So to round off a perfectly festive weekend, on Sunday, Mumsie and I took a trip to one of San Francisco’s other annual traditions – The Great Dickens Christmas Fair. Held at the highly amusingly named Cow Palace in Daly City, it runs for about 5 weekends in the run-up to Christmas. so I thought it would be fun to check it out. Here’s the blurb about it from their website: http://dickensfair.com/
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| Loopy – this one is for you! |
“The Great Dickens Christmas Fair is a one-of-a-kind holiday adventure into Victorian London – an elaborate party with hundreds of costumed players performing and interacting with patrons in over 120,000 square feet of theatrically-lit music halls, pubs, dance floors, and Christmas shops. It’s a twilight evening in Charles Dickens’ London Town – a city of winding lanes filled with colorful characters from both literature and history. Enticing aromas of roasted chestnuts and hearty foods fill the air. Cries of street vendors hawking their wares ring out above the bustling crowd. Dozens of lamplit shops are filled to overflowing with Christmas gifts. The Dickens Christmas Fair is a treasured Bay Area tradition since 1970 and a splendid way to celebrate the holidays…”
At $25 a pop, it wasn’t the cheapest day out, but it was worth it to find out what all the fuss was about. If you stayed all day and made the most of all the various shows and entertainers, its not too bad for a whole day out. But, in the end, we only stayed for a couple of hours as it got more and more packed out and those narrow streets of Olde London Town were groaning at the seams. So we bid Mr Dickens and his Assorted Players farewell, and headed back home for a nice 21st century Cup of Tea. Here are some piccies from our little excursion. And – for the first time this year – I happened to be one of the few people NOT in costume!!
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| Sooty and Sweep |
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Urchin quickly learns not to challenge
Mumsie to a staring contest – instant petrification ensues… |
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| Just like Olde London Town… |
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| Yey! Good olde Morris dancers! |
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| Penny Farthing |
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| Yo, Santa! Chuck us a pressie!! |
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There’s nothing like a nice cuppa tea, no
matter what time period you’re in… |
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Not sure what’s going on here – early Red Bull
advertising, perchance? |
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| Alas the bar didn’t have Victorian era prices… |
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| The old nail in nose trick again. |
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| Sounds like a cat and bull story to me… |
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Obviously there were a bunch of smart arses
in evidence in Victorian times too… |
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| Random wares and fares |
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Dude in lipstick with Sean Connery
in a dressing gown* |
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| A right old bird and her nest |
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Sarah returns in her Christmas
tree outfit# |
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| Artfully artificial posing guy |
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| The Gravy Concourse?? |
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Reminscent of Padstow, the ‘Obby ‘Oss with
his collection of Morrises |
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Hmmm…stretching that Victoriana theme
a little thin, I feel… |
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| Plant pot hat lady |
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| Possum with man-handler |
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| Dickens’ drawing room |
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| Loopy!! |
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| Dodgy drunken sweeps |
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Announcing the winner of the annual loo brush
contest was always a nerve-wracking moment…. |
* OK, OK – its actually the Ghost of Christmas Present and Ebeneezer Scrooge.
# not true
1 Comment
omg!! peed myself laughing when mum squaring up to the urchin!! the world famous mummy stare evn through the internet made me shiver!! loved all the photos and only needed a gigantic cracker to join the tree and it was you and me!! surprised that the chim chiminey sweeps didnt have mary poppins too and always interesting to see how americans see victorian times…we can say been there got ancestors that did that!! very good and i had to keepthe hair braiding franchise a secret!!! and loved the cow bn too thanks!!! lots love and hugs to you both xxxxx