The Parish Magazine No. 12
The Parish Magazine No. 12 is the newsletter of the The Arthur Conan Doyle Society published in april 1995.
The Parish Magazine No. 12
Kingston Spiritualist Church and the foundation stone laid by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1927. Photographs by Catherine Cooke
THE PARISH MAGAZINE
ISSUE NUMBER TWELVE: APRIL 1995
Editorial
The ever-increasing growth in awareness of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society places us in a fortunate position. We are in frequent contact with writers and researchers; we get called upon to participate in interviews for local radio; we receive advance information on new publications; generally, we are one of the first ports of call for anyone who wants to learn more of ACD. This means that we are often lucky enough to see various letters from ACD (or, more often than not, copies of those letters), and libraries holding Conan Doyle material in their special collections are usually amenable to allowing us to have copies of relevant material. All of this helps us in what we see as our most important rôle: developing knowledge of ACD through the Society's Journal.
There is a down-side to all of this, too. An increasing number of libraries and institutions give the Society's address to people-particularly school groups-whose reason for contacting us is often little more than to get us to provide information for this or that project on Sherlock Holmes: information which any decent library could provide with no more than a little effort, or which a few minutes' basic reading could satisfy. We should, I know, be encouraged by the fact that there is interest in Sherlock Holmes, but replying to these queries often takes considerable time-our private leisure time-time we would rather spend developing the Society's Journal and other publications. Sometimes it is just simply annoying to receive a 'demand' for information-information which the correspondent seems to feel we are obliged to give-from someone who does not even have the common courtesy to enclose the postage for a reply. It is a Catch-22 situation: we often feel that we do not need, or want, to reply, but not to reply would be seen as discourteous and would damage the Society's reputation. It seems that it is heads they win, tails we lose.
But why am I bothering you with all of this?
Well, every so often, something very special results from the reputation we have built. My editorial in the 1994 Journal hinted at a 'new' story by ACD, and I can now tell you more. As a result of an association we have built up since 1989, and because of his respect for the Society's work, Michael Halewood approached us in September last year with news of a 'new story' by ACD which he had traced as a result of purchasing a letter written by ACD. 'The Blood-Stone Tragedy' appeared anonymously in 1884 and has been forgotten ever since. Yet the story is a fascinating one — an unusual one for ACD — and the background to it illustrates how Conan Doyle drew on up-to-the-minute news when writing this particular piece of fiction.
Michael felt that he wanted the Society to make the story more widely available, and I am pleased to announce that our special edition of 'The Blood-Stone Tragedy' will be published on 1 June. Our edition has an Introduction by Barbara and myself and an in-depth Afterword by our good friend Owen Dudley Edwards. Full details are enclosed with this issue of The Parish Magazine. I will say no more than that I recommend you to read it.
'The Blood-Stone Tragedy' is the third in our specially produced series of reprints. The first, Western Wanderings, is now sold out-apart from a small stock held by specialist dealer Rupert Books. The second, the facsimile of 'A Regimental Scandal', which was published in March, is selling well and will not be available for long. If you have delayed purchasing 'A Regimental Scandal', delay no longer-our experience is that, once out of print, these special volumes virtually double in price overnight. We are producing 'The Blood-Stone Tragedy' in a slightly larger edition than has been the case with the other volmes. It will not be 'limited' in number and we have attempted to price it so that as many people as possible will find it affordable. It is a story you should have in your collection-and it is not available elsewhere.
The Arthur Conan Doyle Society makes very few demands on its members. We believe we repay the demands we do make by providing you with Journals and other publications of a quality it would be difficult to match with a similarly-priced subscription to other societies. We recognise that not everyone wants to attend a function we might stage or purchase a book we might publish, and we therefore tailor our output accordingly. However, without the support of members, societies cease to exist-and we should all be the poorer for that. It is simply not enough that we are prepared to go on donating a thousand-or-so hours of our leisure time each year-we need you to do your bit as well. And so it is time for you to show your interest in the activities of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society. We shall be pleased to receive your order for 'The Blood-Stone Tragedy'.
Support is the only commitment we ask of you.
Christopher Roden
Notes and News
SOME members may already be aware of Carolyn and Joel Senter's Sherlockian Times, published by their Sherlockian business Classic Specialties. Those who have not yet encountered it should do so at the first opportunity. The Sherlockian Times is attractively produced and crammed full of books and merchandise which it is often difficult to obtain elsewhere. If you would like to be placed on the Senters' mailing list, write to them at Classic Specialties, P.O. Box 19058, Cincinnati, OH 45219, U.S.A.
IT'S difficult to summon up quite so much enthusiasm over the revived Sherlock Holmes Gazette. Admittedly the second and third issues from the new management had an improved appearance from the first, in which layout and content were both very mediocre, but spelling and typographical errors still persist in abundance. It is also difficult to assess exactly who the Gazette is trying to attract. Neither the new owner nor the new editor has any background in the Sherlockian/Doylean world, and little involvement with any of the societies. One might have thought, therefore, that their efforts to look at the various societies through the eyes of members was a little out of place. And oh dear, 'Club Corner' is hardly a title likely to endear itself to some of the societies who have been appearing in it in recent issues. It also strikes me that there is something rather cheap about a correspondent who hides behind the pseudonym 'Moriarty' and then proceeds to harangue the three major British Sherlockian groups for letting their functions be either too stylish (and, therefore, expensive) or inexpensive (and, therefore, uncomfortably downmarket). That's pretty rich for a magazine whose cover price is £1.95, but which demands an annual subscription of £14.00 for four issues. I know UK postage is expensive, but it ain't that expensive! We do not feel that The Arthur Conan Doyle Society has much to gain from being too heavily involved with The Gazette certainly not until it improves its content and presentation. So, for the time being, if you read Society news in that publication, it is most unlikely that it will have been provided by the Society.
GOOD news for book buyers is that the latest catalogue from Rupert Books (No.12) has recently been issued and contains over six hundred desirable items. The new catalogue from Sherlock in LA is imminent and will, we are told, contain over seven hundred items. To receive copies of either catalogue, contact Rupert Books at 59 Stonefield, Bar Hill, Cambridge CB3 8TE (Tel: 01954 781861), or Sherlock in LA at 1741 Via Allena, Oceanside, CA 92056 (Tel: (619) 630-2013)
BUDDING Masterminds might like to know of The Sherlock Holmes IQ Book by Eamonn Butler and Masden Pirie (ISBN 0-330-33712-2), published by Pan on 10 March. The book has 72 puzzles with a MENSA validated IQ rating for each puzzle so you can test yourself as you go. As a former secretary of British MENSA, Dr Pirie has estimated that Sherlock Holmes would have had an IQ of 174, putting him in the top one per cent of the British population! That particular exercise seems about as useful to me as trying to prove that Sherlock Holmes was an astronaut!
