An excellent choice of speaker to take the after-lunch slot as there is no chance that anyone will doze off whilst Christoph is in full animated flow!
Through illustrations, readings and quotations from the works of Charles Dickens, Christoph spoke about the life and times of the author in Kent. Christoph said, as a former librarian, he can confirm that Dickens is the one author that everyone knows; and that most people can also name at least one of the books that he wrote.
As a local historian Christoph said he is ever thankful to Dicken’s for the details he gives in his works about places and everyday life in Victorian England. Nevertheless, he warns, be aware that Dicken’s was writing fiction, not fact. Hence, the scenes that he writes about may be taken from a variety of sources.
Christoph used two examples from Great Expectations. The Churchyard which features several small children’s graves which are said to be Pip’s deceased siblings is at Cooling as Christoph illustrated. However, the church featured in some illustrations are not of Cooling. The second example is that the Inn in which Pip waits see Magwitch (the escaped convict) depart. Some traditionalists say that it cannot be as in the book because tides at that point are not as described.
In David Copperfield, David goes to his Aunt Betsy’s house. The whereabouts is debated as Broadstairs and Dover because Dicken’s used a house in Broadstairs where lived a lady on whom he based Aunt Betsy but in the book he relocated house and character to Dover.
An extremely interesting and fast-moving talk.
Report by Tricia Baxter