Some things hit differently, but nothing hits as differently and profoundly as being in Dickens Corner at The Turks Head in central Exeter, England, in the run up to the France-England 2026 Fifa World Cup play off.
It was impossible for me, a literary enthusiast, travel writer, and hopeless, reluctant watcher of football, to not think about Charles Dickens; France, and England; and the global tournament, or divorce the three matters from each other. Being in the place where Dickens spent countless hours thinking, writing, and socialising (the Corner is named, aptly and respectfully, after him) at such a time as this was at once a surreal, once-in-a-lifetime experience, the ensuing 2026 heatwave notwithstanding. I could not help overthinking the significance of the collision of this place and moment in the city that Dickens lived and achieved his literary exploits.
Dickens was no ordinary personality. He was a writer of great acclaim. He wrote at least 15 major novels, includingA Tale of Two Cities. He set the novel in Paris and London between 1775 and 1793 in and around the French Revolution. He compares interactions between peasants and aristocrats in Paris and London, illustrating culture, political life, and social conditions of life pertaining to French and English people in the two cities.
The French Revolution laid the ground for liberal democracy. Multipartism; universal suffrage; state-guaranteed political, human, economic, and social rights; and constitutional monarchy are some of the Revolution’s outcomes of present-day relevance.
A Tale of Two Citiesis noted for its epic 119-word introductory sentence: “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times … In short, the period was so far like the present period.”
The novel was published, serially, between April 1859 and November 1859. More than 200 million copies of it have been sold to date. A significant and yet-to-be-established number of individuals in East Africa and the continent have heard of, read, watched, and/or studied the novel.
A Tale of Two Citieshas been adapted for screen, film, and television. The impact of this novel on popular culture compares to that of football.
Some football analysts and observers have described the England-France match to determine the third and fourth finishers of the 2026 tournament, as one between its two biggest 2026 losers.
A caricature of Napoleon and King George credited to Anna, a creative, and featured in Trevor Noah’s watch party of the two teams juxtaposes the two leaders and two teams and underscores the "big losers" point.
The 2026 Fifa World Cup, for the first time in its history, featured 48 teams. Sixteen cities in three nations: USA, Mexico, and Canada hosted it. Miami hosted the England-France match.
Like Paris and London, Miami is famous for tourism. It has many food spots and the famous St Bernard de Clairvaux Church. This medieval Spanish monastery was built between 1133 and 1141 in Segovia, Spain. It was shipped to two US cities, first, New York City (1926-1964) then Florida in 1964.
England scored six goals and won the match. France scored four goals. France’s captain Kylian Mbappe was the tournament’s top scorer. He scored 10 goals and won the 2026 Golden Boot, repeating the feat from the 2022 World Cup. It wound up, according to some football analysts, critics, and fans, as one of the tournament’s most entertaining matches.
Dickens Corner is inviting. Its furniture is wooden. Most of it is covered in maroon leather. The Corner has black, exposed beams, a fire place, the Periodic Table of Beers, and two LED screens – so patrons can follow matches such as those between England and France.
Framed pictures of the author decorate one of the Corner’s walls.
The Turks Head, an inn that is largely a pub and which houses Dickens Corner, has not escaped the trend of independent "krafters" that began sweeping over cafes and other beverage brewers in recent years.
In 2021, the inn started making its own unfiltered beers, the establishment declares. Elaborate chalked illustrations of brewing processes such as fermentation, and distillation; beer flavour wheel; and names of different beers decorate the inn’s walls.
The Turks Head is located between Church of St Pancras and Exeter High Street. It offers accommodation in its six Turks Rooms. To get a taste of the English football-literature mix and experience other aspects of English culture, visit England between early May and September.
