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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To think we should avoid London right now?

655 replies

StayorgoLDN · 13/10/2023 09:23

Due to visit London in the next few weeks.

Anxious with Palestinian protests and so forth in the news. I don’t want to be near that with young children, and worried that it may escalate to some sort of attack.

We are not Jews, but presuming as the U.K. is supporting Israel that we’ll all be fair game ie there might be an attack/bomb somewhere prominent to send a message to gov.

Have been in London during terrorist attacks before and I’d rather avoid.

AIBU to consider rescheduling our family trip to next year?

OP posts:
Thread gallery
17
Bromptotoo · 13/10/2023 12:37

@GertrudePerkinsPaperyThing said:

Sorry my understanding of London Geography needs improvement - it’s only the British museum that’s anywhere near the westend.

The South Ken museums, V&A etc are a hop skip and a jump from Marble Arch and even closer to Harrods. That's pretty close to the West End in my mind.

Hont1986 · 13/10/2023 12:41

It's all happening 2500 miles away. It doesn't affect you, at all. Why are there always these threads about "thinking twice about taking my kids to London" after any world news event?

ShinyPebble32 · 13/10/2023 12:47

Okeydokedeva · 13/10/2023 09:41

Imagine being in london when you are Jewish. They are breaking windows in shops in Golders green. I want to visit an elderly relative but am afraid to come in with my child. I was born here, paid taxes here and now I feel like an outsider. Jews are 250k of population. A tiny minority. No one is talking about us as needing protection or support form the Uk government here in london

I am so sorry 💔 What can non-Jewish people do that help you feel more supported at this time?

Zebedee55 · 13/10/2023 12:48

StayorgoLDN · 13/10/2023 09:37

We arrived into London in the midst of an attack before and were almost caught up in a bomb, except we had a last min change of plan, so that’s very vivid for me.

Wanted to ask Londoners on here what their perceptions are of how things are on the ground - obviously due to experience my opinion would be biased, and the media can distort/offer narrow view.

Think we might change the accom as quite near the embassy.

I lost my house windows in 1974, due to an IRA pub bomb, in a London suburb.

But, it didn't stop me just getting on with life, and commuting into central London daily.

And, it never has since.

Life's a risk, but I certainly don't see London being any more in danger than any other city.

Quite honestly, knife crime is a bigger risk.😗

tttigress · 13/10/2023 12:48

A teacher in France has just been killed in a terror attack.

It is in the news, but you would think it would be reported more prominently.

MyAnacondaMight · 13/10/2023 12:48

It’s business as usual in London. I don’t know anyone who lives here who is worried about a major terror attack.

Come, or don’t come, depending on your comfort levels, but you’re more at risk of being hit by a car than bombed by these British Arabs you seem so concerned by.

Assuming you don’t live in daily fear of the Toyota Prius (a silent killer on the streets of London), then it sounds like your fear may be coming from a place of prejudice.

CherryBlossoms88 · 13/10/2023 12:52

As a person who has lived and worked in London all my life, I don’t feel unsafe. At the end of the day if you are anxious about going regardless of what every other person says, don’t go.

jenpil · 13/10/2023 12:55

You can't let the fear of these people control your everyday lives.

Carry on as normal.

That's what a true Brit does.

OhYouBadBadKitten · 13/10/2023 13:03

I have family in London. They were close to the Westminster terror attack. They carried on their life as normal then and are carrying on their life as normal now. I'll be meeting up with them in central London next week to do some tourist stuff and have a meal out.

Original poster
StayorgoLDN · 13/10/2023 13:06

@MyAnacondaMight

Look to explain this - again.

I realise that we are unlikely to get killed/injured.

My kids are autistic, what this means is that whenever we go on holiday we start preparing with visual schedules from 3 months ahead of time.

We sit them down to explain to them

Day 1: we will travel to the airport in our car, here is what the airport looks like, whenever you get into the airport this is what will happen, then on the plane they will do a safety briefing like this (video), we might get a snack on the plane - discussion of food, whenever we land we will pick up the bags and then exit the airport, here is what the airport in London looks like, we will get a train from X to Z here is what those stations look like, we will have lunch at X destination (has to be preplanned with known menu)…. Etc etc etc

A change in what is expected ie getting off at Gloucester Rd rather than Kensington High st, could result in anything from mild distress and agitation to a complete meltdown, hyperventilation or in the case of one of the children them lashing out and doing a runner.

