The Sherlock Holmes Society of London

31/03/2026

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31/03/2026

This is a reminder that there is still time for young people age 11-16 to submit a Holmes-related short story into our 75th anniversary competition. First prize £250, second prize £100 and third prize £50. The top ten shortlisted stories will be published and the winning story will be illustrated. Deadline is 15 April. Details found here

The Sherlock Holmes Society of London is celebrating its 75th anniversary this year, and we are running a Sherlock Holmes-related short story contest for 11 to 16-year olds. First prize is £250, second prize is £100 and third prize is £50. The top ten shortlisted stories will be published into a ...

29/03/2026

Perhaps we should explain our 75th anniversary logo.

Abram Games and the Festival of Britain

Abram Games was one of the most influential British graphic designers of the 20th century. His work is characterised by clarity, strong symbolism, and economy of means, summed up in his own phrase, “maximum meaning, minimum means”. In 1948, Games was commissioned to design the emblem for the Festival of Britain, held in 1951. The Festival marked Britain’s recovery after the Second World War and celebrated design, science, culture, and national confidence.

Games’s emblem, combining a compass rose, bunting, and the profile of Britannia, became one of the most recognisable symbols of postwar Britain and remains a landmark of British graphic design.

The Sherlock Holmes Society of London was founded in 1951, the same year as the Festival
of Britain. Its origins lie in a Sherlock Holmes exhibition staged in Marylebone as part of the
Festival celebrations, including a reconstruction of the sitting room at 221 Baker Street. The exhibition’s popularity led directly to the formation of the Society. From the outset, the Society combined serious interest in Conan Doyle’s work with a strong social tradition of meetings, lectures, dinners, and publications, all which continue today.

For the Society’s 75th anniversary, the Festival of Britain was chosen as a meaningful reference
point. The anniversary logo is inspired by Abram Games’s Festival emblem, with the head of
Britannia replaced by a silhouette of Sherlock Holmes with iconic deerstalker and pipe. The Society is honoured to have received permission from the Abram Games Estate to use this adapted design and is deeply grateful to Naomi and Daniel Games for their approval and support. We understand that such a permission has never been granted before.

21/02/2026

Coming up next, 12th March at the National Liberal Club, an evening on the Food of Sherlock Holmes and his world.

Our guest speaker is Shona Parker. Shona will talk about of the types of food Holmes and Watson would have eaten – food from the 1880s onwards. Her presentation will focus on the Sherlock Holmes stories, but will also describe the new commercial foods which were coming through during this period. Be prepared to consider whether, for example, Mrs Hudson would have served Bird’s custard rather than proper egg custard, and what might Holmes and Watson have thought if it?

After the lecture there will be a Q & A session and time for discussion as well as an opportunity to buy her book. A small souvenir recipe book featuring food from the canon will be provided for everyone attending the meeting. Join us to celebrate the dishes that Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson may have enjoyed during their time at Baker Street.

Here’s the link to learn more and to book -

Our Spring 2026 meeting will be held on Thursday 12th March 2026 at The National Liberal Club, at 1, Whitehall Place, London, SW1, at 6.00 for 6.45pm. The National Liberal Club is located on the corner of Whitehall Place and the Victoria Embankment, not far from Embankment Underground Station, and a...

27/01/2026

After the excitement of our Annual Dinner weekend, a less formal occasion is coming up.

The Game's Afoot is the name being given to a new series of occasional pub evenings for Society members, offering home grown entertainment and providing the opportunity to get together and get to know other members of the Society informally at little cost.

We have a private bar upstairs in The Cheshire Cheese pub in Little Essex Street (London WC2R 3LD, a three minute walk from Temple tube station – not to be confused with the pub of the same name in Fleet Street) and our first session, on the evening of Tuesday February 17th, is a ‘show and tell’ event. If you have an interesting Holmesian item, or an item of Victoriana relevant to Holmes, bring it (or a picture of it) along and give a 3-minute account of what it is and allow the rest of us to enjoy and discuss it.

But there is no need for everyone to bring something – we want also to allow quite a bit of time for informal socialising too, which is one of the main objectives of The Game’s Afoot.

We’ll gather from 7.30 and probably start the presentations around 8.00. The Cheshire Cheese serves food so if you want, come a little earlier to have something to eat.

There is a £5 booking fee per person which in turn can be used to pay for the first drink – we will issue arrivals with a voucher which you can use over the bar.

Members can book on our website as usual. Hope to see you there!

27/01/2026

Fine speeches and jollifications at our 74th Annual Dinner on 24 January.

07/12/2025

Update - a great time had by all at our 74th Annual Dinner, in the magnificent setting of the House of Commons Dining Room on 24th January.
Pictures presently!

Gareth Bacon MP, on behalf of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London is delighted to announce that The Society’s Seventy Second Annual Dinner will be held in the Members’ Dining Room at the House of Commons, London, on Saturday 24 January 2026, at 6.30 for 7.30 pm.

