The 2025 BSI Weekend – Awards and Honors

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“a brief review of what had passed” [THOR]  </h4><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55TSJVpx2Nm22Qsqy_AtuEGvbYKCnBGd_z61RD7Ka3z374ozwQ-A8jkR_zrhrs9hT9FwLuBQsM3Odj1F_vDcxlV9TBFWxH-z-dtbCkUjceQBo3wuIhBj6oeAkiR9-xRc8CMlK5dw4sfx69RZd8w67vhSlLc5PCI3V4bG42FugSG443a0JKTNmOwic82JL/s2048/BSI25%20Class%20of%202025.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1227" data-original-width="2048" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg55TSJVpx2Nm22Qsqy_AtuEGvbYKCnBGd_z61RD7Ka3z374ozwQ-A8jkR_zrhrs9hT9FwLuBQsM3Odj1F_vDcxlV9TBFWxH-z-dtbCkUjceQBo3wuIhBj6oeAkiR9-xRc8CMlK5dw4sfx69RZd8w67vhSlLc5PCI3V4bG42FugSG443a0JKTNmOwic82JL/w640-h384/BSI25%20Class%20of%202025.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Will Walsh  </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div>In the <a href="https://episodes.fm/258126625" target="_blank">next episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a>, we'll be covering our own personal experiences at the 2025 BSI Weekend that ran from January 15 – January 19, 2025, during which some 300+ Sherlockians descended on Midtown Manhattan to celebrate the 171st birthday of Sherlock Holmes.<div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>For the purposes of this update, we're focused on the accolades from the weekend, which happened over a series of events.</div><div><br /></div><div>On Thursday, January 16, the <a href="http://acdsociety.com/">ACD Society</a> held its annual meeting at the Mysterious Bookshop, which once again included the running of the Wessex Cup, with 16 entered horses, all designed by Peggy McFarlane, BSI ("Violet Westbury").</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div></div><div><h3>Doylean Honors</h3></div><div>The ACD Society also had a more august role, which was the conferring of its annual <a href="http://acdsociety.com/" target="_blank">Doylean Honors</a>.</div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVaY99UFtbUg5oqgBeqpnMSkNMHDGFDhKh9HsAXQDaui3lWckPjceIACjChc4My3jMx-soyHqlHBDUNVknElDz6Q4iVUwswtmXp-ygz7LujNevjUUwYTRVWaiHmSA2llMtg0uCuPzFRJoTW5UY4mp8lbHFCkUPjki3WrJaZnp5vs-HhBe-o3jk1IRLw/s616/ACD%20Society%20Doylean%20Honors%202022.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="616" data-original-width="600" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfVaY99UFtbUg5oqgBeqpnMSkNMHDGFDhKh9HsAXQDaui3lWckPjceIACjChc4My3jMx-soyHqlHBDUNVknElDz6Q4iVUwswtmXp-ygz7LujNevjUUwYTRVWaiHmSA2llMtg0uCuPzFRJoTW5UY4mp8lbHFCkUPjki3WrJaZnp5vs-HhBe-o3jk1IRLw/s320/ACD%20Society%20Doylean%20Honors%202022.jpg" width="312" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><b>For Lifetime Service:</b><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/about-us/our-alumni/for-alumni/alumni-news/catherine-cooke-bem/&source=gmail&ust=1738029046288000&usg=AOvVaw1-SIKHVnTp17u3T3CqUgb-" href="https://www.royalholloway.ac.uk/about-us/our-alumni/for-alumni/alumni-news/catherine-cooke-bem/" style="background-color: white; color: blue;" target="_blank"><b>Catherine Cooke</b></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, a leading figure in the world of Arthur Conan Doyle scholarship and cultural activity, including management of the Sherlock Holmes Collection at the Westminster Libraries.</span></li></ul><b><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b><br /></b></div>For excellence in the "Fiction and Poetry" category:</b><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://margiedeck.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Margie Deck</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">for the story collection</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Place-Gothic-Inspired-Magazine-ebook/dp/B0CQGKDCLQ&source=gmail&ust=1738029046288000&usg=AOvVaw0OJ7I_kDymlWlLkflQ_B_6" href="https://amzn.to/3CeIUe7" style="color: blue;" target="_blank"><i>The Genius of the Place</i></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> (Belanger Books 2023).</span></li><li><span style="color: #222222;"><b>Daniel Friedman and Eugene Friedman</b></span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #222222;">for the poem,</span><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amazon.com/Steel-Blade-Straight-2024-25-Annual-ebook/dp/B0DQDTMWH2&source=gmail&ust=1738029046288000&usg=AOvVaw2kV4sWHWvmgWqf3QPfoefu" href="https://amzn.to/4aQvPVf" style="color: blue;" target="_blank"><i>At the Crossroads of Fate</i></a><span style="color: #222222;"> </span><span style="color: #222222;">(Belanger Books 2024).</span></li><li><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="https://www.nicholas-meyer.com/" target="_blank">Nicholas Meyer</a></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">for the novel,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><a data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.mysteriousbookshop.com/products/nicholas-meyer-sherlock-holmes-and-the-telegram-from-hell-preorder&source=gmail&ust=1738029046288000&usg=AOvVaw1FBAdcIsoQE_aizVls1Z6G" href="https://bookshop.org/a/110285/9781613165331" style="background-color: white; color: blue;" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes and the Telegraph from Hell</i></a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">(Mysterious Press 2024)</span></li></ul><div><br /></div><b>For excellence in the "Performing Arts" category:</b></div><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 32px; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Mark Gatiss</b> for the film, <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/mediacentre/proginfo/2023/52/a-ghost-story-for-christmas-lot-no-249"><i>Lot 249</i></a> (Adorable Media/BBC Arts 2023).</li><li><b>Hal Glatze</b>r for the radio play, <a href="https://halglatzer.com/flatfinders/index.html"><i>Flatfinders 1881</i></a> (2024).</li></ul><p></p><b><div><b><br /></b></div><br /></b><div><b>For excellence in the "Visual Arts" category:</b><br /><ul><li><b>Megan Oldhues</b> for the painting, <i><a href="http://www.acdfriends.org/SHWalk12-Oldhues.html" target="_blank">The End of Devil Hawker</a></i> (Sherlock Holmes Walk Mural Art 2024).</li><li><b>Molly Knox Ostertag</b> for the drawing, <i><a href="https://mkobooks.bigcartel.com/product/watson-s-sketchbook-vol-1" target="_blank">Watson’s Sketchbook: Volume 1</a></i> (MKO Books 2024).</li></ul><br /><b><br /></b><div><b>For excellence in the "Scholarly Writing" category:</b><ul><li><b>Anne Chapman</b> for the article, "<a href="https://mh.bmj.com/content/49/4/565" target="_blank">Authority and medical expertise: Arthur Conan Doyle in The Idler</a>," in <i>Medical Humanities</i> (a journal of the Institute of Medical Ethics, 2023).</li><li><b>Ollie Randall</b> for the article, "<a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/transactions-of-the-royal-historical-society/article/cricket-literary-culture-and-ingroups-in-early-twentiethcentury-britain/810A677925CDE2639548A938CF0106C7" target="_blank">Cricket, Literary Culture and In-Groups in Early Twentieth-Century Britain</a>," in <i>Transactions of the Royal Historical Society</i> (Cambridge Univ. Press, 2024).</li></ul><div><div><br /></div><div>To watch the entire ceremony (about 30 minutes long), see the video on the <a href="https://youtu.be/n2I5q2r3eEw?si=WdkppjKQNEj8Y7rO" target="_blank">Doings of Doyle</a> YouTube channel.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3>Susan Rice Mentorship Award</h3><div>On Friday at the Gillette Luncheon, the assembled diners bore witness to the latest recipient of the Susan Rice Mentorship Award.</div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="http://www.vincentstarrett.com/blog/susan-rice-mentorship-award" target="_blank">Susan Rice Mentorship Award</a> was established in 2022 to recognize the activities of a member of the Sherlock Holmes community who has been a mentor to others, in the spirit of Susan Rice.</div><div><br /></div><div>This year's honoree, announced at the William Gillette Luncheon, was <b>Julie McKuras, BSI</b> ("The Dutchess of Devonshire").</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmY4RCDVu7ouAyGJ0EWetXlk5vHMUukpDnP98UZ1uHLGreUDmMJ4B61tyLdPK-qz4YHyxcAq0Q-1hmbrlOVBo5iMIwcGKEKwzF6f5t-TIJffIfik7PGRs-J7Is2lQYhjtqHg99QOTaFQnS1r0y45Q09PfJWAwu0TGQRIUMSlHLyKmT8bQEoNksEOy9Pxa/s2048/Julie%20McKuras%20Ashley%20Polasek.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1312" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMmY4RCDVu7ouAyGJ0EWetXlk5vHMUukpDnP98UZ1uHLGreUDmMJ4B61tyLdPK-qz4YHyxcAq0Q-1hmbrlOVBo5iMIwcGKEKwzF6f5t-TIJffIfik7PGRs-J7Is2lQYhjtqHg99QOTaFQnS1r0y45Q09PfJWAwu0TGQRIUMSlHLyKmT8bQEoNksEOy9Pxa/w640-h410/Julie%20McKuras%20Ashley%20Polasek.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Will Walsh</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div>Previous honorees of the Susan Rice Mentorship Award:</div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Peter Blau, BSI</b> ("Black Peter") </li><li><b>Evy Herzog, BSI </b>("The Daintiest Thing Under a Bonnet")</li><li><b>Francine Kitts, BSI</b> ("Lady Trelawney Hope")</li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3>Plaudits From the BSI Dinner</h3><div>As ever, the swirling curiosity and interest are centered on the Baker Street Irregulars annual investitures of new members. But before that, we were greeted with other substantial news.</div><div><br /></div><h4><i>The </i>Woman</h4><div><i>The </i>Woman, an honorific given to the spouse of a Baker Street Irregular was announced at the pre-dinner reception. This year's honoree was <b>Ellen Pfeifer</b>, wife of <b>Dan Polvere, BSI</b> ("Holloway and Steele"). She was toasted and introduced by <b>Richard Olken, BSI</b> ("Bob Carruthers"), after which Elen gave her own remarks.</div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVCwT4B26dA8WMvmEvWjEZzNR8VdnOdm3AJbrVD6ssN7Ij7IRo-kR8yV1MzrjbTM31due4Ml_mYzynPw3Cq1phbyK4VlQMlnaBZdEAwAaJQWjgPQQJ9xJ1cLMP0acBRTxDSOR6_VO1bSEdH0tzWNdXjSzkhKCp6CK9ML9qdt6XPfrI2xsWKwEJar6R8aF/s2048/The%20Woman%20-%20Ellen%20Pfeifer%20and%20Dan%20Polvere%20and%20Richard%20Olken.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1238" data-original-width="2048" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMVCwT4B26dA8WMvmEvWjEZzNR8VdnOdm3AJbrVD6ssN7Ij7IRo-kR8yV1MzrjbTM31due4Ml_mYzynPw3Cq1phbyK4VlQMlnaBZdEAwAaJQWjgPQQJ9xJ1cLMP0acBRTxDSOR6_VO1bSEdH0tzWNdXjSzkhKCp6CK9ML9qdt6XPfrI2xsWKwEJar6R8aF/w640-h386/The%20Woman%20-%20Ellen%20Pfeifer%20and%20Dan%20Polvere%20and%20Richard%20Olken.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Will Walsh</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div><br /></div><div><br /><h4>The Morley-Montgomery Award</h4></div><div>Each year, one article in the <i><a href="https://ihose.co/BSJ" target="_blank">Baker Street Journal</a></i> (as determined by a panel of judges) is chosen for the <a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/2001/05/01/morley-montgomery-award/" target="_blank">Morley-Montgomery Award</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>This year, the award was given to <b>Michael Meer, BSI</b> ("The Englischer Hof") for his article “The Methods of Sherlock Holmes: The "Examination Paper" of 1893's Author Revealed,” appearing in the Winter 2024 issue of the <i>BSJ</i>.</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3>The Honours List (Investitures)</h3><div>And then we arrived at the announcement of the latest investitures into the Baker Street Irregulars. Membership is granted by <b>Michael Kean, BSI</b> ("General Gordon"), who serves at the BSI's "Wiggins." Each member receives an investiture — a phrase from the Sherlock Holmes canon that is significant or in other ways meaningful to that person.</div><div><br /></div><div>The BSI's Class of 2025 is:</div><div><div><ul><li><b>Shana Carter</b> — "Carter"</li><li><b>Jim Cox</b> — "Coxon"</li><li><b>Judi Ellis</b> — "The Carlton Club"</li><li><b>Ron Fish</b> — "The Hon. Ronald Adair"</li><li><b>Beth Gallego</b> — "Lighthouses"</li><li><b>Bruce Harris</b> — "Harris"</li><li><b>Louise Haskett</b> — "Aurora"</li><li><b>Rosemary Herbert</b> — "A Slim Youth in an Ulster"</li><li><b>Christian Monggaard</b> — "Neville St. Clair"</li><li><b>Gary Thaden</b> —  "Augusto Barelli"</li></ul></div><div><div><br /></div><div><b>Andrew Solberg, BSI</b> ("Professor Coram") received the Two Shilling Award, for service above and beyond.</div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>We're pleased to note that one of the newest Irregulars, Rosemary Herbert, previously made an appearance on<i> I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</i> (<a href="https://ihose.co/ihose173" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 173</a>), discussing her adventure in donning male costume to crash a 1970s-era dinner of the then all-male Speckled Band of Boston:</div><div><br /><iframe allowfullscreen="" data-dashlane-classification="other" data-dashlane-rid="53a9e9936f6e5699" height="192" mozallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/10669733/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/414851/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" style="border: none;" title="Embed Player" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="100%"></iframe></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: left;">The Emerald Tie Pin Society</h3><div>In a bit of an ad hoc assembly, the Emerald Tie Pin Society was formed. This group consists of Sherlockians who were fortunate enough to receive an emerald tie pin from the late Maggie Schpak, BSI ("The Soup Plate Medal"). Maggie was a designer and metallurgist, providing countless props to Hollywood productions over the years. She passed away in 2024.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OgHYfLtmxiTiurMKptqEC1q3OuLlgfAKtT8bQxrcrdJqEbwODdqiT5cva-1GEY80vz7Tl-TY6NVlZgsTyoyIawVa_vpKs0VmHm3DMDEWrxTupLr1lwGq-pmp1MdYuMSPhkaVAoEHeDyzEu-o5Jzjs5VPs0gSKs0CBcZsG9iXIjZ0fHbcqIB8vm0dXys4/s2048/Emerald%20tie%20pin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2005" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-OgHYfLtmxiTiurMKptqEC1q3OuLlgfAKtT8bQxrcrdJqEbwODdqiT5cva-1GEY80vz7Tl-TY6NVlZgsTyoyIawVa_vpKs0VmHm3DMDEWrxTupLr1lwGq-pmp1MdYuMSPhkaVAoEHeDyzEu-o5Jzjs5VPs0gSKs0CBcZsG9iXIjZ0fHbcqIB8vm0dXys4/s320/Emerald%20tie%20pin.jpg" width="313" /></a></div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvk2NnWmQgriui7ZfOE8JXQswCsXSZbubkrcRypIgwdtb-UoI_-r18TjuJeAWzUmVN-YzytnSK_TSh_tWJb1gPXzxxBw8XucaJoUCULHV8enleCvZMCf7ZFWK2dougSCf2_pB8vpRTuNQDmn4mvc-by2CSo1Id3ZnuBumQaET4TqtUzr8GkHXsJQnxXlA0/s6796/BSI25%20Emerald%20Tie%20Pin%20society.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3884" data-original-width="6796" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvk2NnWmQgriui7ZfOE8JXQswCsXSZbubkrcRypIgwdtb-UoI_-r18TjuJeAWzUmVN-YzytnSK_TSh_tWJb1gPXzxxBw8XucaJoUCULHV8enleCvZMCf7ZFWK2dougSCf2_pB8vpRTuNQDmn4mvc-by2CSo1Id3ZnuBumQaET4TqtUzr8GkHXsJQnxXlA0/w640-h366/BSI25%20Emerald%20Tie%20Pin%20society.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Photo credit: Will Walsh</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>It is difficult to capture all of the activities of the BSI Weekend, due to so many small groups branching out to honor their own traditions, including named events such as ASH Wednesday, Lost in New York with a Bunch of Sherlockians, and the ASH Brunch. Not to mention other events like the Vendors Room, the BSI Reception.</div><div><br /></div><div>A comprehensive report of the events will be in the Spring issue of the <i><a href="https://ihose.co/BSJ" target="_blank">Baker Street Journal</a></i>. Check your subscription to make sure you're on the list!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>As ever, the game's afoot!</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div></div><br /><br /><br /></div></div></div><br /><br /></div>

