The Parish Magazine No. 8
The Parish Magazine No. 8 is the newsletter of the The Arthur Conan Doyle Society published in may 1993.
The Parish Magazine No. 8
THE NEWSLETTER OF THE ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE SOCIETY
NUMBER EIGHT: MAY 1993
THE PARISH MAGAZINE is the twice yearly newsletter of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society, which brings members up-to-the-minute news of the Society's activities, recent publications, forthcoming events, and all that is interesting in the world of Arthur Conan Doyle. It is the outlet for responses to and discussion of articles which appeared in the previous year's ACD - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society, and members' comments are welcomed.
Minstead Church, the burial place of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, is the subject of the front cover sketch for this issue of The Parish Magazine.
THE PARISH MAGAZINE is edited by Christopher Roden & Barbara Roden
SUBSCRIPTIONS 1993/94
Please remember that renewal subscriptions are due on 1 June. Full details of new rates are included in this issue. A special remittance form is enclosed with this mailing: please save the cost of mailing reminders by sending your renewal without delay. Thank you.
Editorial
As the Society enters its fifth year, we felt it would be appropriate to re-examine the aims stated in 1989 to see what progress has been made. This brief review, with comment, summarises events as we see them, but you may disagree. Your comment is therefore invited.
The Arthur Conan Doyle Society was founded in 1989 with the following aims:
1. To bring together people sharing a common interest in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and his works, and to encourage new work and investigation.
Since 1989 membership has increased steadily to 270. Recent indications are that this figure is set to increase, and we are about to launch a significant advertising campaign to ensure that the momentum is maintained. That the Edinburgh weekend attracted members from North America, Australia and Northern Ireland is sufficient proof that the Society is succeeding in bringing together those interested in ACD. The high quality of submissions to the Journal says much for the encouragement of new work and research.
2. To make the results of discussion and research available through the medium of a twice yearly Journal.
Reasons of economy forced a move to an annual Journal in 1992, and a few members have commented that there was simply too much for them to read. We do not sympathise with that viewpoint; neither, if our postbag is anything on which to base a judgement, does the majority of members. Many members prefer to read a complete article, rather than see it spread over two or three issues, and the annual journal enables us to print the more lengthy submissions in their entirety. It is our intention that the Journal should be a 'book' which can be referred to time and again, and it has already established itself as a lasting reference work.
3. To promote Sir Arthur's work to a wider audience in particular by encouraging publishers to make the books more readily available in modern editions.
Very many of us found ACD through the Sherlock Holmes stories, and it is through Sherlockian groups that many first hear of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society. But this is by no means always the case. A growing number of new members is finding us through listings in reference books, mentions in the press and advertisements. This has to be an encouraging trend, as is the indication given by Michael Cox of Oxford University Press that consideration is now being given to re-publishing further Conan Doyle titles. The Society has also played its part by joining with Westminster Libraries in the joint facsimile production of 'The Dying Detective' and by the recent reprint of 'The Immortal Memory'.
4. To have a 'social' side to the Society: meaning that there should be organised visits to places of relevance in a discussion of ACD, and meetings and lectures on specialised topics.
This has been fulfilled by the Tunbridge Wells weekend in 1992, during which a visit was made to Crowborough, and by the recent Edinburgh weekend. This is obviously of little comfort to overseas members, who deserve equal consideration. We are therefore staging the Society's 1994 Convention in Toronto. Further details appear elsewhere in this issue.
Four years is but a short time. We feel, however, that in those four years good progress has been made in fulfilling the Society's initial aims. The Society now has an international reputation, and is regularly approached by television, radio, the press, publishers and institutions seeking guidance and further information.
But what do you think? Has the Society developed in the way you envisaged? Are we doing enough to promote the name of Arthur Conan Doyle? Would you like to see anything different? Do you have any suggestions which might be helpful? We need to hear from you whether it be praise or criticism for your opinions will shape the future of the Society. Why not write to us when you have read this issue of The Parish Magazine?
Christopher Roden & Barbara Roden
The Society in 1992
A Brief Report
The Society ended 1992 with assets totalling £2,142, thanks chiefly to the earnings from the joint facsimile production of "The Dying Detective' and advertising revenue.
The decision to produce a single Journal in 1992 benefited funds by some £500, after taking into account postage differences and printing costs. Nevertheless, the Journal remains the main item of Society expenditure, with costs for the 1992 issue (including postage) running at just over £2,000. It will be appreciated that this figure is artificially low, as no charge is made for the many hours which are spent on typesetting and desk-top publishing work, nor does the Society finance any major equipment purchases to assist with the task. No honorariums are paid.
Further economies have to be made in Journal production, however, and the Editors will be investigating all possibilities whilst bearing in mind the need to maintain the high standard already achieved.
Membership remained steady throughout the year (current membership is 270), although some 35 names were removed from the list following non-renewal. The policy of allowing U.S. members to pay subscriptions by personal cheque has proved popular and will be continued and extended to include Canadian members. A separate announcement regarding subscriptions appears elsewhere in this issue.
The Society receives a large volume of enquiries from members, non-members, and outside bodies, for which return postage has to be financed from available funds. It is always helpful if a stamped-addressed envelope, or IRCS, is enclosed for a reply. Advertising revenue continues to make a useful contribution, and the Society will pursue its policy of encouraging publishers of ACD-related material to take advertising space during 1993.
The Society hosted one major event in 1992. The Tunbridge Wells weekend completely covered its costs thanks, in the main, to the generosity of Mark McPherson, who absorbed the costs of presenting his 'An Evening with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle' within his visit to the U.K. The weekend was billed as a joint ACD Society-Northern Musgraves event, and a contribution towards printing costs was received from The Northern Musgraves. It is the Society's policy that all events should be self-financing.
The availability of back issues of ACD - The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society is proving popular with new members. A modest stock of each Journal is held — although one economy in 1992 was to produce fewer copies. No significant numbers of back issues of The Parish Magazine are held.
The Society did not undertake any major advertising during 1992, but regular advertisements did appear in The Sherlock Holmes Gazette. A more significant attempt to attract new members will be made during the latter half of 1993. Subscription income continues to be the Society's lifeline. A modest increase of 50p will be effective for U.K. members in 1993/94, but a major review of North American rates has taken place in view of the currency fluctuations which occurred since the 1992 rates were fixed. In addition, a 'family membership' category is being introduced. Please see the separate announcement for full details.
It is hoped that the very modest increase, coupled with the value which we try to provide through the Society's publications, will convince members that their continued support for the Society is worthwhile.
Conan Doyle and The Channel Tunnel
The Singular Case of A Philatelic Postponement
'The matter seems to me to be of such importance that I grudge every day that passes without something having been done to bring it to realisation'.
These are the words of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as they appeared in a letter to The Times written just over eighty years ago in March 1913. The subject? None other than the Channel Tunnel. ACD would certainly have been pleased to see the link nearing completion, although recent reports suggest that the official opening is still more than a year away.
Conan Doyle would, however, be amused to learn of the continuing part he plays in the singular affair of the Channel Tunnel. It seems that Royal Mail was planning a set of stamps to commemorate the opening of the Tunnel in October 1993. It had also announced a commemorative set of Sherlock Holmes/Conan Doyle stamps to be issued in early 1994.
