Crimes and their Times  Did The Red Circle's namesake adventure take place in 1885 or in 1903? Or sometime in between? There's no subject in the world of Sherlock Holmes that generates more spirited debate than the chronology of the Canon. Timeline detectives have spent decades mining the fine details of each story for clues to their dates, yet consensus has proven chronically elusive. Brad Keefauver presides over the Sherlockian Chronologist Guild, an on-line society that publishes a monthly journal, Timeline. Two articles in the June 2022 issue examine "The Red Circle," where you can see just how complicated Sherlockian chronology can be. You're invited to read the issue for yourself here. And if you'd like to receive the journal regularly, just email Brad here.  3/2/24 AR

Can it possibly be 40 years?  It seems like yesterday that Jeremy Brett burst onto our TV screens as a Sherlock Holmes for the ages. . .a fine actor appearing in scripts that are notoriously faithful to the Canon. May 25 marked the date for a one-day 40th anniversary celebration of Brett's turn in Granada's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. Dubbed Brettcon, it happened in Guildford, Surry, and is the brainchild of Gus and Luke Holwerda, proprietors of the 40+ episode podcast called--what else?--Sherlock Podcast. Whether or not you listen to the podcasts, and whether or not you made it across the pond for the doings in May, you'll want to spend two minutes with the lovely trailer Gus and Luke have put together for the event. Watch it here. 2/27/24 AR

The Thing’s a Play!  What really happened when Holmes returned from The Great Hiatus and greeted Mrs. Hudson at 221B? Sherlockian Ray Betzner has penned a seven minute solution to that question in the form of a suitably irreverant drama, performed at the 2024 William Gillette Luncheon in New York. Carrying on Gillette’s pioneering work as Sherlock Holmes was Curtis Armstrong, himself a celebrated actor (Revenge of the Nerds, Risky Business). Opposite Curtis as Mrs. Hudson was Dr. Ashley Polasek, possibly the only Sherlockian who holds a Ph.D. in Holmes adaptations. Rounding out the cast in the role of the dummy (OK, the bust) was multi-award-winning playwright Ken Ludwig, who proved conclusively that there really are such things as small roles. Thanks to the recording made by the Red Circle’s Matt Hall, and permission to use the “intellectual” property from all involved, you’re invited to enjoy Mrs. Hudson and the Return of Sherlock Holmes here. Have fun! 1/31/24 AR

The end of an era approaches  The Red Circle's own Denny Dobry has for many years welcomed fellow Sherlockians to visit his splendid recreation of the sitting-room at 221B Baker Street in his home in Reading, PA. Now, as Denny prepares to move his amazing room to a place of safekeeping, he has invited his Red Circle friends to an open house on Saturday, August 10, beginning at 11:00 am. When you visit, you'll be able to purchase books and other Sherlockiana that have been donated to the BSI Trust. Plan now to take advantage of what may be your last chance to enjoy this remarkable homage to The Great Detective. Contact Denny directly to rsvp and get directions to Reading. 7/1/24 AR

Red Circle Fall meeting to convene at Folger Shakespeare Library  Taking a break from our usual luncheon meetings, the Red Circle is planning to visit the Folger Shakespeare Library on Sunday, September 8. We’ll be treated to an exclusive tour of the Stuart and Mimi Rose Collection, which conveniently includes the manuscript of The Valley of Fear among its many eye-popping literary treasures. The collection curator, Greg Prickman, will personally conduct the tour at 2:00 pm, and reservations will be accepted in the order they are received.  Please request reservations via an email to Peter E. Blau, and we'll do our best to accommodate everyone. If you would like to know more about what you'll see at the exhibition, the Folger has kindly created a virtual tour which you can access here.  Case #4 will be of particular interest. There's much more to see at the newly renovated and glorious Folger, including the world's largest collection of First Folios, and docents will be available to tell you some interesting stories. The Folger will be open from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm, in case you'd like to come early or stay late. There is no charge for admission to the Folger, but they do request a voluntary minimum donation of $15.00 for timed entry to the exhibition. The Folger is located on Capitol Hill at 201 East Capitol Street, SE, between Second and Third Streets. Capitol South is the nearest Metro stop. Because there is limited street parking, Uber or Lyft might be a good choice for some. So, “The game is afoot,” as the Bard said in two plays, both to be found in the First Folio.  Looking forward to seeing you at the Folger! 7/30/24 AR