A Charles Dickens Tour and “A Christmas Carol”

Christmas is about being a child again. Feeling like a child full of wonder with a head full of hopes and dreams. It was precisely for such children that Charles Dickens wrote “A Christmas Carol” in 1843. You’re more than likely already familiar with the book. Are you a fan of Dickens? Want to learn more about him? He was so successful that after his death, many different versions of his most famous work created. To step back into his time period, the first thing we need to do is travel to London.

Of course, you already know the story of “A Christmas Carol.” A very reclusive and unsociable man is visited by three ghosts: the Ghost of Christmas Past, the Ghost of Christmas Present and the Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come. This old and mean businessman named Ebenezer Scrooge was boring and had followed the same routine every day. And then he changed his ways. Hand in hand with these ghosts, he saw his past, present and future, and especially all the hardships that awaited him if he continued with his sullen and mean attitude. That experience changed his life and taught him the magic of sharing at Christmastime.

So come along on the Charles Dickens tour. Now that we’ve reviewed this important work by the author, it’s time to get to explore the city he loved so much. The “Dickensian” London has at least 3 obligatory stops: Brixton, Hackney and Tottenham. For example, you can drink in the pub where the writer at unwind at the end of a work day (Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese). In Fleet Street, he worked for many years as a journalist and writer. That’s where he opened two weeklies (All the Year Around and Housegold Words). And if there’s one must-see stop on this Charles Dickens tour, it’s Warren’s Blacking Factory, where the author worked at age 12 while his father was in prison.

London is a city that hides many of Dickens’ secrets, many of which you can even visit. Here are some examples: In Sheffield Street there’s still a huge white-and-green building that inspired another of his works: “The Old Curiosity Shop.” You’ll see a sign on the door. Between the streets Snow Hill and Saffron Hill, you’ll see the Field Lane Ragged School, where Dickens studied alongside other children from poor and destitute families.

Another must-see on the tour is at Doughty Street 48 if you’re interested in getting to know the real Dickens. He moved there in 1837, right before he married his wife and they had their first child. The house on Doughty Street is the only home of writer that has been maintained and it’s worth visiting. This four-story, Georgian house was converted into the Dickens Museum in 1925, making it known throughout the city.

And to finish the tour, one of his last stomping grounds: Bloomsbury. That’s where his office was located and where he wrote up until around the end of his life. Of course, he lives on in his many cherished literary works.