48 Doughty Street in London, site of the Charles Dickens Museum. Courtesy Charles Dickens Museum
48 Doughty Street in London, site of the Charles Dickens Museum. Courtesy Charles Dickens Museum
48 Doughty Street in London, site of the Charles Dickens Museum. Courtesy Charles Dickens Museum
48 Doughty Street in London, site of the Charles Dickens Museum. Courtesy Charles Dickens Museum

Why travellers should hit the 'Dickens trail' in England


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“Every idiot who goes about with Merry Christmas on his lips should be boiled with his own pudding, and buried with a stake of holly through his heart. He should!

“A poor excuse for picking a man’s pocket every twenty-fifth of December!”

Christmas is a time of moaning as well as giving. And quoting Dickens. And therefore the time to go to Portsmouth on the south coast of England – particularly since this Christmas marks the 175th anniversary of the publication of Dickens's famed novel, A Christmas Carol.  

Charles Dickens, the great Victorian novelist and social campaigner, spent his first Christmas at the seaside in Hampshire. Portsmouth, 70 miles from London, is the only island city in the United Kingdom and you should head there to pay homage to one man and one book that increased the popularity of Christmas and transformed it into a festive holiday.  

Scrooge and the ghost of Marly. Courtesy Charles Dickens
Scrooge and the ghost of Marly. Courtesy Charles Dickens

With the British Navy still at war with Napoleonic France, Elizabeth Dickens gave birth to Charles John Huffam Dickens on February 7, 1812, at 1 Mile End Terrace, now 393 Commercial Road, in Landport, near Portsmouth. His father, John Dickens, was a pay clerk in the Navy Pay Office there, before being recalled to Somerset House in London.

This year is also the 180th anniversary of the serialisation of Oliver Twist in All Year Round magazine, while 2019 is the 170th anniversary of David Copperfield.

Portsmouth’s Charles Dickens’ Birthplace Museum comprises Regency-style furniture of the sort the Dickens family may have had. The only authentic fitting is an in-built cupboard, but the snuff box, ink well, letter knife and couch on which he died are genuine. It’s a no-quills affair – but the Georgian terraced house opposite Morrison’s supermarket should be the starting point for any Dickens trail.

Charles Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol' was published 175 years ago. Courtesy Charles Dickens Museum
Charles Dickens's 'A Christmas Carol' was published 175 years ago. Courtesy Charles Dickens Museum

Dickens's great Christmas novella about the "clutching, covetous old sinner" Ebenezer Scrooge was written during a career crisis, but was an instant bestseller. Dickens was already famous – The Posthumous Papers of the Pickwick Club, Oliver Twist, Nicholas Nickleby, The Old Curiosity Shop and Barnaby Rudge had all been published – but he had returned from a trip to America having been shocked by New York's Five Points slums. He was struck by the plight of the masses – "many thousands are in want of common necessities; hundreds of thousands are in want of common comforts". And after a speech in Manchester to raise money for the Athenaeum, an organisation that brought education and culture to the have-nots, the 31-year-old Dickens, who had shared the stage with the novelist and later prime minister Benjamin Disraeli, conceived the idea for A Christmas Carol.

Chapman and Hall published 6,000 copies on December 19, 1843. They sold out within days. William Makepeace Thackeray described it as “a national benefit, and to every man or woman who reads it, a personal kindness”. After the book’s release, Dickens and the festive charitable spirit became inseparable. But it cost him.

The dining room at the Charles Dickens Museum. Courtesy Siobhan Doran Photography
The dining room at the Charles Dickens Museum. Courtesy Siobhan Doran Photography

In January 1844, printers and publishers Richard Egan Lee and John Haddock began selling appreciably cheaper editions, without Dickens’ permission. The author sued but Lee and Haddock declared themselves bankrupt and Dickens was left out of pocket. He used this bitter experience later in his depiction of the Court of Chancery in Bleak House.