The 2025 BSI Weekend – Awards and Honors

“a brief review of what had passed” [THOR]   Photo credit: Will Walsh   In the  next episode of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere , we'll be...

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by Scott Monty

Episode 303: The Serpent Under

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“the rapidity and noiselessness of a serpent” [STUD] </h4><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWB5J6Q5keKlFsCZyDJBRcK-Yn3KostVvURp8_QUnUDag9kbs7NpGnB0PRIKRyyiDwH9rAuIv4cXxlxQ6hodpvEU3gPImoqTfWZtL0DQuZ2pocyRjCm1uLEiAMZx8mIAq9ugZ7LcH2DDA_ibwBYrVQU93OX_dnOnUme7beomA-Q1vClwj9N_RVsNj764FW/s1600/ihearofsherlock303-wide.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWB5J6Q5keKlFsCZyDJBRcK-Yn3KostVvURp8_QUnUDag9kbs7NpGnB0PRIKRyyiDwH9rAuIv4cXxlxQ6hodpvEU3gPImoqTfWZtL0DQuZ2pocyRjCm1uLEiAMZx8mIAq9ugZ7LcH2DDA_ibwBYrVQU93OX_dnOnUme7beomA-Q1vClwj9N_RVsNj764FW/w640-h480/ihearofsherlock303-wide.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><p>Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Bonnie MacBird are back! In the sixth book in her series, Bonnie once again finds firm footing in London as Sherlock Holmes investigates a strange mystery involving a disfigured body, Windsor Castle, and some rather unpleasant reptilian encounters.</p><p>We talk with Bonnie about the creative process, including the expert advice she received from two knights, her extensive research, and — wait for it — smoke enemas. No, we're not joking. Discover why <i>The Times</i> called this "a treat for all Sherlockians."</p><p>We've moved the <b>Sherlockian News</b> to an exclusive bonus track for <b><a href="https://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank">supporters</a></b> (watch for that to drop), and added a new segment: "<b>The Learned Societies</b>," all about activities going on in in Sherlockian groups.</p><p>Of course, Madeline Quiñones is back with another installment of "<b>A Chance of Listening</b>," her review of Sherlockian podcasts. And wind up the year with another <b>Canonical Couplet</b> quiz for you to test your Sherlockian knowledge. The winner, chosen at random from all correct answers, will receive something from the IHOSE vaults. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by January 14, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.</p><p>If you become a <a href="https://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank"><b>supporter</b></a> of the show, not only will you help to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and transcription services, but we have thank-you gifts at certain tiers and ad-free versions of the episodes for all patrons.</p><div><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock303.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size: 57.3 MB, 59:21</h3><iframe allowfullscreen="" data-dashlane-classification="other" data-dashlane-rid="5f5d36e9e0e7741e" height="192" mozallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" scrolling="no" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/34862030/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/414733/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" style="border: none;" title="Embed Player" webkitallowfullscreen="true" width="100%"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.episodes.fm/258126625" target="_blank">Listen to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere anywhere you get podcasts<br /></a></span><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;">Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-hear-of-sherlock-everywhere/id258126625?ls=1">Apple Podcasts</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/30WtRn1mnXfAtX7YaeRY5Y">Spotify</a>; listen to us <a href="https://www.episodes.fm/1198869691">wherever you listen to podcasts</a>.</h3></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div><h2 style="margin: 0px;">Sponsors</h2><div style="margin: 0px;"><ul><li>Exclusive for IHOSE listeners from <a href="https://mxpublishing.com/" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a>: codes for <a href="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdT14AxBwqMqON1zScLBHRecf2hd-2Q7fR-hHdlRDTrBS9K5w/viewform" target="_blank">5 free audio books</a>.</li></ul></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Would you care to advertise with us? You can find <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" target="_blank">more information here</a>. Let's chat!<br /><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul></ul></div><h2><b>Links</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>The Serpent Under</i> (<a href="https://amzn.to/40ikGax" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Amazon</a> | <a href="https://bookshop.org/a/93253/9780008380885">Bookshop.org</a>)</li><li><a href="https://macbird.com/" target="_blank">Bonnie MacBird's website</a></li><li>Links mentioned in "<b>The Learned Societies</b>"</li><ul><li><a href="http://www.sherlockiancalendar.com/" target="_blank">Sherlockian Calendar</a></li><li><a href="https://www.beaconsociety.com/locating-a-sherlockian-society-map.html" target="_blank">Locating a Sherlockian society</a></li></ul><li>Links mentioned in "<b>A Chance of Listening</b>"</li><ul><li><a href="http://sherlockpodcast.com/" target="_blank">The Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast</a></li><li><a href="https://episodes.fm/258126625/episode/MWEzMDJkNmYtZTIzYi00YWNiLWJmNmUtMWZhNjM1ZjJiOTcx" target="_blank">Episode 203</a>: The Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast</li></ul><ul><li><a href="https://episodes.fm/258126625/episode/Y2EwMDI5YjItNjJjYi00YjcyLWE3MGItZTRmMTU5M2RlMTZi" target="_blank">Episode 284</a>: BrettCon</li></ul><ul></ul><ul></ul><li>Previous Episodes:</li><ul><li><a href="https://www.episodes.fm/258126625/episode/Njk1ZDdjNzYxMmJkNzY3ZGQ2ZmJmNTAzMmNlOTgxMGI" target="_blank">Episode 83</a>: Art in the Blood</li><li><a href="https://www.episodes.fm/258126625/episode/YTA4OWNlODUyNmE4MmJkYTEzNTM0ZWRkYjc4YTlkMTM" target="_blank">Episode 132</a>: Unquiet Spirits</li><li><a href="https://www.episodes.fm/258126625/episode/YjE4ZWQ5NWItOWY1YS00ZGFmLWE4MjMtYWUzNzg2N2U0MDdi" target="_blank">Episode 251</a>: What Child Is This?</li><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihoseshows" target="_blank">The IHOSE Archives</a></li></ul><li>Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at <a href="http://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock">linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock</a>.</li></ul><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column;"><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery?indie=false&period=month#37883168" target="_blank"><img alt="goodpods top 100 mystery podcasts" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/leaderboard_badges/fiction_mystery_top50_month.png" style="height: 77px; width: 250px;" /></a><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery" style="color: #6f6f6f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 4px; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Goodpods Top 100 Mystery Podcasts</a></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br /><br />

Episode 303: The Serpent Under

“the rapidity and noiselessness of a serpent” [STUD]  Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, and Bonnie MacBird are back! In the sixth book in her ser...