14/11/2025

The Society enjoyed its annual Film Evening at the Cinema Museum in Kennington - the building was originally the Lambeth Workhouse, where the young Charlie Chaplin once lived.
We saw two fascinating films, one in Hindi, one in Russian. Sherlock Holmes is a world-wide phenomenon!

22/10/2025

Advance notice for our loyal Cricketers and supporters - the 2026 Grits match against the PG Wodehouse Society at West Wycombe will be on Sunday, 21st June (11.30am-6pm).

This is always a lovely day in a beautiful setting - weather permitting, of course. Everyone is very welcome and there is no charge. Bring a deckchair and a picnic, come in Victorian attire if you wish, and cheer the teams on.

21/09/2025

Remapping the London of Sherlock Holmes

This autumn, the Sherlock Holmes Society of London will be retracing the footsteps of Sherlock Holmes, as described in Charles O. Merrimans’ The Tourist Guide to the London of Sherlock Holmes. This booklet, originally published in 1970, traced out six walks in Central London, covering a swathe of thrilling adventures, and noting locations. The aim of this Remapping project is to compare the buildings and layout of 1970s London to that of today: what was there? What is there now, and has it kept or lost its charm?

Remapping walks will take place over Saturday mornings, led by Society member and City of London Guide Lecturer Robin Rowles. Guests are invited to make observations and comments, which will be collated into a new edition of The Tourist Guide, just in time for the Society’s 75th anniversary in 2026. Each walk is expected to take approximately one- and three-quarter hours and will finish near to a convenient hostelry where everybody can compare notes over lunch. There will be a nominal charge to cover expenses. For logistical reasons, numbers are limited to 12. Walks are scheduled as follows:

Walk 1:
20 September: The Return of Sherlock Holmes Portland Place to Oxford Street

This walk traces what was probably the most hoped for adventure in the Canon after 1891, the return of Sherlock Holmes in ‘The Empty House’, taking place in the Spring of 1894. Booking is now open, with a booking fee of £10. Places are limited. Information about the rendezvous and itinerary will be sent on booking.

Book Now

Walk 2:
4 October: The Museum, The Goose and The Mafia The British Museum to Oxford Street

This walk brings together elements from several well-loved Sherlock Holmes stories: the bizarre adventure of ‘Wisteria Lodge’, the black comedy ‘The Blue Carbuncle’, the sinister ‘Red Circle’ and others.

Book Now

Walk 3:
25 October: The City of Dark Secrets The Royal Exchange to Aldgate Station

Walk 4:
1 November: Origins, Shocks, and Surprises Holborn to Cannon Street

Walk 5:
15 November: Theatreland of Adventures Haymarket to Bow Street: ‘

Walk 6:
22 November: Squaring the Circles Piccadilly Circus Circular

Booking for each walk will open 4 weeks beforehand and close the Monday before the walk; joining information will be sent to those who book.

07/08/2025

More events coming up over the next few months- details are on our website

7 OCT
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Visit to the Gordon Museum and Lecture
16 OCT
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Richard Lancelyn Green Lecture – Dr. Sara Lodge
13 NOV
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Film Evening
24 JAN
6:30 pm - 10:30 pm
Annual Dinner 2026
25 JAN
12:30 pm - 3:00 pm
Morning After 2026
12 MAR
6:00 pm - 10:00 pm
Spring Meeting
30 APR - 4 MAY
Reichenbach Revisited – The Sherlock Holmes Society of London returns to Switzerland!

07/08/2025

Moriarty’s Game: The Professor’s Invitation

September 27 @ 11:30 am - 4:00 pm
Moriarty’s Game: The Professor’s Invitation
After successfully taking on the challenge of the official Sherlock Escape Rooms, the next outing for The Reformed Diogenes Club is Moriarty’s Game on Saturday 27 September.

This is a 3 to 4 hour experience, an immersive treasure hunt style game across London guided by your phone – we will be starting around 11.30am and finishing 3 to 4 hours later. We will play as two groups competing against each other.

We will be facing Sherlock Holmes’ arch-enemy, Professor James Moriarty, and trying to solve his mysterious challenge, which he has personally prepared. We have to infiltrate Moriarty’s criminal organisation and find his Safe House.

The experience includes:

A 3 to 4 hour immersive experience across Marylebone, London
Interactive text messages and phone calls with characters in the story
Hands-on physical puzzles for your team to solve
A story that changes with the decisions you make
Interactions with people you meet, in the real world
Optional breaks in pubs and cafes, where you can pick up refreshments
The experience takes place around Baker Street and will involve walking the streets of London, so please ensure you are prepared for that and wear comfortable shoes.

Full details of the event are on the Hidden City web site at:

https://www.inthehiddencity.com/london/moriartys-game-the-professors-invitation

If you want to be part of the Society party taking part, then please book using our Mycroft system below.

Tickets are £30 per person for this date.

https://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/event/moriartys-game-the-professors-invitation/