A Recap of Holmes in the Heartland

It's hard to believe that Holmes in the Heartland was just last month!  So much fun was had and memories were made.  For those of you who weren't able to join us in St. Louis last month (or those of you who want to relive a fantast weekend), this blog post is for you!

Thursday

Holmes in the Heartland officially started on Friday, but a few dozen locals and early attendees were able to watch a screening of The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes next door to our conference space on Thursday evening.  For some, it was their first time, and others were there to see it because they had enjoyed the film in all of their previous viewings.  One thing everyone had in common was that we all had fun as a large group at the theater and were the last ones present at the Q&A at the end of the evening!

Friday

Holmes in the Heartland officially kicked off on Friday evening with our Haunted Happy Hour.  The winner of our VIP package, Elaine, received the key to the Sherlock Holmes suite for the weekend as well as her box full of Holmes in the Heartland goodies.

As attendees met up with friends both old and new, our mascot Boolock Holmes made her way around the crowd, distributing spooky Sherlockian trivia to help the conversations kick into a higher gear.  Between trivia, drinks, food, and friends, everyone squeezed every minute of fun out of Friday evening!

Saturday

Attendees were eager to visit the vendors area early Saturday morning, and kept a brisk business going for the full hour before our first presentation of the day.  Between the vendors and the door prizes, not too many Holmes in the Heartland attendees went home empty handed!

Michael Dirda kicked off the day's presentations with his talk "Pursued by the Hound: How Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson and Arthur Conan Doyle Have Haunted my Life."  The Pulitzer Prize winning journalist took us through his life and showed how the Canon was there for major and minor points all along the way.

Up next was our next presentation from Julie McKuras entitled, "The Haunted Holmes."  In her talk, Julie discussed just some of the women who haunted Sherlock Holmes's life.  From maids to adventuresses, Julie shared a list of characters that she argued should weigh on the Great Detective's conscience for years to come.

Johanna Draper Carlson took us to worlds where fantastical things can happen in her presentation, "Zombies, Vampires, and Monsters in Sherlock Holmes Comics."  From Dracula to Frankenstein's Monster, Johanna discussed the many recherche encounters Holmes has had in comic form.  The lively Q&A session after her presentation showed a high level of interest for Johanna's area of knowledge.

Boolock Holmes made another appearance as our last presenter of the morning.  Assisted by her Brad Keefauver, puppeteer Mary O'Reilly led a panel that had the Hound of the Baskervilles, the lion's mane jellyfish, the speckled band, and the goose from "The Blue Carbuncle" all in attendance.  It's a good thing we had this scheduled before lunch, as Mary and her creations had a long line waiting for pictures when she was done!  

Lunch was next on the agenda, which gave everyone a chance to stretch their legs, fill their stomachs, and visit with fellow Sherlockians.  

Kicking off the afternoon was Scott Monty's presentation, "Sherlock Holmes in Popular Culture: Ghosts of the Past, Present, and Yet to Come."  In this wide-ranging talk, Scott took us through examples of how fans have interacted with Sherlock Holmes, all the way from early parodies to favorite media adaptations and fan fiction to the possibilities of the future including artificial intelligence.

Randy Getz shared haunting melodies Holmes and Watson could've heard during their day in his presentation entitled, "The Phantoms of Sherlock's Opera."  It's safe to say that everyone in the audience walked away with a deeper understanding and appreciation of classical music and how it would have been appreciated in the Victorian era as well as how we appreciate it today.

A different side of Arthur Conan Doyle was investigated in Ira Matetsky's presentation, "Arthur Conan Doyle, Poet."  While not primarily known for his poetry, Ira shared with everyone some of Doyle's prose that tied right into the weekend's theme of "Sherlock Haunts."  Not only were some poems chilling, but others brought more than a few audience members to tears.

Everyone's Sherlockian friend, Bob Sharfman, wrapped up the day's presentations with his "A Haunting Refrain."  Starting from the lyrics to a Tony Bennett song, Bob was able to ramble through Sherlockian topics like only Bob can.  By the end of the talk, audience members were laughing and discussing right along with him.

With an hour of downtime between the day's and evening's programs, some folks took a break in their hotel rooms, while others relaxed in the bar.  And then it was back at it for Saturday night!  A fantastic dinner was enjoyed before the evening's programming kicked off.

