The quirky charm of a British homebuilding show. It seems to happen every time. The affable Kevin McCloud, host of British television’s Grand Designs, describes the house project he will cover in the upcoming episode, and fairly predictably I find myself thinking: They have got to be out of their minds. Whether it’s 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 — this time — it’s all going to hell... 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)