One of the questions I get asked the most as a writer is, "Where do you get your ideas?" More often than not, this question spooks us sensitive writers because if you're paying attention, you really can pull a story from anything. A snatch of a conversation, a news headline, a person you notice across the supermarket all make up the ingredients for the story soup. But for the Meadowfield Mysteries series (the first book The Last Draft out July 23rd), I not only know exactly where I found the first ingredient for my new series, I remember the exact moment.
Let me take you back to that day...
We Arrived At Night
New Year's Eve 2023, and after a five-hour drive filled with flooded roads and diversions, I first set foot in the village of Aldbourne after parking between the pond and The Crown pub, where locals were belting "Jolene" on karaoke. It was past 8, and the drinks had been flowing. I was there with my partner, and it was our first NYE away together, so the night was already special for us. We dragged our weekend cases into the pub and through the crowd and were quickly shown up through a series of jaunty staircases and leaning corridors to our rooms. After dumping our bags and freshening up, we were back out into the cool night air while Tom Jones' "Delilah" belted through the crowd. Around the corner closer to the village green, The Blue Boar didn't have singing but it was just as lively, filled with loud chatter, and just as busy. Arriving in the dark on a night filled with so much energy, I felt like I was seeing the village at its most alive.
After toasting my first glass of wine, I settled into the evening, and it wasn't long until I was mingling and hearing stories about the village. I looked at the murals covering the pub's walls detailing the local history of being a filming location and its connection to WWII American soldiers (more on that later). And after hours of laughter and the pub growing increasingly busier around us, we left the pub in anticipation of what everyone had been looking forward to all night: fireworks on the green.
Outside, people flocked from every direction, flooding the village green, and before I knew it, it wasn't long until we all held hands, strangers and locals alike. The countdown began, and at the stroke of midnight, fireworks lit up the sky above the church, and then the circle started to move, and I moved with it. I don't know how many times we ran in and out towards the memorial, this group of hundreds of people in the first seconds of a fresh year, but at that moment, in a place I'd never been, reenacting a quirky local tradition ripped from a book, I wondered if this the part of the evening where people in white cloaks and daggers appeared. Or had I succumbed to those flooded roads and somehow crossed into one of my cozy books...
The Morning After
As it turned out, neither.
Perhaps it was the wine, but as we walked away from the green a few hours later, returning to a quiet and empty Crown, I declared two things: it was the best New Year's Eve I'd had, and the village would make the perfect location for a cosy series.
The next morning, after a full English breakfast and a chat with the landlord and the housekeeper of the pub, I got to see the village in the chilly light of day on the first day of the new year. With the events of last night giving way to near silence, the village continued to captivate me. We wandered through the picturesque winding streets of Aldbourne, and wherever we went, people seemed to be genuinely interested in why we were there and what we loved about the village. We also had some great cakes and drinks at the local cafe Time At The Forge on the corner of South Street.
After another night in the village, it was time to leave the celebration bubble, and I drove away from Aldbourne looking at the local property prices (but as a few villagers warned me, good luck!) to find there were only two houses for sale in the whole village.
I could see why.
This was a place people didn't want to leave, and I didn't want to leave either.
Sprouting Seeds
And then I returned to my real life.
The dream of the New Year's celebrations faded away, and for the next few months, I let the seed I had left snuggle up in some soil while I got on with writing the next installments of the Peridale Cafe and Claire's Candles series. When the time came to choose the setting for my new series and cement those ideas in place, those initial seeds had sprouted into a garden of ideas, and I had all the inspiration I needed.
Thus, Meadowfield was born!
Revisiting Aldbourne
I recently revisited Aldbourne (on the hottest day of the year so far, no less), and it was every bit as charming and quaint as I remembered. The locals were just as welcoming, and the village’s vibrant atmosphere ignited my imagination once more, and I left with my pockets overflowing with more seeds for new stories. Locations like St. Michael's Church (St. Mary's in Meadowfield) looking over the village green, surrounded by quaint cottages and the welcoming pub, The Blue Boar, where I spent NYE, have become integral to Ellie's homelife in the village. Meadowfield Books, the central pond, the local manor, the cafes and businesses, the small museum, and many other places owe their existence to my strolls through the village's winding lanes. Of course, I've taken many, many creative liberties to breathe life into creating something new, but Aldbourne offered that first breath.
I can't wait for you all to wander those winding streets with Ellie as she uncovers Meadowfield's history and secrets in THE LAST DRAFT.
A Little History
Soon you'll be joining Ellie in uncovering Meadowfield's unique history, but Aldbourne is steeped in its own history, dating back to Saxon times. The village name itself is derived from the Old English words "Ealda" (meaning "old") and "burna" (meaning "stream" or "spring"), indicating the village's ancient roots near a water source.
In medieval times, Aldbourne was known for its pottery industry, producing "Aldbourne Ware," which was distributed widely. The village also played a role during the English Civil War. In 1643, it was the site of a skirmish between Royalist and Parliamentarian forces.
During World War II, Aldbourne hosted American troops from the 101st Airborne Division as they prepared for the D-Day invasion. The village’s connection to these soldiers is still remembered and honored by the locals.
The village green, a central feature of Aldbourne, has been the heart of the community for centuries. It's surrounded by historic buildings, including St. Michael’s Church, which dates back to the 12th century and is renowned for its stunning architecture and historical significance.
As Seen On TV
Aldbourne isn't just a gem of inspiration for writers—it's also made its mark in popular culture! Aldbourne served as the filming location for a popular episode of Doctor Who (1971's "The Dæmons"), which is how I heard about the village. It's a fun story that sees an ancient alien entity awaken in Aldbourne, called Devil's End here, wanting to destroy humanity. It's a fun classic British sci-fi story wrapped up in the cosiest village there is, and the village looks near identical to this day, so it's something to check out if you want to see the village as it is.
It was also depicted in the HBO miniseries Band of Brothers (2001), the true story of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, who stayed in Aldbourne from late 1943 to mid-1944 for training and preparation before participating in the D-Day invasion of Normandy.
If you end up in Aldbourne, ask the locals about these and I'm sure they'll have as many behind the scenes stories to share as they did with me.
And if you want a quick way to peek at the village, it featured as the filming location for this sweet one-minute Christmas advert from a few years ago:
So, a big thank you to Aldbourne for being the muse behind Meadowfield Mysteries. I can't wait for you all to explore Meadowfield and see how real-life inspiration has transformed into a series I hope you'll enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed conceiving and writing it 🎉📖.
If you ever get a chance, visit Aldbourne—you might just fall in love as I did.
Join Ellie in THE LAST DRAFT and discover Meadowfield for yourself.
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