The story for discussion will be “The Mazarin Stone” published in the Strand Magazine and in Hearst’s International for October 1921.
Narrated in the third person, this adaptation is based on a one-act play, “The Crown Diamond: An Evening with Sherlock Holmes“, written by ACD.
The stage is set! We see scientific charts on the wall, an acid-charred bench of chemicals, a violin case in the corner and a coal scuttle filled with pipes and tobacco. New to 221b is the curtain across a bow window, which allows room for a chair.
The story also features Billy – the boy in buttons, who welcomes Dr. Watson, which informs the reader that the good doctor is living elsewhere.
We see similarities with other cases. The “shooter of big game” reminds us of Colonel Sebastian Moran; the bust in the window reminds us of an incident from “The Empty House“;
The Stormy Petrels will meet at their usual venue – Hampton Place lounge at UBC, starting at 7:00 pm, Tuesday, December 4th.
We will be setting up our Petrel Tree – decorated with ornaments representing each of the 60 stories of the canon. Please feel free to bring such an ornament.
BONUS QUESTION: What music was Holmes playing on his gramophone in order to fool his visitors?
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Published by Fran Martin
Fran Martin became a member of The Bootmakers of Toronto in 1987 and The Stormy Petrels of B.C. in 1988.
She has attended several Sherlockian conferences including: In 1992 "Aspects of Holmes" in Bradford, England (hosted by The Northern Musgraves); In 2006 "ACD at 35" in Toronto (hosted by The Bootmakers of Toronto); 2013 "Sherlock Holmes Through Time & and Place" in Minneapolis (hosted by The Norwegian Explorers); 2014 "Gillette to Brett IV" in Bloomington (hosted by Wessex Press); 2015 SherlockCon in Seattle; 2015 "A Scintillation of Scions VIII" in Baltimore (hosted by Watson's Tin Box); 2016 "The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes" (hosted by The Norwegian Explorers); in 2018 in Dayton, Ohio for the "Holmes, Doyle & Friends" conference (hosted by the Agra Treasurers).
Fran has held several positions with The Stormy Petrels of B.C. including secretary, vice-president, special events coordinator and is currently president and editor of the "Petrel Flyer".
She was honoured with being awarded the title of "Master Bootmaker" in 2014. She was very pleased to present a paper to a meeting of Sir Hugo's Companions in Chicago in 2017.
Fran has contributed articles to Canadian Holmes magazine, the Watsonian and Chris Redmond's "About Sixty" and "Sherlock Holmes is Like...". In May, 2018 she attended the 78th annual Speckled Band of Boston dinner. She was very honoured to have been one of the first women invited.
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The Stormy Petrels of BC 