040:24:07

I'm Chloe's great uncle.

0:24:070:24:08

Thought I'd do as a bit of a surprise a piece of sculpture.

0:24:080:24:11

I always think of Chloe as our flower.

0:24:110:24:14

-Right.

-Cos she's never complained.

0:24:140:24:16

You'll never hear her complaining, or, you know,

0:24:160:24:18

being bitter about her condition.

0:24:180:24:20

Obviously, I've been in the little back room with Chloe with the bed,

0:24:210:24:24

taking most of the room up,

0:24:240:24:26

floor to ceiling in medicines and whatever.

0:24:260:24:29

So, yeah, it's a big transformation.

0:24:290:24:32

You seem very emotional about the transformation.

0:24:320:24:34

I'm emotional about it, yeah.

0:24:340:24:35

Yeah, as I say, just I know what the family have been through

0:24:350:24:40

and, as I say, we look at her as our flower, really.

0:24:400:24:43

So I'm doing a vertical steel...

0:24:430:24:46

Sorry, vertical timber pillar with a big steel flower on the top.

0:24:460:24:49

I was thinking maybe a 70 foot colossus version of myself

0:24:490:24:53

-in a sort of Nero-style Roman way.

-Yeah.

0:24:530:24:55

I've seen the drawing up in the office, actually.

0:24:550:24:57

-It does look like it.

-Does it?!

0:24:570:24:59

And there's some good news on the trade front.

0:25:020:25:04

All the boarders and plasterers have turned up in one hit.

0:25:040:25:07

I reckon there must be about 25, 30 of them.

0:25:070:25:11

Double chippy? Did you bring any fish with you?

0:25:110:25:14

Yeah, the locals want a really have stepped up to the plate -

0:25:170:25:20

and I'm not just talking about the chippies.

0:25:200:25:22

Everyone wants to pitch in.

0:25:220:25:24

No, that's wrong, because you haven't got the hair like that!

0:25:260:25:30

Have you lot never, ever read a fairy tale?

0:25:300:25:32

Do you know what these women are?

0:25:320:25:34

They are witches and those are possessed gingerbread people.

0:25:340:25:38

Really? And there was me thinking they were just kind-hearted bakers.

0:25:380:25:42

Thank you very much indeed.

0:25:420:25:43

I shall take great delight in eating bits off myself.

0:25:430:25:46

We've done you a little gingerbread man.

0:25:480:25:51

-Good, isn't it?

-I understand that you've got a biscuit, too.

0:25:520:25:56

-Yeah, I did, yeah.

-She said, "We've done yours, it looks dishevelled."

0:25:560:26:01

-Why is it ginger?

-Look at the direct sunlight on my hair.

0:26:010:26:03

-Look, it's actually... Can you see it's coppery?

-Do you know, though,

0:26:030:26:06

you are the king of the jungle.

0:26:060:26:08

That is the mightiest mane I have seen...

0:26:080:26:11

What, the big hair?

0:26:110:26:12

..on a human being, apart from Mufasa, the king.

0:26:120:26:15

I take that as a compliment coming from you,

0:26:150:26:17

possibly the most flamboyant head male on television.

0:26:170:26:21

And appearances aside, we're pushing on with this one.

0:26:230:26:25

The upstairs has got walls going on.

0:26:250:26:27

Nice!

0:26:270:26:29

And outside, Billy's fame's growing by the second.

0:26:290:26:33

Oh, and the extension's been made watertight,

0:26:330:26:35

thanks to the roofing material,

0:26:350:26:36

which has got Jules and Mark thinking there might be

0:26:360:26:39

another outlet and a chance to earn some money.

0:26:390:26:41

Feel that. I'd love a pair of pants made out of that.

0:26:410:26:44

-A full suit.

-Yeah.

0:26:440:26:45

-Full body suit.

-A full rubber suit.

0:26:450:26:48

Maybe a short pair of pants.

0:26:480:26:50

Yeah. Or like a vest and pants...

0:26:500:26:52

-In one.

-In one!

-In one.

-That'd be nice.

-That'd be good cos you could

0:26:520:26:55

cut it out, the one shape in front, and then glue them together.

0:26:550:26:58

-Yeah.

-Or staple them together.

0:26:580:26:59

Yeah. No, you'd glue them, you'd do this.

0:26:590:27:03

Rubber bond them.

0:27:030:27:04

That's a bit of rubber bonding there. Look at that.

0:27:060:27:08

I tell you what would be nice as well, if the weather's bad,

0:27:080:27:10

you could do a bit of knee... You could make some knee-high socks

0:27:100:27:13

out of it, in case there with puddles.

0:27:130:27:15

And a little rubber hat.

0:27:150:27:16

And a rubber hat. Yeah, that would be nice.

0:27:160:27:17

Yes, you were watching two builders talking about

0:27:170:27:20

having rubber suits made.

0:27:200:27:21

And round the front, all the praise has gone to Billy's head.

0:27:210:27:23

-EB has taken LB's taxi.

-Out.

0:27:250:27:27

Maybe I'm not. Maybe I'm not!

0:27:270:27:31

Can someone get me a damp cloth?

0:27:310:27:33

Seriously, look what he's done to my upholstery.

0:27:330:27:35

-Look.

-It's leather sausage.

0:27:350:27:36

Nice try, Bill.

