England, The Garden Island

<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When I first moved to England</div><div style="text-align: center;">I was disappointed front gardens lacked the beauty</div><div style="text-align: center;">I'd expected from the Garden Island<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZc-GQE6pftUuW_kS2L0ALNpIh2iDt_LXTK5Jf_vmKlT2QXNuV8BTqlAAQsgnv8IESwvtge11DxhK6xN8iczR4srN1fPMyEYDU6THtEvDb7quvOUBh8DCxyBjXVP8psGEVmUmVc8EwyMa2/s1600/DSC_0026-012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZc-GQE6pftUuW_kS2L0ALNpIh2iDt_LXTK5Jf_vmKlT2QXNuV8BTqlAAQsgnv8IESwvtge11DxhK6xN8iczR4srN1fPMyEYDU6THtEvDb7quvOUBh8DCxyBjXVP8psGEVmUmVc8EwyMa2/s640/DSC_0026-012.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But now I know care and attention is put into back gardens,</div><div style="text-align: center;">often a hidden oasis and private gem behind home facades<br /><br />So a plain looking home unsuspectingly could have<br />the most magnificent garden behind its fence</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Why isn't more attention put toward the front garden in England?</div><div style="text-align: center;">Perhaps it is due to the English sense of privacy while gardening,</div><div style="text-align: center;">no need to spend effort in an area where they won't be hanging-out,</div><div style="text-align: center;">or it is too showy to have an impressive garden in the front<br /><br />Nonetheless, this is THE Garden Island<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">First of all, let's talk English garden centers<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GJCnUlob_WhSGroYJ22zN0givrzXN-NemOAg28vhZWvdqtFOt3mpPNpmpw1ZU5SeJkwPk5mcoumMhJkHXEYoFijKfSXlk9WjyssoBjlBBpfl5nrhYyjfpcyUfGn42bVcZxoGlIssKs-O/s1600/DSC_0041-022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1GJCnUlob_WhSGroYJ22zN0givrzXN-NemOAg28vhZWvdqtFOt3mpPNpmpw1ZU5SeJkwPk5mcoumMhJkHXEYoFijKfSXlk9WjyssoBjlBBpfl5nrhYyjfpcyUfGn42bVcZxoGlIssKs-O/s640/DSC_0041-022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">They look very similar to American ones</div><div style="text-align: center;">with cement floors, nothing-fancy display stands, and simple signage</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But the local garden center offers much, much more</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">It may include a</div><div style="text-align: center;">tea room (almost always)</div><div style="text-align: center;">book shop</div><div style="text-align: center;">gift shop</div><div style="text-align: center;">farm shop</div><div style="text-align: center;">outerwear clothing shop</div><div style="text-align: center;">pet supplies</div><div style="text-align: center;">fake flowers</div><div style="text-align: center;">outdoor vintage antiques</div><div style="text-align: center;">picnic benches to eat your lunch on</div><div style="text-align: center;">a playset for children to use</div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>Brilliant!<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip1HsOdGGn09TnSe24ytUOF4_UNNcwHzK9GSusl57V_rJ8pkLsCi_Ic4f4H0-s0X0yIzqttWLXFitGGxcX3cJnrMtFD0nLXK3anQOErJThg8ZZvUp-qgSwNS729ooXjnZPeRKGXkyC08H/s1600/DSC_0055-022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhip1HsOdGGn09TnSe24ytUOF4_UNNcwHzK9GSusl57V_rJ8pkLsCi_Ic4f4H0-s0X0yIzqttWLXFitGGxcX3cJnrMtFD0nLXK3anQOErJThg8ZZvUp-qgSwNS729ooXjnZPeRKGXkyC08H/s640/DSC_0055-022.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">On a whole other level,</div><div style="text-align: center;">famous <a href="http://www.petershamnurseries.com/home.asp">Petersham Nurseries</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">offers not just lovely outdoor plants</div><div style="text-align: center;">and vintage home decor </div><div style="text-align: center;">but even a cafe which was awarded a Michelin Star in 2011</div><div style="text-align: center;">and is known for celebrity spotting</div><div style="text-align: center;">(not too far from London, if you come for a visit)<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2pBFT8F8HvCm1F-wsQW47XP8KcI1DJaSL__0cyWpArdjnLl4FZtuDO_a0CMuGaM3A8xJUvwCYnu0SI_F8RlLr-yXSKKqMg5oZ-CDorJNsqDhns73mtjjk-nWtGM7QmIhLyrNMQKoH9pc/s1600/DSC_0081-0041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd2pBFT8F8HvCm1F-wsQW47XP8KcI1DJaSL__0cyWpArdjnLl4FZtuDO_a0CMuGaM3A8xJUvwCYnu0SI_F8RlLr-yXSKKqMg5oZ-CDorJNsqDhns73mtjjk-nWtGM7QmIhLyrNMQKoH9pc/s640/DSC_0081-0041.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">But you don't need to own a garden</div><div style="text-align: center;">to enjoy one</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">You can see some of England's most gorgeous gardens here:</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.ngs.org.uk/">The National Garden Scheme</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.nationaltrust.org.uk/main/">National Trust</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rhs.org.uk/">Royal Horticultural Society</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">If you seek gardens belonging to royalty,</div><div style="text-align: center;">you can see Prince Charles's <a href="http://www.highgrovegardens.com/">Highgrove Garden</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">and Buckingham Palace <a href="http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/event/the-state-rooms-and-garden-highlights-tour">Gardens</a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tpEHVhsEbupmYOw4fwYAxe59gMZmJQ8rwlY3piTiu5aNuHOX-HQvMF3fPYbIX2QQEoq-Q-fzf98G9fQeGh8GQHVE50Wqd1g2ExoNCW633Ev59rQadzDV01TEld72r3yjCStjJY8t5mrP/s1600/DSC_0160-099.