the great fire of london samuel pepys diary

Luckily there was one way to put out the fire that nobody had tried yet. People had to pump, really hard to spray the water out – and they didn’t work very well.

Rat: They tried desperately to put the fire out.Īs well as pouring water from buckets, they used water squirters, which were a bit like giant water pistols. London is always on fire… why are you bothering me? Townspeople: Fire! Fire! We need to tell somebody about this… I wish someone would invent the telephone. The houses were made of wood, so the fire gobbled up one house and moved quickly to the next. Thomas Farriner and his family climbed out of the window, to the roof, and escaped to the neighbour’s house… all except their maid.Īll the houses in London were so close together, which is a very good thing for escaping…But it also helped the fire to spread. Rat: But while they slept, a spark must have jumped out of the oven… the fire spread across the kitchen before anyone woke up. If only somebody would invent electric ovens, it would be safer too. Thomas Farriner: Well, c’mon hurry up then. If only somebody would invent electric lights, it would be a lot quicker. Thomas Farriner: (YAWN) The bread’s ready – let’s put out all the candles before we go upstairs…Ĭhild: Aw dad – it takes aaages to snuff out the flames. Thomas Farriner used fire for light, heating and – of course – baking.

The story starts on Pudding Lane, in the home of Thomas Farriner, a baker who lived with his family above the bakery.Įlectricity and gas central heating hadn’t been invented yet. It all began in London – the country’s capital city. My grandma told me that, and her grandma told her all the way back to a rat who lived over 350 years ago, in the time of the Great Fire of London.

Fetch the ketchup, fetch the ketchup… BBQ! BBQ! It’s burnt and it’s crispy.īefore ovens were invented all food had to be cooked on fires. (SINGS) Something’s burning, something’s burning. Rat: How did The Great Fire of London start?

The great fire of london samuel pepys diary