Rochester's Dickensian delight as winter festival returns

Along the high street and up to the castle, people from across the UK come to dress up in their best Charles Dickens' costumes and join the parades.

Transcript

00:00 It's time to step back into the days of Christmas past, as hundreds flock to Rochester wearing

00:06 their best Dickensian attire.

00:08 The town is celebrating its annual Dickens themed festival to welcome in the holiday.

00:15 It's time to get out those Christmas carols and your best Victorian costume, because the

00:20 Dickens Festival in Rochester is back.

00:24 Let's see what's on offer this year.

00:27 The public can enjoy a wide array of activities, from parades to carols.

00:33 The Mayor of Medway herself led some of the festivities.

00:36 So this weekend here in Rochester we have the Dickensian Christmas Festival and my role

00:43 as the Mayor of Medway is to lead the parade.

00:46 So behind me in the parade will be all the Dickensian characters from the Dickensian

00:51 novels.

00:52 It's a fantastic event with loads and loads of Dickensian characters and the whole of

00:57 Medway as well as people from beyond Medway, including from overseas, have come to join

01:03 the parade and to see what all the festivities is all about and it's been such an amazing

01:08 experience.

01:09 Despite the rising cost of living crisis and near cancellation of its festive lights, Council

01:16 Leader Vince Maple says that Medway will continue to support its festivals during Christmas

01:22 present.

01:23 Well, of course we have had to take some difficult decisions already this year.

01:27 I was really grateful for those three businesses stepping forward to make sure all five Medway

01:31 towns have got Christmas lights throughout December.

01:35 We're looking at next year's budgets, we may have to make some difficult decisions, but

01:39 rest assured we will continue to work with businesses, the voluntary sector, those who

01:43 have got a particular interest perhaps in the history and heritage, we'll be working

01:47 with all of them to make sure as we move forward, despite the difficult financial pressures,

01:52 that Medway truly remains somewhere where we're proud of our heritage, proud of our

01:56 great tourism offer and proud of something which people have been telling me today they're

02:00 looking forward to next year already.

02:03 The county is determined to celebrate its Dickensian tradition all the way into Christmas

02:09 future.

02:10 Henry Luck for KMTV in Rochester.