The further postponement of the Tunnel's opening left them with something of a dilemma: what was the use of issuing Channel Tunnel stamps when the opening was still shrouded in mystery? Who better to solve that mystery than ACD and his famous sleuth? We can all take comfort in the knowledge that the Tunnel's further delay has resulted in the release of the Conan Doyle/Holmes stamps being rescheduled for Tuesday 12 October 1993. Details are sketchy at the moment, but we understand that there will be the usual illustrated presentation pack which will, no doubt, prove to be a much sought-after souvenir.
Watch the press for further details. The Parish Magazine will bring you further news as it becomes available.
Edinburgh '93
The Arthur Conan Doyle Society came of age in March 1993, when its first independent weekend was held in Edinburgh from the 19th to the 21st. Members from America, Australia, Northern Ireland, Wales, and England met in the Scottish capital to discuss the life and works of ACD, and went away knowing more about the author and the city that inspired him.
Events began on the Friday afternoon with a rare treat: a private viewing of Conan Doyle's unpublished doctoral thesis at the University of Edinburgh Library. The leather-bound, hand-written thesis was passed around, allowing everyone the opportunity to have a close look. Also on display were several other items of Doylean interest, notably ACD's unpublished essay on Carlyle, and interesting and informative commentary on all the items was provided by Owen Dudley Edwards.
Later that evening, participants were able to go on a ghost tour of old Edinburgh, conducted by a knowledgeable and amusing guide. Society founder Christopher Roden was selected as the model when it came time to demonstrate various methods of hanging someone, and he looked highly relieved when the demonstration ended safely. The tour was followed by the first paper of the weekend: Richard Lancelyn Green discussed the Edinburgh connections and visits of Conan Doyle.
Saturday morning began with a talk by Christopher Roden on a few of ACD's more neglected tales: the pirate stories featuring the bloodthirsty Captain Sharkey. Then it was time for Owen Dudley Edwards to provide participants with some background on Conan Doyle's unpublished ghost story, 'The Haunted Grange of Goresthorpe', before everyone walked to the National Library of Scotland to view the entire manuscript. The Library's Director, Ian McGowan, had arranged a private room for the display, and it was fascinating to be able to read the entire manuscript, view other items from the Library's Conan Doyle collection, and have a chat with Mr McGowan over coffee and biscuits.
Back at the hotel there were two more papers: Norman Rosenbaum discussed Edinburgh University personalities of Conan Doyle's time, and Pittsburgh's Stephen Guinn provided background and information about ACD's 1923 trip to his city. The talks were followed by lunch, and then it was on to a coach for a tour of the Edinburgh of Conan Doyle, with Owen Dudley Edwards effortlessly waxing eloquent about the various sites associated with the author. One of the high points of the tour was the opportunity to visit St Mary's Cathedral and, thanks to Owen, view the baptismal record of one Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle.
Dinner in the Scandic Crown's Great Scottish Hall was a sumptuous affair. The hotel did a magnificent job throughout the weekend, providing first-class service and facilities and showing few, if any, signs of the fire that devastated it in December. After the dinner, toasts were given to Arthur Conan Doyle (Fred Kittle) and the Society (Owen Dudley Edwards), with Christopher responding to the latter toast. Then there was an opportunity to hear a reading of 'The Immortal Memory', the address which Conan Doyle gave to the Edinburgh Burns Club on 23 March, 1901. Mr Roger Mullin, of the Burns Society, gave a splendid reading of the eight page address before copies were distributed to all present. The evening ended with Mr Mullin giving a rollicking performance of Burns' classic 'Tam O'Shanter.'
Following breakfast on Sunday, the participants assembled to hear two papers: Barbara Roden discussed vampirism in the works of Conan Doyle, while Fred Kittle gave an informative talk about ACD's skiing exploits in Davos. Then came a panel discussion on the upcoming Oxford University Press set of the canon, which was chaired by Michael Cox, Senior Commissioning Editor at OUP and the man responsible for the series. All four of the set's editors (Owen Dudley Edwards, Professor Wallace Robson, Richard Lancelyn Green, and Christopher Roden) were on hand to discuss the series and answer questions from participants.
The weekend came to a close with parting words from the organisers. To say that the event was a tremendous success is not an exaggeration, judging by the response from those who attended. Our sights are now firmly set on Toronto May 1994 and we hope that many of our members will join us to once more explore the life and works of Arthur Conan Doyle.
Barbara Roden
SILHOUETTE OF SIR ARTHUR CONAN DOYLE
The silhouette of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which is used as an illustration throughout this issue, is from an original by E. O. Hoppé and first appeared in The Bookman for November 1912.
Notes from a Lumber-Room
by 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'
A month or two ago the Public Lending Right Registrar released figures for the borrowing of books from public libraries in 1991-92. Public Lending Right, commonly referred to as PLR, was set up in 1979 after a long campaign by authors and other interested parties. An author receives a royalty every time a copy of one of their books is sold, as is well known. The problem with public libraries is that dozens of people read every single copy bought, but the author only receives one royalty payment rather than dozens. This was a little unfair. PLR aims to redress this by estimating the number of times books are borrowed, and dividing the sum of money between the authors concerned. The first payments were made in 1984. The necessary statistics are gathered from a representative sample of public libraries, who are asked to submit details of loans every day over a two or three year period. Only living authors are eligible for payments under the scheme: heirs of deceased authors receive nothing, though statistics published include, for information, any deceased authors who come within the limits set.
Only 19 authors registered over 1 million loans in the period (5.7% of national loans). These included Agatha Christie, Dick Francis, Ruth Rendell and Enid Blyton. Over 500,000 loans (7.5% of national loans) included such people as P. D. James, Isaac Asimov, Georgette Heyer and Hergé. A special table was included giving details of where the 'classic' authors fitted in. Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, Thomas Hardy, D.H. Lawrence, J.R.R. Tolkien, Anthony Trollope and A.A. Milne came top with between 200,000 and 500,000 loans each. Those with loans over 100,000 included George Eliot, Charlotte Brontë, Rudyard Kipling and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The list for those over 50,000 loans included Oscar Wilde, Shakespeare, Joseph Conrad, the other Brontë sisters and H.G. Wells.
It is interesting to see that Conan Doyle is still among the most borrowed authors in public libraries, though I have a sneaking suspicion that the vast majority of the loans are accounted for by Sherlock Holmes stories. A colleague at one of Westminster Libraries' branches remarked to me the other day that he had specifically purchased several copies of Holmes books a few months ago in paperback, but that he rarely saw any of them on the shelves.
Not listed in the figures of top authors published, but one of the most popular authors writing today is surely Jonathan Gash, creator of Lovejoy. I must admit that I have not seen any of the television series based on this character nor, indeed, read any of the books. I did, however, come across one the other day, The Great California Game, published in 1991. The following exchange occurs near the beginning:
"Do you know anything about Sherlock Holmes, Lovejoy? Conan Doyle?"
'Nothing. I remember the Basil Rathbone films, though.'
She winced. I sighed inwardly. Was she one of those truly boring fans who dress up?
'Not quite the same thing as Dr. Watson's accounts, Lovejoy.'
She made it a reprimand. I had to show I thought the same, though quite honestly these nerks who forever delve into fictional characters as if they were real people annoy me. She spoke as if Dr Watson was real, which tipped me the wink that she was one of those loons who'd come to believe the writer's fantasy. It's a danger we all skate near.
