Keep your eyes peeled for an unusual visitor to the Island.

Shurland the Sheep will be appearing around Sheppey to advertise an event being staged to celebrate our history and heritage.

The Promenade Festival 2012 will be taking place from September 21 to 23 and will be called What the Dickens!

This is to mark the 200th anniversary this year of Charles Dickens’ birth and highlight his links to the Island and the festival includes shows, talks, music and displays from various groups.

There will also be a play called Miss Havisham’s Expectations and showings of two different Oliver Twist films.

Big Fish Arts is organising a Dickensian parade in Sheerness and Norwood Manor will be open to the public.

There will also be events at Harty, Queenborough, the Gatehouse Museum and Eastchurch.

Secretary Janys Thornton said: “We have a fantastic line up again this year.

"It is truly a Sheppey-wide event.”

Shurland the Sheep has been donated by Brian Rowecorr from Sheerness-based Pyramid Cutters.

• Full details are available on the website at www.sheppeypromenade.org