From Portsmouth, Dickens fans should head to Medway in Kent, where the Dickens family moved when Charles was aged two. He loved Kent. Pip from Great Expectations grew up in the marshes, and Holcombe Manor is thought to be Dingly Dell in The Pickwick Papers.

Rochester's In The Footsteps Of, guided or unguided, costumed or uncostumed, walking tours take in Eastgate House's Swiss Chalet summerhouse, given to Dickens by French actor Charles Fechter. Through blackened teeth, Nancy from Oliver Twist gives tours of the Medway town, taking you to the Elizabethan Restoration House on Crow Lane, the inspiration for Mrs Haversham's house in Great Expectations. The names Drood and Dorrit appear on gravestones in Rochester Cathedral's cemetery. The Vines, the gardens on the site of a medieval vineyard in Rochester, was the last place Dickens was seen in public before his death in 1870. He is buried in Westminster Abbey.

London’s Dickens tours – often with gentlemen with their own or false mutton chops and Pickwickian paunches, centre around old coaching inns and pubs, gentlemen’s clubs and the sites of slum areas. They also take in illustrator George Cruikshank’s home in Islington; Mary-Le Strand, the church where Dickens’ parents got married; possible locations of Scrooge’s counting house; and Warren’s Blacking Warehouse near Charing Cross Station, where Dickens worked when his father was imprisoned as a debtor in Marshalsea prison.

The Georgian terraced house at 48 Doughty street in Holborn, where Dickens and wife Catherine, nee Hogarth, lived with the eldest three of their 10 children, is now the Charles Dickens Museum. Mary and Kate Macready Dickens were born there, and Catherine's sister, Mary, lived with them and died in Dickens's arms in 1837, the first year of Queen Victoria's reign, inspiring little Nell's death in The Old Curiosity Shop.

The study in the Charles Dickens Museum. Courtesy Siobhan Doran Photography
The study in the Charles Dickens Museum. Courtesy Siobhan Doran Photography

Mercifully, the museum is a "Piccadilly weepers" (long bushy side whiskers without a beard), frock coat and Victorian mop cap-free zone. Full of first editions, handwritten drafts, menus and invitations cards, as well as Catherine's engagement ring, it is a research centre and has an academic atmosphere. There are no people suffering or pretending to suffer from Pickwickian syndrome. The staff don't wear muslin nightcaps and show you around using tallow candles in early Victoria nightwear. But everything is neat and tidy, fitting to Dickens's OCD. There is, alas, no sight of his stuffed Raven, Grip.

Unsurprisingly, the museum gift shop is called the “Old Curiosity Shop” and is the perfect place to pick up a Bah! Humbug! mug.

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NO OTHER LAND

Director: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal

Stars: Basel Adra, Yuval Abraham

Rating: 3.5/5

Brief scores:

Manchester City 3

Bernardo Silva 16', Sterling 57', Gundogan 79'

Bournemouth 1

Wilson 44'

Man of the match: Leroy Sane (Manchester City)

The%20specs
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Washmen Profile

Date Started: May 2015

Founders: Rami Shaar and Jad Halaoui

Based: Dubai, UAE

Sector: Laundry

Employees: 170

Funding: about $8m

Funders: Addventure, B&Y Partners, Clara Ventures, Cedar Mundi Partners, Henkel Ventures

THE BIO: Martin Van Almsick

Hometown: Cologne, Germany

Family: Wife Hanan Ahmed and their three children, Marrah (23), Tibijan (19), Amon (13)

Favourite dessert: Umm Ali with dark camel milk chocolate flakes

Favourite hobby: Football

Breakfast routine: a tall glass of camel milk

FIXTURES

Thu Mar 15 – West Indies v Afghanistan, UAE v Scotland
Fri Mar 16 – Ireland v Zimbabwe
Sun Mar 18 – Ireland v Scotland
Mon Mar 19 – West Indies v Zimbabwe
Tue Mar 20 – UAE v Afghanistan
Wed Mar 21 – West Indies v Scotland
Thu Mar 22 – UAE v Zimbabwe
Fri Mar 23 – Ireland v Afghanistan

The top two teams qualify for the World Cup

Classification matches 
The top-placed side out of Papua New Guinea, Hong Kong or Nepal will be granted one-day international status. UAE and Scotland have already won ODI status, having qualified for the Super Six.

