Remembering
07/07/06 10:48 AM
Today is the one year ‘anniversary’ of the London bombings of 7/7 and as such it’s a bit of a strange morning here in London today.
There is a huge Police presence at Kings Cross and St Pancras stations (I would assume also at the tubes but luckily I don’t have to travel underground any more) and people do seem generally cautious, perhaps because of the timing of the recent release of another video on the internet by the terrorists.
I’m not going to get on my political soap-box here, there is nothing on the subject I can say that hasn’t already been said. All I can do is reflect on my personal experience of the events of last July and think of those who lost their lives.
I work at Kings Cross, literally two minutes from the station. Colleagues of mine were on the same tubes. Most were evacuated from underground. A friend of mine saw the bus explode. Luckily none of my friends or colleagues were injured but they were all obviously very shaken. I was lucky to have not been involved – my only hardship was not being able to get home, boo hoo. I did witness the aftermath (watching a big screen in a pub with injured people, people with those silver ‘capes’ on, trying to figure out what was going on, seeing the ambulance crews etc etc).
I don’t think I will ever forget 7/7, obviously for the bad memories but also (and I know it’s a cliche but it’s true) seeing the whole city country uniting; usually you see these things on the news but it was really strange to see it all with your own eyes, right on your doorstep.
I will certainly never forget being among the crowd of people paying respects at Kings Cross station, among the sea of flowers and memorials; as emotional an occasion as I will ever likely experience.
There is a two-minute silence today at 12pm (UK time).
commenting closed for this article
On Friday July 7, 2006,
Steve Tucker said:
It is strange; one year ago today. Doesnt feel like it. I imagine there must be a very strange air around the place – something that everyone feels but no one really talks about. Let’s hope it never happens again.