Lives in a Landscape - Getting the House Ready

74 year old Myf Barker is turning her enormous home into a wedding venue in the hope that it will make money. Kate Lamble meets the family and uncovers memories amid the chaos.

Purton House has been lived in by Myf, her late husband and her children for decades. It's a rambling family mansion with grounds, and an organic farm attached. But Myf has an eye to the future and wants to leave the house to her children as a viable business. So she's working to turn the property into a venue where weddings can be held and bridal families can stay the night.

Her main job is to convert the upstairs rooms so that they meet the standards of the most exacting couples. Old furniture has to be renovated, walls have to be painted and new bathrooms are being put in. Myf will even have to move out of her own bedroom which is being turned into a sitting room.

It's a daunting workload. Will it be ready on time?

Kate Lamble meets Myf, some of her grown up children including daughters Rowie and Talia and also Glenn, the son she fostered. She hears about the renovations and finds out what the house and its landscape symbolises for all of them, especially since the death of Rowie's husband Alex several years ago.

Producer; Emma Kingsley.

Published on Monday, 28th April 2014.

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