Northern Ireland Escape to the Country

Here in 2005 a world record was set for eating oysters.

The challenge was to eat as many as is humanly possible in the space of three minutes.

So how many were eaten and where am I? You'll find out in a moment.

'In today's show I'll be helping a couple of newlyweds to return to her country roots.

'And judging from their reaction to our houses, I think they'll like what they see.'

Come on in.

Oh, wow.

-Could be home.

-Fantastic.

-'Then we leave it to their imagination with our mystery house.'

-Interesting.

-Want to go inside?

-Absolutely. Let's go.

-OK.

Today I'm in County Down in Northern Ireland, and this is Hillsborough,

where every year thousands of visitors descend to witness oyster lovers from around the globe

battle it out for the coveted title of World Oyster Champion.

Tonight marks the opening of the competition and I may indulge,

so join me later to see if I can beat the world record of 233 oysters in three minutes.

Better get practising.

With the Irish Sea lapping at its shores, County Down is bordered

by Antrim to the north and Armagh to the west and is one of the six counties making up Northern Ireland.

Downpatrick, the county town, is home to 10,000 residents

and is synonymous with Ireland's patron saint, St Patrick,

whose remains are thought to be buried in its cathedral grounds.

Rearing up from its sweeping coastline,

the stunning granite mountains of Mourne were a source of stimulation for the author CS Lewis

who believed that at any moment a giant might raise his head over the next ridge.

This backdrop also provided inspiration for the magical world of his Chronicles of Narnia.

With epic mountains and expansive shores, it's no wonder two million visitors are drawn here each year.

House prices in Northern Ireland vary quite dramatically,

but the basic rule is the closer you are to Belfast, the more you'll pay.

The average across the whole country for a detached property is currently just under £228,000,

a figure that compares pretty favourably with prices across the water in England and Wales

where for a similar property you'll pay about £27,000 more.

Bear that in mind when you now look at what's currently on the market.

With a guide price of £395,000,

this substantial property in Glenarm has four generous reception rooms,

two with feature fireplaces.

Its five bedrooms also have spacious proportions and it's all topped off

with amazing views out over the coast.

Or for £575,000, this immense five-bedroom new-build in Ballynahinch

has an awe-inspiring double height interior. The floor to ceiling windows let in lots of light

and the stone fireplace adds a warm focal point. It also has a high-spec kitchen/diner

which leads out to attractively landscaped gardens.

For top budgets, this handsome five-bedroom house dating back to the 1850s in Millisle

is on for offers around £675,000. Along with a triple garage,

outside it provides 2½ acres of grounds offering glorious views over the Irish Sea.

Some fantastic properties there.

And over the course of the next few days, we'll show the house buyers three more. Let's meet them.

Andy and Theresa have lived in their four-bedroom home in Watford for 15 years,

but are in the throes of starting a new chapter of their lives, having recently got married.

To mark this new beginning, they've decided to return to Theresa's roots in County Down, Northern Ireland.

For me, moving back to Ireland has always been something that I wanted to do.

I came here in '87, probably planning a couple of weeks' holiday,

and I'm here 25 years on, so I think if I don't make the move now

then I might never. My son is totally independent now, he's over 21, so he's on his own, basically.

Another factor in their move is Theresa's family ties in Northern Ireland. She's one of 12 siblings,

some who live in the Newcastle area of County Down. Being nearer to them is very important.

We've visited Theresa's family there so we're familiar with the area.

And certainly on the coast, where one of Theresa's sisters lives, it reminds me very much of my home.

Andy's childhood home was Moray on the Scottish coast. It's no surprise he's keen to be closer to the sea

but there are still plenty of other requirements on their wish list.

Inside the house, I'd like three bedrooms, maybe one with an en-suite,

but it's not crucial. Downstairs, I'd like a downstairs cloakroom,

a nice-sized kitchen, possibly a kitchen/diner because that's where we spend a lot of time

and I would be happy with one reception room. I'd like it to be a nice size, though.

And then it would be an added bonus if I had a utility room.

We'd prefer something with quite original features, maybe some rural features.

I quite like a lot of natural wood, maybe slate, things like that.

Maybe a nice big stove.

Andy and Theresa also have a clear vision of what they want outside.

