The Red Telephone Booths of England and the English Embassy

Cafe Deluxe is one of our favorite restaurants. One is located in Tysons, and the other is located on Wisconsin Avenue. If you don't get there before noon, it can be very crowded and very loud. So we decided to go to the one located on Wisconsin Avenue because it is a little quieter. On the way, we traveled down Massachusetts Avenue where there are a lot of embassies. We've gone this way many times before, but I don't think I ever noticed the red telephone booth in front of the British Embassy - until today. I think I always paid more attention to Winston Churchill's statue. We've been to England three times in three years since my husband reconnected with a colleague from medical school. And having watched the Masterpiece Sherlock Holmes series, the red telephone booth has a little more meaning. It is rather antiquated now given the state of communications these days, but there is something charming and unique about it. We did actually see the Sherlock Holmes booth that is constantly covered with notes from fans at the spot where he supposedly met his fate falling off the building. This one also happens to be located by one of the few statues of Henry the Eighth. But I think I like the one of many we saw on the very tight roads as we drove through the back woods of the English countryside. In any event it reminded me of our trips to England and the interesting people we know there. 

Sherlock Holmes Telephone Booth in London

We have been watching a lot of PBS programs as of late. Of course there is Downton Abbey, and we just discovered Midsomer Murder Mystery that reminds us of Cabot Cove's Murder She Wrote. And then there is Sherlock Holmes. We didn't see the first season, but caught up with Season Two and just finished watching Season Three. We didn't know it at the time, but when we were in England last summer visiting friends, we happened to be in the area of St.Bartholomew's Hospital. Right next to it is the spot that Sherlock met his "demise" at the end of Season Two. There is a signature English red telephone booth filled with "I believe in Sherlock" messages from all his fans stuck to it. Once the notes are removed, they are replaced with even more. It took us awhile to figure out the significance of the place. Having actually watched Inspector Lewis, I am positive the guy was irritated when I asked him about filming locations in Oxford. But he did at least reply with a smile on his face.