-
The American Pear- the Seckel
Much has been made over the quantity of pears Lizzie claimed she munched while in the hayloft at the time of her father’s murder. Bartletts, Anjou, or other large pear varieties seem a very unlikely candidate for the pear du jour, but there is a very small, sweet pear which may have fit the bill both in size and popularity for the time, the Seckel. Seckels are believed by many to be the only truly American variety of pear in commercial production. Unlike other varieties developed in the U.S. from a cross or bud sport of other European cultivars, Seckels are thought to have originated as a wild seedling near Philadelphia. They were discovered in the early 1800’s and were easy to propagate. For someone who could not “do anything in a minute”- this might be the pear of choice. Thomas Jefferson, a real gentleman farmer says of the Seckel, “. . . finest pear I’ve tasted since I left France & equalled the best pear there.”
-
Visiting the real 221B Baker Street
In 1994 I was lucky to finally realize a life long wish to visit London. Just around the corner from the famous Madame Tussaud’s wax museum is 221 Baker Street, which downstairs houses Mrs. Hudson’s Tea Room and upstairs, a faithful representation of the apartment of the fictional Holmes. Thousands of letters pour in yearly to Sherlock, with addresses which span the globe, all asking for advice.It is great fun to visit here, and I see their website has become quite sophisticated, with a tour of the premises, gift shop, paid quarterly magazine, and much more. I know you will enjoy surfing the many nooks and crannies of this site, maybe shopping at the online store, watching video clips and listening to the great Jeremy Brett series audio music files. Here is a free quiz you might try out if you are a Sherlockian. You will win a 10 dollar coupon to spend in the giftshop or online store even if you miss a few! They also send you a free complimentary copy of the next issue of The Baker Street Times, which is a treasure of information about the Life and Times of Sherlock Holmes in the late Victorian period. So, enjoy!http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/library/quiz/QUESTIONNAIRE.HTML
To enter the museum site with its many links click here http://www.sherlock-holmes.co.uk/home.htm
