TWO great-great-grandsons of Charles Dickens have set off on a walk following in the footsteps of two of the author's characters.

Ian Charles Dickens and brother Gerald are walking from London to Portsmouth, like Nicholas and Smike did in The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby.

Accompanied by other members of the Dickens family for the first five miles, they set off from London on Sunday. Their route takes the pair through Kingston, Guildford and Godalming, and towards the South Downs via the Devil's Punch Bowl at Hindhead, Petersfield and down the A3 to Rowlands Castle.

Gerald Dickens, an actor, performed readings from a number of Dickens' works along the route.

At the end of a long day on the road, he donned his stage outfit and delivered a free performances from his repertoire of one man Dickens shows

One free evening performance was held at the Inn on the Lake in Godalming.

For full story, see this week's Haslemere Herald.