Please elaborate: Marengo
Memories
Does anyone have fond memories of the modern-day the 221B Sherlock Holmes Museum in London and, particularly, the delightful street-level restaurant there named Mrs. Hudson’s Restaurant? Buttons first dined there in 1986 and again several times in later years. The decor was period Victorian and quite nice; the food was classic Victorian and fairly good, brought up from kitchens in the basement; the staff was entirely dressed in period clothing; and, with a four-course meal, each diner was given a free ticket to “The Rooms” above (the museum). It was quite a pleasant little restaurant and in business at least a decade. The space is now occupied by the museum store. Anyone know who was the “Mrs. Hudson” of the restaurant?
Obscure Question…
Buttons was reading again last night … what is a “wideawake?”
Gunpowder, Fireworks, Explosions, Bombs and other Militaristics…
Buttons was half-finished with a pork pasty and a pint or two when a thought occurred:
Are there any explosions, bombs, fireworks, or gunpowder references in the Canon… explicit, implicit, implied or in passing… ?
Dr Watson’s “ship’s”
Dr Watson states, “I always smoke ‘ship’s’ myself” Anyone care to define ‘ship’s’ which later becomes Ship’s without quotes and a capital “S”? Over a half-century ago, a Sherlockian with the first name of Sherry ploughed this ground, but the definitive answer remains elusive. Are you up to the challenge?
Scroll Down and Look at the Responses to the MD, Mr, Dr, FRCS question!
This quiz question has brought about the largest number of responses ever. And here is a perfect example of collaboration, original work, and the enthusiasm that makes our mutual interest fun and rewarding.
You too can participate. You too can create a question. Either post it as a reply or send it to Buttons and he will get down off his stool and chalk it on the board.
And, please note that the First Annual John H Watson Society Treasure Hunt is only 31 days away!
Today’s quiz question is:
Do you accept Martha as being the housekeeper in “His Last Bow,” as well as the housekeeper at the Sussex Downs cottage, and is she also Mrs Hudson?
Thirty-Two Days to the Treasure Hunt! Here’s a Teaser.
Who lives on Brook Street?
Conveyances in the Canon
The Canon spans a time of change in travel. How many types of conveyances are there in the body of writing? We are looking for a list of specific names, i.e., “dog cart.”
Question: June 25, 2013
During a recent “Consultation,” six Founding Members met at the China Palace restaurant in Novato, California, where the following question was raised:
What is the only restaurant to produce a truly GREAT Szechuan beef dish?
The answer is: ?
Are there any references to non-English cuisines in the Canon?
38 Days to The Treasure Hunt! Here’s Something for Today, the 24th inst.
What is the meaning of the date abbreviations often found in letters and telegrams in the Canon and throughout the writing of 19th Century Britain?
Examples: “On Sunday night, the 18th inst.” or “The ship left Liverpool on the 8th ult.” or “The inquest will be held on the 25th prox.”
Also, what is the meaning and difference between “Sennight” and “Fortnight.”
Extraordinary! Exciting News! Mark Calendars! Alert Friends! Send Emails! Inform the Watsonian World!
The Society is pleased to announce the debut of the First Annual John H Watson Society Canonical Treasure Hunt.
The First Annual John H Watson Canonical Treasure Hunt will involve a lengthy search through the Canon and scholarly material requiring Watsonian Seekers of Truth to sort through a large body of data in order to arrive at the point where the Canonical Treasure is to be found and identified.
Our treasure hunt will involve encryption, obscure references, geographic and biologic inferences, people, objects, dates, and all manner of Watsonian and Holmesian/Sherlockian knowledge.
Be cautioned! It will not be simple. The First Annual John H Watson Canonical Treasure Hunt may well take you weeks to sort out the answer . . . perhaps months. This will make the Musgrave Ritual look like child’s play. You will be required to hunt through the literature, both the Sacred Canon and the related scholarship of the past seventy years.
And there will be prizes! The first Society Charter member to email the correct answer will receive a fine first British edition of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes donated to the Society by an anonymous member. Other categories of winners will also receive handsome donated prizes.
And now for the Rules:
1. The Annual John H Watson Canonical Treasure Hunt will be posted on the Society’s website at the Quiz Page at exactly 12:00 Noon (Pacific) on Thursday, 1 August 2013. All participants will have an equal opportunity relative to time and access. The Canonical Treasure Hunt will end upon submission of the first correct answer or on Monday, September 2, 2013 at 12 Noon (Pacific).
