Watson's Tin Box meeting summary - October 20, 2025

Each third Monday of the month, the Watson's Tin Box of Ellicott City scion meets -at Union Jack's in Columbia MD and we gathered on Monday October 20 for another great gathering of members - 25 in total. This included THREE first-time attendees!!

In fact, I took a census of where people attended the meeting from (MD locations unless otherwise stated): Baltimore; Bowie; Carol County; Columbia; DC; Darnestown; Ellicott City; Fairfax VA; Frederick; Gaithersburg; Gambrils; Harford County; Sandy Spring; Silver Spring; Westminster. Quite a mix!

Along with our three first-timers, we have two NEW MEMBERS, who were attending their second meeting: Michelle March and Michael Ravnitzky. 

The story of the meeting was The Adventure of the Three Students.

After introductions, we moved to the toasts. Both toasts this evening were sourced form the same place: Ross Davies' wonderful Sherlockian toasts archive. If you ever write and deliver a Sherlockian toast, you can submit it for posterity, and for others to use!

Michelle March delivered the toast to 'The Woman' (Irene Adler), using a toast written by Karen Ellery for the Norwegian Explorers at the height of COVID:

Here's my contribution to keep the show hummin':
I've been asked by our host now to toast to The Woman.

No Victorian Violet did Sir Arthur create:
I would say that this lady is quite up to date.
And just how is this gal's Scandal modern, you ask
(Aside from the man who was wearing a mask)?
Well, this Diva who bravely rebuffed threats and slurs, she
Was, of course, born in the state of NEW Jersey.
She knew her own worth and accepted no dis,
And I'll mention she ventured at times from straight Cis.
Her wedding was tight, and although there was no vid
Its limited guest list would work now with COVID.
She outwitted the Master and there on the shelf, she
Left him with-- what else? Of course, 'twas a selfie.
So let's toast her with pride and without censure, yes,
That With-It and Well-Known Adventuress!
Irene Adler!

Liane Luini then presented a toast written by Tin Box member Nea Dodson, originally delivered at a Watson’s Tin Box meeting in October 2015 (exactly 10 years earlier). A really delightful and creative toast on the Tin Box itself:

A doctor, a soldier, and a trusted right-hand man
He thought it was all over when shot in Afghanistan

How little did he know that his life would just now start
When Stamford introduced him to that weird guy at St. Bart

Sherlock liked to think he was the greatest problem solver
But Watson could cure anything with brandy or revolver

From vampires to napoleons, missing bride to glowing hound
He followed Sherlock faithfully — and then he wrote it down

But — 60 stories only! How paltry! What a loss!
Except…there are more waiting in a bank at Charing Cross
Just as Watson never lived and thus can never die
He has left behind adventures that never can run dry

Like the pledge before school classes, anthem before a game
Almost every pastiche has disclaimer just the same:
“I didn’t make this up, I found these notes” they claim
“In a battered old dispatch box painted with his name!”

So let us lift our glasses, let us shout “Hear, hear!”
To noble Doctor Watson, Sherlock’s and our dear
But also to the dusty vault beneath the bank of Cox
Protecting for eternity our Watson’s Tin Box

In the spirit of Halloween, Carle Coupe then called for toasts to 'creepy things' in the Canon - among those shouted out were the Hound; the Creeping Man ; the cut-off tress of hair found in a locked drawer by Violet Hunter, and many others! 'Augustus Miltervon - creepy or just a creep?' pondered Karen Wilson.

This toast followed by the traditional Haiku for the story was delivered by Tom Fahres:

Write of three students.
Mystery trope’s a red herring
The BUTLER! did it?

We then moved on to Announcements - including some show-and-tell! By the way, if you're looking for things to do - you can keep track of all Sherlockian events at.... http://www.sherlockiancalendar.com 

