Dick Strawbridge

Angel Strawbridge

Year at the Chateau

THE FOLLOW-UP TO THE MASSIVE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER, A YEAR AT THE CHATEAU! In January 2015 Dick and Angel Strawbridge embarked on the journey of a lifetime when they swapped their cosy two-bedroom flat in East London for a derelict château in the Loire Valley. Where Sunday Times bestseller A Year at the Château told the entertaining and heart-warming beginning of the family's French adventure, Living the Château Dream is about the years of hard graft that followed as Dick and Angel leapt into action transforming Château-de-la-Motte Husson into both a thriving family home and a sustainable business. From throwing open the shutters to new suites, to exploring the walled garden, launching their wedding business and hosting guests, no stone was left unturned. With enormous tasks, like installing a lift, plus the beginnings of lifelong traditions, this much-anticipated follow-up includes many firsts for the Strawbridge family. As Dick and Angel recount stories of the next two years at the château, we start to understand the true extent of the work and skill that it has taken to make this incredible house into a much-loved home. With never-before-told stories of remarkable discoveries, amazing transformations and once-in-a-lifetime celebrations, this book is sure to delight and inspire in equal measure!

As seen on the hit Channel 4 show Escape to the Château

Living the Château Dream

''Elegant images and illustrations adorn the pages of Angel Adoree's delightful book, which is brimming with style and recipe ideas'' -The Times "Party like its 1949" - Irish Independent Angel Adoree cordially invites you to accompany her on a journey to create your perfect vintage tea party year! Angel is the founder of The Vintage Patisserie, a popular vintage hosting company offering bespoke tea parties from a bygone era, delivering everything from music, makeovers and - of course - a customised menu of tea party treats that elevate any function into a swanky soiree. The Vintage Tea Party Year takes you on twelve months of parties,celebrations and tea-time treats as well as introducing more games and craft projects for your chosen theme. See the New Year in with vintage style, make Valentine's Day extra special, give every child their dream tea party, find inspiration for weddings and baby showers, be the talk of the town with your own summer street party and wrap up for winter with a vintage-inspired Christmas. Angel's inimitable style will take you on a seasonal journey and help you put on the perfect tea party whatever the occasion. Your vintage year includes... INTRODUCTION Hello! Can you tell already that the era of "vintage" is a considerable source of inspiration for me? On these pages, I explain how the past has influenced my present and future, and suggest how to use this book to plan your own vintage-style party. NEW YEAR'S EVE TEA PARTY To end your year on a high note and start the next as you mean to go on, look no further - that is, if you intend to go on in decadence, glamour, indulgence... This chapter showcases my most fabulous New Year's Eve party ideas, so that you can give the event the attention it deserves, then let your hair down in style (or go for an uber-elegant vintage up-do perhaps?). CHILDREN'S TEA PARTY Roll up, roll up! Who doesn't love the circus, what with its bright colours, crazy costumes and giddy, gleeful sense of fun? The spirit of the circus plus yummy treats dreamed up in kiddy heaven equals a spectacular party to live on in the memories of kids and grown-up kids alike! COMING OF AGE TEA PARTY When a girl comes of age, it's definitely something worth celebrating. And a young lady should begin womanhood in a sassy dress with a chic hair-do, wearing a lady-like pair of gloves in which to raise her mocktail glass as she shares a toast to her glorious life ahead. TEA FOR TWO Love is in the air (and in the hair...). Whether it's for Valentine's Day, or for any day on which your passions are running high, my suggestions for how to romance the man in your life are sure to make him swoon! HEN TEA PARTY When a treasured girlfriend leaves the single life behind, it's time to pull out all the stops. This party must be momentous, and the name of the game is sheer indulgence, naughtiness and uproarious fun. Bring a touch of the cabaret to your night of decadence and it's bound to be fabulous!

The Vintage Tea Party Year

Like many couples, Dick and Angel had long dreamed of living in France. But where others might settle for a modest bolthole in the French countryside, the Strawbridges fell in love with a 19th-century fairytale chateau, complete with 45 rooms, 7 outbuildings, 12 acres of land and its own moat. A year at the chateau follows their adventure from when they first moved to France in the depths of winter and found bedrooms infested with flies, turrets inhabited by bats, the wind rattling through cracked windows, and just one working toilet (which flushed into the moat), through to the monumental efforts that went into readying the chateau for their unforgettable wedding and their incredibly special first Christmas.