'Dr. Watson didn't write the stories, love,' I said clearly, to nip delusions in the bud.
'He was fictitious. The real-life physician was Conan Doyle.'"
Full marks to Lovejoy here, though I wonder if I shouldn't be offended, since he has just described me as a 'truly boring fan', a 'nerk', and a 'loon'! His knowledge is fairly soon shown to be a little limited. The conversations continues:
"She calmed, with effort. 'Lovejoy. I expected better from you. It's a matter of simple record that Dr Conan Doyle wrote The Narrative of John Smith about the time he married Louise Hawkins. His first novel! The manuscript was lost in the post..... 'I know nowt about him, love.'"
This is patently obvious, since Lovejoy goes on to refer to the missing manuscript as 'the Sherlock beautiful'. He even goes so far as to have one page forged. 'Conan Doyle? Easy!' [the forger.
'Do me a Sherlock Holmes page. You'll find examples in (In where? one wonders).
What makes Lovejoy think the manuscript is a Sherlock Holmes story? In ACD, 2.ii, Owen Dudley Edwards put a much more convincing case for the missing novel to have been reworked as The Mystery of Cloomber (p 118).
A rather more accurate, and more entertaining, account of Conan Doyle is to be found in another book, A Riot of Writers, by Terrance Dicks, illustrated by Ray Jelliffe and published last year by Piccadilly Press. 'In 1881 a new doctor arrived in the sleepy little seaside town of Southsea. He was a jolly giant of a man, keen on cricket and boxing. Business was slow maybe the seaside air kept everyone healthy. Doyle, who'd already sold a few short stories to magazines, tried to make a bit extra by writing. In 1886 he tried his hand at a detective story, called A Study in Scarlet.'
In only six pages, Dicks manages to cover A Study in Scarlet, the Lippincott dinner ('Arthur loves boxing and Oscar knows all about the Queensberry Rules — we should get along fine!"), The White Company, The Strand Magazine and the Holmes stories and Conan Doyle's Spiritualism and death. All very simplified, of course, but not bad and a pretty balanced view for such a short item in a very fun book.
Welcoming Wiggins!
Christopher and Barbara Roden were pleased to welcome Tom Stix, 'Wiggins' of the Baker Street Irregulars, and his wife Dorothy, to London when they met on Saturday 24 April, the first day of Tom and Dorothy's visit to Britain.
Where does one entertain the head of the Baker Street Irregulars? Where else but the Sherlock Holmes pub in Northumberland Avenue? And so, with the sitting room of 221b Baker Street as a backdrop, we were able to chat over matters Doylean and Sherlockian. Tom has not been to Britain since just after World War II and naturally a great deal has changed. The massive explosion which took place in the City earlier in the day may have made him think he was back in those war-torn days of the 1940s. As a special treat, we were able to arrange with the management of the Sherlock Holmes pub for admittance to the hallowed ground' which forms the major part of the pub's permanent exhibition of Sherlockiana. The restaurant's diners looked on in envy as the four of us took a trip back in time to the Baker Street of the 1890s and posed for photographs in front of the familiar fireplace. Tom's only disappointment was that he could not find Watson's picture of General Gordon. A most enjoyable meeting cemented yet one more relationship between Doyleans and Sherlockians from opposite sides of the world.
Subscription Renewal 1993/94
Members are reminded that subscriptions to The Arthur Conan Doyle Society are due for renewal on 1 June 1993.
Despite rising costs, U.K. members are only being asked to pay an additional 50p for the coming year. U.S. and Canadian members will find their rates reduced following currency fluctuations (see below). Other rates remain unchanged.
Joint Membership
A new 'Joint Membership' category is being introduced for 1993/94. Joint Membership will cover any two people living at the same address, and attracts a premium of only £2.50 above the normal membership rate. Those taking out Joint Membership will be regarded as full members of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society, but will only receive one set of the Society's publications. Why not lend your joint support to the Society this year?
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. Members joining after 1 March in any subscription period are regarded as fully paid until 31 May of the following year.
North American Members
For the benefit of U.S. and Canadian members, we now accept payment of subscriptions by personal cheque in either currency. The Society now operates US$ and C$ bank accounts and we therefore benefit by not having to suffer the high exchange commissions charged by UK banks for negotiating foreign cheques. As a result we have been able to completely review subscription rates for North American members, leading to a substantial reduction in fees for 1993/94. The facility still exists for North American members to remit in currency, but the differential between currency and cheques has been abolished following this review of rates.
We believe that we are the only International Society of our kind which accepts payments in both U.S. and Canadian dollars and hope you will agree that your membership of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society is now more attractive than ever.
Subscription Rates 1993/94
- Full Membership (U.K.) ......... £12.50
- Joint Membership (U.K.) ......... £15.00
- Full Membership (Rest of World) ......... £14.00
- Joint Membership (Rest of World) ......... £16.50
All publications are sent by surface mail unless the relevant Air Mail Supplement is remitted as part of the subscription:
Air Mail Supplements:
- U.S.A./Canada: ......... £5.00
- Australasia/Japan: ......... £5.50
North American members may remit by personal cheque in U.S. or Canadian dollars, in currency, by sterling drafts on a U.K. bank, or by International Money Order:
| U.S.$ | C$ | |
|---|---|---|
| Non Air Mail Subscription | $27.00 | $31.00 |
| Non Air Mail Joint Subscription | $31.00 | $36.00 |
| Air Mail Subscription | $35.00 | $39.00 |
| Air Mail Joint Subscription | $39.00 | $44.00 |
Subscriptions should be sent to: The Arthur Conan Doyle Society, Ashcroft, 2 Abbottsford Drive, Penyffordd, Chester CH4 0JG to arrive by 1 June 1993.
No further mailings of Society publications will be made to those whose renewal subscription has not been received by 30 June 1993.
All cheques should be made payable to 'The Arthur Conan Doyle Society'.
News from Crowborough
by Malcolm Payne
Of course the most memorable part of 1992 for the Conan Doyle (Crowborough) Establishment was the day of the unveiling of the Conan Doyle Memorial. After at least two years' planning the whole thing came together, and we saw that the parts we had all, as a group and individually, played had made the whole day a success. Of course this success would have been nothing without the visitors, Doyleans and Holmesians from all over the globe, who joined us on this great day.
The day before, the very day of the birthday, 22 May, was in some ways equal to the great day. We were able to arrange for Dame Jean Conan Doyle, Mrs John Doyle and Dr Norman Rosenbaum to have a private viewing of the memorabilia which is on permanent exhibition in the Conan Doyle Room. Dame Jean's evident delight was a joy. We felt that what we had done was acceptable for, as Dame Jean went from photograph to photograph, it was evident that she found them moving, and a means of bringing back many happy memories. It was as if she not only stepped back in time but also through the pages of some magical family album in which she recognised scenes from her father's life, in which the whole family were of course entwined.
A little while after this memorable day we were able to add to our collection as photographs arrived from Dame Jean. We felt most honoured that she had donated them from her own private collection. One helped to dispel any argument on the 1927 film of Sir Arthur. It was a snapshot showing the making of this film, and the background could have been none other than the Crowborough family home, 'Windlesham'. Mrs John Doyle sent a number of pieces among which was a bible presented to Denis Conan Doyle by his maternal grandfather. It is evident from the inscriptions on the fly-leaf that it was James Leckie's own presentation bible, dated originally 1855.
