In a recent blog I told you about some of the letters that have been sent to 221B Baker Street the fictional address of the greatest detective duo ever – Sherlock Holmes and Dr John H. Watson. One of the contributing factors that led to the flood of such letters was the fact that newspapers throughout the world began telling their readers that, if they were to write to Holmes, they could be assured of a reply!
One such letter sent from Brooklyn New York read:-
Dear Sir
I was reading an article in the New York Post about letters that are written to Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson. It said that each letter is answered individually. I think this is very nice. I was wondering if you could send me a letter from ‘Sherlock Holmes’. Could you also please enclose the envelope this letter came in. I want the cancelled envelope for a souvenir. Also, if there is any other souvenir material could you please enclose that.
Thank you very much.
Steven Machover.
Re-reading some of these letters, which I hadn’t read for quite a few years, it suddenly dawned on me that there are no recent documentations of similar letters in the public domain. The problem is that, now Abbey National have become Santander and have moved out of Abbey House, which stands on the physical site of 221B Baker Street, there is no longer a person with the designated job title of “Private Secretary to Sherlock Holmes.” Or is there?
What I’m getting at is, if one were to send a letter addressed to Mr Sherlock Holmes 221B Baker Street, London England, would you get a reply?
Well as the great comedian Harry Hill regularly says, “there’s only one way to find out!”