It’s a unique coincidence that the home of TV’s most loved and long running murder mystery series happens to be largely filmed in and around the hometown of the Queen of the Crime Novel.
Wallingford, in the heart of South Oxfordshire and the original Causton in Midsomer Murders, was home to Agatha Christie for over 40 years. Her home at Winterbrook and final resting place at St Mary’s church in Cholsey have become places of pilgrimage for countless Christie fans. And as one of the most published authors in history, with well over billion books sold worldwide, there are quite a few of them around.
Fans can even follow the Wallingford Agatha Christie Trail. Passing by her former home, grave and numerous other places of interest, including the Wallingford Museum, which is home to a permanent Christie exhibition.
The cult of Christie shows no signs of slowing, with new generations continually discovering her incredible ability to enthral and engage readers. Of course, her work has famously transferred very well to both the big and small screen. With Miss Marple and Poirot rivalling Midsomer as some of the country’s best loved sleuth dramas.
This Christmas is no different, with the BBC having adapted for the screen a darker version of one of her most famous works. And Then There Were None is being screened on Boxing Day on BBC1, with sources at the Beeb claiming this is altogether different from previous Christie TV adaptations. Sarah Phelps who has adapted the gripping novel about justice, claims : ‘This book is genuinely terrifying … nobody is coming to save you … no dapper Belgian detective, no twinkly-eyed and steely spinster is going to arrive and unravel it.’
Phelps adds: ‘Marple and Poirot are giants of characters, but I think this book has a worrying purity to it because of the beauty of the plot. And there’s a real dark, murky, curious, difficult undertone which just makes you think about what it means to take a life.’
The film stars Sam Neill, Miranda Richardson and Charles Dance among others, in a stellar cast, for what promises to be one of the most anticipated TV events of the festive season.
Our advice is, don’t miss it!
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