Great expectations for Dickens theme park

LONDON - A theme park based on the life and work of author Charles Dickens is to be built in Kent, one of the men behind "Dickensworld" says.

The 60 million pound project will recreate the Victorian era when young children worked in sweatshops, Britain ruled over a vast empire and Dickens penned classic works like "Bleak House" and "The Pickwick Papers."

"We have great expectations," said backer Kevin Christie.

"There are a number of rides and attractions, but I call them more pink-knuckle rides than white-knuckle rides."

The roofed attraction is part of the regeneration of Chatham's old docks, close to where the author lived as a child in the early 19th century.

Characters like Ebenezer Scrooge and the Artful Dodger could be lining up just yards from stylish bars and a new nine-screen cinema showing more modern fables.

But will such a park cheapen the image of Dickens - one of Britain's best known authors?

Rivals in the Dickens heritage trade do not think so.

Staff at the Dickens Museum - in a quiet, stately London street - have even been involved in the operation.

"They were keen to get their Dickens right," General Secretary Tony Williams told Reuters.

The snuff box, dusty portraits and cigar case on show at the museum would not be upstaged by the more racy Dickensworld, staff there thought.

"I can not see it is going to be any competition. It is very different to our institution," said director Andrew Xavier.

"We would not have been involved if we thought it would dumb down the whole thing."

- REUTERS