Charles Dickens

The cost is all inclusive and includes:

The Event starts at 15:00 on Monday 28 July 2025 at the Hotel, so please make your own way there. All transportation from the start of the Event to the end at 12:00 on Thursday 31 July 2025 is provided.

Accommodation for the three nights the Savoy Hotel or equivalent.

All food and drink on the trip (a generous amount of wine and alcoholic/soft drinks will be served at lunch and dinner – any drinks required other than at meal times are at your own expense).

Lectures.

The presence of any Members of the Dickens family, any Actors, Morten Solvik, Marina Mahler and Mark Strachan.

All guides and tickets to venues, including the V&A, the Dickens Museum, Gad’s Hill and the Swiss Chalet.

The Private Viewing of the original manuscripts at the V&A.

Specially commissioned book of the Event and notes from Lectures.

No need to pay now.

When we reach 19 people who would like to come, we shall ask for a non-refundable deposit of 50% of the total payment to be paid by electronic transfer to our UK bank account to confirm your place(s). Please email mark@originalmanuscriptsociety.com for the bank details for UK and International payments. We must add VAT to the cost (UK residents only - please note those living outside the UK do not have to pay VAT). The company’s VAT Number is 479 5753 27.

The total deposit payment per person sharing a double room is therefore £4,425.00 (plus £885.00 for VAT, making a total of £5,310.00 for UK residents). The total deposit payment for a person coming on their own and wishing to have a single room is £4,925.00 (plus £985.00 VAT, making a total of £5,910.00 for UK residents).

We shall then ask for the 50% balance of the same amount by 22:00 UK time on Friday 31 January 2025. We shall send you a reminder by email on Monday 27 January 2025. Please note that the 50% deposit is non-refundable and if we do not receive the balance by 22:00 UK time on Friday 31 January 2025, we shall assume that you no longer wish to come. In this case, we shall cancel your booking and you will lose your full deposit. Full terms and conditions are available in these FAQ’s.

Your travel to and from the Event is not included.

Please make your own way to the Hotel for the start of the Event at 15:00 on Monday 28 July 2025 and back home again after the Event has ended (we shall make suggestions to you if you wish to stay in London or elsewhere after the Event has finished).

We shall give you detailed instructions how to get to the Hotel by car/train/taxi etc.

The preferred Hotel is The Savoy Hotel on the Strand in London. Rooms have been reserved there.

Check-in time at the Savoy is from 14:00. Guests who arrive before this can store their luggage and use the hotel’s facilities until the room is ready. We shall request from the Savoy that you room is ready when you require it, yet this cannot be guaranteed. Guests will be asked for photo ID and a credit card at check-in and anything bought/ordered which is not included in the Event (examples include all room service, laundry, drinks, food and any minibar items outside meal times) must be paid for by the Guest at check-out, which is at 12 noon on the day of departure.

If it is no longer possible to stay at the Savoy, for whatever reason, we shall find an equivalent 5* Hotel.

Because hotels charge per room rather than per person, they charge a single room supplement. This is a premium charged by the hotel to people who take a room alone. In other words, it is a premium paid for the luxury of not having to share a room, which would involve two people essentially splitting the room cost 50/50. Rather than charging a single person the same price as two people sharing (ie, 100% of the room cost), a single supplement of 90% is added by the hotel. If the single supplement is reduced, we shall pass this on and make the necessary adjustment in the balance payment.

Single room guests must pay the deposit for a single room and they can indicate when booking whether they are willing to share with another person. If this is all acceptable to both parties, an adjustment will be made for the final payment.

Yes. You will see the menus well in advance to make your choices.

We are visiting several old properties and they may not have step-free access. We shall visit each location before 31 January 2025 to create a risk assessment for each location and will report to each Guest(s) by email. At the time of writing, we cannot be sure that any or all locations will have step-free access.

The Original Manuscript Society (OMS) is operated and run by OMS Events Limited, a UK limited company number 15645061.

The OMS will put on this Event as advertised on the website www.originalmanuscriptsociety.com from time to time. It mentions on the website that the schedule may change. 