Detective Fiction: A Collector's Guide (2nd Edition) edited by John Cooper and Barry Pike, was published by Scolar Press in September last year. The book is an expanded, revised and updated edition of the standard reference book for readers and collectors with a serious interest in detective fiction and its first editions. It offers full accounts of well over a hundred significant detective novelists, from ACD to the present day, with exact descriptions of all their books in first edition form. In Britain the Guide is available direct from Scolar Press at Gower House, Croft Road, Aldershot, Hampshire GU11 3HR (Tel: 01252 317707), price £39.50 (plus £3.50 postage and packing)-they accept all plastic except Diner's Club; North American members should contact Scolar Press at Old Post Road, Brookfield, Vermont 05037-9704 (Tel: (800) 535-9544), who will be delighted to sell them the book at $59.95. A full review next time.
THE John Bennett Shaw Library Memorial Fund has been launched by University of Minnesota Libraries to be used solely for the purpose of supporting the Sherlock Holmes Library. Contributions are invited and the names of all contributors to the fund will be calligraphed in 'The Book of Life'. Suggested contribution categories are: 'Steps' ($17); Garridebs ($30), Napoleons ($60), Sovereigns ($100), 1895 ($189.50), 221B ($221.50), Carbuncles ($500) and Agras ($1,000). For further information write to Judith Burton, Director of Development, University of Minnesota Libraries, 499 Wilson Library, 309-19th Avenue South, Minneapolis, MN 55455, U.S.A.
The Sherlock Holmes Video, recently released by Countryside TV Productions, explores many of the Sherlockian and Doylean locations in Britain. Your guides for the duration of the trip are Countryside TV's own Holmes and Watson. This is a reasonable introduction to the various sites, but there are errors and, invevitably, a large number of omissions. Several sections of the film appear to have been shot in very poor light, leading one to believe that the production was put together rather hastily. Nevertheless, if you have a spare £12.99 (plus £1 post and packing) (U.S.$30 or Yn.3,000 for NTSC plus $5 shipping), you may feel like splashing out on this particular video. Contact Countryside TV Productions at Chargot Manor, Luxborough, Watchet, Somerset, England TA23 OSL.
MICHAEL COREN is still hard at work putting finishing touches to his new biography of ACD. The District Messenger, the news-sheet issued by The Sherlock Holmes Society of London, recently announced that the book would be published in Britain by Bloomsbury in November. That remains a possibility, although Michael tells us that he is not due to deliver his 120,000-word manuscript until 1 May. The title reported by The District Messenger, The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, would also seem to have undergone some revision. Michael reports that the title will be Conan Doyle: A Life-at least that means that we shall not have to find ways of avoiding confusion with the Dickson Carr biography. Despite not being able to use the Conan Doyle family archives, we are promised something new. Coren has unearthed some previously unpublished correspondence between ACD and G.K. Chesterton, and will be looking in some depth at ACD's Spiritualist crusade. The latter has, of course, been neglected by all of the major biographies, and we await the new work with considerable interest. No biography of ACD can be complete without a consideration of his psychic interests. Few who have written on the topic to date have managed to achieve the impartiality necessary for a meaningful discussion. One can only hope that Coren's contribution will prove to be worthwhile. In depth reviews of Conan Doyle: A Life will be hopefully be published in the 1995 Journal.
THE COMPLETE BRIGADIER GERARD, collected, edited and introduced by Owen Dudley Edwards is due to be published by Canongate Classics in May. Owen, of course, edited an earlier volume which reprinted The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard, but a completely new Introduction has been written for this new volume containing all of the Gerard stories. One definitely not to be missed.
AND, as a companion to The Complete Brigadier Gerard, Clifford S. Goldfarb's The Great Shadow: Arthur Conan Doyle's Napoleonic Works will be published by Simon & Pierre as part of their Fall 1995 list. Clifford's book will take an in-depth look at the creation and development of the Gerard character and promises to be a major contribution to Doylean studies. We'll be printing information as to availability and price of the book as soon as we are advised of it.
Competition Winners
Mark Doyle of Sydney, Australia, was the winner of our Oxford World's Classics series of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Well done, Mark! You should have received your books by now.
The correct answers were:
1. Lestrade; 2. 'The Norwood Builder'; 3. 'The Creeping Man'; 4. Howard Garrideb; 5. Josiah Amberley, 6. 'The Bruce-Partington Plans'; 7. The Valley of Fear, 8. The Standard, 9. In the lower vault of a furniture warehouse; 10. Victor Hatherley.
The Cast your own Hound competition attracted a disappointing number of entries, but there was a clear winner: Cherrie Waltho of Waterlooville, Hants.
- Cherrie's cast list was as follows:
- Sherlock Holmes: Jeremy Irons
- Doctor Watson: Sir Anthony Hopkins
- Sir Henry Baskerville: Keanu Reeves (well, he did go to school in Canada!)
- Doctor Mortimer. Ralph Fiennes
- Stapleton: Sean Bean
- Beryl Stapleton: Elizabeth Hurley
- The supporting proposal read as follows:
- Our collaboration on Frankenstein brought about discussions over gothic and period fiction. Which would be the best to bring to the 'big screen'? Agreed The Hound would be a wise move. With the success of Dracula and Frankenstein, Frank and I believe we have the power and resources to produce an amazing movie. Tony Hopkins and Jeremy Irons are keen. Will direct with production assistance from Francis. Our budgets have been pencilled in. Monies necessary. We gratefully request your assistance. Please acknowledge your interest.
- Kenneth Branagh
- Francis Ford Coppola
Congratulations to Cherrie, who wins a copy of Gordon E. Kelley's Sherlock Holmes Screen and Sound Guide.
Subscription Renewal 1995/6
Members are reminded that subscriptions to The Arthur Conan Doyle Society are due for renewal on 1 June 1995.
To help us with administration, please use the renewal form enclosed with this issue of The Parish Magazine. To be doubly helpful, please renew on this reminder: the burden of postage costs is already a major drain on the Society's resources. If we have to send you reminders this only adds unnecessary costs.
Entitlement:
Membership of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society entitles you to receive ACD-The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society and two copies of The Parish Magazine within your subscription period. Subscriptions run from 1 June to 31 May the following year.
