Chatham/London: Charles Dickens Inspires New Theme Park

On the 25th of May 2007, “Dickens World” in Chatham, just southeast of London, opened its doors. The theme park is housed in a specially constructed building where the characters from Dickens’ (1812-1870) books and era come to life: The orphan Oliver Twist, David Copperfield and the miserly Scrooge are some of Dickens’ most famous creations. The author spent most of his childhood in Chatham. The 93-million euro project has been rejected by Dickens purists right from the word go. Managers of this theme park, which is the size of 22 football pitches, are estimating annual visitor figures of 250,000 to 300,000. The Dickens Shopping Mall is a unique feature, as well as themed restaurants in surroundings based on his works. The original idea and design come from Gerry O’Sullivan-Bere, whilst the leading British leisure company RMA Ltd. is responsible for the construction and design of “Dickens World”. (eap)