Dickens by Candlelight
A Personal Christmas Carol
I spent a very enjoyable day in London with a friend this week, walking from Waterloo to Fortnum and Mason’s department store in Piccadilly (my first visit - but not my last!) where we spent a few happy hours . From there we came out of Fortnum’s and turned right for another trek, thru Holborn and ending up at 48 Doughty Street, Bloomsbury - the London home of Charles Dickens. This being the real purpose of our trip to London, as we had tickets for the Christmas by Candlelight event.
Doughty Street itself is elegant, both sides lined with terraced Georgian Houses, and by the time we arrived it was already dark so any Christmas lights in the windows really drew the eye. We were early for our 6.20 time slot but knocked anyway hoping we may be able to wait inside. However, we were told they weren’t quite ready but if we went to the pub just down the road and presented our ticket we’d get 10% off any drinks. The pub was ideal, not a chain but a small friendly old fashioned ‘pub’.
So, back to Charles’s house at our allotted time, we were shown into a gift shop where our tickets were checked, the event is obviously popular as we got the last 2 tickets – about a group of 20 maximum. From there we were shown where to leave our coats and asked to also leave any scarves and bags. This was explained as a health and safety precaution, hanging scarves or a ‘bag swinging’ could easily cause a fire with candles everywhere. I hate to think what their insurance must be like. Our next stop was a small café at the back of the quite modern house where you are offered a complementary drink of mulled cider whilst they check everyone in. We were wondering where the actual ‘old fashioned bit’ was when we were all asked to follow into a room and shown a short film explaining the early part of Dickens’s life -how he came to rent Doughty Street and aspects of his life whilst there. As it ended our tour guide popped back into the room and explained that No. 48 was actually next door – that answered our ‘modern’ question – so we filed out the front door, knocked on the original front door - 1 along. It was answered by a gentleman dressed in Dickensian appropriate garb, welcoming each of us and handing out electric pencil candles to help you see a bit better. There was no actual tour, and we were allowed to wander as we pleased with a ‘servant’ on each floor to answer any questions. The house was set out as if the family had just popped out for a few moments, with candles everywhere. Apparently it was Charles Dickens routine to write in the morning (you see his desk) and occasionally in the evening, but it really brings home to you how lucky we are to have the light bulb! Even with the house festooned with candles you had your nose pressed up against something to see it properly. The house itself was beautiful with exceptionally high ceilings. Where the front of these Georgian houses are flat, in this one a bay had been added onto the back wall of the front room, making it considerable larger, perhaps 15 ft x 12 ft and a curved door and door frame from the hallway accommodating the bay. I asked the ‘servant’ about this and he said that as far as they were aware this was the style from when Dickens had lived there and that the floorboards, curved door and front door were all original. The wallpaper and furniture was all of that period with some items marked as the actual belongings of Charles Dickens. A lovely Christmas Tree with its scent filled one room. There was another group booked in at 6.40 so taking into account the complimentary drink and film, the average time allotted per visit was about 45 minutes.
We left slightly before anyone else due to having to meet our daughters on the South Bank for more Christmas frivolity, and were shown a secret door between the two houses. All-in-all it was a rather lovely and different experience. Stepping back in time.
Load more triptoids