0:27:380:27:39

Halfway through the build and there's still a lot to do.

0:27:460:27:48

We're struggling to get carpet fitters,

0:27:480:27:50

and there's a couple of hundred square metres

0:27:500:27:52

of driveway still to lay.

0:27:520:27:54

This is epic.

0:27:550:27:56

-All right.

-Good morning, Nicholas.

0:27:590:28:00

You look slightly different this morning.

0:28:000:28:03

Well, I took on board what you said about me looking my best,

0:28:030:28:06

not taking it seriously,

0:28:060:28:08

so I've had a bit of a haircut and tidied myself up a little bit

0:28:080:28:12

and wondered whether this would suffice as your representative

0:28:120:28:14

of the programme, cos I know you were very upset about it.

0:28:140:28:17

I think it's a vast improvement.

0:28:170:28:19

I think you could have went a little further.

0:28:200:28:22

All I can say is thank you

0:28:220:28:23

for taking a bit more care in your appearance.

0:28:230:28:25

I feel ready to face the day now.

0:28:250:28:27

Cos I felt slightly down on myself last week.

0:28:270:28:30

-I think you should have as well.

-Thanks.

0:28:300:28:32

'Jules really knows how to make a person feel special.'

0:28:320:28:35

But nowhere near as special as the tons of trades hard at work here

0:28:380:28:42

to give Chloe and her family the house they need to move forward.

0:28:420:28:46

It pulls on my heartstrings,

0:28:460:28:47

and I just want to give something back to the community.

0:28:470:28:49

I could do stuff, I'll help out,

0:28:490:28:51

I'll do anything that needs to be done, I'll get in there and do it.

0:28:510:28:54

Have you known Chloe for a long time?

0:28:540:28:56

-Yes, I went to primary school with her.

-Primary school?

0:28:560:28:58

The word on the street is that your partner is currently

0:28:580:29:01

-in labour.

-Yeah.

-And you're here...

-Yeah.

0:29:010:29:04

..knowing that your new-born might be popping out at this moment in time?

0:29:040:29:08

-Yeah.

-Mate, respect.

-Thank you.

0:29:080:29:11

Or brave. I don't know which it is.

0:29:130:29:15

I would say more stupidity, to be honest.

0:29:150:29:18

'Never mind that, just leave work and go be with the girl.

0:29:180:29:21

'Volunteers like George know just how hard life has been for Chloe,

0:29:210:29:24

'who's still in hospital. Her years of illness have had an impact

0:29:240:29:28

'on the whole family, including stepdad Phil.'

0:29:280:29:30

Was it frustrating that you couldn't get the house the way you wanted to?

0:29:300:29:33

I find it very humbling the fact that all these people have come

0:29:330:29:36

to help us on something that I wished

0:29:360:29:39

I'd have been able to do myself.

0:29:390:29:42

I just think it's fantastic that you live

0:29:420:29:44

in a community that actually cares that much.

0:29:440:29:46

It's going to be difficult to find enough thanks for all these people,

0:29:460:29:50

for what they've done.

0:29:500:29:51

It did feel like we were fighting, at some stages, a losing battle...

0:29:520:29:56

..just to get a 20-year-old girl what she needs.

0:29:580:30:02

Fair play to her, Susie...

0:30:030:30:05

she's banged on a lot of doors and hit a lot of brick walls,

0:30:050:30:11

really, trying to get what Chloe needs

0:30:110:30:15

and to try and slow Susie down is easier said than done.

0:30:150:30:19

Even when I say to her, "Come on, Suse,

0:30:190:30:23

"we've got to think about what did happen before."

0:30:230:30:25

She has been told by doctors and what have you

0:30:250:30:29

that she's got to slow herself down, but she doesn't.

0:30:290:30:35

And for a husband, it does scare me.

0:30:360:30:40

That's the thing, though, you fall in love with the whole package.

0:30:400:30:42

Yeah. Yeah.

0:30:420:30:44

Have you thought about what it's going to be like

0:30:440:30:46

once the house is done?

0:30:460:30:47

-All I hope for is independent living for Chloe.

-Yeah.

0:30:470:30:51

Which will make her life much easier,

0:30:510:30:55

which in turn will make Susie's life easier,

0:30:550:30:58

because obviously Susie being her primary carer -

0:30:580:31:01

bring Susie's stress levels down, I'll be happy as anything.

0:31:010:31:04

That's massive.

0:31:050:31:06

We're heading towards the final push

0:31:100:31:11

to try and get this build done in time.

0:31:110:31:13

Now, here's the good news.

0:31:130:31:15

Paint is going on upstairs in the bedrooms.

0:31:150:31:18

Here's the bad news.

0:31:180:31:20

The flooring suppliers have just dropped out.

0:31:200:31:22

Oh, my God.

0:31:220:31:24

And the electrics are at the second fix stage,

0:31:240:31:27

plus Chloe's apartment's almost ready to be decorated.

0:31:270:31:30

I'm a happy bunny, my boys have been in, look, plastering fairies.

0:31:300:31:34

This is Chloe's bedroom, so Chloe's bed is going to be here.

0:31:340:31:37

And guess who's putting the wall on the wet room -

0:31:370:31:40

George the plasterer, whose partner is still in labour.

0:31:400:31:44

How is your girlfriend?

0:31:440:31:45

She's all right. The closest they've got is 17 minutes apart.

