The Staplehurst Rail Crash of June 9th, 1865 which claimed ten lives, might have passed relatively unnoticed but for the presence of a celebrity passenger among the survivors.
Striking parallels are drawn with more recent disasters and the signs of wrestling with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder are evident in the account of Dickens\' final years, powerfully reflected in the stirring ghost story The Signalman..
Questions concerning the conduct of the inquest into the Crash and apportioning of blame are raised that remain unresolved even today.
In a fascinating exploration of the circumstances surrounding the disaster and probing insight into Dickens\' personal life, the writer\'s great-great-grandson, Gerald Dickens, examines his secret relationship with the actress Ellen Ternan and professional motivation in the years either side of the accident.
Charles Dickens, returning from France on the ill-fated boat train from Folkestone to London, was to be profoundly affected by the experience.
The Staplehurst Rail Crash of June 9th, 1865 which claimed ten lives, might have passed relatively unnoticed but for the presence of a celebrity passenger among the survivors
