Rochester Dickensian Festival

Rochester, in Kent, iswell known for its connection with Charles Dickens and over a year there are one or two events linked to Dickens' time in the City (for it is a city, having a cathedral).

We've not been to the Christmas event before. We were going to take Doreen in her wheelchair but were glad in the end we didn't. We would not have been able to find anywhere to park and the crowds and the slopes would have made it very challenging.

One of the main events is the Christmas Market held in the grounds of Rochester Castle where the 21st Century equivalent of a traditional market hawk their wares; food, drink, baubles, fancies and the like. A stall holder from the 15th Century would feel at home here albeit a little bewildered by the bright lights. I dare say the massive keep of Rochester Castle has presided over a great many such events over the centuries.

Amongst all the festivities there was this one little tableau, reminding us of the other side of Christmas for most people in Victorian times. This destitute family living on the bare minimum and suffering the cold, fortified by mother's ruin. The man was supposed to be a veteran of the Napoleonic Wars, now living in poverty neglected by the nation.

The festival ended on a high with a candlelit procession along the High Street with people dressed in Victorian costume, mostly well to do of course, but there were a few raspscallions, tramps and ne'er-do wells too. The procession culminated in a carol service outside the Catherdral. That half hour really captured the spirit of Christmas.