#shoscombe old place

[ofbakerst]

Jasper

#poor jasper #shoscombe old place #granada holmes #jeremy brett #edward hardwicke #sherlock holmes #watson #dogs #my posts

[sarnie-for-varney]

I would die for Jasper

#sherlock holmes #the casebook of sherlock holmes #shoscombe old place #sir arthur conan doyle #arthur conan doyle #conan doyle #acd #granada television #granada holmes #dog #dogs #doggo #doggos

[dathen]

Wow this case sure is making me google a lot of phrases. Anyway had to really go digging for this one but it was more what I expected:

Another reason this case has early-roommates vibes: Holmes likes to say, “this is more your territory, Watson!” for anything doctor-related, but here Watson is still on wound pension and hasn’t started his private practice yet, so Holmes does a little play on words instead.

#shoscombe old place #letters from watson

[stephensmithuk]

Shoscombe Old Place

The final Holmes story published by Arthur Conan Doyle in 1927, this forms part of Case-Book. Doyle would write a number of other works, including two Professor Challenger stories, before his death in July 1930.

This was originally trailed as "The Adventure of the Black Spaniel".

Newmarket Heath is the sight of Newmarket Racecourse, one of the most prominent horse racing venues in the UK. Therefore, this was a rather public horsewhipping. I am pretty sure that the Jockey Club, which regulated the sport until 2006, would have a thing or two to say about actual bodily harm.

The Grand National takes place at Aintree every year and is the most famous steeplechase race in Europe; even those don't normally bet will take part, either directly or via a sweepstake.

The race has become controversial due to many horses being fatally injured when falling, frequently at the steep drop of Becher's Brook, and then euthanised over the years; various changes have been made to try to make things safer. There have been five horse deaths since the 2012 changes from 595 runners; you are fully entitled to think five is five too many. 2023 saw Animal Rising protestors attempt to stop the race and cause a delay; Hill Sixteen ended up dying, with his trainer blaming the protestors for spooking the horses.

"The Derby" refers to the Epsom Derby, held every year on the first Saturday of June. It is the flat race with the highest prize in British horse racing, with a first prize of £885,781.84 in 2023, when Ryan Moore won it riding Auguste Rodin.

"The Jews" refers to moneylenders, the stereotypical profession that Jewish people practiced. Most Jews by 1902 did not of course.

"Halt-on-demand" stations are those where passengers have to request the train stops there either via informing the guard in advance if getting off, or by other methods if getting on, like holding your arm out for a bus, although electronic methods are in increasing use. Great Britain has around 135 of them.

Historically fishing was a major source of food for poorer rural families. From 1865, you needed a licence for salmon and trout fishing, although not for other fish. The rod licence's provisions were expanded over time to prevent overfishing and you now need a licence, as well as permission of the property owner, for most fishing in England and Wales. Not in most of Scotland and Northern Ireland though. There will also be restrictions on what you can keep (which has caused issues with foreign anglers who generally don't operate on the 'put it back' principle) and the whole angling business is now pretty heavily regulated. Fish without a licence and you can be on the hook for a fine of up to £2,500.

It is a legal requirement to register a death within five days in England and Wales. There is also a separate offence of preventing a lawful and decent burial, which has a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, but it is fairly rare for someone to be charged with it unless as part of a homicide case.

#letters from watson #sherlock holmes #acd canon #shoscombe old place #angling puns #fishing

[mariana-oconnor]

Shoscombe Old Place full

First of all, in my head this story is either called Shoscombe Old Spot*, and is about pigs, or Is a repeat of the Boscombe Valley Mystery. I cannot call it the right name to save my life.

This is all I am going to see for every character in this story. I apologise in advance.

*There is a type of pig called a Gloucester Old Spot.

Sherlock Holmes had been bending for a long time over a low-power microscope. Now he straightened himself up and looked round at me in triumph.

"Since I ran down that coiner by the zinc and copper filings in the seam of his cuff they have begun to realize the importance of the microscope.”

And 100 years later it would be used in flashy, edited montages of pretty forensic scientists also identifying glue and threads from a tweed coat.

"Watson, you know something of racing?” “I ought to. I pay for it with about half my wound pension.”

Did Mary die, or did she throw him out for his gambling addiction and they both agreed to pretend the other was dead because it's Victorian Britain?

“It was when he horsewhipped Sam Brewer, the well-known Curzon Street money-lender, on Newmarket Heath. He nearly killed the man.” “Ah, he sounds interesting! Does he often indulge in that way?”

I would call that neither interesting, nor indulging, but you do you, I guess.

Sir Robert Norberton. Sounds like a great guy.

"He should have been a buck in the days of the Regency—a boxer, an athlete, a plunger on the turf, a lover of fair ladies, and, by all account, so far down Queer Street that he may never find his way back again.”

