Sheppey's heritage will come alive this weekend when dozens of
events take place to celebrate Charles Dickens’ Island links.

The Promenade Festival 2012 What the Dickens! is being launched
at the Blue Town Heritage Centre on Friday and the fun goes on
until Sunday.

This year is the 200th anniversary of Dickens’ birth. His father
worked in Sheerness Dockyard and his family lived in Blue Town.

There is plenty planned over the three days, from history talks
and readings to films, performances, tours and exhibitions.

Big Fish Arts Trust has organised a Dickensian Parade which will
go through Sheerness.

Other host venues are the Blue Town Heritage Centre; Sheppey
Little Theatre; Barton’s Point Coastal Park; All Saints’ Church in
Eastchurch; Minster Gatehouse; Castle Connections in Queenborough;
St Thomas’ Church in Harty; Norwood Manor in Eastchurch; and
Healthy Living Centre in Sheerness.

More than 25 groups, organisations and charities have worked
together to put on the event and they have distributed 5,000
postcards and 5,000 programme leaflets.

Most of the events have set days and times but there are some
activities taking place over the whole weekend.

At Castle Connections in Queenborough, the Year in the Life of
Sheppey photographic exhibition will be on all days from 10am to
5pm.

The Blue Town Heritage Centre is hosting a Sheppey in Dickensian
Times photographic exhibition every day from 10am to 1pm.

A Dickens in Minster event is going on at the Gatehouse Museum
where there will be a display and people in costume from 2pm to
4.30pm on all days.

Memories of Dickens will be discussed at the Healthy Living
Centre in Sheerness from noon to 3pm each day.

Chris Reed, of Big Fish, said: “It is very exciting and
unprecedented to see so many organisations working together.

“We hope that this is just the start and that in future years
even more arts, heritage and community groups will take part.”

For full programme details, go to www.sheppeypromenade.org