-Parking is quite crucial for us.

-Probably a driveway and a garage.

Cos I have a motorbike.

I'd quite like to grow vegetables, maybe get some chickens.

Despite knowing what they want, our buyers maintain a healthy approach to house hunting.

Andy and I both are extremely flexible and when you do visit a property you get that feeling

so we might surprise ourselves.

Flexible they may be, but there is one no-no.

Renovating might be a bit of a problem. Nothing too structural.

We don't mind decorating at all and adding our own mark to it, but we don't want the hassle.

Although they plan to sell their Watford property, they don't want a huge new mortgage

so they've thought very carefully about what they can afford.

If we found the right property, we're prepared to go to £250,000.

It's not every day you go for a two-week holiday and end up staying for 25 years,

so for Theresa this move is a long-awaited family reunion.

For Andy it's the opportunity to embrace a new way of life with talk of chickens and growing vegetables.

Ultimately, this move is a return to rural roots for our newlyweds.

Andy and Theresa have asked that we base their house search around the small coastal town of Newcastle,

where Theresa has family. We've selected three very different properties for them to see,

but they won't find out the price of each until they have a guess first.

The last is our mystery house, which will throw all of their great expectations out of the window.

-Hey, Theresa.

-Hi, Aled.

-Andy, good to see you.

-Congratulations on becoming Mr and Mrs.

-Thank you.

-You want to focus around Newcastle.

-Certainly.

If I'm coming back to Ireland, I'd want it to be near family.

I've actually got a sister who lives in Newcastle and one who lives about 10 miles away.

I think to be in this location would be perfect.

-And what about the budget?

-We want to spend a little more time together and not have a high mortgage.

We would go 250 if we find the right property.

-OK. I'm hoping there will be a lot of craic. That's what they say, isn't it?

-Absolutely.

But no cracks in the walls otherwise I'll be in trouble.

-Let's get going. Follow me.

-OK.

For a top budget of £250,000, Andy and Theresa are looking for a country home that gives them

a generously-sized living room, a spacious kitchen/diner and three bedrooms.

Outside, Andy would like a good-sized garden to grow his own

and a garage for his motorbike.

If the house were close to the coast, all the better.

You do realise that the three of us in the car sounds like a stereotypical joke?

A Scotsman, a Welshman and an Irishwoman... All we need is an Englishman for the full set!

-Even the little driving we've done, you can tell it's really beautiful.

-Definitely, yeah.

-Have you seen any houses here at all?

-We looked about a year ago in a place called Dundrum,

but there was just too much structural work that we didn't want.

-Right.

-We don't mind a little bit of refurbishment, but nothing too major.

-OK.

Mindful that they're after a house that needs very little work,

we're starting our property search close to the village of Killyleagh,

which has a castle built in the French chateau style.

The coastal position should appeal to Andy and the main streets have the shops and amenities they want.

A short drive out of the village and set back from the road is our first property.

-Is it what you'd expect?

-I'm quite excited.

-I didn't really know what to expect, but this looks good.

-It's a new-build, built ten years ago.

-OK, great. Do you want to go in?

-Yeah!

-Come on. Follow me.

-Excellent.

'This property also gives Andy the separate garage block he wanted as a home for his motorbike,

'but let's see what their first reactions are to the interior,

'which has recently been renovated and extended.' Come on in.

Come on in. Close the door.

So...

This is your little hallway. There's a little TV snug room there,

but this is the main living area. Come on through.

-What do you think?

-Yeah, fine. Maybe a little bit small,

but probably with these doors there's room for movement.

-We were working with a blank canvas, really.

-Yeah.

-Did you know what you really want?

-No, I'm flexible.

-The colour scheme may not be quite to our taste.

-But that's easy.

-Absolutely.

-But in terms of... It's very spick and span. It's immaculate.

-You've got American oak flooring.

-Which is nice.

-It's excellent, yeah.

Can you imagine yourself in here? You said you'd know instantly, you get a feel for it.

-Uh-huh. I need a little more wander.

-So you were lying, then!

-Not quite that instant.

-Right.

-So far, so good.

-OK.

'I'm pretty sure the kitchen will measure up to Theresa's expectations.'

Come on in.

-Oh, wow.

-Yeah.

