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Mrs Hudson's Diaries: A View from the Landing at 221b
One frosty winter morning, deep in the vaults of Cox & Co. at Charing Cross, a battered biscuit tin is discovered... Inside are the diaries of that longsuffering resident of 221b Baker Street, Sherlock HolmesOCO landlady, the unflappable Mrs Hudson. She presents her portrait of life with the great detective and his ever-faithful companion with relish, mustard and no small amount of dropped eaves. Mysterious visitors, disappearances, shouts and bangs ? life below stairs at 221b is often silly, slapstick and sentimental in equal measure. These diaries offer an affectionate and hilarious sketch of a remarkably enterprising Victorian female, whose humorous musings encompass talking to the spirit world, dancing with government officials and nights at the music hall. Interspersed with Mrs HudsonOCOs fascinating keepsakes ? letters, recipes, calling cards and photos ? this is a must-have addition for any Sherlock Holmes aficionado. Behind every great man is an even greater woman ... demanding rent."
208 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2012
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About the author
Barry Cryer
93 books1 followerCryer was born in Leeds, West Riding of Yorkshire, England. Educated at Leeds Grammar School, he studied English literature at the University of Leeds.
After appearing in University revue, Cryer was offered a week's work at the Leeds City Varieties theatre, home of The Good Old Days, which became the longest-running television entertainment show in the world. Cryer left university after learning his first-year results and travelled to London. After impressing impresario Vivian Van Damm, Cryer began as the bottom billing act at the Windmill Theatre in London, a theatre which showed comedy acts in between nude tableau shows.
However, Cryer suffered severely from eczema and, after several periods in hospital, was released from his contract by Van Damm. Concluding that a performing career was not a wholly sustainable income choice because of his skin condition, Cryer chose to focus mainly on writing – something he could do even when suffering eczema attacks, which he did for the next eight years.
Cryer always preferred to write in partnership, so that should he dry up he was never left to deliver material. His regular partner during the 1970s was John Junkin, and with Junkin performing as Eric Morecambe and Cryer most often the role of Ernie Wise, the pair wrote some of The Morecambe and Wise Show in its BBC period (the 1972 and 1976 Christmas shows) when regular writer Eddie Braben was unavailable. Cryer still enjoyed performing, appearing with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Junkin in the BBC radio series Hello, Cheeky!, in which the three performers bounced jokes off each other. He also appeared in the comedy television series The Steam Video Company and provided the voice of the judge in the 1975 animated comedy musical Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done. He hosted the ITV comedy panel game Jokers Wild (1969–74) and had a role in All You Need Is Cash, a 1978 spoof documentary about the Beatles parody band the Rutles, as well as a cameo as a police inspector in Kenny Everett's 1984 horror spoof Bloodbath at the House of Death.
With new comedians coming forward who wrote their own material, and age progressing and still wanting to perform, Cryer refocused his career to include more performance, touring with Willie Rushton in Two Old Farts in the Night and, after Rushton's death, That Reminds Me. After a brief early stint as chairman, Cryer was one of the panellists on the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, which began in 1972. He also wrote and starred in You'll Have Had Your Tea with Graeme Garden.
He wrote an autobiography, You Won't Believe This But..., as well as a book of miscellaneous anecdotes, Pigs Can Fly. In 2005 he toured the UK with Barry Cryer: The First Farewell Tour, and in 2008 he toured with Barry Cryer: Still Alive. He remained a popular after-dinner speaker.
He died at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow on 25 January 2022, at the age of 86.
abridged from Wikipedia
After appearing in University revue, Cryer was offered a week's work at the Leeds City Varieties theatre, home of The Good Old Days, which became the longest-running television entertainment show in the world. Cryer left university after learning his first-year results and travelled to London. After impressing impresario Vivian Van Damm, Cryer began as the bottom billing act at the Windmill Theatre in London, a theatre which showed comedy acts in between nude tableau shows.
However, Cryer suffered severely from eczema and, after several periods in hospital, was released from his contract by Van Damm. Concluding that a performing career was not a wholly sustainable income choice because of his skin condition, Cryer chose to focus mainly on writing – something he could do even when suffering eczema attacks, which he did for the next eight years.
Cryer always preferred to write in partnership, so that should he dry up he was never left to deliver material. His regular partner during the 1970s was John Junkin, and with Junkin performing as Eric Morecambe and Cryer most often the role of Ernie Wise, the pair wrote some of The Morecambe and Wise Show in its BBC period (the 1972 and 1976 Christmas shows) when regular writer Eddie Braben was unavailable. Cryer still enjoyed performing, appearing with Tim Brooke-Taylor and Junkin in the BBC radio series Hello, Cheeky!, in which the three performers bounced jokes off each other. He also appeared in the comedy television series The Steam Video Company and provided the voice of the judge in the 1975 animated comedy musical Dick Deadeye, or Duty Done. He hosted the ITV comedy panel game Jokers Wild (1969–74) and had a role in All You Need Is Cash, a 1978 spoof documentary about the Beatles parody band the Rutles, as well as a cameo as a police inspector in Kenny Everett's 1984 horror spoof Bloodbath at the House of Death.
