Chat Ed : Good evening and welcome to our live webchat with Brian and Andrew from A Place in Greece! In this series the action surrounds Coventry couple Brian Saunders and Andrew Sutton as they pursue their dream of building their very own home in Greece. Finances are tight, so to help get the project off the ground they enter into a partnership with friends Peter and Lesley Cardy, who are also keen to have a place abroad. And here are our guests…
Brian : Hello everyone I'm in Crete as we are talking!
Oxi! : Hello you two!
simon matt : hello brian
Andrew : Hi Andrew here and I'm not in Crete I'm in London at the moment on a training course to be a holiday company representative.
Kirk Wragg : Hi Guys
Steven : Hello Brian and Andrew
millie_007 : Off all country's in the world why pick Crete to build a home?
Corfu : why did you choose crete
Andrew : We have both been fond of Crete for many years and have many happy memories of it and finally decided that we would both like to live there.
Adam : You seem an unusual group of people to form a project. What brought you all together?
simon matt : how did you make friends with the boat people
Brian : Hello Adam, we have known Peter and Les for many years. I've known them for 15 years and Andrew has known them for 4 years and we just really get on. I met them through my involvement in the Canals and Waterways Festivals, as we both had boats.
Kerry : Hi guys i lived in East Crete for 9 years and you really do need to learn the language if you are to stay in the winter, i was also a holiday rep!
CharlieB : Are you learning greek?
Stuart : Have you managed to learn Greek yet?
Dunc : Do you plan to learn the language.. I've started learning Greek and I realise how hard it is !!
Andrew : Yes it is a very difficult language to learn and I do have to learn it as a requirement of my new job. It's not straightforward and it will be hard but we are going to do it.
Janna : Hello Brian and Andrew. I lived in Greece for 14 yrs. I think Andrew could find work as an English teacher in a frontistirio. So could Brian
jojo : Did you not think about researching your job opportunities in Greece before you bought?
Brian : Hello jojo, yes I did but I felt it was better to find a job when I got out here because of what I had done in the past and I have actually found a very good job.
Andrew : I chose to go down the holiday rep route because of work experience in the UK as an airport employee, but the teaching option is a good one and I may look into that so thank you for your suggestion.
kes : Crete is a wonderful place to live so much so we are getting married there next year...where is your favourite place on the island??
Andrew : Probably, I would say, Kalyvaki Bay and congratulations on your forthcoming wedding - please invite us!
Brian : I agree with Andrew and that was originally where we wanted to have a house built.
Andrew : That's actually where we were when we decided to move to Crete.
LOMMY : why did u wanna build ur own home??
Andrew : For years I, as an amateur designer, wanted to design and build a house of my own and I thought it was a good idea for Brian and I to do this together which is what we've done.
Brian : And I did help with the design too.
Juliette : What is your opinion of the standard of Greek builders ?
Brian : Juliette, the standards of builders out here are as varied as they are in the UK but we had a fantastic one - this house is something very special. You have to be very careful who you get to build your house because sometimes people wait two years for completion so the best advice we can give is to come to Crete, find the right developer and builder before you commence.
Max : why did you not want to kill the cockerel and keep with the building tradition
Sean Manchester : Do you wish the chicken had it ?
dh : thankyou for not killing the chicken
Brian : Hi Max, good question. There were certain traditions we felt unable to conform to - one was killing the cockerel and the other was eating goat's heads. We would rather have the rooster helping the hens to lay eggs.
nickessex : did you get your stupid window
rasper : What is the status of that sliding window you were so desperate for?
William age 14 : dif u ever get the big window
Brian : No comment!
Andrew : You will see in the fullness of time at the end of the series - we don't want to spoil any viewing!
Adam : What was so appealing about that Expensive Toilet? Eh!?
Brian laughs
Brian : Adam - cheeky! It felt more comfortable than the one that was on offer :)
Kudos : Brian why are you always so assertive?
john2004 : Brian is Mr burns, Andrew is Smithers - don't know who the other 2 are
Pauline : Do you think your a bit bossy?
Andrew laughs
Andrew : With experience I have found that it's better to let Brian have his say and then persuade him to change if a change in view is needed. He's not really that bossy.
Brian : In real life I'm not bossy at all. It's just the way the programme went. Somebody has to make decisions though and you can't have four captains on a ship, but it is important that at the end of the day that any agreements are at the consensus of the whole group.
Steve : Brian why did you throw the fish on the floor in that episode?
