Visit Rochester High Street during the first week in June and you'll be joined by Ebenezer Scrooge, Oliver Twist, Magwitch and other Dickens' characters. They are part of the Dickens Festival, the town's big bash in the name of England's most loved writer. A festival highlight is the Dickens Parade, which passes along the High Street to cheering crowds. For the rest of the year, the High Street's Victorian houses, antique shops, street entertainment and restaurants are the main attraction.