Friday, March 29, 2013

Steampunk Buttons

http://beyondvictoriana.com
Notice that Sherlock Holmes is among the nine designs listed here as essential Steampunk.

Shapes of Women's Fashion Over the Years

There are Costumes and then there are COSTUMES

This costume is elementary school, my dear Watson!

Conan Doyle's home saved from redevelopment

House where Sherlock Holmes creator wrote 13 stories will remain a single building after high court ruling

James Meikle and agencies
guardian.co.uk, Wednesday 30 May 2012 14.17 BST
Jump to comments (27)

Undershaw in Haslemere, Surrey, where Arthur Conan Doyle lived for 10 years. Photograph: Kathryn Ferry/Victorian Society

Sherlock Holmes fans are celebrating the foiling of an attempt to convert the Victorian house of the great detective's creator into eight separate homes.

Undershaw is a Grade II listed building at Hindhead Crossing near Haslemere in Surrey. During the decade he lived there from 1897, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle wrote 13 Holmes stories, including The Hound of the Baskervilles. The building was later turned into a hotel, and has lain empty and dilapidated since 2005.

In 2010, Waverley borough council decided to allow the owner, Fossway Ltd, to divide up the property. Campaigners trying to save the house as a single entity launched a judicial review, and have now won their case at the high court in London. Mr Justice Cranston said legal flaws meant that the council's decisions to grant planning permission and listed building consent must be quashed.

Lawyers representing John Gibson, a Conan Doyle scholar and co-founder of the Undershaw Preservation Trust, turned to one of Holmes's favourite words in lambasting the "elementary" errors of the council in its consideration of the plans.

Hailing victory in "a long and difficult battle" to save Undershaw, Gibson said: "This is a place which is steeped in history and should be treated with reverence. Conan Doyle's life and works are a fundamental part of British culture and arguably their stock has never been higher. We have been absolutely delighted to see enthusiasts from across the world get in touch and pledge their support to our efforts.

"We are very hopeful that this decision will signal a sea change in attitude towards this historic property and that it will lead to it being rightly preserved as a single building – hopefully as a museum or centre where future generations can be inspired by the many stories which have been created within its walls."

Other opponents of the scheme included the Victorian Society, local MP and culture secretary Jeremy Hunt, ex-chairman of the Arts Council Sir Christopher Frayling, Julian Barnes – who set his Booker Prize-nominated novel Arthur and George in Undershaw – writer Ian Rankin, broadcaster Stephen Fry, and Mark Gatiss, co-creator of BBC's Sherlock.

Andrew Lockley, head of public law at Irwin Mitchell, who represented Gibson, said: "The local authority failed to ensure that it received English Heritage's views on the plans before taking its decision, despite consultation with EH being a legal requirement due to the property's Grade II listed status.

"In addition, the council failed in its duty to reconsider the Fossway development plans following the submission of a second application on the property which would see it maintained as a single dwelling.

"The decision means it is now back to the drawing board in terms of the future of Undershaw, but, like John, we hope to see this property of huge cultural and historical significance preserved and treated in the manner it deserves."

The trust's website used Conan Doyle's words to galvanise its supporters for the fight: "The pressure of public opinion can do in the town what the law cannot accomplish" (a quote from The Copper Beeches) and "I shall be proud that we shall be acting together, Mr Holmes" (The Dancing Men).

Conan Doyle chose the location for Undershaw in accordance with the needs of his wife, Louise, who suffered from consumption. Before Louise's death in 1906, when he remarried and moved to Crowborough, the author entertained friends including Peter Pan author JM Barrie and Dracula creator Bram Stoker.

In a 1907 article, Stoker described Undershaw as having "all the elements of home" and said the view from the drawing room was one of "a never-ending sea of greenery" to the South Downs. Conan Doyle did not sell Undershaw until 1921 and, in 1977, it was listed as being of special architectural and historic interest because of its literary association.

Mr Justice Cranston said Fossway had clearly bought the property in 2004 for its development potential and its scheme for the house included a gazebo within the grounds, which would be open to the public and provide information about Conan Doyle.

The judge said lawyers for the council had made it clear that it wanted to preserve Undershaw and spent substantial sums to make it secure. But the the council had not adequately met statutory requirements to pay special regard to the preservation of heritage assets and planning policy.

