I've just returned from the Baker Street Irregulars weekend in New York, and will be posting a report soon. While I was there, two different publications were on sale for the first time that included articles by me. I post the submitted draft versions of the article on my blog to ensure those who can't access or afford the books can still read a version of my articles (similar to my scientific publications appearing in BioRxiv or Pubmed Central).
The first article was about one of my favorite books - the Baker Street File (BSF). It appears in the 2025 (published in 2026, if that makes sense) The Sherlock Holmes Review, published by Wessex Press. It's a beautiful volume, and I recommend grabbing a copy.
Towards the back of the Review in a regular section titled 'Let me recommend this book...' is my article on the Baker Street File (BSF). The article explains the history of the BSF so I won't re-hash that. I am lucky enough to have a copy of the Calabash Press publication, and also of the Granada BSF signed by a member of the crew. I wrote the article partly because it's so quite rare (i.e. in high demand), and partly to understand how an internal Granada document became available in publication format.
I'm particularly thankful to two people who were willing to lend time and words as part of creating the article. The first is Chris Rodin, co-founder of Calabash Press that published BSF - Chris spent time speaking with me about his publishing experience. The second is Gus Holwerda (a co-host of the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast) who shared some thoughts on the BSF. I'm very thankful to both of them.
The Baker Street File
Left: The practical cover of the original Baker Street File produced at Granada by Michael Cox, Stuart Doughty, and Nicky Cooney. Right: The cover of the Calabash Press printing of the Baker Street File.
One of the most sought-after pieces of Sherlockian ephemera is a copy of the 'Baker Street File' (BSF), created as a guide for the Granada series of Sherlock Holmes. It's full title was The Baker Street File, A guide to the appearance and habits of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson, specially prepared for the Granada Television series The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes'. Such was the instant and constant fascination with the Granada series that Calabash Press published the BSF in book form in 1997, with a 2002 reprint. The Calabash rarely appear for sale, and sell for eye-watering prices when they do.
When Michael Cox convinced Granada Studios to commit to creating a new television series of the Sherlock Holmes stories, there was a commitment to authenticity of the characters, the stories, and the period setting. This required a deep understanding of the Canon, and Cox recognized he needed a way to ensure all involved were adhering to the intent of Conan Doyle. In Cox's reflections on the series published as 'Studies in Celluloid' (Rupert Books UK, and Wessex Press USA), Cox described the process of creating the BSF: "We undertook some thorough research into the original stories, dividing a complete reading of all Conan Doyle's sixty stories between the Associate Producer, Stuart Doughty, the researcher, Nicky Cooney, and myself.... This document, which is divided into separate sections for each character and subsections on clothes, mannerisms, attitudes and so forth, runs to seventy pages plus an index. Compared with such published guides to the Canon..... it did save the production team from making too many mistakes.”
A Washington Post article in 1985 covering the launch of the series on PBS Mystery in the United States revealed Cox referencing the BSF from the very beginning as a basis for the quality of the series.
"Victorian dress and customs were extensively researched by executive producer Michael Cox and his staff, who compiled what they refer to as "the Baker Street File. "We divided all the stories between us and reread them." he explained. "We noted down everything that would help us evoke Victorian life -- the way people dressed, what they ate, where they ate, even what kind of tobacco they smoked. Then we gave our file to the production designer and technical people, who worked marvelously to implement it. I think you'll find this the most authentic Sherlock Holmes yet.”
It's easy to imagine Sherlock fans reading about the BSF and wishing to get their hands on a copy. Perhaps one hundred copies of the BSF were printed for use by the Granada production team, a stapled set of about eighty pages. The file itself was divided into sections, with each point from the Canon numbered - 1,136 in total! There are 762 numbered points for Sherlock alone, structured into topics such as clothing, smoking, women, character and nature ; with each quote or annotation cross-referenced to the story it was extracted from. There are also sections dedicated to Watson, Mrs. Hudson/Billy the page, and Baker Street (and 'Inside 221B') that were essential to the characters and set design.
According to Cox, the BSF became Brett's constant companion while on set. In an interview with Edward Hardwicke in 2003 he shared that "There was a wonderful file which was passed around, The Baker Street File, which had, I mean, every single detail that appeared in the stories. And I remember, at one point, I think I had to use a fountain pen and, umm, I questioned, I said, “This seems very modern.” They said, “No, no, it’s not, it’s in the file,” and we looked it up; there it was.... And it was an amazing document, I think I’ve still got it somewhere. Umm, but it was a measure of the immense care that Granada took at that time with that series, I mean, there was just nothing that wasn’t studied and examined.”
