PARENTS

An atmosphere of pre-war intrigue was created at Malvern St James, reconverted for the evening into its former guise as the Imperial Hotel, when staff and parents gathered in period costume to solve “An Imperial Engagement”.

The murder mystery was set in the late 1930s and involved a visiting singer, shady business dealings surrounding the redevelopment of the Imperial Hotel, an old love affair and the suspicious political contacts of the owner.

A trail of clues had been laid through period newspapers, compromising correspondence and the unconvincing behaviour of the characters, all of whom had something to hide.

The hapless victim was callously pronounced dead at the scene by a doctor and the participants set about the investigation which identified the murderer, in real life Headmistress, Mrs Woodhouse, whose singing performance belied her dark motives.

The murder mystery was devised by Mrs Marina Sherwood and Mr Russell Charles of the Prep Department and the event was organised by the Friends of Malvern St James.