-Excellent.

-And also you've got the utility room behind you.

-With a separate door.

-Super. I love the floor.

-It's underfloor heating as well.

-Fantastic.

-Really airy, really bright. Not overlooked at all. Little French doors into your garden.

-Super.

I love the airiness of the room.

-The glass windows just give it that really bright...

-And you wouldn't have to do anything here.

It's immaculate.

'It certainly is, so no DIY needed.

'Leading off the main hallway, there's also a handy cloakroom.

'With downstairs covered, we'll explore the first floor's three bedrooms,

'including a double room and a single, currently an office.

'There's also a modern family bathroom with separate shower. But where would they sleep?'

This is currently the master bedroom. What do you think?

Probably a little bit smaller than I was hoping for. That's just the first impression.

The other thing to take into account is that these are all stud walls, so you could make a big master.

-Lovely view. A few cows in the field.

-That's what we're after.

It's really tranquil. Very quiet. Country living.

'The master may be smaller than they ideally wanted, but overall this is a spacious property

'and a low-maintenance option for them. What's more, it sits on a generous plot of over half an acre

'with plenty of space for Andy to grow his vegetables and keep chickens.'

-You're very private. Your neighbours aren't looking over you.

-It's nice.

-So, let's talk money. What do you reckon?

-Maybe, approximately...

215.

-Maybe 220, max.

-OK, 220,000, max. What about you, Andy?

I think given the way the market is it'll be slightly higher. I'd go more...230.

£230,000. OK.

-I don't know how you feel then when I tell you it's top end.

-Really?

It's currently on the market for £249,950.

-OK, go and have a look around. I'll be at the front, waiting.

-OK.

Sneaking in just under their maximum budget of £250,000,

this property gives them everything they wanted and includes two reception rooms

with extra seating in the enormous kitchen/diner, and three bedrooms.

Outside, the garden extends to over half an acre

and comes with a huge garage.

Plus it's close to both village amenities and the coast.

The bedrooms are a bit smaller than perhaps we'd have liked, but a few walls could be moved.

Although I like modern houses,

maybe the downstairs living room was a little bit too modern,

but nothing that we couldn't adapt to suit our requirements.

Overall, the feel, especially the kitchen, was very impressive.

That's where we would most likely spend most of the day.

Ah, here they are. Seen enough?

-Yeah.

-Still smiling, just about?

-Still smiling, yeah.

-Desperate to see that second property?

-Yeah.

-Come on, let's go.

County Down is renowned for its spectacular scenery

and one of its especially unspoilt havens lies in and around the tidal waters of Strangford Lough.

Spanning over 60 square miles, it's one of only three marine nature reserves in the UK

and has global recognition as a Ramsar site,

awarded to wetlands of international importance.

Earlier in the week, Andy and Theresa met Strangford Lough's National Trust warden, Craig McCoy,

to spot some of its natural highlights.

OK, guys. There are some seals out here on the rock, basking out of the water, trying to keep warm.

So a good view here. It's a mixture of two species - the grey Atlantic seal and the common harbour seal.

What role do the National Trust play in protecting these seals here?

Part of our role is to monitor the numbers, so once a month we would go out in our boat

and count the seals in the lough, just to get an idea of population levels from year to year

and what the breeding numbers are like. We've done that for decades.

But also as a conservation charity we've acquired a lot of the shoreline and islands

to make sure there's somewhere safe for them to haul out like this and just rest away from disturbance.

Every time they go into the water, they cool down, lose energy, and they can lose condition

and could die during winter. So we encourage people to keep distance.

The lough is also home to the world's first commercial marine current turbine

which provides electricity to around 1,000 homes for 18-20 hours a day.

If you imagine big wind turbines, it's like one of those underwater.

It's this amazing amount of water coming through the entrance to the lough every day,

turning that to produce electricity.

Part of a five-year study, its effects are closely monitored.

-Does it have much impact on the environment?

-That's one of our big concerns.

What impact will this have on the wildlife that makes Strangford Lough so special?

Things like the seals and porpoises and even a lot of diving birds,

so there's a lot of research going on in tandem with this project.

If the study shows that tidal power can be harnessed with no long-term threats to wildlife habitats,

it could be a ground-breaking answer to how renewable energy can be produced in our coastal waters.

