On the trail of Sherlock Holmes

I think I am well overdue for an update! London has been brilliant and amazing, and I have been enjoying every moment of it. So many fabulous things to see and do! And meeting new people, too! Now I need to attempt to catch up a little!

Some of you are aware of this, but for others, I am a very big fan of BBC’s show “Sherlock”, and have been looking forward to being in the city where it’s based, and to maybe visit a few areas shown in filming. So, a few weeks ago I decided to have a “Sherlock Holmes” day, and visit the Sherlock Holmes museum on Baker Street, and then maybe stop by Sherlock’s “fake door” on North Gower Street to have lunch at Speedy’s (which is the place used in the BBC show). When I was there, I happened to meet someone (more on that later) and my whole week turned into a Sherlock week! But let’s start with the museum!

I disembarked at the Baker Street tube station, which features hundreds, if not thousands, of little Sherlock Holmes tributes, whether it’s the tiles with his silhouette or all the reproductions of famous scenes from the books adorning the walls, and is very Sherlock themed. 

Baker Street tube station tiling

Enthused by this, I went on to the Sherlock Holmes museum, which is located on Baker Street, and has a beautiful façade with the museum shop and “Mrs Hudson’s Restaurant” located below it. There was a long queue to get in (after all, the flat itself is rather small) and I had been waiting in it for about 20 minutes before someone came up the line and informed me that you had to buy a ticket at the back of the museum shop before entering, so I had to forfeit my place in line to buy a ticket and then re-join at the end of the queue! Surely they can sell tickets to people in line if they don’t already have them?? Anyway, I made sure to tell everyone I spotted without one after that so they didn’t make the same mistake as me. After about another hour of waiting, I could finally get in. Boy, was it worth it! I haven’t read the books (I’ve started now though) but it didn’t matter, the set up and everything in there was so amazing and felt so old, as it was still arranged as an 1800s flat, and absolutely crammed with ‘relics’ of Holmes and Watson’s adventures, including some recreations of events and scenes.

Outside the museum, with the actual entrance guarded by a 'bobby'

Nearing the end of the queue to enter... grab a piccy!

Sherlock Holmes' bed

Toiletries box of Mr S. Holmes

 Essential sleuthing accessories

Sherlock's father?

 Fireplace in Sherlock's room

The lights and fittings were all beautiful

Ready to deduce

Picture of Dr Watson

Sneaky...

More 'souveniers' from past cases

 Bust of the man himself

 View out over the street, and the guest book

One of the many 'wax model' recreations

Irene Adler in a Scandal in Bohemia

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Confronting (and shooting) one's blackmailer...!

 Did I mention I loved the wallpaper? Because I loved the wallpaper.

Holmes' violin

Dr Watson's medical bag

Pipe rack?

The gents' hats by the front door

 The whole of 221 Baker Street

After spending a good hour or so picking through all the museum had to offer, including the shop downstairs, I went off to visit Sherlock’s ‘fake’ door from  the BBC show on North Gower Street, and get some lunch at Speedy’s Cafe. 

 It actually looks surprisingly similar to the Baker Street address

I was sitting out the front, enjoying the weather, and spotted several other people coming over and taking photos of the door while I was there. When the first of these people came over, I just said “Sherlock?” to her, and she smiled, nodding, and then came over to talk. She had literally just arrived from France and still had all her bags with her, but was so keen to see the door she came straight over. We got chatting, and it turned out that she had a week in London and had planned out everywhere possible that she could visit related to the show. She invited me along, and I thought, why not? So, I made a new friend and we got to babble and be excited about Sherlock all week long. 

 Outside the 'fake' Sherlock door

Our first day together we met at the Cumberland Gate (hahaha) of Hyde Park, and went for a lovely stroll right through to Kensington Gardens, seeing a beautiful square full of fountains on the Serpentine, and then ending up at The Albert Memorial.

Strolling through Hyde Park

Beautiful fountain complex at the head of the Serpentine

 Statue at the Albert Memorial

Then we visited Harrod’s, an enormous department store filled with the most expensive and posh shops you could imagine. We marvelled at the £750-£2000 Burberry coats, and the £4500 chandelier (a small piece made entirely of Swarovski Crystal) before being awestruck by a huge Swarovski crystal chandelier with swirling crystals (I don’t even want to know how much that one cost). We grinned with excitement as we wandered through Christmas Land, filled with scores of beautifully decorated trees and fake snow, and drooled at the halls filled with truffles and handmade chocolates. 

