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What are the news story’s you will never forget where you were at the time.

331 replies

Blueyparentsmychild · 13/04/2024 15:21

just that really,

mine will always be 7/7 - was caught up in it
grenfell tower - lived locally
9/11
Manchester bombing
probably the queens death to.

OP posts:
Nannyfannybanny · 15/04/2024 15:15

The majority of posters haven't said where they were at the time.

HoldingOnForAHeron · 15/04/2024 11:40

@Nannyfannybanny , OP didn't ask for where they were or what they were doing at the time, it asks for "What are the news story’s you will never forget where you were at the time."

TattiePants · 15/04/2024 11:23

I'd forgotten about Michael Jackson's death. It was my birthday and we'd got last minute tickets to see Blur as they were doing a few warm up gigs before they headlined Glastonbury that weekend. They went off stage before the encore and rumours started going round that he'd been found dead.

Nannyfannybanny · 15/04/2024 09:08

So many people have written lists of news on here, but not where they were or what they were doing at the time, which was what was asked for. aberfan,came back from school late F told me. John Lennon,was just leaving the staff car park at the hospital where I worked it came on the car radio. Princess Diana,in bed after a night shift, staggered downstairs and my youngest DS told me.

LoreleiG · 14/04/2024 21:24

I was at work when 911 happened and remember how weird it was.

I was 19 and at a house party when Diana died. Someone knocked on a door to tell us. Very surreal.

I can’t remember exactly where I was for many of the other things mentioned although I remember a lot of them happening.

I have this unconfirmed feeling that I watched the Challenger disaster live at school because we were watching the lift off. But it seems unlikely that the whole school crowded around a BBC computer so maybe I just saw it on Newsround. I do remember the Blue Peter episode where the female teacher was in talking about it.

I remember when the Berlin Wall fell and my relatives danced on the wall.

Asprogata · 14/04/2024 21:15

Miner’s strike - mining community and I was 9 appalled by horse man traps to deter police horses without really understanding the issues at hand.

Chernobyl - we were being daft and chucking a scarf about at school over an outdoor balcony in the rain. We were disciplined because we shouldn’t have been out in acid rain.

Quebeccles · 14/04/2024 21:13

JudgeJ · 14/04/2024 20:42

We'd been into town and booked our flights for a holiday of a lifetime to the USA the following Summer, the children phoned my mother to tell her the exciting news. Half an hour later she phoned to tell us about Lockerbie and tried to talk us out of going because of it.
9/11 happened during the afternoon and I recall being on a major road out of Manchester when the news of the second plane came on the radio, many cars just pulled over to listen in horror. When I got home I had the TV on obviously, my husband came in and wondered what I was watching, he wouldn't believe it wasn't a film at first. I went into the photos box and pulled out one of our girls standing on top of the World Trade Centre

Yes, 9/11 is another that’s branded on the consciousness, isn’t it? I had (again) finished a night-shift and had a sleep, then woke up and put the TV on to find it was happening - just watched in utter disbelief as the commentary described how the plane had gone into the first tower. DH was out of the room and as I watched, the second plane suddenly appeared and went straight into the other tower. I remember crying out in shock and shouting out to DH.

JudgeJ · 14/04/2024 20:57

Theoldcuriosityshop · 13/04/2024 19:36

I think I must be the oldest on here. I remember my dad telling me that The King had died. George VI 1952, it was a month before my 6th birthday.

Glad I'm not the oldest on here! I have a very strange 'memory', it was 1952, my 18month old brother was in his playpen, there were nappies drying on the huge fireguard, I, almost 4, went with my mother to get some more coal from the place at the side of the house. I can 'see' the neighbour across the road come over, stand at the end of the path and say to my mother Oh, isn't it awful, they've just said on the wireless that the King's dead.
My mother always swore it never happened though, she said my Dad had brought her a cup of tea in bed before he went to work and told her, it had been on the wireless. However during the last two or three Jubilees it was said that the announcement was made at 11am, sadly she wasn't around for me to tell her I was right!

DyslexicPoster · 14/04/2024 20:53

9/11
UK hosting the Olympics then
7/7
Diana's death
Queens death

But yes 9/11 I remember so much. Every conversation I had at work that day as we listened to it unfold. It was a life changing day really.

exomoon · 14/04/2024 20:49

Diana’s death
The demo against illegal war on Iraq (1 million people in London, I was one)
9/11
7/7 (I was meant to be on the train at the same time-ish but was late to work)

CheeseSandwichRiskAssessment · 14/04/2024 20:48

I remember most of these from princess Diana, particularly vividly 9/11, the Bataclan attacks as I worked around the corner, and lockdown.

