DID THE REAL DICK WHITTINGTON TRAVEL TO LONDON THROUGH TWICKENHAM?
We carried out extensive research into this and we can say with some certainty that he DID travel through Twickenham.
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And then stayed the night in Kingston!
Who is Dick Whittington? Dick Whittington and his cat The History of Kingston Upon Thames
The story of Dick Whittington and his cat is told throughout Britain during Pantomime Season, but did you know he was a real person? He was one of the richest and most celebrated Londoners of his day, and when he died he left his fortune to the people he loved the most - the people of London!
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In the legend, it is said that he travelled through Highgate Hill on his journey from Gloucestershire. We thought we'd just check that! After some very highly academic research (we surprised ourselves with that), we discovered that he probably came through Twickenham via the Thames and stayed the night in Kingston before completing his journey into London.
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We think everyone, and especially Londoners should know both the legend and the real man, so we've put it all together for you here with some fun stuff for the kids, some hardcore research for history fans and a bit of something for everyone in between!
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We hope you enjoy it.
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Want to see us performing this story?
We'll be performing Dick Whittington at The Exchange, Twickenham Christmas 2022.
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Check out our Whats On page for more details.
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A MASSIVE thank-you to the lovely people at the National Heritage Lottery Fund for awarding us the grant to explore this story and add it to The History of Kingston Upon Thames.
We love you more than chocolate.