0:31:450:31:48

I had hardly any sleep last night.

0:31:480:31:51

It's been the longest labour in the history of the world.

0:31:510:31:53

It'll take your mind off it.

0:31:530:31:54

I thought I'd come here and do a bit more spreading.

0:31:540:31:57

That's a plasterer for you.

0:31:570:31:58

That front room is almost like we've never touched it.

0:31:590:32:03

Almost. The kitchen-diner is getting a kitchen and a wood burner,

0:32:030:32:07

which is nice.

0:32:070:32:08

And Mark's fretting about more than just the flooring,

0:32:090:32:12

but then he worries about everything, he's a worrier.

0:32:120:32:14

Listen, Pete, I'm seriously worried about your driveway.

0:32:140:32:17

-I know.

-It's a massive driveway.

0:32:170:32:20

Now, there's only two days left,

0:32:210:32:23

but at least one of Mark's prayers has been answered.

0:32:230:32:25

We've finally got a floor.

0:32:250:32:26

It's very nice stuff. At such short notice,

0:32:290:32:32

you're kind of in the realms of "get what you're given", but...

0:32:320:32:35

You know how short the notice is?

0:32:350:32:37

Two and a half hours. That's genuine.

0:32:370:32:39

-It's two and a half hours.

-Can you come over for a hug?

0:32:390:32:41

-This isn't any old rubbish. It's good stuff.

-It's good stuff.

0:32:410:32:43

-It's very good stuff.

-The thing that has really sorted my day out

0:32:430:32:46

is just this influx of glamour.

0:32:460:32:48

I mean, the floor is nice, but you lot...

0:32:480:32:51

-None of us...

-Can we keep you?

0:32:510:32:53

Thank you.

0:32:530:32:54

It's people like that who make the magic happen here,

0:32:560:32:58

which means we can improve life for the whole family,

0:32:580:33:00

including Chloe's brother Josh.

0:33:000:33:02

I idolise my brother a bit.

0:33:030:33:06

He's a boy of few words, until he knows you.

0:33:060:33:10

Josh was very hands-on and he's very creative.

0:33:100:33:14

I want to help her out.

0:33:140:33:17

I did a garden outside the garage

0:33:170:33:20

so she can, like, look out the window

0:33:200:33:23

and have a look at it and stuff.

0:33:230:33:25

Josh loves getting his hands dirty,

0:33:260:33:28

so we thought this budding DIY-er might like to visit the site.

0:33:280:33:31

No peeping now.

0:33:310:33:32

You grab that and I'll come and sit with you.

0:33:320:33:36

We've been living in here, we've been eating in here.

0:33:380:33:40

-We've obviously taken the house completely apart.

-Yeah.

0:33:400:33:43

We've wrecked your room.

0:33:430:33:44

We're going to put it back together again,

0:33:450:33:47

but what would you like in... Anything you fancy seeing in there?

0:33:470:33:51

Like graffiti and stuff.

0:33:510:33:53

What did you say?

0:33:530:33:55

Banksy and stuff.

0:33:550:33:56

You're into all that street art?

0:33:560:33:58

-Yeah.

-I love it. Respect, big fella, respect.

0:33:580:34:02

I like your style.

0:34:020:34:03

'So this is how it works.

0:34:030:34:05

'A young lad who turns out to be the best little brother in the world

0:34:050:34:08

'says he likes street art, and immediately we get someone in

0:34:080:34:11

'to give him a bedroom in that very style.

0:34:110:34:12

'It's always going to be child's play for the Duke of Decoration.'

0:34:120:34:15

You were talking about how you...

0:34:150:34:18

your mum had disabilities when you were younger.

0:34:180:34:20

When you look at Josh trying to help out his older sister

0:34:200:34:22

and the first one whenever she needs her bed changing,

0:34:220:34:25

-do you see something of you in that?

-Oh, very much so.

0:34:250:34:27

I think in many ways his room

0:34:270:34:30

is probably one of the most important rooms in the house.

0:34:300:34:32

It's a way of giving him an environment which is his,

0:34:320:34:38

which he can control, he can take charge off.

0:34:380:34:42

Everything out there he can't control,

0:34:420:34:44

he can't control his sister's condition,

0:34:440:34:45

he can't control the way the rest of the family is, but actually,

0:34:450:34:48

when he shuts that door,

0:34:480:34:49

I want to feel that he can recharge his batteries

0:34:490:34:52

in a much more efficient, much more powerful way.

0:34:520:34:54

So it's all hands on deck to get Josh's room shipshape...

0:34:550:34:58

..turn the extension into a stylish self-contained flat for Chloe,

0:35:000:35:03

and make a garden out of a mud pit.

0:35:030:35:06

Oh, and fit a kitchen.

0:35:060:35:07

And lay what feels like the largest driveway in the Midlands,

0:35:070:35:11

and hang about 100 lights.

0:35:110:35:13

And we've only got one day to do it.

0:35:130:35:14

Off.

0:35:140:35:16

On.

0:35:160:35:17

Some people.

0:35:170:35:19

Off, on.

0:35:190:35:21

Plus, we still have to finish decorating the rest of the house,

0:35:210:35:24

and there's bad news again.

0:35:240:35:25

You have to be out and cleared and everything swept...

0:35:250:35:28

Absolutely everything...

0:35:280:35:29

..by six o'clock to give the floor layers a chance.

