No Going Back (C4)

A Place In Spain (C4)

The optimism of Brits abroad never fails to amaze me - in the face of the most trying conditions and financial heartache, ex-pats dig in their heels and continue with their dreams.

Peter and Shirley Piscina, the subjects of No Going Back, decided a year ago to leave the UK and run a sports fishing business in Australia. Naturally, they had no experience of sailing, fishing or living abroad but this didn't stop them selling their new home and moving their three young children from Bristol to the Gold Coast.

Despite the facts that Peter had never caught a fish in Australian waters and the fishing business is highly competitive, he jumped into the venture with both feet. He fell in love with a boat and parted with hard cash before it was properly checked out.

Of course, when it was looked at by someone with experience, a host of problems were found and Peter had to wait in dry dock while his competition were out catching clients.

The couple also rented a house too far away from the tourist trail to attract possible customers and seemed to have arrived in the sunny state in the middle of monsoon season. But Peter and Shirley showed the bulldog spirit and refused to give up. Shirley used her experience of marketing and advertising to drum up a bit of business - only for the boat to break down - and then decided to go shopping for new home.

Having already told Peter off for his sloppy book-keeping, she found the perfect plot for a family house and put a deposit down without a glance at their bank balance. As the weather got worse, the couple were soon feeling the effects of Shirley's rash purchase so did they give up? Of course not.

Bizarrely, Shirley decided to set up a new venture importing hair pieces and wigs from the Far East.

Last night, we saw what the couple were up to a year after we saw them parading round in electric blue synthetic wigs. Pete was now totally disillusioned with the fishing business and wanting to sell the boat, while Shirley had plans to expand the hair business by going into partnership with another ex-pat couple and buying a shop to turn into a hair salon (no mention of any experience of cutting hair but why should that stop her?).

It seems no matter what Australia throws at the couple, they are refusing to say G'day and chuck in the towel and you have to admire their staying power.

The same true grit attitude was apparent in A Place In Spain, which is following the delightful Lee and Cheryl as they try to set up a snail farm in a country they have no experience of.

This couple are hilarious - they speak no Spanish and are trying to get by using the classic method of shouting in English and waving their arms.

They keep fighting over money but are obviously madly in love and having the time of their lives on this great adventure which, luckily for us, is being captured on camera.

Lee has a bad habit of looking at properties he has no intention of buying and seems oblivious to the broken dreams he leaves behind him as he moves onto the next farm or vineyard.

Heading towards his 60th birthday, Lee has always wanted to be in a western and you can't help feeling that is the real reason behind the couple's decision to move abroad.

He may not have a horse to saddle up but his VW camper van looks mighty fine trundling into the Spanish sunset.