That took a distinct turn for the unexpected at the end there. Quite the euphemism there. Apparently it just means he has money problems (presumably because of being a horrible person and a gambler) but the joys of linguistic evolution strike again.

Is he... far down Queer Street, or has he just gone a few steps?

“There are the Shoscombe spaniels,” said I. “You hear of them at every dog show. The most exclusive breed in England. They are the special pride of the lady of Shoscombe Old Place.”

The spaniels are now also pigs in my brain. Everything is pigs. It's actually a long con that Lady Beatrice has been pulling for years. 'Most exclusive breed' = they're actually pigs in disguise.

...the firm, austere expression which is only seen upon those who have to control horses or boys.

This absolutely made me laugh. Excellent description.

“First of all, Mr. Holmes, I think that my employer, Sir Robert, has gone mad.”

Really? How could you tell? He seems like such a level-headed and calm person with absolutely no emotional issues whatsoever.

No really, how could you tell?

“Well, sir, when a man does one queer thing, or two queer things, there may be a meaning to it, but when everything he does is queer, then you begin to wonder."

😐😐😐

They did say he was pretty far down Queer Street, my dude. That's probably what the issue is.

This story is already one of the most unintentionally hilarious we've read. I hope it doesn't end with the deaths of horses or children. Or some woman marrying the abusive arsehole. That would ruin the joy.

And ah, we have reached the casual antisemitism. Because of course we have. Money lenders were mentioned, clearly there was going to be some.

"Then there is his conduct to Lady Beatrice!” “Ah! What is that?” “They have always been the best of friends. They had the same tastes, the two of them"

Does she also enjoy whipping people almost to death? Family dinners must be a riot!

“And a bitter, savage, spiteful quarrel at that. Why else would he give away her pet spaniel that she loved as if he were her child?"

"But then, again, what is master doing down at the old church crypt at night? And who is the man that meets him there?”

...I mean... Do we really want to get into that?

There's a haunted crypt? Excellent. Ghost pigs abound.

"So we up when Sir Robert was gone and pretended we were just having a walk like in the moonlight..."

Just a casual moonlit bro walk at midnight in the hook-up graveyard. Like bros.

What even is this story? I don't need to provide commentary, it's all in the text (apart from the pigs).

‘Hullo, mate! who may you be?’ says I. I guess he had not heard us coming, so he looked over his shoulder with a face as if he had seen the devil coming out of hell.

You were in the haunted graveyard. He thought you were a fucking ghost my friend. And if he didn't, he should have done and I will be very annoyed.

"From Dr. Watson's description of Sir Robert I can realize that no woman is safe from him."

Or man. Or non-binary person.

“No, sir, and there is something more that I can't fit in. Why should Sir Robert want to dig up a dead body?”

I feel... like you could have opened with the grave robbery? Maybe. Could be important. Seems relevant, if not to the case as a whole then just to... general interest, honestly.

If he dug up a grave at the haunted hook-up graveyard on Queer Street, man's going to be haunted by all the queerest ghosts. It's going to be Queer Eye for a Live Guy all over that place. Though I suspect Sr Robert is beyond their undead assistance.

"It was all in order, sir, except that in one corner was a bit of a human body.”

A bit... Which bit?

"It was just the head and a few bones of a mummy. It may have been a thousand years old."

Oh wow, is this the thing where people ate mummies for their health or something? There was a massive fad where people were just like 'I guess eating this person who is dead will stop me from dying, that makes logical sense and isn't disgusting at all' nom nom nom. Please tell me one of these people is a cannibal. Not like cannibalism yay, obviously, but that's pretty much the last thing this story needs to become completely epic.

"The creature was howling outside the old well-house, and Sir Robert was in one of his tantrums that morning. He caught it up, and I thought he would have killed it. Then he gave it to Sandy Bain, the jockey, and told him to take the dog to old Barnes at the Green Dragon, for he never wished to see it again.”

Ways in which Sir Robert Norberton is better than Sir Eustace of The Abbey Grange fame: instead of covering the dog in petrol and setting it on fire, Sir Robert just sent it away. The bar is so incredibly low for Holmesian villains.

Also, there was something in the old well-house. Probably a horse. Dog was giving it away so dog had to go.

But he didn't kill the dog. So proud. He can whip men half to death, but he draws the line at hurting dogs, apparently.

“It's the upper condyle of a human femur,” said I.

Hey. Look! Watson did a doctor thing! And it wasn't brandy.

And now they're going undercover.

Part 2

"...refuses to stop at the stables to greet her favourite horse..."

