A mother-and-daughter duo on Escape to the Country "gave up their dream" following a major property U-turn. In the latest instalment of the BBC programme (May 11), presenter Alistair Appleton welcomed Diana and her daughter Millie, who were preparing to swap their Bristol residence for a slice of Somerset's countryside.
The Search Begins
Diana was looking forward to retiring from her bookkeeping job, while 20-year-old Millie, a medical secretary, had recently got engaged to her partner Alfie. "I do everything with my mum, and I wouldn't change it," Millie revealed, with Diana chiming in: "We went travelling together when Millie was quite young, and we have the same sense of humour and, yeah, we do have a good time together."
Armed with a substantial £800,000 budget, the pair were hunting for a characterful detached cottage or farmhouse, preferably boasting three bedrooms with scope for bed and breakfast operations. Their outdoor wish list included an acre or more of land to nurture their flower-growing business, plus an outbuilding to house all the kit and equipment required to cultivate their ambitions.
Alistair's Observation
While driving to meet the duo in Keinton Mandeville, Alistair reflected on the unusual nature of their property search. "Oh, it's so lovely to be back in Somerset, and what a lovely house-hunt we're going to have, because, very unusually, we've got 20-year-old Millie who is desperate to move into a new house with her mum, at the time when most people of that age are desperate to move out," he remarked.
The Mystery House Twist
Following visits to a Grade II-listed residence and a Georgian thatched cottage in Charlton Mackrell, Alistair unveiled the mystery property, which he characterised as "quite a challenge". "The mystery house is always a twist, and this one's a slightly risky twist, because we're asking Diana and Millie to give up their dream of a flower garden in their garden. Instead, they get an amazing pleasure garden, just for their enjoyment, with some incredible features, and an up-and-running, very profitable B&B option," he explained.
Diana and Millie immediately warmed to the 17th-century cottage in Great Elm, despite the garden falling short of their original requirements. Speaking to Alistair at the conclusion of their search, Diana disclosed a change of heart, stating: "We'd like to go and revisit the mystery house, I think... Fingers crossed we can sell ours and make an offer."
Dream Abandoned
Unfortunately, Diana and Millie's ambitions never materialised. Upon returning to their Bristol home, the pair concluded that the upstairs accommodation in the mystery property proved insufficient for an expanding family, so they decided against a second viewing and are pursuing their house hunt elsewhere.
