Sherlock Holmes and Cobwebby Bottles

Like so many people, I first read the Sherlock Holmes stories in my youth, and I’ve remained an admirer ever since. I don’t belong to any of those societies whose members dress up in Holmesian guise and make pilgrimages to places like the Reichenbach Falls, but I’ve come across a number of people who thoroughly enjoy doing so, and it’s a testament to the enduring quality of the stories, and of the character of Holmes, that he retains such popularity to this day.

Over the years, I’ve published a handful of Sherlockian pastiches. The anthologist Mike Ashley started me down this road, commissioning a story called ‘The Case of the Suicidal Lawyer’ (yep, I was in gloomily ironic mood when I thought that title up) for The Mammoth Book of New Sherlock Holmes Adventures, and later tales have appeared in the late lamented magazine ‘Sherlock’, edited by David Stuart Davies, and ‘The Strand Magazine’, edited by Andrew Gulli. I’m currently toying with ideas for a new story for the latter. There’s something rather pleasant about trying to capture the voice of Dr Watson, and it’s entertaining to invent further apocryphal cases for the great man to add to the likes of the Giant Rat of Sumatra, a story for which the world still may not be adequately prepared.

Among the new generation of Holmes enthusiasts is writer and editor Rafe McGregor. He puts together a monthly e-zine called ‘Cobwebby Bottles’, and the sixth issue, a bumper holiday season compilation, has just been produced. If you are interested in Holmes, I can recommend it. Contact Rafe at RafeG@aol.com or visit his website, http://www.rafemcgregor.com.uk/