Charles Dickens: tweets talks and reads...
Once again, we’re delighted to welcome back to Bexley our own very, very special guest Blogger, Mr Charles Dickens. (Mr Dickens wrote a short but very well received piece for us back in February, and now he’s back again to join in the London-wide City Read celebrations, a Dickensian feast of fiction and fun…)Despite being 200 years old this year, Mr Dickens has kindly agreed to write up his `very humble’ little blog for us this month, and – as something of a coup for us – answer any questions that you may wish to pose to him.
So, without further ado…Over to you, Mr D…
Splendid, splendid!
Thank you, Mr Blogbwawian and weaders of this little blog for inviting me back for another appeawance … (See the 6th Febwuawy). I am, indeed, as my own Uwiah Heap would have phwased it, “so vewy, vewy `umble”; I shall endeavour to update this particular page weekly thwoughout Apwil.
And how delightful it is to be back here, bwoadcasting to good old Bexley…I must nip back down to Hall Place vewy soon, to weacquaint myself with its splendid suwwoundings (not many people know this, but I based much of my `Dotheboys Hall’ in Nicholas Nickleby upon this particular institution…)
Ah, me!...How I do love to weminisce…
Now, to business!
`Pon my soul, how extwaordinawy, but I note that your esteemed Libraries are - (as part of a grand Cityweads extwavaganza) - staging a cornucopia of activities, events, and public lectures based upon the life and works of – ahem – one Mr Charles Dickens of London & Kent; do take a look and obtain your tickets (for although I shall not, alas, be able to be there in person, I shall – indisputably - be there in spiwit). I would most vigowously urge you to attend.
Meantimes, as before, I shall be here, alert, poised, quill in hand, ink-jar fully charged, lap-top pwimed, weady to answer any of your pwobing questions or litewawy conundwums.
Just use the comments box below, and “Ask Charlie!” (And, do you know, now I have mastered the art, I might just tweat myself to a Tweet!)
12 comments:
Hall Place - Dotheboys Hall? Really? I don't remember anyone telling us that when I read Nicholas Nickleby [and my school used to be in Hall Place - before my time, of course]. Did we miss out on an interesting piece of local knowledge? or is it a figment of your imagination?
Thank you, Tewwi for your enquiwy…
Yes, the “Hall Place/Dotheboys Hall” link is a wather ware secwet, one subject to much local conjecture and wumour…
There is, in point of fact, an intewesting little pamphlet in Bexley’s Local Studies and Archives Centre by one D. Burnell called Hall Place vs Gads Hill, which touches upon another wegional Dickensian wumour…
But, of course, the weal twuth is just for me alone to weveal…
Yours twuly,
Mr D.
Dickens. Hmmmm. My favourite Dickens reference to you comes from "How to be Topp" (or one of its sequels). "Great Scott, what the Dickens is that?", he said, as a bust of Shakespeare fell on his head.
What, childish? Moi?
Oh, go on then.
Hawwumph…
Thank-you, JR…but I must confess, I was wather anticipating some higher level qwuestions or discourse than this…
I remain, however, yours etc.
Mr D.
Hi, Mister Dickens.
Tell us please why were you so horrible to your poor lovely wife?
Oh, Cawol (wasn’t that a melodious song by the popular Amewican cwooner Neil Sedaka?)
Your comments have wounded me somewhat gwievously …I always considered myself to be a devoted and adowing husband, papa and – ahem - `uncle` to all concerned. I would, therefore, pwefer to wemain silent upon this matter.
(For weaders intewested in this specific awea of wesearch, however, you may wish to pewuse the book `Dickens Women` by Miwiam Margolyes…don’t believe evewy word, however…)
I remain, Ma’am,
Your Servant,
Mr D
Hi Mr Dickens,
Which library would you rate as your all time favourite? – I’m assuming you’ll go for the British Museum as you have a readers ticket. But I thought you might have some other ideas too – a circulating library perhaps?? (You know how I love a nineteenth century library).
And secondly, did you ever run into trouble basing your characters on real life friends. I’m thinking particularly of Harold Skimpole from Bleak House supposedly being based on Leigh Hunt and Flora Finching from Little Dorrit who was based on Maria Beadnell (a former flame of yours, I believe). Neither of them are very sympathetic portrayals –are you now wracked with guilt?!
Rachel
Thank-you, and hello, Wachel…
(Please forgive me, but I am psychologically unable to utter the dweadful word `hi`…the word is too short, too contempowawy, and too Amewican for my own tastes…)
Nonetheless, you pose some most fascinating questions.
As to my favouwite Libwawy; indubitably the Bwitish Museum Libwawy is exceptionally fine (although it took me a devil of a time to find it again now that it has moved onto the Euston Woad alongside the magnificent new Saint Pancwas Station). However, I am bound to say that your pwesent public libwawy service is exceptionally fine, and one to be immeasuwably pwoud of…I am becoming an enthusiastic advocate, surpwisingly perhaps, for you splendid collection of electronic books – well done, I say!
As to my, as you put it, “not vewy sympathetic portwails” of my chawacters – No! I am not wacked with guilt, and I would stwongly advise you to desist from these scuwwilous conjectures immediately.
Yours etc,
Mr D
Dear Mr Dickens,
I have a lot of questions for you.
1) Why do you think readers today still find your stories so fascinating?
2) You were a celebrity in your own time. What do you think of the obsessive celebrity culture of today?
3) Who was the biggest love of your life?
4) Have you ever met Queen Victoria.
Thankyou.
‘Pon my soul, what a splendid set of questions you have so perspicaciously posited.
Here are the fwuits of my delibewations:
1) “Why do my stowies wemain so fascinating for weaders even today?”… Because the chawacters of my pwotagonists are still instantly wecognizable, even in 21st Centuwy Bexley…As in my books, all human life is here!
2) “Celebwity?” As a noted celebwity back then, I can hardly fail to dismiss the weputations of those now lucky enough to enjoy a similar notowiety…However, I must confess to a nagging concern as to their cult of tattooing, which I find simply abhowwent. (And very few of them have beards).
3) “The biggest love of my life?” Simple: my life itself! (I would add, additionally, my beloved childwen, family and fwiends; my art: and, incweasingly, the delightful Kent countwyside, where I do love to wamble).
4) “Have I ever met Queen Victowia?”… Yes, just once – towards the end of my caweer,as I was completing my `Mystery of Edwin Dwood’…I twied to indulge her in witty badinage, but – alas – she was not amused.
I do hope these answers are satisfactowy?...
Yours etc,
Mr D.
Dear Mr Dickens.
Robert here again.
Keep up the good work. Am enjoying reading your thoughts.
I dare say that you like these modern methods of communicating?
Why! Thank you, Wobert. Too kind, Sir!
And, yes, most assuwedly I do indeed love blogging and tweeting - I have "gweat expectations" of them becoming the essential medium of communications in the future.
Yours etc
Mr D
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