Dick Strawbridge

I am a fan of the show which made me eager to read A Year at the Chateau by Dick and Angel Strawbridge. The author’s write the way they speak. Angel is enthusiastic while Dick is more reserved. You can tell that they both love their family and their chateau. I like their easy-going writing style. I enjoyed reading how the Strawbridge’s found their property and the beginning of their repairs. They are a hardworking pair with creative ideas. While Dick can do the manual bits and come up show more with clever ways to make items (or engineer gizmos), Angel is the idea person. She is also the creative one. Their love for one another is quite apparent. I thought the book was a good supplement to the show. It gives readers a more in-depth look at their projects. They provide facts about France and how living in France differs from England. You can tell the Strawbridge’s love food. Their vivid descriptions are mouthwatering. I love that they included their wedding in the book as well as Christmas. I cannot imagine taking on such a massive remodeling project with two small children. We get a sense of Dick and Angel as well as their personalities. There are some repetitive details (a result of the dual points-of-view) and some of the renovation details were a bit dry (the only two negatives). Overall, I enjoyed A Year at the Chateau. I like the humor scattered throughout the story. I love a book that makes me laugh (and after the last couple of years, we need more humor in our lives). A Year at the Chateau is a delight with a crumbling chateau, a creative vision, mouthwatering morsels, curious children, generous relatives, jubilant nuptials, and a cheery Christmas. show less

Wholey Moley! This is one tome for the ages. It's got everything you need to live off the land and what you grow on it. Eath houses, solar-wind-water energy, bio-fuels (elephant grass?) with pros and cons. How to reuse scraps (plastic, candles, soaps, food) to keep out of dump sites. Permaculture, hydroponics, making comfrey fertilizer, crop rotations, greenhouse irrigation systems & heat sink how to's. Veggie & herb growing with plant guides (growing, problem solving, harvest & preserve). show more Pruning, training and grafting. Brewing beer, wine, mead and ciders. Natural remedies with illustrated recipes. Wood working, crafts, metal work, basket weaving, bee keeping. How to make butter, cream, yogurt, cheese & bread. Preserve jams, pickles, chutney and drying fruits. How to make your own solar fruit drier. Curing, smoking food via your own smoker or earth oven. Mushroom growing, plant foraging. Make your own charcoal via handmade kiln. Animal husbandry, building coops, sheep shearing. Color photos. Just an amazing reference guide for even the backyard gardener. show less

As a how-to manual it's not great but as a book talking about how a family decide to leave the city behind and make themselves more ecologically friendly it's a lot of fun. I'd seen Dick Strawbridge on TV tinkering around with scrap to make useful things. This is that sort of idea taken to the extreme of having a life makeover to be more green. It's interesting and you see how some it could be applied to your own life but without the resources they had it would be difficult to implement some show more of the changes. show less

Is there anything this book leaves out? “Comprehensive” is a great way to describe it. Animal management, recipes for home made “champers”, basket weaving, electronic diagrams, plant guides... it’s all there. Great illustrations throughout, and some terrific ideas.