 The exterior of Harrod's is just as extravagant as the interior

Eventually though we’d had enough of the extravagance that we couldn’t afford, and moved on to have lunch in Soho, at a Tapas restaurant featured in the pilot episode of “Sherlock”.

 Delicious meat paella to share

 Where the boys sat (although they had a different seating arrangement in the show)

We visited Piccadilly Circus and Trafalgar Square (which was uncovered at the time – not long after they erected the giant screen for viewing the Paralympics on), and enjoyed the sunshine and busy atmosphere. Nearby is the fake Diogenes Club (next to Pall Mall), which actually houses the British Academy. The whole area is very beautiful, with grand white buildings and dark statues.

 Some interesting visitors to Trafalgar Square

 Trafalgar Square from the back

National Portrait Gallery (adjoining Trafalgar Square)

The beautiful buildings around the square

 The Diogenes Club (ie the British Academy)

Another day we went back to Speedy’s to try the “Sherlock Wrap” for lunch, and it was one of the best wraps I’ve ever had, I must say, with crispy bacon, fresh salad, chicken, and was basically just delicious. The inside of Speedy’s Café is also filled with photos of the cast and crew, and some lovely artwork as well.

Inside Speedy's

 With the delicious Sherlock Wrap

We visited the beautiful St Paul’s Cathedral, and went for a wander along the Millennium Bridge (or the wobbly bridge, as it’s sometimes known), and then walked to St Bartholomew’s Hospital, which is well known as the place of the ‘demise’ of Sherlock in the BBC series.

St Pancras Hotel (it's just so pretty!)

A random fountain somewhere...?

 At St Paul's

 Another one of these visitors at St Paul's

Looking back from the Millennium Bridge

 St Bartholomew's Hospital

 Despair at the place where Sherlock 'fell'

One day we went to the Sherlock Holmes pub/restaurant for lunch, which was charming and provided good, hearty meals.

 Inside the pub

On an un-Sherlock related venture, we went to the Camden Markets, which is a huge series of shops and stalls selling trendy fashion, a huge variety of food, vintage goods and antiques, and basically anything and everything you could want. It was great fun picking through all the stalls together.

 Some of the nearby 'punk' shops

One of the many, many streets in the markets

 This shop is amazing to wander in to - full of cyborg statues, black lights and levels of techno-influenced stuff and music!

We also visited a store called “Forbidden Planet” which is basically a giant nerd-store, filled to the brim with TV and movie memorabilia and novelties. Lia is a huge Doctor Who fan too, and basically bought anything related to the shows she could find. Suffice to say she spent quite a lot, but she was very happy, so it was worth it!

On one of our last days together, we went for a walk through beautiful Hampstead Heath, which is a large reserve filled with gorgeous forest and trees, beautiful lakes, and a very tranquil feel. It rained a little as we walked, but it almost added to the experience, as we sought refuge beneath a huge tree and listened to the rain.

 Looking out over one of the lakes on the outskirts of the Heath

 Beautifully lush greenery

Then, as a complete contrast, we went to M&M world in Leicester Square, which is a huge 4 storey shop filled with colour, sugar and excited patrons, young and old alike. The rows of different coloured M&Ms was quite striking, and the huge building had sections for the different coloured M&M characters, including a ‘what colour are you’ test, and heaps of giant plastic models.

 Floors and floors of M&Ms

 Some portraits of the M&Ms as famous British icons

Every colour M&M you could possibly want!

 With Sir Yellow

That Friday evening was also the premier of the new BBC show "Parade's End", which features Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, so we agreed to watch it together, and huddled together in Lia's little hotel room, eating take out as we sat excitedly, first watching an interview with Benedict on an earlier programme, and then watching the actual show. It was very exciting and fun to share the evening with her, and I've been watching the episodes ever since, as it's actually very good.

I think that will do for now, I have put way too much into my post (yet again) but I will hopefully update the rest very shortly. 

By the way, if you haven't watched BBC's "Sherlock" yet, I highly recommend it as it is bloody brilliant. Just saying.