The Eagle has Landed - Mapledurham part 3 (The Church)

The Church is another centre of activity in the movie...

The Church...behind me the Marquee which is where the pub stood in the film.

Some Airborne around the entrance to the Church..note the pillars and the notice board on the left wall..

Myself and fellow 101 guarding the church..the House is in the background

As mentioned earlier, this is the Pillar, gates and noticeboard on the wall...compare this shot to the film still below..

Caine with the Vicar...still in his disguise of Polish Paratroopers

Yet more Germans..however the German on ze left is from Leeds..

In the film the Germans take up defensive positions inside the church and fire from the tower windows

Scene from the film outside the Church...Donald Sutherland playing 'Devlin' is in th background

After being 'outed' as Germans, Caine is finally wearing his German Uniform...compare this shot with the two below

I'm stood in exactly the same place as the film still above

The gravestones were obviously original!  Check them out against the ones in the still

The Eagle has Landed - Maple Durham part 2 (Water Mill)

In the film a lot of the action happens around the Watermill and the Church..first the Watermill

The Church and Mapledurham house are behind me and this is the view towards the mill.  The waterwheel is just to the left of the persons head in the blue coat.
If you look closer still you can spy two Germans hiding in the shadows..

This is me at the back of the water mill looking back down the road towards the Church (and Mapledurham house behind it)  More Germans to the left of me.

Another view looking towards the watermill..now look at the film still below

In the shot above I am stood just in front of  where Michael Caine is standing..
(note that Michael Caine and his German troops where dressed as Polish paratroopers) 

Here Jenny Agutter rides past the Watermill

Guarding the door to the Watermill..

Yours truly passing the time of day with 'ze Germans' just closer to Jenny Agutter in the film still above

Im stood next to spot where the young villager girl falls into the water next to the Wheel...
In the film a German dives in to rescue the girl but dies in doing so and from then on in the Germans plan
to kidnap Winston Churchill comes undone..

Posing by the Water wheel

Again, the spot where the young girl tumbles into the water..

The Germans have a good hold on the village, here they are covering the approach to the mill

Looking back at the church from the Water mill.  For the film, a pub was built on the exact site where the white marquee is situated (right of picture)

I'm stood in front of the Water mill here and the view behind me is of the church (obscured by the weeping willow tree) and Mapledurham house...compare this view with that of the film still below..

The Germans plan is being exposed in this film still

Not a film still...these are re-enactors in the uniform of the Polish Paratroopers...those worn by Michael Cailne and Co in the film 

Keeping a close eye on those dodgy looking Polish types!

The Eagle has Landed - Mapledurham part 1

On Saturday I went to a 1940's event with Jo to MapleDurham village, the film location for the film 'The Eagle has landed' starring Michael Caine, Donald Pleasance, Jenny Agutter, Donald Sutherland and Larry Haman plus a load of other well known actors.  This was the first ever WW2 Re-enactment event at the village and because of the link to the film just could not be missed!

There will be a few posts on this event as there are quite a few pics but stick with it.  Occasionally I'll drop a still from the film in to show a then and now effect.  The event itself was outstanding with near on 80% of people there in period costume.  I think half the German army were there too and outnumbered us Allies by 3 to 1!

At the end of the day an actually re-enactment battle took place.  To keep the peace it was agreed the Germans would win on Saturday and the Allies would win on Sunday!  Pics of that later too.

Just arrived..other Airborne are manning the Road block to the village
Apparently there's some Krauts about!

No I.D., no pass! 

The roadblock was set up at the edge of the village and was a location scene from the film ..

The same corner as the roadblock above..

....and the scene in the movie where Larry Hagman attempts to parlez with the Germans...

In the shot above with me by the jeep you can just make out the postbox in the wall on the right by the guy on the motorbike

Me (back to camera) patrolling the village streets..where are those Krauts?

Fellow 101st Airborne ...with a slightly larger gun!

"No mate, really, it's not the size that matters.."

Here I am by the entrance to the Church (on the right out of shot)
The space behind me is where they built village shops for the movie..

Germans!..at the same spot

This is how it looks today.

and this it from the film..with the village shops added in the spare land..

Easter at Gardeners Cottage

What a fabulous Easter.  What a hectic Easter.

This Easter I have travelled.  From Lincolnshire to Yorkshire, to Oxfordshire and to Derbyshire.  I've been to the stunning film location for the film 'The Eagle has Landed', at the quintessential English village of Mapledurham, gone back to the 40's at Crich tramway village and walked and photographed the local wildlife.  In between all that Ollie and myself had a Easter Egg hunt with a difference courtesy of Jo.

The old saying of going back to work for a rest couldn't be further from the truth.  First post then, the Easter Egg hunt!

Oliver had 12 Eggs to find...I had 6 bottles of Easter booze to find!

Off we go!

There has to be some round here...

"I've found some!"

"How are you doing son"?

"Shall we put these down then find the rest?"

Crumbling under the weight of eggs

Some were well hidden

"Here, let me help Son"

And some were a joint effort

Oi, that's mine!