In 2022, almost forty years after the series, Gus Holwerda (a co-host of the Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast) visited David Burke, and shared that "we were lucky enough to peek inside David’s copy of the Baker Street File. A number of passages were ear marked, but the one that heralded the most noticeable pen-stroke in its margin was note #877 from the Three Garridebs which read “It was worth a wound – it was worth many wounds – to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask.” Mr. Burke took that passages to heart as he created his interpretation of the good doctor and I think it shows in his performance."
The story of the Baker Street File does not end with Granada's copies. The public first had a chance to sample the BSF content in Peter Haining's book 'The Television Sherlock Holmes' created 'in association with Granada Television'. First published in 1986, the book included 200 items from the BSF.
Then, in the early 1990s, Calabash Press entered the scene, and published the complete 'Baker Street File'. Christopher and Barbara Roden had founded two publishing imprints. The first was Ash Tree Press, publishing new and classic supernatural and horror literature (for example, M.R. James and Sheridan Le Fanu). Their second imprint was Calabash Press, publishing fiction ('pastiche') and nonfiction related to Sherlock Holmes. The Ash Tree Press ultimately published around 150 titles, with about 30 titles from Calabash Press, with both winding down operations in the mid-2000s.
Chris had founded the Arthur Conan Doyle Society in 1987, and the Rodens were very active members of the Northern Musgraves, an influential Sherlockian group started in 1988 that happened to be based in the north where the Granada primary shooting site was in Manchester. The Manchester studios had the Baker Street set, along with also a mock Houses of Parliament, a courtroom, and a set for Coronation Street (a British soap opera).
Michael Cox attended Northern Musgraves functions and got to know the members. Chris was kind enough to speak with me and share how put it 'Out of the blue we were approached by consultants who were working with the Granada Studios in Manchester to put together a tour of the studios and a Sherlock Holmes exhibit. Granada had contacted us specifically to help put the museum exhibit together. That museum ultimately contained an exhibit on Conan Doyle, dealt with the Strand Magazine, and contained artifacts from the show.'
Chris' involvement allowed him to contribute to the exhibit's planning and execution, and meant he spent quite a bit of time with Granada staff: 'While the exhibition was being put together, the three of us engaged to work on this as consultants - David Stuart Davies, Kathryn White, and myself - met regularly, and that’s where I met David Round. David was a prop buyer for Granada, and incredible at his job - anything you wanted David could find. At one of our dinner meetings David passed a copy of the original Baker Street File to me, to show how Granada had planned out the show.'
It was that copy of the original BSF that became a focal point of Chris' publishing endeavors with Calabash Press. To Chris, the BSF seemed an obvious thing to publish: 'Nobody had seen this darned thing - Sherlockians had all heard about it, but nobody had seen it. So I approached Michael Cox and asked “What are the chances of republishing it?” and Michael said “Why not?” and it really grew from that. Michael ran the concept past the other two authors of the original Granada Baker Street File - and they gave the nod, and Calabash Press went ahead with planning publication.’
Michael Cox wrote an introduction for the Calabash edition, and the book was sold through the Calabash mailing list, book stores such as the Mysterious Bookshop in NY, and possibly a new online web retailer called Amazon. 'The first edition of the Baker Street File came out in 1997, and we would have printed 500 copies in the first edition. It was one of only two books that we ran a second printing of, and the second edition would almost certainly have had a run of 500 also - to print less in an edition wasn’t economically viable.' Two other Calabash books required a second printing: David Stuart Davies’ ‘Bending the Willow’ which had 2,500 copies printed in the first run, along with a second and third print run also (hardcover and softcover); and DSD's fictional vampire/Sherlock crossover 'The Tangled Skein'.
As Calabash Press wound down, a third printing never came to fruition. And so, fans of the Granada series, fans of Jeremy Brett, Sherlockians, and tv/film historians (and some who are all four!) all keep their eyes open for one of those elusive 1,000 copies of the Baker Street File. It's popularity lies in the uniqueness of what was created by Michael Cox and his colleagues, creating a source that ensured fidelity with Arthur Conan Doyle's stories.
END.
As part of writing this article, not all of the interview with Chris Rodin could make the article, so I include here a transcript of my interview with Chris, conducted in 2023.
The publication of the Baker Street File by Calabash Press
An interview with Christopher Roden of Calabash Press (ca. 1995-2005).
Matt Hall: Well, the Baker Street File is one of those 'must have' items for Sherlockians and fans of the Granada series - as a publisher that must feel pretty special. Can you tell me about your introduction to the world of Sherlock Holmes and how your passion for it developed over time?
