I really didn't know enough about Charles Dickens.
Well, I know he is one of our most famous authors, writing two of my favourite stories, Oliver Twist and A Christmas Carol and that 2012 is the 200th anniversary of his birth but I really should know more about the fella himself.
The bits that were stored in the back of my memory were refreshed by a strange but interesting piece of work sent to me by Film London.
This is a set of five episodes which are to run on BBC Radio Four but also have been made into films.
Of course, this poses a question about whether I should be reviewing this piece of work at all but as it is listed on www.filmdates.co.uk I went ahead.
And I am glad I did. Writer Michael Eaton, whom I had the pleasure of meeting when he was a Nottingham Post columnist a few years ago, has done a terrific job of taking Dickens life story and merging it with some of his lesser known work.
At the same time, his words are illustrated by the puppeteer and animator Chris Newby.
Now at first I found this very stage and to be honest two blokes walking around with puppets accompanied by a radio play-style dialogue of young Dickens first days in London didn't grab me.
But the more I stuck with it, the more involved I became to the point that when it went through Dickens' time as a Parliamentary shorthand taker, his friendship with Inspector Field and then his split from his wife, I was engrossed and completely at one with the visuals.
As a collective, Dickens In London is an unusual piece but I suspect the great man himself would have enjoyed it all the more for that.
Laughs: a couple of sniggers
Jumps: none
Vomit: none
Nudity: none
Overall rating: 6.5/10
Dickens In London is part of the BFI season on the author's 200th birthday, can also be heard on Radio 4 and can also be seen at Nottingham's Broadway Cinema. Check local cinemas for other screenings.
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