A Memorable Toast

To All:

At my local Sherlock Holmes group dinner this past February, there was a toast which I would like to share with you. The author of the toast was Guy Mordeaux, a founding member of the group, Dr Watson’s Patients, and a good friend.

His toast was titled “On the Significance of Boswells or the Finding of the Right Watson.” I will quote those passages that impressed me and that I wish to share:

“When referring to the Canon a different Character emerges. The actor Jeremy Brett put his finger on who our dear Dr Watson really is during an interview in which he said, “‘Watson and Holmes are two halves of the same person. They are Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. . . You can’t have one without the other; it’s impossible.’”

Holmes and Watson are two character personalities that complement each other. David Accord, writing in “Success Secrets of Sherlock Holmes,” calls Dr Watson, “. . . a solid, intelligent war veteran with steely nerves and a strong sense of honor and loyalty to Holmes.”

Ben McIntyre writes in The London Times: “Holmes is flashy, brilliant and extraordinary, but it is Watson’s blunter, quieter virtues of simple decency that we are called on to admire, and it is his voice that we trust.”

Ron Lies
“Chips”

And Limericks Also Beget Toasts . . .

Ron Lies “Chips” has begun a sub-culture of limerick and toast composers. Here is a musical toast created by Sheila Holtgrieve “Daisy” of the Seattle Sound of the Baskervilles (SOB’s).

Daisy writes:

I am attaching here a musical toast that I made up for the SOB Masters’ Dinner (the move in the apostrophe is deliberate: some of our older members are not able to come if the dinner is in January due to darkness and weather, so we decided on March to celebrate SH and JHW meeting at St. Barts; we celebrate SH’s birthday at our January club meeting.)  My JHWS bull-pup name of “Daisy” got me to remembering the old song, “Daisy, Daisy,” so I made up the words, and three of us sang it at the dinner.  What a kick!

Sherlock, Sherlock, Give Us Your Answer
to the tune of Daisy, Daisy

Sherlock, Sherlock, give us your answers, do
We’re half crazy over the likes of you.
We’ll ride in a big, black carriage.
And go to Irene’s marriage.
We’ll stay out late to keep your dates
In our hansom cabs built for two.

Watson, Watson, give us your answers, do
We’re half crazy over the likes of you.
We’ll go to the turf for betting;
We’ll dine with ladies fetching.
We’ll meet with Lestrade,
We’ll go to Lowther Arcade,
In our hansom cabs built for two.

Holmes and Watson, give us your answers, do
We’re all crazy over the likes of you.
We’ll meet with you in the stories,
With you life is never boring.
We’ll keep your name,
We’ll keep your fame,
In our hansom cabs built for two.

The Good Doctor Offers a Toast by Ron Lies, JHWS “Chips”

We thank our Society’s author of interesting miscellanea, Ron Lies, JHWS “Chips,” who sends this toast he gave to Denver’s Doctor Watson’s Neglected Patients two years ago:

“The Song of Doctor Watson”
Words and music by Harvey Officer

Doctor John H. Watson was I,
Known as a straight and honest guy.

Was to be a Surgeon for years,
In the Northumberland Fusiliers

But wounded was I in the thigh
Or was it the Subclavian Artery?

‘Twas by a vile bullet Jezail,
Shot by the Ghazis murderous hail.

Needless that I should repeat,
How I arrived in Baker Street.

Of all the tales I have versed
A Study in Scarlet was the first.

Holmes, ‘tis true, made me the goat,
Criticized every word I wrote,

But he tried, after a while,
Even to imitate my style.

However, I did marry again,
Who was the dame I married then?

The name must be mysterious still,
Roberts declared ‘twas De Merville.

Morley, he did not agree,
Said it was Sherlock’s landlady.

But any proof I do not see,
So, it must remain a mystery.

Rightly, then, praise you my pen,
All you men and women.

Was I not willing to be?
Called by him “Elementary?”

For you see, I had to be,
Boswell to his curious vanity,

After all, but for my tomes,
What could you know of Sherlock Holmes?