Payment.
Once 19 people have registered interest to join the Event, OMS requires 50% of the total charge as advertised on the website www.originalmanuscriptsociety.com as a non-refundable deposit to enable all the arrangements for the Event to be made. An invoice will be sent. This deposit is non-refundable. Payment of the balance is due by 22:00 UK time on Friday 31 January 2025 otherwise we shall assume Guest(s) no longer wish to come and their place(s) will be cancelled. PLEASE NOTE THAT NO REFUND OF THE DEPOSIT OR ANY VAT WILL BE MADE. Guest(s) will be reminded by email on Monday 27 January 2025. All bookings will be for the full three nights, covering four separate days, from the START of the Event at 15:00 local time on Monday 28 July 2025 to the END of the Event at 12:00 local time on Thursday 31 July 2025. We cannot accept bookings for less than the full three-day Event.

Cancellation by OMS.
If OMS cancels the entire Event of its own volition, a full refund of all monies will be made. PLEASE NOTE: there will be no refund due from cancellation at any time due to sickness, disease, significant transportation issues, closure of any visitor attractions, civil unrest, bad weather or any last minute changes to the schedule or any event outside the control of OMS. Guests are encouraged to take out their own travel insurance cover. Please take the time to digest the implication of this clause.

UK Sales Tax.
UK Guests must also pay UK Sales Tax (VAT). Those domiciled outside the UK do not have to pay VAT. The company’s VAT number is 479 5753 27.

What is included.
The cost includes:

·      All transportation from the START of the Event at 15:00 on Monday 28 July 2025 to the END of the Event at 12:00 on Thursday 31 July 2025 at the Hotel.

·      Accommodation for the three nights.

·      All food and drink on the trip (a generous amount of alcohol/soft drinks will be served at the lunch and dinner restaurants – any drinks required other than at meal times are at the guest’s own expense). Restaurant menus will be circulated in advance and dietary requirements will be catered for. We shall not accept any liability of the effect of any food allergies being contravened. It is the responsibility of the Guest(s) to check that all food is suitable to be consumed.

·     All Lectures.

·      The presence of any members of the Dickens family, any Actors involved, Morten Solvik, Marina Mahler and Mark Strachan throughout.

·      All lectures and readings.

·      All guides and tickets to venues whilst in London, to include Oliver! At the Guilgud Theatre.

·      The Private Viewing of the original manuscripts.

·      Specially commissioned book of the Event.

Hotel.
OMS will provide all hotel accommodation to include breakfast. The Hotel in London will be The Savoy or a 5* equivalent. Rooms offered are a double room for two people or a single room for one person. Single rooms carry a single room supplement (see the section “Why is the Single Room more expensive” in these FAQ’s). Single room Guests must pay the deposit for a single room and they can indicate when booking whether they are willing to share with another person. If this is all acceptable to both parties, an adjustment will be made for the final payment. Guests may stay at alternative accommodation, yet no refund will be made for those wishing to stay anywhere other than our recommended accommodation. For the avoidance of doubt, Guests will have to pay extra for any accommodation other than that offered by OMS for the Event. Upon arrival at the Hotel, Guests will be asked for a Photo ID and a credit card at check-in and anything bought/ordered outside what is included in the Event (examples include all room service, laundry, drinks, food and any minibar items outside meal times) must be paid for by the Guest(s) personally at check-out.

Transport.
Guest(s) are provided with luxury transport from the start of the Event at 15:00 on Monday 28 July 2025 to the end of the Event at 12:00 on Thursday 31 January 2025. If Guest(s) decide to take alternative transport at any time during the Event, this must be paid for separately and we shall not change or amend the schedule to take into account any delays etc experienced by this alternative transport. This is important. We cannot delay the Event for everyone else if you experience delays by choosing separate transportation. You will be referred to this clause if this occurs. No refund will be made for the use of alternative transportation nor for any part of the Event missed by the choice of alternative transport. In particular, if the choice of separate transport results in missing the private viewing of the original manuscripts, no refund of any sort can be made.

Drink.
Ample alcoholic and soft drinks at meal times are included in the cost of the Event. Any drinks outside the serving of meals should be purchased by the Guest(s) separately. No alcohol will be served at breakfast and Guest(s) must accept what is offered for them at all restaurants/hotel.

Behaviour.
OMS expects our valued Guests to treat each other, OMS staff and anyone they meet during the Event, with respect and kindness. Any behaviour by a Guest(s) which the OMS staff in their absolute discretion regard as unacceptable may result in that Guest(s) being asked to leave the Event with immediate effect. Please take note of this clause.

Step-free access.
We cannot guarantee that any of the venues we visit have step-free access. We shall perform reasonable endeavours to check each venue before the balance of the cost is due on 31 January 2025.

Dated 17 December 2024