• Tom Fahres has organized a local SPODE gathering 5-6:30 p.m. Thursday October 23 at the King Street Oyster Bar (Potomac). 
• November 1st is the 46th Annual 'Sherlock Holmes at the Pratt Free Library' - lots of details in the link, and it will include presentations from several members of WTB.
• We were reminded that the Irene's Cabinet publication from WTB will return in 2026. The deadline for submissions to Jacquelynn Bost-Morris is December 15.
• The Red Circle of Washtington DC has announced its 75th Anniversary celebrations on November 15, featuring the U.S. Premiere of three restored Eille Norwood "Silent Sherlock" films and a Celebration Dinner. Keep track on the Red Circle web site for more details.
• Megan Homme is organizing the next meeting of The Naval Treaty of Annapolis, at St. Paul Church in Crownsville, MD on November 16th at 2pm. They will be discussing and watching the Granada version of the Empty House. If you'd like to know more about this group, here's a recent newspaper article.
• The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes (ASH) will hold their fall (autumn) luncheon in New York City on Saturday, November 8.
• The DC Whiskey and Sodality meeting will again take place on Sunday, November 23, 2 pm at Shelly's Back Room, 1331 F Street NW. Contact Terry McCammon for details. "Excellent ventilation, excellent pub type food. Good whisky and draft beer list. I have cigars to share." Smoking optional ; ventilation excellent.
• Olivia Millunzi pointed the group to Otto Penzler's book 'Christmas Crimes at the Mysterious Bookshop', where each of the twelve stories are at Christmas, involve a crime, and are set in the famous Mysterious Bookstore - just in time for the holidays!
• John Hebeler capped it off, bringing his 1970s high school essay on Sherlock Holmes (recently rediscovered!) for which he got an A+ !  There was much cheering. If anyone wants to listen any or all of the 50 Sherlock Holmes radio shows staring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce, please get in touch with John and he will give you access.
• Greg Ruby announced that there will be a Sherlockian tour of Maryland in Spring 2026, and he's looking for expressions of interest. A range of sites with strong and not-so-strong ties to the canon will be visited. I assume/hope Poe's grave is on the list! Christopher Morley's childhood home is one site that will be visited. I hope they consider Eldersburg MD.

To the story of the evening - 'The Three Students'. Debbie Clark gave an overview of the items in the evidence box. A reminder that you can browse the Evidence Box items at our website, but here are some photos of the laid-out evidence. What do you recognize from the story?

Above: I have to say that my favorite thing in the Evidence Box are the running spikes (at top right of this general view of the table) because they are clearly authentic to the period (1895!).

 

 

Left: The proofs for the examination (to translate a tract of Thucydides) ; Right: A photograph of Gilchrist in academic garb, a postcard of the college, and the very key that Bannister left in the door.

Left: a collection of Johann Faber pencils, and a badge of the Rhodesian Police; Right: A postcard for the shipping line that sailed for South Africa, and Gilchrist's letter to Soames.

The discussion of the story was fun. The story of an obvious attempt to access the examination papers prior to a scholarship examination. Did the butler do it? No, but he did aid and abet. Could the police have been called in? Lorraine and Dana shared their perspectives working at academic institutions and how 'cheating' is dealt with. Perhaps the police could have dealt with the matter of entry into the office - Sheridan (a first-timer!) addressed some of the potential legal avenues. Grant (another first-timer!!) discussed the electric lamp referenced in the story, and the implications for where (Oxford, Cambridge, Durham?) this could have taken place. The volume of Klinger was waved around the room in support of an argument. It was suggested that Doyle may have written this story having visited his sons at colleges. Gilchrist heading for South Africa may not have been an ideal scenario him, particularly given that the Boer war was only a few years away (1899). Olivia used her reference librarian skills to point out that Rhodesia existed as a place, but was not an independent country till 1965. How do you even pronounce Thucydides, asked Michael.

All in all it was a real shame that a rugby player came to no good. The question I didn't get to ask - should Bannister have been fired? Were there any ramifications for him??

I gave the presentation for the evening, a tale for which the world is not prepared. So I'll write about it some other time.

And so to the quiz. Sometimes I say 'there was a quiz'. Tonight there was a quiz thanks to our Tantalus Olivia Millunzi. 

But before the quiz got underway there was a twist. Michelle had created an amazing prize. Last month, we discussed the 'Golden Pince Nez', and the gulag. Michele went away and created an amazing 'Gulag Goodie Bag' - truly amazing - containing an 'unfinished business loan', a 'map of estranged spouse's home', 'Sun-Pince-Nez' (AMAZING), and six poison phials - from Gulag Value Store (GVS), each poison is created to work i a specific way. 

Thankfully Melissa created a guide and I took some photos so that the goody bag will be recorded for future generations to marvel at.

 

Left: the tote bag. Gulag never looked so good! Right: The contents.

Above: A guide to the contents - hilarious and amazing.

Above: Each vial (phial !!) of poison was labeled with precision.

Above: The GVS poison labels - absolutely hilarious - make sure you zoom in and read the important information for how each poison works.

Above: My favorite important instructions.

AND THIS WAS THE PRIZE FOR THE QUIZ. Olivia managed an aggressively enthusiastic group of quiz-takers who smelt a genuine Sherlockian rarity, and congratulations to Lorraine for taking home the goody bag (literally). Thank you Michelle for making the quiz even more fun!!

See you in November! Please get in touch through the Watson's Tin Box website if you'd like to know more. (And if you have corrections for this blog post - please let me know - all suggested edits welcome).