Thank Holmes It's Friday June 21st - Sherlock and Sport
Amid the thrilling European Football Championships, the anticipated tennis Grand Slams, and the upcoming Paris Olympics, we bring you another exhilarating issue of Thank Holmes It's Friday.
In this week's issue we invite you to explore the thrilling connections between Sherlock Holmes, his brilliant creator and the world of sport.
Let's begin with Arthur Conan Doyle's own passion for Rugby. He wrote in his 1924 autobiography that, on balance, he regarded rugby as the 'best collective sport', requiring the greatest skill both physically and mentally and travelled the world to see matches in France, South Africa and New Zealand.
Despite taking time out to pursue athletic hobbies, Arthur Conan Doyle's sporting interests were not entirely separate from his literary endeavours. One Sherlock Holmes story in particular - The Adventures of the Missing Three-Quarter - revolves entirely around a game of rugby. Other references to the sport in his writing include a chapter dedicated to commentating a rugby match in The Firm of Girdlestone (1890) and the revelation in The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire (1924) that Watson once played on the wing for Blackheath - a highly prestigious rugby team. Thus, it would appear that rugby was always present in the writer's subconscious.
As for Sherlock Holmes he is described as possessing above-average physical strength. Remember how "The Gloria Scott" revealed his boxing skills honed during his university days? And in "The Yellow Face," Watson himself admits that Holmes was among the best boxers of his weight class he ever witnessed.
In "The Solitary Cyclist," Holmes himself shares, “You are aware that I have some proficiency in the good old British sport of boxing. Occasionally it is of service. Today, for example, I should have come to very ignominious grief without it.”
Whether you're a fan of the Warner Brothers adaptations with RDJ or not, the boxing scene was one of the first to use a slow motion action sequence with narrative:
Keeping the film connection going there is the fencing sequence in the 1985 film Young Sherlock Holmes. Our own Kate Workman has a swordfight with the Phantom of The Opera in Rendevous At The Populaire.
And how about "The Adventure of the Speckled Band," where Holmes, with a wry smile, straightens a bent fire poker, showcasing that his strength rivals even Dr. Roylott's fearsome grip?
Holmes' athletic prowess doesn't end there. In "The Sign of the Four" Sherlock introduces himself to McMurdo as a formidable amateur who once sparred with the prizefighter. McMurdo's response? "Ah, you're one that has wasted your gifts, you have! You might have aimed high, if you had joined the fancy."
And who can forget "The Adventure of the Empty House" where Holmes uses his knowledge of baritsu, a Japanese wrestling technique, to defeat none other than Moriarty at Reichenbach Falls.
Ready to explore more tales where Sherlock Holmes' combines his robust energy with his peerless intellect? Our exclusive collection features 'These Scattered Houses' by Gretchen Altabef, where Holmes masterfully employs bartitsu to cleverly thwart Moriarty's formidable goons, and courageously faces a group of guards inside an asylum. Next, in Gretchen's sequel, 'The Remarkable Power of Stimulus,' behold Holmes as he displays his exceptional skills in fencing!
Additionally, in 'Mrs Hudson in the Ring' by Barry Brown, Sherlock Holmes is goaded into a boxing match, in which his opponent, Sailor Mackenzie, meets a fatal defeat. All but Mrs. Hudson and her allies are convinced the fighter’s death was an accident. Moreover, let yourself by captivated by Joseph Svec's 'Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Grinning Cat' and join Sherlock in playing - and winning - an enchanting game of imaginary croquet against the Queen of Hearts.
And don't miss 'Dial Square' a short story in Martin Delay's Selected Cases of Doctor Watson, set amidst the fascinating founding of Arsenal Football Club in 1886 or 'The Baron of Wimbledon' by Orlando Pearson, where Holmes aids a blackmailed German tennis star.
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This week, grab your free audio codes and get inspired by adventures that blend mystery with the world of sport.
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This week we're offering free audio codes for:
The Baron of Wimbledon by Orlando Pearson
Sherlock Holmes: Remarkable Power of Stimulus by Gretchen Altabef
Rendezvous at The Populaire by Kate Workman
Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Grinning Cat by Joseph Svec III