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4tpEHVhsEbupmYOw4fwYAxe59gMZmJQ8rwlY3piTiu5aNuHOX-HQvMF3fPYbIX2QQEoq-Q-fzf98G9fQeGh8GQHVE50Wqd1g2ExoNCW633Ev59rQadzDV01TEld72r3yjCStjJY8t5mrP/s640/DSC_0160-099.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henry VIII's Hampton Court</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">RHS '<a href="http://www.rhs.org.uk/gardening/community-gardening/britain-in-bloom">Britain In Bloom</a>' is the country's most popular horticultural campaign</div><div style="text-align: center;">with over 1,100 cities, towns, and villages </div><div style="text-align: center;">competing against each other </div><div style="text-align: center;">as to which has the most beautiful public spaces</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Such a great community builder,</div><div style="text-align: center;">free seeds and support are provided by</div><div style="text-align: center;">the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)</div><div style="text-align: center;">to registered groups<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIusIuJvOe0Za9ZVBZBo9g9gpvLRw4EvbPVlEr3nICHANRKMwljTYXwloS9q2yCWbXymT75-l31zq8RKcvjiPyYnXntFZ9ah9EIL78v7V8iOBizVKxTuwwleFTiMGZZYARRVgeyCQQjGaH/s1600/DSC_0095-074.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIusIuJvOe0Za9ZVBZBo9g9gpvLRw4EvbPVlEr3nICHANRKMwljTYXwloS9q2yCWbXymT75-l31zq8RKcvjiPyYnXntFZ9ah9EIL78v7V8iOBizVKxTuwwleFTiMGZZYARRVgeyCQQjGaH/s640/DSC_0095-074.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Affordable allotment plots (community gardens)</div><div style="text-align: center;"> are seen in almost every village,</div><div style="text-align: center;">used mostly for growing edible crops</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Believe it or not,<br />Indiana Jones-type plant hunters </div><div style="text-align: center;">continue to scour the planet for undiscovered flora to bring to the garden,</div><div style="text-align: center;">such as Tom Hart-Dyke who was kidnapped in Colombia</div><div style="text-align: center;">while hunting for rare orchids in 2000<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sWgwF1a3JSLN7XZ5NLZ-K_-Mufmni_WRL7hxttHlwcL8wnn0Up3Lhw8SkavTbrnk2tjNJUGh3QeLCo923_bE4eU3Yl5z7D6Tcs6R8GZLj8f8LbQC0R21cQbvjesERKUs3yD51THt7sfc/s1600/DSC_0021-002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7sWgwF1a3JSLN7XZ5NLZ-K_-Mufmni_WRL7hxttHlwcL8wnn0Up3Lhw8SkavTbrnk2tjNJUGh3QeLCo923_bE4eU3Yl5z7D6Tcs6R8GZLj8f8LbQC0R21cQbvjesERKUs3yD51THt7sfc/s640/DSC_0021-002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">'Garden love' spreads</div><div style="text-align: center;">with informal plant and seed swaps between gardeners</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Countless garden courses are offered around the country,</div><div style="text-align: center;">including by <a href="http://www.sarahraven.com/">Sarah Raven</a> who has a Martha Stewart like status here<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">On the most formal level,</div><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.rhs.org.uk/">RHS</a> hosts the annual Chelsea Flower Show,</div><div style="text-align: center;">which is the catwalk for flowers and garden design</div><div style="text-align: center;">attracting competitors and visitors worldwide<br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTXmgfaT4z3_kWg_gg-FmacB7J-o1OWnnWgLvnttOhfppKKMPoVj5BIhF7aYd24xEuIKry3uB7gp_8_9VcWEaJ9iaxawrbajNF6fy4_D5ZcD9f7BmtwFf_GkhV47vUd_2zcwNN3-qY2eh/s1600/DSC_0031-007.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWTXmgfaT4z3_kWg_gg-FmacB7J-o1OWnnWgLvnttOhfppKKMPoVj5BIhF7aYd24xEuIKry3uB7gp_8_9VcWEaJ9iaxawrbajNF6fy4_D5ZcD9f7BmtwFf_GkhV47vUd_2zcwNN3-qY2eh/s640/DSC_0031-007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">What are some of the trends and tips from English gardeners?</div><div style="text-align: center;">Don't miss my next post :)<br /><br /><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">- all photos by me -</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Related posts:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://happyhomemakeruk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/09/a-visit-to-prince-charless-highgrove.html">Trip to Prince Charles's Highgrove</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://happyhomemakeruk.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/obscure-gardens-world-garden-of-plants.html">Meeting Tom Hart-Dyke</a></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><a href="http://happyhomemakeruk.blogspot.co.uk/2012/05/rhs-chelsea-flower-show-2012-highlights.html">2012 Chelsea Flower Show</a></span></div><br /><span style="font-size: x-small;">(an unsponsored post)</span><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