This year's Holmes in the Heartland weekend featured an auction to raise money for The Beacon Society.  Scott Monty emceed this event that featured some great donations.  After all of the lively bidding ended, we raised more than $1,600 for The Beacon Society!

As if raising all of that money weren't enough to put all of the attendees in good spirits, Max Magee led the evening's entertainment where he tried to conjure up more spirits from the Canon.  Channeled through Curtis Armstrong and Ashley Polasek, Sherlock Holmes had to atone for some of his actions as clients from the afterlife finally had their say.

Sunday

Holmes in the Heartland weekends always wrap up with a field trip to a St. Louis location, and this year's event took us to The Missouri History Museum.  Attendees got to delve into the history of the 1904 World's Fair and all of the connections it had to the Sherlockian Canon.  Visits to other exhibits as well as the gift shop were on the agenda for many folks.  A casual lunch on site wrapped up this Holmes in the Heartland weekend, as everyone drifted back to their regular lives, full of stories, laughs, friendships, and looking forward to their next chance to meet us in St. Louis!

Toasts from Holmes in the Heartland

A full recap of Holmes in the Heartland will be coming next month, but please enjoy these two great toasts given at Saturday's banquet: a toast to Sherlock Holmes by Srini Raghavan and Kristen Mertz's toast to the wild English moors.

Toast to Sherlock Holmes by Srini Raghavan

Ladies and gentlemen, fellow Sherlockians, Like many of us gathered here this evening, I first became acquainted with Mr. Sherlock Holmes as a teenager. I still remember the excitement of finding a copy of the Canon in my local library and reading it from cover to cover. The mysteries and adventures of Holmes and Dr. Watson captivated me from the very first page—whether they unfolded on the cold, foggy streets of London or while rattling along by train to some remote country manor.

As I read each story, I would try to solve the mystery before Holmes did. Needless to say, I came a cropper every time. What fascinated me even more was that, years later, I continued to return to these same stories again and again, despite knowing exactly how each one ended. Eventually, I understood why.

The true magic of the Canon lies not only in the mysteries, but in the unforgettable characters who inhabit them. Sherlock Holmes captivates us not merely because of his brilliant intellect, but because of his indomitable spirit and his devotion to justice. Yet he also understood that justice without compassion is incomplete, and he often tempered justice with mercy.

Dr. Watson reminds us of the virtues we value most: loyalty, honesty, courage, and friendship. He is far more than Holmes' chronicler—he is the trusted companion who brings balance and humanity to the great detective.

And then there is Mrs. Hudson, whose patience and fortitude somehow survived chemical experiments, midnight visitors, pistol practice, and all the other adventures of her extraordinary lodgers at 221B Baker Street.

We should also remember the Baker Street Irregulars, whose resourcefulness and dedication so often helped Holmes extend his reach throughout London. 

These are the people who keep drawing us back to the Canon. Long after we know the solution to the mystery, we return because we enjoy their company. Like old friends, they never disappoint us.

So tonight, let us raise our glasses—not only to the world's greatest consulting detective, but also to Dr. John H. Watson, Mrs. Hudson, the Baker Street Irregulars, and to all who have shared in the adventures of Baker Street.

Ladies and gentlemen—

To Mr. Sherlock Holmes!

And, in the Master's own words...

"The game is afoot!"

Cheers!

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Toast to the Wild English Moor by Kristen Mertz

To the wild English moor

To its beauty and its danger

From the rare orchids to the endless heather

From the peat bogs to the craggy peaks

How we love our stories

Of faeries leading us to our end

Of phantom coaches running across the moor's tracks

Of the mournful cries of ghosts in the mire

Of a hound roaming through the misty night

There never was a setting so perfect as the wild English moor.

As Emily Bronte wrote:

    "For the moors! For the moors, where the short grass like velvet beneath us lie!

    For the moors! For the moors, where each high pass rose sunny against the clear sky!"

May we all raise our glasses!

To the vast and mysterious, to the dark and lovely, to the sinister yet beautiful wild English moor!