North American Members:
The Society offers U.S. and Canadian members the facility to make all payments to the Society by personal cheque drawn either in U.S.S or Cdns. All cheques should be made payable to The Arthur Conan Doyle Society.
Change in Subscription rates:
We always make every effort to keep subscription rates to a minimum. Indeed, we have been asked several times in recent years exactly how we manage to produce a Journal of over two hundred pages for so modest a subscription. We certainly feel that the Society's publications are equal to anything that many other societies produce, both in content and quality of production, and a good deal better than publications emanating from the majority of Sherlockian groups. We're proud of the way our publications look, and we spend a lot of time ensuring that we maintain the standard. For example, 1994's Journal was the equivalent of over two hundred and fifty hours work. The cost of that work is not reflected in your annual subscription, which, when compared realistically to that of other groups, should be in the region of £20.
However, other factors cannot be discounted. We are due another rise in our postage rates, and the cost of raw materials (i.e., paper) is due to rise by up to 50% in the current year. As a result our printers have already reviewed their prices once this year, and a further increase will hit before we are due to produce the 1995 Journal.
For those reasons alone, we are forced to increase our annual subscription for U.K. Members by £2.50 to £15.00. Similar increases will also affect overseas rates. That may seem a big increase, but compared with a subscription of £14 for The Sherlock Holmes Gazette, we feel that it represents excellent value for money. It should also be noted that rates for overseas members have actually fallen in the two previous subscription periods, and that those for U.K. members have only increased by 50p in the same period.
Subscription Rates 1995/6
- Full Membership (U.K.) £15.00
- Joint Membership (U.K.) £17.50
- Full Membership (Rest of World) £16.50
- Joint Membership (Rest of World) £19.00
All publications are sent by surface mail unless the relevant Airmail Supplement is remitted as part of the subscription.
Airmail Supplements:
- U.S.A./Canada £5.00
- Australasia/Japan £5.50
Dollar Rates (for the assistance of North American members)
| US$ | Cdn$ | |
|---|---|---|
| Non Airmail Subscription | 30.00 | 34.00 |
| Non Airmal Joint Subscription | 34.00 | 39.00 |
| Airmail Subscription | 38.00 | 42.00 |
| Airmail Joint Subscription | 42.00 | 47.00 |
Subscriptions should be sent to:
The Arthur Conan Doyle Society, Ashcroft, 2 Abbottsford Drive, Penyffordd, Chester CH4 0JG to arrive not later than 1 June 1995
No further mailings of Society publications will be made to those members whose renewal subscription has not been received by 31 July 1995.
Indianapolis commemorates ACD
On 15 October 1994, The Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis dedicated and unveiled a plaque within the Union Station in honour of the 100th anniversary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's visit to the city. Steven T. Doyle takes up the story:
'In 1894, at the age of 34, Arthur Conan Doyle made a trip on the public lecture circuit. He was accompanied by his younger brother Lt. Innes Hay Doyle. His ailing wife was in Switzerland at the time fighting tuberculosis. A Major J. B. Pond was the sponsor of this tour, and it is interesting to note that Pond also handled a similar tour for Indianapolis' own James Whitcomb Riley. Conan Doyle arrived in Indianapolis at Union Station at 5:30 p.m., 15 October 1894. He was on a very tight schedule and this was only a few hours before he was to deliver his lecture. He arrived from Chicago, where he had lectured at the Twentieth Century Club on Friday evening. Here in Indianapolis he was to open the Montefiore Lecture course at Plymouth Church. Upon arrival, ACD and his brother were greeted by a committee from the Montefiore Society, which was hosting the lecture, and they then boarded a carriage to the Denison Hotel. On hand in the lobby to meet Conan Doyle was local literary light James Whitcomb Riley. Riley and Conan Doyle dined at the Denison and then travelled the two blocks to the Plymouth Church where ACD delivered his lecture.
'The following day, Conan Doyle had time to visit the Indiana State Soldiers and Sailors monument. It was then the highest point in Indianapolis. ACD, who was an avid amateur photographer, ascended to the top of the monument and took many photographs of Indianapolis from the high vantage point. This was followed by a visit to the Indiana State House from where, duly impressed by the clean air and autumn foliage of Indiana, ACD departed at 3:00 p.m. bound for Cincinnati.
'The engraved plaque is mounted on a base made of granite and Indiana limestone, and resides at the end of the Great Hall of the beautifully restored Union Station. The plaque bears ACD's likeness, biographical information, details of his visit, and cites his creation of Sherlock Holmes. It was unveiled at precisely 5:30 p.m. on Saturday, 15 October 1994-exactly one hundred years to the minute of Conan Doyle's arrival in the city.
'That evening, The Illustrious Clients adjourned to the Penn Street Station restaurant, which is located on the site of the Denison Hotel, where ACD dined with James Whitcomb Riley, for a dinner meeting of the Illustrious Clients. The dinner featured several short talks on ACD, The Illustrious Clients, and his visit, as well as several toasts. In addition, we managed to have the mayor of Indianapolis declare 15 October 1994 "Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Day". The Illustrious Clients are very proud to have erected one of the few, actual historical monuments to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in the United States.'
In addition to the unveiling, The Illustrious Clients produced a handsome commemorative booklet containing speeches, photographs and details of ACD's visit to the city. We do not have any information on current availability but suggest that anyone interested in obtaining a copy should contact Steven T. Doyle at 540 W. Sycamore St., Zionsville, IN 46077, U.S.A.
The Douglas Wilmer Sherlock Holmes
Douglas Wilmer remains, for many people, the Sherlock Holmes. His portrayal of ACD's character was seen in a total of thirteen episodes on BBC TV in the mid 60s. The pilot episode, 'The Speckled Band' was broadcast on 18 May 1964, with the series proper airing between 20 February and 8 May 1965.
Until recently it was feared that the Wilmer series had suffered from the criminal actions of those who carried out widespread 'wiping' of taped material at the BBC, but it has now been confirmed that at least eleven of the original thirteen films still exist. We were fortunate enough to see three of these ('The Speckled Band', 'The Devil's Foot', and 'The Beryl Coronet') at a Northern Musgraves' meeting in Manchester last year and, although the picture quality left a little to be desired on occasion, there is no doubting that Wilmer's portrayal was good-very good.
Rupert Books is now launching a petition campaign to persuade BBC Enterprises to release both the Wilmer series and the Cushing series (16 episodes plus The Hound of the Baskervilles, which appeared between 9 September and 23 December 1968) on videocassette in formats which would make them available all over the world.