It depends on what their tolerance level is at the time. For example if there are a few minor changes, probably ok, if substantial which for them would be 2-3 travel changes/missing out on seeing something big in the itinerary this is liable to result in up to 2 days of the holiday to be written off. Thankfully they haven’t had to experience an out of control protest/terrorism disruption, I would imagine this would write off the whole holiday.

I don’t want to spend a few thousand to sit in a hotel room rocking children to calm them thanks.

OP posts:
Agapornis · 13/10/2023 13:06

Are you confusing High Street Kensington station with South Kensington station? They are nearly half an hour's walk from each other. Get off at South Kensington (or Knightsbridge, if you want to go to Harrods first) for the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and V&A. South Ken is the closest station. There's usually an 'alight here for museums' announcement on the tube. Harrods' toy department is much nicer than Hamleys.

No one going to the embassy will get off at South Ken, it's too far. You would NOT want to walk from High St Ken station to the museums with young children. I'd never go to a hotel on Ken High St because the protests at the embassy have been happening pretty much every weekend for years and years, and it's a faff to wade through.

FYI the NHM will NOT be quiet on a rainy weekend, hope you've booked an early autism slot.

alrighthen · 13/10/2023 13:07

I live in London and the first thing I thought when Rishi Sunak declared support for Israel yesterday was 'Thanks a lot - now there's going to be a terrorist attack on London'

I'm close to a (totally lovely, chilled, British) Pakistani family who are absolutely furious about the situation in Palestine and some of their social media has been getting pretty punchy. It's not violent at all but certainly angrier than 'I stand with Palestine' type posts. My feelings about the situation are running pretty high myself and I'm not remotely religious. It's not hard to imagine how violent religious terrorists will be feeling in response to this news and what they might be capable of.

I still don't think the risk of anything happening on an individual level is high enough to be anxious about - I've no doubt that the risk of driving a car in the countryside is higher. But I do worry for the city as a whole.

Original poster
StayorgoLDN · 13/10/2023 13:11

Agapornis · 13/10/2023 13:06

Are you confusing High Street Kensington station with South Kensington station? They are nearly half an hour's walk from each other. Get off at South Kensington (or Knightsbridge, if you want to go to Harrods first) for the Science Museum, Natural History Museum and V&A. South Ken is the closest station. There's usually an 'alight here for museums' announcement on the tube. Harrods' toy department is much nicer than Hamleys.

No one going to the embassy will get off at South Ken, it's too far. You would NOT want to walk from High St Ken station to the museums with young children. I'd never go to a hotel on Ken High St because the protests at the embassy have been happening pretty much every weekend for years and years, and it's a faff to wade through.

FYI the NHM will NOT be quiet on a rainy weekend, hope you've booked an early autism slot.

Originally we were staying closer to HSK but will now bite the bullet and move to a more expensive hotel avoiding that area.

Yep we have the autism slots booked.

OP posts:
GingerKombucha · 13/10/2023 13:12

StayorgoLDN · 13/10/2023 13:06

@MyAnacondaMight

Look to explain this - again.

I realise that we are unlikely to get killed/injured.

My kids are autistic, what this means is that whenever we go on holiday we start preparing with visual schedules from 3 months ahead of time.

We sit them down to explain to them

Day 1: we will travel to the airport in our car, here is what the airport looks like, whenever you get into the airport this is what will happen, then on the plane they will do a safety briefing like this (video), we might get a snack on the plane - discussion of food, whenever we land we will pick up the bags and then exit the airport, here is what the airport in London looks like, we will get a train from X to Z here is what those stations look like, we will have lunch at X destination (has to be preplanned with known menu)…. Etc etc etc

A change in what is expected ie getting off at Gloucester Rd rather than Kensington High st, could result in anything from mild distress and agitation to a complete meltdown, hyperventilation or in the case of one of the children them lashing out and doing a runner.

It depends on what their tolerance level is at the time. For example if there are a few minor changes, probably ok, if substantial which for them would be 2-3 travel changes/missing out on seeing something big in the itinerary this is liable to result in up to 2 days of the holiday to be written off. Thankfully they haven’t had to experience an out of control protest/terrorism disruption, I would imagine this would write off the whole holiday.

I don’t want to spend a few thousand to sit in a hotel room rocking children to calm them thanks.

If your children find it so difficult to deal with a change of plan, a trip to London might be tricky. There are frequent tube delays etc that mean you need to change plans and routes. There are often traffic works or demonstrations of lots of kinds that mean you need to go a different way. I don't think what's going on in Israel/Gaza will make this significantly more likely, it's a fact of life in London and I think you have to be prepared to deal with this at any point.

