‘Murder’ probe in villages

FILMING of the silver anniversary of a detective television drama took place in two villages near Henley

Midsomer Murders, which has been running for 28 years, was filmed at The Bottle and Glass Inn in Binfield Heath and Shiplake Village Bowling Club in Memorial Avenue.

The show, which is based on Caroline Graham’s Chief Inspector Barnaby book series, is set to return for four new feature-length mysteries.

Letters were sent to residents ahead of the crew’s touchdown in Binfield Heath on Tuesday, highlighting the possible noise disturbances and temporary road closures.

The episode will be titled Lawn of the Dead.

On Tuesday, a prop post box was set up outside the pub, which had been renamed the Green Boat, and was taped over when not filming to ensure residents didn’t mistake it for a real one.

DCI Tom Barnaby, played by Neil Dudgeon, and DS Jamie Winter, played by Nick Hendrix, then repeated a snippet of a scene outside the pub in which they got out of a car.

Film and sound crews made minor alterations to their approaches throughout the morning to ensure they got the perfect shot, while residents watched on. Kirsty Wood, 33, a sales director who lives in Harpsden Road, close to the filming location, said: “It’s nice because it brings activity to the village and anything that brings that is a good thing.”

Eirlys Hughes, 72, who lives in Common Lane, said: “Filming all seemed to run very smoothly and it was all very exciting. It did spice up the day and it didn’t bother us at all.”

Filming moved to the bowling club on Wednesday. Dan Collins, 43, a construction contractor who lives in Orchard Close, said he has never seen the show before.

He said: “I got a letter through the door about it but, to be honest, I didn’t pay much attention to it.

“It’s a nice area, so it’s nice if the facilities and locations are used for these purposes. It’s also quite quiet, which is good for filming.”

Mr Dudgeon said: “It’s fantastic to be filming Midsomer again. The scripts are all great, full of intrigue and mystery, so I’m very excited for you to see them.

“Our writers, who seem so normal, have come up with yet more extraordinary ways for the residents of Midsomer to despatch their neighbours, which is fun and slightly worrying; I work with these people. And, of course, the cast and crew are all back together, and it’s great to see everyone and hear all the news and gossip. It’s just like living in a village in Midsomer. I hope you all love them when they are finished.”

A spokeswoman at All3Media International said: “We can’t wait to see what uniquely perplexing and quirky crimes DCI Barnaby and DS Winter will be unravelling in this landmark 25th series.

“More than two decades since it began, Midsomer Murders continues to prove its evergreen credentials, offering the ultimate in primetime cosy crime.

“With the show now vastly surpassing the episode and crime counts of many iconic detective dramas, its credentials as a global detecting favourite are legendary.”

Over the last 10 years, scenes of Midsomer have been filmed at Shiplake College, the town hall, Gabriel Machin butchers and the Argyll pub in Market Place, the former La Bodega restaurant in Hart Street and Tudor House Antiques in Duke Street.

The show is produced by Bentley Productions for ITV.