Douglas Wilmer is lending whatever support he can give to the move to have the videos released, and a copy of his open letter to all groups appears on this page. Perhaps just as important is the additional campaign to have BBC2 re-broadcast both series so as to introduce an entire new generation to the splendid Sherlockian work of both Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing.
The Arthur Conan Doyle Society is delighted to lend its support to the campaign and a form of petition is enclosed with this issue of The Parish Magazine. Please return it to us as soon as you possibly can.
In the Footsteps of Micah Clarke
In September 1994, a small group of Society members joined The Franco-Midland Hardware Company on one of their regular excursions. The mini-weekend explored the literary and historical backgrounds of Micah Clarke. Philip Weller reports as follows:
'The function began in Lyme Regis, where the Duke of Monmouth landed to begin his ill-fated rebellion, with the modern-day excursionists being accommodated in the hotel used by the rebel cavalry officers in 1685. After an introductory lecture on the causes of the rebellion, the group followed the processional route around the town, used by the Duke immediately after his landing, including a visit to the charming museum overlooking the bay. This was followed by a slide-illustrated comparison between the events of Micah Clarke and those of the actual rebellion. The historical content of the literary version was found to be reasonably accurate, if somewhat over-dependent upon the contemporary account of General Wade, primarily as interpreted by Macaulay. ACD's totally unjustified questioning of the integrity of the Duke of Beaufort, however, was considered to have spoiled the general historicity, as did some of the less important historical changes. The re-creation of the religious environment of the age, in contrast, was found to be particularly effective, and instructive in an entertaining way. After dinner, the purely literary aspects of the book were discussed, and it was suggested that many of the leading characters were exaggerated caricatures, and that the excessive number of amazing involvements and miraculous escapes reduced much of the book to the level of a Boy's Own adventure. On Sunday, the group followed The Pitchfork Rebellion Trail to Taunton, where many of the locations from Micah Clarke were identified, and where morning coffee was taken at the inn where "King Monmouth" stayed. The battlefield at Sedgemoor was then thoroughly explored, with the vivacity of ACD's masterly account of the battle becoming more fully alive, and with lunch being taken at the headquarters of the royalist forces in Westonzoyland. A visit was then paid to the church at Chedzoy, where the vicar of the time left an account of the battle, made from his viewpoint on the church tower, which must surely have inspired ACD's own account. The tour was concluded with a visit to the locations connected with the rebel headquarters in Bridgwater, which included the magnificent diorama and a video presentation of the rebellion in the Blake Museum. It was felt that the weekend had added depth to the understanding and appreciation of ACD's account of the period, and a future exploration of the more Easterly locations of Micah Clarke, combined with locations from The White Company, is now eagerly anticipated.'
Mr Holmes and Dr Watson
The debate on the origins of the names Holmes and Watson looks set to continue well into the next century. Catherine Anderson of Bath adds fuel to the fire with this short article prompted by an article which was passed to her by a member of the Institute of Electrical Engineers:
Where did Sir Arthur Conan Doyle gain his inspiration for the names Holmes and Watson? A possible source has just come to my notice. More than 500 letters written by Michael Faraday in the mid-19th century, belonging to the Corporation of Trinity House, have recently become available for study.
An article on the Faraday papers describes the work on the introduction of electricity as the source of power for lighthouses which paved the way for increasingly widespread use of electricity during the latter part of the 19th century.2
Two methods were developed, one by a Dr Watson using batteries and carbon arcs, and the other by a Mr Holmes using the spark from magneto-electricty which Faraday had discovered.
It is a plausible suggestion that Conan Doyle would have become aware of their names together, for Faraday investigated both approaches in the mid-1850s, and the Holmes method was experimentally installed at Dungeness about 1860. ACD, of course, grew up in Edinburgh; his father Charles Doyle started in the Office of Works under the surveyor for Scotland in 1849, his son Arthur was born in 1859 and his father did not lose the post until Arthur was 18.3
There were two important lighthouses in the Firth of Forth: The Bass Rock off North Berwick and that on Inchkeith off Leith, the port of Edinburgh. Inchkeith is visible from Portobello where the family lived from late 1861 to 1864 in Tower Bank.
The Doyles were friends with the Burton family and one of ACD's companions was young William Burton who went on to become an engineer. Conan Doyle dedicated The Firm of Girdlestone to him and no doubt gained the authentic detail for the background to another story, 'The Engineer's Thumb', through their long friendship.
In The Firm of Girdlestone Conan Doyle describes Edinburgh University as it was when he was studying medicine there. As a medical student he would have been aware of the advances in Natural Science, the use of electricity in medical experiments, treatments and public entertainment being fashionable at the time.
Furthermore, it is worth considering the titles of the gentlemen whose work Faraday investigated. Not Mr Watson and Mr Holmes, nor Mr Watson and Dr Holmes, nor Dr Watson and Dr Holmes. There would only be a 1 in 4 chance of the actual titles being selected by a random choice; and what would be more natural than to pair Mr Holmes with Dr Watson, rather than with Dr Ormond Sacker? Perhaps ACD was giving us a clue when he had Sherlock Holmes say of Watson:
'It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but you are a conductor of light....'
(The Hound of the Baskervilles)
1. MS30108 in the Guildhall Library, City of London.
2. Dr Frank James: IEE News 1:December 1994, p. 2.
3. Owen Dudley Edwards: The Quest for Sherlock Holmes.
The Gap on the Second Shelf
R. Dixon Smith
'With five volumes you could just fill that gap on the second shelf. It looks untidy, does it not, sir?' — 'The Empty House'
In 1923 John Murray issued an attractive little promotional pamphlet entitled Conan Doyle: Teller of Tales-There's a Conan Doyle Book for Every Taste, which listed fifty-two Conan Doyle books currently in print. No mere hyperbole in this instance, for there indeed was and is a Conan Doyle book (or three) for every taste. Sherlock Holmes, after all, represented but a small part of his vast literary output; ACD also wrote crime and detection exclusive of the Baker Street saga, horror fiction, science fiction, historical fiction, mediaeval romance, high adventure, poetry, plays, military history, Spiritualist studies, travel writings, and political propaganda.
This column is written for collectors by a dealer who is himself an avid collector. Its purpose is to provide a guided tour of the non-Sherlockian works of A. Conan Doyle, and to provide useful information for the collector who wishes to accumulate an attractive set of his works.