0:35:290:35:32

Because if they don't, we're screwed.

0:35:320:35:34

I'm worried about this one, honestly, I am worried by this.

0:35:340:35:37

Let's get it emptied.

0:35:370:35:39

There's a crazy amount still left to be done,

0:35:390:35:41

but there's no stopping these floor fitters.

0:35:410:35:44

# Why do flies suddenly appear

0:35:490:35:53

# Every time you are near? #

0:35:530:35:55

Look, he's dancing on our brand-new floor.

0:35:550:35:57

-They finished it overnight.

-Love it!

0:35:570:35:59

Plastering on our last day.

0:36:000:36:02

It's not a good sign, is it?

0:36:020:36:03

Yeah, but we'll get there. We'll get there.

0:36:050:36:07

A lot of love around the place.

0:36:120:36:13

He's doing a blinding job here.

0:36:170:36:18

That's a builder's joke, by the way.

0:36:180:36:20

What do you call this process?

0:36:200:36:22

Blinding the driveway with sand.

0:36:220:36:23

-See?

-What, have you told a joke to do with blinding?

0:36:230:36:26

-I said he's doing a blinding job.

-Oh, right.

0:36:260:36:28

And what I've done is I've taken what the process is called...

0:36:280:36:31

And turned it into a joke.

0:36:310:36:33

-..added it to a colloquialism...

-I see.

-..to create a moment.

0:36:330:36:36

Do you think it's funny?

0:36:360:36:37

This boy is never happier than when he's driving plant.

0:36:410:36:46

Full steam ahead.

0:36:460:36:47

But really, today belongs to only one, being...

0:36:480:36:51

Oh, blimey.

0:36:510:36:53

-Looming.

-Was I looming?

0:36:530:36:55

Did you feel the air get slightly colder?

0:36:550:36:58

I did.

0:36:580:36:59

If you look very carefully, there is no reflection of him in the window.

0:36:590:37:03

'Special forces are at work here. Well, they must be.

0:37:070:37:09

'Or we wouldn't stand a chance of getting this finished for tomorrow.'

0:37:090:37:13

This is the big day for you, isn't it?

0:37:130:37:15

This is when it becomes a kind of cushion apocalypse.

0:37:150:37:19

Yes. And it's a kind of day, really, where your vision

0:37:190:37:21

that we were talking at the beginning of the week,

0:37:210:37:23

that you have, this strange vision

0:37:230:37:24

that you can have that I don't have...

0:37:240:37:26

You're really bouncy this morning.

0:37:260:37:28

Well, it's the last day, I'm excited.

0:37:280:37:30

-I'm excited.

-You're going like this.

-Here we are, here is your vision,

0:37:300:37:33

it's been fed through our mincer where we've mangled your vision

0:37:330:37:36

with what we can achieve, what we can get hold of,

0:37:360:37:38

what we can afford to pay you for and what people have given us.

0:37:380:37:41

And now only you can mess it up.

0:37:410:37:44

Yes. Or symphonically turn it into great genius.

0:37:440:37:49

I'm on that knife edge this morning.

0:37:490:37:52

Yes, I think he's been on a knife edge his whole life, to be honest,

0:37:520:37:55

but he's staying the right side of madness at the moment.

0:37:550:37:57

Outside, there's still the entire extension to render

0:37:570:37:59

and what's left of the garden to landscape.

0:37:590:38:01

Luckily, the family's friends have rallied round,

0:38:010:38:04

including Phil's mechanic mate, Hugh.

0:38:040:38:06

Chloe lives at home but only in one room,

0:38:080:38:10

and they haven't really been together as a family.

0:38:100:38:12

-Is this going to do the job for them?

-Absolutely.

0:38:120:38:15

Through that new build,

0:38:150:38:16

Chloe will be living in there and she can come in,

0:38:160:38:18

into the main kitchen area there in a wheelchair.

0:38:180:38:21

It will be amazing. Absolutely amazing.

0:38:210:38:23

As we rebuild Chloe's family home, she's still very sick in hospital.

0:38:230:38:29

And we haven't been able to speak to her on camera.

0:38:290:38:31

Earlier in the week I went to catch-up with Susie

0:38:330:38:35

to find out how her daughter's doing.

0:38:350:38:37

Every big event that's happened, Chloe's missed out on.

0:38:400:38:43

She's got herself overexcited and everything else, and then...

0:38:450:38:50

There's a physical effect.

0:38:500:38:52

-..the physical effects.

-You've been through such a lot,

0:38:520:38:54

and it must be, as a mum,

0:38:540:38:56

massively taxing to see your baby go through all this.

0:38:560:38:59

Yes, it's heart-wrenching.

0:38:590:39:01

If I could take it all away from Chloe and I have it,

0:39:010:39:07

I would do anything for that.

0:39:070:39:09

I really would. For a split second when you wake up in the morning,

0:39:090:39:12

everything's fine.

0:39:120:39:13

And then your heart sinks because you realise it's the reality.

0:39:140:39:19

And it does hit you.

0:39:190:39:21

I couldn't answer Chloe's daily question - "Why me?

0:39:220:39:27

"What's going on with me, Mum?"

0:39:280:39:30

And I didn't have the answers.

0:39:300:39:33

I actually had a breakdown.

0:39:330:39:35

Do you think that's because you weren't accepting

0:39:350:39:37

that your best was your best?

