Two famous cottages, Turville or "Dibley," Chilterns, Buckinghamshire. Left, was "Tom's" in the superb WW11 film, "Goodnight, Mr. Tom." Right, was Geraldine Grainger's, the Vicar in "Vicar of Dibley," played by Dawn French.
Commentary.
These two cottages have become iconic, National Treasures, almost legendary.
The one on the left was “Tom’s Cottage” in the superb
film, “Goodnight, Mr.Tom,” that chronicles the experiences
of a young boy, William Beech, when he is evacuated from London to Weirwold, in the country, and billeted to stay with
the apparently irascible widower, Tom Oakley during World War Two.
Both have had difficulties in their lives and the story explores very honestly and graphically the struggles they must bear to adapt to yet another immense challenge.
Several Junior classes, I taught over the years, studied this story as part of their History and English curriculum.
They then watched the film version starring John Thaw as Tom and Nick Robinson as William.
They were set the task to do a Critic’s comparison of the two.
The overwhelming consensus was that they preferred the book because it inevitably painted a fuller, more detailed picture.
However, they were totally absorbed by some of the emotional drama in the film version.
Quite a number of the pupils enjoyed buying their own version of book and film, by choice.
The cottage on the right was the Vicarage of Dibley’s new female Vicar, Geraldine Granger, played by Dawn French in the hilarious hit B.B.C. Sitcom. “Vicar of Dibley.”
The crazy idiosyncrasies and eccentricities of the characters making up the Parish Council of this English village is little short of a masterpiece.
On the chalky Chiltern Hill above and to the north of the village stands Cobstone Windmill.
This featured in the film “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang” starring Dick Van Dyke.
Turville was also the setting for another World War Two film, “Went the Day Well.”
Television Crime “Whodunnit” dramas like “Midsomer Murders,” “Jonathan Creek” and “Marple” have also used Turville as the archetypal English village.
And that is it, that is why it has been used as a setting for so many filmed stories.
It has the essential qualities and features set in a gorgeous, lush green Chalk valley.
Hills, fields, windmill, old half-timbered rose-covered cottages,
the classic towered Parish church and graveyard, the ubiquitous village pub, “The Bull and Butcher,” the Village Hall, school, Post Office and grocer’s and Village Square or to be more exact, Circle.
If a first-time visitor to the U.K. said to me:-
“Show me a typical, classic English village.”
Turville would be high, if not first, on my list!
Two famous cottages, Turville or "Dibley," Chilterns, Buckinghamshire. Left, was "Tom's" in the superb WW11 film, "Goodnight, Mr. Tom." Right, was Geraldine Grainger's, the Vicar in "Vicar of Dibley," played by Dawn French.
Commentary.
These two cottages have become iconic, National Treasures, almost legendary.
The one on the left was “Tom’s Cottage” in the superb
film, “Goodnight, Mr.Tom,” that chronicles the experiences
of a young boy, William Beech, when he is evacuated from London to Weirwold, in the country, and billeted to stay with
the apparently irascible widower, Tom Oakley during World War Two.
Both have had difficulties in their lives and the story explores very honestly and graphically the struggles they must bear to adapt to yet another immense challenge.
Several Junior classes, I taught over the years, studied this story as part of their History and English curriculum.
They then watched the film version starring John Thaw as Tom and Nick Robinson as William.
They were set the task to do a Critic’s comparison of the two.
The overwhelming consensus was that they preferred the book because it inevitably painted a fuller, more detailed picture.
However, they were totally absorbed by some of the emotional drama in the film version.
Quite a number of the pupils enjoyed buying their own version of book and film, by choice.
The cottage on the right was the Vicarage of Dibley’s new female Vicar, Geraldine Granger, played by Dawn French in the hilarious hit B.B.C. Sitcom. “Vicar of Dibley.”
The crazy idiosyncrasies and eccentricities of the characters making up the Parish Council of this English village is little short of a masterpiece.
On the chalky Chiltern Hill above and to the north of the village stands Cobstone Windmill.
This featured in the film “Chitty, Chitty, Bang, Bang” starring Dick Van Dyke.
Turville was also the setting for another World War Two film, “Went the Day Well.”
Television Crime “Whodunnit” dramas like “Midsomer Murders,” “Jonathan Creek” and “Marple” have also used Turville as the archetypal English village.
And that is it, that is why it has been used as a setting for so many filmed stories.
It has the essential qualities and features set in a gorgeous, lush green Chalk valley.
Hills, fields, windmill, old half-timbered rose-covered cottages,
the classic towered Parish church and graveyard, the ubiquitous village pub, “The Bull and Butcher,” the Village Hall, school, Post Office and grocer’s and Village Square or to be more exact, Circle.
If a first-time visitor to the U.K. said to me:-
“Show me a typical, classic English village.”
Turville would be high, if not first, on my list!