Places to go and things to see by Gypsy Bev

Posts tagged ‘Father Christmas’

Christmas in Dickens Victorian Village

Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit join in welcoming guests to Dickens Victorian Village.

Enjoy the spirit of a Victorian Christmas in Cambridge during the months of November and December. The main street is filled with Victorian scenes inspired by the book “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens.

Each year local dignitaries along with Queen Victoria participate in the ribbon cutting at the Opening Ceremony.

The official Opening Ceremony in 2023 was in downtown Cambridge on Saturday, November 4 with many exciting and interesting events. These included caroling by Cambridge Singers, the Akron Bagpipe Band, several storytellers, and many food carts just to give you a touch of what was happening. Of course, there was a ceremony at the Courthouse with local dignitaries followed by the 2023 Holiday Light Show. Then everyone moved to the Guernsey County Library for more entertainment and light refreshments. It’s an evening all those attending enjoyed. Similar events happen each year.

In its 18th season, the charm of jolly olde England can be felt right here in Cambridge. As you walk down Wheeling Avenue view 96 Victorian scenes with 169 characters that depict life at the time of Charles Dickens. Every scene has a brass plaque telling its connection to olde England and also lists the sponsor of that scene.

Father Christmas plays a big role in the festivities.

Father Christmas stands at the Courthouse Square along with Tiny Tim and Bob Cratchit. Scrooge and Marley can be found near Theo’s Restaurant. Look for shopping and caroling scenes along with Queen Victoria, who reigned during the time of Charles Dickens.

Scrooge and Marley are shown in this Victorian scene based on “A Christmas Carol.”

Many of the scenes depict people in Victorian trades. The candlemaker, apple seller, sled maker, and coal miner are examples of ways that people made a living during those times. It’s a long walk from 6th Street to 11th Street but that is the best way to enjoy all the scenes that appear under each lamppost. Some scenes are in store windows so watch for them as you walk along.

Imagination Station gives opportunity to dress as a Victorian lady or gentleman.

While downtown, you’ll want to stop at the Dickens Welcome Center to learn more about the history of Dickens Victorian Village. There you can see how the heads are made for the characters as well as their inside skeleton. At the back of the center, dress Victorian yourself at Imagination Station where there is a wide variety of capes, hats, scarves, coats, and more to turn men, women, and children into Victorian figures. You might want to take a picture and use it on your Christmas card next year.

Historic trolley rides are narrated by local historian, Rick Booth.

Weekends are filled with special events. The Historic Trolley Tour has been a highlight for several years and is enjoyed by locals and visitors alike. Rick Booth, local historian, narrates a memorable ride as the trolley goes from downtown all the way to the City Park. Locals will discover things they may never have known about their town. Find out why there were three bridges across Wheeling Avenue in the early 1800s and why they disappeared. Hear the importance of Col. Taylor in downtown Cambridge and the present day Col. Taylor Inn. You’ll be amazed at all the information Rick has discovered about Cambridge. The Trolley Tours in 2023 will happen on Saturdays Nov. 18, Dec. 2, and Dec. 9 from 10am-5pm.

Couples and friends enjoy having a traditional English tea at the Masonic Hall in this picture.

Three Victorian teas are held during the season. The Queen’s Tea will be held on Nov. 18 at the Cambridge Country Club with Queen Victoria telling the story of her life between courses of the meal. Two Victorian teas will take place at the Masonic Lodge Temple on Dec. 2 and Dec. 16. Join in the fun and wear your favorite hat or Victorian attire while sipping English tea and listening to some local entertainment. Reservations are required for the teas.

Each year, a group of local actors participate in the Cemetery Tours making history come alive.

The “Coming Alive Cemetery Tour” took place in the Old City Cemetery behind the Senior Center in 2023. The six living characters portrayed all had veteran related stories this year from the War of 1812 to WWI with the Civil War in between. Cost for the popular tour, which happens each year with a different theme, is $5 per person and can be paid at the gate.

The local library also honors Charles Dickens with a Marathon Reading.

The tradition of the Dickens Marathon Reading will continue at the Main Branch of the Guernsey County Library with the library sponsoring this event. Listen as local fans of Dickens read “A Christmas Carol” and perhaps some other Christmas works of Charles Dickens. Each person will read a 15 minute segment while visitors are encouraged to listen to parts of this well-known tale. It’s a great chance to get out of the cold and relax in the warmth of the library. What better place to read a classic novel?

Join a Christmas Candlelight Walk to hear stories of the VIctorian scenes downtown.

A Christmas Candlelight Walk will fill you with the holiday spirit as you walk downtown through the scenes. A tour guide will tell you stories about the scenes, and lead you in some Christmas carols. The tour begins at The Welcome Center at 6:00 on December 16. Here you can pick up a candle for the tour if you didn’t bring a candle or lantern from home. Admission is free for this event.

Many enjoy the thrill of an old-fashioned carriage ride through the downtown area. (Photo by Calvin Chester)

Everyone enjoys the thrill of riding in a carriage pulled by a beautiful horse through the streets of town. The ride begins on W. 8th Street beside the courthouse and tickets can be purchased there. On the weekends, check the Dickens Victorian Village Facebook page to see if the Horse and Carriage rides are going to happen. It all depends on the weather.

