We were delighted to celebrate our very first City of London “Pepys Day”.

225 people participated in a series of wonderful walks led by City of London Guides, leading from the Monument at 10:00 and ending at Mansion House at noon, whereupon we had a glass of champagne in celebration, and many decamped to The Hydrant for lunch.

My remarks were as follows:

“Ladies and gentlemen…

A very warm welcome to Mansion House for this celebration of our first ever Pepys Day, marking the anniversary of the end of the Great Fire of London, as recorded by Samuel Pepys in his diary.

Pepys’ diary gives us the best real-time account of the Fire and the 4 days that changed the City forever – so this seemed a fitting day on which to recognise Pepys and how his diary has shaped our understanding of the City.

We have enjoyed working with a great team of professional City Guides to bring this day to fruition…

And we hope you will all write about it in your own diaries!

Pepy’s diary gives us a vibrant, authentic picture of his life and the times in which he lived, and paints of picture of life in the City of London across a period of ten years.

The very first entry, on 1st January 1660, records an encounter with the City of London Corporation:

“The new Common Council of the City do speak very high; and had sent to Monk – (General Monk, a key figure in the Restoration of the monarchy) – their sword-bearer, to acquaint him with their desires for a free and full Parliament, which is at present the desires, and the hopes, and expectation of all.”

This obviously went well, because a few weeks later, he writes:

“Thence we took coach for the City to Guildhall, where the Hall was full of people expecting Monk and Lord Mayor to come thither, and all very joyfull.”

There are many more encounters recorded with the Lord Mayor, the Aldermen and the Corporation – familiar to us, yet at a distance of three and a half centuries.

Pepys’ interests, lifestyle, experiences, insecurities and worries are all points of connection across the years to those of us who live in, work in or visit the City.

As well as the Great Fire, Pepys provides commentary on royal and political change, war, and the Great Plague,
and brings those events to us not in a dry or academic way,
but in a direct, very human voice that takes us through the London of the 17th century.

This has shaped our understanding of events that still leave their mark on the City, as we have all seen today. Dublin has its annual Bloomsday.

We would like to see London make Pepys Day an annual event – perhaps the first Friday of September, a date for your diaries, if you will.

For this year’s Pepys Day, we would like to give our thanks to:
• The Hydrant restaurant for their support,
• The church of St Margaret Pattens for welcoming us,
• The Monument for providing prizes for the draw.
• The Mansion House events team
• And all the City Guides!

Most of all, thanks to Samuel Pepys for writing his diary and leaving instructions to preserve it!

And so, to raise a toast to Samuel Pepys.

“To Samuel Pepys.”

And so, to Elisabeth, the Lady Mayoress, for the prize draw…”