A Dickens of a Christmas. a lecture by Bertie Pearce
December 12th 2022
What a fun lecture this was – perfect for blowing away the stresses of Christmas -by golly we all needed it – thank you Bertie.
Reviewing the content will not do it justice as it was punctuated with amusing quips, dry asides and breathtaking magic tricks. Yes indeed- magic tricks !
However Bertie did give us an insight to the man whose ‘Christmas Carol’ has become an essential element of Christmas traditions.
Bertie began with a little background to Charles Dickens, – that he was born in Portsmouth in 1812 to a large and garrulous father and a mother who was the inspiration for Mrs. Nickleby. His father ended up in a debtors’ prison which had a devastating effect on Dickens who was sent to work in a factory for 14 hours a day ( an experience which became a good source for Dorrit in Pickwick Papers.) Charles was always hungry ( ‘please sir I want some more’). This experience led him to become a social reformer.
In 1836 he married Catherine and together they had 10 children.
The 1842 report on deaths of children in mines and factories outraged Dickens who couldn’t bear the thought that children had no hope. Half of the children born never made it to ten. His book had a profound effect and industrialists even closed their factories on Christmas day.
During his lifetime Dickens created 2000 characters . Illustrations of his characters were very important to Dickens
At 21 Dickens wrote his first book – a collection of short stories , under the pseudonym Boz.
Dickens had a sister who had a disabled child who was the inspiration for Tiny Tim. The book made his name worldwide and sold 55.000 copies each month.
In his 50s, with failing health , Dickens leaves his wife and went off with a younger woman- cruelly and erroneously stating that his wife had mental problems. He then made a fortune telling his stories in public.
In 1869 he collapsed and was never seen in public again , spending his last Christmas at Gladstone Place.
He died in June 1870 and a cockney barrow girl was heard to say ‘ Does that mean Father Christmas is dead?’
But he was certainly brought to life for us with this highly entertaining and yet still informative lecture by Bertie.