THOUSANDS of revellers filled Didcot for a Charles Dickens-themed, Christmas street fair.

Shopkeepers dressed in Victorian costume, the Orchard Centre was filled with traditional fairground rides, and a Victorian horse-drawn stagecoach carried Father Christmas down the Broadway in the annual procession.

Guest of honour Gerald Dickens — the novelist’s great-great-grandson — said: “Something on this scale with all the lights and noise, he would have absolutely loved, as well as that sense of community that he was always pushing for.”

The event, held on Thursday, attracted about 20,000 people.

There were rides, street entertainers, and 72 stalls and shops enticed revellers with mulled wine. The annual event, organised by the Chamber of Commerce, costs £16,000 to stage.

Pictures: Marc West