Category: News

I’m back from my trip to New York City and England. The jet lag has mercifully passed and I’m starting to get back into the swing of things. I’d swamp you with vacation photos and stories of the incredible Watsonians I’ve met this past month, but this certainly not a personal blog, so let’s keep the focus on who we really enjoy talking about: Dr Watson.

I went to the Sherlock Holmes Museum and, although I felt quite hesitant, I was too curious not to at least go in and see the contents of the museum. This may be my only visit to London, after all, so why not at least once? I had heard about it (not all particularly positive impressions) and I felt oddly curious about the mixed reactions I’d hear from others.

After, I walked out of the museum feeling dissatisfied, though perhaps not for the same reason as others might (such as due to the high price or the over-reliance on wax figures). The reason for my dissatisfaction was this: despite having the room available of two additional floors in the building, why do we not see Dr Watson’s bedroom? There is Sherlock Holmes’ room and the famous sitting room and… that’s it, the rest of the floors display other things, but no bedroom for Dr Watson?

As far as I’m aware, Dr Watson never spares time to describe his own room at 221B Baker Street, though he took time to describe Holmes’ room and their sitting room. So, my question is: What do you think Dr Watson’s bedroom would look like? What do you think we might find in his bedroom? Could you describe how it might look?

You may remember some lovely fellows I spoke to about Sherlock Holmes on the radio: Lawrence Albert (JHWS “Bertie”) and John Patrick Lowrie, who play Dr Watson and Mr Holmes in Imagination Theatre.

I’m happy to mention that our dear friends and their clever cohorts have accomplished quite an astounding feat! The Imagination Theatre is the first North American English speaking audio drama company to perform every story in the Canon! They’ve collected their long, impressive project in a complete set, found HERE.

So, do you ever listen to Holmes and Watson on the radio? Do you have any particular Sherlockian productions or portrayals of Dr Watson that you personally enjoyed listening to as an audio drama?

I’m in London right now! For the very first time in my life!

(Note: I’m not counting the time in my early twenties where I got rerouted through Heathrow Airport during a very hectic Madrid-to-Seattle trip, where I then got rudely yelled at, and then had my check in luggage lost for three weeks…. that one time doesn’t count. This is a proper do-over. And instead of Heathrow, I flew in through Gatwick. So there. Ha!)

If you live around London, or ever visit London, what are some of your favorite places to go?

If you’ve never been, but you want to go to London one day, what would you like to go see?

In New York last week, there was a series of special events known as BSI Weekend!

This was my first opportunity to attend events such as the William Gillette Luncheon and the Gaslight Gala. Did you attend this year’s BSI Weekend? Any interesting stories to share?

If not this year, have you made the trip in the past? Or do you plan to go one day?

I would like to present a proposed design for a symbol of the John H Watson Society:

The pen for Dr Watson the biographer, the scalpel for Dr Watson the man of medicine, and the tree roots that extend above and below to form a growing connection between the past and present, the established generation reaching out to connect with the recent wave of newcomers interested in the adventures of Sherlock Holmes and our good friend, Dr Watson.

So the questions for this week’s forum is simply… hey, so, what do you think of the design?

The BBC Sherlock Holmes Special “The Abominable Bride” aired on Jan 1st in the UK and the US and screenings of the episode will be at select theaters this week.

If you’ve seen the episode, what are your thoughts on it?

(Yes, the comments section will likely have spoilers.)

Happy New Year, everyone!

Any particular Sherlockian goal you would like to meet this new year?

For our final discussion forum of the year, Willow would like to ask:

What changes did you identify in the Sherlockian world in the first half of this decade and what do you think will happen in the next five years?

From reading The Watsonian, I’ve learned new things about topics I’ve never considered before: the properties of honey, the city of Avignon, and 19th century homes, to name a few.

In the process of writing on Sherlockian topics, I’ve found myself knee-deep in research on radio dramas, Japanese author Natsume Soseki, and the history of early cinema.

What is the most interesting or unexpected topic you studied through the Sherlockian lens? What is a topic you may not have discovered if not for your enjoyment of the Canon?

This week, our billiard friends from the Retired Beekeepers of Sussex released a free online copy of the latest volume of The Practical Handbook of Bee Culture, which includes contributions from JHWS members “Pippin” and “Misty.” Bravo!

One of my favorite contributions to their volume is Basil’s illustrated essay, “Reading Holmes as a Trans Man.” I love it because the essay shares a view of the Canon that is not familiar to how I read the cases. In fact, seeing it through a different lens adds a new facet to my observations that I never considered before.

By reading through another Sherlockian’s perspective, we can encounter a fresh view of the Canon and observe new connections and ideas. I believe that is a big part of what makes The Watsonian such an exciting read.

So have you ever read a work related to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, or spoke to a fellow Sherlockian, and was surprised to see the Canon viewed and interpreted in a different way? What did you learn from the experience? Tell us about it!