Free Family Fun Day!

Join us on Saturday 18 February from 10am until 2pm for a fun packed day! 

Free activities include:
Brass Rubbing, Make a Mitre, Be a Monk, Tile Printing, Shadow Pictures, Prayer Bracelet, meet Eggie the Eagle and Dolly Dimples (balloon artist).

Organ Scholarship opportunity

Organ scholar required for academic year 2012/2013 - see Vacancy page for more information

Great Expectations Screenings in the Cathedral

10th February 2012

The Cathedral will be celebrating Dickens' life this year by holding two screenings of the original 1946 David Lean film of "Great Expectations" on 10th and 11th February 2012 at 6.30pm.

The BBC is host on 10th February and their special guests will be Hayley Mills (daughter of Sir John Mills of who plays Pip), her son Crispian, and actor Robert Powell who will co-host the evening.

From Friday 27th January BBC South East Today will be broadcasting a series of features which will explore the life and works of Britain's most famous Victorian author. BBC South East presenters Polly Evans and Rob Smith will present the 6.30pm programme live from Rochester Cathedral.

A number of tickets for the screening will be available to BBC South east Today viewers and BBC Radio Kent listeners. Information on how to apply will be broadcast on South East Today on 27th January 2012.

11th February 2012

This second screening of David Lean's "Great Expectations", sponsored by Southern Water and Visit Kent, marks the bicentenary of Charles Dickens’ birth and will raise money for the cathedral that featured in many of his novels.

Many of the guests will be dressed in Dickensian costume including the Mayor and Mayoress of Medway Cllr Ted Baker and his Mayoress, Mrs Sylvia Baker.

Canon Dr Philip Hesketh, Acting Dean of Rochester, said: “We are delighted to host this special screening of David Lean’s classic adaptation of Great Expectations and extend a warm thanks to Southern Water and Visit Kent for making the evening possible. Dickens, of course, had a long association with Rochester and a love of the cathedral, wishing to be buried within its hallowed confines, until popular acclaim whisked him away to Westminster Abbey. I am sure that he would be delighted to know that he is inadvertently helping this beloved cathedral remain open for future generations.”

Click here for programme

We are also pleased to premier the short Viola Films production of 'Magwitch' with introduction by Director, Sam Supple, detailing the life of Magwitch before he met Pip. Click the link below for the trailer.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6ApltzTHHw

Our special guests hosting this very special event will be Beverley Thompson and Geoff Clark. Tickets will be £15 and will include refreshments at a reception starting at 6.30pm in Rochester Cathedral. For further information and tickets to this event please contact Lynne on 01634 810074 or email development@rochestercathedral.org

We are very grateful to our sponsors for this event, Southern Water  and Visit Kent.

Dickens lived, worked  and died in Rochester in Kent and through using local places and characters in his novels created an historic social commentary which is exceptionally and vividly portrayed in this classic film.

We look forward to welcoming you to this commemorative event.

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

BBC2 premiered the first of the 2 part "Mystery of Edwin Drood" by Charles Dickens on Tuesday 17th January 2012. This is part of the Dickens bi-centenary celebrations for 2012. Check out the link to find out more about the filming that took place in Rochester!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00mym2l