This makes me feel like it's not her favourite horse. We've already been told the horse has a doppelganger. Did the real horse die and now he's got a problem because all his money is on the horse winning the race, but he's only got the rubbish one? Or was there only ever one horse in the first place and it's rubbish? But the bone is a human femur, or so Watson says.

"Let us suppose, Watson—it is merely a scandalous supposition, a hypothesis put forward for argument's sake—that Sir Robert has done away with his sister.”

Did not see that coming. I think I missed that no one at all had seen her other than the maid. I guess it makes sense because if she dies, the estate goes to someone else and then he has no money at all. I have been distracted by horses.

Though the fact that Holmes is saying this implies to me that it's not the case. On the other hand, this is only a two parter, so there can't be that much more plot to go.

“My dear Holmes, it is out of the question.” “Very possibly, Watson. Sir Robert is a man of an honourable stock."

There is so much wrong with this exchange, I don't know where to start.

"Never mind me. I shall stand behind this holly-bush and see what I can see.”

By which you mean whether the 'spaniel' wants to go to its mistress.

Aw, he's such a good boy.

Then they stop in the suspected murder investigation to have a fishing day. That's the thing about the Holmes stories. ACD isn't afraid to say 'and there was nothing that could be done right then so we just had a jolly day out'. Crime fighting is such a leisurely business.

“‘Fore God, Mr. Holmes, it's all right,” said he. “Appearances are against me, I'll admit, but I could act no otherwise.”

A surprisingly reasonable response here from the man that we have been repeatedly told by multiple people likes to punch first and ask questions never.

"Mrs. Norlett, under her maiden name of Evans, has for some years been my sister's confidential maid."

The maid is married!? and her husband's a character?! That Sir Robert knows?! Plot twist!

So she died of natural causes. That's kind of nice. If it wasn't for all the antisemitism, this one would be pretty good.

Except for how the violent gambling addict magically makes good in the end and turns out not to be so bad after all. Though I suppose I should be happy he turned his life around. Maybe a little anticlimactic, but it's a good twist that I didn't see coming because I was too busy thinking of horses.

And pigs.

#Letters from Watson #Shoscombe Old Place #Sherlock Holmes #long post

[silencervalkyrie]

“Well, sir, when a man does one queer thing, or two queer things, there may be a meaning to it, but when everything he does is queer, then you begin to wonder. I believe Shoscombe Prince and the Derby have turned his brain.”

That's it. This is the excerpt that we're all going to post, isn't it? Nothing can top this

#LOL #THREE queer things is the limit #letters from watson #shoscombe old place

[thefisherqueen]

My favourite moments of the Granada Shoscombe Old Place episode:

When Holmes makes a mess of all the papers once again

Watson having to silently mouth information to Holmes during the conversation with the client because Holmes just can't be bothered with trival things like famous horses

Client: "She (the maid) was certainly devoted, but I won't say to whom" Jeremy Brett: *confused aroace sound*

Watson smiling in the background when Holmes, still examining a piece of HUMAN bone found in a furnace, suddenly switches to asking about whether the fishing is any good

The whole scene when Holmes and Watson enter the inn is gold. They're trying to act all natural but it's so not working, all they get is suspicious stares

Watson getting into the house as a doctor - disguised as himself, rather clever! He clearly regrets his life choices so much, though, when the old butler tells him about his erection problems. Hardwicke's expression really sells that

Holmes sniffing everything in the sister's bedroom like a dog

"Holmes that is desecration!" *immediately helps Holmes open the coffin anyway* I vehimentely hate that there's a large spider inside the coffin when they open it, because despite such a horror movie cliché it's so outragely wrong and betrays an astounding lack of knowledge about spiders. Maggots, worms, flies, yeah sure but spiders have no buisiness being on corpses. They suck out liquified insects, they literally can't eat anything solid, so no nibbling on rotting corpses for them! I really do want to pet that spider, though. It can't help that it was put in this episode and it I looked really cute and fluffy *end of random rant*

I do have a weakness for crying men. Let out these tears! If you did that earlier, 'lord', you might have not been so violent and unpleasant and someone might have helped you with your problems

The ending when mrs. Hudson brings champagne and confesses to also have gambled on the winning horse is great

#sherlock holmes #granada holmes #shoscombe old place

[yamy-brett]

Shoscombe Old Place

#granada holmes #jeremy brett #shoscombe old place

[red-umbrella-811]

Spoken like a man who is used to having to tiptoe around class prejudices.

#letters from watson #sherlock holmes #shoscombe old place

[blistering-typhoons]

WHAT THE HELL IS THAT JUDE LAW???

#IT FUCKING IS AHAHAHAHA #top ten wig reveals #shoscombe old place #granada holmes #what goes around comes back playing watson

[no-side-us]

Letters From Watson Liveblog - Nov. 3

Shoscombe Old Place, Part 2 of 2

I like that even though Holmes and Watson aren't actually there to go fishing, they still brought a bunch of fishing equipment to sell the story. I'm also going to imagine they didn't buy anything new and it's all stuff from previous fishing trips.

