Seasons
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Sports History in Midsomer, pt. 2: Other Sports
As well as playing a lot of cricket, Midsomer has been very successful in chess, Formula 1 and boxing. The famous boxing match of 1860 is a topic for another time: here we look at chess and F1 first.
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episodes: 06×01: A Talent of Life, 08×02: Dead in the Water, 14×01: Death in the slow lane, 15×05: The Sicilian Defence, and a little bit of 05×03: Ring Your Dead and 19×03: Last Man Out)
Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch auf Deutsch.
•In 1893 there was a world champion from Bishopwood in Midsomer County: Reverend Stannington.
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Witch-Hunting in Midsomer County
In view of the upcoming International Women’s Day, let’s talk about two historic women from Midsomer County: Mary Bloxham and Katherine Malpas. Both women were helpful, clever women with good knowledge of healing and curing who lived in Midsomer County in the 17th century. Both were discredited and murdered as alleged witches.
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episodes: 05×02: A Worm in a Bud, and 07×06: The Straw Woman)
Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch auf Deutsch.
•Witch-hunting is not a medieval invention. It was not until the early modern period, i.e. the 15th and 16th centuries, that the persecution and condemnation of women who did not conform to the ideal of womanhood began: A God-fearing person, submissive to all men and authorities.
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The Bell Ringers from Midsomer Wellow
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episode: 05×03: Ring out your Dead)
Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch auf Deutschauch auf Deutsch.
•Tom and Joyce Barnaby are sitting at the table in the kitchen, and Tom is looking through numerous papers, most of which are in front of him. In 1860, the vicar of Midsomer Wellow was thrown down a well and died. Before that, there had been real trouble with the local bell-ringers because he had tried to force them to attend services and had had their beer barrel removed from the ringing room. Although the case was obvious, the evidence was lacking and the witnesses remained silent.
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Doom Paintings
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episode: 16×02: Let us prey)
Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch auf Deutsch.
•Towards the end of the 11th century, people began to worry – again, it must be said – that the world was coming to an end and that the Last Judgement was imminent. Scholars kept calculating new dates based on possible coded references in the Bible and other Christian writings. (Nothing unfamiliar to us when we think of the hullabaloo surrounding 21 December 2012. But fear of God was more widespread then).
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The Sword Of Guillaume
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episode: 13×02: The Sword of Guillaume)
Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch auf Deutsch.•
To begin with, there is a disappointment: The Sword of Guillaume mentioned in the episode is as fictitious as Sir Richard Guillaume himself. And there is no connection between the Battle of Hastings and Brighton.
I could end this article with that, but the Battle of Hastings was real, and there are small, subtle mentions and connections to Midsomer. And so there is this article.
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Public Footpaths
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episodes: 02×03: Dead Man’s Eleven, 09×02: Dead Letters, 13×02: The Sword of Guillaume, and 14×04: The Oblong Murders)
Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch auf Deutsch.
•The Barnaby family are looking for a new place to live in Fletcher’s Cross and have a bite to eat in the Queen’s Arms, outside, in the garden. As they leave the pub, they are approached by Zelda Frasier. She is collecting signatures for the petition of the Fletcher’s Cross Ramblers Association, who are fighting for the right of way through Robert Cavendish’s estate. It’s a public footpath, but the landlord has blocked off part of it without permission.
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The History of Midsomer Parva and Midsomer Worthy
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for many episodes: 01×01 Written In Blood, 02×02: Strangler’s Wood, 05×02: A Worm in a Bud, 05×04: Murder on St Malley’s Day, 07×01: The Green Man, 07×06: The Straw Woman, 11×01 Shot at Dawn, 12×03: Secrets and Spies, 13×01: The Sword of Guillaume, 14×02: Dark Secrets)
•Of all the Midsomer villages, Midsomer Parva in the south and Midsomer Worthy in the west of the county are by far the most historic. As many episodes take place in these villages, a number of historical events have been collected and listed here.
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The History of Midsomer Villages
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for all episodes until series 24; the information on episode 24×01 contains no relevant spoilers and the information on episode 24×04 is hidden here spoiler markers)
•Having looked at the historic Midsomer villages of Parva and Worthy, there are many more villages where history happens – but often it’s just one event. For this reason, I have decided to use this map of Midsomer County as a guide and place the events in the four cardinal directions.
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Saint Frideswide
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for Episode: 12×04: The Glitch)
Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch auf Deutsch.•
The Midsomer Cycling Club from Aspern Tallow – adults and young people – often go cycling, today along the old pilgrim route to an old church ruin. On the top of a hill they take a short rest. Down in the valley, the destination is already in sight: The Abbey of St Frideswide in the Valley of Midsomer Sanctae.
While some of the children continued to cycle at a fast pace, the adults stopped to chat. George Jeffers interrupts their conversation to look down at the ruins of the church.
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Jane Austen & Baroness Orczy in Midsomer County
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(Caution: Contains spoilers for episodes: 10×07: They Seek Him Here, & 19×05: Death by Persuasion)
Diesen Beitrag gibt es auch auf Deutsch.
•The idyllic landscape of Midsomer County is well known. No wonder Jane Austen and Baroness Emma Orczy, two famous writers, are said to have stayed here. Or is that just a story?