The car-through-the-wall incident on Terrace Montargis, just a few months after the unveiling of the memorial there, was quite a shock. The memorial was not in any way damaged, although it was well disturbed and saved from crashing to the ground by resting on the car roof! Like all seeming disasters it had its good points. When the wall was rebuilt the memorial was built into it, making a much better and cleaner job of insertion than was done originally. Almost as a means of re-dedication, we held a short ceremony at the memorial on Remembrance Sunday in November 1992. As the Scouts were otherwise engaged, one of our senior trumpeters sounded the Last Post. Establishment member Bruce Hane read Sir Arthur's poem, 'The Guns of Sussex', and a general idea of Sir Arthur's outlook on the Great War, and his interest in the returning troops and those who would never again step on British soil, was given. A cassette recording was made of this simple ceremony, and sent to Dame Jean.
One of our Danish patrons, Michael Morton, who must be known to many of you, sent us a video he had made of the whole day's (edited) celebration on 23 May 1992. It shows the Civic reception, the lunch, and the unveiling with the speakers on Terrace Montargis. It is marvellous to see Dame Jean as she speaks so strongly, and her delight in the town of her birth is most evident in her expression. Very evident throughout this film is our American representative, David Rush, of Decatur, Illinois, who was my house guest for the 10 days around the unveiling. He is our one and only overseas representative so far. One would feel there is at least a fleeting glimpse of every person who attended the wonderful, but at times solemn, celebrations of that day, when we recalled Sir Arthur's life and work.
We have, as usual, been contacted for information by all manner of individuals and groups, including TV and film companies and writers. Towards the end of last year a possible murder happened at the Brambletye Inn at nearby Forest Row. You will most probably know this is the site of the well-known 'Black Peter' bar. Of course the national press wanted to tie this in with the murder of Black Peter, more especially as the initial details had the 'murder' in a shed in the grounds. All interest fizzled out as it was found to be an accidental death. A hotel worker living in a caravan in the grounds had slipped on the steps as he went in late at night. This left an ugly and bloody wound on his head but did not prevent the man from going into his van, shutting the door, and falling on his bed. All of which gave the original impression it was murder. You cannot imagine the blood-thirsty reporters who wanted to find the death had been by impaling with a harpoon; and some of this from what we consider the better papers.
May I say that we are always happy to research our archives to help with any information we can. We should be most obliged if a stamp or IRC could be enclosed, so that we do not have to cover the cost of postage. In a year we answer hundreds of requests, and the costs do mount up. We look forward to seeing and welcoming any visitors, especially if you can let us know you are coming. We aim to have simple ceremonies at the Arthur Conan Doyle memorial here on the days of 22 May, 7 July, and Remembrance Sunday in November. All are welcome to join us.
Book News
The Oxford Sherlock Holmes
Members at the Society's Edinburgh weekend were able to learn more of the long-awaited Oxford Sherlock Holmes. Michael Cox, Senior Commissioning Editor of Oxford University Press, revealed that OUP is issuing a nine-volume hardback set later this year. The volumes will be available either individually or as a slip-cased set. The original intention had been for the series to form an addition to the World's Classics paperbacks, but a decision has been taken to give Conan Doyle the prestige treatment previously allowed to only a few authors. Each volume has an Introduction of 10,000-12,000 words, and is completed with a set of detailed explanatory notes.
Owen Dudley Edwards is General Editor of the series and has edited three volumes: A Study in Scarlet, The Valley of Fear, and His Last Bow. Professor Wallace Robson of Edinburgh University, a distinguished critic, lends his expertise to the series by editing The Hound of the Baskervilles and The Casebook. Richard Lancelyn Green brings his particular skills to The Adventures and The Return, and Christopher Roden has edited The Sign of the Four and The Memoirs.
Many long hours have been spent in establishing texts, shedding new light on well-known topics, and providing what we hope is some originality in annotations. Each volume contains a General Editor's Preface, a lengthy bibliography, and an extremely useful and detailed chronology of ACD's life and works.
SPECIAL OFFER
No firm price has yet been fixed, but reports seem to suggest that the set will be a very attractive purchase. The Society is negotiating a special pre-publication discount for members, and full details will be made available as soon as we receive them from OUP. The set will be issued in World's Classics paperbacks in twelve to eighteen months' time.
The Folio Society Sherlock Holmes
Britain's Folio Society has long been recognised for producing attractive books in slip-cased editions. Rumours have been rife for some time that an edition of Sherlock Holmes stories was in the pipeline, and details have just been announced.
In June 1993 the Folio Society will issue a boxed set of five volumes of the short stories. The five volumes are bound in full cloth blocked with a design by David Eccles, and presented in a matching slip-case. Typesetting is in Baskerville and each volume is illustrated with drawings by Francis Mosley. The size in Demy 8vo. (8.75" x 5.5").
It has to be said that this is an edition for the completist only. True, from what the Folio Society has allowed us to see, the illustrations are attractive and, to a degree, original. The introduction by Peter Cushing is, however, something of a disappointment: Mr Cushing refers only infrequently to Conan Doyle's Holmes, preferring to concentrate on theatrical, cinematic and pastiche presentations. That in itself is no crime, but the introduction also contains errors of interpretation and fact, and these are inexcusable. It is to be regretted that a splendidly produced edition did not warrant a higher quality introduction. The Folio Society tells us that a second set, comprising the long novels, is planned for 1994.
SPECIAL PRE-PUBLICATION OFFER TO ACD SOCIETY MEMBERS
The Folio Sherlock Holmes will sell at £80 (US$149; C$149), but a special pre-publication offer is being made to members of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society. Provided The Folio Society receives your order before 30 June, you may purchase the set at the special price of £65 (US$124; C$124). To obtain your books at the special offer price, send your orders direct to The Folio Society, 202 Great Suffolk Street, London SE1 1PR (Tel: 071-407-7411) quoting your membership of the Society.
Limited Edition Facsimile
The Arthur Conan Doyle Society
'The Immortal Memory'
To coincide with the weekend conference in Edinburgh from 19-21 March 1993, the Society published a limited edition reprint of 'The Immortal Memory', ACD's address to the Burns Club Dinner in Edinburgh on 23 March 1901.
The original booklet (Green & Gibson, B.2) was published in 1901 and is very rare. The Society's edition is limited to 50 numbered copies (and a further nine lettered copies for copyright and presentation purposes). A copy was presented to each member attending the Edinburgh weekend, and the remainder is available for purchase.
Attractively produced in card covers, this limited edition eight-page booklet will have a rarity of its own. Copies may be obtained from the Society at Ashcroft, 2 Abbottsford Drive, Penyffordd, Chester CH4 0JG, price £12.50 (US$22; C$25). All prices include post and packing. Orders will be processed after 30 June to give overseas members an equal chance of succeeding with their application.
For Sale
OUR AFRICAN WINTER: 1932 reprint of Conan Doyle's autobiographical account of his 1928-29 tour of Africa. The book was not published in the U.S.: Conan Doyle's agent stated that 'political and economic questions of Africa concern America little or not at all — and we can do almost nothing with Sir Arthur's psychic books.'
