This post was written by John Rabon and originally appeared on Anglotopia.net in 2014

Born of the mind of physician-turned-author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes is perhaps the most well-known detective (fictional or real) in the world. Challenging the Victorian Scotland Yard with his superior intellect and deductive reasoning, Sherlock Holmes always solved the crime and got his man—even when it seemingly cost his own life. Enduring from his creation to the modern day, the character has been subject to many film and television interpretations, most recently played by Benedict Cumberbatch, Johnny Lee Miller, and Robert Downey Jr. But some of the facts surrounding the fictional detective may even elude him.

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Both Holmes and Watson

Doyle was inspired by one of his professors at medical school, Dr. Joseph Bell, to create the famous detective. Dr. Bell had the ability to diagnose patients as soon as they walked into the surgery, using physical clues and deductive logic to make his prognoses.

Slow Path to Success

Believe it or not, “A Study in Scarlet” was not exactly successful when it was first published. Doyle wrote the story at the age of 27 while running a struggling surgery in Portsmouth. It took about three weeks to complete. Like many authors who went on to great success, his first work was rejected by multiple publishers, finally being published in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in 1887. Editor Joesph Stoddart convinced Doyle to write another novel for serialisation in Stoddart’s magazine, Lippincott’s Monthly Magazine, while at a party in 1889. Also at the party was Oscar Wilde, who agreed to write his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which was published in 1890 in the same issue as one chapter of “The Sign of Four”.

No. 1 on the Screen

According to Internet Movie Database, Sherlock Holmes is the most filmed fictional character across film and television with at 292 entries. His first film was a comedy spoof made in 1900 called “Sherlock Holmes Baffled”, where he was played by an unknown actor. Since then, many great actors (including those previously mentioned) have had their turn at playing the detective, including John Barrymoore, Basil Rathbone, Jeremy Brett, Peter Cushing, and even Doctor Who’s Tom Baker.

Iconic Headwear

Despite the famous deerstalker hat being a staple of many films and television programmes (even “Sherlock” now), Holmes rarely ever wore one in his adventures. This was the result of Sidney Paget’s illustrations in The Strand magazine, as he typically depicted Holmes wearing one whenever he went to the country. Holmes also never said, “Elementary, my dear Watson”, though he would say “elementary” and “my dear Watson” separately. They weren’t put together until P.G. Wodehouse’s novel, Psmith, Journalist in1915.

It’s Actually Not Deductive Reasoning

What Holmes uses is a process called “abductive” reasoning. Abductive reasoning requires the individual to make an observation and to form a hypothesis based on reliable data from the observation and explains the relevant evidence. It was first posited by American philosopher Charles Sanders Pierce, which he referred to as “guessing”. Unlike deductive reasoning, the premises don’t guarantee the conclusion, but when you’re writing a fictional story like Doyle, it always does. Can’t have your great detective guessing wrong, hmm?

A Real Detective

Much like the character that inspired him, Dr. Bell also assisted in several criminal cases. Unlike Holmes, Bell did not solve the cases on his own, but was usually accompanied by forensic scientist Professor Henry Littlejohn.

Cricket

The name Sherlock actually came about because Doyle was a huge fan of cricket, where the name Sherlock belonged to one of the more well-known players of the time. Originally, Doyle was going to call the character Sherrington, but couldn’t get the name Sherlock out of his head.

A Museum with a Wrong Address

As mentioned in my previous article about famous literary landmarks, there is a Sherlock Holmes Museum on Baker Street. However, it’s not actually at 221, but 239. The address at 221 belonged to the Abbey National Building Society, which often got mail for Holmes. A struggle between the two over the right to that mail began when the museum opened in 1990, but ended after ANBS vacated their building in 2002.

A Typo?

Most fans of Sherlock Holmes know that Dr. Watson’s first name is “John”, but in “The Man with the Twisted Lip”, his wife Mary actually calls him “James”.

Retirement?

After retiring from becoming a detective, the character apparently took up beekeeping in Sussex in “His Last Bow.”