Our search moves us away from the coast about 10 miles from Newcastle,

close to the village of Rathfriland.

Its hilltop position means there are great views of the surrounding countryside.

Just outside the village is our second property, which is a very substantial rebuild.

-There's been a house here since the 1800s. It was razed to the ground and rebuilt in 2004.

-Excellent.

-I love the tree.

-The tree's been here for a long time, I'd say!

-It looks like a lot of house for your money.

-Yeah, it looks quite big, I must say.

-It reminds me of the shape of the farmhouse I was brought up in.

-Oh, wow. That's good.

-I'm glad you like it initially. Shall we get in there?

-Yeah.

-OK, come on.

'The exterior gives the impression of a traditional country house,

'but the inside has some very modern touches.'

Come on in.

Oh, she has a really good spy when she walks in!

-Lovely.

-Yeah, lovely.

-You've got a shower room/bathroom there and the kitchen, to see later.

-It's quite a weird layout. You've got two bedrooms here.

-Yeah.

-So the living room is upstairs.

-Oh.

-I don't know how you feel about that.

-Unusual.

-I love these curved walls.

-Gorgeous.

-And do you know what I really love? The high ceilings.

-Very high.

-What do you reckon, Andy?

-Yeah. An improvement on the last one.

-Oh, really? In what way?

-More open, more space, bigger hallway.

-Yeah, it's a nicer entrance. It gives it that more spacious feel.

-Oh, could be home!

Yeah, it could be home. I think we should go straight upstairs.

'Hold that thought, Andy!

'Although it's unusual for the living room to be upstairs, they'll see why as it makes the most

'of its fantastic outlook.'

Oh. Very nice.

-What do you think? You like it?

-Absolutely lovely, yeah.

I love the window. It's quite a bright room.

-Yeah.

-Quadruple aspect. You've also got this walnut floor, a working fireplace as well.

-Super.

-And again the high ceiling as well.

-Perfect size.

-You've got horses to the left of me, horses to the right.

-No, lovely.

-Definitely in the country.

-Yeah.

'This room certainly made a good impression and the lavish family bathroom with rolltop bath

'also makes a strong statement. Off the landing, there's another bedroom - a nice, cosy double,

-'but we'll take a peek at what could be their room.' The master.

-Yeah.

-Compact.

-It is. Through that door is an en-suite.

-Excellent.

-Massive shower.

-And the modern wash basin again. Is it too small for you?

-No, I wouldn't have that furniture.

If I had to use the other bedroom as a dressing room, then fine.

Well, I'm rubbish at maths, but you've got four really big bedrooms.

-Yeah.

-And you only wanted two. So there's a bonus of a dressing room or an office.

I think we both get that feeling that it's very, very nice.

'To continue our topsy-turvy tour, we'll retrace our steps downstairs

'and see if Theresa is as positive about the kitchen.'

You've got these ceramic tiles throughout. Come over here.

-Oh, fantastic.

-Oil-fired range.

-Beautiful.

-It can actually heat the water as well.

Or not. It's your choice. At the current moment, there's a lot of cooking on it.

And also you've got the gas as well. It's bottled gas.

Loads of storage. The other side of this unit is all storage.

Just to my right is a utility room with a door leading outside.

Again, if you get muddy from walking in the mountains, you leave it all there.

-Excellent.

-Yeah. It's really nice. The kitchen's fantastic. A wonderful size.

-Mm, a lot of character.

-Yeah, which you wanted after the first property.

-Definitely.

-And I love the amount of windows again.

They're small windows, but this in itself is just fantastic.

And it's the open-plan dining room.

'There's no doubt that the high-spec features and generous living areas this house offers appeals to them.

'Outside also gives Andy a double garage for his motorbike

'and the attractively landscaped gardens are framed by a stone wall.

'Let's not forget those fabulous views, but at what cost?'

-OK, well, let's talk money, shall we?

-Oh.

-Can you afford it?

We'll find out.

What do you reckon it's on the market for, Andy?

Must be near the top end. I would say...245.

245. £245,000.

-I would say probably the top end. 250.

-It's currently on the market for £260,000.

-OK.

-The current owner is willing to take sensible offers.

-OK.

-You go and take it all in.

