The summer holidays are upon us, and you know what that means! That's right - you'll be heading out for a week away with the kids, before quickly wondering whether you left the cooker on, and if your house will now be in the process of burning down.
Now, imagine a time before fire alarms, fire engines and flame-retardent furniture, and in the time it takes you to say 'oh bother' your whole street of wooden houses has burnt to the ground, and the flames are rampaging their way across your whole town. This, of course, is the infamous Great Fire of London, perhaps the most famous bonfire that ever was, and an event that changed the face of London forever. And as part of the "celebrations" (perhaps that's the wrong word?) around the 350th anniversary of the event, the Museum of London have decided there's only one way to make the event connect with the yoof of today - and that's if they recreate it in Minecraft.
Yes, the folks over at the Museum of London are jumping aboard the Minecraft train, using it to help teach kids about the Great Fire of London in a more interactive way, via a series of replica Londons in various states of on-fire. Tying in with their current exhibition, 'Fire! Fire!', especially for the summer holidays, the Minecraft maps will help tell the story of the flames, engaging kids in an entirely new way.
The maps must have taken some serious Minecraft skillz...
Enlisting the skills of a trio of Minecraft Masters, Adam 'Wizard Keen' Clarke, Blockworks and Dragonz, the first map, available now, is based on Wenceslaus Hollar's map of burnt London - a pair of panoramic London skylines that show the city before and after the fire. With notable landmarks such as London Bridge, the old St Paul's Cathedral and the infamous Pudding Lane all recreated in Minecraft, players will be able to try their hand at a treasure hunt across the city. By exploring the streets in search of audio clips, players can piece together how the events unfolded; how a long hot summer, wooden houses and narrow streets provided a perfect storm for London's most famous disaster.
"Titled Great Fire 1666, the game will allow the museum to tell the story of the Great Fire like never before, as players can walk down the streets of London, interact with the very people of 1666, combat the flames, and rebuild their own vision of the capital," explained the Museum. Digital learning Coordinator Joshua Blair revealed "The Great Fire of London is one of the most popular topics within our learning programme, which currently reaches about 130,000 schoolchildren each year, and we hope that Great Fire 1666 will create a fun learning experience that can engage every young person in this fascinating story."
The second map in the series, which will deal with the story of the actual fire itself, will hand over some of the fire-fighting responsibilities to the little Minecrafters when it lands in September. The third and final map will then follow in early next year, in February 2017, and will focus on rebuilding London after the flames, based on actual architectural plans from the time - and presumably, given the freedom Minecraft gives you, you'll be able to live your historically inaccurate dream of an underground sheep farm in the crypts of St Paul's Cathedral.
While the timescale of the map releases seems unusually long, this is a great idea that should help bring history to life for a younger generation - and, best yet, the maps will be completely free of charge to download and play. With the first map available on the 29th July from www.museumoflondon.org.uk, it's something educational for the holidays, too. If you're stuck for something to do this summer, why not pay the Museum of London's 'Fire! Fire!' exhibit a visit. Running all summer long, prices start at £4 for children and £8 for adults, and there's plenty of hands on exhibits to keep the kids entertained too.
