Adrian Tinniswood

You don't get that miraculous transformation that the old textbooks used to tell you about.

It does happen, but it happens over 50, 60, 70 years.

It's a very slow thing.

Well, there's two things I think.

I mean, one is that it was the most important city in England before the fire.

And one of the reasons for the city authorities pressing ahead with a piecemeal rebuild is that they're scared people won't come back.

You know, already places like Bristol are becoming important ports in the aftermath of the fire.

One of the first buildings they put back up is a customs house because they want to start getting in revenues from London as a port.

So it's important beforehand, I think.

The rebuilding is a piecemeal affair.

I mean, now we look and we can see the important, I use that term very loosely, but I also use that term heartfelt in that I think St.

Paul's Cathedral, rebuilt by Christopher Wren, is the greatest building in the world.

I make no bones about that.

So you've got Rennes-Saint-Paul's, you've got the city churches, 56 city churches, you've got the rebuilding of the livery company halls.

Those are important and they add an enormous status to London.

But of course, I mean, Saint-Paul's takes 50 years to rebuild.

You know, it's not the moving light.

The city churches are still being rebuilt 30, 40, 50 years later.

What intrigues me is the houses.

You imagine a world where your home is your business,