My mother remembers the JKF assassination she was in the US and about 11 at the time, they sent everyone home from school. I like the scene in madmen where Betty and the nanny have a cigarette together on the couch which they wouldn't have otherwise.

neilyoungismyhero · 14/04/2024 20:47

JFK
Otis Redding
Diana
Gill Dando
Twin Towers

JudgeJ · 14/04/2024 20:45

parkrun500club · 14/04/2024 20:39

mount st Helens explosion in USA - a home, but watching tv , first pyroplatic explosion I’d seen, whilst it was expected in run up, the sheer force was not

Yes i think that was one of the first news stories I remember, along with the siege at the Iranian Embassy.

We watched the end of the Iranian embassy siege on TV with a couple of friends, he could identify some of the men rappelling down as he'd been in that Regiment, he was even criticising their technique at one point.

JudgeJ · 14/04/2024 20:42

Quebeccles · 13/04/2024 16:40

Lots of the ones already mentioned. On 7/7 I’d just finished a night-shift and walked back to Euston station not knowing what had happened but seeing all these people walking and looking weirdly unsettled and wondering what was going on. Then got to Euston and it was closed - eventually ended up back at the office where someone put a TV on and we learned the news.

Also, the Lockerbie bombing - it was very close to Christmas and I’d come back to spend it at home with my parents. We were watching TV and I was sitting on the floor wrapping presents when these scenes of utter horror came on. I’ll never forget that. It’s so clear in my mind's eye.

We'd been into town and booked our flights for a holiday of a lifetime to the USA the following Summer, the children phoned my mother to tell her the exciting news. Half an hour later she phoned to tell us about Lockerbie and tried to talk us out of going because of it.
9/11 happened during the afternoon and I recall being on a major road out of Manchester when the news of the second plane came on the radio, many cars just pulled over to listen in horror. When I got home I had the TV on obviously, my husband came in and wondered what I was watching, he wouldn't believe it wasn't a film at first. I went into the photos box and pulled out one of our girls standing on top of the World Trade Centre

Helplessandheartbroke · 14/04/2024 20:42

Both Manchester bombings (i am mancunian)
911
George Michael's death (on my honeymoon)
Diana's death
Covid! I was in labour when the hospitals went into lock down and my mum was asked to leave at midnight!

parkrun500club · 14/04/2024 20:39

mount st Helens explosion in USA - a home, but watching tv , first pyroplatic explosion I’d seen, whilst it was expected in run up, the sheer force was not

Yes i think that was one of the first news stories I remember, along with the siege at the Iranian Embassy.

JudgeJ · 14/04/2024 20:34

I don’t know the average age here, but no one has mentioned Aberfan

I remember coming home from school and my mother was sitting on the settee crying and that was Aberfan, it was truly shocking.
I can also remember a similar thing, my mother was very upset, it had been on the radio that the Manchester Uniter plane had crashed and 'they were all dead', as an adult I'm not proud of my response as an 8 year old but they were a rival team who'd beaten us recently.

TowerRavenSeven · 14/04/2024 20:33

Princess Diana’s death
Pope John Paul I death
9/11
Michael Jackson’s death (not a fan of him as a person though)
Trump declared president 😱

Purplebunnie · 14/04/2024 20:28

GwinGwyn · 14/04/2024 18:42

Thanks lovely, I work for a charity and one of our community development areas is Ynysowen which incorporates Aberfan, and I have to stop halfway whenever I visit them to have a good cry before I get there. My grandcha was a teacher nearby and they closed down all the local schools to help with the rescue effort and I’ve never forgotten what he told me about that day. ❤️

That is really, really hard sending hugs ❤

HeadDeskHeadDesk · 14/04/2024 20:09

Princess Diana dying. I was on holiday in France at the time. It was all over the French morning news and I thought it must be a hoax or a mistake.

9/11. I was at home with a toddler and the older DC were at school. I went to pick them up at 3 having just watched it all unfold live on the news, because New York is five hours behind the UK. It felt utterly surreal.

The Queen dying. Again I was on holiday in France.

Hearing that Elvis had died. I was lying on the floor in my living room. It was early morning in the school summer holidays. I was 9.

EricHebbornInItaly · 14/04/2024 19:43

Death of Roald Dahl
Death of Princess Diana
9/11
First reports of covid/pandemic

PurpleFlower1983 · 14/04/2024 19:41

9/11
Very early memories of the Hillsborough disaster and the Berlin wall coming down
Death of Princess Diana
i’m sure the Queen’s death will enter this list too.

DanielGault · 14/04/2024 19:38

Whatafustercluck · 14/04/2024 18:59

On a more positive note, the Berlin Wall coming down.

That must have been really fascinating to see. Rare to see something so positive. Like Mandela being freed.

Shuggie1234 · 14/04/2024 19:24

John Lennons murder
John Smith dying
Diana dying
9/11

GwinGwyn · 14/04/2024 19:15

Whatafustercluck · 14/04/2024 18:59

On a more positive note, the Berlin Wall coming down.

Good one, I remember that too and I was learning GCSE history at the time so it was even more poignant.

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