The Notorious Canary-Trainers
A Scion of the Baker Street Irregulars
for friends and fans of Sherlock Holmes
-- celebrating our 40th year!

We're celebrating Sherlock Holmes' 154th birthday on Jan. 6 It's our eighth annual Master's Dinner in Madison 01/02/2008

Sherlock Holmes reading our birthday greetings?

Our annual Master's Dinner commemorating Sherlock Holmes' birthday anniversary will be held at J. T. Whitney's Pub and Brewery on Madison's west side Sunday, Jan. 6. It's our eighth such annual celebration and Sherlock Holmes' 154th birthday!

We're now taking reservations, hoping that the weather will be accommodating and that all who are interested will be able to make it. There's no charge to attend. (See the "Evening schedule and location" section below for those details.)

Send your reservation to Mike McCoy here or call 608/274-1638 or send a note to him at One Hiawatha Circle, Madison, WI 53711.

This event, held each year since 2001, is sponsored by the Notorious Canary-Trainers for its members, friends, and any other interested fans of the Master Detective who wish to attend.

This year's event again is entitled "Return to the Criterion." By some reliable accounts, it was 127 years ago this January 1 that young Stamford met Dr. John Watson at the American Bar at the Criterion and later that afternoon introduced Watson to his future roommate, Sherlock Holmes. We thus gather at our own Criterion (we take the liberty of renaming J. T. Whitney's for the evening) in hopes of meeting Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in yet new ways.

Among the planned highlights of the program:

* The traditional annual reading of Vincent Starrett's poem, "221B," to open the program and set the tone for what follows.

* Enjoying and consuming a birthday cake, designed by one of our members, honoring Sherlock Holmes. (We'll "pass the hat" during the evening for voluntary donations to the cost of the cake.)

* Our toasts to the year past, the year ahead, and all things Sherlockian. (Please come with a toast in mind that you'd like to offer.)

* A display of Sherlockian collectibles that attendees bring. Those attending are encouraged to display any of their Sherlockian items from their personal collections. Table space will be provided, as will time on the program for owners to make any comments about the items they've brought.

* A group photo taken at the end of the program for our archives.

* Other elements to be announced.

This is our ONLY event for January. We resume our case studies Sunday, Feb. 17, with consideration of "The Adventure of the Devil's Foot." That meeting also will mark our return to Barnes & Noble West Towne after a three-month absence.

(For more on why we celebrate Sherlock Holmes' birthday each January, visit our explanation here.)

EVENING SCHEDULE AND DIRECTIONS

You're welcome to start gathering anytime after 5 p.m. in the private room we've reserved (or if you arrive earlier, at the J.T. Whitney's main bar).

Dinner orders will be taken about 5:30 p.m. and the program will follow about 6:30 p.m. You can order from the regular restaurant menu and pay only for what you order and choose to tip. We expect to conclude the festivities about 7:30 p.m.

Reservations are encouraged, to insure adequate seating. Those whose reservations are received by Jan. 5 are guaranteed banquet room seating. Those submitting reservations after Jan. 5 or arriving without reservations will be accommodated in the banquet room as circumstances permit; otherwise, they may eat in the main dining room and join us for the program.

J. T. Whitney's is located at 674 S. Whitney Way and has been the location of this event each year since its inauguration. You also can find J. T. Whitney's on the Web here.