“Killed Holmes!” Arthur Conan Doyle wrote in his diary.

From Daniel Stashower’s “Teller of Tales – The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle“:

Readers of the Strand Magazine were not happy. 20,000 unsubscribed to the magazine. ACD’s mother (the Ma’am) was not happy!

Doyle wrote: “I have been much blamed for doing that gentleman to death, but I hold that it was not murder, but justifiable homicide in self-defence, since, if I had not killed him, he would certainly have killed me.”

“I have had such an overdose of him that I feel towards him as I do towards pate de foie gras, of which I once ate too much, so that the name of it gives me a sickly feeling to this day.”

The Stormy Petrels of BC will meet, in person, to examine the adventure of “The Final Problem” published in The Strand Magazine in May, 1859.

We will, once again, follow our new format ie a brief “show & Tell” segment, a paper, a “mystery event” (time permitting) and “Watson’s Words” (examining your favourite passage written by Watson)

When: Tuesday, February 7th at 7:00 p.m.

Where: The Chattham Lounge at Hampton Place (Wesbrook Mall/W16th) UBC

For additional information or if you have any questions, please contact Fran at: franziskah@shaw.ca

Bonus question (for those attending the meeting):

Which train did the pair take to the continent?

The Stormy Petrels of B.C. were very pleased to hold their October meeting in this historic mansion, situated in the heart of the West End in Vancouver.

Members who arrived early were treated to a brief tour by Joyce, the events coordinator.

We met in the beautiful parlour, and had a lovely tea, prepared by Joyce, in the dining room.

The adventure for discussion was “The Greek Interpreter” and our own Ana, an official interpreter showed her credentials (although Spanish, not Greek)

Both Bob and Sheldon gave reports on the recent Bootmaker celebration.

Perhaps we will make the Roedde House an annual meeting location.

Stormy Petrels and all Sherlockians! We will begin our study sessions once more. Our last one was in June. Since then we have met up at a pub (Milltown Bar & Grill in August) and our very successful 35th anniversary celebration at the Johnston-Keddis Estate in South Surrey in September.

The October 4th meeting will take place at the Roedde House Museum, 1415 Barclay Street, Vancouver (in the heart of the West End).

The meeting will begin at 7:00, but if you are able to be there by 6:30, you will be treated to a tour of the Victorian mansion.

The adventure for discussion will be “The Greek Interpreter”. A story involving kidnapping, extortion and murder.

This adventure first appeared in September in 1893 in both the Strand Magazine and Harper’s Weekly, and gives us a peek into Holmes’s background, such as informing us that he has an older brother, he is descended from country squires and his grandmother was the sister of the French artist Vernet.

What did Mycroft do for a living? What is the Diogenes Club? What were Dr. Watson’s comments on Sherlock Holmes’s character? Did he play golf?

If you have any questions or require more information, contact Fran at: franziskah@shaw.ca

If you require additional information, or have any questions, please contact Fran at: franziskah@shaw.ca