The adventure at Chateau de La Motte Husson
Last year, on these very days, Tine Gertsen, Saryn Muldrow and I visited Dick and Angel, as well as the rest of the Strawbridge family, at Chateau de La Motte Husson. It was an absolutely fantastic experience. We brought in the fall, in issues 6 and 7, 2022, two articles in the magazine that we did down there. If you want to have access to them, you can by signing up Club JDL Exclusive access all previous issues of the magazine. Until December 2022.
Today, however, I want to show you more and other pictures from the trip. We took hundreds of pictures in the two days we visited them - and it is by no means possible to show them all. Here are some from the articles and some that you haven't seen before - as well as our little film we shot down there.
You squeeze your arm a little and take a deep breath. Finally we are here. The agreement was made two years ago, but due to Covid 19, it has been postponed twice. It is quite unique that we have been allowed to come and write an article for our small Danish magazine, here at Chateau de la Motte Husson, with Dick and Angel. It is almost impossible to describe in words what an experience it is. You can't help but be captivated by this beautiful place, but what touches us the most are the people we meet here. Both Dick and Angel, Dorothy and Arthur, Grandpa Steve and Grandma Jenny, yes and the whole staff. They are so incredibly welcoming and sweet. The house is busy, because tomorrow there is an event on the programme. The last "party optional day" must be held. Still, there is a completely unique atmosphere, and a special calmness, which you immediately feel. Despite the busyness and the fact that they are known and loved across most of the world for their fantastic TV shows, we get the warmest welcome imaginable as we are greeted personally by Angel in the driveway. Today will be spent making a photo reportage of their unique home. She takes the time to offer coffee and talk to us in the living room before we get started. Angel has a knack for making everyone feel welcome in the family home and feel very special. We also experience the day after how she takes her time to talk to each individual guest.
On the second day, we will join the event, which unfortunately will no longer be held. Here we are together with 30 other participants and we start by being served plenty of bubbles, small snacks and hear the story of how the two met back in 2010. They both worked for an English TV company and their common agent Sofie had got an idea that these two strong personalities would be perfect to bring together to make a TV program. As fate would have it, they fell head over heels for each other on the very first night. They subsequently went on many holidays in France and fell in love with the dream of the calm and relaxing life you live in France. Live in a small French town house, pick up fresh baguettes in the morning, grow your own vegetables, go to the market for cheese and enjoy wine. Before long, the idea arose to make a TV show about how the couple went looking for a home in France. It wasn't meant to be a castle at all, but like most other women, Angel didn't look a bit at the houses that were a bit more expensive and bigger, just for fun - it was impressive how much you could get for the money in France! They saw an incredible number of different homes and made lists of the things they wanted. They were well aware that they couldn't have it all, - when she suddenly saw the ad for Chateau de La Motte Husson.. which was a fantastic deal and even contained all the elements they wanted. They could see right away that this place would be perfect for holding all the parties they dreamed of and at the same time be their family home. They were actually away, together with a camera crew, when they came here the first time - so the excitement you see on TV is completely real. The large, beautiful art-deco orangery was one of the things Dick and Angel fell for when they first saw the castle. It is perfect for weddings and events. This is where, later in the day, we are served champagne in vintage coffee cups, personally by both Angel and Dorethy, as well as served really nice food, made by Dick himself. One of his incredibly many talents is cooking, which he always does when there are guests at the castle. Everyone who comes here, regardless of the occasion, is a guest in the family's private home, and is treated as such. Which we clearly feel both days. After a short hour of funny stories, we are on a tour. First with Dick outside, before we are served the fantastic lunch in the orangery and then there is a tour with Angel inside the castle. As we have spent most of the day before, taking pictures and having fun with the family, this day we have time to see even more details and just enjoy it all, to the fullest.
HARBOUR
The chateau is situated in the middle of a breathtaking park landscape with the majestic moat, huge walled herb garden and several outbuildings and stables. Dick shows around and talks passionately about all the plans and ideas and his beloved garden. He and his helper Steve love to go and tend to the herb garden. Large quantities of fruit and vegetables are grown here, all of which are used for the meals he makes for the guests. They have geese and chickens and beehives. Dick is very keen on making everything himself and it must be sustainable. The food is made with ingredients that are in season and the children are involved in the whole thing. Angel grows flowers in a small area of the garden, which is used for all the impressive flower arrangements she makes when parties are held. The herb garden is clearly Dick's pride and passion.
THE ORANGE
THE HALL
It is impressive to enter through the high door that leads into the hall. It is so beautiful! All the original details have been preserved and restored with care. The sun casts long shadows and Angel's creative setups and decorations are seen everywhere. Behind the hall are the guest toilets, where just as much has been done with the interior as in the rest of the house. Here, walls have been made with newspaper clippings, fresh flowers in several places and an old fountain adorns the middle of the room. ]The very day we arrive, the sun is shining and the light is incredibly beautiful as it enters through the impressive old door, with the most beautiful old hand-forged friezes. Angel was absolutely right when she wrote to me that we should wait to come out until the afternoon, because the light was the best inside the castle.
