Another Tennison Road Update

The Croydon Advertiser have put up more details about the potential future of 12 Tennison Road on their website.

http://www.thisiscroydontoday.co.uk/Sherlock-Holmes-author-Arthur-Conan-Doyle-s-home/story-18685773-detail/story.html#axzz2QW2vAtOc

However what really got me about the article was the statement that:

The imposing property in Tennison Road, South Norwood, was lived in by the Sherlock Holmes author between 1891 and 1894, with residents cherishing his connection with the area.

I'm sorry but I have to take issue with that. Prior to my books Close to Holmes and The Norwood Author there was precious little detail out there about Conan Doyle in South Norwood and nothing that overtly shouted the connection. So to claim the link is cherished by residents is dubious. In fact I suspect that most local residents were (are) ignorant of the connection and if they know it at all they know it through recent press coverage. In South Norwood, prior to 2009, the only physical nods to the Conan Doyle connection were:

1. Conan Doyle's name on a mosaic tucked under a railway bridge
2. A road called Doyle Road
3. A housing block called, if memory serves, Baskerville Court
4. A special needs school called The Priory School

Of these, numbers 2 and 4 are inferred connections as there is no proof. They could be coincidence.

Aside from the house itself that was pretty much it. Even now, when you exit the station, you see a sign marking the fact that inventor William Stanley lived in South Norwood but nothing about Conan Doyle. The local Wetherspoons pub has a display but only after I lobbied them to erect one. If I hadn't I strongly doubt anyone else would have bothered.

All I can say is grrrrrr.

For more information on Arthur Conan Doyle and his time at Undershaw please refer to my book, An Entirely New Country which is available through all good bookstores including Amazon USA, Amazon UK, Classic Specialities, and in all electronic formats including iTunes, Kobo, Nook and Kindle .

The Norwood Author is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Waterstones UK, Amazon UK,  Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon Kindle, iBooks for the iPad/iPhone, Kobo Books, Nook.

Close to Holmes is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA,  Barnes and Noble,  Amazon UK,  Waterstones UK,  Amazon Kindle,  Kobo,  Nook  and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.

Eliminate the Impossible is available from all good bookstores, in many formats worldwide including Amazon USA, Barnes and Noble, Amazon UK, Waterstones UK, Amazon Kindle, Kobo, Nook and iBooks for the iPad/iPhone.