0:39:370:39:38

Yeah.

0:39:390:39:41

And I became very low very quickly.

0:39:410:39:44

Very low. And I had to go into hospital.

0:39:440:39:47

You put so much pressure on yourself that you can't take it any more.

0:39:480:39:53

And it's true what they say, until you've reached rock bottom

0:39:540:39:58

and you can wake up one day and say, "Enough's enough."

0:39:580:40:02

What gave you the strength to be OK?

0:40:020:40:06

-Phil.

-Was it?

0:40:060:40:07

Yeah.

0:40:070:40:09

The fact he didn't leave,

0:40:090:40:10

he didn't stop telling me how much he loved me.

0:40:100:40:13

He just carried on.

0:40:150:40:16

He just carried on, giving me hugs every day.

0:40:180:40:21

And telling me that, you know...

0:40:220:40:25

..I was the best thing in his world and that I had to come home.

0:40:260:40:34

They needed me.

0:40:340:40:36

And just to genuinely feel that.

0:40:360:40:38

-You see, that's a proper love story.

-Yeah.

0:40:380:40:41

-Not all this rubbish you see on films.

-No.

0:40:410:40:44

With everything that's happened,

0:40:440:40:47

-do you feel lucky or unlucky in life?

-I feel very blessed.

0:40:470:40:51

I feel it's part of a journey, and you ask Chloe the same question,

0:40:540:40:57

and it's Chloe who has taught me that.

0:40:570:40:59

Have you thought about it, how life's going to be from now on?

0:40:590:41:03

It just means that Chloe can carry on living at home,

0:41:030:41:06

which in turn means that we can carry on being a family.

0:41:060:41:09

And, erm...

0:41:100:41:12

..our motto is family -

0:41:140:41:17

where life begins and love never ends.

0:41:170:41:19

And by you coming and doing that for us...

0:41:210:41:23

..we can be a family.

0:41:260:41:27

Well, there's no better reason to do what we do, is there?

0:41:320:41:34

Mind you, we've still got a lot to get done.

0:41:340:41:37

This is our final day.

0:41:370:41:38

There's not much daylight left.

0:41:380:41:40

And there's still close to 200 square metres of driveway to lay.

0:41:400:41:43

Time is most definitely not on our side.

0:41:430:41:46

Hang on. Is there supposed to be a gap in the splashback?

0:41:460:41:49

That's amazing.

0:41:490:41:51

But what's amazing is the fact that you didn't measure it.

0:41:510:41:54

-Who actually measured it?

-I don't know, but it wasn't you.

0:41:540:41:57

Yes, thank God.

0:41:570:41:58

What it's going to be, it's going to be one of those impromptu design

0:41:580:42:01

features that actually lift the scheme from the ordinaire,

0:42:010:42:05

the plebeian, the expected, into something actually borderline genius

0:42:050:42:08

because it's not quite right.

0:42:080:42:10

Go on. Go on, boy!

0:42:100:42:12

Hey! Go on.

0:42:120:42:14

Go on, LLB.

0:42:140:42:16

It's one of those imperfections that actually makes creativity

0:42:160:42:19

-what it is today.

-Go on, keep going.

0:42:190:42:22

You see, we are breaking him.

0:42:220:42:24

Right! Let's get them on the wall.

0:42:240:42:27

'Whilst we break him inside, Julian outside - part man, part machine -

0:42:270:42:30

'can't quite overcome the size of this driveway.'

0:42:300:42:33

You're a bit tense?

0:42:330:42:35

Too tense. I'm a wigwam and a teepee.

0:42:360:42:40

You see, not too tense to make a joke.

0:42:400:42:43

That's what I like about you, Jules,

0:42:430:42:44

even in times of extreme stress.

0:42:440:42:46

But you've had a day on the digger.

0:42:460:42:48

In fact, you've had two days. Three days on the digger.

0:42:480:42:50

Yeah, it's looking like I'm going to have a whole night on the digger.

0:42:500:42:53

We've got another 12-14 hours' work here ahead of us,

0:42:530:42:55

at the rate it's been going today.

0:42:550:42:57

I think it's going to suddenly accelerate.

0:42:570:42:59

'I'm lying, of course, but I want to encourage him.'

0:42:590:43:02

It's six o'clock in the evening now

0:43:020:43:04

and we are sailing pretty close to the wind with this one.

0:43:040:43:06

Truth of the matter is, we'll get as done as we can,

0:43:060:43:08

finish maybe two, three o'clock in the morning

0:43:080:43:10

and whatever state it's in then,

0:43:100:43:12

that's how we'll show it to the family.

0:43:120:43:13

I think people sometimes think we make this up, the jeopardy,

0:43:130:43:17

it's always this tight.

0:43:170:43:19

Well, maybe not quite as tight as it is this time.

0:43:190:43:22

And even though Chloe's still in hospital,

0:43:220:43:25

we're hoping she'll be well enough to return home

0:43:250:43:27

and see what all these volunteers have done.

0:43:270:43:30

But she's only coming home if she's well enough.

0:43:300:43:33

Nine days ago, chronically-ill Chloe was a virtual prisoner,

0:43:380:43:41

confined to just one room in the family home.

0:43:410:43:44

It's not my bedroom and I don't ever call it a bedroom.

0:43:450:43:48

I just call it my cell.

