Dickens House and Museum

Charles Dickens house/museum

Wow! The sun is shining. I should be out there enjoying it not here writing a blog. 

Yesterday I was a tourist in London - I love being a tourist in London! Spent the day at Charles Dickens House in Doughty Street near Bloomsbury Square. What a beautiful house. This is where Dickens wrote Oliver Twist and other famous books. There were many TV programmes about him last year, or was it the year before (where does time go?) and I still have the book about his life which I've yet to read. It was great to visit his home which was really nice and homely. Dickens had ten children (poor Catherine!) but he had dragged himself up from nothing. His father, John, spent several years in debtors prison with his wife and children. Charles escaped that because he was working in a blacking factory and supporting his family. He was only fifteen. In the nursery is the prison grille. Some years ago I saw the walls of the old prison where Dickens' father was incarcerated, not that far from the river where some scenes from Oliver Twist are set.

Dickens study

Dickens certainly brought to light the darker side of London and wrote tongue-in-cheek about the well-to-do. He loved to entertain his family - they used to put on plays in the house - but he also liked the entertainment of women!  He and Catherine eventually split up. She was suffering from post natal depression (not surprised after ten children). It seems Dickens father rather relied on his son later in life. Charles was earning a good living and he carried on supporting John.

If you visit I can also recommend the cafe, which you can use without buying a ticket for the museum.  My friend and I sampled the pea and spinach soup. It was gorgeous, mouthwatering and moreish! Walking outside afterwards I could almost hear horses hooves as carriages clattered along the wide road. Ahh!

Dining room
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Kitchen

Dickens chair

Bathroom

Prison grille

   

Nursery

Servants bedroom