At the end of the day

5 Jun

The Jubilee weekend has drawn to a close on a grey, damp afternoon. Here in Rochester it’s also been the annual Dickens’ Festival, a celebration of Charles Dickens who lived nearby (Chatham as a child and Gads Hill, out towards Higham and Gravesend, in much later life). Dickens never actually lived in Rochester although he visited the city regularly, and a number of his novels are set in and around the local area, although location names are changed. Walk down the High Street and it’s evident how Dickens’ works have influenced shops’ names. Dickens wanted to be buried in Rochester Cathedral but due to his high standing in the world of literature this wish was not granted and instead he was interred in Westminster Abbey along with other poets and writers.

We went for a walk after all the festivities had finished. A few revellers, dressed in Victorian attire, still roamed the High Street while the council rubbish trucks and street cleaners progressed along the road clearing up the sacks of detritus left by the crowds, restaurants, and cafes. A number of public houses had already closed, realising that there was little to be gained now that the party had finished and the hangover was setting in.