(Green & Gibson, B.43) A VG copy £15.00
MY RELIGION: 1925, with contributions by Arnold Bennett, Hugh Walpole, Rebecca West, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, E. Phillips Oppenheim, Compton Mackenzie, J. D. Beresford, Israel Zangwill, H. de Vere Stacpoole, Henry Arthur Jones and The Unknown Man', together with replies from many eminent divines and others.
Includes 'Sir Arthur Conan Doyle' (pp.27-33) and the address delivered by ACD at the Vale Owen Community Service, Grotarian (late Steinway) Hall, Oct. 4th, 1925. (pp.91-104).
(Green & Gibson, C.48) A VG copy £7.50
THE VITAL MESSAGE: 1919, Lacks the front flyleaf, and the joints are rubbed.
(Green & Gibson, B.25) £7.50
(Postage & Packing extra in all cases)
Contact: The Arthur Conan Doyle Society, Ashcroft, 2 Abbottsford Drive, Penyffordd, Chester CH4 0JG, or telephone 0244 545210.
Looking for Books?
The Black Cat Bookshop, 37-38 Silver Arcade, Leicester LE1 5FB (Telephone: 0533 512756) now issues a regular catalogue of Conan Doyle and Sherlockian titles. Please send £1 or 4 IRCS to cover the cost of mailing.
Book Search
'As a service to fellow members of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society, Michael Halewood of The Preston Book Company, 68 Friargate, Preston, Lancashire PR1 2ED (Tel: 0772 52603/715654), will gladly undertake to search out and track down 'Out-of-print' books, pamphlets, magazines and manuscripts by and about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ABSOLUTELY FREE OF CHARGE.
Your wants lists welcome. Large stock always available, and we are always keen to buy similar material. Looking forward to hearing from you.'
Sherlock Holmes in the Midlands
by Paul Lester
Brewin Books, 1992; 124pp; £9.95
ISBN: 0-947731 85 7
Paul Lester has expanded his earlier publication Sherlock Holmes in Birmingham, and now offers an attractively produced volume covering the Conan Doyle & Sherlock Holmes connections with the Midlands of England.
A full review will appear in the 1993 issue of ACD, but members who wish to obtain a copy may do so from the publishers, Brewin Books, at Doric House, Church Street, Studley, Warwickshire B80 7LG. Unfortunately, Brewin has not told us whether or not they accept credit cards.
Il ritorno delle fate
SugarCo Edizioni, Milan, 1992; 220pp; It.Lire 22,000.
Society member Michael W. Homer is the co-editor of this Italian edition of The Coming of the Fairies. We believe that it is the first Italian translation. The Introduction by Massimo Introvigne and Michael Homer discusses the events leading up to the book's publication and the developments which occurred after its publication. There are also several appendices which include the Movietone interview with Conan Doyle, ACD's article on The Cottingley Fairies published in The Strand Magazine in February 1923, and the preface and appendix to the second edition of the book. The book has attracted favourable reviews in Italy where interest in Conan Doyle is apparently strong. Any members wishing to acquire a copy should contact: SugarCo Edizioni, Viale Tunisia,4, 20124 Milano, Italy (Telephone: 659 84 74 or 657 05 69).
A Sherlock Holmes Handbook
Chris Redmond, author of two invaluable books about Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle (In Bed with Sherlock Holmes and Welcome to America, Mr Sherlock Holmes), has now written the one reference book every Sherlockian will need to have. Provisionally titled A Sherlock Holmes Handbook, the work goes beyond Michael Hardwick to provide a key to all that has been written about the great detective. There will also be a lengthy chapter about Conan Doyle, and the book will be essential reading for all admirers of the creator and the creation.
The book will be soft cover, and will be published in mid to late Summer 1993. Advance orders will be accepted. Anyone wishing further information should contact Chris at 523 Westfield Drive, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada N2T 2E1
The Ghost Story Press
Aficionados of the classic ghost story have for many years had to resign themselves to the fact that many cornerstones of the genre have long been almost impossible to find, and exceedingly expensive when they are tracked down. Three cheers, then, for The Ghost Story Press, which was formed this year to bring out high-quality, reasonably-priced editions of classic supernatural fiction.
The Press's first project was a facsimile reprint of Arthur Gray's extremely rare 1919 volume Tedious Brief Tales of Granta and Gramarye. The next title, due for publication in May 1993, is a reprint of the twelve cases of psychic detective Flaxman Low. The tales, by the mother-son team of Kate and Hesketh Prichard, appeared in Pearson's Magazine in 1898-99 under the pen name of E. & H. Heron. Low was modelled on Conan Doyle's detective, and the second series of stories features Kalmarkane, who plays Moriarty to Low's Holmes. The similarities between Low and Holmes are not the only reason the tales have appeal to Doyleans. Conan Doyle was a good friend of Hesketh Prichard: the two men met in 1897, and according to Prichard's biographer:
Conan Doyle took a fancy to Hesketh at once, and when they left C. Arthur Pearson's house after dinner walked about the London streets with him, talking into the small hours of the morning. The elder man, perhaps, did not guess at the time what that encouragement meant to the younger... That walk began a friendship of many years.
The two men often played cricket together, and both are said to have returned from the after-life at seances during the 1930s.
The Flaxman Low book will be limited to an edition of 200 copies. Anyone wishing information about The Ghost Story Press should contact Richard Dalby at 4 Westbourne Park, Scarborough, North Yorkshire YO12 4AT. (Tel: 0723 377049)
The Ghost Story Society Convention
Those who enjoy the supernatural tales of Conan Doyle may be interested to learn that The Ghost Story Society is holding its first Convention in Chester on Saturday 30 October 1993.
The date is a fitting one; for almost one hundred years earlier, on 28 October 1893, M. R. James, the master of the classic ghost story, read out his first two tales at a meeting of the Chitchat Society at Cambridge. As a tribute, the one-day Convention will focus on James and some of the writers he inspired.
Michael Cox, author of M. R. James — An Informal Portrait, will be just one of the speakers: others include ghost story writers such as Jonathan Aycliffe, Ramsey Campbell, David Rowlands and Mark Valentine. In addition to talks, there will be a panel discussion, readings, book tables, and an opportunity to meet other enthusiasts.
Anyone wishing more information about The Ghost Story Society Convention should contact Barbara and Christopher Roden.
The Parish Magazine Postbag
From Frank Darlington, Seattle, U.S.A.
Chris Redmond's fine article on Doylean quotations in the current issue of ACD brings to mind a view that I have held for some time concerning an infamous factoid. A factoid that appears to have no less a degree of currency than does the latter day 'Play it again, Sam'. Mr Redmond writes of the irony that fingers Christopher Morley as the quondam editor of Bartlett's who allowed the spurious 'Elementary, my dear Watson' to appear, in the eternity of print, as a true quotation.
I am convinced that Mr Redmond 'got it in one' when he conjectured that this Olympian gaffe occurred on Morley's watch because the Sherlockian 'Homer' had nodded. I say that is literally so and that the datum is available to allow us to rely on the surmise with confidence.