With new comedians coming forward who wrote their own material, and age progressing and still wanting to perform, Cryer refocused his career to include more performance, touring with Willie Rushton in Two Old Farts in the Night and, after Rushton's death, That Reminds Me. After a brief early stint as chairman, Cryer was one of the panellists on the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue, which began in 1972. He also wrote and starred in You'll Have Had Your Tea with Graeme Garden.
He wrote an autobiography, You Won't Believe This But..., as well as a book of miscellaneous anecdotes, Pigs Can Fly. In 2005 he toured the UK with Barry Cryer: The First Farewell Tour, and in 2008 he toured with Barry Cryer: Still Alive. He remained a popular after-dinner speaker.
He died at Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow on 25 January 2022, at the age of 86.
abridged from Wikipedia
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 13, 2015
This was not nearly as funny as I had hoped it would be. I did not have any laughing moments. I did recognize some storylines though. I kept imagining Benedict Cumberbatch as Sherlock.
September 28, 2023
I was really excited when I found this book because I love books written in journal or letter form. Add to that the Sherlock Homes element and I snatched it up when I saw it at the library. I really wish I could give this book 3 stars but it just didn’t hold my attention. The writing is clever, the footnotes made me chuckle, just not enough to really love the book. But if you want a short, easy read from an alternate Sherlockian perspective, it’s not a bad choice!
September 2, 2014
Actual rating 2.5 stars.
I was really looking forward to reading this, but it didn't really live up to my expectations. I love the idea behind it, but in the end it didn't actually work as well as it could have. This could have been a really cool addition to the Sherlock Holmes canon, but it was middling at best.
This starts off along the lines of a "found footage" movie in this case though it's a stack of notebooks that are discovered and they happen to belong to Mrs. Hudson. She presents her life at Baker Street with Holmes and the Doctor in diary format. There are times when the authors really get the tone of the characters, but then there are times when it completely falls flat. I can say that I did enjoy picking out all of the references. Overall, I would have much preferred the story without the running commentary.
I was really looking forward to reading this, but it didn't really live up to my expectations. I love the idea behind it, but in the end it didn't actually work as well as it could have. This could have been a really cool addition to the Sherlock Holmes canon, but it was middling at best.
This starts off along the lines of a "found footage" movie in this case though it's a stack of notebooks that are discovered and they happen to belong to Mrs. Hudson. She presents her life at Baker Street with Holmes and the Doctor in diary format. There are times when the authors really get the tone of the characters, but then there are times when it completely falls flat. I can say that I did enjoy picking out all of the references. Overall, I would have much preferred the story without the running commentary.
September 8, 2016
I was really excited about this book. What would be better then to get Mrs Hudson’s perspective on the goings on at 221B. However, that is not really in this book.
It is at it states in the title a fictionalized diary kept by Mrs Hudson with short entries through each year. There are old pictures attributed as various people in the Sherlock time frame but not necessarily to do with Sherlock.
If I am to believe the Authors words I now know what Mrs Hudson’s first name is, but I’m not even sure that Arthur Conan Doyle actually divulged that information in his books.
I am NOT recommending this book for Sherlockian fans.
For those that are interested, George Mann did a far better job of embracing Mrs Hudson in Sherlock’s adventures in his anthologies. Be sure to check them out.
It is at it states in the title a fictionalized diary kept by Mrs Hudson with short entries through each year. There are old pictures attributed as various people in the Sherlock time frame but not necessarily to do with Sherlock.
If I am to believe the Authors words I now know what Mrs Hudson’s first name is, but I’m not even sure that Arthur Conan Doyle actually divulged that information in his books.
I am NOT recommending this book for Sherlockian fans.
For those that are interested, George Mann did a far better job of embracing Mrs Hudson in Sherlock’s adventures in his anthologies. Be sure to check them out.
January 12, 2013
I found this book pointless. It's not difficult to read, but you certainly feel as if you wasted time on it with more interesting books out there.
July 9, 2017
A gently amusing look at the world of 221B Baker Street through the eyes of its landlady.
Anyone of my age or older, who is familiar with English television, will recognize the name of the writer, Barry Cryer. A man responsible for some of the wittier offerings from the BBC in the 1970s.
This works well, with several very funny injokes, but cannot sustain the momentum it starts off with. Worth a look if you're a Sherlock Holmes or a Barry Cryer fan.
Anyone of my age or older, who is familiar with English television, will recognize the name of the writer, Barry Cryer. A man responsible for some of the wittier offerings from the BBC in the 1970s.
