Dick Strawbridge

Dick Strawbridge – Life, Career, and Entertainer’s Journey

Explore the life of Dick Strawbridge: his early years, military career, transition into television, environmental projects, personality, and legacy in British entertainment.

Introduction

Dick Strawbridge (full name Richard Francis “Dick” Strawbridge), born 3 September 1959, is a British television presenter, engineer, environmentalist, and former army officer.

He is best known to many as “Colonel Dick” from popular TV series like Escape to the Château, It’s Not Easy Being Green, Scrapheap Challenge, and more. His projects often combine engineering, sustainability, restoration, and family life—mixing hands-on craftsmanship with storytelling.

In an era when media figures often specialize narrowly, Strawbridge stands out as someone who integrates engineering, environmentalism, and entertainment. His story offers a window into how technical expertise and personal passion can translate into a public life.

Early Life and Family

Dick Strawbridge was born in Burma (then under British influence) on 3 September 1959. He is the third of seven children, born to Jennifer and George Strawbridge, with his father working in the oil industry across the Middle East and Far East.

Although born abroad, Strawbridge was raised in County Antrim, Northern Ireland. He was educated locally, attending Ballyclare High School from 1971 to 1976.

From a young age, Strawbridge showed an interest in mechanics, engineering, and problem solving—traits that would underpin his later military and media work.

Youth, Education, and Military Career

Strawbridge’s path toward engineering and leadership began in his youth:

• After secondary school, he attended Welbeck Defence Sixth Form College, preparing for military service, before enrolling at the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.

• In 1978 or 1979 he officially joined the British Army, entering the Royal Corps of Signals.

• Over his military career, he rose through the ranks: lieutenant (1981), captain (1985), major (1991), and eventually lieutenant colonel by 1999.

• For distinguished service, he was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 1993, particularly for work in Northern Ireland.

• He left full-time army service in November 2001.

His military years gave him leadership experience, technical training, discipline, and exposure to diverse environments—qualities he would later apply to television and restoration projects.

Transition to Television & Media Career

After leaving the army, Strawbridge shifted toward engineering, consultancy, public speaking, and eventually television.

Early TV & Engineering Programs

• He first entered TV via Scrapheap Challenge (later Junkyard Wars) as the “Yellow Team Leader,” eventually becoming a presenter.

• He also presented Crafty Tricks of War, where he explored reconstructing inventive wartime machines.

• In It’s Not Easy Being Green (BBC Two), Strawbridge and family attempted to live in an eco-friendly home, employing solar, insulation, rainwater, and energy-saving strategies.

• He appeared on Coast, Planet Mechanics, Dirty Rotten Survival (with National Geographic), The Hungry Sailors, Saturday Farm, Cabins in the Wild, and more.

Escape to the Château & Later Projects

His most internationally recognized show is Escape to the Château, which ran for nine series from 2016 to 2022.

The series follows Strawbridge and partner Angel Adoree (Angela Newman) as they purchased and renovated a derelict château in the French countryside, with little modern infrastructure, turning it into a home and event venue.

The château—Château de la Motte-Husson in Mayenne, France—required extensive work: plumbing, electrics, heating, and structural repairs. The program documents both the restoration and the family life, along with business ventures in hosting weddings and tourism.

After the formal end of Escape to the Château, Dick and Angel launched a podcast, Dick & Angel’s CHAT…EAU, exploring their ongoing life at the château and renovation challenges.

They also developed spin-offs such as Escape to the Château: DIY, helping others with restoration projects.

Historical & Contextual Highlights

• The project of renovating a large French château with limited funds and infrastructure is ambitious and rare in the TV world, making Escape to the Château a distinctive cross between renovation, rural life, and reality storytelling.

• Strawbridge stands out among television personalities for the depth of technical engagement—his programs often show him actively designing, building, solving mechanical or structural problems, rather than just narrating.

• His environmental ethos, as shown in It’s Not Easy Being Green, aligns with broader movements toward sustainability, self-sufficiency, and climate-aware living.