Thu Mar 15 – Netherlands v Hong Kong, PNG v Nepal
Sat Mar 17 – 7th-8th place playoff, 9th-10th place play-off

Key facilities
  • Olympic-size swimming pool with a split bulkhead for multi-use configurations, including water polo and 50m/25m training lanes
  • Premier League-standard football pitch
  • 400m Olympic running track
  • NBA-spec basketball court with auditorium
  • 600-seat auditorium
  • Spaces for historical and cultural exploration
  • An elevated football field that doubles as a helipad
  • Specialist robotics and science laboratories
  • AR and VR-enabled learning centres
  • Disruption Lab and Research Centre for developing entrepreneurial skills

Founders: Abdulmajeed Alsukhan, Turki Bin Zarah and Abdulmohsen Albabtain.

Based: Riyadh

Offices: UAE, Vietnam and Germany

Founded: September, 2020

Number of employees: 70

Sector: FinTech, online payment solutions

Funding to date: $116m in two funding rounds  

Investors: Checkout.com, Impact46, Vision Ventures, Wealth Well, Seedra, Khwarizmi, Hala Ventures, Nama Ventures and family offices

ELIO

Starring: Yonas Kibreab, Zoe Saldana, Brad Garrett

Directors: Madeline Sharafian, Domee Shi, Adrian Molina

Rating: 4/5

Asia Cup Qualifier

Final
UAE v Hong Kong

TV:
Live on OSN Cricket HD. Coverage starts at 5.30am

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Profile

Company name: Jaib

Started: January 2018

Co-founders: Fouad Jeryes and Sinan Taifour

Based: Jordan

Sector: FinTech

Total transactions: over $800,000 since January, 2018

Investors in Jaib's mother company Alpha Apps: Aramex and 500 Startups

The specs: 2018 Volkswagen Teramont

Price, base / as tested Dh137,000 / Dh189,950

Engine 3.6-litre V6

Gearbox Eight-speed automatic

Power 280hp @ 6,200rpm

Torque 360Nm @ 2,750rpm

Fuel economy, combined 11.7L / 100km

Business Insights
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The flights: South African Airways flies from Dubai International Airport with a stop in Johannesburg, with prices starting from around Dh4,000 return. Emirates can get you there with a stop in Lusaka from around Dh4,600 return.
The details: Visas are available for 247 Zambian kwacha or US$20 (Dh73) per person on arrival at Livingstone Airport. Single entry into Victoria Falls for international visitors costs 371 kwacha or $30 (Dh110). Microlight flights are available through Batoka Sky, with 15-minute flights costing 2,265 kwacha (Dh680).
Accommodation: The Royal Livingstone Victoria Falls Hotel by Anantara is an ideal place to stay, within walking distance of the falls and right on the Zambezi River. Rooms here start from 6,635 kwacha (Dh2,398) per night, including breakfast, taxes and Wi-Fi. Water arrivals cost from 587 kwacha (Dh212) per person.