First, we not this from Jon Lellenberg's introduction to Irregular Memories of the Thirties. '... what Chris Morley liked to do best, it seemed, was to eat lunch. Long lunches... He soon turned his luncheons into an institution called The Three Hours for Lunch Club... (Is this a foreshadowing of our modern Three Martini Lunch?). Now all we have to accept is that a flawed piece of copy arrived on our sainted editor's desk one afternoon after 3 o'clock. He then, soporifically satiated with whisky and sodality, peered through one bleary orb, initialled it and popped it into his out tray. And the rest is, to coin a phrase, hagiography!
From Robert F. Fleissner, Springfield, Ohio, U.S.A.
Editors' Note. During a discussion between ourselves and Robert Fleissner last summer, prior to the publication of "The Cask in the Catacomb' in the 1992 issue of ACD, Mr Fleissner made the point that, plausibly, the Masonic element in 'The Cask of Amontillado' also influenced Conan Doyle. We omitted to record this remark in an introduction to the article, but Mr Fleissner has now forwarded the text of a letter he has received from Mr Peter Sorenson of Provo, Utah, which deals with the matter at some length. We felt that it would be of interest to readers of The Parish Magazine, and we reproduce the letter in full:
Dear Professor Fleissner,
I got a letter and a copy of an article by you a couple of weeks ago, through the kindness of Alex Hammond at WSU. You noted in the letter that you were no 'Poe' specialist. Well, neither am I. But I am a devoted fan. I can say however that I have considerable background and expertise in Freemasonry, and have done considerable reading on its influence on the British romantics (esp. Blake). I must admit, however, that I am no Doyle specialist in any way, except that my wife and I are absolute Holmes freaks and have both practically memorized the corpus of The Complete Sherlock Holmes. Because I am a Mormon, I was particularly attracted to A Study in Scarlet when I first read it at age 13. I was at that time rather shocked as well, for I assumed that anything in print must be true, and that Doyle's 'endearing' (to borrow from one of his footnotes) portrayal of Mormons was based on firsthand testimony. I was relieved some time later to discover that Doyle relied on tertiary sources at best.
But his reliance on bitter anti-Mormon invective (much of it based on American but non-Mormon sources) is suggestive in light of your proposition on the Poe-Freemasonry-Doyle connection. My initial reaction to your inquiry was to conclude that since Freemasonry had its roots in England (the great reform of 1719, etc.),
Doyle would have been better served about Freemasonry to consult works closer to home. Yet his penchant for 'Americana' must be considered seriously. While I cannot speak for the entire Doyle canon, you and others have no doubt noted the insistent elements of ritual, secret societies, entombment and catacomb imagery in Sherlock Holmes mysteries.
The references to Mormon Danites, for instance, have their roots at least in part in American versions of Freemasonry, with their bloody penalties (some of which were commonly known among Mormons, many of whom were Freemasons themselves — facts Doyle probably could not have known). What Doyle might have known was the dark, sinister reputation of Freemasonry in New England from the time of William Morgan's abduction on, and manifested so well in anti-masonic parties and candidates for public office. Thus the presence in the tales of secret codes, ritual revenge, and criminal societies, very often centred in America but transplanted so as to infect Holmes' clients in some way or another.
With respect to Poe's tale 'The Cask of Amontillado' however, I think a clear analog in Sherlock Holmes is 'The Adventure of the Retired Colourman', which contains overt references to Freemasonry, but also contains the Poe-like element of entombment. The most telling connection between the two tales is Holmes' remark that the murderer in the tale had 'the sort of mind which one associates with the mediaeval Italian nature', and that Amberley's jealousy 'became a frantic mania'. The murderer in this story made use of a 'hermetically sealed room'; the victims were murdered because of a betrayal of friendship and confidence, reminiscent of the motives driving the narrator in "The Cask of Amontillado'.
With regard to the Freemasonic elements of Doyle's tales, the attempt to cover the odour of decay is significant, I believe, as is the hiding of the bodies in the disused well, a spot different from that of the actual murder. In Captain Morgan's Freemasonry Exposed, one may note that violating a lodge brother's family in any way is grounds for vengeance. The odour of the decaying body of Hiram Abiff, as noted in Morgan's work, parallels loosely that mentioned in 'The Retired Colourman'. Also, in Morgan it is noted that the murderers of Hiram remove his body away from the site of the murder, to a shallow grave later discovered by the 'investigators' Solomon sends to find the Master Mason. Other tales of 'entombment' in Doyle have interesting features as well, such as the 'Norwood Builder' adventure in which the villain, an architect, entombs himself and is presumed dead. He is miraculously "brought back to life' through the efforts of Holmes, who is able to pin on the culprit the theft of his own investment portfolio.
That Doyle may have been familiar with the American version of Freemasonry rather than a native British equivalent seems to follow from a reading of one part of The Valley of Fear, a story set in the American Midwest, in which a lodge of the 'Ancient
Order of Freemen' boasts ritual tests, signs, tokens, and bloody threats from the 'Bodymaster' that all have clear counterparts in Morgan's infamous expose of Freemasonry in New York (1826). (It is interesting in this regard, but likely not helpful for the Poe-Doyle connection, that Nauvoo, Illinois, in its day one of the largest cities in Illinois, was not only the flourishing centre of Mormonism, but the location of a major Freemasonic temple charter, of which Joseph Smith, Brigham Young, Heber Kimball, and others mentioned in A Study in Scarlet were members).
Whether Poe was for Doyle a source for adding Freemasonic lore to fiction is not clear to me, but the system of veils, for example, in Poe's 'The Masque of the Red Death', (actually doors which slide back to reveal each of the seven different coloured rooms in the prince's hall) seems to suggest a ritual progression consistent with Freemasonic ritual (as do the several royal colours involved). That the figure of the 'Red Death' is an uninvited participant in the ritual revels is obvious, but what might be less clear to some people is that Prospero's attempt to shield his people from the plague is a liminal type of seclusion of sacrificial victims (Prospero among them) to purify them for the inevitable sacrifice of the various participants. (The figure of the 'Red Death' stands in direct relation to the malefactors in Freemasonic ritual who murder the grand architect Hiram.)
Well, these rather obvious and off-the-cuff thoughts may do no one any good, but they may at least start a discussion.
Peter J. Sorenson.
From Ronald B. De Waal, Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.A.
I am impressed, indeed, by the 1992 232-page issue of ACD and, as with the previous issues, have made entries for the articles published therein for The Universal Sherlock Holmes (1994). In addition to having been Dr. Watson's literary agent, I am glad to see that Conan Doyle is receiving an increasing amount of attention for his own contributions to literature as well as to medicine, spiritualism and criminal investigation. I have often wondered why he never called on Holmes to assist him with some of these other cases. Perhaps Watson would have objected.
You are to be congratulated for a job exceedingly well done. Keep up the splendid work.
From Colin Partis, Grimsby, South Humberside:
The following anecdote was narrated to my wife and I when tape-responding with a friend in Australia, who corresponds with Christina Foyle (of the famous bookshop).
It seems that Christina related that her father was very friendly with ACD, who frequently visited the Foyle's residence. Christina, who was fifteen years old at the time, asked ACD if he had ever contacted any famous people during his spiritualistic seances. ACD said yes, he had contacted Oscar Wilde. The intrigued fifteen-year-old then asked: 'What did he tell you?'. ACD responded that Wilde had found it 'very boring being dead'!
From Cherrie Waltho, Waterlooville, Hampshire.
I felt I had to reply to James Beales' letter telling of his introduction to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (ACD, Vol.3, 1992).
