Beeny's Restoration Nightmare

[Alex]

Channel 4, Thursday, 8pm.
Incase nobody has spotted this yet, Sarah Beeny is restoring her own 97 (yes I do mean 97) room Georgian mansion, on television. Will she be ripping the guts out of it ? Will all the period features go in the skip ? We will just have to wait and see.

 

[CatherineB]

Well, she has got five kids and counting, so she's probably planning to fully populate that mansion! :lol:

 

[Feltwell]

Only 5? I'd have thought she'd have at least 20 by now. Thanks to the wonders of her type of television show being recorded over long periods, she has the illusion of being permanently heavily pregnant!

How the hell does she find time to make (even if not very good) TV shows with 5 kids???? We've only got 3 and we never have a spare moment, and that's with Mrs F being a full-time mum.

 

[Flyfisher]

With a 97 room Georgian mansion to restore, how does she find time to make 5 kids? :wink:

 

[Feltwell]

Well, she apparently is much-admired so I doubt if she's short of offers. I can't see the attraction - she does very little for me!

Didn't she set up some sort of dating business as wel as her TV workl?

 

[Gareth Hughes]

And where have I gone wrong? she's a day older than me and has 97 rooms. I have 8, if you count the cupboards.

 

[Flyfisher]

Quality, not quantity!

 

[FamilyWiggs]

http://www.sarahbeeny.com/

Well, she certainly extends my accommodation.

 

[Pford75]

FWIW I think she has been sensitive in the past to old buildings. She certainly advises 'developers' to steer clear of Listed Buildings and her advice is usually to retain period features....but will be interesting to see how she handles this one.

I believe the intention is that she wants to turn it into a wedding venue.

 

[Matt Green]

FWIW I think she has been sensitive in the past to old buildings. She certainly advises 'developers' to steer clear of Listed Buildings and her advice is usually to retain period features....but will be interesting to see how she handles this one.

I believe the intention is that she wants to turn it into a wedding venue.

It seems she has a bit of good press on the matter:

http://countryhouses.wordpress.com/2010/08/27/a-salute-to-determination-goldsborough-hall-yorkshire/

-an excellent blog BTW, complete with a depressing list of lost houses.

M

 

[MatthewC]

With a 97 room Georgian mansion to restore, how does she find time to make 5 kids? :wink:

Does she intend to have one for every room? :lol:

The show is tonight at 8pm; the review in our TV guide says that she is planning a nine month duration for her project. There's a coincidence! :wink: :wink:

 

[CatherineB]

With a 97 room Georgian mansion to restore, how does she find time to make 5 kids? :wink:

Does she intend to have one for every room? :lol:

The show is tonight at 8pm; the review in our TV guide says that she is planning a nine month duration for her project. There's a coincidence! :wink: :wink:

If she's going to populate every room, it'll take a little more than another nine months; even if she can be octomum several times over...

 

[jocelyn plummer]

Can't wait----- have to go out for a bit so am recording it--------------------------

 

[JoceAndChris]

And what was being poured on the roof? And why was the word "lime" never mentioned?

And why does she think she can do such a property justice in a year, when we plan on spending many many more years on our smaller properties? ( though FF's isn't much smaller :wink: )

Harrumph.

 

[Gareth Hughes]

One useful tip (renovating a sash window costs a quarter of the price of replacing it), otherwise mostly buried in a completely contrived "against the clock" and "human interest" story which would have to have me involved in caring about Sarah and family, who've been there for ten years...
It doesn't look too bad now it's finished:
http://www.risehall.com/introduction

 

[FamilyWiggs]

It doesn't look too bad now it's finished:
http://www.risehall.com/introduction

Looks fabulous to me - are all rooms finished?

Didn't see the prog sadly, or the lovely Ms Beeny; am on burglar watch...

 

[robgil]

isnt she thge one who in that program 'my house is falling down' or something like that, goes around telling people unnecessary doom and gloom stories? ive seen her nearly destroy a few period property's on that show. in fact from what ive seen i wouldnt let her or her crew any where near a period property.

 

[Pford75]

I enjoyed the program me, not least because it puts our own project challenges into perspective.

Joce - I think the comments on lime (and the tar on the roof) are a little harsh. The building had been empty for years when they bought it and would probably have crumbled without their intervention. They employed historical consultants and I have absolutely no doubt that on such a high profile project they are using the right materials, it's just a question of what they comment on in the programme. I admire the risk they are taking....and we've probably all had to make choices similar to their 'long term fix or temporary repair'

We are not close in scale, but the condition of the house was reminiscent of when we moved in here.....a few rooms needing decoration, the rest crumbling. The roof shot and not enough money to do it all at once.

To manage her project, whilst being a mum to 4 and having a TV career, running an Internet business and living 00's of miles away takes some doing.......I think they deserve respect for that at least.

Finally, seems they didn't buy for financial gain (as Gareth says, they've been there years). Like most of us, they simply fell in love with an old building and are prepared to risk everything to save it. I admire that.

 

[Juju]

I thought it had some good points - that annoying doom and gloom rubbish that's always needed for Channel 4 property progs got on my nerves. It's obvious that they had enough money and knew they'd get it done in the time. Oh and when discussing the garden the narrator said 17th century several times when Capability Brown was 18th century. Actually that was confusing as the house was 19th century? There must have been a property there before.
Juju

 

[JoceAndChris]

Pford- I think that's a very uncynical, kind view. I hate media types like that, sorry.

I'm also dubious about genuine " love " when people buy such a large property and turn it into a wedding business. For me, the message of the programme is "Look, we've bought this crumbling old wreck and turned it into a thriving business!" not "We've bought a crumbling old wreck and using the best historic techniques and materials have saved it from ruin to make a lovely family home"

I do admire successful business people but wish there were a greater focus, on prime time TV, on what sensitive restoration means.

And I don't think the end result is fabulous. I think it's cold, unwelcoming, rushed looking and plain on the inside, and enduringly ugly on the outside. I certainly wouldn't get married there, but can see it could appeal to a certain type.