KEY%20DATES%20IN%20AMAZON'S%20HISTORY
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%205%2C%201994%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Jeff%20Bezos%20founds%20Cadabra%20Inc%2C%20which%20would%20later%20be%20renamed%20to%20Amazon.com%2C%20because%20his%20lawyer%20misheard%20the%20name%20as%20'cadaver'.%20In%20its%20earliest%20days%2C%20the%20bookstore%20operated%20out%20of%20a%20rented%20garage%20in%20Bellevue%2C%20Washington%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EJuly%2016%2C%201995%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20formally%20opens%20as%20an%20online%20bookseller.%20%3Cem%3EFluid%20Concepts%20and%20Creative%20Analogies%3A%20Computer%20Models%20of%20the%20Fundamental%20Mechanisms%20of%20Thought%3C%2Fem%3E%20becomes%20the%20first%20item%20sold%20on%20Amazon%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E1997%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20goes%20public%20at%20%2418%20a%20share%2C%20which%20has%20grown%20about%201%2C000%20per%20cent%20at%20present.%20Its%20highest%20closing%20price%20was%20%24197.85%20on%20June%2027%2C%202024%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E1998%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20acquires%20IMDb%2C%20its%20first%20major%20acquisition.%20It%20also%20starts%20selling%20CDs%20and%20DVDs%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2000%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Marketplace%20opens%2C%20allowing%20people%20to%20sell%20items%20on%20the%20website%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2002%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20forms%20what%20would%20become%20Amazon%20Web%20Services%2C%20opening%20the%20Amazon.com%20platform%20to%20all%20developers.%20The%20cloud%20unit%20would%20follow%20in%202006%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2003%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20turns%20in%20an%20annual%20profit%20of%20%2475%20million%2C%20the%20first%20time%20it%20ended%20a%20year%20in%20the%20black%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2005%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Prime%20is%20introduced%2C%20its%20first-ever%20subscription%20service%20that%20offered%20US%20customers%20free%20two-day%20shipping%20for%20%2479%20a%20year%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2006%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20Unbox%20is%20unveiled%2C%20the%20company's%20video%20service%20that%20would%20later%20morph%20into%20Amazon%20Instant%20Video%20and%2C%20ultimately%2C%20Amazon%20Video%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2007%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon's%20first%20hardware%20product%2C%20the%20Kindle%20e-reader%2C%20is%20introduced%3B%20the%20Fire%20TV%20and%20Fire%20Phone%20would%20come%20in%202014.%20Grocery%20service%20Amazon%20Fresh%20is%20also%20started%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2009%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20introduces%20Amazon%20Basics%2C%20its%20in-house%20label%20for%20a%20variety%20of%20products%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2010%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20foundations%20for%20Amazon%20Studios%20were%20laid.%20Its%20first%20original%20streaming%20content%20debuted%20in%202013%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2011%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Amazon%20Appstore%20for%20Google's%20Android%20is%20launched.%20It%20is%20still%20unavailable%20on%20Apple's%20iOS%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2014%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20The%20Amazon%20Echo%20is%20launched%2C%20a%20speaker%20that%20acts%20as%20a%20personal%20digital%20assistant%20powered%20by%20Alexa%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2017%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon%20acquires%20Whole%20Foods%20for%20%2413.7%20billion%2C%20its%20biggest%20acquisition%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3E2018%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Amazon's%20market%20cap%20briefly%20crosses%20the%20%241%20trillion%20mark%2C%20making%20it%2C%20at%20the%20time%2C%20only%20the%20third%20company%20to%20achieve%20that%20milestone%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

'Outclassed in Kuwait'
Taleb Alrefai, 
HBKU Press 

UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Day 3 stumps

New Zealand 153 & 249
Pakistan 227 & 37-0 (target 176)

Pakistan require another 139 runs with 10 wickets remaining

Match info

Uefa Champions League Group B

Tottenham Hotspur 1 (Eriksen 80')
Inter Milan 0

Brief scores:

Southampton 2

Armstrong 13', Soares 20'

Manchester United 2

Lukaku 33', Herrera 39'

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Company profile

Company name: Suraasa

Started: 2018

Founders: Rishabh Khanna, Ankit Khanna and Sahil Makker

Based: India, UAE and the UK

Industry: EdTech

Initial investment: More than $200,000 in seed funding

How the bonus system works

The two riders are among several riders in the UAE to receive the top payment of £10,000 under the Thank You Fund of £16 million (Dh80m), which was announced in conjunction with Deliveroo's £8 billion (Dh40bn) stock market listing earlier this year.

The £10,000 (Dh50,000) payment is made to those riders who have completed the highest number of orders in each market.

There are also riders who will receive payments of £1,000 (Dh5,000) and £500 (Dh2,500).

All riders who have worked with Deliveroo for at least one year and completed 2,000 orders will receive £200 (Dh1,000), the company said when it announced the scheme.