Adrian Tinniswood

Well, on that Sunday morning, Samuel Peeps, who's living a few streets away in Seething Lane, he's living to the east of the fire, east of Pudding Lane.

His maid wakes him up and says that the smoke down on the quays, down by the river, it looks as if there's several hundred houses burning.

And Samuel is quite anxious about this because he's got people coming for dinner.

and he's a bit worried that they're not going to be able to make it.

This is his initial reaction to the Great Fire of London.

So he crossed down to have a look.

In fact, he goes up to the tower.

He's friendly with the constable of the Tower of London.

So he goes up to the top of the Tower of London, and he sees that the fire is spreading along the wharfs and quays of London, where you've got timber and tar and flax all piled up.

The flames are moving along.

They're being pushed westward by this gale all the time.

And they're moving steadily along the streets and wharves by the Thames.

So Samuel realizes that this is going to be quite serious.

He gets in a boat and he sails up to Whitehall.

to tell the king.

The king offers to send his lifeguards.

There's no standing army at this time, but he's got lifeguards.

And he offers to send basically military help.

Pepys goes back into town.

He finds Thomas Bloodworth, who's got up again by this point, and who is now running up and down Cheapside with a handkerchief on his head saying, oh Lord, what shall I do?