England, The Garden Island

When I first moved to England I was disappointed front gardens lacked the beauty I'd expected from the Garden Island But now I know care...

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Crime in England vs US

<br /><div style="text-align: center;">I witnessed a crime yesterday</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Actually, I witnessed 3 brave men chase down </div><div style="text-align: center;">a burglar who was fleeing by bike</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I think he had stolen something from the small corner grocery store</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">When they got him off his bike,</div><div style="text-align: center;">they held him on the street while they waited for the police to arrive</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Curiously, it was the policewoman who calmly talked to the perpetrator,</div><div style="text-align: center;">not one of the three policemen</div><div style="text-align: center;">Perhaps policewomen are seen as non-threatening?</div><div style="text-align: center;">I hadn't thought about this important role before</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The streets were filled with pedestrians when the whole thing happened</div><div style="text-align: center;">Sadly I saw many elderly people stand frozen, shocked, to see the event unfold</div><div style="text-align: center;">Clearly they were traumatized by what they saw</div><div style="text-align: center;">I hope they slept okay last night</div><div style="text-align: center;">I know I didn't</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Petty crime feels more pervasive in England than in the US</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">As an expat said to me about her home country,</div><div style="text-align: center;">when third hand stories about crime start to become first hand stories with frequency,</div><div style="text-align: center;">you know there is a problem</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In the US, I never knew anyone who came eye to eye with a criminal in the act</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Here, I have a handful of friends who either witnessed a high street burglary</div><div style="text-align: center;">or were victims of home invasions</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I know that America looks like the Wild West with our ownership of guns</div><div style="text-align: center;">but I do think a potential burglar thinking someone *might* have a gun at home</div><div style="text-align: center;">prevents many home invasions in America</div><div style="text-align: center;">(guns are illegal in England - police don't even carry them)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Early on I was given the advice that if someone is burglarizing my home in England,</div><div style="text-align: center;">do not intervene - just let them carry on and they won't hurt you</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">In America, you can use whatever means to protect your home and family</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Yet here, the news reports crime victims being prosecuted for harming a perpetrator</div><div style="text-align: center;">- intentionally or not -</div><div style="text-align: center;">It makes one feel defenseless</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Do I feel safer in the US or in England?</div><div style="text-align: center;">I feel less likely to witness or be a victim of a crime in the US,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but if I do, it would be more violent</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">So I guess my safety-o-meter feels about the same, just different</div><div style="text-align: center;">Either way, not that safe</div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

