Murder mystery at the manor

It wasn’t easy deducing who committed the dastardly deed, slaying Lesley Hampstead in the prime of her life. Police deduced from a trail of blood that she was murdered in her bedroom prior to her body being dumped at the bottom of the main staircase, but how did her mangled body get there, and why?

There were plenty of the usual suspects, and much to take into consideration, with an abundance of clues and red herrings to baffle the amateur detectives eager to solve the crime.

Set in the 1930s , Murder at the Manor, a charity murder mystery organised by Discover Bexhill’s Alastair Hazell, kept everyone entertained from start to finish.

Brilliant character acting from the Company Upfront cast (pictured) ensured the event came to life and, because solving a crime can be hungry work, the Cooden’s head chef Paul Fermer produced a superb three-course meal.

An auction and raffle helped contribute to the takings, raising a grand total of around £2,000 for the Tree of Hope Children’s Charity.

Alastair, a trustee of the charity, said although the exact figure has still to be ascertained it was a fantastic result.

“It’s much more than I’d expected to raise and we’ve received a lot of excellent comments on the evening. I’m very, very pleased.”

Jeremy Marris, The Tree of Hope’s finance and administration officer, thanked Alastair for organising the event.

He said: “It was an hilariously entertaining and fun evening and all enjoyed playing detective.”

Based in Bexhill, the Tree of Hope helps fund specialist medical surgery, treatment and therapy for sick UK children.

•For further information visit the website at: www.treeofhope.org.uk