What the Dickens

I spent last weekend in Rochester, where they hold the annual Dickens

Christmans Festival. The folks there really know how to put on a

show. The period costumes are amazing, and it looks like just about

everyone in town participates.<div></div>

Even the kids and grannies ...<div></div>

Some odd Victorian vehicles ...<div></div>

This fellow was cranking away<div></div>

It was either overcast, or the sun was low most of the time, so I couldn't use a shutter speed fast enough to stop the motion of his hand ...<div></div>

After the parade, a drummer stops for a pint ...<div></div>

These guys stopped for a picnic by the side of the high street.<div></div>

This fellow looked like the mayor!<div></div>

I'm thinking of toning this one ...<div></div>

This festival is definitely a family affair.<div></div>

In the evening, they held a candle-light procession, followed by carols. I took a number of shots on Delta 3200. If they come out half decent, I'll post those later on ...

Just a bit of an experiment ... thought I'd warm this one up a litte ...<div></div>

Rochester's a very odd town. I worked there for a while, a few years ago, and it seemed as if it couldn't make up its mind whether it was a tourist area or not. When we visited again in the summer before last, they appeared to have come down on the 'yes' side of the question and the facilities were much improved. Definitely worth a visit if you're in Kent. Pop into the museum to see a 'rangefinder camera' from the 'fifties. If that doesn't put a smile on your face, nothing will. By the way, there's a camera shop in the town which actually had some Leica kit when we were there (M3 and some lenses).

Rochester itself seems to be pretty tourist-friendly. However, it is just one of the four towns that make up the Medway area. Greater Medway seems much more like a commuter suburb than a tourist trap.