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by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes's Birthday is NOT January 6th After All

<p></p><h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;">“We have judged it best that you should come late” [ENGR]</h4><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7XopZzTBzANRyJ6POjrwk3sbYof-j4W7z-CT2c4HgExShiThbOw7OcDuQSi9Y7dMa2RdaXPwCzgmgqfyNGxG0YFEInkXg1LG6YzKZeMQp7CxJcCk5JgFsKIw28cbw-NNyW9RLqwcqZtFdsLyhfNSiVvgs3XuncM4dALOCHe9ouj-l6hgqVXUamIYLuMju" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="1595" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEg7XopZzTBzANRyJ6POjrwk3sbYof-j4W7z-CT2c4HgExShiThbOw7OcDuQSi9Y7dMa2RdaXPwCzgmgqfyNGxG0YFEInkXg1LG6YzKZeMQp7CxJcCk5JgFsKIw28cbw-NNyW9RLqwcqZtFdsLyhfNSiVvgs3XuncM4dALOCHe9ouj-l6hgqVXUamIYLuMju=w640-h462" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><p><i><b>Editor's note:</b> This may seem like heresy to traditional Sherlockians, who've been celebrating Sherlock Holmes's birthday on January 6th for nearly a century.</i></p><p><i>Erik Deckers, longtime contributor to the Canonical Couplet on the IHOSE podcast and chief instigator behind the satirical <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2024/12/prepare-yourself-for-h-con.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">H & W Con</a>, has written to tell us our math hasn't been mathing. Whether or not you choose to believe him, he provides an informative history and some convincing facts. </i></p><p><i>We'll let Erik tell it himself.</i></p><p><br /></p><p>We've been making a terrible mistake about Sherlock Holmes's birthday.</p><p>It's widely believed that Holmes's birthday was <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2025/01/happy-171st-birthday-sherlock-holmes.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">January 6, 1854</a>, but it's not.</p><p>Why? What's so special about that particular date in the first place?</p><p>In "His Last Bow," even though he was in disguise as "an Irish-American," Holmes was described as</p><blockquote><p>. . . a tall, gaunt man of sixty, with clear-cut features and a small goatee beard which gave him a general resemblance to the caricatures of Uncle Sam."</p></blockquote><p>Since "His Last Bow" was published in 1914, we, along with most chronologists, can assume Holmes was then born in 1854.</p><p>But where did we get January 6th?</p><p>Because Christopher Morley says so.</p><p>In his article in the January 6, 1933 issue of <i>The Saturday Review of Literature</i>, when Holmes would have turned 79, Morley said:</p><blockquote><p>"I have not looked up the date, but if, as an astrologer has suggested, Sherlock Holmes was most likely born in January, some observance is due. Therefore, if the matter has never been settled, I nominate January 6th (the date of this issue of the <i>Saturday Review</i>) as his birthday…"</p></blockquote><p>Morley further reasoned that because Holmes quotes Shakespeare's <i>Twelfth Night</i> twice — ever — in the canon, it means he was interested in that play because his own birthday was on the twelfth night after Christmas. (Which is a stretch. After all, Holmes mentioned murder at least 72 times in the canon, but that doesn't mean he loved <i>Sweeney Todd</i>.)</p><p>In <i>The Sign of the Four</i>, Holmes quips, &quot;All is well that ends well&quot; from Act IV, Scene 4. In "The Empty House," Holmes says, "'Journeys end in lovers meetings,' as the old play says," from Act II, Scene 3.</p><p>Except Morley got the date wrong.</p><p>And it all has to do with how we count the twelve days of Christmas.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">What Are the Twelve Days of Christmas?</h2><p>The twelve days of Christmas — the time, not the song — was proclaimed by the Council of Tours in 567 to be a "sacred and festive season." As a result, they filled those days with various feasts and observances that are celebrated by the Roman Catholics and Orthodox churches to the east (i.e., the Eastern Orthodox, Eastern Catholic, and Oriental Orthodox).</p><p>This sacred and festive season is what led to the original song, "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Twelve_Days_of_Christmas_(song) " target="_blank">The Twelve Days of Christmas</a>." </p><p>Which you just started singing in your head.</p><p>TDOC is an English Christmas carol first published in 1780 and is known as a <b>cumulative song</b>. That means, says Wikipedia, "the lyrics take the form of a stanza of at least two lines. In each verse, the text of the first line introduces a new item, and the other line uses the words to begin a list that includes items from all the preceding verses." (<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cumulative_song " target="_blank">Wikipedia</a>)</p><p>There have been a number of different melodies associated with the "Hey Jude" of Christmas music, although the one you're singing in your head comes from a 1909 traditional folk melody arranged by English composer Frederic Austin.</p><p>Seriously, it's in your head now; you can't escape it.</p><p><br /></p><p>The original song lyrics from 1780 actually match up with what we sing today with one exception ("three Colly birds"), but they have varied over the last 244 years.</p><p><br /></p><p>For example, in a manuscript by Cecily Baring-Gould (the great-aunt of <a href="https://www.hymnsandcarolsofchristmas.com/Hymns_and_Carols/twelve_days_of_christmas-2.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">William Baring-Gould</a>) from around 1840, she says that a "partridge in a pear tree" was actually "part of a juniper tree." On the fourth and fifth days, my true love gave "four Colley birds" and "a golden ring." There were also "eight hares a-running," "ten lords a-playing," "eleven bears a-baiting," and "twelve bulls a-roaring."</p><p>[This is an interesting rabbit trail in itself. William Baring-Gould's father, Sabine Baring-Gould co-authored a book, <i><a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/56625/56625-h/56625-h.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Songs of the West: Folk Songs of Devon & Cornwall Collected from the Mouths of the People</a></i> in 1889 in which he credits his aunt, Cecily Baring-Gould, having written the words and music to Twelve Days of Christmas in "about 1840."]</p><p>In the 1864 book <i><a href="https://archive.org/details/householdfriend00fielgoog/page/n57/mode/2up?view=theater " rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Household Friends for Every Season</a></i>, Thomas Hughes lists "a partridge and a pear tree," "three fat hens," "four ducks quacking," and "five hares running." </p><p><br /></p><p>In 1892, William Bell Scott quoted a "very pretty peacock in a pear tree," "four Corley birds," and "eleven ladies a-louping."</p><p>The gifts my true love gave have varied greatly, but we didn't land on the final order until 1909 with Frederic Austin's re-arranging of the original folk melody, and even then, he used the very first set of lyrics we know and. . . love(?) today.</p><p><b><i>FIVE GOOOOLD RINGS!</i></b></p><p>Seriously, it'll be in your head all day.</p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">When and What Are the Actual Twelve Days?</h2><p>The original twelve days of Christmas were filled with liturgical feasts and celebrations observed by the Roman Catholic Church and most Orthodox Churches. Here are several of the different historical observations of the twelve special days.</p><p>1 – Dec. 25th – Christmas Day.<br />2 – Dec. 26th – St. Stephen's Day. Also known as Boxing Day.<br />3 – Dec. 27th – Feast of St. John, Apostle and Evangelist. Also known as Wrestling Day. <br />4 – Dec. 28th – Feast of the Holy Innocents.<br />5 – Dec. 29th – Memorial of St. Thomas Becket, Bishop and Martyr.<br />6 – Dec. 30th – Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.<br />7 – Dec. 31st – Feast of Pope St. Sylvester I.<br />8 – Jan. 1st – Feast of the Circumcision of Christ.<br />9 – Jan. 2nd – Feasts of St. Basil the Great and St. Gregory of Nazianzus.<br />10 – Jan. 3rd – Memorial of the Holy Name of Jesus.<br />11 – Jan. 4th – Unknown. <br />12 – Jan. 5th – Epiphany Eve. </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">When is Twelfth Night?</h2><p>Twelfth Night, also known as Epiphany Eve — which is far less exciting than Christmas Eve — marks the coming of the Epiphany, a Christian feast day that marks the visit of the magi, Jesus' baptism, and the wedding at Cana, where Jesus turned water into wine.</p><p>Not all on the same day, of course.</p><p>But, depending on which tradition you belonged to — Western Christianity or Eastern Orthodoxy — the date of Twelfth Night was either January 5th or 6th, depending on when the counting began on Christmas Day or the day after.</p><p>Except, why would you count the twelve days of Christmas and not include, you know, the Actual Day Of Christmas?</p><p>That's just not right. And since Holmes is from the western arm of Christianity, he and his family would have celebrated — or at least sung — the twelve days of Christmas starting on December 25th.</p><p>Which means. . . </p><p><br /></p><h2 style="text-align: left;">Holmes's Birthday Is On January 5th, Not the 6th</h2><p>Here in the West, Lutherans, Anglicans, Methodists, and United Protestant congregations all celebrate Epiphany on January 6th, and they all agree that the Twelfth Day and the Twelfth Night are on the 5th. It's one of the only things they agree on.</p><p>And that all means:</p><p>1) If Holmes was born on the twelfth day of Christmas, and</p><p>2) The twelfth day of Christmas is on January 5th, then</p><p>3) Holmes's birthday is on Thursday, January 5th, 1854, the day before Epiphany.</p><p><br /></p><p>Just think about this for a while, count the actual days, and sing the song over and over again. (It hasn't left your brain anyway.)</p><p>Eventually, the numbers will align, the stars will be in their places, and you'll have an. . . um. That is, a sort of, what's that called when something comes to you in a bolt of realization?</p><p>--</p><p><br /></p><p>Read Erik's regular column, <i><a href="https://laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Laughing Stalk</a></i></p><p><br /></p>

Sherlock Holmes's Birthday is NOT January 6th After All

“We have judged it best that you should come late” [ENGR] Editor's note: This may seem like heresy to traditional Sherlockians, who...

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by Scott Monty

Happy 171st Birthday, Sherlock Holmes!

