Charles Dickens and social criticism. On the other hand, Oscar Wilde, Henry James, and Virginia Woolf complained of a lack of psychological depth, loose writing, and a vein of saccharine sentimentalism. The term "Dickensian" is used to describe something that is reminiscent of Dickens and his writings, such as poor social conditions or comically repulsive characters. Charles John Huffam Dickens was born on 7 February 1812, at 1 Mile End Terrace (now 393 Commercial Road), Landport in Portsea Island (Portsmouth), the second of eight children of Elizabeth Dickens (née Barrow; 1789–1863) and John Dickens (1785–1851). His father was a clerk in the
Trolleybuses in Portsmouth Trolleybuses in Portsmouth The Portsmouth trolleybus system once served the city of Portsmouth, Hampshire, England. Opened on , it gradually replaced the Portsmouth tramway network; the last trams ran on 10 November 1936. By the standards of the various now-defunct trolleybus systems in the United Kingdom, the Portsmouth system was a medium-sized one, with a total of nine routes, and a maximum fleet of 139 trolleybuses. It was closed on . The former trolleybus routes were replaced by diesel bus services. Two of the former Portsmouth trolleybuses are now preserved, one (No. 313) at the East Anglia Transport Museum at