0:43:480:43:50

A 20-year-old woman in need of some independence.

0:43:500:43:54

I just want some space to call my own.

0:43:540:43:56

And having my own bedroom that's not the lounge

0:43:570:44:03

so my family have some space too,

0:44:030:44:05

I want space for them as well.

0:44:050:44:07

Chloe said, "I think you should put me in a care home..."

0:44:080:44:12

She said, "..because I've taken over your lives,

0:44:140:44:17

"I've taken over the house."

0:44:170:44:19

I couldn't find an answer to keep us together as a family.

0:44:200:44:24

This is literally the only way I have a chance at independence.

0:44:240:44:30

And to have it in sight, it's hard to believe.

0:44:300:44:33

So, hopefully, with the help of these West Midlands heroes,

0:44:340:44:37

we've done just that.

0:44:370:44:39

I'd like to think, you know, someone would do it for me if my daughter

0:44:390:44:42

was in the same situation, so.

0:44:420:44:43

Nine days of incredible graft.

0:44:440:44:46

And we've pulled off a blinder.

0:44:490:44:52

The access to the front has been improved,

0:44:520:44:54

with a wider door and hall,

0:44:540:44:56

so Chloe can enter and leave easily.

0:44:560:44:59

Inside, we've knocked down walls so she can also access the front room

0:45:010:45:05

we weren't meant to touch but kind of did.

0:45:050:45:08

And the narrow doors and small rooms have been transformed

0:45:100:45:14

into this stunning, spacious open-plan kitchen-diner

0:45:140:45:18

where all the family can get together.

0:45:180:45:21

But, most importantly, a massive new extension at the back of the house

0:45:240:45:29

means Chloe will no longer be captive in the room

0:45:290:45:32

she called her cell.

0:45:320:45:33

Instead, she'll have the space of her own she so badly needs.

0:45:330:45:37

This young woman now has a self-contained apartment

0:45:400:45:43

on the ground floor

0:45:430:45:44

that Laurence has decked out in her dream decor.

0:45:440:45:47

And she's finally got a bathroom,

0:45:480:45:50

so she doesn't have to make the exhausting journey to her nan's

0:45:500:45:53

just for a shower.

0:45:530:45:55

Plus, she's got an electric hoist to move herself around.

0:45:550:45:57

The garden is small, but perfectly formed,

0:46:000:46:01

with raised beds Chloe can reach,

0:46:010:46:03

plus her uncle's flower sculpture.

0:46:030:46:06

Upstairs looks totally different too.

0:46:090:46:11

As well as a new family bathroom,

0:46:110:46:13

Josh's bedroom has a new urban chic look.

0:46:130:46:15

I know he's going to love it.

0:46:170:46:19

I mean, what teenage kid wouldn't love it?

0:46:190:46:21

And Susie and Phil can now retreat to their own space,

0:46:230:46:26

for those rare moments they get to relax.

0:46:260:46:29

Chloe is still in hospital,

0:46:310:46:32

but what will they think of their almost unrecognisable home?

0:46:320:46:36

What you needed from us was to make a home

0:46:400:46:42

where you could all be together,

0:46:420:46:44

space you could enjoy as a family,

0:46:440:46:46

because the way the house was set out was keeping you apart.

0:46:460:46:49

I hope we've done that for you.

0:46:500:46:51

Open your eyes.

0:46:540:46:55

SUSIE GASPS

0:46:560:46:58

God.

0:47:000:47:01

-I just don't know what to say.

-Oh, my gosh.

0:47:100:47:14

Is it what you need?

0:47:150:47:17

-And then some.

-It's just amazing.

0:47:170:47:20

Oh, my goodness.

0:47:230:47:24

-The room that was Chloe's room, that was the prison room...

-Yeah.

0:47:270:47:32

..was just this bit here.

0:47:320:47:35

-Yeah.

-It's mind-boggling.

0:47:350:47:36

It really, really is.

0:47:360:47:37

-You're not saying much.

-No.

0:47:380:47:40

Speechless.

0:47:400:47:41

PHONE RINGS

0:47:440:47:46

Hi, darling.

0:47:470:47:48

We can't have Susie and Phil out of contact with Chloe,

0:47:500:47:53

so we're pausing just for a minute, just to make sure she's OK.

0:47:530:47:56

OK.

0:47:570:47:59

-How are we doing?

-Yeah.

0:47:590:48:00

She's had a really bad night, but we've tried to say to her, look,

0:48:000:48:04

-"You don't have to come today," but...

-She's determined.

0:48:040:48:08

..she's so determined.

0:48:080:48:10

-She's missed so much.

-Yeah.

0:48:100:48:13

So let's go en route. So, dining table, we wanted to make sure...

0:48:130:48:16

You said you wanted somewhere you could all eat together.

0:48:160:48:18

What we've done is we've made sure there's oxygen throughout down here.

0:48:180:48:21

That just means we can all just be together.

0:48:210:48:24

If she wants to stay in this part of the house with us,

0:48:240:48:27

she doesn't have to go back for oxygen.

0:48:270:48:30

That is amazing.

0:48:300:48:32

That is absolutely brilliant.

0:48:320:48:34

Oh, my God!

0:48:340:48:35

Oh, wow.

0:48:370:48:38

-This is Chloe.

-Oh, my goodness.

0:48:420:48:44

Oh, wow. Look, there's a hoist system and everything.

