This story concerns an obnoxious child called Anthony Martin, a character based upon Christopher Robin, made famous by A.A. Milne's Winnie the Pooh books. Despite Anthony being spoiled and famous, the unchanging and ever-indifferent William has reliably never heard of him! Richmal Crompton's loveable rogue of an anti-hero is always a delight on aud...

William Brown's Christmas day is typically filled with a burst of mouth organ at 6am in the morning, buying people presents that he expects to be given straight back and generally making an albeit good-intentioned nuisance of himself to all and sundry. Chock-full of William's famous observations on life and ruminations on the human condition, Chris...

Inspired by Charles Dickens' story A Christmas Carol, where miserly Ebenezer Scrooge is transformed overnight by ghosts, Jimmy embarks on his own mission to 'Cure a mizzen for Christmas'. Walking along, he sees his victim, the Vicar, who is counting a large sum of cash. Jimmy convinces his friend Bobby to help him on his mission but their plan does...

A rollicking adventure in the vast catalogue of mischievous japes that chronicles the life of irrepressible and ageless schoolboy William Brown. The scruffy, mud-stained and mischievous boy is a loveable rogue whose heart is usually(!) in the right place and whose pranks usually end in disaster. An ill-advised joke is the basis for this funny tale...

This shady tale takes a listener into the unhappy marriage life of Mr. and Mrs. Bodman, holidaying in snowier climes. Whilst each may have their motives, which party may find that they are driven to the edge and are staring into the abyss? An atmospheric thriller, this story examines two people with extreme personalities who unfortunately do not co...

A well-crafted piece of writing about schadenfreude - sheer pleasure, in this case, at seeing someone 'get his comeuppance' - with an element of slapstick. Lieutenant Golightly is a young officer in the British Army in India who prides himself on "looking like 'an Officer and a Gentleman'" and it is clear he puts a little too much emphasis on his a...

An intriguing India-based tale from Rudyard Kipling that concerns money, stealth and deception. Reggie Burke is seemingly the perfect bank manager, but "As he said himself, and as many men found out rather to their surprise, there were two Burkes, both very much at your service." This becomes very clear as the story progresses and a listener is dra...

As a listener learns at the beginning of this fable-like old-fashioned story: "This is the story of a man who wilfully stepped beyond the safe limits of decent everyday society, and paid for it heavily. He knew too much in the first instance; and he saw too much in the second. He took too deep an interest in native life; but he will never do so aga...

This thrilling and mysterious story was first published in the Civil and Military Gazette on March 4th 1887 and collected in Plain Tales from the Hills in 1888, and in subsequent editions of this collection. The Bisara of Pooree is a tiny eyeless fish, carved from a nut, inside a little jewelled silver box. If stolen, it is a powerful love charm. I...

A refreshingly unusual story which examines the human condition and the idea of words from the past haunting the present. A jockey in a big race is set to win and is a 'sure bet' but with haunting voices from the past ringing in his ears, can he overcome his psychological torture to succeed on the track? A well-crafted story which lends itself to a...

A story of marital discomfort, bribery and 'just desserts', this story follows an unpleasant man's efforts to divorce his wife. Described by some critics as 'overdoing' the retribution dished out to the story's villain, this tale is a gritty and satisfying listen which outlines the perils of dishonesty and is a fable of sorts.

Both a cautionary tale outlining the dangers of over-indulgence and a farcical account of being in the wrong place at the wrong time, Brugglesmith is funny and at times, unbelievable. Our sorry narrator finds himself in a situation with a stranger who is less than logical, and has to resort to rather drastic means to keep him at bay.and to keep his...

One of Kipling's famed 'Just So' stories, this lyrical tale makes a perfect suit for audio and explains why cats are.well, like cats are! This story goes back to the beginning and imagines the first time a cat deigned to put a foot inside a human dwelling. The cat and the humans have a bumpy ride agreeing the terms of a future arrangement as the ca...

Matilda Cuvering decides to release a boar pig ('Tarquin') into the paddock where Mrs Stossen and her daughter are walking, in order to teach them a lesson. A funny and intelligent tale from the supreme wit of Saki, who incorporates the French language, a ridicule of manners / best behaviour and blackmail into this short but sublimely bitter-sweet...

One of Saki's famed 'animal stories', The Brogue is the witty, and biting tale of an erratic horse and the hapless and even hopeful human beings that the beast comes into contact with. Writing as H. H. Munro here, Saki is a genius of satirical prose and always a rewarding and amusing listen.

This excellent animal story, written by Saki under his penname H.H. Munro, concerns two half-brothers, their respective artistic prowess, sibling rivalry, jealousy and a rather non-plussed white bull. As always, Saki lives up to his (real) name and delivers a witty and caustic short story which is an amusing delight to hear.

Taken from a fascinating collection of tales, including stories related by members of a select club consisting of an actor, a barrister, a doctor, a soldier, a writer and an 'ordinary man'. Each member of this club is obliged to entertain his fellows to dinner from time to time, after which he relates a story connected with his profession or trade...

Bill Nighy stars as Charles Paris with Martine McCutcheon as Jodie Ricks in this BBC Radio 4 comedy detective drama. Charles finds himself uncharacteristically employed in a film, having landed the part of Szabec, a middle management vampire in The Wreathing. His co-star is swimwear model turned actress Jodie Ricks and before long, Jodie is using C...

An early morning awakening leads to a discovery much more shocking than a few rifled drawers at a grand house. A suspected bungled robbery that it seems has gone horribly wrong calls our heroes Holmes and Watson to The Abbey Grange, where their super-sleuthing may be able to shed some light on the mystery.

Arthur Cadogan West, a young government clerk, is found dead by the railway tracks near Aldgate. On his body Holmes' brother Mycroft finds some secret submarine plans - 3 pages of which seem to be missing. These pages alone, in the wrong hands, could be used to build a Bruce-Partington submarine that would pose a threat to Britain. Cadogan West's h...

When a gruesome package is delivered to a Croydon spinster, our heroes suspect that what was initially thought a dark 'prank' could in fact be a clue in an altogether more serious, and perhaps deadly, game.