St James' Church, Cooling was restored in the 19th century, when a vestry was added, and the porch was rebuilt. It was declared redundant on 19 November 1976 and vested in the Churches Conservation Trust on 31 May 1978. It is now cared for by a group known as the Friends of St James' Church. The church is open daily to visitors. The churchyard provided the inspiration for the opening chapter of Charles Dickens' book "Great Expectations", in which the hero of the story, Pip, meets the convict, Magwitch. In 2005 the musician Jools Holland married the sculptor Christabel McEwan in the church. St
Dickens in America the usual Dickens eye for the comic, the critical and the satirical. "Dickens In America" assesses a young radical Dickens' view of the emerging country's manners and morals, its flaws, fashions and its fascination with celebrity. It was produced by Lion Television Scotland for BBC Four. The producer was Richard Shaw. The series was directed by Christopher Swann. The DVD of the series was released in North America on 1 March 2011. Part One - Going Away Miriam Margolyes tells us in the beginning of the program: "I like Charles Dickens. No, I love Charles Dickens; because he wrote the