Today marks the city of Portsmouth, England's celebration of the 200th anniversary of author Charles Dickens' birth at his birthplace. Located on the southern coast of Great Britain in Dorset, Portsmouth is a charming historic city which attracts visitors to its mild climate and picturesque seashore villages, plus its world-renowned history. Dorset is a quick train ride from London, and the #1 destination for travelers in a list put out by the Lonely Planet guide for 2012.
Travelers can enjoy the year-long celebration of Dickens' life here and in London until June, when you'll be just in time for the Queen's Diamond Jubilee birthday celebration along the Thames, and the 2012 Olympics. Thanks to its mild climate, celebrations are already underway, and make a perfect time to enjoy this stunning setting which offers day ferries to the Isle of Wight. The 2012 Summer Olympic sailing races will also be held in the waters off nearby Portland.
Dickens was born on February 7, 1812, in a small house in Portsmouth, and the streets and vistas of this picturesque seaport were surely the inspiration for some of his most memorable stories. If you loved "A Tale of Two Cities" for its thrilling rendition of the flight of its hero to London from Paris, you can imagine this coastal city and its busy port as a scene from that novel.
Among the many charms of Portsmouth are the Cumberland Museum, the Dickens Birthplace Museum, the Southsea Castle built by Henry VIII, the D-Day Museum, and the Sherlock Holmes collection at the City Museum.
Southsea Castle was hastily built to keep the French from invading during the 16th century. Within a year of its completion, it was stormed by the French army. It is open for tours from May through September, but the exterior can be enjoyed year round in its spectacular setting on a promontory commanding the coast of Dorset. The castle visitor center was refurbished last year with a smart new decor and upscale menu in its onsite eatery.
The Charles Dickens birthplace and the Charles Dickens Museum offer unique perspectives on the famed author and the Victorian Era. The Museum features both archives and objects from that time in a new exhibition that lets you explore Portsmouth during Dickens' lifetime. The museum is pleased to display part of the original manuscript of Nicholas Nicholby, on loan from the British Library, along with some of Dickens' own memorabilia.
'Dickens and London' is another great bicentennial exhibit being offered to Dickens fans at the Museum of London, in central London. It is the UK’s first major exhibition on the author in over 40 years. Recreating the sounds, scenes and artifacts of the past into a spectacle that brings to life the true atmosphere of Victorian London, the exhibit runs through May, 2012. Paintings, photographs, costume and original manuscripts plus personal memorabilia illustrate themes Dickens wove into his works, such as poverty and childhood.
© Copyright 2012 Mary Holman. All rights reserved. This article and content may not be republished, rewritten or excerpted.
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