Never the Bride by Paul Magrs


(3.8 stars; 2 reviews)

Never the Bride by Paul Magrs Brenda, the cheerful landlady of a modest B&B in a Victorian seaside town in the North East, isn't quite what she seems. A blend of dark fantasy with mysteries and irreverent one-liners. See how many horror genre references you can spot and pick out your favourite comments. 1/3. 10 Jun 2009 - The Night Owls Brenda, the landlady of a B&B in a Victorian seaside town, isn't quite what she seems. 2/3. 11 Jun 2009 - The Vintage Costumed Hero Ball More spooky adventures for Brenda and Effie in the seaside town of Whitby. 3/3. 12 Jun 2009 - Our Frank Brenda's monstrous old fiancé has tracked her down to Whitby. Cast Brenda - Joanna Tope Effie - Monica Gibb Rob - John Paul Hurley Mr. Danby - Sean Scanland Sheila - Gaian Potter Mrs. Claus - Eileen McCallum Producer: David Jackson Young BBC Radio 4 Original Broadcast - Afternoon Play 1998 Expanded for BBC Radio 7 - 2008 & 2009 Review of Never the Bride by Sandy Auden "Everyone living in Whitby has a secret. A small English coastal resort it may be, but it is also hides some strange and curious people. For starters, there's Mrs Claus, the maniacal owner of the Christmas Hotel -- a place where they're perpetually celebrating Christmas for the hordes of coach parties and local pensioners. Then there's Mr Danby, the owner of the spookily named Deadly Boutique, where beauty and youthful looks come at a high price. And don't forget Effie, the old lady at the Junk Shop with her dubious set of ancestors, and Effie's best friend Brenda, the Bed & Breakfast lady with some of the biggest secrets of all. Brenda feels like she's finally found home. After years (and she means years) of traveling she feels she can finally put down roots and just settle into Whitby with ease, with nothing better to do than scrub her little B&B to a sparkling shine and cook sumptuous meals for her guests. How little did she know. Ever the centre of supernatural goings-on, Whitby soon becomes the focus of some unusual and unnerving events as the Deadly Boutique does its makeovers on the local denizens with dangerous side-effects; and Effie and Brenda embark on spot of sleuthing to uncover the truth behind the missing elves at the Christmas Hotel."

This recording is part of the Old Time Radio collection.

Reviews

Love Brenda! Part of a very good fantasy series.


(4 stars)

While these three episodes are very good - with BBC production, etc. - they are not the best introduction to Brenda and Effie (perhaps Billie Joel will write a song about them?). The "Grandma Guignol" podcast shows are - to my taste - the better Brenda, and happen earlier in time. Many audio programs take a few episodes to find their footing - not Grandma Guignol. In fact, the first two episodes may be the best. I'm not really a cat person (or a fantasy fan) but the Crispy Cat is the best introduction to Brenda, and with their longer length, they are less hurried (and later in the series, funnier). And Anne Reid IS Brenda. There is a short - like a minute and half - montage of clips that give you the idea of the show's premise: https://archive.org/details/podcast_grandma-guignol_grandma-guignol-preview_1000403508745 Then there are 8 shows, starting with the Crispy Cat/Erl King: https://archive.org/details/podcast_grandma-guignol_11-the-woman-black-beehi_1000405229655 https://archive.org/details/podcast_grandma-guignol_12-effie-erl-king_1000405229656 If it hooks you like it did me, the rest of the podcast episodes are here: https://archive.org/details/podcast_grandma-guignol_1352407909