Reichenbach Revisited By KD Mertz

The Sherlock Holmes Society of London is celebrating its 75^th anniversary this year. Part of the celebration included the pilgrimage to Meiringen and re-enactment of the events of Reichenbach Day. As part of the event, each participant had to select a character and dress in Victorian costume for the entire trip. Without thinking, I selected Kitty Winter and then I thought I should have thought about that more, but it all worked out in the end. So, dear readers, I will regale you with stories of our doings, as well as a little Sherlockian adjacent side trip.

Our trip began in Lausanne, Switzerland, leaving from our hotel and taking the metro to the Palais de Rumine (yes, we got a lot of looks as you can imagine). Here we learned about the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Foundation and the collection located in this historic building. It includes many photos of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, including some from his trips to Switzerland. We then walked to the Atelier Typographique de la Cite, a printer’s workshop owned by Nicolas Regamey of the Reichenbach Irregulars and the London Society, where we drank wine and toured the print shop. Nicolas provided all the menus, tickets, and programs for the entire event. I took the opportunity to collect some souvenirs from the shop that are one of a kind as you can see from the picture. I especially like the miniature set of “How Watson Learned the Trick” in both English and French and the little house to keep them in. We ended the evening with fondue at a local restaurant, more wine and, as always, wonderful conversation with my Swiss and English compatriots. Just when I was about to call it a night the Brotherhood of Pirates of Ouchy (a group in Lausanne who have restored a 1932 boat now called the Vaudoise) came to our table with 4 more bottles of wine and pronounced we couldn’t leave until they were finished. Needless to say, I returned to the hotel well past midnight, and apparently some stayed after the restaurant closed to finish the bottles outside!

Figure 1: Victorian Casual

Figure 2: Atelier Typographique de la Cite Souvenirs & Pins from SHSL

The following morning, we road custom coaches to visit Lucens where Adrian Conan Doyle had owned the chateau there. The Sherlock Holmes Museum of Lucens now houses the collection that Adrian Conan Doyle previously had in the chateau. I am always amazed to discover all of the collections that I previously had no idea existed, apparently Sherlock Holmes and creator are quite popular! It was beautiful afternoon with tea, lunch, and a tour of the chateau and museum. In the evening we joined the aforementioned Pirates of Ouchy for a sailboat ride on Lake Leman. It provided a wonderful view of the lake and Lausanne from the water. We toured the Beau Rivage as well, where we dined that evening. The Beau-Rivage Palace is a luxury hotel that opened in 1861, has hosted many diplomatic events and been visited by many famous and historical figures.

 

Figure 3: Chateau de Lucens

Figure 4: Helene in the ballroom at the Beaux-Rivage Palace

Figure 5: Sherlockians on a boat

The third day of our trip, we rode the custom coaches to visit the Charlie Chaplin Museum and then catch the Golden Pass Belle Epoque train, with vintage-style carriages, for beautiful ride thru the Golden Pass by Lake Geneva and amidst the Swiss Alps to our next stop for another coach ride to take us to our final stop, the Park du Savage Hotel in Meiringen.  That evening we had dinner at the Hotel Victoria, where we enjoyed another lovely meal and more conversation. Holmes told us all of his intent to climb to the falls to meet the villain Moriarty. Of course, Moriarty made an appearance, to hisses from all in the room, threatening our dear detective with meeting his end on the morrow. The scene had been set.

Figure 6: Sherlockians on a train

 

Figure 7: Park du Savage aka Englischer Hof where our intrepid group stayed before the fateful day

The next morning, in anticipation of the horrible events to follow our group dressed in black to gather at the falls for the re-enactment. Followed by photographers and film crews we made for quite the sight to passersby! A Chinese tourist and avid Sherlock fan named Kitty (what serendipity!) walked into our group of 60 plus Sherlockians in full Victorian regalia in amazement. All to watch Sherlock and Moriarty’s fate play out in real time. Imagine her surprise thinking she would simple visit the falls and finding the scene laid out before her. It was wonderful to see her reaction and ear to ear grin as she chatted with us and watched the events. After this, we had lunch at the Gasthaus Zwirgi at the top of the falls. Tom Atkinson provided some history on how the Granada TV filmed the struggle on location at the Reichenbach falls. To end the afternoon, Holmes showed up to reveal that he had survived the falls! We were delighted to discover that we would not have to endure waiting three years as our poor Watson did.

