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  • Header Midsomer Murders History ATA White Walham

    ATA – Anything To Anywhere


    (Caution: Contains spoilers for Episode: 16×04: The Flying Club. With a bit of 13×01: The Sword of Guillaume, and a little bit of 10×01: Dancing with the Dead)

    A murder has occurred at Finchmere airfield. John Barnaby interrogates the Darnley family who own the airfield and looks at old photographs in the family’s home. The Darnley family home was filmed at Penn House, Amersham, Buckinghamshire, which has been in the family since 1222. However, the photos John Barnaby is looking at are from the annual festival held at White Waltham.

    John Barnaby notices a photo of a Spitfire among the many photos and asks Molly Darnley, with a certain recognition in his voice, whether she used to fly one of these famous planes. The elderly lady launches straight into the story: She didn’t fly in the war as a soldier, but was part of the ATA that transported the planes between the factories and the airfields. Without radios and guns.

  • Midsomer Murders History Header Widows Skimmington Fayre

    Deeds Not Words


    (Caution: Contains spoilers for Episode: 09×05: Four Funerals and a Wedding)

     

    Joyce’s mother, Muriel, is a guest at the Barnaby home. Much to the chagrin of Tom Barnaby, who gets on well with his mother-in-law, but doesn’t seem to have a warm relationship with her. Nevertheless, he gets the conversation going at home after work. Cully wants to go to Broughton for the Skimmington Fayre. Her parents are less than enthusiastic, but her grandmother is more so. Everyone but her seems to know the origins of the Skimmington Fayre and is enlightened.

  • Midsomer Murders History Header Gilbert & Sullivan

    Gilbert & Sullivan: Pirates of Penzance and Midsomer


    (Caution: Contains spoilers for Episode: 22×05: For Death Prepare)

     

    The opening shot shows a house by a river. “Empson Playhouse” is written on the building. After three seconds, a man comes out of the front door with a poster in his hand. He hangs it on the wall of the house, next to the entrance. On the beige background, which appears to have yellowed, is a tall, black-haired pirate holding a sabre in his right hand. It says “The Midsomer Mummers – The Pirates of Penzance – Centenary Charity Concert – 5th – 8th May”.

    The Midsomer Mummers’ theatre has been The Mill in Sonning, Berkshire, for a hundred years. Instead of “Empson Playhouse”, the building actually says simply “The Mill”. This is because the former mill is actually used for theatre performances.

  • Midsomer Murders History Header Battle Somme First Day

    Midsomer and the Battle of the Somme


    (Caution: Contains spoilers for Episode: 11×01: Shot at Dawn)

     

    The episode begins with a black and white picture. “France, July 1916.” is superimposed. Is it 1 July 1916 – the first day of the Battle of the Somme? The assumption is very obvious, but is not explicitly confirmed in the episode.

    We watch soldiers walking forward, landmines explode, people are screaming. But there is a soldier limping in the opposite direction. It is Private Thomas Hicks. He escapes from the obviously life-threatening situation and wants to go back to the Royal Midsomer Yeomanry base. At the street he meets a car with three officers, including his friend Lieutenant Douglas Hammond. Thomas Hicks can only muffles in response to Douglas’ astonished question as to what he is doing here, and pulls behind him with his finger to the battlefield. Douglas Hammond pushes the still muffling Private into the car with light pressure.