Grand Designs

Published: Dec. 7, 2017, 2 p.m.

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The quirky charm of a British homebuilding show.

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It seems to happen every time. The affable Kevin McCloud, host of British television\\u2019s Grand Designs, describes the house project he will cover in the upcoming episode, and fairly predictably I find myself thinking:

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They have got to be out of their minds.

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Whether it\\u2019s the extreme locale the owners have chosen, the seeming folly of restoring and subsequently inhabiting a derelict theatre, for example, or the absurd expectations of time, budget or a combination thereof, the viewer is always left with a sense that\\u200a\\u2014\\u200athis time\\u200a\\u2014\\u200ait\\u2019s all going to hell...

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Listen to the rest by clicking the play button, above. The text version of this essay can be found on Medium where it was published in July of 2016. (photo: The Northern Echo)

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