Crime in England vs US

I witnessed a crime yesterday Actually, I witnessed 3 brave men chase down  a burglar who was fleeing by bike I think he had stolen somethin...

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Sherlock Holmes In London

<div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Determined this year</div><div style="text-align: center;">to walk in the footsteps of famous British authors,</div><div style="text-align: center;">I started my quest with Sherlock Holmes,</div><div style="text-align: center;">created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbhsi4okfC5kwDBszx1hEdO4oze9ZgAZM5kKKGQNegha0gF8oVjK5un_F4RuPszTnVFqS2aUSp3anfD0s9m030p2Dm0aMlKiTetbbCLiuR-zHKe6RMhEhlJ_YS5a9LExE8K6q11zMkj5s/s1600/DSC04555-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkbhsi4okfC5kwDBszx1hEdO4oze9ZgAZM5kKKGQNegha0gF8oVjK5un_F4RuPszTnVFqS2aUSp3anfD0s9m030p2Dm0aMlKiTetbbCLiuR-zHKe6RMhEhlJ_YS5a9LExE8K6q11zMkj5s/s640/DSC04555-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wall Tiles at Baker Street Tube Station</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><u><br /></u></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sherlock Holmes continues to be on bookshelves today,</div><div style="text-align: center;">as <u>The Hound of the Baskervilles</u></div><div style="text-align: center;">was awarded 128th place in the BBC's <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/">Big Read</a></div><div style="text-align: center;">as a treasured book by three quarters of a million voters</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKqdR5K7K4m8VtOcrYBl4Sb5AI4qkQpb43r3f4-sR4N82UbfvbVLmwXmpmXJ7dc_yCWqIxscwxFTMCg44k6oZpuAmeno1DIF9NZcsPXD8G6Spms9T48Q6jvJ0VMylsM_6YashRLv_W48Q/s1600/DSC04566-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwKqdR5K7K4m8VtOcrYBl4Sb5AI4qkQpb43r3f4-sR4N82UbfvbVLmwXmpmXJ7dc_yCWqIxscwxFTMCg44k6oZpuAmeno1DIF9NZcsPXD8G6Spms9T48Q6jvJ0VMylsM_6YashRLv_W48Q/s640/DSC04566-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Did you know Sherlock Holmes's Deerstalker cap is not mentioned in any of the books?<br />It is one of many Holmes's trademarks created by actors and/or illustrators</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">An interesting fact about Doyle is</div><div style="text-align: center;">he was a Scottish physician without many patients</div><div style="text-align: center;">so he starting writing stories and novels in his office</div><div style="text-align: center;">in Portsmouth and later in London</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">(I love examples when an apparently bad situation </div><div style="text-align: center;">turns out to be a good thing)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKpKJLlhucfrcEAltj2EAWB2E9TscmJLYB7CXf8cIe_QLYavuZMs8ajSIP0sznRl0aQxYLj7hIEdZjfMfs3KoUSc2muk3kK8ZItq5TNW2huA0aPFwWUY_mw7OTVuGNyF4YLQo8sGRoCup/s1600/DSC04540-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhaKpKJLlhucfrcEAltj2EAWB2E9TscmJLYB7CXf8cIe_QLYavuZMs8ajSIP0sznRl0aQxYLj7hIEdZjfMfs3KoUSc2muk3kK8ZItq5TNW2huA0aPFwWUY_mw7OTVuGNyF4YLQo8sGRoCup/s640/DSC04540-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Original gas lights from Doyle's era are still dotted around London</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"></div><div style="text-align: center;">Conan Doyle was first published in 1886</div><div style="text-align: center;">and continued to write until after World War