So yes. Yesterday was this years Dickensian Christmas fair in Rochester and it was, as it usually is, cold, crowded and slightly confusing. And a little stressful. But it's still very much worth it! Probably more for the build up than the actual fair.
Firstly the clothes!
I decided to make a new dress this year and actually started slowly already in September so my dress was finished way before the day. I'm actually more pleased with this one than anyone ever before so I'm happy I went with my feeling rather than what looks most accurate. I like the miss-matched street look of someone not quite as fashionable.. And I like Dickens fair because it feels like I can step into a character that is part less me but also partly more me than in normal life.
My favourite Charles Dickens character is by far Estella (Great Expectations) or * Nancy (Oliver Twist). Mostly though, Charles Dickens characters are very hard to emulate for a woman because they are so badly written. He is not known for a deep understanding of females in his surroundings so I suppose that is as far as it goes. What I like is the stories and the world around it. I have found that I understand them much better than maybe a girl born in the 80's should.. Some might say though, that life hasn't fundamentally changed all that much. Not for all of us anyway.
In the end I'm more of a late 19th century kind of woman than a Dickensian one, so because of that I made my dress in my typical 1870-80's style. I like the gothic angles and the deep colours. And the bustle does great on my sway back.
My co-Dickensian Michelle went for a more mid century look and pulled it off very well I must say. Or 3 gentlemen Carlos, Steve and little Lus were all in waistcoats and smart trousers. In the end it seems we made a pretty good Dickensian street team.
Secondly the hair!
It turned out ok. Victorian hairstyles are so very sturdy but they take forever to make, even my quick one, so in the hurry I just got it good enough and ran out the door. And my God did it last. I could have fallen down a cliff and get recognised only by the hair, that's how long lasting that hair was. I'm so doing that again.
When we finally got there we were earlier than usually which meant that, even though there was a lot of confused pushing around, it actually felt like we saw everything we came to see (except the parade, what happened to that?!). We had some cakes on the street and looked at craft stalls and rode the ferris wheel.. I dug trough a basket of lace tablecloths in complete darkness. It was fun. Did I wish it hadn't been so cold? yes I did. Did it annoy me that people kept stepping on my dress? Definitely. Was it worth it? Absolutely.
I think this tradition means so much to me because we have done it ever since the first year we lived in England and before that it was something I always had wanted to do so it's become a symbol of having achieved my dream in a way. It was nice to share it with our friends and it's always a little different every year but it's always something I look forward too a ridiculous amount and I think sometimes people find it odd..its just a market after all.. But I went trough so much to get to be there. So if I want to go every year for the rest of my life and always start getting ready in September for it then I will.
Because Dickens fair is the jewel in my crown.
* If I could I would have picked literally ANY other clip of her, because showing women as victims first is common enough, but this seems to be the only way she is remembered so I'll take what I can get.
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