Andrew chuckles
Brian : Hello Steve, I didn't throw the fish on the floor, it really did fall onto the floor as an accident.
Sean Manchester : Did you approach the production company or did they find you? If so, how did they know your plans?
AndrewCorfu : i would have just stuck it back on the plate and not tell them
Andrew : We replied to an ad in a national Sunday paper asking for volunteers who were thinking of moving abroad to contact Tiger Aspect, this we did along with many thousands of others, we are told, and luckily for us they chose our project to accompany. And I think Brian would agree with me that we have had the most enjoyable time, albeit hard work, while we have been filming the TV series.
RichardW : At least the cat got a nice treat !
Tom : Andrew, did at any time the production crew advise the other couple to Brian's insanity?
Andrew laughs
Brian : Ohh!
Brian laughs
Andrew : As we had all known each other for several years they were well aware of Brian and how he reacts to things and how he is, so they were fully aware of what was involved in the project.
Louis3h : Brian I noticed you had a couple of cats. Did you take them to Crete with you?
jason : what happened to the cats
ChrisfromBournemouth : Andrew, what happened to your cats and dogs
Brian : Yes we had three cats, Wallace and Gromit and George and two dogs - Rupert and Jacob and they are all out here now as we speak with me. One is on my lap and Rupert the golden Labrador is trying to get food out of the cat's bowls. So the whole family came out with us.
jackie : Do you both think you will stay in Crete for the rest of your lives?
Brian : Yes! We always intended to and we have no plans to do anything different.
Ollie : are you planning on decorating the new house like your one in England?
den : i hope not
James1234 : Lets hope not!
Andrew laughs
Andrew : No! The houses in Crete in the Mediterranean climates are different in style inside and out but we will eventually decorate the house in a style appropriate to its surroundings.
Brian : No wild chimps.
Andrew : I guess you didn't like the decor then, den?!
Brian : Neither did the couple that came to view it!
Ali : Have you written a book to accompany the series? and are there any plans to film a follow-up to this series?
Ben 1 : Have you given any thought of being the next Richard and Judy?
Andrew laughs!
Brian : Heheheh... Channel 4 please note that one!
Andrew : All the way through the project I have kept a daily journal which I am intending to find a publisher for so that there can be a book about our project and yes we would like to do a follow up series if that is possible and if there is demand for it and if the production company and Channel 4 want to do one. I'm not sure which one of us would be Judy, but we can always fill in for them while they are on holiday.
Brian : But there is still a long story to tell because the project isn't finished.
Chat Ed : Our half hour with Brian and Andrew is almost up, so last few questions now...
rrruss : do you miss British life, sport or TV?
Brian : Erm... yes I miss the British life - not the sport, but I do miss the British TV and especially radio which we are taking steps to rectify with a satellite dish.
MikeSt : Given your experience, what would you do differently and why?
Gin : Do you have any regrets about the whole project?
Juliette : any regrets ?
Andrew : Ooh good questions... Evening Mike - we don't have any regrets about what we have done and what we have achieved. I suppose you can always look at things afterwards and see other ways of doing them but if everything went smoothly and to plan it wouldn't be half as interesting or enjoyable.
steveuk : Which one piece of advice would you give to others wanting to follow your example ?
Brian : The one piece of advice I would give to anybody is to do your research properly, find out exactly what you want, make sure that you make it clear what you want and choose a company that's going to look after you because unless you are prepared to come out here during the build you have to rely on professional people out here to see your project through.
sfakaki : good advice brian
Andrew : It's important to remember that although you are going to live in a country you have to accept and adopt and work with their building regulations, laws and authority - their way of doing things. You have to work with them on their terms and they respect you more for doing that.
Kelly : Good Luck to the both of you for the future
stevo : I think you are very brave guys
Chat Ed : That's it! Thanks for coming and talking to us Brian and Andrew!
Toriaaa : Goodluck, :)
den : bye
ILoveCrete : Good luck you guys.
TerryB : cya next week
Andrew : Thank you all for your kind comments and thoughts and best wishes. I'm really glad you are enjoying the series and I hope you carry on doing so. Thank you.
Brian : Thank you all very much we have enjoyed talking to you all.
Lou : good luck guys
Jonny : The series rocks!!!! Seeya!
Toriaaa : Have fun, don't get to drunk, :)
Brian : Don't forget that in May there are 20 episodes in the afternoons on Channel 4 showing the full story and come to Crete because it is the most wonderful island and we have found our place here. Bye for now.
Brian leaves the room
Andrew leaves the room
