THE SHERLOCK HOLMES SOCIETY OF LONDON
Founded as The Sherlock Holmes Society in 1934
ANNUAL DINNER
Saturday 14th January 2017
The Society's sixty-third Annual Dinner will be held in the Members' Dining Room at the House of Commons, London, on Saturday 14th January 2017, at 6.30 for 7.30 pm. The title assigned to this year's function is THE FRANCO-MIDLAND FANDANGO. We are much indebted to Bob Neill, who makes a welcome return as our sponsor as a sitting Member of Parliament, a requirement for all functions held in this unique venue. We look forward to welcoming both him and all or most of our Honorary Members, as well as members of the Society from all over the world.
Our guest speaker this year is Mark Billingham.Mark is a former actor andstand-upcomedian and is now a bestselling crime writer.He grew up in Birmingham, hence the title for our Annual Dinner.
Mark commenced his entertainment career as an actor,then went on to pursue a career in comedy, performing all over the world and appearing regularly at The Comedy Store.In 2001 his debut novelSleepyheadwas published, later chosen by theSundayTimes as one of the 100 books that had shaped the decade. It was the first of thirteennovels featuring DI Tom Thorne which have twice won him the Crime Novel Of The Year award as well as the Sherlock Award for Best British Detective.
A television series based on the Thorne novels starred David Morrissey as Tom Thorne and a major new drama based on In The Dark and Time Of Death is to be screened by the BBC early next year.His latest novelDie of Shamewas published in May this year.
The menu for the Dinner is as follows:-
Smoked haddock terrine with potatoes and tarragon, Granny Smith apple, cider, crispy capers and brown butter dressing
Roasted Gressingham duck, confit leg, cranberry and orange sauce buttered savoy cabbage and dauphinoise potato
Apple and cinnamon crumble with vanilla ice cream
Coffee and petit fours
Most members will know that the seating capacity of the Members' Dining Room is limited to 170 and that this means it is only possible for them to invite one guest each. If the Dinner is oversubscribed a ballot will be held immediately after the closing date for applications, which is Friday 25th November. Security at the House of Commons is necessarily strict, and admission will be by formal invitation only: for this reason we need to know the full name of your guest if you are bringing one. Successful applicants will receive personalised invitation cards which will have to be produced to the police on the night in order to gain entrance to the building, and as these will perforce be despatched during the Christmas postal rush please do not worry unduly if yours does not arrive until after the holiday. If you expect to be away at that time please give an address to which mail should be sent to ensure safe receipt. Guests are advised to bring personal photo identification.
A vegetarian alternatives will be available if ordered in advance, and special dietary requirements can also be catered for provided sufficient notice is given. Space is provided on the application form for you to state your requirements. Details of the Vegetarian main course are unlikely to be available in advance of the Dinner.
The charge for the evening will be £87.00/US$174.00 per head, inclusive of everything except drinks which must be paid for individually on the night. Copies of the House of Commons wine and bar lists will be sent to all successful applicants so that they can order in advance: we have found that this gives everyone more time to mingle with friends in the bar beforehand - although you will be able to place an order on the night if you prefer.
The Dinner is a formal occasion and it is customary for gentlemen to wear dinner jackets (black tie) and for ladies to wear evening dress (short or long) but this is not obligatory. Visitors from overseas in particular may not wish to bring dress clothes for one evening only, and we should like to assure them that dark lounge suits and cocktail frocks are equally suitable.
Smoking, including e-cigarettes, is not permitted in any rooms, including the pre-prandial bar and the Dining Room itself.
POST ANNUAL DINNER FUNCTION
A CENTRE PAGE SPREAD!
The Sherlock Holmes Society of London’s Morning After will be held at The Centre Page, 29-33 Knightrider Street London EC4V 5BH on Sunday 15th January, from 11.30 am,where we have sole use of the downstairs room for our informal function. Knightrider Street is on the right as you walk down Peter's Hill from St Paul's towards the Millennium Bridge; the pub is on the corner. The original building of 1665 was The Horn Coffee House in Doctors Commons, 10 Godliman Street, off Carter Lane on the south side of St Paul’s Churchyard. The Horn Tavern, as the late 18th century pub was known, is best known as being mentioned in Charles Dickens’ The Pickwick Papers - Mr Pickwick sent his friends to the tavern to fetch a bottle of wine for his supper, he being incarcerated in the Fleet Prison at the time. It was fairly recently restored and renamed The Centre Page. (While Holmes did visit Doctors’ Commons in “The Speckled Band”, it was sadly to Somerset House that he went, the building housing it here having been demolished in 1867).
