Dickens on the Strand Festival's 50th anniversary recognised in UK Parliament
The annual Dickens on The Strand Festival returns to Galveston this December for what will be the event’s 50th year.
GALVESTON, TX (November 18, 2023) - The annual Dickens on The Strand Festival returns to Galveston this December for what will be the event’s 50th year. To celebrate this landmark achievement, the festival has been recognised in the United Kingdom’s Parliament.
The recognition came in the form of a Parliamentary motion tabled by Tracey Crouch MP, whose constituency includes the town of Chatham, Kent, where Charles Dickens lived for a number of years.
The motion congratulates the Galveston Historical Foundation for the 50th running of the festival, as well as celebrating the wider ties between the UK and Texas by noting that the Tall Ship ELISSA – the official tall ship of Texas – was built in the UK, and that Galveston was home to the first British Consulate in the State of Texas in 1846.
Richard Hyde, His Britannic Majesty’s Consul General in Houston said:
I’m delighted that the work of the Galveston Historical Foundation and this festival has received this level of recognition in the UK Parliament. Dickens on The Strand is a unique celebration and one of the most colourful I have been to anywhere in the world.
The British Consulate in Houston is delighted to be a part of proceedings, and I hope as many Texans as possible will take the chance to put on some Victorian clothes and celebrate with us in Galveston this December.
Speaking about the recognition, Dwayne Jones, Executive Director of Galveston Historical Foundation said:
Galveston Historical Foundation is honored to be recognized for this achievement in support of Galveston and the revitalization and restoration of our historic commercial area and the 1877 ELISSA. We have hosted descendants of Charles Dickens each year since 1987, with the first descendant participating in 1976. We consider our relationship with the Consul General and his staff as a treasured friendship that recalls the important British story in Galveston from the 19th century.
The Dickens on The Strand Festival takes place in Galveston from 1-3 December. Details about the festival, and how to purchase tickets, can be found at https://www.galvestonhistory.org/.
Note to Editor:
The full text of the motion tabled by Tracey Crouch MP reads:
“That this House congratulates the Galveston Historical Foundation in Texas on the 50th anniversary of the annual Dickens on The Strand celebration from 1-3 December 2023; welcomes the expected 50,000 visitors to the festival which celebrates the life and work of Charles Dickens who spent many years of his life in Kent, most notably in Chatham; notes that the Tall Ship ELISSA – the official Tall Ship of Texas – which will host the ‘Salute to Sunset’ during the festival was built in the United Kingdom; celebrates the historical ties between the United Kingdom and the city of Galveston which was home to the first British Consulate in the State of Texas in 1846; and welcomes the role of the British Consulate-General in Houston as the presenting sponsor for this year’s historic event.”
Media Contacts
- British Consulate-General, Houston: Elizabeth Bertram / elizabeth.bertram@fco.gov.uk / 832-248-2138
- Galveston Historical Foundation: Will Wright / will.wright@galvestonhistory.org / 409-765-3424