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Perhaps one of the most highly regarded figures in British history, Sir Winston Churchill was born into a noble family and saw much time in military service and politics. Despite falling out of favour after the disastrous Gallipoli Campaign during World War I, Churchill came back as Chancellor of the Exchequer, the same post his father had held in the government. Prior to World War II, he was one of a minority of members in the government opposed to the appeasement of Adolf Hitler, and as a result, he quickly rose to the position of party leader and Prime Minister following the resignation of Neville Chamberlain. He then led Britain through the war, and after a brief time out of power again, he came back to lead Britain through the beginnings of the Cold War with Soviet Russia. So what don’t you know about Sir Winston Churchill?

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Half-American

Perhaps part of the reason he got on so well with American President Franklin D. Roosevelt was that the “British Bulldog” was himself half-American. Churchill’s mother, Jeanette Jerome, was born in Brooklyn and married Lord Randolph Churchill in 1874. According to legend, she’s responsible for the invention of the Manhattan cocktail. Churchill was also named a “Honorary Citizen of the United States” in 1963 and was the first person to be so honoured.

He Has a Nobel Prize—in Literature

Churchill won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1953 “for his mastery of historical and biographical description as well as for brilliant oratory in defending exalted human values.” His works included a novel, two biographies, three memoirs, and several historical accounts many of which are still in print today.

Colourful Language

There are any number of quotes attributed to Churchill, some true, others not. One example of a true quote was that, after the United States passed an amendment to the U.S. Constitution prohibiting the sale of alcohol, Churchill stated that Prohibition was “an affront to the whole history of mankind.” Another quote attributed to him concerned Labour Party rival Clement Atlee and said, “An empty taxi cab pulled up to Parliament and Clement Atlee got out.” Churchill vehemently denied making this quote since he had a great respect for Atlee as Atlee served under Churchill as part of the coalition government during World War II. One of the most famous quotes attributed to him states that either Lady Astor or Bessie Braddock approached him at a party to deride his drunkenness and Churchill allegedly responded, “Madam, in the morning I will be sober, but you will still be ugly.”

The Great Escape

At one point in his military career, Churchill was a Prisoner of War during the Boer War. As a young war correspondent in 1899, Churchill managed to escape from prison and incurred a bounty of £25. With no real escape plan, he managed to find a British mine owner who hid him for three days and then he returned home a hero.

Charlie the Parrot

In 2004, Peter Oram claimed that his pet macaw was 105 years old and was once owned by Churchill. He claimed that the bird’s perchance to curse about the Nazis (and Hitler in particular) was a habit picked up from the Prime Minister. The administrators of Churchill’s home, Chartwell, have rejected Mr. Oram’s claims, though it is unclear whether that’s because Churchill never owned Charlie or they administrators would rather not own up to a cursing parrot.

Iron Curtain

Churchill actually invented the term “Iron Curtain” to describe the rise of Communism in several Eastern European Countries following World War II. In a speech at Westminster College in March 1946, he stated that “an iron curtain has descended across the Continent.” The phrase was picked up on as a reference to the Soviet nations and is thought of as one of the beginning points of the Cold War.

The First SMS Abbreviation was Sent to Him

More specifically, he’s associated with the creation of OMG, which stands for “Oh my God!” Admiral John Arbuthnot “Jacky” Fisher sent Churchill a letter in which Fisher stated that he had heard about a new order of Knighthood known as the “O.M.G. (Oh! My God!)” and suggested it be given to the Admiralty.

War of Words

With Lady Astor, anyway. In addition to the alleged drunkenness comment, Lady Astor once supposedly told Churchill that, were he her husband, she would poison his tea. Churchill’s response was “Madam, if I was your husband, I would drink it.” When Lady Astor joined Parliament after taking over her husband’s seat (as he’d been promoted to the House of Lords), becoming the first woman to sit in the legislative body, Churchill stated that having a woman in Parliament was akin to having one “intrude” on you in the bathroom. Lady Astor responded, “You’re not handsome enough to have such fears.”

Special Relationship

Churchill and Franklin Roosevelt are credited with responsibility for the “very special relationship” between the United Kingdom and the United States formed in response to the threat of Nazi Germany. Speaking of walking in on one in the bathroom, at one point when Churchill was staying at the White House, Roosevelt entered his bedroom excitedly to discuss something as Churchill was getting out of the bath. Though Roosevelt was obviously embarrassed, Churchill allegedly responded, “You see, Mr. President, I have nothing to hide from you.”

