Anyone interested in the history of London will know why Samuel Pepys made such an important contribution to our knowledge and understanding of this great city. His diary of that extraordinary period between 1660-69 has given us a detailed insight of life at the time of restoration of the Monarchy, the Plague and the Great Fire.
I went to Cambridge to see the diary. It is at Magdalene College with the complete collection of all the books in his library. It is privilege to see the diary itself, neatly written in that strange shorthand. It feels like the work of man who cared about what was happening to the world around him. (see picture Pepys Library)
No doubt there are many Pepys scholars who find a visit to this place creates a strong empathy with the diarist. Gazing at one of the volumes, opened at the page which described the morning after the Great start, it felt as though I was stepping back into history. This was almost real...like seeing a newspaper the day after a catastrophic event.
Then Pat and I went to Pembroke College. On a warm, summer afternoon the Cambridge colleges looked magnificient. In the college chapel, the sound of the organ added to the atmosphere.
Pembroke College chapel was Sir Christopher Wren's first architectural commission. Wren's uncle, an important and influential clergyman, used his position and status to offer the design contract to his nephew, Christopher.
The result is a tall, elegant chapel squeezed in by other buildings of Pembroke College. It was altered in the 19th century by Giles Gilbert Scott but remains a significant contribution to the life and reputation of the one of Britain's greatest architects. (picture, inside Wren's Chapel at Pembroke College)
Go to Cambridge if you can. Just 60 miles from London it has a lot to offer those who admire Pepys and Wren - and a lot more besides.
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