Figure 8: Two Sherlocks on a rock

Figure 9: Sherlock & Watson before climbing the falls

Figure 10: Waiting for the re-enactment

In the evening we had dinner at the Parkhotel du Savage and were treated to a surprise special production of “An Incident in Meiringen”, a short mystery that kept us all guessing whodunit? for the evening. Thank you to all our players for their wonderful performances.

 

Figure 11: Mystery Theatre with dinner

The next morning was time to say goodbye to everyone. What a shock to see everyone wearing modern clothes. It was a challenge to recognize people without their costumes, hairdos and fascinators. Peggy McFarlane graciously joined me for a walk to get some Sherlock chocolates (they are expensive but worth it), buy some more Swiss chocolates at the grocery store and have a last little walk about the town before saying goodbye to everyone. I must admit it was a relief to not have to deal with all the Victorian wear, especially as I was heading to Germany to meet Sonia Yazmadjian to see the Bavarian castles. Short summary, we had a great time, saw a lot of castles, took a lot of trains, saw a lot of beautiful churches and some mountains and Neo-Gothic architecture, had a lot of good food and a few refreshing beers with many souvenirs secured.

After saying au revoir to Sonia, I headed for my last little solo adventure before I would have to head home. I made a special trip to Coburg to visit Schloss Rosenau, located just outside of Rodental.  Schloss Rosenau was built around 1439 and has a long history, but the important bit is that it was eventually bought in 1805 by Francis, Duke of Saxe-Coburg-Saalfeld. It was renovated in the Gothic Revival style. The surrounding grounds and park were redesigned in an English Garden style, to include an orangery, a sun-dial and two water features called Prince’s Pond and my ultimate goal for the trip, Swan Lake. This was the summer house of Ernest, Duke of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha and Princess Louise. This is the castle where Prince Albert was born. He was baptized in the Marble Hall with water from the River Itz, which winds thru the grounds around the castle. This is where Prince Albert spent a good part of his childhood and where he last visited before leaving Germany to successfully court Queen Victoria. Queen Victoria herself visited Rosenau and said in her diary that had she not been the Queen of England she would have gladly spent the rest of her days there. It is believed that the black swans were placed in Swan Lake on the behest of Queen Victoria after Prince Albert’s death to signify her grief at his loss. To this day there are still a pair of these beautiful birds, called the “mourning swans”, in residence there. I have nicknamed them Drina and Bertie because I have my reasons (if you know, you know) AND I adore them. I plan to visit again. It is hard to disagree with a queen’s opinion, especially when she is so correct. This would indeed be a happy place to spend the rest of your days.

Figure 12: Schloss Rosenau

Figure 13: THE Black Swans

Again, dear readers, another adventure is over but if you are interested in seeing more details of the re-enactment and trip in general, the Associated Press, Brigitte Latella and a wonderful photographer followed us around. Links provided here for your perusal (Sherlock Holmes Fans Recreate Fateful Duel and Brigitte Latella's Report in Italian). Ciao, auf wiedersehen and au revoir until the next opportunity for Sherlockian shenanigans presents itself!

I Bet You're Wondering How I Got Here by Heather Hinson

I attended my first convention when I was eighteen. Back in 1989. A small Doctor Who convention in the now demolished King Henry the 8th hotel in St. Louis. It was the first large fan-run convention I had ever attended, and I attended as Security. I guarded the VIP room and guest corralling. If you’re an older Doctor Who fan then you’ll know how unexpected it is for an 18 year old young woman to open a door to a hotel room to see Sophie Aldred standing there with a smile on her face.  That was my first taste of behind the scenes of a convention.

While I never had the same entrance into conventions as I did with my first one, I have continued to attend cons. I’ve been on panels, been on staff, run registration, done odd jobs.  Enjoyed the convention atmosphere. I have always enjoyed straddling the fence between being on the inside and enjoying the experience of con.

In 2017, I discovered this convention in Atlanta, 221B Con. A fan run convention dedicated to Sherlock Holmes. With the end of BBC Sherlock and people I found on the internet, some who have since become some of my dearest pocket friends I see once a year, I made the last minute decision to attend.  And I’m glad I did. 