Six Monarchs

During his time in Parliament, Churchill had the distinction of serving under six different royals. His career began in 1900 when Queen Victoria still reigned and lasted for fifty-five years, meaning that he served under not only her, but also: Edward VII, George V, Edward VIII, George VI, and Elizabeth II.

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Probably my favorite song about London – London Calling by The Clash. It’s also part of the inspiration for our latest t-shirt at Anglotees – London Calling! What’s your favorite song about London?

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This article was written by regular Tardistopia.net contributor John Rabon.

Doctor Who aired on the BBC for the first time. We’ve now had Doctor Who for over 51 years, and as this series continues to show, there are always reasons to watch. Of course, over such a long and illustrious television history, a programme builds up lots of interest facts about itself. Some of these you may know, others you may not, but in any event, they provide plenty of great moments on screen and behind the scenes.

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In Space, No One Can Hear You Exterminate

Rather than Raymond Cusick, it was very nearly director Ridley Scott who gave the Daleks their distinctive look. Scott worked as a designer at the BBC back in the 1960s and was originally slated to do the design work for “The Daleks” serial. However, before work on the serial began, Scott left to train as a director at Granada Studios and Cusick was tapped to replace him.

Diversity Firsts

For the first episode of the programme “An Unearthly Child”, the BBC had two firsts. Verity Lambert was chosen by head of drama Sydney Newman to be the show’s producer, becoming the first woman at the BBC to hold that position. Similarly, Waris Hussein was the BBC’s first Asian drama director, having directed his first programme in 1962 before moving onto Doctor Who the following year.

Driving Your Own Car

Exactly what the Third Doctor, John Pertwee, did during his tenure on the show. A bit of a petrol head, Pertwee had a special spaceship-looking car commissioned for him and got permission to have it on the show. Dubbed “The Whomobile” by fans, it was never referred to by name on the programme as Barry Letts hated self-references within the show.

Bow Ties are Cool

So cool, in fact, that after Matt Smith started to wear them in 2011 for his Doctor’s costume, the sales shot up 94%. Smith decided to wear the bow tie after doing his research to prepare for the role and taking a liking to Patrick Troughton’s portrayal as the Second Doctor.

Real Life Writes the Show

There have been several instances when actual events dictated what happened on the programme. The first was the rebroadcast of the first episode, as the original broadcast was overlooked by viewers after the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. The second is the TARDIS itself. Originally meant to change appearance with each episode, the costliness of this caused the TARDIS to become stick in its familiar police box shape. Lastly, the whole idea of regeneration was created when William Hartnell left the programme so that the show could go on with a new actor, explained by the Doctor’s alien physiology allowing him to change form and personalities.

Playing with the Weeping Angels

The Weeping Angels, enemies that can only move when not being observed, were based on the game What’s the Time, Mr. Wolf? In the game, one player is chosen to be Mr. Wolf and stands at the opposite end of the field, facing away from the other players. The players chant “What’s the time, Mr. Wolf?” and the chosen player will shout out a time that requires the players to take the announced number of steps (3 = 3 steps, 12 = 12, etc.). Mr. Wolf can also shout out “Dinner time!” and chase the other players. If he tags another player, that player becomes the new Mr. Wolf.

Quite Interesting

Stephen Fry was tapped to write an episode of the second series of the new programme by Russell T. Davies. Fry’s script was a play on the medieval story of “Sir Gawain and the Green Knight”. Unfortunately, Davies found the script overly complicated and Fry never got around to doing a rewrite, so it was never used.

Highest Viewing Figures

That honour goes to the Fourth Doctor serial “City of Death” with 16.1 million viewers for the classic series. For the new series, the anniversary special “The Day of the Doctor” brought in 10.61 million viewers in the UK and 3.6 million in the US. The box office figures for the theatre screening of the anniversary earned £1.8 million in the UK and $2.44 million in the US, becoming the second highest grossing that night.

The Master was His Brother?