I</div><br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOEekNm9PxRP6xpVPNIZkDBbxeTk4OeBK9BTmkJSK2ugtksSefjPRTUX_zDAklwNZ9QbW1eZpFecYEFHG9dJvWbE0SdxnJWbBA_Tv4N_bui70CToCIJPiCcEPSI7bZvqf8dAE6TCYCPbl/s1600/DSC04528-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPOEekNm9PxRP6xpVPNIZkDBbxeTk4OeBK9BTmkJSK2ugtksSefjPRTUX_zDAklwNZ9QbW1eZpFecYEFHG9dJvWbE0SdxnJWbBA_Tv4N_bui70CToCIJPiCcEPSI7bZvqf8dAE6TCYCPbl/s640/DSC04528-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">As a playwright, Doyle also brought his popular Sherlock Holmes to the stage<br />(including to the Adelphi Theater seen here)</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Sherlock Holmes was a unique idea at the time</div><div style="text-align: center;">with his character reappearing repeatedly</div><div style="text-align: center;">in novels and short stories</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">Not only were his contemporary readers </div><div style="text-align: center;">entranced by Holmes and his sidekick Watson,</div><div style="text-align: center;">but Doyle was clever to throw in tidbits </div><div style="text-align: center;">that would have been current, possibly to the week,</div><div style="text-align: center;">in his stories published in The Strand Magazine</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbvRr6knslHmbcd9qnKWIOqnqEpW4dg9ilLPWSOfN0mcju5T0xntnd1uEPhanGGK6Ud3Ntm2Q8p-Wdt0LvYb6haMPvf_VHmQSVKtXbddT0M0GgVfNuTQXt_E4juPMtfkNcq_7pErhW3wx/s1600/DSC04530-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWbvRr6knslHmbcd9qnKWIOqnqEpW4dg9ilLPWSOfN0mcju5T0xntnd1uEPhanGGK6Ud3Ntm2Q8p-Wdt0LvYb6haMPvf_VHmQSVKtXbddT0M0GgVfNuTQXt_E4juPMtfkNcq_7pErhW3wx/s640/DSC04530-001.JPG" width="426" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Previous entrance to The Strand Magazine office, which closed in 1950<br />The clock would have indicated wealth</td></tr></tbody></table><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">I read <a href="http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hound-Baskervilles-Arthur-Conan-Doyle/dp/0241952875/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1362119396&sr=8-2">The Hound Of The Baskervilles</a> recently,</div><div style="text-align: center;">which gives Sherlock Holmes and Watson </div><div style="text-align: center;">completely different personas from the film, 'Sherlock Holmes' (2009)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">The book is a short, quick read</div><div style="text-align: center;">which I would definitely recommended if you are looking for a classic</div><div style="text-align: center;">(I had no idea there were quagmires in Dartmoor!)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6mZvvDIkBQWuIGo8KaBKpUVRQYKdMf2Fs-Bb9uPucBjTAssm93vTbH2zJ5O_TjFf_OoF3y2c_zcrRMrVjZNQVxhSWIQQwy-sBgHRRHP80Mqk-DOTbHGM-fqvchGXYF4ulIsL2alu6jrw/s1600/DSC04546-001.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEip6mZvvDIkBQWuIGo8KaBKpUVRQYKdMf2Fs-Bb9uPucBjTAssm93vTbH2zJ5O_TjFf_OoF3y2c_zcrRMrVjZNQVxhSWIQQwy-sBgHRRHP80Mqk-DOTbHGM-fqvchGXYF4ulIsL2alu6jrw/s640/DSC04546-001.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;">As for Sherlock Holmes locations in London,</div><div style="text-align: center;">there is no shortage :)</div><div style="text-align: center;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">- all photos by me -</span></i></div><span style="font-size: x-small;">(an unsponsored post)</span><br /><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/54489/35/2FD701A88E1AB920883327F28E3E4BF9.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0 !important;" /></a>

Sherlock Holmes In London

Determined this year to walk in the footsteps of famous British authors, I started my quest with Sherlock Holmes, created by Sir Arthur Cona...

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