Collectors of Conan Doyle's fiction and non-fiction should begin by deciding which path of many he or she wishes to travel, for there are many alternative routes depending upon the financial means one has at one's disposal. It is possible, of course, to collect only first editions, but if the thousands of pounds one would have to spend is a deterrent, there are numerous reprint editions that are both stiking and affordable. Early reprints, for instance, are often as handsome as first editions and, in most instances, cost far less. Later reprints are cheaper still and can be found with their colourful dust wrappers still intact.
What format, then, should this column take? Should only individual titles be discussed, or should each column be devoted to a particular format in which Conan Doyle's books appeared? There are no rigid rules or formulae. It would seem most productive to discuss each of Conan Doyle's non-Sherlockian works in chronological order. Should the opportunity present itself, the strictly chronological approach might be abandoned from time to time in order to explore the advantages of more specialised areas of collecting: Colonial issues and Tauchnitz editions, for example, or John Murray's Conan Doyle Unform Edition and their thin-paper and Cheap editions.
I have decided not to list current prices for the various editions discussed here, and for a good reason. Today's price very often becomes tomorrow's nostalgia. That is to say, prices fluctuate, although more often up than down. Rarely do collectible books decrease in value, and price guides are soon outdated.
In order to provide as much useful information as possible, might I suggest that you write to me from time to time, either through The Arthur Conan Doyle Society or at Rupert Books, and let me know what you most wish to see examined?
The most useful tool that any serious collector should possess is a standard bibliograhy of the author's works. The definitive Conan Doyle bibliography is Richard Lancelyn Green and John Michael Gibson, A Bibliography of A. Conan Doyle (Oxford: Clarendon Press/Oxford University Press, 1983). Bibliographies, unfortunately, become scarce and expensive after going out of print, and Green and Gibson is no exception. An alternative is Gaby Goldscheider, Conan Doyle Bibliography (Windsor: Gaby Goldscheider, 1977), although out of print, it is neither scarce nor expensive.
With this roadmap before us, then, and with or without a bibliographic reference work at hand, let us proceed.
I. The Mystery of Cloomber
London: Ward and Downey, 1888. First issue: light green paper covers, titled black. Second issue: light blue cloth, titled gilt.
Following the publication of A Study in Scarlet in Beeton's Christmas Annual in November 1887, and its subsequent first book appearance from Ward, Lock & Co. in July 1888, Conan Doyle's first non-Sherlockian novel, The Mystery of Cloomber, was published in soft covers during 17-31 December 1888 by Ward and Downey. There is some discussion as to when the book was actually written (see Owen Dudley Edwards: 'The Mystery of The Mystery of Cloomber', ACD, 2:2, pps. 101-33), and although Conan Doyle later rejected it as an immature work (and in fact excluded it from the Crowborough Edition of his collected stories), it is a riveting, atmospheric novel of murder and revenge in which an English officer, having killed a Buddhist, is doomed to flee and hide (in the 'high, white tower of Cloomber Hall, like the headstone of some giant grave') to avoid his fate, which descends upon him forty years later in the form of the holy mystics-seemingly recalled from the dead-who pursue him. At the onset of the story's serialisation in the Pall Mall Budget and the Pall Mall Gazette prior to book publication, the editor of the Pall Mall Budget announced that
- 'The Mystery of Cloomber' will be found 'weird and fascinating.' ... The scene is laid in the storm-beaten coasts of Scotland. ... The central figure is a haunted General. Who haunts him, and why he is haunted, will be wrapped in judicious mystery for seven or eight weeks.
Ward and Downey reprinted the novel on a number of occasions, and although the first two issues are seldom encountered and very expensive, early reprints are not particularly dear. That of 1896, for instance, is an elegant little book, in red pebbled cloth, titled black and silver-a most attractive way to fill that gap on the second shelf. Reprints from Gaslight Publications (1980) and Greenhill Books (1987) are even less expensive.
II. Micah Clarke
London: Longmans, Green, 1889. Dark blue cloth, titled gilt. First U.S. edition: New York: Harper & Brothers, 1889. Light blue paper covers.
Written in 1887, Micah Clarke was Conan Doyle's first work of historical fiction, and tells the tale of James, the Duke of Monmoth, his supporters, and their seventeenth-century rebellion. Longmans, Green published it on 25 February 1889, and the first impression was soon sold out, necessitating a further twelve reprintings during the next four years. R.E. Prothero had this to say in an August 1889 Nineteenth Century review:
- It is not unreasonable that a prejudice should exist against historical novels. Their composition resembles the acrobatic accomplishment of riding two horses at once, and the evident difficulty of the author's feat renders the task of the reader equally difficult. But there are exceptions to every rule and Micah Clarke is the exception which proves the general truth. Throw aside prejudice, and read Micah Clarke ... a noticeable book, because it carries the reader out of the beaten track; it makes him now and then hold his breath with excitement; it presents a series of vivid pictures and paints two capital portraits; and it leaves upon the mind the impression of well-rounded symmetry and completeness...
- In subject it may be called sensational... the comparative brevity of Micah Clarke enables Mr Doyle to maintain the same rapid pace throughout with unflagging vigour and undiminished speed.
- I end as I began. Forget your prejudices against historical fiction, and read Micah Clarke.
First editions of Micah Clarke are formidably expensive. More affordable and just as attractive, however, are the early Longmans, Green reprints. The second and third impressions, for instance, are also handsomely bound in dark blue cloth and can be had for very reasonable sums. The first U.S. edition, published in soft covers by Harper & Brothers on 15 June 1889 (and in boards by the same firm in September 1894), similarly went through numerous later reprintings.
In addition to the first U.K. and U.S. editions, there was also a Colonial issue of the first U.K. edition, issued in May 1892. Colonial editions were intended for sale only in India and the British Colonies. Because of the humid conditions in the countries to which these editions were exported, they have not, as a rule, aged particularly well, and copies in immaculate condition are occasionally more expensive than the true first editions, simply because fine copies are encountered less frequently than fine copies of the true first edition. The Colonial issue of Micah Clarke was brought out in grey cloth, titled dark brown and gilt, and was also issued in paper covers.
Micah Clarke was reprinted on innumerable occasions through the years, ranging from pirated U.S. editions and later U.K. impressions to the many editions published by John Murray after they took over Smith, Elder's backlist in 1917. (Smith, Elder had published eleven Conan Doyle books between 1891 and 1915). In the late 1920s Murray began to issue Conan Doyle's fiction in the Conan Doyle Uniform Edition, which featured extremely attractive white illustrated wrappers. Depending upon whether one wishes to collect first printings or later reprints of the Conan Doyle Uniform Edition, collectors can easily accumulate a fairly full set of Conan Doyle's fiction in this format, with handsome wrappers intact, very inexpensively.
