In sixteen hundred and sixty five, barely a soul was left alive. In sixteen hundred and sixty six, London burnt like a bundle of sticks.
It’s amazing what sticks from school days…I remember this rhyme from my History teacher as he taught us about London’s turbulent past. Whilst The Great Plague ravaged the population of London, a year later The Great Fire of London put an end to the spread of disease and paved the way for much needed reform in hygiene and building regulation.
What I didn’t know was that only 4 Londoners lost their lives in the Great Fire, a fact that Mr Peck pointed out as he set fire to our mini scene for Year 1…a useful bit of trivia should that come up in the OFA Quiz!
Year 1 were enthralled as Mr Jeffrey explained, from a safe distance, how the fire started. As the story unfolded, Mr Peck discretely started a blaze that grew and grew, with a little encouragement, into an inferno that saw our model houses literally go up in smoke. A great lesson that will light fires in young minds for life!
Tim Calvey