This works well, with several very funny injokes, but cannot sustain the momentum it starts off with. Worth a look if you're a Sherlock Holmes or a Barry Cryer fan.
March 23, 2021
Enjoyed the book, it was nice reading it from Mrs. Hudson's perspective, although I assumed there would be more detailing on Holmes or Watson or even the cases they were working on. But it does make sense how little she may know since she is, after all, their landlady.
Read this in one sitting, it was an easy and quick read.
Read this in one sitting, it was an easy and quick read.
June 3, 2019
It had the potential to be very interesting, but ended up detailing more of the landlady’s adventures in cooking than crime. There were a few good jokes, but I can’t help but feeling that I wasted two hours. The man leaving notes throughout the book was frankly very irritating as well.
August 24, 2022
Honestly this was awful.
The authors thought they were much funnier than they are, and I spent most of my time cringing.
The authors thought they were much funnier than they are, and I spent most of my time cringing.
February 17, 2017
I was utterly disappointment. Its possible that the tv series Sherlock with Benedict have given me high expectations, however this book did not live up to the mere hopes. Yes its a journal of sorts, but there is nothing funny, entertaining or fascinating as the original Sherlock stories. Its very monotone, not to say utterly boring. Which is sad, because the concept is great, and the mere proximity to the Conan Doyle stories, should have made this a great book.
February 8, 2015
I was deeply disappointing in this book as I was looking forward to delving into Mrs Hudsons' life and the impact that Sherlock and his various adventures had on her life book. And of course some downstairs tales about the upstairs tenant. However, no insight was forthcoming.
I was really excited about this book. What would be better then to get Mrs Hudson’s perspective on the goings on at 221B. However, that is not really in this book.
It ends up being a stylized diary of Mrs Hudson's day to day musings and that's about it.
If I am to believe the Authors words I now know what Mrs Hudson’s first name is, but I’m not even sure that Arthur Conan Doyle actually divulged that information in his books.
I am NOT recommending this book for Sherlockian fans. It adds nothing to the existing canon of work
I was really excited about this book. What would be better then to get Mrs Hudson’s perspective on the goings on at 221B. However, that is not really in this book.
It ends up being a stylized diary of Mrs Hudson's day to day musings and that's about it.
If I am to believe the Authors words I now know what Mrs Hudson’s first name is, but I’m not even sure that Arthur Conan Doyle actually divulged that information in his books.
I am NOT recommending this book for Sherlockian fans. It adds nothing to the existing canon of work
August 5, 2016
I didn't know what I expected from this pastiche, but it wasn't as funny as I expected it to be. The authors have got Mrs Hudson's voice spot on, but there seems to be a push to try and get the humour in. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't.
The pictures included show images of the time period, which I liked, but I would have liked an attempt at what they thought Mrs Hudson looked like to complete the story.
All in all, good book as a pastiche/spin-off in the Sherlock Holmes' canon.
However, as it didn't meet the expectations I had, I'm only giving it 3 out of 5 stars.
The pictures included show images of the time period, which I liked, but I would have liked an attempt at what they thought Mrs Hudson looked like to complete the story.
All in all, good book as a pastiche/spin-off in the Sherlock Holmes' canon.
However, as it didn't meet the expectations I had, I'm only giving it 3 out of 5 stars.
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February 7, 2017Horrendously bad parody of Sherlockian books and articles where the subject of research is the long-suffering Mrs. Hudson instead of Holmes and/or Watson. The joke(s) wear thin really fast.
It boggles the mind how crap like this gets published. Therefore, I bestow no stars on this book.
It boggles the mind how crap like this gets published. Therefore, I bestow no stars on this book.
January 13, 2015
I'm not really sure what to make if this book. On the whole I enjoyed it,but it was a bit disjointed. I bought it after going to see Mrs Hudson's christmas corker at Wiltons, (old East London music hall), which was fabulous. I enjoyed that it gave me the flavour of Victorian London, and continued the essence of what I saw in the play. I can understand others' reviews on here not being very high, as it's not the best diary read. Still, I enjoyed it.
December 14, 2012
I really enjoyed this book. I almost didn't read it and am so glad I did. It was very funny and made me laugh out loud a lot. I was quite sad when I'd finished it and that doesn't happen too often.
February 11, 2016
This had some interesting references to cases and some of the people in them, but it needed a lot more substance. Most of the footnotes weren't necessary for anyone who has read the Sherlock Holmes stories and some of the comments from the 'editor' and the 'publisher' were really not funny.
November 29, 2018
A disappointment. I was expecting a Sherlock Holmes story presented from the point of view of Mrs. Hudson. Instead, we got oblique references to the Holmes canon, interspersed with invented details of Mrs. Hudson's life that typified the time period. Not very engaging, and really just a missed opportunity to do something cool.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews