Celebrate Christmas in true Dickensian style as a Victorian festival returns to one of Kent’s most historic high streets.

Rochester’s Dickensian Christmas Festival will take place this weekend with a parade of colourful characters, street entertainment and a carol service in the town centre.

The free festival, which boasts a programme of events on Saturday, December 2 and Sunday, December 3, honours the life and legacy of Medway writer Charles Dickens and his much-loved novel, A Christmas Carol.

Each year, locals participate in a range of traditional Victorian activities, dress up in costumes and put up decorations all over the town.

This year, it all kicks off with the Seven Poor Travellers Procession.

The morning parade is led by the Town Crier and begins at 11am from the Victoria and Bull Hotel. It will then continue to the Six Poor Travellers House on Rochester High Street.

The Tudor building was founded as a charity house by MP Richard Watts to provide board and lodgings and was the inspiration behind Dickens' Christmas short story the Seven Poor Travellers.

The main parade will then start from midday near the Queen Charlotte pub and will march through town until it reaches the entrance to Rochester Castle, where the festive market and fairground will also be open for the weekend.

This procession will be led by the Mayor of Medway and will feature lots of recognisable characters from Victorian literature.

The event will end with a candlelit parade, starting and ending in the same place as the main parade, from 4.45pm.

This after-dark parade will see participants light the streets with hundreds of flickering candles before a carol service begins outside Rochester Cathedral.

The carols will be performed by the Rochester Choral Society, BAE Systems Brass Band and the festival entertainers.

There will also be a snowy blizzard finale to give the whole event one final festive touch.

During the weekend, there will also be history talks, walking tours, circus workshops, jugglers and children’s activities taking place all over town.