June 9th 2020 is the 150th anniversary of the death of one of our greatest storytellers, Charles Dickens.

Claire Tomalin in her book Charles Dickens: A Life hails Dickens as the greatest creator of characters after Shakespeare:

“Dickensian characters, especially so because of their typically whimsical names are amomgst the most memorable in English literature. The likes of Ebenezer Scrooge, Jacob Marley, Bob Cratchit, Oliver Twist, The Artful Dodger, Fagin, Bill Sikes, Pip Miss Havisham, David Copperfield, Mr Micawber… …are so well known to be part and of British culture…

…One character vividly drawn throughout the novels is London itself. From the coaching inns on the outskirts of the city to the lower eaches of the Thames, all aspects of the capital are described over the course of his body of work.”

The latter is the character we are going to bring to life for you. And not just London; Dickens also had deep rooted connections to Kent, so an exploration of this will also form part of the day’s celebrations.

Over the course of the day we will bring you five different virtual tours. Each will be around an hour long and explore a different theme or area, but all with a deep and abiding influence on the man, his life, his outlook and his work.

Simply click any tour title for more details and how to book:

At 11:00 David Charnick gets our Dickens relay under way with his A Dickens of a City virtual tour.

A celebration of the London evoked in his writings and readings for you to enjoy to give you the flavour of his city.

At 13:30 Jen Pedler features her Dickens Around the Strand virtual tour.

This explores an area that Dickens knew well and that inspired parts of David Copperfield. It had changed completely by the end of his life but many of the places he knew and wrote about are still there to be discovered.

At 16:00 Stephen Benton takes us east with his Dickens in Clerkenwell and Farringdon virtual tour.

Dickens referenced many real London locations and this tour will visit many of the places in Clerkenwell and Farringdon that featured in his work. It was the home area of Fagin’s gang, so expect lots of Oliver Twist!

At 18:30 Rob Smith picks up the baton and takes us even further east with his Dickens in Rochester virtual tour.

Dickens spent much of his childhood in the Rochester area and then spent the later part of his life there too. Rob’s tour explores the buildings of this lovely town that inspired him.

At 21:00 Mark Rowland runs the anchor leg with his Dickens After Dark virtual tour.

Dickens said “But the streets of London, to be beheld in the very height of their glory, should be seen on a dark, dull, murky winter’s night…”. Join Mark for a virtual wander along the paths of his epic night walks to hear how his observations of the slumbering city inspired his legendary themes and characters.

All the tours will be conducted via Zoom video conferencing and will comprise a talk supported with presentation slides illustrating the themes and areas being explored. They are hosted live by our guides and there will be plenty of opportunity for interaction with the guide both during and after the tour.

A ticket costs only £5.00 and we’ve spaced the timings (all start times BST) in order that you can join all five if you are of a mind (and have the stamina!) to do so. Don’t worry if you are not familiar with Zoom as full instructions of how to access the meeting will be given upon booking, but you will, of course, need a computer/device that enables video and audio streaming to join any of the tours.

We look forward to you joining us for our day of celebration of one of the greatest chroniclers of our amazing city!