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Diamond Jubilee DinnerThe Society is delighted to mark its Diamond Jubilee with a Dinner at the Cholmondeley Room and Terrace in the House of Lords, Westminster. We are much indebted to our sponsor, Baroness Rendell of Babergh, who is sponsoring the dinner in her capacity as a sitting Member of the House of Lords, a requirement for all functions held in this unique venue. The Rooms are named after the 5th Marquis of Cholmondeley who held the post of Lord Great Chamberlain. We look forward to welcoming both Baroness Rendell as well as members of the Society from all over the world to this very special celebration. Our Guest of Honour will be Mrs Alfreda Howlett who at the Festival of Britain in 1951 was one of the founding members of our Society. We are thrilled that Freda will be with us on this wonderful evening. Our Guest Speaker will be the internationally renowned Sherlock Holmes scholar, Mr. Leslie Klinger. Leslie S. Klinger is considered to be one of the world’s foremost authorities on Sherlock Holmes. He is the editor of the three-volume set The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, published by W.W. Norton in 2004 and 2005. The first two volumes, The Complete Short Stories, won the Edgar, the highest award of the Mystery Writers of America, for "Best Critical/Biographical" work in 2005 and were short-listed for the Macavity, the Anthony, and the Agatha award. In 2006, the third volume, The Novels, was nominated for the Edgar, the Macavity, the Anthony, and the Agatha awards, as well as a "Quill" award in the Mystery/Thriller category. In 1998, the first volume of Les's award-winning Sherlock Holmes Reference Library was published by Gasogene Books. Aimed at the serious student of Sherlock Holmes, the Reference Library includes annotated editions of all nine volumes of Holmes tales as originally published by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Baker Street Journal concluded, "There is no doubt that Klinger’s work...will become the standard text of reference for all serious Sherlockians..." Mr. Klinger is currently working on a tenth volume, an annotated collection of the "apocrypha," stories about Holmes that are not quite part of the official "Canon." Mr. Klinger has also published The New Annotated Dracula. We are so pleased that Mr. Klinger is able to join us on this memorable occasion. The menu for the Dinner is as follows:-
Members may know that the seating capacity of the Cholmondeley Terrace Dining Room is limited to 120 and that this means it is only possible for members to invite one guest each. If the Dinner is oversubscribed a ballot will be held immediately after the closing date for applications, which is Saturday 7th May. Security at the House of Lords is necessarily strict, and admission will be by formal invitation only: for this reason we need to know the full name of your guest if you are bringing one. Successful applicants will receive personalized invitation cards which will have to be produced to the police on the night in order to gain entrance to the building. If you expect to be away from your usual address at that time please give an address to which the invitation cards should be sent to ensure safe receipt. Fish or vegetarian alternatives will be available if ordered in advance, and special dietary requirements can also be catered for provided sufficient notice is given. Space is provided on the application form for you to state your requirements. The charge for the evening will be £79 / $158 per head, inclusive of everything except drinks which must be paid for individually on the night. Copies of the House of Lords wine and bar lists will be sent to all successful applicants so that they can order in advance: we have found that this gives everyone more time to mingle with friends in the bar beforehand - although you will be able to place an order on the night if you prefer. The Dinner is a formal occasion and it is customary for gentlemen to wear dinner jackets (black tie) and for ladies to wear evening dress (short or long) but this is not obligatory. Visitors from overseas in particular may not wish to bring dress clothes for one evening only, and we should like to assure them that dark lounge suits and cocktail dresses are equally suitable.Smoking is not permitted in any rooms, including the pre-prandial bar and the Dining Room itself. For those attending the Dinner, there is an optional Guided Tour of the Houses of Parliament at no extra cost. The tour starts at 5.45pm on the evening of the Dinner and will be led by Official Guides in groups of 25. The guides will tell the story of this famous building and answer questions. The tour does involve some stair climbing. |
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