RIP: EDWARD HARDWICKE 7 August 1932 – 17 May 2011

"It is with a heavy heart that I take up my pen to write these... words..."

So wrote Doctor Watson about the death of his friend Sherlock Holmes in The Adventure of the Final Problem. Sadly, I find myself in the same position as it was reported today - May 17, 2011 - that Edward Hardwicke, stalwart Watson of the Granada Sherlock Holmes series, has died at the age of 78.

I had the pleasure of meeting him in 2003 and can say with no hesitation that he was a fine Watson, an excellent actor and a very warm, friendly and charming person. He will be greatly missed and mourned by the Sherlockian community.

Obituary in The Telegraph here.


Part 1 of a "Daytime Live" interview with Edward Hardwicke:



Part 2 of a "Daytime Live" interview with Edward Hardwicke:

BOOK: NEW EDITION OF BENDING THE WILLOW IN THE WORKS!

Fans of Jeremy Brett and the Granada Sherlock Holmes series who have been struggling to find a reasonably priced copy of David Stuart Davies' excellent study BENDING THE WILLOW on the secondary book market can breathe a sigh of relief. The fine folks at Calabash Press (Christopher and Barbara Roden) have just announced that a new edition is in the works.

You can reserve a copy, or ask for further details by emailing bendingthewillow@gmail.com or join the Facebook page by clicking here.

Copy info for the previous 2002 edition:

"Jeremy Brett's portrayal of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's famous detective is widely recognised as the best yet seen.

Before his untimely death in 1995, Brett had made the part his own, all the time battling against the manic depression which had plagued him for many years. Bending the Willow examines how this brilliant actor channelled the demons of his debilitating illness into his iridescent portrayal of Sherlock Holmes.

In this fascinating and perceptive study, David Stuart Davies draws on the many conversations he had with Jeremy Brett and key people involved with the Granada Television series and the stage play The Secret of Sherlock Holmes. The result is the first detailed assessment of all of Jeremy Brett's performances as Sherlock Holmes."

 It's a great book and belongs in the collection of every Jeremy Brett or Granada Sherlock Holmes fan.