Fans of 221b Baker Street resident Sherlock Holmes are in for a treat or a shock depending on your perspective. The deerstalker-wearing detective is about to get the same kind of treatment that has so far been reserved for that most magical (and bankable) literary hero Harry Potter: a theme park.

Yes, coming soon to Portsmouth, where Sir Arthur Conan Doyle lived for many years, is a rumoured £25m multimedia experience complete with rides, holographic characters and the opportunity to re-enact many of the great detective’s iconic cases.

I guess these days where film and TV adaptations of our favourite books are almost two-a-penny, that this kind of ‘experience’ is the next logical step. But answer me this: if the Harry Potter Studio tour allows you to sample JKR’s imagined Butterbeer, what on earth can we expect from the refreshments area of this Holmesian extravaganza?!

Lesley Crooks, Digital & Online Marketing Manager