Shoestring: Stamp Duty (BBC-1 1979, David Ashton)

In Stamp Duty Andy Stapleton, a milkman who shared a pyschiatric ward with Eddie, witnesses a possible murder and is then targeted by the killers, the only problem is Andy has a history of spinning tall stories and Eddie doesn’t believe him. Then a body turns up and Eddie realises that Andy may just have been telling the truth and the case may also be linked to his investigations into crooked businessman Strickland.

A little bit story of the week with the outcome of how Eddie is going to get one over on the villains sign-posted in the first five minutes when a radio colleague shows him a new long range microphone, also Eddie throughout this whole first season never seems to wear anything other than his beige suit and in this episode even helps Erica returf her garden wearing it.

production details
UK / BBC One / 1×50 minute episode / Broadcast 18 November 1979

Writer: John Kruse / Production Design: David Spode / Director: Martyn Friend

Shoestring Season One Episode Eight

guest cast
DAVID ASHTON as Andy Stapleton
DIANA DAVIES as Diana Ollerton
DAVID KING as Strickland
TIMOTHY BLOCK as Blake
WILLIAM WILDE as Packer
MARGARET ANDERSON as Mrs Hargreaves
PAUL CHAPMAN as Cording
RAYMOND ADAMSON as Jocelyn Hargreaves
JOHN MOORE as Wood
STEWART BEVAN as D.J.
JEANNA LESTY as Liz
MICHAEL TARN as Radio Technician
MICHAEL McSTAY as Croupier
RAY BARRON as Turf Deliverer
JAMES APPLEBY as Dairy Depot Manager
ARTHUR KELLY as 1st Telephone Engineer
JOHN SCOTT MARTIN as 2nd Telephone Engineer