The Dickens Museum

As part of our Valentine's Day celebrations yesterday Eleri and I went to the Dickens Museum in Doughty Street near King's Cross and Russell Square. I have been wanting to visit for many years and the fact we are in this anniversary year and the museum will be closed from April-December helped push me in the right direction. There is nothing particularly remarkable about the house as such, where Dickens early married life began, and the thousands of artefacts are not quite what you want to see, I guess, but along with the audiovisual provided in the basement it was worthwhile and a reminder of how phenomenally gifted and influential he was. The audiovisual interestingly pointed out that without his unhappy time in the blacking factory and the early death of his sister-in-law Dickens might have been quite a different writer toi the one he became. It is almost a cliche,of clourse, but apart from anything else, adversity does seem to produce better art. You cna find some biogrpahical videos here.