News from Crowborough
Malcolm Payne
One of our most interesting tasks over the past eighteen months has been helping with the research for the history of Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, which celebrates its centennial this year. Sir Arthur was captain of the men's team of this club in 1910, and had much to do with encouraging the growth of the club over the years. In 1912 he presented a cup, as did Lady Conan Doyle who was captain of the ladies' team in that year. Built on the edge of Crowborough Common, in which a large part of the golf course is situated, 'Windlesham', his Crowborough home, was ideally situated for the game. The house was built in 1885 by a retiring headmaster-founder of Brighton's Windlesham College, and it is quite plain to see how its name, initially Little Windlesham, came about.
This golf course is sited among the heather and gorse on what was once part of the Manor of Alchornes, and as such is mentioned in Domesday. It was also part of the great forest of Anderida, later, c.648, the Forest of Essendon, now Ashdown Forest: one of the wildest stretches of East Sussex. The golf club membership as a whole are now reeves of the Manor of Alchornes, which would have much excited Sir Arthur.
We have supplied photographs from our collection, both on Sir Arthur and local historic sites and occasions, to illustrate the history. It was due to be published on 1 March 1995 and will cost £11.00 (including postage and packing) from The Secretary, Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, Beacon Road, Crowborough, East Sussex. If in doubt about the cost of posting abroad, please write, enclosing IRCS for a reply, or telephone 01892 661511.
The Committee of Crowborough Beacon Golf Club, if in agreement, has promised to debate giving us a letter in Sir Arthur's hand, written to the club secretary in 1912. This will be a marvellous addition to our archive. Still on the subject of golf, those of you who have Ralph Irwin-Brown's history of Hindhead Golf Club, published in 1991, will know this also contains some unique illustrations of Sir Arthur, and has much about ACD's connections with that club and its development. We are researching... the noisy electric monorail ... mentioned in this history as being built in the garden of Undershaw by Sir Arthur. If any reader has details on this monorail, we would be pleased to have them; also any details on the local legend that this monorail was moved to Crowborough. We can find nothing definite as yet.
Sad to say, we have lost the use of the Conan Doyle Room at the Cross Hotel in which to display a minor part of our collection. Due to a profit and loss survey carried out for the new landlord, it was found that the area constituting our small museum was not making profit. We are still able to use the ACD Room as a rendezvous for our visitors, and so it can still be a centre for your visit to the town and its sites connected with ACD and his life.
Since leaving the Cross Hotel, we have been cleaning and refurbishing the collection. We are now pleased to report that Andrew de Candole, present owner of Groombridge Place, has very kindly offered the Establishment a home for its collection in the Victorian dairy and cheese room of the old manor. The offer has been gratefully accepted and it is hoped that the display will be ready in time for an Easter 1995 opening.
Sir Arthur was a frequent visitor to Groombridge Place and he used it as the model for Birlstone Manor, the ancient fictional house in his Holmes adventure The Valley of Fear.
In The Edge of the Unknown, Conan Doyle relates a visit to Groombridge Place in the company of American psychics Dr & Mrs Wickland of Los Angeles. During their visit a ghost was seen to leave the ancient house from a door looking out onto the moat. Through the mediumship of Mrs Wickland it was learned that this was the ghost of a former ostler, David Fletcher, who was murdered by being drowned in the moat c.1808.
Groombridge Place gardens and environs are now open to the public. Four miles from Crowborough, the house now has car parking, a country store, Great Barn restaurant, and many other fascinating attractions.
The Parish Magazine Correspondence Corner
J. Victor Hamilton writes:
'Is it known why Sir Arthur's paternal grandparents chose the unusual forename of Altamont for one of their sons? Was it derived from a work of fiction? My researches would seem to indicate that if one limits the search to works published before the birth of C.A. Doyle, one finds the name only in the following: Just Italian, a play by Sir William D'Avenant (1630); The Fair Penitent, a tragedy by Nicholas Rowe (c.1703); and The Pirate by Sir Walter Scott (1822). I am inclined to think that The Pirate is the most likely source, but would welcome a more authoritative view.'
Frank Darlington muses in Sherlockian manner over the photograph of ACD at Davos:
'Thank you for a singularly serendipitous surprise in the August issue of The Parish Magazine! In a letter from Malcolm Payne in which he questions that putative photo of ACD, we are given an excellent exemplary of how the bertillonage system is employed to rationally effect identification. One gathers that Mr Payne would fit Dr Mortimer's quotation, "To the man of precisely scientific mind the work of Monsieur Bertillon must always appeal strongly." Though Sherlock Holmes was jealous of his own reputation, it is gratifying to read in 'The Naval Treaty' that he had an enthusiastic for the French savant.
We have probably all read descriptions of this first scientific method of criminal identification, but how rewarding to be able to observe, at first hand, a practical application. Not, I hasten to add, to make a criminal identification. Though, come to think of it, the gent does look a bit like Baron Adelbert Gruner!! It is perhaps telling that his wife is not shown in the photograph. I suppose that she might well be sequestered in some nearly snowy crevasse.'
Following on from the Devonshire Place-Upper Wimpole Street episode, Alan Olding points out another 'error' in Memories and Adventures:
The year of the death of Robert Louis Stevenson was brought to my notice by the issuing of a set of commemorative stamps by the Western Samoan Postal Authorities, to mark the centenary of the death of that great writer, the date of which is specified as 21 November 1994.
This sent me to my copy of Memories and Adventures, because from memory I was quite sure that Conan Doyle had mentioned another date. Sure enough, in the Chapter "Some Notable People", at the end of the brief section on RLS, he writes of his surprise, travelling down the Strand in 1896, to see a placard announcing Stevenson's death.
Is it possible that Conan Doyle, being the kind of man he was, placed greater reliance upon his memory than was justified?
