Monday 9 June 2025 was no ordinary Monday. In the heart of Bloomsbury, at 48 Doughty Street – the only surviving London home of Charles Dickens – history came alive in the most extraordinary way as the Charles Dickens Museum marked its 100th birthday. Even more poignantly, the day also commemorated 155 years since the passing of the great author himself.
To celebrate the centenary, the Museum opened its doors to the public free of charge, with a truly one-of-a-kind twist: the rooms were stewarded not by curators or volunteers, but by seven living descendants of Charles Dickens. Yes, seven. As a writer and editor, I had one of those rare pinch-me moments, finding myself not only in their presence but interviewing several of them throughout the day.
Monica Costa in London Mums Magazine on 10 June 2025