Madcap Detective

Things are proceeding nicely in my plans to become a madcap old English Lady. I have plenty of time. I won’t be old for a long time.

It seems like murder is an essential element in genteel English society, especially for old ladies.

I have found really helpful tutorials on Acorn TV, which specializes in British Television shows.

I have watched all of the Miss Marple adaptations and have moved on to the Poirot and Tommy and Tuppance series.

So if I decide I want the life of a detective, what kind should or could I become?

They represent three different style of British detecting. You would never confuse them with the French Maigret or the Italian Montalbano.

Poirot is a Belgian expat living in London who never lets anyone forget he is most definitely not French. Apparently Belgium adores him for this. He is a true genius at detection with tons and tons of little gray cells. He is totally full of himself and possibly the most fastidious dresser in TV or fiction including Beau Brummell. He is also a bona fide obsessive compulsive. As far as emulating him I can readily see I tend to mislay things and don't have nearly enough gray cells.  Besides I don’t want to work quite that hard at my wardrobe.

Then we have Miss Marple who is also a genius but rather self-effacing about it. I could do the self-effacing part rather well but not the genius. She pulls off a really English thing of being kindly and cynical at the same time.  She is also a schmoozer – not an English term but I think it describes her and definitely not me. There is also the fact that her clothes are just awful! Frumpy describes her wardrobe choices. Where does she get the strange little hats and the ancient shawls? The sensible shoes might work but all that knitting would be beyond me.

Now Tommy and Tuppance are just the ticket role model wise. They are smart dressers, love to have fun and don't seem particularly intelligent. Time after time they just bumble their way into solving murders while making bad jokes and wearing lovely clothes.

I could do that.