Dreamboat

The lucky 21-year-old from Euxton was amazed when a television researcher got in touch -- to ask if a TV crew could renovate his narrowboat.

The Chorley Citizen caught up with Andrew at White Bear Marina, Adlington, where a TV crew were busy filming aboard his boat.

Andrew said: "I could not afford a flat so I decided to get a boat. I know a little bit about them, so I bought it and lived on it last year.

"I started doing it up over winter and I ripped everything out and did not put it back."

His girlfriend, 18-year-old Dawn Birchall, of Chorley, thought Andrew and his friends needed a little help and contacted the makers of DIY SOS -- television's renovation team who specialise in sorting out DIY disasters.

Delighted Andrew said: "Dawn mentioned that she had been on the internet and got in touch with them and they asked us to send some photos in.

"We did and within a week we had a researcher round. Altogether it only took two months from Dawn contacting them to them being here now."

And he admitted the team had a job on their hands. "All that was in the narrowboat was a bed and a kitchen. It was not as straightforward as we thought."

As well as all the practical DIY problems, the crew had to take into account all the legal requirements for narrowboat safety that would enable it to pass the boat equivalent of an MOT.

Even presenter Nick Knowles and designer Brigid Calderhead admitted it was tough to complete the work within the 48 hour time limit, even with 8am starts and late finishes.

Brigid said: "We have never done a boat before. But we will end up finishing it."

And a confident Nick agreed: "We always get it done. We'll be here until 3am in the morning if we have to."

Chorley viewers will be able to see if Nick and Brigid were right when the new series of DIY SOS begins on October 17 on BBC1.