DID you hear about the grisly murder of a well-respected thespian that took place on the stage of a village theatre and needed to be solved by a crack team of detectives?
Well, no, you probably haven’t, but this was the premise of Worcestershire Ambassadors’ murder mystery treasure hunt.
I joined them on a lovely sunny Sunday, where 20 teams would travel between villages near Evesham to solve clues and find out who was responsible for actor Ray Hersal’s murder and what weapon was used to do the deadly deed.
The game begins at Theatrebarn
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A post shared by Bretforton Grange & Theatrebarn (@bretfortongrange)
A post shared by Bretforton Grange & Theatrebarn (@bretfortongrange)
Starting from Theatrebarn in Bretforton – a lovely venue which I had never visited before but plan to go back – we were given a briefing by DCI Hugh Dunnit and then sent on our way to different locations.
In my team were my two children and I, and together we went from village to village solving clues (and getting a bit lost too!).
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Living in the north of the county, this isn’t an area we see much, and we all agreed how beautiful it was and have made plans to come back – particularly to The Fleece which is where we met Aspara Gus and got a selfie.
Villages in Evesham
CLUES: We had to send back pictures of some of the clues to a special WhatsApp group. (Image: Newsquest)
Along the way, visiting Offenham, North Littleton, Badsey, Blackminster, and more villages in between, we worked out clues to cross out suspects and remove murder weapons until we had our final suspect.
A particular highlight was visiting a private home with a garage filled with incredible cars – this definitely diverted us off our hunt for a while as we looked around the collection but what a privilege to be able to see such incredible motors.
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I am a pretty competitive person so I was pleased to learn we were one of just six teams that correctly identified the murderer and weapon.
Sadly, though, we did not win as our mileage was the highest which I put down to a missing sheet and a diversion back on ourselves to complete the hunt.
Worcestershire Ambassadors
THUMBS UP: Aspara Gus enjoys a sit down with landlord Nigel Smith at The Fleece in Bretforton after a day of murder mystery fun. (Image: Worcestershire Ambassadors)
As well as being great fun, it was lovely to meet the people who make up Worcestershire Ambassadors and visit places in our beautiful county I would not usually see.
Each clue also gave you a moment to stop and really look in detail at the things which make our county what it is – churches, thatched cottages, monuments, apple orchards, National Trust sites, and, of course, stunning pubs.
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Back to the Theatrebarn and the winners crowned – well done to Aspara Guess-who?
And a big thank you to Worcestershire Ambassadors’ director Jon Fraser for inviting us along.
He said: “Teams had a fabulous day searching villages and sights in the Vale of Evesham looking for clues to solve the theatrical-themed Murder Mystery.
“Everyone enjoyed themselves, discovering new places whilst raising funds for charity.
“I’m incredibly grateful to participants, helpers and our sponsor Tracy Lowe who all contributed towards making this such a great event.”
Who are Worcestershire Ambassadors?
Worcestershire Ambassadors work in partnership with key county organisations to promote the area, support charities, and sponsor good causes.
They bring members together through events to raise funds and champion charitable interests.
