Am I the only Londoner...

[Mustbemad123]

Who is flinching every time a firework goes off? Can't shake the feeling that London will be the next target...

We had a trip planned to London today Christmas shopping and I must admit I wobbled this morning but we went ahead in the end.

I think it's quite normal to feel unnerved by these situations, but it's when you start letting those fears affect your day to day life it's a slippery slope, but I do understand where you're coming from.

I was born in London and we moved away when I was toddler, but I still love the place, as does my DD - it breaks my heart and makes me furious that terrorists might rob us of the ability to enjoy 'our' city.

I'm not exactly worried about the fireworks noise, but it did cross my mind that, at first, the people in Paris assumed firecrackers.

I'm in London. I'm a Londoner. I lived through the IRA bombings as a child and teenager and I have always lived here, through all the crappy bombs and other scary stuff that has gone on. I went out for a birthday meal tonight and it never occurred to me not to.

My friend took this photo a while back. Don't be afraid. Be strong.

Thanks for the support. I remember as a child the IRA bombings. In fact, one bomb went off at the local post office/military base (I must have been about five). But this Is threat on a whole new scale and it worries me, what sort of workd are we bringing our children into?

Whilst I watched my 4 year old in her swimming lesson this morning in my head I was noting the exits from the pool and planning what I would do if I needed to grab her out of the water and get out fast. I don't see that we can do very much other than remain vigilant and maybe train ourselves to react quickly and be more aware of emergency exits, evacuation routes etc when in public places.

Oh and also, I had family ish ties with 7.7 (girlfriend of nephew died) so it's all too much with the Paris situation. Let's all emigrate to Madagascar or somewhere equally remote...

lindy but we ahouldn't have to do this!!!!

A friend of mine used to live in Walthamstow (inner city London borough). A few years ago she moved out to Kent.

Tomorrow we were due to have lunch (we usually go to Covent Garden), but due to the Paris terrorist attacks she is unwilling to come into London.

She did the same last time we were due to meet (strangely enough, it was a few days after the Charlie Hebdo attack).

I work in central London, close to Westminster Abbey and the Houses of Parliament and of course I'll be more aware of what/who is around me etc etc. Bit I'm not about to stop going about my day to day business.

In my mind, to cancel plans, or stop coming into London and/or other major cities and sit at home worrying is to let the terrorists win.

Why should we change our lives?

My thoughts are with the people of France and anyone else affected by yesterday's atrocities.

Paper "This feels different. I am very frightened."

Interesting...I grew up here, was near the IRA bombs etc, in London on 7/7 and have lost friends in attacks. I feel like shit right now, obviously, but I don't feel that this incident makes things different. For me the world changed on 9/11 and I actually think it's amazing they didn't hit London harder on 7/7.

so while I have worries, I don't find it "different". The only thing I do struggle with this is how much I can cope with but...what can I do? As I said on another thread, better to die on your feet than live on your knees.

London is a brilliant place. I'm sure Paris is too. Carrying on enjoying their brilliance seems the way forward to me. Remember what Ken Livingstone said 7/7? He's right - generations of us will continue to love our cities and that does mean they, the murderers, will fail. I know what it's like to lose someone you care about in this, it isn't something you "get over" as such but there is still value in holding your head up and carrying on with the joy of the city.

www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/ken-livingstones-speech-77-bombings-from-singapore-speak-to-those-come-to-london-10370832.html

Ex Londoner..wouldn't let it worry me -as others have said you have more chance of being killed by a car etc than being the wrong place at the wrong time in a terrorist attack...
I've had two people today ask me if we had heard from DPs family (his DM lives in Paris, his DB did until very recently) - we hadn't (DP did speak to his DM tonight) but was I not worried? No his DM lives a long way away from the attack sites, unlikely to be in those areas at that time of night (if ever)...pretty certain she would be like the 99.975% of Parisians unaffected by the events....

Think of accidents like the Kings cross Fire and train crashes - Southall, Paddington, Clapham junction etc etc - surely you should be more frightened to get on a train?
I used to work somewhere central London that was an IRA bomb target (a bomb had even been found outside several years earlier)...we had to follow certain procedures, search bags etc - be vigilant but not much else you can do
Actually I heard the Brixton nail bomb go off...and had been the Admiral Duncan a few days before that bomb attack.
It could be you - but it is a hell of a lot more likely not to be...just get on with life.

I'm not a Londoner. However I'm twitchy. I always am when something like this happens. I've been thinking about today which country is sodding safe though. paper where did your colleague go?

PS if you cba to read the whole speech, critical part for me is the end, I still remember him saying it I know that you personally do not fear giving up your own life in order to take others - that is why you are so dangerous. But I know you fear that you may fail in your long-term objective to destroy our free society and I can show you why you will fail.

In the days that follow look at our airports, look at our sea ports and look at our railway stations and, even after your cowardly attack, you will see that people from the rest of Britain, people from around the world will arrive in London to become Londoners and to fulfil their dreams and achieve their potential. They choose to come to London, as so many have come before because they come to be free, they come to live the life they choose, they come to be able to be themselves. They flee you because you tell them how they should live. They don't want that and nothing you do, however many of us you kill, will stop that flight to our city where freedom is strong and where people can live in harmony with one another. Whatever you do, however many you kill, you will fail.

ooh, sorry, scrambled up the bolding there - it should have bolded from "I know that you personally..."

Mustbemad - I agree we shouldn't have to. There shouldn't be people this evil in the world, but sadly there are.

I have lived and worked in London through the IRA bombings and 7/7. I refuse to change my life for a few fanatics.

As I explained to my DD 13 this morning, we can go and live in a remote part of Wales or similar that is unlikely to have terrorist attacks. Or we can live our lives as we choose to and put up with the very very low risk that we will be victims of terrorism.

She asked if they were going to plan to attack London. I am sure that there are constantly plans to do so, and we have very experienced counter terrorism teams that foil attacks.

We will continue to go to concerts, bars and restaurants.

Sadly I have been close enough to hear a few go off (London IRA) as I seemed to always live next to a target and my work was usuay in the top ten hit lists.

More of a boooom than a pop crack. You can't mistake it.

Still, some gits have been setting off fireworks tonight and I was a bit surprised, especially since the lord mayor's display was called off.

Paper, I thought you meant the situation felt different. But yes, it's a funny thing, our generation frets more than our parents did...even though I was 4 the first time a bomb went off nearby. I remember talking in front of a foreign colleague about different sounds and types of explosion and she was horrified that staff who grew up in London were so familiar.

That said, when the IRA activity ceased, I think we didn't expect new activity so soon.

Paper, I know many people in their 40s and 50s who would go to that gig....but I daresay we will all be happy to be lumped in with young people, lol.

It's all about the perception of risk, though, isn't it?

The chances of there being an attack and of you or your family being there and being one of the casualties are absolutely miniscule. As others have said, more people die in car crashes and in all sorts of other circumstances every week and we don't really think about it.

I'm originally from another country and some years ago there was a suicide bomb attack in a suburban shopping centre; not part of any organised terrorism at all. It was the most unlikely place for it. Anything could happen anywhere but most of the time nothing bad happens. What's the point of being alive if you're not living your life, anyway?

Paper, I think he has definitely hung them up too early

seriously, I never cope well with stadium concerts because I can't cope with crowds, but that's been the case since I first went to a concert as a teen. Happy to go to a smaller place though. Never think about my age, just go if I want to.

hope you get a good night's sleep, going to head off soon myself as like most of us, couldn't sleep last night.