Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
The Wellington Hotel, Vincent Square - a new venue for the Society, and very nice too! (It's officially The Wellington by Blue Orchid...)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Heraldic devices in the window of the function room. The hotel was built in 1913 as a hostel for theology students at King's College (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Guest speaker David Houle, Chairman Catherine Cooke and President Bob Ellis (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Laura & Michael Sparks, Carole & Calvert Markham and Steph Dawson (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Catherine Cooke, Bob Ellis & Judi Ellis (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Rakshita Patel, Elaine McCafferty & Yumiko Shigati (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Ritsuko Furuta, John Graves, Jonathan McCafferty and Rakshita Patel - some of whom have spotted the camera... (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Auberon Redfearn - who isn't distracted by the camera - Laura & Michael Sparks, Carole & Calvert Markham, Steph Dawson, and Peter Horrocks (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Auberon Redfearn, Laura & Michael Sparks and Carole Markham (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Is Peter Horrocks checking the time or phoning for a taxi? (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Adnan Shakir, Tom Atkinson, Robin Rowles & Paul Gillings (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Heather Owen raises her glass to the camera, while Adnan Shakir and his friend are deep in conversation (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Robin Rowles ponders, apparently unaware of the camera, unlike David Leal and Heather Owen (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
From lower right - Bob & Judi Ellis, Nancy Browning and Jean Upton (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Nancy Browning and Jean Upton (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Yumiko Shigaki, Ritsuko Furuta, Gary Leighton, John Graves & Jonathan McCafferty (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
After an excellent meal, and with the formal business of the AGM out of the way, retiring Chairman Catherine Cooke introduces the speaker, David Houle (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
David Houle, one of our American members, has addressed the Society before. It's always a pleasure to have him with us. Catherine Cooke and Judi Ellis will assist him (photo by Mark Jones)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
This, David explains, is Sherlock Holmes's 'large tin box', containing the 'disjecta membra' - that is 'scattered fragments' accumulated through the years
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Among the contents of the tin box are these pictures and other items relating to Holmes's family
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Outstanding among the contents is this tiny ivory figure, depicting 'the grace and beauty of the Victorian ideal of innocence'
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
David Houle's investiture in the Baker Street Irregulars is 'The British Museum' (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
So why is the beautiful image kept in 'the deepest and most personal stratum of the box'? Who was the young woman who inspired it, and what was she to Sherlock Holmes?
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Before we learn the secret of the ivory figurine, we're shown these childhood photographs of Sherlock and Mycroft Holmes
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Among the other pictorial treasures are these photographs of the French artist Horace Vernet and his sister, Sherlock's grandmother. It was she who commissioned the little ivory figure
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
David Houle's painstaking research into the archives of the Holmes family has uncovered the tragedy that helped shape the character of the young Sherlock Holmes (photo by Roger Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
This is the subject of that exquisite ivory statuette, Sherlock's mother, Marguerite Holmes
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Marguerite's early death, the result of a riding accident, cast a shadow over the Holmes family, notably upon her husband, Sherlock's father Siger Holmes
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Marguerite Holmes's grave, in which, before long, her devoted sister Rosamund would also be placed
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
It's a sad story indeed! David Houle concludes with a tribute to that fine actor Christopher Plummer (photo by Roger Johnson)