My own introduction began with a Christmas present from my parents when I was thirteen or fourteen. The present was the Complete Works of Sherlock Holmes (this is now a well-thumbed, well-read member of my collection).
Years later, whilst I was away at College, my interest was renewed as a 'hobby' to fill in my spare time, and it grew so that I joined The Sherlock Holmes Society of London.
On reading biographies about the great man, I soon realised there was much more to him than Sherlock Holmes and that there was a vast amount of literature still to consume. I soon exhausted the stocks of the libraries at Southampton and Preston, finding it an enjoyable pastime to engross myself in the worlds of Professor Challenger, Brigadier Gerard and many others as an escape from the traumas of college deadlines!
I cannot fully describe the charm of Conan Doyle's literature, but the fascination I hope will never die. It was a logical progression to join The Arthur Conan Doyle Society and learn more about this amazing man.
From Pierre Nordon, Paris.
'What's in a Name?' (ACD, Vol.3) also suggests that 'Sherlock' might be taken — or mistaken...? for the simple contraction of 'Cher Lecoq'. Much as I like the idea, two points would seem to challenge it. We must remember that the 'Sher' segment of the name was already there, in the initial 'Sherringford' [sic]. And, all onomastic passion spent, that Conan Doyle did not indulge in puns. In spite of his Irish heritage, he did not share the tendency which, from Swift to Beckett, has been a characteristic of so many Irish authors.
Personally, I might be inclined to dwell on the suffixation of the name 'Watson' in so far as the Holmes/Watson relationship essentially duplicates the ideal father/son relationship. Indeed, Holmes fulfils the two basic needs of the child, i.e., to wonder, and to understand. However, to overdwell on this would inevitably lead us to approach the 'saga' in a psycho-critical light... and this is quite another story.
Editors' note: A further contribution to this discussion has been provided by Robert Fleissner and his article, "The Onomastics of Sherlock', will be published in the 1993 Journal.
From Professor Harold Orel, The University of Kansas, U.S.A.:
Thank you for the generous space you allotted to my Introduction, and for the review, which both my publishers and I appreciate. I hope that some of your readers will take the opportunity to look up, some day, Critical Essays on Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and see for themselves whether it does justice to the memory of a truly remarkable writer and human being.
As for the title, the Critical Essays series has traditionally divided its attention between the writer and his works; in varying proportions, it is true, from volume to volume; but my editor and I agreed, when I undertook the editing of this particular book, that Sherlock Holmes would be of major interest to most readers, and that I should concentrate on finding serious, well-written, and useful essays that had not been previously collected; hence the emphasis on relatively recent criticism in the first section of the anthology.
You raised the point whether annotation might have proved useful. I agree that it would. But the format prevented me from adding notes to what other people had written (they might not have appreciated my additions). But I personally love annotations that go beyond simple bibliographical information, and add to the sum of a reader's knowledge about the matter under discussion.
Volume 3 of The Journal of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society looks fine. This is surely one of the best periodicals dedicated to the scholarly and critical examination of a single author. You have found your proper stride in a very short time indeed. Congratulations.
From Mark McPherson, Michigan, U.S.A.:
Having received the recent Journal (and a handsome tome it is!) I wanted to send along a few lines for 'official inclusion'.
Among the intriguing trove of articles, my eye was naturally drawn to Julian Symons' kind words in behalf of my last May's appearance at Tunbridge Wells. I was indeed flattered by his comments regarding my portrayal, and cannot agree with him more on the point that one can scarcely squeeze the Doylean life and achievements into an hour of after-dinner presentation!
I did regret, apart from the nice things said about my appearance, that no mention was made of my underlined purpose in coming to Tunbridge Wells. I agreed to perform aspects of my play as 'a special tribute to Dame Jean Conan Doyle'. This, by way of my own thanks to a great lady for her friendship and support over the last years. This sentiment is one to be echoed by The Arthur Conan Doyle Society as a whole.
Returning to Mr Symons' reference to what may have been my drama's over-emphasis upon Conan Doyle's earlier life, as opposed to the weightier aspect of his public career, literary creations and Spiritualist crusade, coincidentally enough, I am undertaking a remedy for such an imbalance.
By later this year it is my intention to dramatically illustrate much more of Sir Arthur's later career, inclusive of his social reforms, political forays, war work and certainly a good deal more on the matter of Spiritualism. I will also endeavour to jump directly into the fray of 'how good a detective was Sir Arthur?' in the shape of my re-adapted play, which will be entitled 'The Mystery of Conan Doyle'.
I believe that the upcoming, 'latest instalment' of my 'Evening with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle' will benefit greatly from our prior engagements before audiences (and critics) throughout the United States, Canada, and lately, the United Kingdom. Therefore, I will be eager to take this production 'on the road' once again, if only to present future audiences with certain intriguing aspects of the Doylean career, such as his practical, versus literary prowess with relationship to criminology. (In the latter regard, I fear I tend to side more with the position of Mr Peter Costello than my friend Mr Richard Lancelyn Green).
Perhaps we may have a perfect and more complete venue for a second judgement next year, when I hope to be performing 'The Mystery of Conan Doyle' in Canada, even as the 1994 Society meeting convenes in Toronto?
On a blessedly final note: I particularly enjoyed Philip K. Wilson's Journal article concerning the Harry Price-Conan Doyle correspondence. By way of my own researches in the field of paranormal research over the years, I have had the good fortune to work with the Harry Price Collection at the University of London's Senate House.
My familiarity with Price, the controversial psychical sleuth of yore, extends to the point of my possession of one of his personal conjuring coins, which for years I have worn upon my watch-chain. Now, however, I find myself wondering if there might be some hermetic, although appropriate symbolism in my recent performance in Britain? For who among my first British (ACD Society) audience could have suspected that one of the watch fobs so visible upon 'Sir Arthur's' vest had once belonged to his occasional nemesis and ghost-boosting colleague, Harry Price!
Critical Comment?
The recent screening of Granada's two new Sherlock Holmes films attracted a mixed reception from critics. We do not feel it necessary to do other than comment on our disappointment that the series now bears little resemblance to ACD's original stories, and that it may be better to call a halt to the series now. One correspondent (who still remains unidentified) seems to have other ideas — or perhaps he is just joking!:
- 'The Rovers Return'
- Coronation Street,
- Manchester.
Dear Mr Rodin,
Having seen some of your sculpture I can see exactly why you have turned to the study of literature, and it is in connection with that subject that I have been advised to write to you.
I have been commissioned to write the screenplays for some Sherlock Holmes cases, to be produced by Grandad Studios, and I would welcome your advice over our next production. As we have already used all the good stories, we are repeating some of the earlier episodes in a longer format. The extended duration causes no major problems, as we can easily fill out the programmes with lengthy scenes of Holmes looking bemused, bewildered, befuddled or bedevilled, all in soft focus to lend a mystical air to the thing. We do, apparently, have complaints from those viewers who do not understand the purpose of this sort of scene, but then very few viewers appreciate the problems of the TV writer.