Notes from a Lumber-Room
Catherine Cooke
'A man should keep his little brain attic stocked with all the furniture that he is likely to use, and the rest he can put away in the lumber-room of his library where he can get it if he wants.' — 'Five Orange Pips'
From time to time at Marylebone Library I get enquiries from members of the public, or 'customers' as we now call them, looking for a speaker on Conan Doyle and/or Sherlock Holmes. Depending on location and required slant, I generally pass these on to a variety of contacts. A few I field myself. One such not that long ago was for the Surbiton Victorian Festival. On the Saturday the town dresses up, putting up stalls and holding a variety of readings and other events. Some events are also held in the evenings of the few days around the weekend. I was asked to give a general talk, with slides, about Conan Doyle and Holmes. As usual there was a time for questions and discussion afterwards. Then, as I was packing up, a gentleman came and asked me about Conan Doyle and Kingston Spiritualist Church, only a couple of miles away. Sadly, I knew nothing about it, and could not help. When I got some time a week or so later, however, I resolved to amend this gap in my knowledge, and set off in search of details.
The Surrey Comet for Saturday April 30th 1927, courtesy of Kingston Local History Department, published a picture of the ceremony on the 23rd where Sir Arthur laid the foundation stone. The Church still stands in Villiers Road. Built opposite the children's playground, times change, and it now stands opposite the Refuse Disposal Point and Recycling Centre (the old term 'Council Dump' also now being a trifle out-of-date!). It is a smallish rectangular building, with a high, pointed-roofed central nave and a lower flat-roofed aisle on either side. A porch projects from the centre of the end wall of the nave. From the front of the nave wall sprout two brick buttresses, with two smaller ones sprouting from the front of the porch either side of the door. Each of these buttresses bears a foundation stone. That laid by Conan Doyle is to the right as you face the building, on the porch. The church was locked, though its condition and an outside notice-board indicated it was still in use.
The previous edition of The Surrey Comet, that for Wednesday April 27th, devoted a full column to the ceremony, with the headline 'New Spiritualist Church-eloquent address by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle'. Having travelled up from Hampshire to attend, and being en route to Sussex, Sir Arthur was not able to stay for the whole ceremony. He was accompanied by his son, but whether this was Adrian or Denis was not reported. The quotations are taken from this report. In some cases the reporter was rephrasing and summarising Conan Doyle's words, in others actually quoting him.
Immediately upon arrival Sir Arthur inspected the building work. Mr. J. W. Humphries, the president, welcomed Sir Arthur, whom he said had testified fearlessly to their cause. They hoped that their church would be blessed with the same spiritual strength. Conan Doyle then laid the first of the four foundation stones, 'in expert fashion', described by the reporter as 'the famous author, who handled the trowel and mortar most adroitly'.
This foundation stone is the best preserved:
- TO THE
- GLORY OF GOD &
- THE ANGEL WORLD
- THIS STONE WAS LAID
- BY
- SIR A CONAN DOYLE MA LLD
- APRIL 23RD 1927
Having performed this duty, Sir Arthur spoke to those attending the ceremony. A large number of Spiritualist churches were now springing up, and he was often approached to lay foundation stones, he explained. He was therefore thinking of taking out his ticket as a member of the plasterers' and bricklayers' trade union, because he was becoming expert in the use of a trowel. At that time there were some 500 Spiritualist churches in Great Britain, he reported, with another 500 in various stages of building.
Conan Doyle drew a parallel between the rapid but unremarked growth of the Spiritualist Church and that of the early Christian Church, unremarked by contemporary writers. Both had used the same natural phenomena, signs that then as now, continued Conan Doyle, were the means to an end, not the end in themselves. Christian teachers, however, he said, believed that those signs were confined to the Apostolic Age.
The most important aim of Spiritualism, according to Sir Arthur, was proof of the immortality preached by every denomination. In the seance room any reasonable person could find proof of survival after death. The second aim was to clear up religious doubts. If a man was travelling to Australia, he would find out about the country first. 'We are all going to an Australia in the skies,' said Sir Arthur, 'and it is by questioning those who are actually there that it is possible to ascertain what the conditions are like there in the life beyond the grave.' Spiritualism, he maintained, was the only religion to teach that in anything more than a merely general way, and it could prove its teachings.
A third aim of Spiritualism was to comfort and console the sad. Far from leading to lunacy, as some thought, Spiritualism had actually saved many from it by showing that death was only a small thing and that people could still keep in touch with their loved ones. Death was in fact a glorious promotion. 'Here we are at school on earth,' said Sir Arthur, 'when we die we shall have our holidays. ... I am pleased to hear that the Kingston Spiritualists intend to have a good, clean, straight platform, because I have no sympathy with fortune-telling or any breach of the law which does not constitute true Spiritualism and brings to the movement a great deal of trouble and public reprobation. I am sure nothing of the sort will be encouraged here.'
Conan Doyle urged the Spiritualists to take a broad and charitable view of their neighbours. There were many paths to heaven, he said, and they were on one of them. They did have a monopoly of knowledge, but not of spirituality. They must draw on their knowledge to make them better men and women. He concluded by praying that God would bless the church and town of Kingston, making the church a light whose rays would shine out in the darkness which the efforts of Spiritualists were gradually dispelling.
After Conan Doyle had left, the three other foundations stones were laid, and the brief history of the church's various meeting places in town outlined.
| THIS STONE WAS LAID BY MR & MRS I W HUMPHRIES PRESIDENT & SECRETARY |
THIS STONE WAS LAID BY MISS A WELBELOVE [&] MISS J WELBELOVE APRIL 23RD 1927 |
The fourth stone was laid by members of the committee: Mr. J. T. Ashley, Miss M. E. Dutton, Miss E. Hardiman, Mr. and Mrs A. H. Merryman, Mr. F. J. Miles and Mr. and Mrs W. Spruce.
In his speech, Conan Doyle referred to a new Spiritualist church being built in Maple Road, Surbiton, only a few miles away. (I have not yet had a chance to visit Surbiton to find out if this church still stands — it does not appear to be marked in the A to Z, while that in Kingston is. Neither appears in the local Yellow Pages).
The Surrey Comet for Saturday June 4th 1927 also covered Sir Arthur's visit to this church. It does not seem that he laid the foundation stone, for the church had already been consecrated and dedicated on the evening of Monday 30th May by Rev. Vale Owen. Sir Arthur visited on Tuesday 31st May to address a public meeting, where every seat was taken and people stood in clusters round the doorways and in the porch.
Mr. R. H. Saunders introduced Conan Doyle as a champion of their movement such as it had never known hitherto. Sir Arthur told of his joy at visiting any new Spiritualist church, a centre of light to those who used it and to the whole neighbourhood. The orthodox clergy were changing in their attitude to Spiritualism, he said: 'One of these days, we shall convert a bishop and that will be the beginning of the end.'
