After The Residents Building Meeting,

it was glad rags on,

and we were out,

but two things first, above is a video that Diana made of our ascent in one of the chimneys at Battersea Power Station we visited on Friday, secondly, you guessed it! I took so many photographs I will only be making one post today, 

we started at Beckenham Junction, 

it would normally be a train to Bromley South, where we would change trains to go to Rochester,

but you guessed our luck regarding travel, arriving at Bromley South we were told all direct trains to Rochester had been cancelled, so another train change at Swanley, 

so we settled into the journey, Diana with her winter jumper on with foxes, robins and snowflakes,

and this is what we were going to see, the Rochester Christmas and Dickens festival,

also I should point that the Medway Light Nights continues until February 11th. 2023, it seems strange typing 2023, but there it is, in a few weeks another year will have been and gone,

we made our way from the station, crossing the road,

through the building to the High Street, where the first thing we saw was this nice shop display,

it was cold!

in no time we were seeing residents dressed in the Dickens periods finest, the amount of work this couple must have put into their costumes to celebrate the Rochester Dickens weekend, 

and they happily posed for a photograph,

we started our walk,

immediately stopping at the jewellers!

past the cathedral and the memorial,

it was lovely to see so many turned out in period clothes,

as it happens,

I stopped and had a chat with this lady,

and her group,

we exchanged cards, so for any Steampunk fans, you now know where to go for fun and event details,

another group walked by,

all of the shops in the street,

had put on a really good display,

both inside,

and out,

I mentioned it was cold,

difficult to see,

but there it was,

snow was in the air!

Diana took so many photographs of it,

in the background Rochester Castle,

we both fancied a coffee to warm up, but at the first coffee stall the queue was a tad long,

so we walked towards the castle,

and found this stall with no queues, Diana was hungry as well,

and this looked so nice,

a whole pig on the spit,

so a pulled pork burger for Diana,

it was huge,

before, 

and after tomato sauce,

luckily we found a table to sit at,

we then started our walk up the hill, 

passing the entrance to the cathedral,

on one side,

lots of stalls,

selling food and drink,

not so many people the further up the hill we went,

stalls on the right, very old houses on the left,

some with great names, like this one,

there was even an Indian here, food for all tastes,

Diana was drawn to this stall,

candy floss!

but she resisted,

the sweet treat,

whilst Diana made up her mind I looked back down the hill,

I turned back around decision made! two maple covered doughnuts,

I had my sights set on a stall further down,

and here it was, 

Meophams, 

selling award winning English wines,

well I just had to,

and rather nice it was as well,

meanwhile Diana was tucking in, we joined the crowd at the central area where the mayor was introduced and gave a lovely speech about how the people of Rochester are so happy to make this a memorable occasion, especially for all of the children that were here, the in the distance the sound of a piper and drum band,

both Diana and myself made short videos of the piper and drums, here they both are above,

all of the people in costumes made their way to the central area,

so many to look at,

with everyone enjoying themselves so much,

some well wrapped up for the cold,

no one expects,

the French revolution!

rumours of a guillotine being wheeled in were totally unfounded!

not only were many in costume,

but many were made up as well,

the mayor gave a wonderful speech,

I had to take a few more photographs,

and guess who got in on the act?

one of the soldiers returning from one of the wars,

we had seen this lady before,

and this fearsome fellow,

but he had a friend,

or two!

we meet the group again,

I carried on snapping away,

a gingerbread soldier, and a damsel in distress? 

 

attention!

any guesses who this regale couple are?

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert of course!

we started back towards the High Street,

when I noticed this chap, I guess his is a professional photographer, he had so many cameras and bit and pieces hanging from his belt and over shoulder strap,

we made our way along the street,

passing a few more stalls,

by now the crowds had started to build,

we were walking towards the River Medway,

this shop looking pretty in pink,

with a nice display and on the bottom left a small choo-choo train,

time for a pose,

Ta-Dah!

one more for a close up,

we then noticed this couple,

so I stopped by for a chat,

and a couple of photographs,

I thought this was rather cute,

a perambulator, 

a punch and Judy show, not yet started,

and a band, 

I made a short video of them,

we decided not to wait for the show,

another shop that had a lovely display outside,

so we,

just had to have a pose each,

almost opposite the stall,

selling hot drinks,

the buildings here all of an age,

and here he is, Mr. Pickwick,

along with the couple we meet earlier,

we decided to walk to the other end of the street that we had not yet visited,

we passed the street that leads to Rochester Castle,

and the shop that deals in minerals and fossils,

as it happens I have one like this in my man attic, although a tad smaller,

what a Christmas present for a youngster, yours for £325.00

the shops had put so much effort into their displays,

like this one,

and then it was snowing again,

and it had been for some time,

the snow here thick on the ground,

I was tempted by the mulled wine and mince pies,

but my attention was taken by this group,

Diana also took their photographs using one of the groups telephones,

further along in one of the side streets some street theatre,

Diana was thirsty,

I was looking at the cakes, but decided against, but Diana did order a drink,

next to the stall another shop pretty in pink,

and this is what Diana ordered,

a hot chocolate with marshmallows,

and a shot of Baileys, well it was cold,

next a scary dairy,

it was Jack Skellington, king of Halloween Town,

who if you know the story,

of The Nightmare Before Christmas, Jack tries to take over Christmas,

all very scary dairy for the kids,

and I do not think that Diana was that at ease with him either! as it happens in December 2019 Diana treated me to the show The Nightmare Before Christmas as a Christmas present in the Wembley Arena, and what a treat it was!

the white swans,

reminded me of the seven swans a swimming,

in the Christmas song,

and here it is,

the swan theme continued inside the window display,

we were coming to the end of the street,

in the distance a stage,

a quick pose,

then a look at the band,

time for a refreshment,

before starting on the next set,

we retraced our steps,

to the station,

and were soon hurtling homeward, as it happens there was such a wait for the last of our trains home at Bromley, we decided to take a bus,

which meant that we could have a look on the green in Beckenham, as it happens looking at my watch we would still have been on the platform waiting for a train at Bromley South! unfortunately most of the stalls were closed,

but the lights on the tree were on,

and there were plenty of skaters in the rink,

in the distance a few rides were open,

back past the rink and home,

no read and sherry tonight, but 'Cheers!', anyway,

we had bought a huge kebab home with us,

eyes down and tuck in,

after our meal Diana opened her advent cosmetics calendar, today a mascara, what a wonderful day and many thanks to the people and mayor of Rochester for making it such a pleasant day, we watched television for the rest of the evening, as it happens today one of the channels were showing back to back Endeavours, with the end of the second one of those, we were off to bed.