Christopher Roden: I was a Sherlockian before I was a publisher, and started reading Holmes stories when I was at school as a boy in England and it developed from there. When I moved to North Wales in the late 1970s, I started collecting more seriously. I got involved joining up with the Sherlock Holmes Society of London and started to go to some of their functons. Then I joined societies like the Northern Musgraves, and established the Arthur Conan Doyle Society around 1987. Those experiences really solidified my connections within the Sherlockian community here in the UK and beyond.
Matt Hall: Right, the Arthur Conan Doyle Society was responsible for some marvelous publications including manuscript facsimiles and transcriptions. Could you elaborate on your role in establishing the Arthur Conan Doyle Society and your introduction to publishing?
Christopher Roden: I had publishing experience before that... I'd published a few tourist guide books when I was living in Wales. But the Arthur Conan Doyle Society was a significant step for me in the realm of Sherlockian publishing. It was my first major endeavor in that field, although it was more of a labor of love than a profitable venture.
Matt Hall: The Granada series was created and produced by Michael Cox, and he was central to writing the Baker Street File to guide the production of the series. Did you have a connection to him?
Christopher Roden: I knew Michael Cox because I'd met him at the Northern Musgraves functions... actually I knew him quite well. Out of the blue we were approached by consultants who were working with the Granada Studios in Manchester to put together a tour of the studios and a Sherlock Holmes exhibit. Granada had contacted us specifically to help put the museum exhibit together. That museum ultimately contained an exhibit on Conan Doyle, dealt with the Strand Magazine, and contained artifacts from the show.
The Manchester studios had the Baker Street set of course, but also a mock Houses of Parliament, a courtroom, and a set for Coronation Street (the British soap opera). After production of the Sherlock Holmes show ceased, the Baker Street set was decommissioned and converted into an outdoor function area, and the museum kept operating for a while afterwards.
Matt Hall: I'm jealous just hearing about the experience of being immersed in that world - probably the way others might be jealous of those who saw the Beatles live! Was your time working around the show how you learnt about the Baker Street File?
Christopher Roden: My involvement as a consultant allowed me to contribute to the exhibit's planning and execution, and meant I spent quite a bit of time with Granada staff. While the exhibition was being put together, the three of us engaged to work on this as consultants - David Stuart Davies, Kathryn White, and myself - met regularly, and that’s where I met David Round. David was a prop buyer for Granada, and incredible at his job - anything you wanted David could find. At one of our dinner meetings David passed a copy of the original Baker Street File to me, to show how Granada had planned out the show.
Matt Hall: A keeper?
Christopher Roden: Oh yes! Working with David Round and the other consultants was a fruitful experience. That copy of the original Baker Street File later became a focal point for my publishing endeavors with Calabash Press.
Matt Hall: OK let's move to publishing then. Can you share more about your two publishing empires - Ash Tree Press and Calabash Press - and how they got started?
Christopher Roden: Both my wife (Barbara Roden) and I were active in ghost story societies as well as Sherlockian societies - M.R. James and so on. We decided if we were going to publish, we should publish what we knew about. I started Ash Tree Press in the early 90s as a publisher of horror and supernatural literature, and Calabash emerged as a separate Sherlockian press after that. So for example Doyle's ‘Captain of the Polestar’ was published by Ash Tree Press because it was a ghost story, whereas Ron Weighell’s supernatural Sherlockian pastiches were published by Calabash Press. The Ash Tree Press really took off and we published around 150 titles, with about 30 titles from Calabash Press.
Matt Hall: That's just amazing productivity. Complete side-note here - I've always wondered how you pronounce Weighell and now I know!
Christopher Roden: Yes, it's pronounced just like "whale".
Matt Hall: What led to the decision to publish the Baker Street File, and how did Michael Cox and the other original authors react to the idea? I suppose you were technically re-publishing it?
Christopher Roden: Right. Once I’d started Calabash Press, I was looking for projects, and the Baker Street File seemed an obvious thing to publish. Nobody had seen this darned thing - Sherlockians had all heard about it, but nobody had seen it. So I approached Michael Cox and asked “What are the chances of republishing it?” and Michael said “Why not?” and it really grew from that. Michael ran the concept past the other two authors of the original Granada Baker Street File - and they gave the nod, and Calabash Press went ahead with planning publication.
Matt Hall: Tell me about the process of publishing the Baker Street File and its reception among enthusiasts?
