For a good many years the Group has taken responsibility for decorating one of the windows in St. Michael’s Church in Spencers Wood at Christmas. This year the theme is Christmas Carols which brought to mind the book, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens…
Many of you will be familiar with this Christmas ghost story which tells how after being haunted by the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Christmas Present and Christmas Yet-to-Come, Scrooge is persuaded to live a better life and to be more generous to the poor, starting with his own employee Bob Cratchit. When Dickens was 12 years old his own father was thrown into debtor’s
prison and Dickens himself was forced to leave school to work in a boot-blacking factory. After this, Dickens took a lifelong interest in the plight of the Poor, campaigning for Children’s Rights, Education and social reform.
In this he was joined by another literary figure, local author Mary Russell Mitford from Three Mile Cross. Both of them were involved with the founding of the imposing Reading Literary, Scientific and Mechanical Institution in London Road, later known as Great Expectations – and now recently renamed, Hotel 1843 Reading. When the Institution was opened, by a formal dinner attended by Mary Russell Mitford, in October 1843, Dickens was too busy to attend: “A Christmas Carol” was published just two months later in December 1843.
Our Christmas window depicts the deep inequality in Victorian society with a generously decorated Christmas tree on one side and on the other a simple “twig-tree” decorated with dried fruit slices. In the middle is a copy of “A Christmas Carol” and more information about Charles Dickens and Mary Russell Mitford.
Right: Patricia, Jackie, Edward and Lesley who created this year’s window
