Charles Dickens’s London
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Charles Dickens is one of the world's most famous authors. He was born in Portsmouth and died in Kent, but the majority of his life was spent in London. He knew London as well as any black cab driver and wandered its streets taking in all the different areas. He also witnessed the many varied people who lived there and would file this information away using it in his publications. He knew Borough and Southwark well. No one knew why he had such a connection with this dark and dangerous part of town until his biography was written. All will be revealed. We start the tour at the only galleried inn left in London on Borough High Street where we talk about its associations with both Shakespeare and Charles Dickens. We then walk through the area around Borough Market, down to the official Dickens's church in London and over to where he lived as a young boy. We will also visit the remains of a debtor's prison and learn how this influenced Little Dorrit. We will talk about the hardship of life in London, how he helped the plight of the poor and 'fallen women' and we will stop for a few minutes' contemplation at Crossbones graveyard, a notorious paupers' pit where prostitutes were buried. 'It was the best of times, it was the worst of times!' We then cross the Thames entering the City to see where Charles Dickens based A Christmas Carol and Pickwick Papers. There are some wonderful old alleyways that look lost in time and have changed very little since Dickens was a lad (which is weirdly a Shakespearean expression!)
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"This tour was so brilliant. Emma was so knowledgeable and shared this with us in a fun way. We were fed really well too! Emma is a brilliant natural guide and I'm looking to book up another tour very soon I really felt I had learnt so much at the end of this tour. Would recommend this to anyone!!"
- A TripAdvisor Review