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“he was a born boon companion” [VALL]</h4><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgY_ymKWDr-geVICyGk-9ZM2MTm_O9WXVb_7hSXEleMbjIv4DOUuZU0tKuV-1NzuCPSMnNuDWljCd2qWatZYbe1uMGFadzwz8DFjXYkrCqcwqcUVUYQ5_psO726uRRm2KgwDuUVSfZecBCfBPJmI1PhC6pUrwnY4RJECIX3Md0lrgm7sqAN4FXViFBOlh/s1232/Case%20Notes%20cake%20-%20Amateur%20Mendicant%20Society.jpg"><img border="0" data-original-height="924" data-original-width="1232" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRgY_ymKWDr-geVICyGk-9ZM2MTm_O9WXVb_7hSXEleMbjIv4DOUuZU0tKuV-1NzuCPSMnNuDWljCd2qWatZYbe1uMGFadzwz8DFjXYkrCqcwqcUVUYQ5_psO726uRRm2KgwDuUVSfZecBCfBPJmI1PhC6pUrwnY4RJECIX3Md0lrgm7sqAN4FXViFBOlh/w640-h480/Case%20Notes%20cake%20-%20Amateur%20Mendicant%20Society.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Today is January 6th — and that marks the date on which we traditionally celebrate Sherlock Holmes's birthday.<br /><br />We say "traditionally," because there is no definitive statement of his actual date of birth in the Canon, but beginning with <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Morley">Christopher Morley</a>, the date of January 6th has become the de facto accepted date for Holmes' birthday. Why? Well, there are a couple of reasons.<br /><br />Of all of the quotes in the Canon, William Shakespeare was the most oft-quoted author. There is but one Shakespearean play that Holmes quotes twice: <i><a href="https://amzn.to/37GCVtA">Twelfth Night</a></i>. In <i>The Sign of the Four</i>, Holmes concludes, "All is well that ends well." This is from from Act IV, Scene 4. And in "The Empty House," Holmes states "'Journeys end in lovers meetings,' as the old play says," from Act II, Scene 3.<br /><br />The reason the date was chosen is that in Christianity, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/January_6">January 6th</a> is the Feast of the Epiphany, or officially the twelfth day of Christmas. I suppose if we were being truly technical about it, the twelfth night of Christmas would fall on <b>January 5th</b>...<br /><br />In addition, William S. Baring-Gould in his <a href="https://amzn.to/2QrZ4G3"><i>The Annotated Sherlock Holmes</i></a>, posited that because Holmes was a little cranky on the morning of January 7th — the date on which <i>The Valley of Fear</i> began — he had a hangover, induced by birthday celebrations the evening prior.<br /><div><br /></div><div>And why 171? Scholars have fixed the year of Sherlock Holmes's birth to 1854 by virtue of a line in "His Last Bow" when he was described as "a tall gaunt man of sixty."<span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "merriweather"; font-size: 21px;"><br /></span><br /><h3><span style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: "merriweather"; font-size: 21px;">Additional Thoughts</span></h3>In an episode of <a href="https://www.sherlockholmespodcast.com" target="_blank">Trifles</a>, our weekly show where we discuss some of the minutiae in the Sherlock Holmes stories, we cover this in greater detail, and with some additional research material. Do check it out on the podcast streaming service of your choice, the embedded file below, or at <a href="https://ihose.co/trifles210">ihose.co/trifles210</a>.</div><div> <br /><iframe allow="autoplay" frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/960247957&color=%23947454&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false&show_teaser=true" width="100%"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><a href="https://soundcloud.com/sherlockholmes-trifles" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="Sherlock Holmes: Trifles">Sherlock Holmes: Trifles</a> · <a href="https://soundcloud.com/sherlockholmes-trifles/sherlock-holmess-birthday" style="color: #cccccc; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank" title="Sherlock Holmes's Birthday">Sherlock Holmes's Birthday</a></div><br /><br />And by all means, share the news that today is Sherlock Holmes's birthday. But whatever you do, don't try to throw him a surprise party. It's an exercise in futility.</div><div><br /></div><div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/199257178?h=1cc30eee6e" title="vimeo-player" width="640"></iframe><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><br />We hope you'll take a moment and wish Sherlock Holmes a happy birthday in your own way. If you'd like to join in here, please feel free to leave a birthday comment below.<br /><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Happy 171st Birthday, Sherlock Holmes!

“he was a born boon companion” [VALL] Today is January 6th — and that marks the date on which we traditionally celebrate Sherlock Holmes...

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by Scott Monty

Baker Street Elementary – An Inkling of an Idea

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“I take up my pen” [FINA] </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyq-P1edtqqcsqsw-NWDO5VsNvxsGYtKS9WJ71ZSd6bXnUv-lc_zWHhR3OshbK9R4VfXw6vJPJXH228DfCSMMRbs5AcQTHIZinAw49TZEQ_rYKtdCvmJF2GG27T5xtyHsgyxycj3svh4frX9vThHt3nb9WgiJ7NvqmqGLiEHS5wgBboL2P4wPwl6U9mKB/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20194.1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicyq-P1edtqqcsqsw-NWDO5VsNvxsGYtKS9WJ71ZSd6bXnUv-lc_zWHhR3OshbK9R4VfXw6vJPJXH228DfCSMMRbs5AcQTHIZinAw49TZEQ_rYKtdCvmJF2GG27T5xtyHsgyxycj3svh4frX9vThHt3nb9WgiJ7NvqmqGLiEHS5wgBboL2P4wPwl6U9mKB/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20194.1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One of the great joys of contemplation is the practice of writing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">When we're alone with our thoughts, we can take up a pen to write a journal entry, a heartfelt letter, or a thrilling adventure story, as the mood strikes us.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And in doing so, we have many options for the type of writing implements we use. In "The Greek Interpreter," Mycroft Holmes makes this observation about an answer to an advertisement:</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">“Here it is, written with a J pen on royal cream paper by a middle-aged man with a weak constitution.”</div></blockquote></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In the Victorian era, the 'J' pen nib was the standard writing-nib used on a daily basis. The J nib is a simple, robust nib with a rounded point. These kinds of nibs are typically stiff with no flex, but the rounded point makes for smooth writing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">In other words, a nib that would be appropriate for children learning to write as well as the elderly, those with arthritis, or a weak constitution, as Mycroft intuited.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Perhaps it helps with essay writing and getting good marks as well...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYFgPAfSaTjnMViO2HvWymDy1OZiS3t1eOmnuqTkmMQpTC_rIjHKhYP3DzNoPyOp6qhaIAktK1P1-eBwulpSoM7MbZO05XD8-kLoI46PxHhKnaSd_L83RddClyGTDtR_EwFvDd1POdBjAPIKT3Q3oYwvxpgg6-3sn_z-5EA6qv4umQ7cT-2qluP1AtRXP/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20194.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTYFgPAfSaTjnMViO2HvWymDy1OZiS3t1eOmnuqTkmMQpTC_rIjHKhYP3DzNoPyOp6qhaIAktK1P1-eBwulpSoM7MbZO05XD8-kLoI46PxHhKnaSd_L83RddClyGTDtR_EwFvDd1POdBjAPIKT3Q3oYwvxpgg6-3sn_z-5EA6qv4umQ7cT-2qluP1AtRXP/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20194.2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB772olgjki6oR8amwFbBuWA9SpIde0bLN7lNBu2AMAN_MptWzX6jNq0i41gYDmFcHsued90YU_EsGcpKSiBrqzghIW9g5FQDObEsJC2yk750OIytU72igiUuXopw7HCTSW5uUx-Xu70JgwtJ3A3IjQXCqBVMNc1XowtPZZF_wKf3D2vuszNK9OR2nAHLA/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20194.3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB772olgjki6oR8amwFbBuWA9SpIde0bLN7lNBu2AMAN_MptWzX6jNq0i41gYDmFcHsued90YU_EsGcpKSiBrqzghIW9g5FQDObEsJC2yk750OIytU72igiUuXopw7HCTSW5uUx-Xu70JgwtJ3A3IjQXCqBVMNc1XowtPZZF_wKf3D2vuszNK9OR2nAHLA/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20194.3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbFK9DJkj2tH_eaLHICxO-hN6ntYgdECtz-JqH3Gpf13epacdEjyo0HjYoj0NaYO2ByhdmBCMBbFevuxVs5UGOhKCZvdBoAUAfd1hODucuWLhKV0DK8g02j7KqmG6bpU2C25RsOraS5HDergFoYO4uQV780upc-5RH_GhyZvjTXam3ki9KQHQVnrQet1v/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20194.4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbFK9DJkj2tH_eaLHICxO-hN6ntYgdECtz-JqH3Gpf13epacdEjyo0HjYoj0NaYO2ByhdmBCMBbFevuxVs5UGOhKCZvdBoAUAfd1hODucuWLhKV0DK8g02j7KqmG6bpU2C25RsOraS5HDergFoYO4uQV780upc-5RH_GhyZvjTXam3ki9KQHQVnrQet1v/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20194.4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGt-fK3-J-Z-mCLBbKtELePQkW49pm1tttGi5mTJaJw_SBlDw18coL1DjjMdYuV8oQ_SoX0ErCP-bCEjJd99tr_86KtogFEyypzqjsrYlRP3NdVoIctMWAfbN9VTt-MzCMbZtXJXsHmFLdHsxuPFqU6VH68gkSqpZsVxrMpw36zYdK9I7XXrRbpS-lpAv/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20194.5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqGt-fK3-J-Z-mCLBbKtELePQkW49pm1tttGi5mTJaJw_SBlDw18coL1DjjMdYuV8oQ_SoX0ErCP-bCEjJd99tr_86KtogFEyypzqjsrYlRP3NdVoIctMWAfbN9VTt-MzCMbZtXJXsHmFLdHsxuPFqU6VH68gkSqpZsVxrMpw36zYdK9I7XXrRbpS-lpAv/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20194.5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><i>Baker Street Elementary</i></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> follows the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they and their friends work through the issues of elementary school in Victorian London. An archive of all previous episodes can be viewed at </span><a href="http://www.bakerstreetelementary.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #006f85; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">www.bakerstreetelementary.org</a><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">.</span></div><div><div><br /></div><div><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>

Baker Street Elementary – An Inkling of an Idea

“I take up my pen” [FINA]  One of the great joys of contemplation is the practice of writing. When we're alone with our thoughts, we can...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Episode 302: Sherlock Holmes: A Year in Review