0:48:460:48:52

Oh, wow.

0:48:520:48:54

-Well, it's her own space, isn't it? And independence.

-Yeah.

0:48:540:48:58

It's as if she's come in and done it herself.

0:48:580:48:59

Yeah, yeah.

0:48:590:49:01

'Now, sadly, the whole time we've been here,

0:49:020:49:05

'Chloe has been in hospital.

0:49:050:49:07

'We've all been wishing her a swift recovery.

0:49:070:49:09

'And, of course, over the years,

0:49:100:49:12

'she's missed so many important family events.

0:49:120:49:16

'But we had to be sure that the doctors gave the all clear

0:49:160:49:19

'for her to come home before she could.

0:49:190:49:22

'And do you know what? They have.

0:49:220:49:23

'Chloe is coming home.'

0:49:250:49:27

-How are you this morning?

-Fantastic.

0:49:270:49:29

-Yes.

-Is that actually true or are you just saying that?

0:49:290:49:31

No, but I'm here, so it's fine.

0:49:310:49:33

OK, just so you know, you can't normally have a gravel driveway with

0:49:330:49:36

a wheelchair, but just underneath, there's this hexagon stuff.

0:49:360:49:39

-Oh, I see.

-So that's why it works.

0:49:390:49:41

-Ready to come see your house?

-Yeah.

-Come on.

0:49:410:49:44

-And I can get round?

-Yeah, cos we widened the door for you.

0:49:450:49:49

-And widened the hallway.

-Oh, gosh.

0:49:500:49:53

No way.

0:49:530:49:54

-Way.

-Way.

0:49:540:49:56

Oh, no!

0:49:580:50:00

-What do you think, Josh?

-I love it.

0:50:030:50:04

It's magic, isn't it?

0:50:040:50:07

Isn't it magic?

0:50:070:50:08

Got a table.

0:50:080:50:09

This was the room that you couldn't get into

0:50:110:50:14

and now...

0:50:140:50:15

-Oh, my gosh.

-..you can.

0:50:150:50:17

I can!

0:50:170:50:19

No way.

0:50:190:50:21

Oh, my gosh.

0:50:220:50:24

-Isn't it amazing?

-It's longer.

0:50:240:50:26

-Yeah.

-But we moved that wall on the left in a bit,

0:50:260:50:28

that's how you can get the room in the corridor,

0:50:280:50:30

-so you can get your wheelchair in.

-But it works.

0:50:300:50:33

Good quality reversing.

0:50:340:50:36

I'm a female driver.

0:50:360:50:37

You might want to open that door.

0:50:370:50:39

-Can you get to that door and open it?

-I can get to everything.

0:50:390:50:42

-Do you know what's in there?

-This one? Oh, wow.

0:50:420:50:45

-How cool is that?

-Do you know why we put it on this side?

0:50:450:50:48

-So then I can get to it.

-Yeah, you can put your own washing in then.

0:50:480:50:51

What did you do that for?

0:50:510:50:52

What we've tried to do is build your independence...

0:50:540:50:56

Yes, you've done a really good job.

0:50:560:50:58

-..which means you have to do your own washing sometimes.

-Yeah.

0:50:580:51:00

-I can live with that.

-That's on camera, Chloe.

0:51:000:51:02

One other thing you might notice in the corner?

0:51:020:51:04

Oxygen. That's good.

0:51:040:51:06

That will help a lot.

0:51:060:51:08

And it's piped through that door there...

0:51:080:51:10

..which leads into your tiny little cupboard space.

0:51:110:51:13

-You've got your own apartment, effectively.

-No way.

0:51:140:51:18

No way!

0:51:180:51:19

Well, just have a look.

0:51:190:51:21

Oh, my gosh. Oh, my gosh.

0:51:210:51:23

I can't speak. And I can never not speak!

0:51:290:51:31

No. Look at the walls.

0:51:330:51:35

That's what I wanted.

0:51:350:51:37

-And they did it!

-Amazing.

0:51:370:51:39

So, designed by Laurence for you, specifically for you.

0:51:390:51:42

-Nobody else has got that.

-Laurence designed my wallpaper?

0:51:420:51:44

-For you.

-He's awesome.

0:51:440:51:46

Right, don't go on about him. He's all right.

0:51:460:51:49

No, I won't, I won't, it's fine.

0:51:490:51:51

You don't have to work with him.

0:51:510:51:53

Is your bum clean, sitting on my chair?

0:51:540:51:56

Sorry.

0:51:560:51:57

-You know.

-Good point.

0:51:590:52:01

This is going to be a shoes-off kind of house.

0:52:010:52:03

-Let me show you a couple things. Your own front door.

-Yes.

0:52:030:52:05

Own access down the side of the house.

0:52:050:52:07

All your friends can come in and out of here as well.

0:52:070:52:09

If you hold this so that it looks like the corner of the room,

0:52:090:52:11

-see what I mean?

-Yeah, yeah, yeah.

-Then press the middle one.

-That one?

0:52:110:52:15

That one there.

0:52:150:52:16

Oh, my gosh.

0:52:160:52:19

That also opens those doors out into the garden.

0:52:190:52:22

-Medical area.

-Yeah, that's a good set-up.

-Oxygen.

0:52:220:52:25

-Oh, wow.

-Josh sometimes helps you with this?