Well…almost. Rodger Delgado, the first actor to portray the Master, was brought onto the programme in part because he was a friend of Jon Pertwee’s. There were plans for the Master to be revealed as the Doctor’s brother later in Pertwee’s era, but sadly, Delgado died before this could be realised. His death was part of the reason why Pertwee decided to leave the show after 1973. The Master would not reappear as a villain until 1976’s “The Deadly Assassin”.

The Fourth Doctor was a Monk?

At least, when he was at the age of 15. Tom Baker joined a monastery but came to dislike the discipline, chanting, and other hallmarks of monastic life, eventually leaving the church to pursue a career in acting. His iconic scarf almost didn’t happen. The scarf wasn’t meant to be as long as it was, but when the costume designer provided several balls of yarn to the knitter to pick the colors, she ended up using them all.

 

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One of the iconic symbols of the city, London black cabs can be seen whizzing about the streets on a daily basis. Like the yellow cab in America, a London taxi carries with it a certain cultural significance. When Stephen Fry toured America, he did so in a black cab (and actually drives one in Britain as his personal car). But what is it that makes the black cab so important? Have a look below at ten interesting facts and figures about this embodiment of London transportation.

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The Knowledge

Perhaps the most important part of being a London taxi driver is “The Knowledge”. This refers to a test that every taxi driver must pass to receive his or her license. Would-be drivers study for 2-4 years in order to develop a working knowledge of London’s 320 routes in a six-mile radius of Charing Cross, which includes 25,000 streets and 20,000 landmarks. Drivers who pass get a green badge. There is also a yellow badge that covers a smaller, suburban area of London and does not permit drivers to enter the same area as green badge drivers.

Cabs of Many Colours

While black is the most common colour for London taxis, it’s not required to be so. They can be blue, yellow, green, red, whatever. Most tend to be black because of its recognition.

Business Business Business! Numbers!

There are approximately 21,000 black cabs in London. Many cab drivers own their taxi and operate as independent businesses. Technically, you’re stepping into a “shop” each time you enter one.

Hackney Carriage

The first taxicab licenses were issued in 1639 to the Corporation of Coachmen. Hackney carriages, the first horse-drawn carriages for hire, were issued their licenses in 1662, and later became Hansom Cabs in 1834. The first motorised cabs were introduced to London in 1908 and by the 1920s they had superseded hansom cabs as the primary taxi vehicle.

You Must Be This Tall to Ride

By law, taxicabs had to be tall enough for a passenger to sit comfortably while wearing a bowler hat. Additionally, at one time, hackney carriages were required to carry a bale of hay for the horse. This law was held over for a time even after motorised cabs began to operate.

Tight Turns

Black cabs have a turning circle of only 25 feet. The reason for this is supposedly to accommodate the small roundabout at the entrance of the Savoy Hotel. This turning radius later became legally required of all London taxis. Savoy Court is also one of the only places in London where vehicles drive on the right, and it was the custom of patrons to sit behind the driver so that they would enter or exit the cab on the side facing the hotel.

Don’t Shout

Technically, it’s against the law for you to yell “Taxi!” to get their attention. If you see a cab with a lit sign, just hold out your arm to signal them.

What’s in a Name?

The term “taxi” comes from taximeter, the counter used to measure miles traveled and fare. “Cab” was short for “cabriolet”, a French verb for “to leap”, which was a type of taxi and what one did to exit them.

I Really Need to Go

There’s some question as to whether this is real or myth, but some interpret the Town Police Clauses Act of 1847 to permit one to urinate on a London taxi’s left rear wheel provided that the driver’s right hand was touching the cab. The Law Commission refutes this interpretation, but debate of the legality of this action continues to propagate.

Drive On *Cough Cough*

It was also once supposedly illegal for people to hail a cab while suffering from the bubonic plague. This is still partly true, as the Public Health (Control of Disease) Act of 1984 requires a person suffering from a notifiable disease to inform the cab driver, who may then decide whether to ferry the passenger. If he does so, he is then required to notify the authorities and disinfect the cab before taking another fare.

How much, in today’s money, would it cost to live life in Downton Abbey? Well, a British firm has done the math. It would cost an eye watering £5.2 Million or about $8.3 Million a year to live like the Crawley family! As we always say – set your goals high!

 

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