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“a combination of events” [3STU] </h4><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyr3Yfu073D3xUb6EGbvVMx_xSLQuhpadj_zLroYChEnk08EEM7lWvBjDuIHgjwSDzzrJUE9pJ378z0WJ_CLk4okJ5BmEokIxcWF2GF4BHH1Bnyw1725rTVaavBNix6PxQeDKvQP9U_4CKlR6SDLWdu5G00ix-GiD5y7TyY6u4SiG2Iph72NU5vaQA6R8b/s2062/ihearofsherlock302-header.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1171" data-original-width="2062" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyr3Yfu073D3xUb6EGbvVMx_xSLQuhpadj_zLroYChEnk08EEM7lWvBjDuIHgjwSDzzrJUE9pJ378z0WJ_CLk4okJ5BmEokIxcWF2GF4BHH1Bnyw1725rTVaavBNix6PxQeDKvQP9U_4CKlR6SDLWdu5G00ix-GiD5y7TyY6u4SiG2Iph72NU5vaQA6R8b/w640-h364/ihearofsherlock302-header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><p>Keeping track of everything going on in the Sherlockian world is no easy task. And yet, every year without fail, Ross Davies, BSI ("The Temple") oversees a team at <i>The Baker Street Almanac</i> that does exactly that.</p><p>We first spoke to Ross about the enterprise on <a href="https://ihose.co/ihose219" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 219</a>, but this time our conversation less about the mechanics and features than it is about some of the worthwhile items of note for Sherlockians in 2024. Ross chooses his top items and neatly divides things into categories: events, societies, publishing, and media. Burt and Scott add in a few points of interest as well.</p><p>We also have Madeline Quiñones' latest installment of "A Chance of Listening," her review of Sherlockian podcasts. And wind up the year with another <b>Canonical Couplet</b> quiz for you to test your Sherlockian knowledge. The winner, chosen at random from all correct answers, will receive something from the IHOSE vaults. Send your answer to comment @ ihearofsherlock .com by January 14, 2025 at 11:59 a.m. EST. All listeners are eligible to play.</p><p>If you become a <a href="https://ihose.co/ihosepatron" target="_blank">supporter</a> of the show, not only will you help to ensure we can keep doing what we do, covering file hosting costs, production, and transcription services, but we have thank-you gifts at certain tiers and ad-free versions of the episodes for all patrons.</p><p>We'll have a video version of this conversation available to our supporters.</p><p style="text-align: center;"><a data-patreon-widget-type="become-patron-button" href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/become-patron.html#.WUwm0GgrLb0">Become a supporter today!</a></p><div><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><h3 style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock302.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size: 81.2 MB, 1:25:20</h3><iframe title="Embed Player" src="https://play.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/34661270/height/192/theme/modern/size/large/thumbnail/yes/custom-color/9e805b/time-start/00:00:00/playlist-height/200/direction/backward/download/yes/font-color/FFFFFF" height="192" width="100%" scrolling="no" allowfullscreen="" webkitallowfullscreen="true" mozallowfullscreen="true" oallowfullscreen="true" msallowfullscreen="true" style="border: none;" data-dashlane-rid="59b4dcfd66aa49cf" data-dashlane-classification="other"></iframe><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"></div><div style="color: #cccccc; font-family: Interstate, "Lucida Grande", "Lucida Sans Unicode", "Lucida Sans", Garuda, Verdana, Tahoma, sans-serif; font-size: 10px; line-break: anywhere; overflow: hidden; text-overflow: ellipsis; text-wrap: nowrap; word-break: normal;"><br /></div><h3 style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #0000ee; text-decoration-line: underline;"><a href="https://www.episodes.fm/258126625" target="_blank">Listen to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere anywhere you get podcasts<br /></a></span><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: center;">Leave I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere a five-star rating on <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/i-hear-of-sherlock-everywhere/id258126625?ls=1">Apple Podcasts</a> and <a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/30WtRn1mnXfAtX7YaeRY5Y">Spotify</a>; listen to us <a href="https://www.episodes.fm/1198869691">wherever you listen to podcasts</a>.</h3></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div><br /></div></div></div><h2 style="margin: 0px;">Sponsors</h2><div style="margin: 0px;"><ul><li>Exclusive for IHOSE listeners: a <a href="https://mxpublishing.com/discount/ihose2for1?redirect=%2Fproducts%2F2025-page-a-day-sherlock-holmes-calendar" target="_blank">2-for-1 deal on the 2025 Sherlock Holmes page-a-day calendar</a> from MX Publishing.</li></ul></div></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Would you care to advertise with us? You can find <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/contact.html#.Vc1Qx7JViko" target="_blank">more information here</a>. Let's chat!<br /><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><h2><b>Notes</b></h2><div>1:57 Intro and chatter</div><div>7:58 Interview with Ross Davies </div><div>1:13:58 A Chance of Listening</div><div>1:18:11 Canonical Couplet</div><div><br /></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul></ul></div><h2><b>Links</b></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.greenbag.org/almanacs/BS/bsa.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Baker Street Almanac</a></i></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlockiancalendar.com/" target="_blank">The Sherlockian Calendar</a></li><li><a href="http://www.agratreasurers.net/holmes--doyle----friends--2025.html" target="_blank">Holmes, Doyle and Friends</a></li><li><a href="http://www.acdfriends.org/SHWalk-index.html" target="_blank">Artwork from the Sherlock Holmes Walk in Toronto</a></li><li><a href="https://form.jotform.com/243476981445165" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Midwest BSI Canonical Conclave</a></li><li><i><a href="https://www.sherlockholmespodcast.com/2025/01/episode-418-origin-of-221b-worship.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Trifles </a></i><a href="https://www.sherlockholmespodcast.com/2025/01/episode-418-origin-of-221b-worship.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 418: The Origin of 221B Worship</a></li><li><a href="https://amzn.to/4guQlMW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Holmes and the Ripper</i></a> by Lucyna Krawczyk-Żywko</li><li><i><a href="https://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/journal/" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Journal</a></i></li><ul></ul><ul></ul><li>Previous Episodes:</li><ul><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihose17" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 17</a>: Collector's Corner: Jerry Margolin</li><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihose67" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 67</a>: The Sherlock Holmes Collections (Tim Johnson)</li><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihose219" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 219</a>: The Baker Street Almanac (Ross Davies)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose281" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 281</a>: The Lantern's Dance (Laurie R. King)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose282" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 282</a>: The Women (Bev Wolov)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose284" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 284</a>: BrettCon (Luke & Gus Holwerda)  </li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose286" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 286</a>: The Autistic Sleuth (Chris and Patricia Meyer Chan)</li><li>Episodes <a href="https://bit.ly/ihose287" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">287</a> & <a href="https://bit.ly/ihose290" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">290</a>: Legends of the BSJ series</li><li>Episodes <a href="https://bit.ly/ihose288" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">288</a> & <a href="https://bit.ly/ihose289" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">289</a>: BSI Press books </li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose292" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 292</a>: This Work of Storytelling (Glen Miranker)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose294" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 294</a>: Sherlock Holmes and the Telegram from Hell (Nicholas Meyer)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose295" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 295</a>: Holmes & Poirot (Jeffrey Hatcher and Steve Hendrickson)</li><li><a href="https://bit.ly/ihose299" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 299</a>: Interrogating Sherlock Holmes (Stephen Chahn Lee)</li><li>Episode 300: Sherlock & Co.';s Sherlock (Harry Attwell)</li><li><a href="https://www.sherlockholmespodcast.com/2024/08/episode-400-great-400.html" target="_blank">Trifles 400</a>: The Great 400</li><li><a href="https://ihose.co/ihoseshows" target="_blank">The IHOSE Archives</a></li></ul><li>Find all of our relevant links and social accounts at <a href="http://linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock">linktr.ee/ihearofsherlock</a>.</li></ul><div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="align-items: center; display: flex; flex-direction: column;"><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery?indie=false&period=month#37883168" target="_blank"><img alt="goodpods top 100 mystery podcasts" src="https://storage.googleapis.com/goodpods-images-bucket/leaderboard_badges/fiction_mystery_top50_month.png" style="height: 77px; width: 250px;" /></a><a href="https://goodpods.com/leaderboard/top-100-shows-by-category/fiction/mystery" style="color: #6f6f6f; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px; margin-top: 4px; text-align: center; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">Goodpods Top 100 Mystery Podcasts</a></div><div style="margin: 0px;"><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div>And would you consider leaving us a rating and or a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Goodpods? It would help other Sherlockians to find us.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div><div style="margin: 0px;">Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (comment AT ihearofsherlock DOT com), call us at 5-1895-221B-5. That's (518) 952-2125.</div><div style="font-family: "times new roman";"><div style="margin: 0px;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div><div><br /></div><br /><br /><br />

Episode 302: Sherlock Holmes: A Year in Review

“a combination of events” [3STU]  Keeping track of everything going on in the Sherlockian world is no easy task. And yet, every year without...

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by Scott Monty

Exclusive for IHOSE Fans: 2-for-1 Calendars

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> “a couple of wooden chairs and a deal table” [REDH]</h4><div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk1TLiuYOH7aopcnPDLWU4LEVyvuEKtkSikTsLsHB0IvXyOdnx18xp5gt3zV1pCwh1yd1Mulaf0InT1QF55GY9E_VEJ8z5-6PCShOM5TyeeE_rc87WYakjmRq371azAttyQMIjqPsbCF92r3ZxojDBn88AaNr56tj4CAtSgnFnzEBZGjqfpFWwRqxbVJm/s540/2025%20Page-a-day%20calendar2.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="540" height="546" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijk1TLiuYOH7aopcnPDLWU4LEVyvuEKtkSikTsLsHB0IvXyOdnx18xp5gt3zV1pCwh1yd1Mulaf0InT1QF55GY9E_VEJ8z5-6PCShOM5TyeeE_rc87WYakjmRq371azAttyQMIjqPsbCF92r3ZxojDBn88AaNr56tj4CAtSgnFnzEBZGjqfpFWwRqxbVJm/w640-h546/2025%20Page-a-day%20calendar2.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><p>It's Carbuncle Day — "the second morning after Christmas" — the day that Watson visited Holmes and discovered him studying the battered billycock and getting drawn into the mystery of the Countess of Morcar's missing gem.</p><p>While yesterday was Boxing Day (a day traditionally celebrated by giving boxes of Christmas gifts to the working class in Great Britain), it's not too late to still do some shopping — for you <b><i>and</i></b> for a Sherlockian in your life.</p><p>If you've delayed buying a Sherlock Holmes page-a-day calendar, you're in luck! I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere sponsor MX Publishing is offering this exclusive buy one, get one free offer for IHOSE listeners and readers.</p><p>Just visit this link (the code is automatically applied, but just in case, it's ihose2for1) to get your exclusive deal:</p><h3><a href="https://mxpublishing.com/discount/ihose2for1?redirect=%2Fproducts%2F2025-page-a-day-sherlock-holmes-calendar" target="_blank">2-for-1 2025 Sherlock Holmes Page A Day Calendar</a></h3><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWB663TKYZA5gASv-RHDNC6_Jb8pibrXSXjegmqD0MAhkw2RtNXXhp_Zv3ux-DBqekn6W4O5aDElxpyPsLkX5wczxKmlvo-IKEotWGAOb72w1368UKjHFOmTV5oY30mNykN7cPMQ2qysguFFdVp1M-_t1UMuGBeao8gbb7dwPyN_ZBlj4cjB3FjjBhzjCw/s480/2025%20Page-a-day%20calendar.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWB663TKYZA5gASv-RHDNC6_Jb8pibrXSXjegmqD0MAhkw2RtNXXhp_Zv3ux-DBqekn6W4O5aDElxpyPsLkX5wczxKmlvo-IKEotWGAOb72w1368UKjHFOmTV5oY30mNykN7cPMQ2qysguFFdVp1M-_t1UMuGBeao8gbb7dwPyN_ZBlj4cjB3FjjBhzjCw/s16000/2025%20Page-a-day%20calendar.jpeg" /></a></div><br />This was one of our favorite items from last year — 365 days of quotes, illustrations and fun facts about Sherlock Holmes (some surprised even us!).<p>Hurry and <a href="https://mxpublishing.com/discount/ihose2for1?redirect=%2Fproducts%2F2025-page-a-day-sherlock-holmes-calendar" target="_blank">order yours</a> before the New Year arrives and more importantly, before these sell out like last year.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen="" class="BLOG_video_class" height="327" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eMUU2xKI-XQ" width="393" youtube-src-id="eMUU2xKI-XQ"></iframe></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Who'll be the lucky recipient of half of (or all of) your purchase?</div><p><br /></p>

Exclusive for IHOSE Fans: 2-for-1 Calendars

 “a couple of wooden chairs and a deal table” [REDH] It's Carbuncle Day — "the second morning after Christmas" — the day that ...

