Dickens Fair

Period Lovelies

The M&M's decided not to attend the Edwardian Ball in San Francisco this season; so instead, we opted for the Dickens Fair at the Cow Palace. The Victorian era of Charles Dickens has been presented here in the Bay Area every year since 1970 from after Thanksgiving until the week before Christmas. 

I was very pleased to note that the producers of this event are the same people that put on the Renaissance Pleasure Faire up at Black Point in Novato before the land was sold to Mac Mansion building land speculators and they had to move out.  This place was my first introduction to this Faire in California, having attended one in Minnesota back in 1970 where I fell in love with the genre.  The owners tried out different venues like at the Nut Tree, which didn't fare well and I believe they moved the Faire south to Irwindale, California where they are today, creating the "make believe" period of the Renaissance.

Margie and I have accumulated some period clothing over the years and decided to strut our stuff at the Dickens Faire for the first time, and what a wonderful event they put on.  The structures within the confines of the building are a replica of what London Town could of looked like around the late 1800's.  Fortunately the lack of sanitation at the original site is not included in the settings so the smell of roasted nuts prevails instead.

Our costumes were a military style outfit for me resembling Civil War garb and a pseudo day-dress outfit the same period for Margie.  We had our pictures taken by some of the attendees so we must have looked authentic to someone.  Since I had Captains shoulder boards on my outfit, I was referred to as "Sir" too many times.  I hope it was the rank and not my obvious age.

It would take too long to list all of the shops they have laid out in 120,000 square feet.  That's about the size of 2 and a half acres not including the walk in from the furthest part of the parking lot where we parked under the pole indicating the F lot which was ¾ of a mile from the entrance.  Wear sensible shoes.

While waiting in line to be relieved of our E tickets, entertainers make the best of the wait regaling us with "good Trash for sale" and a guy with a green parrot of some sort that fascinated the youngsters behind us.

Our first stop was the Loo where I waited outside for my lovely wife to perform her absolutions.  I was a target for my first encounter with a "Street Theater Performer."  Seeing my Civil War Union officer garb, he went on about how good it was to have a Yank (meaning an American) here in London to celebrate the Christmas Holiday.  His background includes a stint in the Crimea and lots of Harrumph and So On and So Forth.  He was dressed with a top hat, tails and great whiskers.  Stayed in character most of the time.

Margie joined me and we proceeded down the first street to our right called "The Grand Concourse."  Ceramic Pottery, a books store with tons of old hard bound books, a couple of shops with weaving motif, Jewelry, Floral Arts, Soaps, Photo Shoppe with costumes and the Wand maker.

Then we came a cross street which are the "London Docks."  It's a small cross street, with a stage, a pirate shop, an Academy of Music" that was always dark and dreary inside and appeared closed and a Cat & Bull game.  The object of this game is to toss a BB filled sock at the outline of a cat sitting atop a fence.  Don't get to knock the cat off, just make the sock go through the hole cut in the fence below the cat cutout.  Of course the kicker is, one must use the trebuchet to toss the sock.

Leaving the London Dock area, we continue on down Maiden Lane to Fagan's Alley.  Here are a couple of what later in history are called Anchor Stores.  Dark Garden presents the finest Victorian corsetry and underpinnings with two display windows inhabited with live models holding very still in corseted poses.  All very exotic.

Onward towards the end is Mad Sal's Dockside Ale House where Can-Can dancing and Ladies of the Night hold court.  Mad Sal has a stage where a band of violins, accordions, flutes and three different types of bag-pipes (one I'm sure was made of a real goats bladder) make music for the Can-Can girls and the Morris Dancers.  These eight guys wield sticks 3 feet long and bang them together in time with the music and don't hit knuckles.  When they are done jumping around and smacking each other's sticks, they pull out some tablecloth napkins and then jump around in a very silly way.

We watched for a while and then went back into Fagan's Alley to see the rest of the street.  A clothing store of Lady's Attire, another soap maker, a mask maker, some pewter cups and dragons with marbles clutched in their claws shop, Fairy dolls, hats, a Corset Studio for photos of you dressed in corsets and a couple of jewelry shops.  Also an Ale House and the Bohemian Pub.

Around the corner and the beginning of the second street known as Nickelby Road.  Many clothing stores, a men's haberdashery, a shop of leather art next to another ceramics shop, some feathers, and a Dickens Family Parlor reserved for costumed characters of a certain importance.  Looking in the window from the street I saw the people inside with exquisite costuming performing in the courtliest way while munching on a groaning board of tasty looking items.  How do I get in there?  They seem to be having a great time and there's food and I'm hungry.  Can't.  A velvet rope bars the entrance and I'm sure the cost of the costumes probably cost more than I can afford.