-I'll catch you later.

-Thanks.

-OK.

'Priced at £260,000, our second property is over-budget,

'but who knows where a sensible offer might get them?

'After all, it gives them a huge house finished to a high standard

'and includes a spacious living room with fireplace,

'four bedrooms with a master en-suite

'and pretty gardens with great countryside views.

'What's more, Theresa gets her wish to be close to her family.'

I wanted a property with a bit of character and this property reaches all the expectations.

It's a modern house, but the character, especially in the kitchen with the stove and the tiling,

it's just perfect.

Although having the living room upstairs was quite a shock at first,

when you actually enter the living room and look out these windows,

you can understand the whole concept of the living room being upstairs.

The finish, the quality of all the furnishings, the size of the rooms,

everything is much more than we could have expected.

Ah!

It even looks like you're walking out of your own home.

That horse keeps looking at me nastily! I think I've offended.

-That's it for today, guys. Two very different houses.

-Definitely.

-Feeling frazzled?

-A little bit,

-but positive.

-Let's call it a night and we'll reconvene tomorrow for the mystery property.

-Lovely.

Come on. Let's go into the car.

As evening falls over the shores of County Down, the first day of our property search draws to a close.

After 25 years away from Northern Irish soil,

Theresa realises it's now or never if she wants to return home.

So she and husband Andy have agreed to sell their house in Watford, Hertfordshire,

and spend £250,000 on their forever home in County Down.

The two properties we've shown them so far have been immaculate options with no work required,

but coming up there's unfinished business to deal with.

-You want to go inside?

-Absolutely.

-Go!

-'And I have to swallow more than my pride in an oyster eating frenzy.'

The sun is out and it's a brand-new day here in Northern Ireland.

But have we already found Theresa and Andy their dream property?

Do we really need to venture into the mystery house? Well, yes, they loved house number two

and they were saying all the right things, but the mystery property - well, the price is right

and it gives them the opportunity to go wild with their imaginations.

Theresa may even shower it with praise. I'll just leave now.

What would you like the mystery property to be?

It would be nice to see something more traditional. Perhaps by the coast or with views of the coast.

OK.

-What about you, Theresa?

-I think you'll throw a spanner in the works.

I think it's going to be very traditional, not a modern house at all.

And probably older, quite old.

And maybe more character. But we're quite keen.

'Theresa will need a lot more than a spanner. They'd better prepare to get completely tooled up

'as we head to our mystery property.

'The good news is it's closer to the coast than any of the other houses -

'just a short walk from the shores of Strangford Lough, a main base for catching the ferry to Portaferry.

'Along with having local amenities and community on their doorstep,

'this property falls into their ideal search area.

'It's traditional, which they requested,

'but the big challenge is whether they have the vision to finish off what is, bluntly, a building site.'

It's basically one of four barn conversions.

It dates back to the mid-1800s and it's been restored, repointed. As you can see, it's not finished.

But what this gives you is the opportunity to totally put your stamp on a property.

The builder, the owner, said he'll have it done for you in 3 months.

-So what do you think?

-Yeah, interesting.

-You want to go inside?

-Absolutely. Let's go.

-OK, but if we are going to go inside, you'll need that, Andy.

-Thank you.

-And you'll need that.

-Thank you.

I've got you his and hers helmets. It's the least I could do.

-I'm going for choirboy white.

-OK.

-You look great.

-Thank you. Have to keep up with you!

'Let's see if they can get their minds in synch and form a vision of what this interior could give them.'

-You can have the front door whatever colour you want.

-Good to know.

-You'll have to use your imagination greatly.

-Yeah.

-You've got a downstairs loo there. A good-size double bedroom, en-suite.

-Yeah.

Then the stairs will go in here. Above us you'll have two big bedrooms, both en-suites.

-Oh, excellent.

-What do you reckon?

-Yeah, sounds good. If he's prepared to do the work, that takes the pressure off.

-Oh, he is.

-You can literally say what sort of flooring you'd want. What would you have?

-We'd go for the old slate.

'The reception rooms lead off the hallway with a woodburner earmarked to go into the main sitting room.

'Being open plan, it flows through into what would be a very spacious kitchen/diner.'

-This is very light and airy.

