CREATING THE CHARACTERS

This was not a difficult area, people often say all you have to do is look around you, and it's true. and what I saw were my characters; I had a wealth of options and things to draw upon.

THE HEROES :

'Ernie' was based upon a guy who I knew who was keen on the paranormal and attending those 'council meetings' etc. I was amazed when he said he wasn't into recognising or adoring the celebrity crowd or posers; something I could concur with. 'Maureen' was born from a housekeeper, Mrs Wilson who loved dogs and had an appetite for detective mysteries and programmes like Watchdog. She had a very alert mind and knew what was what, and could spot something iffy quite soon.

THE BADDIES FROM HELL:

'Fatman Captain Nelson' was in fact based on a guy, obviously fat and obese, who considered himself important, hence the golf club thing. He thought he could do anything and anyone as he wanted; a quite obnoxious individual really. He was also partial to drink and was seen in a particular club getting quite sloshed!

'Prissy Hat the local tart' was based on a woman of a certain age that typified the phrase 'Mutton dressed as lamb' and couldn't see how she really looked in her silly little short dresses....she was also invariably deceitful, and played her cards from the bottom of the deck.

'Poser Prince Will Hyams' was fairly easy to create, mainly because he came across as a bighead and know-it-all. He was a guy who liked to think he was important, a little bit like 'The Hyacinth Bucket/Bouquet Executive' thing, a sort of show off that kept guitars on show that he couldn't play, because they were there to make visitors think that he was musical, to which he has no claim whatsoever, a sort of wannabe with a big pay packet for a job that he probably milks to the extreme.

'Wicked Witch Annie' was easy too, because that was a woman who wanted you to know how important she was, two faced, and had a peculiar interest in someone else's kids, especially one of them?

'The Bakersman' was more mysterious, sort of mouse-like and kept disappearing for days throughout the month, each month. He always played the fence card, making out he was fair-minded, when in fact he wasn't. Yet another 'Executive' type who probably plays the conspiracy game rather well.

'The Tightwads' were based on a family that had cars, money and lacking in the social interaction thing. What clearly came out was their lack of compassion to help the less unfortunate, something I saw for myself, and somewhat tight and cliquey! We also have the emerging new angle, The Do-Gooders, a sort of family who play the 'we're so wonderful' card and milk the 'active in the community' bit to a ridiculous extreme...they have the brood. something Witch Annie has an interest in.

And what they all had in common to a certain degree, was their ability to enter into a conspiracy with any of the others mentioned (the baddies) in order to maintain their grip on power and preserve their self-importance and deception at all costs. It was quite obvious to me that they had skeletons in the cupboard, possibly criminal ones going by their ruthless attitudes to material things and having their own way. Other outside players remained hidden, but one knew which way they blew.