Sconehenge · 13/10/2023 13:15

This reply has been deleted

This has been deleted by MNHQ for breaking our Talk Guidelines - previously banned poster.

This is misinformation. The day of Jihad is fake news, try googling and you will find zero reputable sources for this.

Timewasterextraordinaire · 13/10/2023 13:17

OP - I’ve been watching the news in horror , I personally don’t think the risk will be any less next year . If you want the London attractions to be part of your children’s memories I would get on and go . Minimise the risk as much as you can and have a plan between you as to how you will get your children to safety in a crisis . My children aren’t autistic but they do need to know the plan . Part of their plan was what to do in a crisis.

CampsieGlamper · 13/10/2023 13:17

Be a good dhimmi, submit to the islamo-fascists. Like fuck I will.

DisquietintheRanks · 13/10/2023 13:18

duchiebun · 13/10/2023 10:31

I was a very young child in London in the late 80s early 90s when the IRA were still around. I survived.

Why on earth would you not have survived the IRA?!

Well they did used to kill people you know. Including children.

@StayorgoLDN you clearly dont want to go so don't go. You have a choice, why are you asking those who don't?

Maatandosiris · 13/10/2023 13:20

Okeydokedeva · 13/10/2023 09:41

Imagine being in london when you are Jewish. They are breaking windows in shops in Golders green. I want to visit an elderly relative but am afraid to come in with my child. I was born here, paid taxes here and now I feel like an outsider. Jews are 250k of population. A tiny minority. No one is talking about us as needing protection or support form the Uk government here in london

I’m so sorry you are experiencing this, you are 100% not an outsider, you belong here. My heart goes out to Jews all round the world. When will people ever learn?

SoRainbowRhythms · 13/10/2023 13:20

GingerKombucha · 13/10/2023 13:12

If your children find it so difficult to deal with a change of plan, a trip to London might be tricky. There are frequent tube delays etc that mean you need to change plans and routes. There are often traffic works or demonstrations of lots of kinds that mean you need to go a different way. I don't think what's going on in Israel/Gaza will make this significantly more likely, it's a fact of life in London and I think you have to be prepared to deal with this at any point.

Show quote history

I thought this too. I commute that way every day - it's always hectic and busy around the museums and the district line is temperamental at best.

Regardless of world events, London is always busy and it's very hard to avoid changing schedules.

Original poster
StayorgoLDN · 13/10/2023 13:20

GingerKombucha · 13/10/2023 13:12

If your children find it so difficult to deal with a change of plan, a trip to London might be tricky. There are frequent tube delays etc that mean you need to change plans and routes. There are often traffic works or demonstrations of lots of kinds that mean you need to go a different way. I don't think what's going on in Israel/Gaza will make this significantly more likely, it's a fact of life in London and I think you have to be prepared to deal with this at any point.

Show quote history

@GingerKombucha I think, if we go, we will position ourselves where everything we see is within 20min walking distance and take a few black cabs where necessary. The idea of frequent tube travel has been squashed, we’ll take the financial hit for peace of mind. As long as we can get a train to and from airport that’ll do.

OP posts:
CloudyAgain · 13/10/2023 13:24

Op to answer your question. I understand your fear and worry. The current threat level for an attack in the UK is 'substantial' which means that an attack is considered likely. This is from the MI5 website.

i also have an autistic child and understand that this makes things other people take for granted (such as planning and getting around unfamiliar places) more stressful and problematic.

I would say that this is an ever-changing scenario.... don't make any decisions now. Work out a timeline where you need to make a decision and just see what happens and how you feel then. But you are right to be wondering and worrying.

socks1107 · 13/10/2023 13:25

I'm here working now, doesn't feel any different to normal but if the anxiety will ruin trip rearrange.
There could be a terrorist attack at any time though

Firebug007 · 13/10/2023 13:27

I'd have thought you'd be fine but if you're anxious just avoid going unless you have to 💐

Firebug007 · 13/10/2023 13:27

CloudyAgain · 13/10/2023 13:24

Op to answer your question. I understand your fear and worry. The current threat level for an attack in the UK is 'substantial' which means that an attack is considered likely. This is from the MI5 website.

i also have an autistic child and understand that this makes things other people take for granted (such as planning and getting around unfamiliar places) more stressful and problematic.

I would say that this is an ever-changing scenario.... don't make any decisions now. Work out a timeline where you need to make a decision and just see what happens and how you feel then. But you are right to be wondering and worrying.

Hasn't it been substantial for about 20 years 🤷‍♀️