During a recent holiday to the South of France, I took a copy of Barefoot (second edition) along to the beautiful town of Narbonne which features at the start of chapter eleven.

Husband took a photo of me holding it beside the lovely canal de la Robine which I pictured quite accurately when I wrote about it – even though I’d never seen it before.

‘Narbonne was beautiful in the bright early-morning sunshine. The Canal de la Robine shone like a silver ribbon snaking through the centre of the town flecked by the little boats travelling its length towards the great Aude river.’

We also took this picture at Narbonne station, remembering how Red and Jude catch a train from here and travel to Paris where danger and adventure await them.  All that awaited husband and I that afternoon was a very nice lunch and an ice-cream!

If you can filter out the British accent (pardon me, Steve), this is a delightfully illuminating talk with much that is of practical use…please enjoy and share with your friends…

On Saturday I was lucky enough to take part in the live Sherlock Holmes debate 3.  A group of Holmesian experts got together in London and via the internet to debate which was the best story in the original Sherlock Holmes canon.

I argued in favour of The Six Napoleons but faced passionate competition and things did get a bit heated – especially when we started discussing A Scandal in Bohemia.  I think ultimately, the winner of the debate was the canon as a whole because one story didn’t dominate – with such a brilliant and diverse body of work to choose from everyone has their own favourite.

After the initial debate ended, the audience were treated to a master-class in Sherlock Holmes’ method from mentalist Joe Riggs, described as The Real Sherlock Holmes.  Joe is such an interesting character and I recommend his new book – The Real Sherlock…

We began the week with THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES,  Rathbone’s second outing as Holmes, and considered by many (moi included) to be his best, and maybe even one of the best Holmes movies ever made.  We are going to end it tomorrow with DRESSED TO KILL, his last Holmes outing.

Only seven years separate them, but the artistic and personal gulf for the Baz is massive.  

If you doubt that just look. I mean just run these two films  one after the other. You’ll see what I mean? 

It’s not fair or accurate to say it’s just  the quality of the script and production that have declined (DRESSED TO KILL is actually not that badly written at all).  No, Rathbone himself has changed, and not for the better. THE ADVENTURES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES, (like HOUND, possibly even more so) has a Holmes you could easily believe…

Here are the pictures from the terrific signing at the world famous Warwick’s Books…

A happy fan

Thanks to everyone who made this signing such a fantastic success!!!

Apparently it’s Sherlock Holmes week.

Why does no one tell me these things?

If you are running a Basil Rathbone blog then you literally have to take notice of this. I mean I think there’s actually a law about it.

So, Baz – if you’re around – I’m sorry. I know you were ambivalent (at best) about your identity as Holmes, but that doesn’t change the fact you were one of the greatest Sherlocks of all time (arguably THE greatest). You looked like the Paget drawings come to life (though prettier). You did restless, cerebral brilliance better than any actor I can name (apart from Jeremy Brett). And I am going to fecking say so whether you like it or not.

This week is going to be Sherlock Week on The Baz.

Entirely by coincidence (really truly) a guy I know at uni is working on an animation project…

I just received this review from the lovely Joanna, on Goodreads, and it made me smile.

This book is so completely awesome. Erudite was a word another reviewer used, which is the one word I would use to describe the book if I couldn’t use “awesome.”

It’s not for purists. Firstly, Watson’s barely in it. Secondly, the subject matter is a little bit more uh… edgy? than what I assume would be traditional. Witchcraft, a little bit of sex (though not explicit, I think), drugs, religious discussion. I mean, it does have Aleister Crowley in it as the Watson subsitute, ha. This novel shakes up beliefs about Sherlock Holmes… which makes it sound “merely clever” but I assure you it is not. It reads like the work of an intelligent person passionate about sharing a story with you, as opposed to a person passionate about showing you how clever…