December 2024
Samuel Pepys kept his diary for 10 years between 1660 and 1670. It was a tumultuous time. The Restoration of the Monarchy with King Charles the 2nd, the Great Plague and the Great Fire of London. Pepys had plenty to write about and a fascinating read it is too. He only stopped because he feared for his eyesight after years of writing by candle light.

My humble diary, or blog as it’s now known, currently spans 17 years. Village life pales into insignificance compared with Pepys’s social whirl among the movers and shakers of 17th century London. There are some similarities though. We had our own great plague in 2020 with the Coronavirus pandemic, in 2005 the great Buncefield fire (pictured), and in 2023 the Coronation of King Charles the 3rd.

I’ve spent these dark and damp winter evenings updating all my jottings. Over the 20 years we’ve been in Piccotts End I have accumulated dozens of photos of village life. If you live here they make an interesting pictorial history, covering everyday events ranging from births, marriages and deaths to street parties, safari suppers and missing dogs and cats!

As I sign off for this year, I wish everyone a happy Christmas and a peaceful new year.