Turning around we see a food court on Fish Street.  Many long lines steam from the eateries so we go back down Nickelby Road, through the London Docks area and into Pickwick Place, which is another couple of eateries with long lines.  We did a short cut into Tinsley Green where the Tea Parlour is.  High Tea was full up and so was the attached take-out window.  Searching on, we passed through the London Docks again and found ourselves in front of the Legion Fantastiques.  Here are "Marvelous inventions and exhibits of strange relics from the incredible exploits of characters from Jules Verne novels," to quote their press release.  Captain Nemo, Phileas Fogg, Professor Phineas J. Flockmocker III and Princess Aouda were all in attendance along with the promise of a giant squid and steam powered mechanical man.

There was to soon be a feeding of the giant squid so we hung around while I spoke with another character in a US Union, totally authentic, costume.  I felt poorly dressed compared.  It was ten minutes until the next feeding of the giant squid so looking around I spied the 3 Cripples Inn.  It's a pub with liquid refreshments, which I thought would help quell the stomach hungries.  At the end of the bar, a couple of gents were playing chess while a grizzled old Sea Captain watched.  He was dressed in his best blue officers coat with plenty of medals and a gold shoulder braid thick enough to use as a noose.  I saw him later as one of the military attaché's to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert's promenade through the streets.

Ah yes, the giant squid feeding.  Back at the Legion Fantastique, Phileas with Capt Nemo, in his "mad scientist" persona, spoke at length of the capture of the giant squid to the delight of the children gathered in front of the stage.  They opened a porthole for the gathered to see the giant squid but all that could be seen was a giant eye that moved and looked hungrily at the audience.  Phileas asked if any of the children would like to help feed the giant squid and two raised their hands, a little girl about 9 and a boy about 6.  They went up on the stage and were instructed to pass a rubber fish through the second porthole below the one with the giant eye.  Of course the little boy had to get down on his hands and knees to push the rubber fish further into the tube when Capt Nemo pushed the kid in and closed the porthole.  Much gasping and squeals from the audience.  Phileas pulled out a pistol and rushed though a hatchway to rescue the lad and shortly returned with the wet young feller in tow with applause from the crowd for his bravery.

Onward we trekked, seeing Dickens's "Christmas Carol" characters from time to time walking the streets; Ebenezer Scrooge, Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come, Bob Cratchit, Ghost of Christmas Past (walking in about 40 lbs of chains) and at least 4 Tiny Tim's.  The Queen and her entourage were parading by and I recognized one of them as Robin Darkmoon from other costume venues I attend.  He recognized Margie and me but we didn't get to chat as the Queen only stops to talk for a few moments least she causes a stoppage.

At the end of Fish Street are the Odyssey Theater and Fencing Academy where I spoke with one of the fencing masters about the training of young men in the art of the blade until a rude woman shoved her way in between us and began a conversation with another man behind my conservationist.  Taking hold of a fencing blade, I struck her soundly about the face and hands until she fell sprawling on the floor where I ended her discourteous manner with a well-placed kick to her throat. 

Seeing it was time to vamoose before the Bobbies descended, we walked, quickly, back down Fish Street and stopped at the chocolate booth and bought some fudge.  Physical activity always makes me hungry and I needed something to satiate my empty stomach.  Across the way was the Adventures' Club where we entered and listened to a reading of the Charge of the Light Brigade, written by Alfred Lord Tennyson and read by his wife 'Emily.' 'Rudyard Kipling' then read a poem about the surviving veterans called "The Last of the Light Brigade", written in an attempt to shame the British public into offering financial assistance.

From there we visited a gentleman's clothing store and then across the London Docks street (again) through Pickwick Place where more ceramic, candles, long lines at the Roast Beef and Bangers and other shops reside.  The Victoria and Albert Music hall is next to Fezziwig's Dance Party where dancing seems to continue all day long.

And a long day it has been.  We exited the hall and strolled back to our car sitting under the F lot sign.  Sitting down for the first time in 4 hours, both Margie and I sighed and felt blood and sensation flowing back into our legs and feet.  Our speech still had olde English lilt as we left the Cow Palace and headed down the Penninsula to find something to eat.  Next time we will come to the Fair the day after Thanksgiving.

PS:  The event with the rude woman didn't end the way I wrote.  I ignored her and walked away thinking about all the things I should have said.

The Great Dickens Christmas Fair & Victorian Holiday Party

Held the day after Thanksgiving until the week before Christmas

At the Cow Palace Exhibition Hall