MARTIN Riffel of Hardy’s Bookshop in Welshpool’s Berriew Street staged a celebration of the fictional Victorian consulting detective Sherlock Holmes for May Day Monday as a taster for the launch of a Sherlock Holmes Collection museum.

“It was a sneak peak at a future exhibit to be based at the bookstore but £150,000 has to be raised first to secure the building to make it accessible for the public upstairs,” said Martin.

“Watch out for more information on the Hardy’s Bookstore Facebook page and also watch out for the Body in the Bookshop event to be held at Riffels music shop in June,” he added.

Sherlock Holmes may be the fictional creation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle but he has taken on a life of his own continuing to win new fans and have new cases found for him more than 150 years after he first appearing in the pages of Strand magazine.

There have been new books by other authors as well as TV series and movies, with devotees also part of the Sherlock Holmes Society represented locally by the Deerstalkers of Welshpool group.