Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Chairman Catherine Cooke opens the meeting by welcoming new members and members from overseas. Amy Buckley attends to the minutes. (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Ashley Mayo celebrates his retirement from the post of Treasurer by announcing that the Society's finances are in good order (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Catherine Cooke conducts the election of Officers and Members of Council. Jonathan McCafferty stands down as President [Boo!], and is succeeded by Bob Ellis [Hoorah!] (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Roger Johnson announces that this year's Tony & Freda Howlett Literary Award goes to Glen Miranker, for his magnificent book "Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects" (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Catherine Cooke delivers more welcome news: Honorary Membership has been conferred upon retired President Jonathan McCafferty and his wife Elaine! (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Meetings Secretary Elaine and ex-President Jonathan McCafferty celebrate their new status as Honorary Members of the Society (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Judi Ellis takes charge, to chair the Three-Minute Problems debate, "The Best of the Worst", assisted by her husband, newly elected President Bob (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Back comes Roger Johnson as the first speaker. His championing of Shinwell Johnson seems to have a soporific effect on Bob Ellis (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Shinwell Johnson was a dangerous crook who reformed and became an invaluable assistant to Holmes. Therefore, says Roger Johnson (no relation), he is The Best of the Worst (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Judi Ellis announces the second speaker, Marcus Geisser (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Marcus Geisser's choice for The Best of the Worst is Colonel Sebastian Moran (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Only Colonel Moran, says Marcus Geisser, is wicked in the three essential ways: he is avaricious, vengeful and berserk! (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Next is Heather Owen, who nominates the appallingly vicious Dr Grimesby Roylott, avaricious and cruel to his family and to animals, as The Best of the Worst (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Heather Owen reminds us that Dr Roylott is almost endearingly stupid: knowing that his stepdaughter has consulted the great detective, he still tries to execute his wicked plan! (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
The next speaker, says Judi Ellis, is our ex-President Jonathan McCafferty (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Jonathan McCafferty says he thought the subject was to be The Best of the Worst-Off! His choice is a character he has often impersonated: Charles Augustus Milverton (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Holmes, says Jonathan McCafferty, told Watson that Milverton was "the worst-off man in London", whose safe contained only paper - no money at all! (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Sherlock Holmes's behaviour, says Jonathan McCafferty, was far worse than that of Charles Augustus Milverton, who was really a kindly old gentleman (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
The next speaker is Amy Buckley, who chooses as The Best of the Worst not a person but a whole army - the "murderous Ghazis" (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Had John H Watson actually "fallen into the hands of the murderous Ghazis" after Maiwand, the world would know nothing of Sherlock Holmes! For Amy Buckley there could be no greater villains (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
The sixth speaker is Mark Jones, who nominates Baron Adelbert Gruner as The Best of the Worst. He claims that the book in his hand is what remains of Gruner's "lust diary" (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Baron Gruner, says Mark Jones, was a versatile and prolific villain. He was the man who broke Sherlock Holmes, who retired shortly after being attacked by Gruner's thugs (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Rakshita Patel champions Moriarty as the worst of all. Not the canonical ex-professor of mathematics, but the murderous trickster played by Andrew Scott in "Sherlock" (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Jim Moriarty, says Raks Patel, is clever, funny and psychotic. He is truly "mad, bad and dangerous to know" - and he made a star of the actor Andrew Scott (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Calvert Markham names Culverton Smith as The Best of the Worst, for a personal reason. He claims that the character is based on a late 19th century biochemist, David Calvert-Jones, a relative of Mr Markham's (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
David Calvert-Jones, says Calvert Markham, was convicted of the manslaughter of a student at St Mary's Hospital. Was he the real Culverton Smith? (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Next is Bonnie MacBird, whose choice for The Best of the Worst is not a person at all. She names the drug cocaine as the most heinous villain in the canon (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Bonnie MacBird says that her evidence for the deleterious effect of cocaine on Holmes is drawn from correspondence, now in the British Library, between him and Dr Watson (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Judi Ellis announces the tenth speaker, our distinguished German member Ernst-Harald Mock (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
The Best of the Worst, says Ernst-Harald Mock, is "The Retired Colourman" himself, Josiah Amberley - a jealous, cunning and merciless murderer (photo by Jean Upton)