A Year at the Chateau

"The Vintage Tea Party helps you plan not only stunning recipes for all sorts of delicious treats but also gives you countless styling tips for the perfect occasion." - Glamour Magazine (SA) "Bring out the bone china for this book from vintage guru Angel Adoree..." - The Independent Angel Adoree cordially invites you to accompany her on a journey to create your perfect vintage tea party! The Vintage Patisserie is a haven of all things glamour, vintage and retro. Run by Angel Adoree, the outstanding character you may have seen on Dragon's Den, the Vintage Patisserie is a vintage hosting company offering bespoke tea parties from a bygone era. For that reason, there's nowhere better to get simple, elegant advice for hosting your very own Vintage Tea Party at home than from Angel and The Vintage Tea Party Book. As well as providing sumptuous elegant recipes to cover every time of the day, Angel's The Vintage Tea Party Book covers the full breadth of those little touches that make the perfect vintage party: Invitations, attire, decorations, props and more. The book is broken into: BRUNCH What do you mean, morning is no time for a party?! High Breakfast is the height of civilization and, here, I share my most refined brunch dishes, for a morning tea party fit for a Queen. Don your headscarf and on with the preparations! AFTERNOON Is your pinkie finger raised at the ready? There's nothing more British than Afternoon Tea. This chapter is a treasure trove of tea-time delights, from classics to decadent treats, and I show how to make a Union Flag for the ultimate traditional tea party. EVENING The evening tea party is all about glamour, giggles and good friends. On these pages, I share my most impressive recipes, for maximum impact on the eye and taste buds, to give the special people in your life the treat they deserve. STYLE You've organized the perfect vintage do, now it's time for the perfect vintage hairdo, and the perfect vintage dress, and for getting your make-up - and your man - looking just stunning. You'll be the most glamorous hostess in town! Angel Adoree was the outstanding character of this year s Dragon s Den. She received £100k investment from Deborah Meaden and Theo Paphitis for developing her website and for buying a shop/property in Soho for her business - Vintage Patisserie. Vintage Patisserie is a vintage hosting company that provide tea parties which are fabulously retro, delivering everything from music, makeovers and - of course - a customised menu of tea party treats that elevate any function into a swanky soiree. The Vintage Tea Party Book embraces the style and class of the trendy London Vintage scene and illustrates how to beautifully recreate the tasty treats and classic styles at home. With a unique mixture of recipes and feature spreads with accessible tips on hairstyling, makeup methods and where to collect vintage china -- The Vintage Tea Party Book has it all!

The Vintage Tea Party Book

THE ENTERTAINING AND HEARTWARMING SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER. Like many couples, Dick and Angel had long dreamed of living in France, but where others might settle for a modest bolthole in the French countryside, the Strawbridges fell in love with a 19th-century fairytale château, complete with 45 rooms, seven outbuildings, 12 acres of land and its own moat. Throwing caution to the wind, Dick and Angel swapped their two-bedroom flat in East London for an abandoned and derelict castle in the heart of the Loire valley and embarked on the adventure of a lifetime with their two young children Arthur and Dorothy. Sharing their full journey for the first time, A Year at the Château follows Dick and Angel from when they first moved to France in the depths of winter and found bedrooms infested with flies, turrets inhabited by bats, the wind rattling through cracked windows, and just one working toilet, which flushed into the moat, through to the monumental efforts that went into readying the château for their unforgettable wedding and their incredibly special first Christmas. Along the way we'll read glorious descriptions of rural life in France, with charming characters, delicious food and wonderful seasonal produce, together with the extraordinary list of renovations and restorations Dick and Angel completed, many of which were never shown on TV. As warm and entertaining as their much-loved show, A Year at the Château is a truly irresistible story of adventure and heart, epic ambitions and a huge amount of hard graft.

Angel Strawbridge

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