Ineffable Twaddle “It is my business to know what other people don’t know.” The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle A monthly publication of The Sound of the Baskervilles A Scion Society of the Baker Street Irregulars since Mary 31, 1980 Serving the Greater Puget Sound Region of Western Washington Volume 30, Issue 7 th July 2011 15 Annual Watson Picnic is July 23!! OUR 30TH YEAR In our more than 31 years, we’ve had share!! And, if you’re bringing a loads more than fifteen picnics, but this is dish that needs special utensils, th our 15 consecutive one—aided without fail please bring those as well!! Inside this issue: by Committee Chair Paul Williams. He is PFL David and Terri will again th taking us back to the south shelter at beau- bring plates, napkins, cutlery 15 Annual Watson 1 tiful Seahurst Park in Burien on Saturday, and drinking glasses! Picnic is July 23!! July 23!! The formal running time of our Dr. Burien is easy to get to from all points Sing-Along with 1 John H. Watson Picnic is 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 north, south, east and west! And Seahurst “Dr. Watson and p.m., but parking is always at a premium Park is a gorgeous site, right on the Sound! Mr. Holmes” and construction may force you to park fur- PFL David says there will be a game, but ther away from our shelter—so get there there’s no need to brush up on your athletic “But It’s the Solar 2 early!! skills, because you won’t need any of those! System!” This is a pot-luck, so please bring enough And, watch out because 3-time trophy win- food—salads, main dishes, side dishes, ner John Nelson plans to participate!!! First to Crack the 2 chips, snacks, sweets—and beverages to Don’t miss the fun...it’s always a great day! Case Contributed by Treasurer Al Nelson Sing-Along with “Dr. Watson and Mr. Holmes” Things to See, Buy, 3 From SOB Bill Seil: “A friend’s Mom won an That he’s got to have me.” Do & Know old, used CD called “52nd Street Swing New York “Quick, quick, Sherlock, the lowdown.” th Member News & 4 in the '30s”. The 4 track is from 1934 with lyrics “Cops can’t even solve a crime. Updates by Johnny Mercer (!!) and is called “Dr. Watson Bound to miss it every time. and Mr. Holmes”. The music’s been put to clips Ain’t it awful, Doctor Watson?” of old Sherlock Holmes films, so it’s cool to watch “Simply lousy, Mister Holmes.” at: www.youtube.com/watch?v=hX1CJAeyupQ. GETTING TO Hear the song and see a photo of the band at: “Now when policemen have a case SEAHURST PARK www.youtube.com/watch?v=2u04g7RuMz4. In the Where they raid some gambling place, for the Dr. John H. Watson Picnic meantime, here are the lyrics: How they muff it, Doctor Watson!” Saturday, July 23 “What’s the reason, Mister Holmes?” 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. “Dr. Watson and Mr. Holmes” (1934) From I-5, take Highway 518 west- “By the time the cops catch on, Music: Bernie Hanighen / bound (Exit 154, near South Lyrics: Johnny Mercer All the evidence is gone. Center Mall, where I-5 meets Must be dummies, Doctor Watson.” Gangway for that famous sleuth! I-405). When you get into Burien, “They’re morons, Mister Holmes.” Must be Sherlock—that’s the truth. Highway 518 turns into S. W. 148th “Elementary, Doctor Watson.” While they’re looking around, Street. As you continue west- “You are amazing, Mister Holmes.” Not a thing to be found. bound, look for and turn And the gambling rooms are lobbies right onto Ambaum No detective stands a chance. And the rattle of dice Blvd. S.W. Proceed to Well, how about this Philo Vance? Is the tinkle of ice. S. W. 144th Street (the “He’s a good man, Doctor Watson.” 2nd light) and turn left. “Look Sherlock—the bobbies!” “As a jurist, Mister Holmes.” Go 3 short blocks to 13th Avenue “Why, Inspector, how d’ye do?” S.W. and turn right. This will take “When they have a crime wave “Sherlock, I’ll be seeing you.” you right into the park—if you hit the And the papers all rave “Now where are you going, Doctor Watson?” water, you’ve gone too far!. We will And they’re hollering for a showdown “To China, Mister Holmes!” be in the south picnic shelter! The inspector can see Page 2 Ineffable Twaddle T.S. McHugh’s “But It’s the Solar System!” Public House is at The July 11, 2011 Business Meeting of The Sound of the Baskervilles will begin at 21 Mercer Street, 6:30 p.m. at T.S. McHugh’s Public House. The social hour starts at 5:30 p.m.! Seattle, (206) 282- As promised (see Ineffable Twaddle, Vol. 29, October/November 