MADAM, Your interesting piece on Charles Dickens in Ross reminded me that some years ago I was given a little booklet entitled The Wye Valley and its Historic Associations (Printed and Published at the "Man of Ross" Library, Gazette Office, Ross.

The booklet is divided into two sections – Charles Dickens and Ross being the first followed by A week in the Wye Valley. Publication date would appear to be soon after June 1915 as both of the reported events took place in that month.

The Dickens' section is primarily taken up with describing the ceremonials which accompanied the unveiling of the tablet in the entrance hall of the Royal Hotel commemorating Dickens' stay there in September 1867.

The ceremony took place on June 12th, 1915 and from the published report appears to have been quite a grand affair being held in the presence of " a large gathering of members of the Gloucester Branch of Dickens Fellowship – who were on their annual excursion- and a number of Ross friends, the Mayor of Gloucester and the chairman and directors of the Ross Royal Hotel Company Ltd.

There then follows a very detailed account of the speeches. The last section is headed 'A round of visits' which throws a little more light on Dickens time spent in Ross. Following the ceremony tea was taken in the gardens of the hotel "pleasing selections of instrumental music being discoursed meanwhile".

A photographic group was taken by Mr H E Wilkins of the Park Studio, Ross in front of the hotel. Then the party were welcomed in the church by the rector who gave an account of the building.

From the church the party went to Ashfield Lodge, at one time the residence of Mr George Dolby, Dickens' lecture manager who entertained his chief there upon at least one occasion. The party was received by the current owner, Mr Greenhill and entertained by Mr Frederick Cooper Mr Cooper remembered the pony which Mr Dickens sent for the Dolby children at Ashfield Lodge and said it was not much bigger than a Newfoundland dog.

The party then visited the Graig Gardens, home of Mr Henry Southall. To cap off the day the visitors called at the Prospect to enjoy the view "and to see in the distance near Wilton Castle, Wilton House, which was a late residence of Mr Dolby and where Charles Dickens stayed for a week end in January 1869".

The booklet contains some handwritten notes made by Mrs M Lovegrove, daughter of Mr J G Wall which relate a family story handed down from father to daughter. According to these notes Mr Wall accompanied his parents to a musical evening at The Graig given in 1867 in honour of Dickens' visit when Madame Dolby sang. Next morning J G Wall was joined by Dickens who asked him to help train the Shetland pony he had given to the Dolby family. Dickens also asked J G Wall to accompany him through Chase Woods where they caught butterflies. I believe that Mr Wall became a jeweller and had a shop in Gloucester Road which in more recent times was Howard Vaughan's.

Hopefully this will be of interest to others with an interest in Dickens' association with Ross.

David Lewis