Christopher Roden: I had the original Baker Street File to work on from David Round. It obviously looks very different in its original state, but the content in the published book is exactly the same. We had to transcribe that for publication, and Michael Cox wrote an introduction for us. The BSF was sold through a mailing list we maintained, through book stores such as the Mysterious Bookshop, and it’s possible we sold it through Amazon which was relatively new at the time.
Matt Hall: And it is popular... how many copies are out there?
Christopher Roden: The first edition of the Baker Street File came out in 1997 when we’d just moved to Canada where my wife Barbara Roden was from, and we would have printed 500 copies in the first edition. It was one of only two books that we ran a second printing of, and the second edition would almost certainly have had a run of 500 also - to print less in an edition wasn’t economically viable.
Matt Hall: And what was the other Calabash book that needed a second run?
Christopher Roden: That was a Granada series-related book too! It was David Stuart Davies’ ‘Bending the Willow’ which had 2500 copies printed in the first run, along with a second and third print run also.
Matt Hall: So perhaps in obvious question for the Baker Street File is: why not a third edition? There's clearly appetite.
Christopher Roden: I’m sure we probably could have sold a few thousand more books, but the time came for Calabash Press to close. It was a 15 hours-a-day job and the time came to end. We never had the response with Calabash I would have liked to see. Some books we published I thought would have gone well such as the Case Files series, and they didn’t sell well, and printing costs were increasing dramatically in the early 2000s. Distribution was a problem as well with book stores and dealers closing down. So we won't see a third printing.
Matt Hall: Reflecting on your experiences with Sherlockian publishing, what do you believe contributes to the enduring popularity and demand for copies of the Baker Street File?
Christopher Roden: I believe the enduring popularity of the Baker Street File is a testament to the timeless appeal of both Sherlock Holmes, and the Granada series. The interest in Sherlockiana continues to thrive, keeping the legacy alive for generations to come. I'm glad he Baker Street File will continue to be a part of that legacy.
Matt Hall: Thanks so much for sharing some of the story behind the Baker Street File!
Finally, Gus Holwerda shared quite a bit more text than I was able to quite in the article (again, darned word count limit!) so I'm sharing that original text here also.
I first learned of the Baker Street File (as I am sure many have) while reading Michael Cox’ excellent chronicle of his work on the Granada series. I remember my eyes perking up at the prospect that this document could be obtained and I immediately tossed the book aside, diving into internet search engines like a sleuth-hound on a fresh scent. I have only recently become aware of how lucky I was to procure a copy so easily from Baskerville Books in the UK for a total of just £23, including shipping to the US. It has since become one of my most treasured articles of Granada-related memorabilia.
It is a pity that the BSF is not more easily available today, particularly for new actors and writers seeking to bring the Great Detective to the screen in updated iterations. If more productions had access to this document, it could serve as an easy tool to add significant (and, too often, lacking) authenticity to the bevy of current adaptations. One would think that conducting similar research would be a joyful exercise for creatives bringing Baker Street back to the airwaves, but sadly it seems that most of these delicious details are either discarded, re-written, or simply ignored in the current crop filmic endeavors - usually to their own detriment. Perhaps the world is finally ready for another canonically respected outing of Holmes and Watson to rival the work of Cox, Davies and Granada, and we will finally see the canon completed on screen by a new team equally as devoted to the work of Doyle as were those original trailblazers in the 1980s. But I digress.
The truth is that no matter how professional and skilled a production team might be, it would be asking quite a lot for the entire crew to read every Holmes tale written by Doyle and to retain the pertinent details. The commissioning of this small tome for the benefit of series regulars and guests alike was just one example of the genius of Michael Cox. He somehow managed to distill the bits of greatest importance to the fidelity of the work into a pocket-sized reference guide that could inform actors, writers, directors, wardrobe people, make-up artists, and set-builders alike.
When my co-hosts and I visited with David Burke (who portrayed Dr. Watson opposite Jeremy Brett in 1984-85) back in 2022, we were lucky enough to peek inside David’s copy of the Baker Street File. A number of passages were ear marked, but the one that heralded the most noticeable pen-stroke in its margin was note #877 from the Three Garridebs which read “It was worth a wound – it was worth many wounds – to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask.” Mr. Burke took that passages to heart as he created his interpretation of the good doctor and I think it shows in his performance.
The impact of the Baker Street File cannot be understated. Its implementation informs and heightens every aspect of Granada’s finished product. I think true fans of the stories can sense the effect of that exquisite knowledge behind the eyes of Jeremy Brett, David Burke, Edward Hardwicke, and the other personalities who inhabited the show. While each and every detail compiled for the BSF may not present itself front-and-center on screen, it is all there beneath the surface for those interested in peeling back the layers.
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