A special feature of the evening is the Holiday Light Show which gets bigger and better each year.

Every evening people gather at the Guernsey County Courthouse to watch the Holiday Lights created by AVC Communications. Watch and listen as the courthouse comes alive with the sights and sounds of Christmas. Over 66,000 lights pulsate in time to familiar Christmas songs. You’ll probably be singing along.

Music and scenes, from children’s favorites to classics and modern, entertain with different displays for an entire hour. The shows begin at 5:30 each evening and continue until 9:00, longer on holidays. There are benches on the lawn where you can comfortably sit to watch the lights or perhaps you’ll be lucky enough to find a parking spot close by to watch from your car. This Holiday Light show has become a holiday tradition with many families.

Scenes such as these can be found for five blocks in downtown Cambridge. Snow adds to the holiday spirit.

For more information, visit http://www.DickensVictorianVillage.com or check out their Facebook page. There’s so much to see and do that it is difficult to list everything. Come celebrate the 18th season of Dickens Victorian Village and get in the holiday spirit!

In the words of Charles Dickens, “Have a heart that never hardens, and a temper that never tires, and a touch that never hurts.” That’s still good advice today.

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Cambridge, Christmas, Family Fun, Festivals, Ohio, Uncategorized

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Walt Taylor: Creative Inspiration to the Community

walt-student

Walt instructs one of his students in the proper way to use a pottery wheel.

One of the areas where Walt Taylor excels is passing on his love for art. That’s why he enjoys sharing his knowledge with adults and especially young people, as they’re our future artists.

As a small child he lived on a farm in Lebanon, Ohio where  he attended a one-room school that was very typical of schools in those days: no running water, out door toilets, a pot bellied stove, and a paddle hanging on the wall behind the stove.

Walt had a story to tell about that paddle. A school bully pushed him around one day and Walt swung his lunch bucket, and hit the bully in the head knocking him to the ground. Both were taken inside and leaned over a desk for a paddling. First, the bully received a stern thrashing while Walt quaked. When it was Walt’s turn, the teacher swung the paddle one time so hard it hit the side of the desk and broke in two. No paddling for Walt that day. Doesn’t sound like an accident on the part of the teacher to me.

vases-with-applique

He enjoys creating one of a kind vases with floral applique.

The family moved often. His father said, “A rolling stone gathers no moss, but it gains a great polish.” At one time they lived near Fort Ancient and Walt followed his dad around the field when he was plowing, and found many arrowheads. 

Woodcrafting has been a hobby since he was a young man. His building skills still go on today as he makes cabinets, chairs, and recently a communion stand for a local church that had just rebuilt.

walt-cabinet

This talented man made these oak chairs and the cabinet behind them.

For the past few years, he has been making one new chair for their dining room each year. But he said he has been procrastinating about finishing the last two. He even joined the Procrastinators Anonymous, but they haven’t had a meeting yet.

He also enjoyed working on automobiles so developed mechanical skills as well.  That came in handy as he and his wife, Sheila, motorcycled all over the country. His favorite places to ride were in the mountains out west. It was in those mountains of Montana, where they saw the work of western potters, that an interest for making pottery began.

They also discovered many things on those back roads that you just can’t see from the interstate. He thought he noticed something that looked like Stonehenge on one such road, but it turned out to be Carhenge. Here cars were buried front first in the ground. Then there was the House on a Rock, a motel on an Indian reservation, and the list goes on.

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Walt holds the first piece of pottery he ever made…out of kitty litter.

It wasn’t until 1992 that Walt tried his hand at pottery. At Octoberfest, he purchased his first kiln and making pottery has become his passion ever since. The first bowl he made was out of ‘unused’ kitty litter! He learned that kitty litter had a clay base and when mixed with a little bit of water could be worked into shape. That bowl still sets on his bedroom stand today.

walt-sheila-001

Walt and Sheila  have attended many festivals in the area to display and sell their creations.

To begin with, he made pottery items just because he enjoyed doing it. Then he began giving them to his friends, who told him that he should be selling them. That began a business they ran until last year, Taymoor Pottery…a combination of his last name and his wife, Sheila’s maiden name.

walt-at-salt-fork-festival

Walt has a smile on his face while working with youngsters at Art in the Park during the Salt Fork Festival.

Walt and Sheila, hope to teach youngsters to enjoy art as much as they do. They’ve helped teach children’s art classes at the Salt Fork Festival for several years. Wherever Walt is making pottery, children can usually be found watching. Talking about children always brings a smile to his face as ,“They are fun to work with. If you treat them as equals, they accept you as you are.”

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Walt greeted visitors as Father Christmas for ten years, with help from Sheila.

For the last ten years, Walt has portrayed Father Christmas for Dickens Victorian Village. He would meet buses on the street or in the Welcome Center and probably has his picture in many family albums as a result. He’s not sure if he’ll be able to do that this year at the age of 91.

