London Region Visit Rochester Dickens Christmas Festival

A visit to Rochester to enjoy the Victorian delights at the Annual Dickens Christmas Festival and Parade.

There will be familiar costumed characters from the works of Charles Dickens in the parade which begins as noon, street entertainment and open-air carol concerts. there will also be a Christmas market in the grounds of Rochester Castle for those who wish. Website with more information here.

Logistics.

Our meetup point will be Rochester Station.

Trains from London to Rochester on December 4th:

• London Victoria to Rochester dep 09:40 arr 10:20
• St Pancras to Rochester dep 09:55 arr 10:32.

Approximate return cost £20 (but will depend on what type of travel card you have).

Having gathered outside the Station at about 10:30, we will cross Corporation Street and head for the Tourist Office where this is a coffee bar and facilities.

After coffee and a "team talk", we can head onto the High Street where people in Victorian costume are to be seen, creating many opportunities for photographs. You may recognise Dickens' characters, especially from "A Christmas Carol". The parade takes place at 12:00 noon . After the parade, we will meet again at a pre-arranged point where we can decide our next steps.

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL

Group will be led by Roger Towell and limited to 12 participants

We will do our best conform to all covid recommendations and precautions, but we must alter participants to the fact that it is likely to be a very busy event.