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Original poster

To feel annoyed the school commemorated September 11th but not 7th July?

94 replies

MamaPain · 07/07/2014 19:14

I don't know if I'm being unreasonable as it obviously isn't a competition but as a school in London I would have thought something should certainly be done for the latter regardless. Seems even more bizarre to remember one and not the other more closely related incident.

It's an event that I, like most Londoners, (and maybe people around the country) have deep personal emotions about and as 52 Londoner's died I think they deserve some recognition.

I know they held something last year.

Did your schools do anything?

OP posts:
Original poster
MamaPain · 07/07/2014 19:55

If you want to get into a discussion about numbers, then you could say that as more British people died during WW1 and WW2, so they should commemorate those events over 9.11 but surely it isn't about the numbers at all and that angle totally lacks in compassion.

London bombings were horrendous and took place 2 miles away. The school should do something, they make enough fuss about the fucking harvest festival or whatever.

OP posts:
EurotrashGirl · 07/07/2014 20:00

OP, I only brought up numbers because you did. I can see this issue means a lot to you, so why don't you take it up with the school? It would be more productive than arguing with strangers on the internet.

Original poster
MamaPain · 07/07/2014 20:01

Well I have started a thread in chat about the combings because I feel it is important to commemorate them and clearly they are not receiving any kind of recognition by many people.

OP posts:
Original poster
MamaPain · 07/07/2014 20:02

I didn't bring up the numbers in a competitive way, I was just pointing out that numerous people died, I wasn't expecting it to be minimised with a comparison to 9.11.

I can't see how this issue can't mean a lot to anyone.

OP posts:
TheLovelyBoots · 07/07/2014 20:05

Do you commemorate lives lost to terrorism, or senseless loss of life across the board?

Do you commemorate all British lives lost to terrorism i.e. Lockerbie, Bali, etc?
It just seems rather pointless to me in that there's no meaningful distinction, so you could easily be crippled by commemoration. 21K people die of starvation every day. The WTC is pretty meaningless in its greater context.

Nomama · 07/07/2014 20:07

Ah yes, 7.7 the day my life stopped for about 5 hours.

DH was working on the roof of an office block on the corner. He was trapped there for 4 hours after the explosions and couldn't phone anyone as a) he was there to replace the phone cell b) they powered down the networks when they got overloaded

I sat at work watching the telly being force fed sweet, milky tea (which I feckin hate) trying not to cry.

He didn't get home for 3 days, by which time I was just angry. And his darling brother phoned me to tell me how upset and worried he was and to shout at me for not contacting him...

We have never stopped to take a moment, the day itself took far too many...

londonrach · 07/07/2014 20:10

What happened on the 7th?

MrsCakesPremonition · 07/07/2014 20:10

Not only has 7.7 barely been commemorated, but the memorial in Hyde Park has been defaced with political slogans.
Awful and so disrespectful to those who died.

londonrach · 07/07/2014 20:11

Just googled. Really sorry sounds awful. (Sorry was on holiday and think I missed it which is awful!).

KEGirlOnFire · 07/07/2014 20:12

It's strange that I saw this thread because I was just clicking through the tv guide and noticed that there are no programmes on related to 7/7 whereas on 9/11 there is always loads of programmes on.

Doesn't seem right somehow.

MrsCakesPremonition · 07/07/2014 20:14

londonrach -really?

On 7/7/2005, 52 people died and 700 were injured in 4, co-ordinated bomb attacks on London's public transport network.

londonrach · 07/07/2014 20:15

I think its awful that I didn't even know about it. (I was in France on a 10 day holiday but can't believe I knew nothing!)

londonrach · 07/07/2014 20:16

Know about 11th. Really think they need to do something about it. (Still shocked i didn't know...was france in a cave)

londonrach · 07/07/2014 20:17

I live in London......think its awful i know nothing...

londonrach · 07/07/2014 20:20

Ok hubby just asked about it and knew nothing. He asked what happened. (I was with him in france these years ago). He says July 7th us my birthday but knew nothing else.... (Feeling not so bad now but shoud gave known....)

Original poster
MamaPain · 07/07/2014 20:25

KEGirl, I said the same earlier, which sparked my discussion with DC. I remember there was a programme on it one year that was very very moving. Nothing this year.

Anyway as I said I have started a thread in chat for those who want to remember:

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/a2126839-Where-were-you-9-years-ago-London-bombings-related?msgid=48144266#48144266

OP posts:
SantasLittleMonkeyButler · 07/07/2014 20:28

Really londonrach - I'm not sure how you missed that completely Confused.

There have been numerous news articles about the day itself over the years aswell as stories of some of the survivors overcoming huge obstacles & disabilities.

I live in the midlands & have no links to London whatsoever. I definitely know what happened that day though.

I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when I heard the news start to filter through on the radio - just the same as I remember the moment I heard about 9/11.

I am a little shocked that schools in London, particularly, don't do anything to commemorate the day. I have asked DS2 & apparently it was the topic of assembly at his secondary school today.

Original poster
MamaPain · 07/07/2014 20:31

I'm sorry I can't even acknowledge certain posts on this thread. I just find it very upsetting.

OP posts:
Wishyouwould · 07/07/2014 20:33

londonrach you live in London and you were in France on holiday for 10 days and you don't know anything about 7/7? Presumably you came back to the UK after the 10 day holiday? London was in chaos for weeks!!

dexter73 · 07/07/2014 20:36

How can you have missed 7/7? I am absolutely gobsmacked? It was the day after London was awarded the Olympic Games. Do you remember them?

I was at work and my dh phoned and managed to say 'There has been a bomb' before being cut off. It was a while before I could get through to him. One of the ladies in his office (next door to Aldgate) lost her arm in the explosion.

I too am surprised that the schools don't do anything to remember the day.

FreudiansSlipper · 07/07/2014 20:39

9/11 completely changed the course of history

7/7 has become a small part of that (I do not mean that as a disrespect to anyone who lost loved ones in the bomb attacks or were harmed in any way)

this is why

maybe next year when it is the 10 year anniversary would be a better time to commemorate the 7th July but not every year

I was in the states on the first anniversary of 9/11 it was surprising how low key the commemorations were (on the west side)

TheLovelyBoots · 07/07/2014 20:40

I can't believe that anyone who lived in London was unaware of 7.7. We lived on Exhibition Rd at the time. I was evacuated from my flat, entire streets were shut down. Snipers on rooftops. We took refuge at a Pizza Express and there was a real sense of shock and awe, strangers coming together to express their dismay.

I was also living in NYC for 9.11 (but in Massachusetts at the time). We moved to London shortly thereafter. I don't mean to minimize the grief of anyone who had any part in that full-scale disaster, but the fact that it has defined the current "anti-terror" landscape is just disproportionate.

londonrach · 07/07/2014 20:43

(Thinking I lived in a cave now). No I knew nothing.... Mind you i only be in london 6 years....

flippinada · 07/07/2014 21:40

I'm actually astonished that an apparently literate adult who has lived in the uk for at least six(?) years can claim to know nothing about the events of 7/7.

One of my friends lost his sister. She was 29 years old. Like many others who lost their lives on that day. He doesn't have the luxury of not knowing or forgetting.

londonrach · 07/07/2014 21:42

I know. I only ever lived in the uk but surely that shows the lack of news on this.... Hence back to ops question