To think we should avoid London right now?

Tate Modern often has some really cool stuff for children. Then there’s the Tower of London, which is handy for then going out towards East London. Greenwich as I mentioned has not only a massive park and the Greenwich meridian / observatory but also the Cutty Sark.

Hamleys is just a toy shop, and usually horrible crowded.

Youve basically listed all the areas that would be horrific for anyone with autism.

@FordAnglia OMG, yes, the peanuts!

Well you do you, but I’ve given a list of places that are more fun than those places you’ve listed. “The Museums” if you mean Natural History, Science Museum etc are in South Kensington so not in the areas I mentioned to avoid.

worst thing that ever happened to me in the Sussex was feeling somewhat sick the day after - they used to have barrels of free shelled peanuts.
Yep some folk got hit but also hit by other stuff.
Re my foreign visitors, I looked up road deaths in their country. They were a very very significant percentage above the UK (double?) - I argued that it would be more dangerous for them to stay at home and then left the decision to them.

I worked at the nearest theatre to the Sussex and drank there all the time!

Controlled explosions all the way up Tottenham Court Rd etc.

I do agree with you: I get on with life and the individual risk is tiny.

But it is fair to consider that a significant number of people did not survive the IRA, hence reply to PP.

in central london theres always a protest or rally of some sort-i do get its different atm but id still carry on if you have things booked

I live in a borough with a large Jewish and Muslim population. I am aware there have been some reports of graffiti but beyond that there has been no trouble. I am sure there will be protests in central London but when are there not protests....

Interesting to read so many differing interpretations of, and responses to, risk.

And expectations of what "should" happen in an mass terrorist attack.

@StayorgoLDN - staying away from protest areas is sensible with young kids who might be frightened. How old are the kids? Basing in West London would let you go to the museums (science, natural history), Westfield for Lego and other shops plus something like Kidzania, a trip to Kew Gardens / Richmond Park and a boat up the Thames to Hampton Court Palace etc. Loads to do, very far from central London protests. Or if older you could plan more in north London; Camden market and trip a on canal boat, London Zoo, Madame Tussauds, Harry Potter experience, Hampstead Heath walk with the views etc.

Sorry. My post above was for @BlurredEdges

@StayorgoLDN There may not be trouble where you will be heading but just the stress of worrying about it and that "forward planning" for all the travel chaos in your mind will spoil it for you. London will always be there to visit later. As you have the option to cancel without financial penalty I'd do it. Your DC might be disappointed but at least you will all be safe.

Any person with a British passport is as British as I am and deserves all British freedoms, rights, responsibilities and protection.

Totally bonkers to be changing plans to visit London due to recent events in Israel.

I remember the IRA campaigns of the 70s and 80s, we didn’t let that affect our lives.

I mean - we live in London and central London !
there is always some sort of thing going on and rarely does any sort of attack happen.
tbh it’s probably the safest time to go because the presence of security measures would be top form.
if there was to be a terrorist attack would or likely be London …. Yes 9 times out of 10 it would be BUT that risk has always been around for many years and the risk is actually minimal.

London is always on high alert for terrorism it makes no difference when you go.

Well, I live in London, so can't really avoid it!

I haven't changed any of my behaviour/activities. However, I don't have any ethnic/religious link to what's going on, and I would understand if people who did felt uncomfortable.

London will always be here. If you're not feeling it, come another time. It's not much of a fun day out if you're feeling on edge for all of it.

My parter worked for TfL at the time - it was chaos and understandably transport staff were focussing on keeping the network safe and trying to understand if there were more attacks imminent. Decisions about running transport in and out of London were being made rapidly and so not everyone on the ground would be kept up to date constantly. To be brutal it was a major incident - you weren't injured or trapped so would not be an immediate prioirty.

Also the mobile phone network went down in many parts which added to lots of the confusion. I remember not being able to contact friends and family until the afternoon.

I'd avoid today. Hamas has declared it is a "day of rage". Obviously no one knows what will happen over the next few days/weeks but I imagine today will be the worst

@StayorgoLDN Ive also not said once your feelings are irrational or that you should ignore them.

@user1497207191 My parter worked for TfL at the time - it was chaos and understandably transport staff were focussing on keeping the network safe and trying to understand if there were more attacks imminent. Decisions about running transport in and out of London were being made rapidly and so not everyone on the ground would be kept up to date constantly. To be brutal it was a major incident - you weren't injured or trapped so would not be an immediate priority.

On the other side of things we had colleagues who were at a conference in Yorkshire - they got stuck too as there were no trains back to London so they had to sleep on the floor of the conference venue and get a series of trains back to London the next day as no one knew what was going on.

I used to regularly drink in the Sussex at that time and before the blast. Maybe a close shave but never concerned me. Lots of other threats.
Agree with general tone of thread - London's a big big place/lots of folk, chances of being injured in something tiny tiny. I also wouldn't change accommodation plans - just as much chance of moving into trouble.
I have experience of foreign imminent visitors seriously talking of cancelling their trip because of a single incident. Bonkers in my view.
In short relax OP.
Or stay in bed.

@duchiebun will you wind yer neck in with “oh I have Irish relatives so know everything”…. No you don’t, you didn’t live through it personally.

I have family who lived through it so I think is pretty personal & I think it’s ridiculous to compare my experience growing up in London at that time to many in Belfast. You can think otherwise of course but why do you think it was similar?

It is not just bombings or physical attacks, it is psychological terror and distress, panic and disruption. There are many more victims than those who actually die in these sorts of events

I was commuting in London during 7/7 & my father lost colleagues due to Lockerbie & 9/11 so yes I’m fully aware of this.