He had, he said, so much personal evidence as to Spiritualism that he could not doubt its truth. He had, for example, seen his mother's face in a cloud of light a year after her death. Messages had been proved to have been sent from the dead. Telepathy could not be the answer: he had himself tried in vain to transmit thoughts to mediums in trances. Was it not good, he continued, to prove that death was not the end, to dispel theory and provide facts? He again used the analogy of a journey to Australia and pointed out how Spiritualism had saved people from lunacy.
No soul was ever lost, he maintained. Evil and the sensual could not at once attain a spiritual atmosphere; unselfishness was true spirituality. Souls would continue to use the faculties they had used on earth, 'the scientist, the poet, the mechanic continue to use their faculties in the hereafter. Spiritualism has proved how rational the scheme of things is. That which gave one pleasure in doing was always that for which one was best fitted.'
Sir Arthur concluded by advising the church never to draw a dividing line between themselves and any other spiritualists. They should always have a place for any, Christian, Jew or Mahommodan: 'Let us never have Low Church Spiritualists, High Church Spiritualists and all the rest of the orthodoxy from which we have escaped.'
Book Reviews
by Christopher Roden
BRITISH TELEVISION
Compiled for the British Film Institute by Tise Vahimagi Oxford University Press, 1994; xii + 364pp;
Hardback £25.00; ISBN: 0-19-812267
Paperback £12.99; ISBN: 0-19-818336-4
THE LOST WORLD AND THE POISON BELT
by Arthur Conan Doyle
Alan Sutton Pocket Classics, 1995; x + 291pp; £5.99;
ISBN: 0-7509-0822-X
THE SHERLOCK HOLMES ENCYCLOPAEDIA
by Matthew E. Bunson
Pavilion Books, 1995; xxii + 326pp; £17.99
THE LOST WORLD
by Arthur Conan Doyle
with an Introduction by Ian Duncan
Oxford Popular Fiction, 1995; xxiii+ 189pp; £4.99 ISBN: 0-19-283186-0
Also received:
THE MAMMOTH BOOK OF GOLDEN AGE DETECTIVE STORIES
Edited by Marie Smith
Robinson, 1994; 517pp; £5.99
Now here's a £5.99 paperback that really is worth the cover price. ACD (in the form of 'A Scandal in Bohemia' and 'His Last Bow') rubs shoulders with Israel Zangwill, Arthur Morrison, Fergus Hume, E.W. Hornung, Edgar Wallace, R. Austin Freeman and G.K. Chesterton in what is a hugely enjoyable collection of stories from the Victorian and Edwardian eras. Good value for money. Recommended.
The Parish Magazine Quiz
So you think you know your Conan Doyle? — I
We've received a number of comments following recent quizzes indicating that members feel we should make things a little more challenging. It is, they point out, a pretty simple task to answer any Sherlock Holmes quiz with the use of the search facilities provided by computerised editions of the canon. We have to agree, and from now on quizzes will concentrate on non-Sherlockian works and ACD's life.
Try this first quiz and send your answers to reach us not later than 30 June. Remember you do not necessarily have to get all the answers correct. The winner, drawn from a hat on 1 July, will be the first with most correct answers. So, pens at the ready:
1. Who were 'Billie', 'Dimples', and 'Laddie'?
2. Which ACD novel is based around a series of letters written to Herbert Swanborough, of Lowell, Massachusetts?
3. Which ACD novel has an addendum entitled 'The Occult Philosophy'?
4. In which collection of ACD's short stories (not The Conan Doyle Stories) does 'The Man from Archangel' appear?
5. Which two famous prisons did ACD inspect on his visit to New York in 1914?
6. In 1924 ACD published a translation of a book written in French by Leon Denis. What was its title?
7. One of ACD's Essays on Photography is entitled 'A Day on "The Island"'. To which island does he refer?
8. Which unpublished story by ACD exists in manuscript form in the National Library of Scotland?
9. With whom did ACD conduct a sometimes vitriolic correspondence in the press over matters arising from the sinking of the Titanic?
10. Who was the famous Theosophist who collaborated with ACD in the 'Cottingley Fairies' affair?
As usual, there will be a suitable Doylean prize for the winner
The Parish Magazine End-notes
In response to a number of requests, we shall be publishing a list of 'Arthur Conan Doyle Society Collectibles' in the August issue of The Parish Magazine. The list will detail all items issued by the Society since its founding in 1989 and will provide a guide for those members who are trying to complete a collection of all Society memorabilia.
The August Parish Magazine will be accompanied by an Index to ACD, Volumes II & III, compiled by Catherine Cooke. Catherine is hard at work on the Index for Volumes IV & V, and this will be published in the near future. We realise that not everyone will want to receive a copy of the index and, in order that we may assess demand, it would be appreciated if you would indicate on your subscription renewal form whether or not you wish to receive a copy of the Index. A very small number of copies of the Index to Volume I are still available from the Society, price £1.00 (US$2.00, Cdn $3.00) (including postage).
Could you write an article for ACD? We are always on the look-out for articles suitable for publication in the Society's Journal, and there must be a large number of members out there who have something original to say about an aspect of ACD's life and/or writings. If you are hatching an idea which would be of interest to readers of the Journal, why not put pen to paper and send it to us for consideration? If you would like to discuss it with us beforehand, write or telephone-we'll be happy to give you whatever help we can.
And we are looking for material for The Parish Magazine, too. Couldn't you write a short piece of between 500-1,000 words about your favourite ACD story? Tell us what you like about it, why you think it works so well, and why others should give it their attention. In this instance you do not have to involve yourself in mountains of research. Speak as you find; speak from the heart. Just what is it about that particular story that makes it so fascinating for you?
And finally: once again we would ask you to give prompt attention to the renewal subscription notice enclosed with this issue of The Parish Magazine. We have tried to make it as simple as possible for you: all you have to do is complete the simple form and return it to us with your cheque. There are a number of other enclosures which you may like to return at the same time: why not place your order now for the first book publication of 'The Blood-Stone Tragedy'? This is the first time the story has been generally available and we expect initial stocks to be exhausted quickly. Don't be disappointed-order it now! And don't forget that the facsimile of 'A Regimental Scandal' is selling quickly and that the book will not be reprinted. This is your opportunity to own the next best thing to an original manuscript. And please take a moment to sign the petition to have the Douglas Wilmer and Peter Cushing TV series made available on video: your support could help sway the BBC!
Our thanks to all those who have supported the Society in the past year. We hope you will be joining us for a further twelve months. Remember:
Your support is the only commitment we ask.
- Article courtesy Christopher Roden, founder of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (1989-2003).