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by Scott Monty

Prepare Yourself for H&W Con

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> “pestering me any more with your silly talk” [BLUE]</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2_ueqorzw1RUkNkM-NlXu2dm_FJBVA1Gj4aysvr5rpVhyrU_4vokwkaoAK1hAa6VhD0BlkZqdpzb-JsEIY07LkwY5rOWixCSZvbPg2J9YIHdK8U623U3TY-ms0Q4F3THm5hyJOvUuLZSDIMdzE-sKb0opfv9QYzuVcdHskfwhVg9sBMyA1JQtZfiKVbk/s1000/Holmes%20and%20Watson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC2_ueqorzw1RUkNkM-NlXu2dm_FJBVA1Gj4aysvr5rpVhyrU_4vokwkaoAK1hAa6VhD0BlkZqdpzb-JsEIY07LkwY5rOWixCSZvbPg2J9YIHdK8U623U3TY-ms0Q4F3THm5hyJOvUuLZSDIMdzE-sKb0opfv9QYzuVcdHskfwhVg9sBMyA1JQtZfiKVbk/w640-h360/Holmes%20and%20Watson.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div><br /></div><p>It's always a joy when we hear about new Sherlock Holmes-related events, particularly when the attendees are guaranteed to have fun.</p><p>So it was particularly gratifying to see that Erik Deckers' <i><a href="https://laughing-stalk.blogspot.com/2024/10/date-location-announced-for-holmes.html" target="_blank">Laughing Stalk</a></i> carried the following press release related to that cult classic, Holmes & Watson (covered here previously in "<a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2018/09/a-very-different-holmes-and-watson.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Very Different Holmes and Watson</a>"):</p><p></p><blockquote><p>(SIOUX CITY, IOWA)—Organizers today announced the dates and location for the eagerly awaited H&W Con, the <i>Holmes & Watson</i> convention based on the hilarious and timeless comedy classic starring Will Ferrell and John C. Reilly.</p><p>The convention will be held on the weekend of March 1 – 3 in Sioux City, Iowa, at the Dakota Dunes Roadside Motel and Convention Center.</p><p>Attendees can attend panel discussions, visit the Merchandise Room to purchase apparel, collectibles, and books, cosplay as their favorite characters, and read their favorite fan fiction at live readings. Organizers recently added the event "<i>Holmes & Watson</i> After Dark," a reading of erotic fan fiction.</p><p>Attendees will also be able to get autographs and attend panel discussions by notable cast members of the film.</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Mark Anthony Dawson, who played the uncredited role "Beefeater #1," will sign autographs and lead a Q&A session about his work on the film, including questions about the craft table and his brief interactions with Will Ferrell's personal assistant.</li><li>Attendees can also attend a viewing of a pre-recorded Zoom video Q&A with Wesley Kent-Hargreaves, who portrayed Weird Child Companion.</li><li>The uncle of Hector Bateman-Harden, who portrayed Young Sherlock Holmes, will be selling original headshots of his famous nephew in the Merchandise Room for $10 apiece or two for $18.</li></ul><p></p><p><br /></p><p>"This is a big deal for us," said Dakota Dunes assistant night manager Carl Alcorn. "We haven't had any celebrities of Mr. Dawson's magnitude here in several years. We once had Hacksaw Jim Duggan stop in for a night when his van broke down, but that was in 1995 after he retired."</p><p><br /></p><p>One of the most looked-forward-to panel discussions is entitled "Embracing the Silliness: How <i>Holmes & Watson</i> Changed My Outlook and Saved My Life," hosted by a mystery panelist known only as The Accordionist.</p></blockquote><p></p><p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcAGGy2G1yF5ZMNhB4AYiGBmfEL-NBD1UR1aqIZVxrjxSfQwg2281UDUk_yPQe_RPFc_OrnA8W4QxSyOgNRk_dCdOMAj-dybyVlN3MUfBUu3OjzEsA_Q3e4yh1tvSpchjRfkWjJCInHrgx2f1uJbM9LFsepbs6CYnBEZyhnjz1BtsXQ6evXxPOGq23xJ80" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="450" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjcAGGy2G1yF5ZMNhB4AYiGBmfEL-NBD1UR1aqIZVxrjxSfQwg2281UDUk_yPQe_RPFc_OrnA8W4QxSyOgNRk_dCdOMAj-dybyVlN3MUfBUu3OjzEsA_Q3e4yh1tvSpchjRfkWjJCInHrgx2f1uJbM9LFsepbs6CYnBEZyhnjz1BtsXQ6evXxPOGq23xJ80=w300-h400" width="300" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The only known photo of The Accordionist</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />"I loved this film the moment it came out," said The Accordionist from <a href="https://scottmonty.com/" target="_blank">his home studio in southeast Michigan</a></p><blockquote><p>. "Most of my friends think I hate it, but really, I have not loved a comedy film more. Ferrell and Reilly are the modern-day Laurel and Hardy, and they're not given enough credit for their amazing body of work. Holmes & Watson was the pinnacle of their comedy genius."</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2019/02/sherlock-holmes-brings-home-major-film.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Holmes & Watson</i> won Golden Raspberries in 2019</a> for Worst Picture, Worst Director, Worst Supporting Actor, and Worst Prequel, Remake, Rip-off or Sequel.</p><p>Photos of the Golden Raspberries will be on display in the Autograph Area and Breakfast Nook, where fans can take selfies with the photos for $10.</p><p><br /></p><p>"It's an honor just to have been part of this amazing cast and crew," said Jacob McGrath, who will attend H&W Con and work as the Merchant Room's overnight security guard. "I was just minding my own business, drinking and sitting in an alley, when I was picked to be an extra for the courtroom scene. Their craft table was amazing. I hadn't seen that many Twinkies and Ding Dongs in one place. And now I get to honor the memory of that wonderful production by guarding over its collectibles. You guys are providing meals, too, right?"</p></blockquote><p></p><p><br /></p><p>While this is obviously a parody (in case you haven't figured it out yet), one wonders if such a convention might be possible...?</p><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>

Prepare Yourself for H&W Con

 “pestering me any more with your silly talk” [BLUE] It's always a joy when we hear about new Sherlock Holmes-related events, particular...

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by Scott Monty

Baker Street Elementary – Duck and Cover

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“a nasty cropper” [STOC] </h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJidwTzAejZ2PNRs466UIntxDGfWNbuL8zA7xBz6DZnPQyanDTT-S1oSP1Kmhh7E04mCHvrtFM4pEVU14DXStEAAQ8S9YksNZAGhjQRsTsfeQQKFs_T_CVtGh0eKvZeY__tDa0Qf2mtCkzVZ54MpaIdJTbpdeb-ro7TNNDgokc8ETBa11Ft7YicFkdFt5K/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJidwTzAejZ2PNRs466UIntxDGfWNbuL8zA7xBz6DZnPQyanDTT-S1oSP1Kmhh7E04mCHvrtFM4pEVU14DXStEAAQ8S9YksNZAGhjQRsTsfeQQKFs_T_CVtGh0eKvZeY__tDa0Qf2mtCkzVZ54MpaIdJTbpdeb-ro7TNNDgokc8ETBa11Ft7YicFkdFt5K/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div>We have to applaud the efforts of James Ryder in his ingenious solution to finding a hiding place for the blue carbuncle. Few in his situation would have known that a goose's crop would be the perfect receptacle for temporary storage of a gemstone.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Yet, James Ryder was nowhere near as knowledgeable a fowl handler as his sister, Maggie Oakshott. If he were, he would have known that chickens and turkeys possess crops, but geese do not.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"A goose has no crop," Miss Mildred Sammons stated in a letter to the "Line o' Type or Two" column of the <i>Chicago Tribune</i> on December 27, 1946. Dr. Jay Finley Christ, to whom the letter had been addressed, noted, </div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"Mildred Sammons' announcement in the Line of Dec. 26 that 'a goose has no crop' produced a considerable shock among Sherlock Holmes experts. Consultation of one ornithologist, two zoologists, and three poultry dressers, together with ocular demonstration, made it abundantly clear that the lady is correct. Holmes made an alimentary error, which the Baker Street Irregulars should have noted long ago."</div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Peter Blau, BSI ("Black Peter") in <i>More Leaves from the Copper Beeches</i> (1976) made the only logical conclusion:</div><blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">"The matter of geese's crops is really beside the point...if we assume that the Blue Carbuncle was not found in the goose's crop at all, and that the long debate has actually centered on a printer's error, which substituted an <i><b>o</b></i> for Watson's <i><b>a</b></i>."</div></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">One wonders how the tale might have turned out differently if Mrs. Oakshott raised chickens, ducks, or turkeys. Would it have been possible to find the blue carbuncle in a turducken?</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Perhaps we'll need to take this investigation to Baker Street Alimentary...</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMCINYozg6_omvYu43NaH2OR0XRjZ67KUwnn9OUCGhj_Gsj_9udxKgYQCM_U-3ro_3ay-iLtQJP1FMA0MeUkxs4fMFet8uHTtWgBev6-gd-bCdYBYWtVEvhuNBqaMzxw0Eig8PnMN1d_kLfb6c72jn5AHv7wSdqvMI-cTEv23G_JMtO4sAT9oqDlW4XUz/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuMCINYozg6_omvYu43NaH2OR0XRjZ67KUwnn9OUCGhj_Gsj_9udxKgYQCM_U-3ro_3ay-iLtQJP1FMA0MeUkxs4fMFet8uHTtWgBev6-gd-bCdYBYWtVEvhuNBqaMzxw0Eig8PnMN1d_kLfb6c72jn5AHv7wSdqvMI-cTEv23G_JMtO4sAT9oqDlW4XUz/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWG0LhWXvxN3jhBu4zoW2y6TWlzHeJKIOiuQsUNTuI6R_XRE2RmOuBpp02Z6oj_GSJ26jT0hyphenhyphenbT8F-4tx92tLNL4qjHu7CfOrWXfiGM6sOxDiWBbKC2Eczq5qEve3G6S3h904I3RrS0GGpg01jP7b4k3_j-RKLlEJnWlq1UuCpA-i9lHZdh2H77qGTGia/s1365/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1365" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSWG0LhWXvxN3jhBu4zoW2y6TWlzHeJKIOiuQsUNTuI6R_XRE2RmOuBpp02Z6oj_GSJ26jT0hyphenhyphenbT8F-4tx92tLNL4qjHu7CfOrWXfiGM6sOxDiWBbKC2Eczq5qEve3G6S3h904I3RrS0GGpg01jP7b4k3_j-RKLlEJnWlq1UuCpA-i9lHZdh2H77qGTGia/w640-h360/Baker%20Street%20Elementary%20193.3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div><div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"><i>Baker Street Elementary</i></b><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;"> follows the original adventures of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson, as they and their friends work through the issues of elementary school in Victorian London. An archive of all previous episodes can be viewed at </span><a href="http://www.bakerstreetelementary.org/" style="background-color: white; color: #006f85; font-family: verdana, geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; text-align: left;">www.bakerstreetelementary.org</a><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px; text-align: left;">.</span></div><div><div><br /></div><div><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px;"><br /></span><span face="" style="background-color: white; color: #0e0e0e; font-size: 14px;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s1600/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" style="font-family: "times new roman"; font-size: medium; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGyHxoov2AdCNzI-sA382WHyzmCYKmU5vuVxxUUbwgmzd_zESpxNTWBoDo-0BOUVmZPf0EpIOXFT9y59il288HBvx1-_JJJXxHhZAn2orzWJPWbYZasKlLBplbQMHDaY9thgs_w1diI7ch/s640/Baker+Street+Elementary.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></div></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div>

Baker Street Elementary – Duck and Cover

“a nasty cropper” [STOC]  We have to applaud the efforts of James Ryder in his ingenious solution to finding a hiding place for the blue car...