-Oh, yeah. This is nice. Yeah.

So you could literally have all this as one almost open-plan space.

You'd have the kitchen through there and then would you have this as a dining room?

It's quite deceiving, the size of the back of the property. It's much bigger.

It's nice and airy and with the double doors, windows, the skylights, it's excellent.

-Come and have a look at the kitchen.

-Yeah.

'Next door, the kitchen also has space for a utility room with high ceilings and skylights.

'It gives them options outside as well. Although the house sits on a half-acre plot,

'there's the chance to buy additional land behind, making the most of the great country views.

'As there are plans to demolish the store shed at the side, Andy could build his garage.'

This would be your garden, up to the store, which you could keep. The plan is to raze it.

-Of course, you could build a substantial shed there.

-You could.

But the current owner is also willing to sell you this land.

Whether you'd need it or not, I don't know. You've got quite a bit of land out front and this.

I think the idea of having this additional bit is quite good.

It opens up loads of options and we could extend onto the back and not use up all the garden.

-Absolutely.

-Yeah.

OK, we've come to that time again. Let's talk money, shall we?

We're talking about the finished product, not the shell. You're paying to have it finished.

The builder says it will take three months. Including that being razed to the ground if you want.

-What do you reckon it's currently on the market for?

-I would say 210.

Interesting. £210,000. OK, gosh, right.

I'd probably go... slightly higher.

I think two...twenty.

£220,000. Interesting. It's bang in the middle, actually.

-£215,000.

-Well... I'm good for something.

-Yep. Under your budget.

-Yeah.

-Go and have a look round. You haven't looked upstairs yet.

-I'd maybe take your heels off.

-Certainly will!

-Or you'll fall through. I'll see you at the front.

-OK.

-Thanks.

-All the best to you.

Well, that went well, I think.

Keeping their cards close to their chests, but saying the right things.

Is it too much of a job for them? I'm not quite sure. The chirping birds are very, very happy here,

but would Theresa and Andy be? I'm none the wiser.

Under budget at £215,000 for the finished article,

our mystery house has the lowest price amongst our line-up

and is the ultimate blank canvas, providing space for a large sitting room with wood burner,

a light, airy kitchen/diner,

three bedrooms and a half acre garden with scope to purchase the adjoining field.

I definitely could see myself living here because I do like, actually, the styling of the cottage.

And I think the distance between Newcastle and Belfast is very appealing to me.

Having spoken to a neighbour, apparently the location is very, very good,

so that's very reassuring.

The price is very good. It will enable us to think about purchasing the field behind

and perhaps even the little bit of plot to the left of the property.

That way we could really have a nice, large courtyard.

That would be fun, choosing your own fixtures, fittings, floor.

And a few natural features, I think. A lot of stone, a lot of wood. It would be nice.

-I think I get a good feel.

-Yeah.

I think we can think outside the box. OK, we're coming and looking at brick walls,

-but, you know, when it's finished I think it could be a lovely...

-Yeah.

You could put in all your own features that you want.

-I hope I haven't messed with your minds too much with this one.

-No!

-You all right?

-Yeah, fine.

-Still smiling. Shall we go and chat?

-Yeah.

-Come on, then.

'The Georgian village of Hillsborough in County Down is, for the most part, a peaceful place,

'but for four days of the year that serenity gives way to the World Oyster Eating Championships.

'With some trepidation, I'm going to try my luck in this year's heats.

'I've stopped by to find out more from festival organiser Sean Hall.'

Hey, Sean, good to see you. Is this fun or is it taken very seriously?

Well, the oyster eating, there's two parts. The first bit IS fun.

You just get 30 oysters and try to eat those as quickly as possible.

Whenever that's finished, we get onto the serious World Championship.

-There are three entrants. One from Korea, one from Canada...

-Wow.

-..and one from Northern Ireland.

-The reigning world champion.

-How many oysters do they eat? Loads?

They're provided with up to 300 and that, for the three-minute time they've got, is more than enough.

So this event in the pub is not really the main competition where entrants come from far and wide?

-Tonight we find the Northern Ireland champion.

-OK.

-Which can't include you because you're from Wales,

but I look forward to seeing you compete. See you later in the pub!

'The reigning world champion set the record back in 2005 by eating 233 oysters in three minutes.