• The château, once bought in 2015 for about £280,000, had no electricity, heating, or plumbing at the time. Over the years, the family and show funding enabled restoration.

Legacy and Influence

Dick Strawbridge’s legacy is multifaceted:

• Democratizing engineering & DIY: He shows that large-scale renovation, mechanical repair, and sustainable adaptation are not just for specialists but can be made accessible and inspiring through media.

• Bridging entertainment & substance: His shows are not purely escapist—they combine practical technical education, problem-solving, and emotional narrative.

• Inspiration for sustainable living: Through programs like It’s Not Easy Being Green, he has encouraged individuals and families to reimagine energy, waste, and sustainability in daily life.

• Cultural influence: The château project has sparked interest in rural renovation, French property renovation, and event-venue living, influencing how people imagine “living in a château.”

• Personal brand: He has become a recognizable figure in British cultural life—a symbol of hands-on style mingled with family life and aesthetic ambition.

As time goes on, his lasting influence will likely be in how many people adopt a more hands-on, sustainable, restorative approach to homes and land, inspired by the daring of his projects.

Personality, Style, and Strengths

From his life and career, we can infer several traits and strengths:

• Hands-on & practical: Strawbridge prefers to engage directly in building, repair, and technical challenges rather than outsourcing them.

• Curiosity & adaptability: His willingness to shift from military to media to restoration shows flexibility and appetite for learning.

• Vision and perseverance: Renovating a large château from nearly ruin takes long-term vision, resilience to setbacks, and endurance.

• Public communicator: He can translate technical ideas into narratives digestible by general audiences, balancing depth with approachability.

• Family orientation: Much of his work is intertwined with family (his partner, children), giving his projects emotional grounding.

• Sustainability-minded: He embeds environmental awareness into his work, whether in eco-living or resource reuse.

These qualities help explain why he resonates with many who like both “the dream” and “how it’s built.”

Memorable Quotes & Notable Statements

While Dick Strawbridge is not primarily known as a quotable philosopher, here are some remarks and attitudes that reflect his worldview (paraphrased or quoted from interviews and programs):

• On green living: “I don’t want to wear a hemp shirt and hairy knickers, I want a 21st-century lifestyle with a coffee machine.” (from It’s Not Easy Being Green)

• On the château: He has remarked on the scale of the challenge and the belief that the property had to match a certain dream—height, towers, gardens—all part of choosing the right project. (from interviews about the château purchase)

• On work ethic and repair: His body of work communicates a belief that, with sufficient will and effort, things broken or deteriorated can be restored—and that doing so has value beyond mere aesthetics.

His approach is more demonstrated through his acts than through a body of famous aphorisms.

Lessons from Dick Strawbridge’s Journey

From Strawbridge’s life and work, several lessons emerge:

1. Big dreams require step-by-step work
   Renovating a château or re-engineering a house doesn’t start with grandeur—it starts with planning, scaffolding, wiring, and patience.

2. Technical skills can become storytelling
   His ability to build, fix, and innovate became the heart of his narrative appeal.

3. Integrate values into projects
   His emphasis on sustainability, reuse, and environment makes his work culturally relevant, not just visually pleasing.

4. Failure is part of progress
   In renovation and engineering, missteps are inevitable; adaptability and problem-solving matter more than avoiding mistakes.

5. Family and life as context
   His projects are not isolated—they are grounded in emotion, relationships, and day-to-day life. That human touch differentiates spectacle from resonance.

For anyone interested in restoration, sustainability, or bridging technical work and public media, Strawbridge’s path offers a model of combining passion, skill, and storytelling.

Conclusion

Dick Strawbridge is a modern-day craftsman of media—one who doesn’t just present ideas but builds them into reality. From his military engineering roots to international television fame, his story is about transformation: of spaces, of people, of how we view homes and heritage.

He has shown that creativity and grit can turn a dilapidated French château into a living, breathing family and business venture—and that behind that transformation is a philosophy: that the act of restoring is itself a narrative of hope, effort, and possibility.