CELEBRATIONS WITH A TWIST

Feeling festive yet? Let the king of traditional Christmas, Charles Dickens, inspire you as the Dickensian Christmas Festival returns to the streets of Rochester. By Angela Cole

Characters from Dickens’ stories will come to life and parade through the snow-laden streets of Rochester this weekend.

The Dickensian Christmas Festival on Saturday, December 1 and Sunday, December 2, will feature costumed characters, parades, street entertainment and open air carols.

It’s not just those taking part in the parade who can dress in their Victorian finest - visitors lining the streets are encouraged to don costume too.

The parades will take place at noon and 4.45pm on both days. And setting the full Dickens scene will be guaranteed snowfall.

As in previous years, the festival is accompanied by the Christmas market in the picturesque Rochester Castle Gardens, running from Friday, November 30 to Sunday, December 2, where visitors can browse stalls and find gifts, mulled wine and artisan chocolate.

There will also be live performances, a funfair – with rides costing just £1 on the Friday – and a Bavarian food village where there will be German bratwurst sausages, a hog roast and churros. Don’t forget there will also be guaranteed snowfall.

The market will be open from noon to 8pm on the Friday and 10am to 7pm on Saturday and Sunday. It returns on Friday, December 7 until Sunday, December 9.

Cllr Howard Doe from Medway Council said: “Thousands of people are expected to visit Medway over the Christmas period and we’re delighted to be able to help them get into the festive spirit with our Christmas market and Dickensian Christmas Festival. The market is becoming increasingly popular and the festival is also a highlight in Medway’s events calendar.”