An Evening at Baker Street West

Perhaps you didn't realize that some genii has transported Baker Street from the heart of London to a remarkable bookstore in the town of Jackson, a historic town in the California foothills. There, on the second floor, a motley collection of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's characters comes together on the first Tuesday of every odd-numbered month. They belong to the Holmes Hounds, a Sherlock Holmes Society with members scattered as far away as New York and as nearby as Volcano. On even-numbered months, they enjoy mystery theater, Holmesian films, and sometimes a Victorian dinner. At all events, they enjoy a scrumptious assortment of nibbles, and a glass of fine wine. This is "Baker Street West."                                                                                                                                                                
          "Baker Street West" is the brain child of Linda and Wolf Hein, owners of Hein & Company Rare and Used Books. The bookstore is a book lover's delight. Their second floor, "Baker Street West", so far is a recreation of the living/dining room of Sherlock Holmes and and Dr. Watson's living quarters at 221B Baker Street, as well as Mrs. Hudson's Tea Shoppe. But it soon will be a recreation of a Victorian era street, with shops (or should I say "shoppes") capturing the spirit of Victorian London, and named after some of Doyle's characters.

Before the evening started. Sherlock's
quarters are behind this partition. But
this has lots of atmosphere, as you
can see. 

Members were seated and then the meeting came to order.

This list is hard to read,
but here is what you can
expect to see in the future: 
Dr. Watson's Apothecary
(herbal remedies of the day);
Irene Adler's Dress
Emporium (imagine the dresses!)
 Wiggins Toy Shoppe
(Victorian toys),
The Wolf and Bear Pub,
Southdowns Apiary
and on and on . . . . 

Holmes paraphernalia.

   

A character dressed for the times. 

Being a Sherlock Holmes fan, you can imagine how pleased I was to get a chance to read for this group and, plunged in the atmosphere where it really is 1895. Not to mention being surrounded by books. (My downfall. My addiction. Forget violins and the 7% solution.)

 I read two
 "excerpts". One
 was the famous
 Vincent Starrett's
 sonnet, "221B",
 shared earlier in
 the day with me and other MX authors online,
 by Amy Thomas,
 one of the Baker Street Babes. The Baker Street Babes is a Sherlock Holmes Society that you can read about HERE, and you can read this moving sonnet there as well. In a team effort, the members translated this poem into over 30 languages in commemoration of the 85th anniversary of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's death. When I read it, the audience was hushed.

Then I read a chapter from my book, Imogene and the Case of the Missing Pearls, which was quite rewarding, because this was an attentive audience.

Copies of my book, along with issues of The Sherlock Holmes Journal,
a quarterly  journal published by The Sherlock Holmes Society of London

You don't see them, but there were some wonderful costumes

As I say, an attentive and rewarding audience.

Reading the sonnet: "2221B" (where it's always 1895).

Amy, they really liked that poem.

For someone who just loves to read, whether or not you are into Sherlock Holmes, Hein & Company Rare and Used Books is a book lover's delight. You could spend hours there, curled up on comfortable chairs, visited by the resident cats, surrounded by the wonderful musty smell of books.

And, who knows? You might find me curled up reading an irresistible book.

How about you? Are you addicted to books? Do you like used book stores? Are you a Sherlock Holmes fan?