or those readers wondering why things suddenly became so erratic here, I ought to come forth with an apology, and some personal news. It’s been quite a month or two at the homestead, involving plenty of job-hunting, shuffling across the continent, taking care of young’uns, and –last week– the birth of our new son Daniel, simultaneous with a job offer requiring the packing up of our old life to begin another up north.

As Jenny is not yet fit to do much packing or moving, my spare time is being divided between taking care of our two-year-old Conor, packing up our worldly possessions, and trying to organise the transition. I’ll soon be heading up to Yellowknife to set up our new place (and life), and sending Jenny and the kids a plane ticket when everything is ready.

Needless to say, that doesn’t leave very much time for the blogs for the next few weeks. In fact, all my books except a beat-up Holmes collection and Chris Redmond’s handbook is already packed away and ready to go.

So, I’m terribly sorry for the lack of posts recently –and in the near future– but once I have a connection in Yellowknife, my online life will be getting back to normal. I assure you, I’m very much looking forward to daily Sherlockian postings once more. There’s still a tonne of stuff in queue that needs editing and nice graphics, and I can’t wait to get this site au courant again. In the meantime, if you come across a link or some Holmes-related information you wish to share, please don’t hesitate to use my contact form (see the menu above); I’ll be checking mail often, and these are the sort of things I can post even while on the road.

AVE PARKER notes in his blog that The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection Richard Lancelyn Green Bequest is allowing the public to view the late author and collector’s vast array of Conan Doyle materials in Portsmouth, England:

Portsmouth has been chosen by the late Richard Lancelyn Green as the home for his extraordinary collection of Conan Doyle-related books, papers, artifacts and assorted memorabilia.

Academics, specialists and the general public, will be able to access Richard’s life’s work, once it has been catalogued and made available.

There will be an introductory exhibition in 2006, and a more substantial display in 2007.

Green wrote extensively about Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, and was the co-author/compiler of the definitive bibliography of ACD’s work, as well as various volumes of uncollected stories, letters to the press, and so forth, so this exhibition should be quite fascinating indeed.

The introductory exhibit started on June 10th and runs to September 24th. For further information, The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection Richard Lancelyn Green Bequest Website has notes about the collection, as well as a PDF newsletter. Thanks, Dave!