Bryn Morgan, a councillor responsible for planning at Waverley council, said it had judged Fossway's application on its merit. "Sadly, the decision by the high court places the future of the building back in doubt once again. The poor condition of the building will now only get worse a result of this decision.

"We will now take some time to consider the judgment and will be talking to the site owners."

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Smokey Colour Palette

Moriarty Colours

Tobacco Inspired Colours

wallpaper inspiration

some green with grey tweed and brown

Sherlock's Flat

Sunday, March 17, 2013

The New Class to-do list

With just under two months to get ready for the big night, we have to get organized and start working on the following:
Promotions- t-shirts, button design, poster design, bookmarks or stickers, ticket design, 4 show pass
Publicity and fundraising- article for the Umbrella, press release for news papers, in school events like duct tape event, bake sale?, coffee house date and details, raffle prizes, raffle tickets, photo shoot (Tuesday)
Costumes- sketches for each character, measurements, colour palette, build list, gather useful costumes and try on, get costumes ready for photo shoot
Set- Scale drawings to Mr. Weinert, Build rolling flats, Exchange set pieces for those in the shed, discard old ones, chose colours, paint (prime and prepare), Clean area around stage, prop cupboard and stairwell, sew curtains, recover furniture
Props- decide what to find and what to make, read the script carefully and make a prop list- divide up the duties

It seems like a lot, but we will chip away at these details and eventually, get it all done.

Moriarty's Chalkboard

Naples, Florida Set

Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Moriarty

'His career has been an extraordinary one. He is a man of good birth and excellent education, endowed by nature with a phenomenal mathematical faculty...But the man had hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind. A criminal strain ran in his blood, which instead of being modified, was increased and rendered infinitely more dangerous by his extraordinary mental powers.'

Sherlock Holmes Quote

-The Final Problem

Friday, March 8, 2013

The new roomate

“Looking for lodgings,” I answered. “Trying to solve the problem as to whether it is possible to get comfortable rooms at a reasonable price.”

“That’s a strange thing,” remarked my companion; “you are the second man to-day that has used that expression to me.”

“And who was the first?” I asked.

“A fellow who is working at the chemical laboratory up at the hospital. He was bemoaning himself this morning because he could not get someone to go halves with him in some nice rooms which he had found, and which were too much for his purse.”

“By Jove!” I cried; “if he really wants someone to share the rooms and the expense, I am the very man for him. I should prefer having a partner to being alone.”

Young Stamford looked rather strangely at me over his wineglass. “You don’t know Sherlock Holmes yet,” he said; “perhaps you would not care for him as a constant companion.”

“Why, what is there against him?”

“Oh, I didn’t say there was anything against him. He is a little queer in his ideas—an enthusiast in some branches of science. As far as I know he is a decent fellow enough.”

“A medical student, I suppose?” said I.

“No—I have no idea what he intends to go in for. I believe he is well up in anatomy, and he is a first- class chemist; but, as far as I know, he has never taken out any systematic medical classes. His studies are very desultory and eccentric, but he has amassed a lot of out-of-the-way knowledge which would astonish his professors.”

“Did you never ask him what he was going in for?” I asked.

“No; he is not a man that it is easy to draw out, though he can be communicative enough when the fancy seizes him.”

“I should like to meet him,” I said. “If I am to lodge with anyone, I should prefer a man of studious and quiet habits. I am not strong enough yet to stand much noise or excitement. I had enough of both in Afghanistan to last me for the remainder of my natural existence. How could I meet this friend of yours?”

“He is sure to be at the laboratory,” returned my companion. “He either avoids the place for weeks, or else he works there from morning till night. If you like, we will drive round together after luncheon.”

Wednesday, March 6, 2013

London Underground Began in 1863

A red and black locomotive dating from 1898 and specially restored for the occasion ran between Kensington Olympia station in west London and Moorgate station in the financial district.

It was pulling the oldest operational Tube carriage, which was built in 1892, a set of four carriages from 1898, and a vintage electric locomotive.

London mayor Boris Johnson, who was among the passengers, said: "It was just extraordinary.

"We had steam coming in through the windows, huge thick clouds of white steam going past and then bits of soot coming through from the engine."

The last regular steam train service on the London Underground network -- more than half of which is actually overground -- ran in 1961.

The London Underground opened on January 10, 1863 and a century and a half later the Tube runs for 250 miles (402 kilometres), linking 270 stations and carries passengers on 1.1 billion journeys per year.