Sunday 22 May 2011

Our Song

A song entitled 'Arthur' written and sung by Caitlin Obom from the US has kindly donated it to the Undershaw Preservation Trust in a bid to raise awareness of Undershaw's importance to be preserved as a lasting tribute to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

The song, performed on Youtube, in time for the great man's birthday who was born on this day 152 years ago is a lovely ballad dedicated to the man himself.

You can listen to the song and view the video at the following link: http://youtu.be/hNJFuFmhlXM
Enjoy and should you feel the need to leave a comment - then they'll be most welcomed.

Remember to check out our website at www.saveundershaw.com

Thank you to all those offering their voices of support to the cause.

Friday 13 May 2011

Undershaw Preservation Day - 14th May 2011

Support our cause and wear something Sherlockian on this day whilst spreading the word to Save Undershaw.

Tuesday 3 May 2011

An Entirely New Country, Arthur Conan Doyle, Undershaw and the Resurrection of Sherlock Holmes

A few words from Alistair Duncan the author of a new book due for release in December this year.


"I just thought now would be a good time to give you all an update on my next book "An Entirely New Country". I also like to clear up some misconceptions about it.


Firstly, it is not a book about Undershaw per se. Instead the book looks at Conan Doyle's life both locally and nationally during the period he resided in his Hindhead home (1897 - 1907). In many respects I use the house as a chronological anchor more than anything else. You can expect events described that took place away from Undershaw as well as those that took place within it.


The decade that Conan Doyle resided in Undershaw was an eventful one both professionally and personally. He lost his first wife to tuberculosis and married his second. He resurrected Sherlock Holmes and saw the first serious stage dramatisation of his famous creation. He also stood twice for Parliament and spoke out both in person and through the press on a variety of local and national issues.


Inevitably, with a man as written about as Conan Doyle, you will find things in my book that you have read elsewhere. This problem has affected all of his biographers since Hesketh Pearson who wrote the earliest (that I know of) in the 1940's. However, I have done my best to present these facts from a different perspective and have thrown in a few new ones where I have been able to unearth them. I also indulge myself in a little speculation here and there about how events in Conan Doyle's life affected his writing and vice versa.


The book is currently going through the editing stage. This is where the first draft is checked for errors - both factual and typographical - and changes are suggested. These may cause whole new sections to be composed and some to be taken away. Rest assured though that we are on course for the launch date of December 5th 2011".