Midsomer Musings

I have always been a fan of Midsomer Murders, ever since that first episode in 1997, ‘The Killings at Badger’s Drift,'so was disheartened to read about the hoo-hah with Brian True-May, even if his remarks were a little tactless.

I love the show: for its quirkiness, its innovativeness, its vivid and memorable characters, its eccentricity - and yes, its sheer, unadulterated Englishness. Most of these are, I would add, qualities I share with the programme, but that’s another story…

Having grown up in a picturesque little village identical to the ones featured in the show, I also recognise with fondness the vignettes of village life, the twitching curtains, the gossip and the scandal-mongering. There was even a murder there once.

Upon meeting Mr. Nettles after attending a poetry reading, I said to him, 'I come from a village just like the ones in Midsomer Murders, and I told him about the murder. He asked if the killer was caught and i said, 'no, but if Barnaby had been on the case, I am sure he would hav been.'Mr. Nettles seemed satisfied with this. I guess it would be one for his Cold Case squad...