The magic of this filming location hunt is that none of these places are glamorous Hollywood sets. They’re the same kind of places you’d visit on a rainy weekend when you’re “just browsing” a charity shop. Surrey looks like the backdrop of every British postcard you’ve ever ignored, but now it’s the backdrop for a group of pensioners who are better detectives than your local police.
You can actually drive to these spots. You can. Park your car (badly, like the rest of us), buy a coffee, and stare at a bench where Joyce (played by the ever-doting Celia Imrie) might have waved a biscuit at a suspect. It’s the same feeling you get when you realize your local hardware store was featured in a movie—you suddenly feel important, like you’re in on the joke.
So next time you’re watching the film and you see that beautiful retirement village or that cozy pub, remember: it’s not a fantasy. It’s a golf club in Surrey and a pub in Ripley. Go visit. You might not solve a murder, but you’ll definitely find a good scone. And honestly, that’s a better ending than most mysteries offer.
