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Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine. Volume 9 No.1 March 2012
3
CHARLES DICKENS: THE 200TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH

The Celebrations we have been awaiting have started in a spectacular way with
ceremonies at the place of his birth, Portsmouth, and with a service at the place of his
grave, Westminster Abbey, then followed by a
banquet in The Mansion House, in the City of
London. More celebrations are to follow, but for
this issue, the events on the anniversary of his
birth follow :
From your President:

On Tuesday 7 February, the 200 anniversary of
th
th
the birth of Dickens, I met with Ian Dickens (Boz) an
honorary club member, at the birth place of Dickens
in Portsmouth. With a group of Pickwickian cyclist and
others from the local veteran bicycle and tricycle club
we rode to Dicken’s birthplace to see the Portsmouth
Lord Mayor
lay a
wreath on
the door
and to hear
o u r
h o n o r a r y
m e m b e r
talk about
the family connections with the City. Simon Callow was
also present.
Following the
wreath laying
at the house
the Civic
Dignitaries
and guests (
myself
included) all
adjourned to the St Mary’s Church Portsmouth for a
service thanksgiving with readings from Callow, Sheila
Hancock and Ian Dickens as well as extracts from
Oliver sung by the Charles Dickens Primary School
pupils here in Portsmouth.
Having ridden my hobbyhorse in the morning in
appropriate period costume I spent the whole day in
costume and as such was invited to not only sit in the front row of the church alongside the Lord
Mayor of Portsmouth, the Deputy Lord Lieutenant and the leader of the Council but also to join
in the reception in the Guildhall and afterwards at the Theatre Royal with the unveiling