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by Scott Monty

Tips for Making the Most of the BSI Weekend

<h4 style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: left;">“</span><b>Let me have the straight tip and you won't be a loser</b><span style="text-align: left;">”</span><b> [SILV] </b></h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFYYwNkDcFee52TLetezTvrjJuCKXcoJ8tRTmgBBmyA6s8xbAhLwknSBTpj-Pkrx6jpEyFqM9xEg-CaN-pHP8mPZatyZtGZm8Rqasu7Kb8BZSgUSpY_ZdFEBKopS_ZrYAzONcuAGPHOHA/s1600/BSI+logo+full.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="1000" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitFYYwNkDcFee52TLetezTvrjJuCKXcoJ8tRTmgBBmyA6s8xbAhLwknSBTpj-Pkrx6jpEyFqM9xEg-CaN-pHP8mPZatyZtGZm8Rqasu7Kb8BZSgUSpY_ZdFEBKopS_ZrYAzONcuAGPHOHA/s640/BSI+logo+full.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span style="text-align: center;">With the </span><b style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/bsi-event-dates/" target="_blank">BSI Weekend</a></b><span style="text-align: center;"> coming up next month, we thought it might be helpful to provide a series of tips for the veteran attendees and the newbies alike.</span><br /><br />The <a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/2022/10/17/plans-2023-bsi-weekend/" target="_blank">Baker Street Irregulars Weekend</a> is happening January 15-19, 2025, and it's usually a pretty big deal if you're taking time out of your life to head into New York City for three or more days of activities with people you haven't seen in a year (or years!) or those you may have only known online until now.<div><br /></div><div>Whether you're making the trip for the first or twenty-first time, you know that the Weekend provides the same level of excitement, anticipation, and giddiness as Christmas morning does to a child.<br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6OGNTJ9y_alsmGZ4itwvxut6FnZFBQOLkk-N2WkkKYRjWi6VhW3taPMuwHbm71ZOdynxKBFX43yxwG0F0HkBqsQx3Z1pc4kiIezeMXQG6zPdPVmG4FPv6y_wsBc8QavGdfNnOZ680d6u/s1600/TWIS+Hugh+Boone.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha6OGNTJ9y_alsmGZ4itwvxut6FnZFBQOLkk-N2WkkKYRjWi6VhW3taPMuwHbm71ZOdynxKBFX43yxwG0F0HkBqsQx3Z1pc4kiIezeMXQG6zPdPVmG4FPv6y_wsBc8QavGdfNnOZ680d6u/s320/TWIS+Hugh+Boone.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 12.8px;">All tips gladly accepted</td></tr></tbody></table><br />It's usually during those anxious moments that our brain-attic tends to forget some of the essentials that help make a great trip perfect. And for the uninitiated, it's just a matter of not knowing what you need to survive the BSI Weekend.<br /><br />This marks <b>12 years</b> since we began sharing these tips — the <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/12/a-suggestion-perhaps-houn_28.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first of which</a> was inspired by interviewing several members of the Baker Street Irregulars — including some newer members who might have a less distant memory of their first Weekend, and some who have been at it literally for decades. Information has been updated to reflect changes in the city as well as in technology.</div><div><br /><br />And if there are any additional tips that you think would be helpful to attendees, please feel free to add your own as a comment below. And if you'd like a sense of what it's like, listen to <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose74" target="_blank">Episode 74</a>:<br /><br /><iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/191368218&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /><br />Herewith are the suggestions:<br /><br /><h3>Health 💉</h3></div><div><ul><li>While Sherlockians like to imagine a world where "it's always 1895," the reality of the present day is that we are still fighting a global pandemic. While it's not Tapanuli fever or the black Formosa corruption, it's a good idea to take precautions.</li><li>Consistent with other New York City venues, the BSI does not expect to have mask or vaccination requirements for the BSI-hosted January 2025 events. You still might want to check the <a href="https://files.bakerstreetirregulars.com/bsi-event-covid-19.pdf" target="_blank">BSI Event COVID Policy</a> for the latest details. </li><li>When traveling in the winter months, it doesn't hurt to wear a mask when you're indoors and around a lot of people, especially if you or a loved one is immunocompromised. </li><li><b style="font-style: italic;">Remember:</b><i> Your health and the health of loved ones at home when you return are of great concern to people who like to share your company at these events. </i>❤️</li></ul></div><div><ul><li><b>PLEASE NOTE: </b>To get the latest BSI event news, go to the BSI website and sign up for the free <a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/bsi-news-via-email" target="_blank">News from the BSI</a> email service.</li></ul></div><div><br /><h3>Bags 🧳</h3><ul><li>Make sure that you have plenty of room to bring home books that you buy. If you have to bring an extra bag that you can fold up and put in your suitcase, do so. </li><li>Some suggest bringing a plastic shopping bag to the BSI dinner, as it makes carrying the dinner packet around a little easier, especially if you plan to go to another venue afterward. </li><li>You might also consider <b>bringing a shopping bag to the Merchants Room</b> on Saturday to carry your various purchases. Not all merchants provide bags; carting away your haul is <i>your</i> responsibility. And you <i>do</i> want a haul, don't you?</li></ul><br /><h3>Meeting Others 📇</h3><ul><li>Bring business cards (a quaint tradition). You will be meeting a lot of new people, and you will be sharing contact information. Put as many as you think that you will need in your pack, and then double it. And be sure to include all modes of contacting you, including website, social media, etc. </li><li>If you're in need of a good card, the <a href="http://moo.com/">Moo</a> does a splendid job and <a href="http://vistaprint.com/">VistaPrint</a> has a fast turnaround time. </li><li>If you want to make sure you get your table mates to sign your menu, bring a pen to the dinner.</li><ul><li><b><i>Pro tip</i></b>: there's usually a pen in the dinner packet.</li></ul><li>Allow yourself time to schmooze with other Sherlockians. This is the fastest way to make new friends, who will quickly become old friends. </li></ul><br /><h3>Comportment / Etiquette 🤝</h3><ul><li><b>Do</b> tell people how good it is to see them again — or how lovely it is to meet them for the first time after having known them only online. </li><li><b>Do</b> tell them that you miss them in the intervening months between BSI weekends. </li><li><b>Do</b> tell them how invaluable they are to you as a Sherlockian comrade-in-arms and friend and how much you value their friendship. </li><li>If you're scheduled to speak at an event, be mindful not to overdo the alcohol beforehand. Dutch courage is usually inappropriate in such circumstances. </li><li>In this hyper-connected world, it's easy to forget that there are those attending the weekend for whom "it is always 1895" — or nearly so. When you're taking photographs, please be mindful of those who are firmly rooted in the 20th (or 19th!) century and who might not want to appear on your timeline by <u>asking their permission</u> to share your photos of them online. Common courtesy is timeless.</li></ul><div><br /></div><h3>Attire 🥿 🧥</h3><ul><li>Bring comfortable shoes. The weekend inevitably includes a lot of walking. </li><li>This one is especially for the ladies: it's useful to have a change of shoes in your handbag so the stilettos don't murder you by the end of the evening (or vice versa). </li><li>Bring warm clothes. It is winter in New York, and non-Sherlockian New York friends say they know when we are in town because we bring really bad weather. </li><li>Dress in layers. Many times, the weather can be cold, but there have been instances in New York in January when we could – and did – comfortably walk about the streets without even a jacket on. </li></ul><br /><h3>Money 💰</h3><ul><li>Bring small bills. They will come in handy as you share taxis going from place to place, and you’ll find them handy when tipping helpful service employees. </li><ul><li><b><i>Pro tip</i></b>: We prefer withdrawing $2 bills from the bank and bringing them with us to make things extra efficient.</li></ul><li>Bring a checkbook (or cash!) to the Merchants Room, as not everyone there takes credit cards and you may find an item you must have. </li><li>If you see something you're interested in at the Merchants Room and you can afford it, don't wait until your second sweep of the room – it will probably be gone by then.</li><li>Most of the vendors in the Merchants Room are very kind and understanding people, and many are also collectors or Sherlockians themselves. If you would care to haggle with them, they're likely open to it. It can't hurt to ask.</li><li>The BSI and Wessex Press tables accept <b>credit cards, PayPal and Apple Pay</b>.</li><li>Estimate, on the top side, what you expect to spend – and then double it. That might get you through. 💸</li></ul><br /><h3>Time 🕰️</h3><ul><li>If you have any health conditions, allow yourself time to go back to your hotel room for periodic rests. Many find these rests invaluable, enabling them to enjoy the weekend despite their condition. Schedule your time. </li><li>Know when you need to be places (including when you need to catch the train/plane back home). </li><li>Count on it taking some time to get a cab amongst the other Sherlockians who may be headed to the same events as you.</li><li>Alternatively, download a ride-hailing app (such as <b>Uber </b>or <b>Lyft, </b>or <b>Curb </b>for taxis) to help you avoid these waits. <b>See below for more details and a way to save money on rides</b>.</li></ul><br /><h3>Getting Around 🚕 🚇 🚶</h3><ul><li>Hey, Magellan, guess what? You have the power of a global satellite navigation system in the palm of your hand. That is, if you have a smartphone. Google Maps or Apple Maps are indispensable for getting around, by foot, taxi, or public transportation.</li><li>If you want something customized to New York, there are other apps to choose from: <a href="https://citymapper.com/nyc" target="_blank">Citymapper</a>, <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=guide.unitedstates.newyork.prod&hl=en_US&gl=US" target="_blank">New York Guide for Android</a> and iOS has the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/new-york-travel-guide-offline/id319296365?mt=8">New York Travel Guide and Offline Map</a>.</li></ul><ul><li>If you don't like using the map app on your phone, print out a street map of the city with the places you need to be circled or otherwise identified. Many things are within walking distance, but it is good to know you are starting out in the right direction (or know when to turn). </li><li>Download and print Monica Schmidt's <b><a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-SRASH4lG_1rciTn59bGhCR_EDiLDF4ep5-TWufe_mU/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank">handy schedule</a></b>, particularly if you're more visually inclined. It's a nice grid.</li></ul><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdxJKMSy6W139X7WiiU3r3Q_9ln-onca3Cp1_rETHHoHfM8zFdPSG9dW4OYjwzDuQnjvgU7XwZtWzfIk4361TdZSr8xWEn7r-4Zyb2__X1VA8WyCrD1iMF9D_KM_0m91c07NFPFMbKpc2rH5Vt13a_5akAj_4s2bdsgMSougjkBsI6hzAdFJeBs7_GwQHz" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" data-original-height="753" data-original-width="998" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgdxJKMSy6W139X7WiiU3r3Q_9ln-onca3Cp1_rETHHoHfM8zFdPSG9dW4OYjwzDuQnjvgU7XwZtWzfIk4361TdZSr8xWEn7r-4Zyb2__X1VA8WyCrD1iMF9D_KM_0m91c07NFPFMbKpc2rH5Vt13a_5akAj_4s2bdsgMSougjkBsI6hzAdFJeBs7_GwQHz=w400-h302" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Click image to enlarge; <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/1-SRASH4lG_1rciTn59bGhCR_EDiLDF4ep5-TWufe_mU/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank">click here</a> to open document</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><ul><li>If you want to go to Otto Penzler's <a href="http://mysteriousbookshop.com/" target="_blank">Mysterious Bookshop</a> and are staying at The Westin Grand Central Hotel, the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to go is by subway. From Grand Central take a <b>4</b> or <b>5</b> express train <b>two</b> stops to <b>Brooklyn Bridge Station</b>; it is a very short walk over to Otto's. Don't take a local (which makes 10 stops). The express is about five minutes. </li><li>Download the <b>MYmta app</b> from the <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/mymta/id1297605670?mt=8">App Store</a> or <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=info.mta.mymta&hl=en">Google Play</a> for navigating the subway. </li><li>Pool funds with others to buy regular per-ride <b><a href="http://web.mta.info/metrocard/mcgtreng.htm">MetroCards</a></b>. These can be shared by up to four people on each trip and are good for one transfer between subway/bus or between buses on uptown/crosstown routes within 2 hours.</li><ul><li>If you're 65 or older, present ID for a reduced fare MetroCard – $2.75 for two rides with the same transfer provisions noted above. <b>Note:</b> a 65+ MetroCard <b><i>cannot</i></b> be shared and you must find a live 'token booth' clerk to inspect your ID – reduced fare not available in machines.</li><li>If you reach the end of the Weekend with a balance on your MetroCard, return to New York more frequently! Or give your card to local-area Sherlockians.</li></ul></ul><ul><li>Download a ride-hailing app such as <a href="https://lyft.com/i/SCOTT726787" target="_blank">Lyft</a>, Uber, or <a href="https://my.gocurb.com/invite85u83u" target="_blank">Curb</a>. </li><ul><li>If you'd like a code for <b>Lyft</b>, use <a href="https://lyft.com/i/SCOTT726787">SCOTT726787</a> to sign up and receive a $5 credit towards rides.</li><li><b>For NYC taxis, </b><a href="https://my.gocurb.com/invite85u83u" target="_blank">download the Curb app</a> and use the code <b>85U83U</b> to get $5 when you create an account. You can either request a cab with it,  or when you're in a cab simply enter a 7-digit code displayed in the cab and it will pair with your device.</li></ul></ul><br /><h3>Logistics 📝</h3><ul><li>Bring your event payment confirmations, just in case of a glitch in the system. </li><li>Also, everything is pretty centrally located, but it's a good idea to have a list of your schedule with the addresses of the venues so that you don't suddenly find yourself asking, where the devil am I supposed to be right now? </li><li>The heat during the BSI dinner has been uncomfortable in years past in the Yale Club (potentially dangerously uncomfortable a few years ago) – if this happens again, vests/waistcoats are not advised. Unless you're <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/mcaric/8379354330/">Mattias Bostrom</a>. </li></ul><br /><h3>The Unscheduled 📅</h3><ul><li>If possible, make breakfast plans with other Sherlockians (unless you prefer to eat breakfast alone – saving energy for later conversations).</li><li>To some, the secret to enjoying the jam-packed weekend is to find private, unpublicized events for more intimate interactions. How to find these? “<i>You know my methods. Apply them</i>.” </li></ul><br /><h3>Dining 🍽️</h3>What? You’re not getting enough food between events? Thankfully there are gaps that allow a Sherlockian to venture places on his or her own. And of course, there are plenty of restaurants in and near Grand Central Station, which is in great proximity to the Yale Club and the Westin Grand Central Hotel.<br /><ul><li>The restaurant scene in NYC has changed drastically during the pandemic. Some old favorites may no longer be there; some may have restricted hours or dining arrangements.</li><li>Check <b><a href="https://www.opentable.com/landmark/restaurants-near-grand-central-station" target="_blank">Open Table</a></b> for restaurants that take reservations; they offer free booking and allow you to see availability of tables by time and by number of seats. </li><li>Several Sherlockians like to go to the <b><a href="http://www.oysterbarny.com/">Oyster Bar</a></b> for dinner. There are a number of <b><a href="https://www.grandcentralterminal.com/restaurants/" target="_blank">Grand Central Restaurants</a></b> inside. </li><li>For a more comprehensive listing of eateries nearby, check <b><a href="https://www.tripadvisor.com/RestaurantsNear-g60763-d103371-Grand_Central_Terminal-New_York_City_New_York.html" target="_blank">TripAdvisor</a></b>, <b><a href="https://www.yelp.com/search?find_desc=Restaurants+Near+Grand+Central+Station&find_loc=New+York%2C+NY" target="_blank">Yelp</a></b>,</li><li>And heaven forbid, don't forget about the <a href="http://www.redflamenyc.com/">Red Flame</a>, the perennial favorite next door to the Algonquin Hotel on W. 44th Street.</li></ul><br /><h3>Online 📱</h3>Whether you're in New York for the festivities or sequestered at home, it might be worthwhile to follow along online. Some ways to do that:<br /><ul><li>The official hashtag of the BSI Weekend is <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bsiweekend&src=typd">#BSIWeekend</a>.  </li><li>The Doylean Honors will be held <b>online </b>as well as in person on Thursday, January 16 at 11:15 am EST. <a href="http://acdsociety.com/Honors/Honors.html" target="_blank">Register at the ACD Society site</a>.</li></ul><br /><br /></div><div>That sums up our list. Do you have tips as well, dear readers? Please leave them in a comment below or drop us a line and let us know what your secrets are so we can all be beneficiaries.<br /><br /><br /><div style="font-family: "times new roman"; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">--</div></div>

