March 10, 1883: Elias Openshaw received the orange pips. (FIVE)
Weekly Forum #10
Free topic discussion this week! Share with us whatever is on your mind. 🙂
On March 8th…
March 8, 1888: Holmes learned that Jack Douglas had been lost at sea. (VALL)
On March 7th…
March 7, 1881: Jefferson Hope’s body was found in his jail cell. (STUD)
On March 6th…
March 6, 1881: Holmes tested some pills on the landlady’s dog. (STUD)
Jefferson Hope was captured. (STUD)
On March 5th…
March 5, 1881: The Baker Street Irregulars reported to Holmes. (STUD)
Strangerson was found stabbed to death. (STUD)
An old crone retrieved the gold wedding ring at 221B Baker Street. (STUD)
On March 4th…
March 4, 1881: Drebber was found poisoned and dead. (STUD)
On March 3rd…
March 3, 1881: At 8 pm, Drebber and Strangerson bade adieu to Madam Charpentier. (STUD)
The Beacon Society’s Jan Stauber Grant
With thanks to Donald Yates “Pal” for sharing the news with me, I’m happy to inform you that applications are available for the The Beacon Society’s Jan Stauber Grant!
Many of you are well-aware of the wonderful efforts of the Beacon Society when it comes to education, as well as reaching out to young people to share our interest in Sherlock Holmes and our love of reading, so if you happen to be an educator or know of one who would be interested in this opportunity, please spread the word!
Weekly Forum #9
In the spirit of the awards season… share with us the actor or actress who performed your favorite portrayal of Dr Watson in the motion pictures.
Weekly Forum #8
Last week, we discussed the tragic figures found in the Canon.
So this week, tell us: who do you regard as some of the luckiest ones in the Canon?
On February 22nd…
February 22, 1886: The Beryl Coronet was reclaimed by its owner. (BERY)
On February 20th…
February 20, 1886: Holmes returned the missing part of the Beryl Coronet to Alexander Holder. (BERY)
On February 19th…
February 19, 1886: Alexander Holder asked Holmes to find the missing part of the Beryl Coronet. (BERY)
Holmes followed footprints left in the snow made by Arthur Holder and Sir George Burnwell. (BERY)
Mary Holder eloped with Sir George Burnwell. (BERY)
On February 18th…
February 18, 1886: Arthur Holder asked his father for money the third time. (BERY)
Part of the Beryl Coronet was stolen. (BERY)
Weekly Forum #7
In your opinion, who is one of the most tragic figures in the Canon?
Spring Watsonian Deadline is Today!
This is a reminder to anyone who is interested in submitting to the next volume of The Watsonian: Today is the deadline!
If you’re nearly done preparing a submission, please know that late submissions may be considered. However, I ask that you please contact our editor, Pippin (see the e-mail links on the right column on the main page), to see if that might be possible.
A poem to John Watson and his Mary forever
(Based on SIGN)
Tune: Fascination by F. D. Marchetti, arranged and sequenced by Jim Bottorff
When she said, “The treasure is gone,”
I then realized that I now could gain one.
With the gems and gold
Sunken through the cold
Nothing could prevent my heart from saying, “Thank God!”
When she asked me, “Why so say you?”
I confessed my love for her now shown as true.
Drawn against my side without slightest resistance,
Mary whispered, “Thank God,” too!
On February 11th…
February 11, 1886: Arthur Holder asked his father for money the second time. (BERY)
Introducing: Cocoa’s C’animals!
Can you guess which canonical story that this refers to?
The History of C’animals
It was May of 2001 and Sherlockians were gathering for an event at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, NY. Before the big dinner several of us whiled away the afternoon exploring some of local the shops. And that’s where it started; I found an adorable baby gorilla in the guise of a stuffed toy.
Later, when my friends and I were comparing our shopping trophies, I validated my purchase by naming the small gorilla McGinty, the Bodymaster. Little did I know that I was soon to become addicted to collecting stuffed toy versions the many animals mentioned in the Canon. Adding up those that are mentioned as similes, those that are mention as allegories and those that play an actual role (no matter how big or small) there are more than 134 animals in the 60 published stories. And that’s not counting the various breeds of canis familiaris.
Soon I began to haunt local toy stores, the gift shop at the American Museum of Natural History and the internet looking all manner of amphibians and crustaceans, reptiles and rodents. In a relatively short period of time I had acquired a substantial number of stuffed toys. Storage soon became an issue; solved by the purchase of several very large straw baskets. Thankfully stuffed toys are squishable. Of course the collection is incomplete. Apparently there aren’t many requests for toy versions of gudgeon or pilot fish. Searching for stuffed shrimp resulted only in recipes. And then there are species, like slow worms or drag hounds, known only to the denizens of the Canon.
After I retired I finally had the time to “play” with my collection; grouping and photographing them by story. The results are some of the pictures that will be showing up on this website. Some of the adventures have only a few c’animals while others have so many several pictures were necessary to complete the family album. By the way, did you know there is one adventure that doesn’t have any animals at all?
Have fun identifying them all.
Cheers,
Cocoa (aka Judith Freeman)