It was awkward and fascinating and I went back in 2018. And haven’t missed a year since. In 2019, I began joining panels at 221B Con.  I even attended the virtual convention in 2020 during the pandemic.
Because that wasn’t enough, Between 2020-2024, I created and hosted my own small virtual convention for a small group of Sherlock Holmes fans. 

For those who know by now, in April 2024 the beekeepers decided that 2025 would be their last year.  They were tired and membership was down. They felt 221B Con had run its course. The congoers, however, had different ideas.  Myself and a new con friend, Johanna Draper Carlson, went up to Crystal and Heather at the end of Final Bow and offered our help. They were mostly running the entire con on their own and they were tired.

In August of 2025 we reached out again and offered our help. And that’s when it all took off.  Without stepping on toes, Johanna and I took over some of the tasks. Helping with social media posts, getting messages out there. Letting people know when registration was open, when the hotel room blocks opened. Panel ideas, panelist applications, vendors, the hotel. It was a crash course at the true behind the scenes of how a convention ran. 

During this time, I had joined the staff of two other fan run conventions. I ran registration for Holmes in the Heartland 2023 and I have been on the registration staff for AnimeSTL since 2018. Helping out with a convention shouldn’t be too hard, right?

By March 2025, we had everything ready. Johanna had taken over promotions, we had donations coming in, the hotel rooms and registration were booming. Vendors were ready. Everything was set for what was supposed to be the Final Bow for 221B Con. 

Then came that fateful evening in March. Johanna was going on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere to promote 221B Con and needed to know if this was the final year. I received a call from Johanna, Crystal, and Heather one evening to discuss the continuation of 221B Con.  Crystal and Heather agreed they couldn’t continue running it. But they would be willing to hand over the reins to Johanna and myself. 

So kids, that’s how  Johanna and I inherited a convention.

Spoilers: Running registration for both a convention that hosts up to 90 people and a convention that hosts 8,000 people is cake compared to running an entire convention. There are so many hats we had to wear that I didn’t even own before!

2026 was our trial by fire. I will always be forever grateful to Crystal and Heather who agreed to stay on as board members and our shadow people, in the background to assist but mostly to enjoy themselves for the first time in thirteen years. There are so many different things that need to be done to pull off a successful convention. Hotel space (we are so thankful to the Atlanta Airport Marriott for being so welcoming), set up, payments, registration.  The updated website itself took three months before it went live. Panels, panelists, vendors, payments for that. Smaller things like U-Hauls, enough people to help unload and load and set up. Tiny things like inflatable couches. Staplers. Pens. Card readers. Badge ribbons. So many things. Johanna and I acquired helpers along the way in the form of Eileen who redesigned our website, Sebastian, who took over social media posts and pushed interactions, Edward who runs the Strangers Room breakfast and took over Vendor Coordinator for this year, and Ewebie, who reopened a fan favorite in the Writer’s Suite. To Michael and Rusty who were willing to do anything that was needed. There are so many others as well. So many people stepped up to help make sure 221B Con 2026 went off without too many bumps.

The con itself was mostly a blur. Ask me one thing I enjoyed during April’s con and I couldn’t tell you one specific thing. Consistently running from one place to another, making sure everything went smoothly. Finding lost items, trying to figure out who could help where at the last minute. All I remember is Sunday night, sitting on a couch with Crystal and a few others when the midnight toast began. Finding out that being a beekeeper isn’t only putting out fires and double checking that everything is going according to schedule. It’s also about toasting old friends, gone friends, making memories and connections with those who are still here.

I’ve attended 221B con for nine years. It has taken me down roads I didn’t even think were open for me. It has opened up possibilities and opportunities I never would have imagined.  I’ve made so many friendships that I hold dear and this year, I was lucky enough to step into the role of family. Running 221B Con is one of the hardest, stressful, and most brilliant things I’ve ever been honored to do in my life. I am grateful to Crystal and Heather every day for not only creating something so long lasting and beloved, but trusting Johanna and I enough to hand their baby over to us.  It was an education and an enjoyment. I plan on continuing for as long and Johanna and I can. 

  
See you all in 2027!