THE LIVING ROOM
To the right of the entrance is the living room, with Arthur and Dorethy's playroom, the piano and the large circus sign. This is where we are offered coffee and a nice and informal chat with Angel, before we go around the castle and take pictures. In the tower, there is a small library, among other things with books dating back to when the castle was built. On the wall in the living room hang the original drawings from the 1800th century, when the current castle was built. The room is furnished with wonderful, crazy and different fine old effects from the circus, recycling is to that extent also in focus, for Dick and Angel, it is clearly visible everywhere in the castle.
THE DINING ROOM
To the left of the entrance is the dining room, with the giraffe and the funny murals. Behind one of the old wooden doors, there is a secret cupboard with a built-in bar. This is where we are at the end of the "Festival Day", which we participate in the next day, - we are offered coffee, beautiful cakes and drinks.
THE SUITES
Each room has its own theme and attention has been paid to every detail. Angel's own design of wallpaper and textiles is made with each room in mind. On each floor, the tower room has its very own style, where creativity has really been allowed to flourish. One of the rooms in particular is truly breathtaking. Here, Angel has neatly pressed and dried flowers which have been glued up. The bathrooms are luxurious and a chapter of their own. In one of the other tower rooms is the very special wall that Angel made from all the old wallpaper scraps she found on the ceiling at the top of the castle. They were put together in harlequin patterns. The design is now also available as wallpaper and textile, just like many of the original old wallpapers. In one of the hallways, the family has created their "hall of fame" where they have collected all the letters, drawings, paintings, etc. they have received from all their fans over the past 8 years. They appreciate each one and talk warmly about how happy and grateful they are that people take the time to write and send them creative pictures.
THE CELLAR
This beautiful room is where all threads find each other when the big events are held at the castle. Food, wine and flowers in long rows must be stored and here in the cellar there is cool and plenty of space for it all. This is also where the couple made the beautiful pantry, where all the home pickles are stored and the "flower room" that we can see right now becoming, in the very last season with TV from the castle.
THE KITCHEN
The family's kitchen is now only used privately and is comfortably furnished with a dining area and, of course, all equipment. Just the collection of copper kitchenware is impressive to that extent. The home-baked pastry, in the bottom picture, was served to us on the Festival day together with plenty of bubbly. Arthur is often in the kitchen with his father and he told us that he plans to open his own restaurant when he grows up. We had afternoon coffee and cake, in the shadow of the castle, when we finished taking pictures on the first day. Arthur was very talkative and we MAY get a discount in his restaurant, he promised :)
THE CREATION ROOM
After all, it IS heaven for creative souls to be allowed to enter the holiest of all, Angel's creation room. It is well hidden from the road, across the ceiling and up a flight of stairs, right up under the roof. Here there is peace and time for reflection and here Angel has collected boxes of small things and things that she has found in the castle over the years. But also things from markets and all her own design of textiles and wallpaper.
Dare to take the leap and live the dream to the fullest, as the two have done, is really brave and incredibly inspiring for a great many people. I have so much respect for them, both for what they do and their way of being. They feel lucky and grateful for their lives, and remind each other of that every single day. However, it has been really hard work to transform the dilapidated castle into the fairytale castle it is today. As Angel says behind every fairy tale there is reality. It has taken hard work and great dedication to bring a forty-five-room, five-story house back to life after so many years of neglect. They have managed that, the castle has been thoroughly renovated from basement to attic and the family can now breathe a little again. Life at the castle is good and they have settled in well to the French. There are still many ideas and they are still busy, especially with holding events - for which they have almost been completely shut down for two years. There is a lot to catch up on that front, says Angel. But despite that, they take the time, every single day, to be something for each other and the children and to sit down and remember how lucky they are.
Two absolutely fantastic days are over for this time.
Many thanks to Dick and Angel for stopping by - and happy reunion.
You can read much more about the history and the family at www. thechateau.tv
FACTS
Château de la Motte-Husson is a French Neo-Renaissance style castle located in the small market town of Martigné-sur-Mayenne. From the 1100th to the 1300th century, there was a small castle on the site. However, the current building dates from 1868-1874 and is therefore relatively new, compared to many other French castles. Today, the castle is owned by Dick and Angel Strawbridge, who bought it in 2015. Since then, many of us have loved following them in the TV series "Escape to the Chateau", which follows the family's renovation and rebuilding of the castle, and all the other creative initiatives they come up with along the way. The castle has a total of 45 rooms and there is room for 80 diners in the orangery.