0:52:250:52:28

Yeah, he gets all my stuff out and I time him to see how quick he is.

0:52:280:52:31

So your new work area then as well?

0:52:320:52:35

Oh, wow.

0:52:360:52:39

Hello, hoist track.

0:52:390:52:41

-Track takes you in there...

-Yeah.

-..wet room bathroom.

0:52:420:52:45

Yeah.

0:52:450:52:46

-And through into...

-Oh, my magic bedroom.

0:52:460:52:49

Oh, wow.

0:52:510:52:52

This is insane.

0:52:540:52:55

We're going to give you a bit of a view.

0:52:580:53:00

No way.

0:53:010:53:02

Oh, my gosh. Is that my uncle Dave's?

0:53:030:53:05

Is it? Oh, wow! Is it?

0:53:050:53:07

Yeah, it is. So, if you're going to be sat here in bed...

0:53:070:53:09

-I've got something to look at.

-..you've got something to look at.

0:53:090:53:12

It's just amazing.

0:53:120:53:14

-You know what's cool as well?

-What?

0:53:150:53:18

There's a chair for you to come crash in here with me.

0:53:180:53:20

Oh, I love you so much.

0:53:220:53:23

-So, um...

-Keep going.

-It's changed up here as well.

0:53:250:53:28

Oh, wow.

0:53:340:53:35

-This is your Cornish retreat.

-Yes, it is.

0:53:360:53:38

Can you feel the love and effort

0:53:400:53:44

that's gone into this from the community?

0:53:440:53:46

Our door will certainly be open to everybody.

0:53:460:53:48

I can actually take a deep breath, which is...

0:53:490:53:52

-First time in a long time?

-Yeah.

0:53:520:53:54

One less thing to fight for, love.

0:53:540:53:56

Who got you through?

0:53:560:53:57

My rock.

0:53:580:54:00

My Phil.

0:54:000:54:02

And I love him to pieces.

0:54:020:54:04

And Phil and Susie aren't the only ones with a new upstairs bedroom.

0:54:200:54:23

We can't forget Josh.

0:54:230:54:24

Oh, wow.

0:54:260:54:27

Oh, cool.

0:54:290:54:31

-What did you say that you're interested in?

-Graffiti and DJ-ing.

0:54:310:54:34

Graffiti and DJ-ing? Mate, you help your sister out,

0:54:340:54:38

and we're so, so proud of you, mate.

0:54:380:54:40

Come here.

0:54:400:54:42

Oh, wow.

0:54:460:54:49

Did you take on a bit of a job?

0:54:500:54:52

Little bit, yeah.

0:54:520:54:53

Nine days. It was a bit of a push.

0:54:530:54:56

-Did you have some good help?

-You know what,

0:54:560:54:58

you've got some amazing people around here. Just amazing people.

0:54:580:55:02

They're incredible.

0:55:020:55:04

Thank you.

0:55:060:55:08

Can you tell them I'm going to read my poem?

0:55:200:55:22

Chloe wants to read a poem to you, so all nice and quiet, please.

0:55:220:55:26

I tried to find the words but they just wouldn't do

0:55:270:55:30

To share our thanks with each and every one of you

0:55:300:55:33

Instead, I will try and keep it brief

0:55:330:55:36

By saying the love I feel is beyond belief

0:55:360:55:39

Our lives were turned upside down

0:55:390:55:41

We were left on a roller-coaster, often wearing a frown

0:55:410:55:44

This time in our lives is just hard to believe

0:55:450:55:47

But as an army of supporters, you provided help and relief

0:55:470:55:50

Our house is once again a home

0:55:500:55:53

And through old friends and new, it's clear we're never alone

0:55:530:55:59

Please take it from me that when times are troubled

0:55:590:56:02

Reach out for support as it's often doubled

0:56:020:56:04

So I'll say it again from the bottom of my heart

0:56:040:56:08

Thanks for giving us a brand-new start.

0:56:080:56:09

We can just be a family again.

0:56:230:56:25

Not talking to each other through walls.

0:56:250:56:27

And, er...

0:56:270:56:29

..to some people, that's a really small thing, but...

0:56:310:56:34

..to us it's been what we've lacked.

0:56:350:56:37

I cannot thank you enough.

0:56:370:56:39

From the bottom of my heart, thank you so, so much.

0:56:390:56:42

Thank you.

0:56:420:56:43

APPLAUSE

0:56:430:56:44

All right, Grandad?

0:56:520:56:54

Charlie.

0:56:540:56:55

-Thank you so much.

-You're very welcome.

0:56:550:56:58

All right, mate?

0:56:580:57:00

You know, it's very clear

0:57:020:57:03

that this family are incredibly close emotionally,

0:57:030:57:05

but they couldn't be physically close

0:57:050:57:07

just because of the layout of the house. It's incredible to think

0:57:070:57:10

that it can make that much of a difference.

0:57:100:57:12

What's happened is that their greater family,

0:57:120:57:14

the community around and this wonderful village,

0:57:140:57:17

has come together to make a difference,

0:57:170:57:19

to change the layout of the house, so they can be together,

0:57:190:57:21

like a proper family.

0:57:210:57:22

All the things we take for granted are there for them now.

0:57:220:57:26

Isn't that amazing?

0:57:260:57:27

Maybe you know somebody who needs your help.

0:57:270:57:29

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