Shoestring

Series which unearths the history and anecdotes behind cult British Sunday night drama series looks at downbeat maverick Bristolian detective and radio DJ, Eddie Shoestring. The programme gives clues as to why the slouching man with a…

Private detective Eddie Shoestring is asked by Radio West to look into the life of Sarah Marshall, a prostitute who has committed suicide. She died in a Rolls Royce belonging to David Carn, the station's most popular disc jockey,…

Eddie nervously does his first ""Private Ear"" program and tries to locate the drivers of a van who are responsible for killing a young woman's husband in a car accident.

Eddie goes to work for Jean, the wife of Major Hansford, a tough prep school headmaster (and retired Army officer) whose small school is being threatened by a series of nasty pranks.

Marion Cutler, a social worker, asks Eddie to look for Nick Forrest, one of her charges who has gone missing. Nick is a remarkable fellow who had been living in a hut on the beach. But Steve, the owner of the hut, tells Eddie he's never…

Mel Shepherd threatens to throw herself off the roof of the Radio West building unless Eddie investigates her claim of a miscarriage of justice. Her husband Harry was jailed for killing a shop assistant while robbing a local jeweller's…

A distraught woman asks Eddie to find her daughter, who she is sure has been kidnapped by her ex-husband.

After Molly Tasker, director of a local women's refuge, accuses Radio West of ignoring domestic violence, Eddie investigates why the late Jackie Craig, whose wife is in the hostel, was unaccountably wealthy when he drowned. Eddie traces…

Stamp dealer Joss Hargreaves collapses and dies whilst being bundled into a car by heavies working for Strickland, a corrupt businessman whom Eddie is trying to expose. Milkman Andy Stapleton witnesses everything but is spotted and goes…

Rock singer Toola asks Eddie to dissuade her sacked bass player Mole from his belief that his beauty queen girlfriend Chrissie was killed out of jealousy by the band's manager, Malcolm Kenrick. Mole is persistent despite a beach…

Sonia is concerned for her friend, travel agent Jenny Kelson, whom she sees apparently being threatened by a young man. Eddie follows him, leading to a remote country house owned by a couple of dog breeders, where he discovers that…

When Maddy Hopkins joins religious cult, The Starshiners, her anxious mother, convinced that the group is out to get her trust fund money from her 21st birthday, asks Eddie to investigate. Maddy will hear nothing against the group but…

Retired music hall singer Lettie Ross witnesses a murder in the empty house opposite her flat, but when police and her daughter are dismissive, she calls in Eddie. His investigations lead to Duke Winsor, a slum landlord who has just…

While out fishing, Don sees a thief rob a young couple of the woman's handbag but the couple themselves flee and fail to report the theft. Don retrieves the bag and Eddie traces it to Christine Page, who eventually admits that she and her…

Young women are being mugged around the city and the perpetrator, a caller with an Ulster accent, keeps ringing Eddie and taunting him for his inability to catch him. Police are called in but smug inspector Healey is little help. After…

Don asks Eddie to locate Jody Brent, a once-popular singer whose big hit 'Lazy Daisy' is enjoying a revival on Radio West's easy listening show. Though Miriam, Jody's manager, claims he is in America, Eddie hears that he is living in…

To encourage more human interest stories, Don persuades Eddie to help watercress farmer David Mortimer, whose wife Rosemary has disappeared for a second time, and is being accused by other villagers of murdering her, to try and locate…

After her debt-ridden husband Tim has killed himself, Mary Reynolds asks Eddie's help in discovering why her credit facilities have been stopped when the debt concerned was twelve years earlier and apparently cancelled. Eddie discovers…

Erica's secretary Lois meets charming Clive Wright through a dating agency but he disappears whilst they are in a restaurant and the staff and dating agency workers are equally unhelpful as to whether he existed.

Whilst Philip and Diana Hoskens are moving house the van containing all their furniture is stolen by a shady landlord called Terry Bowen to furnish a property he is letting to a young couple. One of them, Cleo, sells the colour…

Family man Keith Amery goes camping on the moors alone and sees a helicopter land but falls and hits his head, bringing on amnesia. On the advice of Eddie's old psychiatrist, Keith's wife asks Eddie to help Keith recall events, but with…

Market trader Pete Johnson deals in stolen goods, gives his young son Mike an early Christmas present, an electric racing game, but it's faulty and blows up, hospitalising the boy. Pete initially lies to hospital staff over the cause of…