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!
