Hundreds help mark Charles Dickens celebration at Shrewsbury reading

Hundreds of people helped celebrate the legacy of author Charles Dickens as his great, great grandson read extracts from his books in Shrewsbury to mark the 200th anniversary of his birth.

Actor Gerald Dickens entertained two sell-out crowds at the Lion Hotel in Wyle Cop on Friday and Saturday. The actor was in Shrewsbury for the Dickens Festival held to commemorate the anniversary of the birth of his ancestor.

Events were held in the hotel's ballroom, where Dickens himself is said to have performed during his stay there in the 19th century.

Mr Dickens took to the stage in full Victorian costume with Friday's performance a light-hearted look at the life and character of his great, great grandfather which included scenes being re-enacted from the author's work, diary extracts and observations from those who knew and worked with him.

On Saturday, Mr Dickens performed a dramatic reading called 'Sikes and Nancy' – a gruesome tale of murder from Oliver Twist.

Mr Dickens chose to stay in the same rooms at the hotel as his ancestor. The author famously described the bedroom he stayed in at the Lion Hotel as 'the strangest little room' with windows that 'bulge out over the street as if they were little stern windows of a ship'.

Chris Eldon Lee, one of the organisers of the Dickens Festival, said it had been a great success.

He said: "We sold more than 500 tickets for the performances. Gerald was absolutely wonderful and I was really impressed with his showmanship. He and his wife really threw themselves into it and they were taking to lots of people."

Throughout the Dickens Festival costumed characters performed vignettes from Dickens's most famous works in the hotel and around Shrewsbury.

Staff at the hotel also swept the chimneys and lit the fires in the ballroom to create an authentic Victorian atmosphere. During both shows Mr Dickens used his ancestor's original writing table as a prop.

Yesterday a 'Christmas Carol' day was held to celebrate the 1984 film which was shot in Shrewsbury.

There were five guided tours taking in film locations. Mr Dickens also met some of the extras and the day was rounded off with a screening of the film.