Steve James - Sherlocking through London - Sherlock Holmes Halloween

Your girlfriend has gone to her parents, your friends are busy with upgrading their i-phones and your dog is in love with that tall, intimidating street light on the Brooks street. You have practically nothing to do this Halloween.

Well, actually THAT is the good news. Now is the time for ‘Sherlocking’ around the city and visit the five most mysterious places in the British capital.

“Now, where’s the map, Watson”? You might wonder aloud but wait, he isn't here as well. He got married in the autumns and has his own personal ‘demons’ to take care of on this Halloween. You will have to rely on your own science of deduction now.

You can start with heading off to Tower of London. The historical place is said to be an abode of several ghosts, the prominent among them being Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury assassinated in 12th century, King Edward V and his 10-year-old brother Richard, and of course, the dastardly headless ghost of Ann Boleyn. Certainly, this is one of the spookiest and eeriest assortment of ghosts ever!!

After medieval ghosts, it’s time to meet and befriend huge beasts roaming in the suburbs of Sydenham. The Sydenham suburb are said to be home to a mysterious beast which comes out only at night, sometimes attacks passers-by and then disappears swiftly. Nobody knows why and nobody has dared to find out as well. The Hound of Baskerville was easier to track, wasn't it?

Is there something strange about the 2nd largest house in this expensive city, whose owners are unknown? Everything. The largest residential house in London, Witanhurst Mansion is second to only Buckingham Palace in size, but nobody knows who owns this hundred year old architectural wonder. What adds to the mystery is the unknown owner doing some underground construction work but even the architect who is overseeing the mansion's ambitious renovation plans is unaware of his the owner's identity. Who knows what is cooking up? You know that Moriarty is always up to something.

The plot thickens as the mysterious journey takes a more sinister form. St Michael’s Church is next in line. It is said that once some churchgoers saw an ugly shaped spirit come inside from the window. After that, all fell unconscious. When they woke up, they saw scars in the stonework of the cathedral. These marks still exist there and are aptly referred to as “devil’s clawmark”. The cruel longing of the spirit is criss-crossed upon the stones. Was it love, or a long lost battle of power, go fathom...

Speaking of stones though, who won’t be intrigued by ‘the Stone of London’, a piece of rock which is folklored to be essential for London’s very survival. The stone is placed at 111 Cannon Street. It is referred to as the ‘Stone of Brutus’ and stories say that it was part of an altar during Roman era. The stone, which has also been mentioned by Shakespeare and Dickens, has a proverb associated with it: “So long as the stone of Brutus is safe, so long shall London flourish.” The idea of London's existence linked to an enigmatic stone is in itself spine chilling. Make a note of it in your journal and follow it up next Halloween. You might as well end up saving London, and the world maybe, from the clutches of some hitherto unseen plots and conspiracies of death and destruction.

Or, you might not end up doing anything but looking back, wasn't it fun?

Written by Steve James, United Kingdom

SHERLOCKING THROUGH LONDON

AUTHOR: STEVE JAMES