Upfield Common

Upfield Common is a picturesque village in the Surrey Hills. It represents peace, simplicity and normality. Kim and Tallulah live in a quiet cul-de-sac near the bus stop, with links to town as well as the countryside on their doorstep. There is a high street and nursery, as well as an elite school (Maypole House), which lies across the village common.

The “Swan & Ducks” is the popular gastropub, a “destination pub, not just a local,” and the scene of numerous key conversations and gatherings (354). It implicitly derives its name from the duck pond on the common – into which Noah throws pieces of bread, and Liam throws the dusty remains of Guy Croft.

Maypole House

Maypole House is a private boarding school for privileged but difficult teenagers, “a school for failures, in essence” (12). Originally the manor house of Upfield Common, the site consists of an old building and...