ANY people consider Holmes’ Victorian era as a time when exceedingly rigid guidelines were in place for almost any social situation, a time when gentlemen were real gentlemen, ladies were real ladies, and de’il-may-care rogues were real de’il-may-care rogues (in other words, not gentlemen). Myself, I frequently shame and disgrace my dinner companions through the use of an inappropriate fork, an ill-timed request for passing the salt, the occasional elbow upon the table, and –if the meal encourages it– a deafening belch.

Yes, I’m kidding (I do keep my elbows to myself), but it was still with no slight trepidation that I took a few minutes to play the Victorian Manners Game at the Québecois Musée McCord, in which you may “Adopt the role of a late 19th century character, and try to earn your place in a world where every move is governed by the rules of etiquette.”

For those even mildly curious, I did score the full 500 points (as a man — I have yet to play the woman), but it was mainly through textual clues rather than any inherent gentlemanliness I might accidentally possess. The game proved to be quite a lot of fun, although I did expect the giant Monty Python foot to come hurtling down to squash me at any moment.

This link was mentioned in the Conan Doyle Yahoo! Group by the inestimable Bert Coules, whom I suspect actually is a proper gentleman.