2. The Annual John H Watson Canonical Treasure Hunt shall have four categories: Charter Members, Non-Members, Founding Members and Students. One winner from the Charter Members shall be determined and one winner from Non-Members shall also be determined. A winning Founding Member will be determined, as well. Founding Members may not compete in the Charter Member category. The Student winner may be a member or non-member, but must be enrolled in a high school, college or university of higher learning. The Charter Member winner will receive a first British edition of The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes ( a $1,000 value). The Non-Member winner will receive a six-year membership to the Society (a $120 value). The Student winner will receive an Honorarium of $250. The Founding Member (Directors) winner shall have the satisfaction of knowing the answer submitted was correct.
3. The winners will be determined by two criteria: 1) Correctness of the final answer; and 2) Time of receipt of the correct answer by the Society via email at info@johnhwatsonsociety.com . Winners in all categories will be posted on the Society website. NOTE: The final answer will consist of identifying the ultimate Treasure, but will also require answering correctly all questions leading up to the final answer.
4. All matters concerning the Canonical Treasure Hunt, the contest, the answers, and the determination of the winning answer will be the sole decision of the John H Watson Society Directors. The only purpose of the Annual John H Watson Society Canonical Treasure Hunt is to encourage scholarship and a deeper understanding of the writings of John H Watson, M.D. All prizes have been donated to the Society by anonymous members.
The Society encourages its members to inform as many people of this First Annual John H Watson Society Canonical Treasure Hunt as possible. We also encourage other scion clubs and organisations to let their members know of this unique and exciting event. And, we would hope the Sherlockian, Holmesian and Watsonian media worldwide find it a worthy effort for featuring prominently in their reportage.
And so, we announce the First Annual John H Watson Society Canonical Treasure Hunt and ask you to spread the word and return promptly at noon (Pacific) on Thursday 1 August 2013 for the revealing of the mystery! The game IS afoot!
Extraordinary! Exciting News! Alert Friends! Send Emails! Inform the Watsonian World!
If you like the Quiz Page, you are going to want to know about this!
Go to the The Watsonian Blog page and read about what is coming!
Then tell the world!
Even Buttons awoke for this!
M.D., Dr., Mr., FRCS, ?
The British have their own way of referring to physicians. Some are Mr, some are Dr, some have FRCS after their name, and some have M.D. Our own John Watson was styled: John H. Watson, M.D. and referred to as Dr Watson. What are the distinctions, the degrees or education indicated, and who can come up with the list of all the physicians and their appropriate professional titles as per the Canon?
Dr Watson’s “Stuff”
We have an extensive catalogue of Mr Holmes’s personal belongings, from dressing gowns to pipes to commonplace books and on and on.
But, what do we know of Dr Watson’s belongings? Who can catalogue those items that are Dr Watson’s personal things? And where no evidence exists, who would care to speculate on Dr Watson’s likely inventory?
Dr Watson’s Moons
Dr Watson writes of moons in about thirty instances throughout the Canon. Has anyone worked out the references, the pattern, or the significance of the moons?
Why a Bearskin Rug?
Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson have a bearskin rug in front of the fireplace. Anyone care to speculate on this? Would not a bearskin rug be unusual in Victorian England? Were (are) there bears in Great Britain?
On a separate note, Buttons has it on first authority that Vamberry Wine Merchant bottled the First Edition A Study In Scarlet today. He reports that it is something a bit special in a red wine. A case is being sent to Dr Watson for “medicinal purposes.” www.221bcellars.com.
And, now, back to the bear…
We Need Participants! Here is an Incentive!
New exploration that comes from questions that have and have not been asked before is a wonderful thing. It enlivens the discussion, prolongs The Game, and adds colour to our everyday routine. This topic is the passion of all of our members, and everyone of us has something to add to the discussion. Please join in. There are no wrong answers, only unlimited positions to be stated and supported for the enjoyment and benefit of us all.
Incentive: We will award an annual prize for all members attaining the stature of Attending Quiz Physician (details forthcoming). Start now! It will be a very nice prize!
Today’s question:
Who or what is a “scabby sheep” and what is the context? What other veterinary references does Dr Watson write about throughout the Canon?
A Sunday Quiz Question
As Harrison Hunt, Sandy Kozinn, James O’Leary, and Joanne Yates have proven to be deadly accurate in their answers to the previous questions, Buttons has been forced to get off his stool and repair to the library to do research for today’s offering:
“E.C” . . . .? Who is speaking? Which story? What was the screw?
A Truly Difficult Question . . .
Holmes speaks of “… Jupiter descending….” What is he referencing and where does it occur?
Who is Blondin?
In The Sign of Four, Holmes states: “… watch out for Blondin….” What is the significance of this? What is he referring to?