Even though the business is closed, they still enjoy making pottery. Now they make just what they like. Right now Raku, a Japanese style is a favorite. It was first used by the Japanese Emperor and was known as a ‘throw away pottery’. The emperor would drink his tea, then throw the cup against the wall.

walt-raku

His current favorite project centers around Raku, a Japanese form of art.

Raku is a ‘quick fire, quick cool’ kind of pottery so it would be fired and ready for supper quickly. Today in the United States a glaze is added and it’s no long a throw away. Actually it’s so attractive you wouldn’t want to throw it away.

walt-fishing

Walt still enjoys a day on the lake with his fishing pole.

Walt is just ‘a good old boy’, who has taken an interest in the community in many different ways. Thoughts of travel still skip through his mind and he often dreams of living in Hawaii or Tahiti…or at least visiting. Our world could use more of those ‘good old boys’.

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Art, Cambridge, Festivals, Ohio, Uncategorized

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Dickens Victorian Village Generates Christmas Spirit

Catch the Spirit of Christmas! Step back in time and visit the Dickens Victorian Village in downtown Cambridge, Ohio from November thru January 8, 2012. As you walk the streets, you will be greeted by volunteers in Victorian dress, sometimes entertained by strolling musicians, and on the weekends can see the lighted carriages giving visitors a relaxing ride.  It is a friendly town where you feel welcome and hear ” Merry Christmas” quite often.

Nearly two hundred life sized mannequins can be found either on the main street, Wheeling Avenue, or in close by businesses and towns. Let’s meet a few of the mannequins, so you can hear their stories of how they came to be part of the Dickens experience.

“Father Christmas” was one of the first characters assembled back in 2005 when local businessman, Bob Ley and his wife Sue were inspired on a trip to Oglebay Park to bring visitors to their town for a winter vacation.  Bob and Sue discussed several ideas but the decision was finally made when Sue suggested an English Christmas theme would be a good choice. Since they lived in Cambridge with Victorian architecture, street lamps, and even benches along the street, English roots ran deep. Thus blossomed the idea of using a theme developed from Charles Dickens’ Christmas Carol. Today Father Christmas stands on the courthouse square greeting cars and buses from three directions. In his bright green cloak of Victorian times, Father Christmas typifies the spirit of good cheer at Christmastime… and you will definitely find lots of good cheer at Dickens Victorian Village.

“Glass Blower at Work” symbolizes the rich heritage in the Cambridge area of artisans who produced quality hand made glass and is a special favorite since my father was a glass blower at Cambridge Glass Co. This was a major employer in the area from 1902-1958 and their glassware is a collector’s item today. A frequent bus stop during tours of the city includes the National Museum of Cambridge Glass where you can still see samples of the beautiful etchings and unique designs, which made these glass creations very fashionable to use for a special occasion. Today descendants of former Cambridge Glass workers still have a few small shops in the area. Boyd Crystal Art Glass, Mosser Glass, and Variety Glass all continue to produce handmade pieces today.

The ShopkeeperYe Olde Curiosity Shoppe is headquarters of Dickens Welcome Center and here you are greeted by “The Shopkeeper,” and quite often beside her you will find the lady who it was created to resemble after she won the first Picture Your Face Raffle. Visitors sometimes say, “Is she real, or is she a mannequin?” Raffle tickets are sold each year and the winners become mannequins in the future.   The Welcome Center’s Imagination Station provides an opportunity for visitors to try on Victorian wear. Then they can have their pictures taken with the beautiful Christmas tree, Charles Dickens, or the new addition this year of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge mannequins, which resemble Prince William and Kate. This is fun for young and old alike. Here you will also find many unusual Christmas gifts and ideas.

Not all of the mannequins are downtown. In neighboring Byesville, the “Coal Miners” can be found under the station roof of the Byesville Scenic Railway. This is another popular destination with its “Spirit of Christmas” train, which follows a trail over abandoned mines. While on board, men dressed as miners tell stories of days when coal mining was king in this area.  To remember all those who worked in the mines, a statue, “Coal Miners Memorial”, is in the planning stages and will be the only statue to honor coal miners in the state of Ohio. The mines are out of sight, the tipples gone, but the miners are still in the minds and hearts of families and friends.

When evening falls, everyone heads to the Cambridge Courthouse for a spectacular light show. Christmas music and the movement of the lights on the courthouse are synchronized perfectly and enjoyed by all. The display is computer controlled with 60,000 lights and 364 electrical circuits. Four different light shows entertain the packed courthouse square with traditional Christmas songs as well as children’s and contemporary. Add a little snow and it’s a perfect evening!

Introductions have been made to a few mannequins just to get your curiosity aroused, but you need to tour the area to see which one might be your favorite. Dickens Victorian Village welcomes individuals and tour buses to experience the special feeling of Christmas that lives in downtown Cambridge, Ohio.

As one recent visitor remarked, “If you don’t have the Spirit of Christmas when you come here, you certainly should have it when you leave.”

Dickens Victorian Village is located in downtown Cambridge, Ohio, which is just northwest of the intersection of I-70 and I-77. Come spend the day or stay the night, and catch the Spirit of Christmas.

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Cambridge, Festivals, Ohio, Uncategorized

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