Paddington Station in the footsteps of the canon

I find myself arrived in London this morning, and heading to the west of England. To do so, one arrives at Paddington Station to travel on the Great Western Railway.

In doing so, I find myself walking in the footsteps of Holmes and Watson.

Paddington Station this morning, Tuesday 15th August, 2023

In the Boscombe Valley Mystery, the story opens with the following.

We were seated at breakfast one morning, my wife and I, when the maid brought in a telegram. It was from Sherlock Holmes and ran in this way:

"Have you a couple of days to spare? Have just been wired for from the west of England in connection with Boscombe Valley tragedy. Shall be glad if you will come with me. Air and scenery perfect. Leave Paddington by the 11.15."

"What do you say, dear?" said my wife, looking across at me. "Will you go?" 

Of course, John joins Sherlock, and:

I was in a cab with my valise, rattling away to Paddington Station. Sherlock Holmes was pacing up and down the platform, his tall, gaunt figure made even gaunter and taller by his long grey travelling-cloak and close-fitting cloth cap.

Paddington Station can transport our detective to cases, but it can also deliver cases to Watson and Sherlock. In The Adventure of the Engineer's Thumb, the opening paragraphs include the explanation that:

My practice had steadily increased, and as I happened to live at no very great distance from Paddington Station, I got a few patients from among the officials. 

and we know that this was not unusual as while Watson is getting ready to meet the thumbless engineer in the waiting room he notes that "railway cases were seldom trivial", and that story mentions Paddington Station multiple times.

A third story also opens fairly sharply with a summons and travel. In Silver Blaze , Holmes announces he must go to Dartmoor, despite the existence of other important cases:

"My dear Watson, you would confer a great favour upon me by coming. And I think that your time will not be misspent, for there are points about the case which promise to make it an absolutely unique one. We have, I think, just time to catch our train at Paddington, and I will go further into the matter upon our journey. You would oblige me by bringing with you your very excellent field-glass."

And so it happened that an hour or so later I found myself in the corner of a first-class carriage flying along en route for Exeter, while Sherlock Holmes, with his sharp, eager face framed in his ear-flapped travelling-cap, dipped rapidly into the bundle of fresh papers which he had procured at Paddington. We had left Reading far behind us before he thrust the last one of them under the seat, and offered me his cigar-case.

One more reference to Paddington Station exists - perhaps my favorite reference simply because it's in the Hound of the Baskervilles. Sir Henry Baskerville accepts the offer that Watson will join him on his journey to his seat at Baskerville Hall:

"Then on Saturday, unless you hear to the contrary, we shall meet at the 10.30 train from Paddington."

I feel lucky to be in England, and it's easy to walk in the footsteps of our heroes. And so, like Holmes and Watson, I sit on a train from Paddington Station heading towards the west country, and have just passed through Reading Station.