2010, Issue 10/11, Page 1910. Come at 4, “Changes on the Horizon for 2011”), we will make our 3rd quarterly digression from 5:30, order dinner our current study of the Canon (in order by publication date) and devote the Meeting and catch up with to an informative presentation of an aspect of life in Victorian England. other SOBs! Ms. Ariana Scott-Zechlin, a student of SOB David Smith’s—who’s a professor at the University of Puget Sound specializing in Victoriana—will look at the use of as- tronomy in both the original Holmesian Canon and the BBC/PBS production of “Sherlock”. Her talk is entitled “But It’s the Solar System!: Reconciling Science and Correction, please... Faith in BBC’s Sherlock”. from our friend MC Black in It should be a very informative and entertaining presentation! Come, participate in London the discussion, or just listen and learn!! An error occurred on Page 3 of our June, 2011 Ineffable Twaddle (Vol. 30, Issue 6) First to Crack the Case • Firstly, my company is “Detective Walks”, rather than Excerpted from the London Times, April 24 cal drama, where the investigation is “London Walks”. “The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher” shows how played out in front of the characters, all • Secondly, the best address to a real Victorian sleuth became the mould for of whom have something to hide...It contact me at is: modern Sherlocks, says Benji Wilson. has proved endlessly enduring as a [email protected]. Kate Summerscale’s bestselling Victo- blueprint for everything from Agatha rian whodunit—“The Suspicions of Mr. Christie to themed weekend breaks Whicher”—is an immersive investiga- and the film “Gosford Park”. tion of a real-life murder, adapted this “Because the mystery was unsolved Help, Doctor! week by ITV (April 25, 9 p.m.). Summer- for so long, it allowed the press and Next time your Doc scale’s contention is that detective fe- novelists to elaborate a whole struc- writes in your chart, you ver, Inspector Jonathan Whicher and the ture,” author Summerscale says. “It might want to see what’s murder at Road Hill House in Wilt- being scrawled. starts with a mystery and then goes shire—the case about which Whicher Do you have GLL (great backwards into the family’s past, the looking legs)? Are you a candidate had his suspicions—are all part of a events that preceded the murder, for the Departure Lounge (geriatric nexus of cause and effect that created weeks, years. It created its own model ward)? During an exam were you detective fiction itself. for how a gripping story might unfold, a TBP (total bloody pain)? The first detectives were appointed by in real time, as it were. It was a detec- It turns out these are codes used by the London Metropolitan Police in 1842. tive novel in the making.” some Docs in Great Britain to de- Whicher was one of the original eight. A fortnight after the murder, Whicher scribe their patients. One Doc at a Says Summerscale, “In effect, they by this time the most celebrated sleuth London hospital says the longtime made up detection themselves as a pro- of his time, took the train to Road Hill to practice amounts to using humour fession. And, those eight men were the begin his investigation. In the report- as a way to cope with stress, loss, object of great fascination to many, in- ing of the case, Whicher was portrayed grief, disease and death. cluding Charles Dickens” (whose first as a character, named and discussed. Source: AARP Bulletin fictional English detective Inspector This hadn’t happened before. In terms Bucket in “Bleak House” appeared in of his methodology, Whicher gives 1853). every appearance of being by the The case: On July 1, 1860, the Kent book: When he got to Road Hill, he Librarian’s Corner family, inhabitants of the elegant, 3- gathered his evidence, drew floor Treasurer Al and I are working story Georgian Road Hill House, awoke plans, plotted timelines. Yet Summer- together, researching buying 4 to 5 to find that their 3-year-old son was not scale says he then went with his gut new Sherlockian books to add to in his cot. He was found later that morn- instinct anyway. our Lending Library. ing dumped in the outdoor privy with “When I tried to piece together The books all come with high his throat slit. The body was removed recommendations. Whicher’s work, I realized he decided through the drawing room. As the house We will be expending a small almost as soon as he got there who’d amount of the Club’s funds—about was bolted from the inside, the guilty done it.