Where The Dickens

Thanks eyebee for being the first to find me. You will be remembered

2005-06-12T12:44:00.000+01:00

Eyebee my man, how nice of you to take the time. I am afraid my opening blog was a bit angry, I was so annoyed at the Dickens Centre being closed without any consultation. There is still nothing to replace it and we have just had our annual Dickens Festival which the council seem to have devalued somewhat by lumping all the stalls and entertainments into the Castle Gardens (far to small and inaccessable for some).
My heart sinks when I witness the way the festival has gone in the last ten years, becoming more tacky and more of a commercial event than a celebration of Charles Dickens!

Anyway I am sure you know all about Dicken's associations with Rochester and the outlying villages but if there is anything further I can help you with just let me know. I am making a DVD of the sites that Dickens mentions in his books that are in the City of Rochester and a book to go with it. It amazes me that there are at least 20 sites or buildings and numerous characters associated with them just in the small distance between Rochester Bridge and Star Hill! A matter of a few hundred yards!
Thanks again
Dodger.

Where the Dickens

2005-01-09T19:50:00.000Z

My name is Roger and I live in Rochester, Kent, England. I am starting this blog today because I am shocked at what is happening to the City of Rochester (this may seem rather trivial when so many terrible things are happening around the world, but at least I may be able to do something about the matters below).

The issues which have moved me to become a blogger are, firstly, the closure of The Dickens Centre in Rochester High Street, and secondly the loss of Rochester's city status. Both these bungles caused by the incompetence of Medway Council and its predecessor Rochester Upon Medway City Council.

Thousands of people come to Rochester each year to savour its sights and atmosphere and to visit the surrounding towns and villages of Chatham, Strood, Gillingham, Cooling, Cliffe, Hoo, Higham and many others that featured in his books (most notably Great Expectations, Pickwick Papers and his last (unfinished) book The Mystery Of Edwin Drood). The richness of the area to anyone interested in or researching Dickens is known worldwide - but now we have closed The Dickens Centre - absolutely crazy!! Charles Dickens lived and wrote in the area for many years and now we have nothing of note in Rochester for the public to visit or to mark his former presence.

The purpose of this blog is to bring together those who care about either of these issues and want to do something about them.

My ambition is to open a Charles Dickens Museum in Rochester and campaign for the return of city status to Rochester.

I hope that readers will help me with their advice, information and support.

As there is no funding for this campaign I would be grateful for any suggestions about seeking funding or indeed for any donations which can be made with a credit card through www.paypal.co.uk using the email address swordstone@blueyonder.co.uk if you wish to make a donation by post please email me for details of where to send it.

2005-01-09T13:17:00.000Z

Charles Dickens