'He's local man Colin Shirlow.'

If you're going out for a romantic meal with the missus and there's oysters on the menu,

-do you go, "No chance!"?

-Every time I put an oyster in my mouth, I have a flashback to the competition.

-I have a flashback of going three minutes. It's a long time.

-Yeah.

It is a long time.

'Colin has mastered a winning, but stomach-churning technique that complies with competition rules.'

The oyster has to be in the shell and they have to be lifted one at a time

and put into the mouth. You can use both hands and then swallow.

-I would normally take about 10 or so and then one swallow would do 10.

-Oh, God...

-And keep it going that way.

-You're joking. Ten oysters in your mouth and then you swallow them?

-Just swallow them.

-Good luck. We'll be rooting for you.

-Will you? I appreciate it. Thank you.

I can't believe you can put ten in and swallow them. It's not right.

'Colin doesn't want to spoil his appetite, so for the heats he's standing in as compere.'

Welcome to the Oyster Festival.

'With my confidence waning, it's time to step up and come face-to-face with my 20 oysters.'

-Hands above your head!

-Oh! He's not listening, either!

-Go!

CROWD SHOUT ENCOURAGEMENT

Shell!

God...!

Which one shall I do?

Well done, well done!

'I don't think I'll be making it into the oyster-eating record books this year,

'but in the main competition Colin went on to eat a staggering 198 oysters in three minutes

'and held onto his title for another year.'

And my oyster-eating career is over before it began, but I really did enjoy the event.

Time to find out whether Theresa and Andy think any of our houses have championship credentials.

We've shown you three very different houses. You've smiled in most of them, I think.

Let's talk about the first one.

We liked it. Or shall I say we thought we liked it?

-It had a great kitchen.

-That was the main feature that would be nice.

The big kitchen, the big dining area, sitting room.

That's where you'd spend most of your time.

Some rooms upstairs needed... They were a bit small and needed a bit of structural work.

-It really didn't get me VERY excited. Maybe it was too new, too modern.

-Right.

-It didn't really make us tick.

-OK.

-Property two did.

-Property two, yeah.

That was lovely. For the features you were getting and the finish was just lovely.

-I don't think you'd need to do much.

-No. It was literally immaculate.

-It was really well looked after.

The interior was excellent.

When we were standing outside, you weren't keen at all.

-I was quite...

-You were finding any excuse not to like it.

I think what frightened me was the distance as we were being driven further out into the mountains.

I was panicking. It was a little bit frightening.

However, when we did look at the property,

I think we were both very shocked and surprised...

Actually, it was a good location for you. 40 minutes from your sister and 10 or 11 miles from Newcastle.

Yeah, when we were a bit more realistic, we could see that it wasn't at the end of the Earth.

OK, what about the major curveball that was the mystery property? How did you feel about an empty shell?

I think when you added in that it's an empty shell,

but the owner is prepared to do everything to finish the project,

and we'd have quite a say in what we would want, that sort of made it a bit easier for us to...

You can put your own mark on the property

and have totally your own style without conforming to someone else's ideas.

The price was in a nice price range and it did give us that little bit if we wanted to get the field

to increase the size of the garden or the area to the left.

It certainly would be quite a major garden for us.

-Andy could have his chickens...

-He could have an army of chickens.

-There were a couple of alterations I might make in the kitchen area.

-Opening the whole thing up?

-Yeah.

-Move that wall, open up that doorway.

-Does that mean you haven't disregarded that property, then?

Certainly not.

I actually loved the styling of the property, particularly the back end of it.

-It had a beautiful stone feature.

-Natural stone. That's what we liked.

OK, well, I've got to ask you. Are you going to see any of them again?

Oh, yeah, I think we will. Probably the second one.

-And this one.

-And the third one. Before returning to England, we'll go next week.

Listen, I hope you're happy wherever you decide to buy.

-I hope you're walking up and down a beach and are very happy. It's been great meeting you.

-Thank you.

That's almost it from County Down. It's been great meeting Theresa and Andy. Lovely people,

but not foolhardy people. They could be too much the other way

and their indecision could hamper their escape to the country.

Eventually, I hope they do find their pot of property gold at the end of their Irish rainbow. Goodbye.

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