A TYNEDALE farmer with a talent for acting and writing plays has admitted plotting Death by Fowl Means.

But there’s no need to be alarmed, for Hexhamshire’s David Nixon has been penning murder mysteries for two decades.

And the 58-year-old’s fictional masterpieces have raised over £10,000 for good causes in that time.

David writes scripts for the Hexham-based On The Move Theatre group, and performs shows alongside fellow members of the group at venues across the district.

He said: “I first got into acting and writing many years ago when I was involved with the Young Farmers’ entertainment competitions.

“Then in 1991, I wrote a script for A Christmas Carol, to raise funds for Whitley Chapel Village Hall, and things developed from there.”

David’s first venture into murder mysteries came in 1997, when he wrote a script for Hexhamshire Leek Club.

He added: “The audience play jury. They sit around tables and are given a series of clues.

“After watching us act out two or three scenes, they can speak to the cast and ask us questions before considering their verdict.

“The murder mysteries are a lot of fun with audience interaction. They have proven to be quite popular. They raise money for worthy causes, and both challenge and entertain the audience.”

Charities which have benefited include Lifespan, which supports people with life-limiting illnesses, and Headstart4Babies, which raises awareness of the head-related conditions plagiocephaly and brachycephaly.

David has written several fascinating storylines, including Death My Fowl Means, the tale of a chicken farmer from Scotland, and Pirates of Eight, a murder mystery based in the Caribbean.

He is also a member of the Queen’s Hall Theatre Group, based in Hexham, and starred as Stanley Stubbins in last summer’s performance of One Man Two Guv’nors.

David added: “I’ve always farmed in Hexhamshire and it is a way of life, but you need something to get you away from it, and theatre provides that.”