Game:

Sherlock (1984)

Duration: 4:42

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Here's an enjoyable BBC Radio article from the "That's History" series circa 1994 Sherlock Holmes - Abbey National Building Museum.

The Abbey National bank had its headquarters in Baker Street London and its position in Baker Street took in the fictional 221b Baker Street address that Sherlock Holmes lived at. The Abbey national would receive thousands of letters and visitors all looking to contact Sherlock Holmes so employed a secretary to answer all the enquiries and had a small display in its front foyer a sort of mini Sherlock Holmes museum. The Abbey National bank was taken over by the Spanish "Santander Bank",and I have no idea if they still occupy the Baker Street address,but since this radio programme was made a privately run Sherlock Holmes Museum has been opened a few doors along from the Abbey Building.

When street numbers were reallocated in the 1930s, the block of odd numbers from 215 to 229 was assigned to an Art Deco building known as Abbey House, constructed in 1932 for the Abbey Road Building Society, which the society and its successor (which subsequently became Abbey National plc) occupied until 2002.

Almost immediately, the building society started receiving correspondence from Sherlock Holmes fans all over the world, in such volumes that it appointed a permanent "secretary to Sherlock Holmes" to deal with it. A bronze plaque on the front of Abbey House carried a picture of Holmes and a quotation, but was removed from the building several years ago. Its present whereabouts are unknown. In 1999, Abbey National sponsored the creation of a bronze statue of Sherlock Holmes that now stands at the entrance to Baker Street tube station.

The Sherlock Holmes Museum is situated within an 1815 townhouse very similar to the 221B described in the stories and is located between 237 and 241 Baker Street. It displays exhibits in period rooms, wax figures and Holmes memorabilia, with the famous study overlooking Baker Street the highlight of the museum. The description of the house can be found throughout the stories, including the 17 steps leading from the ground-floor hallway to the first-floor study.[2]

According to the published stories, "221B Baker Street" was a suite of rooms on the first floor of a lodging house above a flight of 17 steps.[2] The main study overlooked Baker Street, and Holmes' bedroom was adjacent to this room at the rear of the house, with Dr. Watson's bedroom being on the floor above, overlooking a rear yard that had a plane tree in it.

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