Long Meadows

In the novel Mrs McGinty's Dead, Long Meadows is the house of Major Johnnie Summerhayes and his wife Maureen. Set in the village of Broadhinny, it was at one time the largest property in the area, a kind of manor house with the village originally comprising small cottages built around it.

Long Meadows had been the house of the Summerhayes family for generations (they had been there for some three hundred years). However, taxation and other financial problems forced Major Summerhayes and Maureen to turn it into a guest house after they came back from India and moved in. When Poirot was planning to visit Broadhinny, Superintendent Spence told Poirot that Long Meadows was just about the only place to stay in the locality. The "Three Ducks" inn did not offer rooms and the "Lamb" at Cullavon was three miles away.

Spence described Long Meadows as not really a guest house, but "a decrepit country house" where the Summerhayes take in paying guests. Spence doubted that Poirot would be comfortable. As other villagers would also tell Poirot, Mrs Summerhayes knew nothing at all about running a guest house. Poirot would soon learn to his cost that these observations are correct. Neither the food nor the abundance of animals roaming freely about the place would appeal to Poirot. He soon came to the conclusion that the only thing he could tolerate about the place was his hostess.

Long Meadows is also mentioned by Julia Upjohn in Cat Among the Pigeons. She and her mother had stayed with Maureen Summerhayes who is a relative of some sort. Julia told Poirot that she actually found it fun. The place had a great number of dogs who kept coming in and out through all the windows like in a pantomime. The food was peculiar, except for the "smashing omelettes" which Maureen made. Poirot reflected with satisfaction that he was the one who taught Maureen how to make omelettes.