In the next episode an Eskimo will wreck his kayak on a coral island in the Pacific Ocean (good for location filming) where he is captured, mesmerised and trained in all the arts of killings by descendants of a lost company of Knights Templar. The Director has suggested that the leader of this band should be called Simon, apparently to please any detective fans who may be watching, but I am not really in favour of pandering to the minority elements of our audience. The Eskimo is taken to Transylvania where, under the influence of main-lined tonic wine, he kills a certain Dr Frankenstein. When he awakens in the hands of the police he can recall nothing, and is handed over to a Dr Jung for treatment. The doctor calls in Holmes to solve the case, which the latter does in spite of interference by Gestapo agents employed by a rival doctor called Fu Manchu.
As Holmes will repeatedly be shown having visions of a husky dog-sledge team doing nothing throughout a six-month night, do you feel that we will be justified in suggesting that this episode is based on 'Silver Blaze'? I understand that I may have extended the limits of that story a little, but then I feel that it is the duty of modern writers to realise the full potential of the writings of lesser-known authors. I would also be grateful if you could inform me where I can obtain a summary of 'Silver Blaze', as I would like to check that I have included all of the most relevant points, but I fear that I will not have the time to read it in the original.
Yours sincerely,
Paddy de Tale
The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes
Some Corrections and an Apology
In carrying out any form of research, it is always difficult to decide where to stop in the process of authenticating detail. Often one does not wish to intrude upon the valuable time of those who might be in the best position to provide verification of assumed facts, and the temptation is to rely on information provided by those whose works are generally considered to be authoritative. The danger with this approach is that we are all mortal, and those who have gone before are just as liable to make mistakes as we are. In this way, certain errors become constantly repeated. In The Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes, written chiefly by Philip Weller, but to which I contributed a biographical study of ACD, some of the minor errors were noticed by us at proof-reading stage. The publishers decided that there were so few errors that it was not worthwhile correcting them. Dame Jean Conan Doyle has, however, drawn our attention to two errors and we are pleased to have the opportunity to correct them, especially as one of them has been perpetuated over a long period.
Probably the best known biography of ACD states that Dame Jean Conan Doyle's name is 'Lena Jean Conan Doyle' when it is, in fact, Jean Lena Annette Conan Doyle. Dame Jean has kindly suggested that this is... an extremely small personal moan in connection with your delightful book ...', but we feel that it is an important point, and one which must have been a constant source of irritation to her, as so many scholars have copied the original error. We are pleased to be able to set the record straight.
The other errors occur in the caption to a photograph of the Conan Doyle family and Houdini. As many of the photographs were obtained by the publishers from private collections, the authors did not see the photographs or their captions until the book was published, but we were assured that the information would be provided by the owners, who were assumed to be authorities. The caption of the Houdini photograph firstly refers to 'Lady Jean', and this should, of course, be 'Lady Conan Doyle' as is used elsewhere. It also refers to Lady Conan Doyle as a clairvoyant. Dame Jean has asked us to point out that her mother's only mediumistic power was in the field of automatic writing. The caption also suggests that Lady Conan Doyle had claimed to see Houdini's dead mother carrying a crucifix. Lady Conan Doyle never actually made such a claim. Some confusion may have arisen in accounts from the fact that Lady Conan Doyle usually placed a small cross at the top of each page that she wrote in her automatic writing, in order to prevent evil spirits taking control of her writing. This had nothing to do with the religion of Houdini's mother. A fuller account of this incident is given in Sir Arthur's book The Edge of the Unknown.
We are pleased to have this opportunity of correcting these errors, and are grateful to Dame Jean for helping us to provide a better understanding of her father and his work. We apologise to her for any distress which may have been caused by these errors.
Christopher Roden
In brief
THE WILKIE COLLINS SOCIETY may be of interest to some members. Details of membership and that Society's publications may be obtained from Robert Blackham, Membership Secretary, 46 Auckland Road, Ilford, Essex IG1 4SE
STAYING OFF THE BEATEN TRACK is an annual guide to accommodation which features a number of places with literary associations at which travellers may stay in exchange for a moderate fee. The guide costs £9.95 and if you order it from Explore Britain, Alston, Cumbria CA9 3SL, stating that you are a member of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society, they will send you £18-worth of vouchers usable against the cost of accommodation.
THE COUNTY SET range of merchandise has just been introduced by SAC Limited, and includes desk accessories which feature a Sherlock Holmes motif. The magnifying glass is optically correct and the lens is set in a gold plated frame. The letter opener is constructed from solid brass and heavily gold plated. Each piece has a superb hand-crafted handle with a cameo of SH. Prices? Magnifier £19.95, Letter Opener £11.05, or £31.75 the pair. Write to SAC Ltd., Studio Anne Carlton, Flinton Street, Hull HU3 4NB.
INSIGNIA OF MERSEYSIDE provides items which will surely be of interest to many Sherlockians: miniatures of your favourite spirits, wines and sparkling wines with a Sherlock Holmes (or indeed your very own) insignia on the label. A presentation box of twelve Sherlockian miniature whiskies will cost you £9.76. Write to Insignia at Century Building, 212 Tower Street, Brunswick Business Park, Liverpool L3 4BJ for further details.
AND FINALLY, Mark Parry of 30 Heol-y-Drudwen, Parc Gwernfadog, Morriston, Swansea SA6 6TA, asks us to let you know about The Armchair Treasure Hunt Club. The Club's newsletter, which is issued six times a year, contains a treasure hunt to whet your appetite. Membership is £15 annually. Write to Mark for details.
Future Events
Toronto '94
As mentioned in the Editorial, The Arthur Conan Doyle Society is planning a major event to be held in Toronto in May 1994. The dates have not yet been confirmed, but the weekend of 6-8 May has tentatively been chosen.
It seems only fitting that with almost half of the Society's members living in North America we should hold an event there in recognition of those members' support for the Society. While Canada and the United States lack the Doylean sites and connections which are taken for granted in Britain, the members there are knowledgeable and enthusiastic, and we anticipate an exciting and interesting weekend.
Toronto boasts a fine Conan Doyle Collection at the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library, and a visit to the Collection will, of course, form a major part of the weekend. Preliminary contact with the Library has confirmed that participants will be able to sample many of the delights there, including a Beeton's Christmas Annual and the manuscript of the unpublished play Angels of Darkness.
There will also be an opportunity to hear distinguished speakers, participate in discussions, and meet fellow Doyleans from around the world.
Full details of the programme, dates, and costs will be made available as soon as possible. If you would like to be put on our mailing list to receive advance information, please contact the Society.
Stonyhurst College
There has been some interest expressed in the idea of a Society visit to Stonyhurst College in Lancashire. We are now starting to plan such a visit, which will probably take place on a Saturday in the Autumn of this year.
The intention is that participants would meet at Preston railway station and be transported by coach to Stonyhurst for a tour of the College and grounds. There would be an opportunity to view the College's archives relating to Conan Doyle, as well as papers and discussion.
It is vital, however, that we know how many members would be interested in taking part in such a visit: because of the arrangements, there would probably have to be some limitation of numbers.
Please contact us if you would like to participate. Full details will be sent to you as soon as they are available.
Plymouth, Portsmouth and Southsea, Hindhead, Sussex
We should be very pleased to hear from any members who would like to assist in organising Society visits to any of these locations next year, and in future years. In particular, suggested itineraries would be useful, together with notes of suggested contacts and their addresses. Local tourist information leaflets would also be welcomed. This is your opportunity to help in the future of the Society.
- Article courtesy Christopher Roden, founder of The Arthur Conan Doyle Society (1989-2003).