Tips for Making the Most of the BSI Weekend

“ Let me have the straight tip and you won't be a loser ”  [SILV]  With the  BSI Weekend  coming up next month, we thought it might be h...

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by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes for Christmas

<h4 style="text-align: center;">“the number of the chapter is immaterial<span style="text-align: left;">”</span> [VALL]</h4><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxmwaMls6GoXq-yM73GDeY3BBan-zx0u7zlxN12NQ03kpYNUxV2G5eJnZq4Tt2GOYqtD1E4Yi4Idwralx5bs_h3SwQE-cRc_22cYg57HnbDGT1C8-nX9h8A4R12vEcNODSXAzy64kqSQKaRu-qluliuxIRpYgMjeXgqVe2q7lprpIYQiiDXQgs20eEUGb/s1000/Sherlock%20Holmes%20Crimes%20for%20Christmas%20-%20header.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1000" height="512" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirxmwaMls6GoXq-yM73GDeY3BBan-zx0u7zlxN12NQ03kpYNUxV2G5eJnZq4Tt2GOYqtD1E4Yi4Idwralx5bs_h3SwQE-cRc_22cYg57HnbDGT1C8-nX9h8A4R12vEcNODSXAzy64kqSQKaRu-qluliuxIRpYgMjeXgqVe2q7lprpIYQiiDXQgs20eEUGb/w640-h512/Sherlock%20Holmes%20Crimes%20for%20Christmas%20-%20header.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><p>I love an advent calendar. During a cold, dark month, where the pressure to do just the right thing for other people can become overwhelming, it’s nice to have a daily gift to oneself. </p><p>Here's a new style one, a type I wasn't previously familiar with, with content that's a gift for any Sherlockian: Derrick Belanger's <i><a href="https://amzn.to/4fBDXK1" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: Crimes for Christmas</a>. </i></p><div><div>Twelve traditionally styled stories are published with cliffhangers and labeled by date. You read the story setup on one day, then discover what happened the next, with content for every day during the month of December until Boxing Day. (I know, I'm telling you about this much too late for this month, but a) if you get the book now, you get more to read all at once or b) you can get really ahead on your shopping for December 2025, if you want.) </div><div><br /></div><div>It's tricky to make oneself stop, I find. But for anyone who remembers Encyclopedia Brown, it's fun to challenge yourself with figuring out the story's hook, the clue that reveals what happened. </div><div><br /></div><div>Watson narrates, as he should, and Inspectors Gregson and Lestrade make appearances in these stories. Tales involve a missing criminal, a cause of unusual death, a murderous frame-up, an art theft, a missing author, and more, all set during the holiday winter month. </div><div><i><br /></i></div><div><i><a href="https://amzn.to/4fBDXK1" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><br />Sherlock Holmes: Crimes for Christmas</a></i> by Derrick Belanger, published by Belanger Books, October 2024, is available in paperback and Kindle format on Amazon.  <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd066D2itQWBqAe7JjUHJYz53A818jEumJ3Sx9mxPpELtpfKAojZW4_3BOvBgLyQ7AyChvpRIXbRJNxNPes3rd8-IUMAKJa3oN34PLD-sReSnQXWicquMl5uk94rqnS3tdcsJjdodMWKATeDWSNRJwfTC0ysRxxLNO27GkvgSbF8g5OVtWx4IHwIi2BZK/s1499/Sherlock%20Holmes%20Crimes%20for%20Christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1499" data-original-width="1000" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkd066D2itQWBqAe7JjUHJYz53A818jEumJ3Sx9mxPpELtpfKAojZW4_3BOvBgLyQ7AyChvpRIXbRJNxNPes3rd8-IUMAKJa3oN34PLD-sReSnQXWicquMl5uk94rqnS3tdcsJjdodMWKATeDWSNRJwfTC0ysRxxLNO27GkvgSbF8g5OVtWx4IHwIi2BZK/w133-h200/Sherlock%20Holmes%20Crimes%20for%20Christmas.jpg" width="133" /></a></div></div></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes for Christmas

“the number of the chapter is immaterial ”  [VALL] I love an advent calendar. During a cold, dark month, where the pressure to do just the r...

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by Johanna Draper Carlson