Charlie Cochrane - Mysteries with a dash of slash, romances with just a pinch of spice

The old trout Beare is waxing lyrical about the Lords of Aether's cricket team (well, it's that time of year!) Do go and see what bad jokes he's come up with this time.

Now, did anyone see the rerun of "Lewis" last night, "The Dead of Winter". On the face of it a straightforward whodunit, but there was an odd thread running through it that never got referred to. Young Ros spotted it, (and here onwards there be spoilers) when someone got bludgeoned with a candlestick. "That's Cluedo! There's a woman called Scarlett."

"Of course," I replied, "and the victim is Dr Black, just like in the game!"

We started keeping an eye out and found a priest called Jasper (can be a green jewel), a Colonel called Colman, a Professor Pelham, a woman called Selina (moon? white?). Didn't find a peacock, but were pretty chuffed with ourselves - this had to be an integral part of the plot. However, not one character in the programme either noticed or referred to it. I mean, how could anyone not have noticed, even in passing, and wouldn't a smartie pants like Hathaway have referred to it?

In the end, the only apparent connection to the crime was that the butler did it (maybe the Cluedo references were a tacit nod to that old chestnut?) The solution of the mystery was hackneyed and featured a plot line that's been seen time and again.

Altogether unsatisfactory.

Has to be a Beare post! He's wittering on about Christmas, of course!

Our scandalous pal, the steward at the even more scandalous Lords of Aether club, has begun to give us his opinion on the members of that august (pfft!) organisation. And, for fans opf Poll, she's getting her oar in again.

Has just been posted over at The Lords of Aether. I've been helping Beare muse about the changing seasons and what they bring to the club. Usual Carry On level of stuff!

Old Savage Beare, steward to the Lords of Aether, has been disclosing some more stories from the club's history, this time focussing on the Age of Sail. Cue some really bad jokes...

Last year, my good pal Jason Edding persuaded me join the Lords of Aether Gay Steampunk project. Jolly glad he did! My character/contribution is the club's cantankerous steward, Beare (I see him being played by Sid James), whose first post is here.

Cue lots of opportunities for me to write humourous stuff and employ excrutiating puns. (Plus ca change?)