vivdunstan

We’re very proud that Martin’s PhD supervisor, Ursula Martin, has been upgraded from a CBE to a DBE in the King’s Birthday Honours. Ursula was an excellent supervisor for Martin, patient and encouraging. She was also a huge help to me, both as an undergraduate computer science student at St Andrews - having a female CS Prof in the early 1990s was gobsmacking for me - but also after I had to drop out of my CS PhD, and more recently.

Thoroughly deserved, and especially good to see given that some of her achievements as a female groundbreaker in CS have at times been overlooked by male colleagues.

Onto the last in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes collection. And this is one that I do remember. Even though I have a tendency to muddle it with the "Solitary Cyclist" story ...

( Into spoiler space ...  )

So that's the end of the first collection of short stories for me. On to Memoirs next week.

Now this story surprised me. I can't remember it at all from my multiple past reads. Nevertheless it is a well constructed mystery, with a satisfying resolution.

The "noble bachelor" is another member of the upper echelons of society who comes to Holmes for help, the latest in a long line. Though this one is rather arrogant, and I loved this put down from Holmes:

"A most painful matter to me, as you can most readily imagine, Mr. Holmes. I have been cut to the quick. I understand that you have already managed several delicate cases of this sort, sir, though I presume that they were hardly from the same class of society."

"No, I am descending."

"I beg pardon."

"My last client of the sort was a king."

"Oh, really! I had no idea. And which king?"

"The King of Scandinavia."

"What! Had he lost his wife?"

"You can understand," said Holmes, suavely, "that I extend to the affairs of my other clients the same secrecy which I promise to you in yours."

The mystery of the lost wife is well described, though I found it somewhat hard to visualise in places. My own issue with probable aphantasia.

As in a number of Sherlock Holmes stories there is an American connection, with very much a sense of the exotic in its inclusion.

Ultimately the solution to the case is a simple one, as Holmes sums up himself:

"The case has been an interesting one," remarked Holmes, when our visitors had left us, "because it serves to show very clearly how simple the explanation may be of an affair which at first sight seems to be almost inexplicable. Nothing could be more natural than the sequence of events as narrated by this lady, and nothing stranger than the result when viewed, for instance, by Mr. Lestrade, of Scotland Yard."

So yes, a good story, though not one of the best Sherlock Holmes stories. And a story that had completely slipped my memory, despite multiple rereads.

On to another Sherlock Holmes short story, and again I'm going to discuss this with big spoilers. ( spoiler text )

I am continuing to watch these on ITVX. Though generally in spread out spurts, rather than more steadily.

Tonight I was watching the latter half of "Lord of the Trees", all of "The Enchantment", and starting on the first half of "The Swords of Wayland". All episodes from season 2.

One thing that's striking me a lot is how sanitised it is, both in violence, but also in sexual relations. The fight scenes - heavily signposted by the start of the "fight music" each time - are pantomime like a lot. Older me fast forwards through many of them. They also often go on for a very long time. But they're also rarely too gory (*). Nor is there anything like as much sexual violence or menace as you would expect for the time, and would be shown in a more adult aiming programme. Even Lilith's seduction (of a sort) of Robin is remarkably asexual, especially from Robin. And as for Robin and Marion, well that's minimal too.

Against that mythology is heavily used throughout. And it's often very dark. As are the frequently threatening visuals. I've just got to the start of "The Swords of Wayland" two-parter. The images at the start of riders on horseback and menacing people is very visceral and scary. Not in a light Hammer way. Watching "Lord of the Trees" tonight I wondered what Mary Whitehouse would have made of it all! Checking on Wikipedia it seems that she did have views, and "objected to the [show's] relentless slaughter and blasphemous religious elements". No big surprises there!

Women frequently have very strong roles in the series, which is nice to see. Though not so much Marion, even if her agency improves in season 2 over season 1. But I'm thinking especially of villainesses, such as Lilith and Morgwyn. Though quite what that says, that it's generally the evil women who get the strong female roles, I'm not so sure. To be fair, this is set in medieval times, when things were even more limited than today.

It is a bit exasperating how certain storylines are left unfinished though. I'm thinking in particular of what happened to Gisburne at the end of season 1, the story of Baron de Belleme, and of course, and most sadly, the unfinished storylines after the series was cancelled after season 3.

The guest cast is often astonishing though. I've been marvelling at that throughout. I am looking forward to next season, and Richard O'Brien's repeated appearances. Though I'm less excited about an upcoming major cast change. On plus we will have other great guest stars to enjoy. I am especially looking forward to seeing William Russell.

Anyway yes, very happy rewatching these. A marvellous series, that first aired 40 years ago this year. And still well worth making time for.

* I know that ITVX has cut some of the violence. But I've seen enough of the series on DVD before to remember that even in the original uncut form it's not as violent as you might expect for the time. Very impressive, albeit a bit overlong for me now. But remarkably non "eek!" inducing.