Lynyrd Skynyrd might give us "Sweet Home, Alabama," but
Richard and Josh Green give us "Sweet Holmes, Alabama!"

You might recall our introducing you to the young man on your left in our commentary on the first Gathering of Southern Sherlockians held in Chttanooga in 2005 (please click here to view the article). His name is Josh Green and he attended The Gathering in proper Sherlockian garb! He agreed to pose for the photo here. On your right is Richard Ray Green, Jr., Josh's dad, exhibiting some of his most extensive and impressive collection of Sherlockiana to those assembled for The Gathering of Southern Sherlockians II held in 2006.

Josh's dad's full name is Richard Ray Green, Jr. Mr. Green has worked extensively with young people for the last 9 years to promote, with the help of his son, Joshua, Sherlock Holmes to a younger generation. Their work has included the creation of some singular Sherlockian Christmas cards, edited plays, and their large Sherlock Holmes collection on display at libraries. Two of the “Edited for Children Sherlock Holmes Plays” can be found referenced on the Beacon Society's website with hyperlinks to PDF versions of the scripts. Mr.Green is a member of, and editor of the newsletter for, the THE GENIUS LOCI, the Birmingham, Alabama scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars. The Genius Loci is one of the three scion societies who were the founding organizations of The Gathering of Southern Sherlockians and its members are frequent contributors to the Gathering's programs. Below The Genius Loci members take a bow following their production of "The Case of the Most Singular Day." Please note Josh and his dad second and third from your left.

The cast of "The Case of the Most Singular Day" take a bow to well-deserved applause! (L to R) Beverly Keith, Joshua Green, Richard Green, Mary Ann Ellis, DJ Henderson, Elise Bodenheimer, Jerry Abbott and Steven Sears.*

Now, you might well ask why we are bringing all this to you at this Holiday Season. Well, for the past five years Mr. Green has enlisted the help of Josh and a few other young men in the creation of very special Holiday Greeting cards. We have been admiring these Holiday creations for the past four years and we have been convinced that you would be interested in seeing an example of this exceptional piece of Sherlockian work. The theme of this year's Holiday card was "The Adventure of the Final Problem."

Mr. Green has most generously sent us some of the original photos from which his card was made and we'd like to share them with you. In addition to Joshua Green as Sherlock Holmes, the cast included William Harrison as Dr. Watson, and Tyler Hollis as Professor Moriarty. The "filming location" was Nacculua Falls at Gadsden, Alabama.
Thanks a million, Richard and Josh, for your contributions to the Sherlockian literature with your Holiday cards, your encouragement of young folks' interest in Sherlock Holmes, and for sharing your creativity with us and your fellow Sherlockians.

"'It has been a duel between you and me, Mr. Holmes. You hope to place me in the dock. I tell you that I will never stand in the dock. You hope to beat me. I tell you that you will never beat me. If you are clever enough to bring destruction upon me, rest assured that I shall do as much to you.' " 'You have paid me several compliments, Mr. Moriarty,' said I. 'Let me pay you one in return when I say that if I were assured of the former eventuality I would, in the interests of the public, cheerfully accept the latter.' " 'I can promise you the one, but not the other,' he snarled, and so turned his rounded back upon me and went peering and blinking out of the room."

"Once, I remember, as we passed over the Gemmi, and walked along the border of the melancholy Daubensee, a large rock which had been dislodged from the ridge upon our right clattered down and roared into the lake behind us."

". . . Mr. Moriarty, who awaits my convenience for the final discussion of those questions which lie between us".

"Two lines of footmarks were clearly marked along the farther end of the path, both leading away from me. There were none returning. A few yards from the end the soil was all ploughed up into a patch of mud, and the brambles and ferns which fringed the chasm were torn and bedraggled."

"From the top of this boulder the gleam of something bright caught my eye, and raising my hand I found that it came from the silver cigarette-case which he used to carry. As I took it up a small square of paper upon which it had lain fluttered down on to the ground."

"MY DEAR WATSON [it said]:
I write these few lines through the courtesy of Mr. Moriarty, who awaits my convenience for the final discussion of those questions which lie between us. He has been giving me a sketch of the methods by which he avoided the English police and kept himself informed of our movements. They certainly confirm the very high opinion which I had formed of his abilities. I am pleased to think that I shall be able to free society from any further effects of his presence, though I fear that it is at a cost which will give pain to my friends, and especially, my dear Watson, to you. I have already explained to you, however, that my career had in any case reached its crisis, and that no possible conclusion to it could be more congenial to me than this. Indeed, if I may make a full confession to you, I was quite convinced that the letter from Meiringen was a hoax, and I allowed you to depart on that errand under the persuasion that some development of this sort would follow. Tell Inspector Patterson that the papers which he needs to convict the gang are in pigeonhole M., done up in a blue envelope and inscribed "Moriarty." I made every disposition of my property before leaving England and handed it to my brother Mycroft. Pray give my greetings to Mrs. Watson, and believe me to be, my dear fellow

Very sincerely yours,
SHERLOCK HOLMES"