Drinks will be available on a cash basis and lunch will be served at 1.00 p.m. As usual, there will be a choice:
· Roast Beef or Roast Turkey served with traditional trimmings,
· Smoked Haddock with Bacon & Poached Egg served with potato gratin, asparagus and hollandaise sauce,
· Spinach & Ricotta Cannelloni served with garlic bread and salad,
· Apple Pie or Lemon Meringue Tart served with Ice Cream,
After lunch Tea or Coffee are included in the price. The cost will be £17.50 / $35 per head. Choices must be notified in advance. An application form is appended and you may include the appropriate payment on your Dinner cheque if you wish.
Members planning to spend the day in the area might like to know that there is a sung Eucharist at St. Paul’s Cathedral at 11.30am on Sunday mornings and Evensong at 3.15pm. The Tate Modern (open until 6pm) and The Globe Theatre Exhibition (open until 5pm) are a short walk away on the south side of the Thames. The Museum of London is a short walk away to the north.
2017 DATES FOR THE DIARY
23 March His Last Bow
26-28 May AGM and London Festival
June Cricket match (to be confirmed)
12 October The Richard Lancelyn Green Lecture
November Film Evening
ELECTRONIC BOOKING
Members wishing to book electronically should e-mail a copy of the form above – or the details requested on it – to
Payment can be made using PayPal, in sterling for overseas members if preferred. Please do not send the payment to me, but to the Treasurer, as follows:
· Log on to the PayPal Home Page (www.paypal.com)
· Type in your email address (if not already there)
· Type in your Password
· Press ‘Log in’
You should now access a page showing your Personal Account Overview
Select the tab ‘Send Money’
Insert the following information –
· To:
· Type in the amount you want to pay and the currency
· This is a purchase of: Goods (other)
· Press ‘Continue’
Check the details are correct.
· At the bottom of the page -
· Email subject: Payment for [whatever]
· Message: Payment from [your name]
When you are happy with the details, click ‘Send Money’ to complete the transaction.
Depending on your account you may be asked to insert the three digit code from the back of your credit card – a relatively new security measure introduced by PayPal.
THE SHERLOCK HOLMES SOCIETY OF LONDON
Founded as The Sherlock Holmes Society in 1934
To: Miss Catherine Cooke,
15, Copperfield Court, 146, Worple Road, Wimbledon, London, SW20 8QA.
“THE FRANCO-MIDLAND FANDANGO”
I/We should like to attend the Society's Annual Dinner at the House of Commons on Saturday 14th January 2017 with …… guests (limited to one per member) and enclose the appropriate remittance of £87.00/US$174.00 per head, payable to The Sherlock Holmes Society of London.
I/We should like to order …… vegetarian meals (please delete or specify as applicable).
I/We have a special dietary requirement as follows ………………………………………..
NAME(S) OF MEMBERS …………………………………………………………………
NAME(S) OF GUESTS …………………………………………………………………...
ADDRESS TO WHICH INVITATION CARDS SHOULD BE SENT:
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
TELEPHONE NUMBER OR E-MAIL ADDRESS IN CASE OF EMERGENCY:
……………………………………………………………………………………………….
Please print or write clearly - especially if giving an e-mail as these can so easily be mis-read and one mistake is fatal!
POST-ANNUAL DINNER FUNCTION
I/We should like to come to the "Morning After" get-together on Sunday 15th January, and to bring …… guests (no limit) and enclose the appropriate remittance of £17.50 / $35 per head, payable to The Sherlock Holmes Society of London.
NAME(S) OF MEMBER(S) ……………………………………………………………….
NAME(S) OF GUEST(S) ………………………………………………………………….
CHOICE(S)OF MAIN………………………………………………………………………
CHOICE(S) OF DESSERT………………………………………………………………….