Watson, you've seen, met, and grappled with countless murderers of all kinds in your time with Holmes, so why would it be so hard to believe that Norberton here has killed his own sister?

I feel like this confirms they've been on previous fishing trips before. And I know it's the early 1900s, but I can't help but imagine them in generic fishing gear. I'm talking bucket hats, vests with too many pockets, cargo shorts, etc.

I love Holmes' appreciation for dogs. Also, I guess this means Lady Beatrice probably has been killed, or imprisoned in some way if she's not actually going out anymore.

Nevermind. This story reminds me of those people who pretend their deceased relatives are still alive so they can collect on said relatives' pensions or other payments. Admittedly, it is very grim of him to move his sister's dead body and have someone pretend to be her. But hey, he didn't kill anyone, so that's cool.

I'm surprised that Holmes isn't being more lenient considering he did so with actual murderers before. Maybe the indecency of it all is too much, and Norberton doesn't exactly have a sympathetic reason for anything, he's just in debt.

And Norberton's fine. Overall, this was a pretty funny story in retrospect, in a morbid sort of way. All the shenanigans of moving a dead body, then hiding it in a crypt (which is pretty smart) but then having another dead body to hide. Having a dog take constant notice, needing an actor to pretend to be the deceased, etc. It's humorous, and I had a good time with it.

Part 1 - Part 2

#letters from watson #shoscombe old place #sherlock holmes #john h watson #robert norberton #beatrice falder #josiah barnes #carrie evans #john mason #mr norlett #mrs norlett #arthur conan doyle #liveblogging sherlock holmes

[ofbakerst]

#help they are so cute #shoscombe old place #granada holmes #jeremy brett #edward hardwicke #sherlock holmes #watson #my posts

[skyriderwednesday]

Ah, the Shoscombe Old Place, not the most memorable of the Cases Named After Houses, but I enjoy it. I think its working title, The Adventure of the Black Spaniel is way better.

Personally I think this is a really early case for several reasons, all of which are demonstrated in this exchange:

Point 1A : Watson wouldn't exclude himself from one of Holmes's cases by this point. It would be 'our case' by default.

Point 1B: Similarly, Holmes wouldn't say that he has a client, it would be 'we'.

Point 2A: 1901 is a bit late for Scotland Yard to be getting around to recognising the value of microscopes, isn't it?

Point 2B: Holmes catching coin-forgers is pretty small-fry right after probably his most profitable case ever, too. He doesn't need to be doing favours for Scotland Yard at this point.

Point 3: Watson is still recieving a wound pension, which is a bit odd if it's a whole twenty years after he was wounded. Veterans weren't taken care of nearly as well back then, especially if they were regular soldiers like Watson. Also he's spending most of it betting on horses -- shouldn't his cheque-book be living in Holmes's drawer?

All in all, that's why I put this case wayyyyy early in my chronology -- just a couple months after A Study In Scarlet in fact.

#sherlock holmes #letters from watson #the shoscombe old place #i reject your chronology and substitute my own

[dathen]

Tried my usual due diligence of looking up what unfamiliar phrases mean but google was USELESS for ‘plunger on the turf’:

Meanwhile, since this Sir Robert doesn’t deserve the fun modern interpretation, reminder that “down Queer Street” just means they’re in debt. This goes along with how Sir Robert is described as spending all of his sister’s money and how she must live an uneasy life because of him, along with him nearly beating a money-lender to death.

#shoscombe old place #letters from watson

[denimsnake]

not adding this 2 that post bc i don't want the op to think i'm going after them or whatever + i dont feel like making sure any of this makes sense bc i got like 2 hours of sleep last night but . being like "well actually holmes is already public domain outside the u.s. & u can sell derivative works; the only thing that will change next year is that u will be able to use elements from the last 2 stories in derivative works distributed within the u.s." is like. not helpful at all considering the doyle estate is ridiculously litigious & considers things like "holmes displaying emotions" to be elements from those 2 stories despite the fact that he displays tons of emotions in earlier stories. u.s. copyright law is not based in reason or fact and it is in fact good & different that people will be able to distribute derivative works within the u.s. without worrying about getting sued to hell and back

even more importantly, it'll be easier for people to access the original stories (free, even)

#mine #like. it's not all about fanfiction. altho i do think we might see an uptick in more mainstream queer depictions which would be cool #but man. maybe i wanna read shoscombe old place aloud on twitch or smth. that currently violates copyright & in less than a month it won't

[hitchell-mope]

Good for Mrs Hudson.

#granada holmes #the adventure of shoscombe old place