7/7 - where were you?

[CuppaTeaAndAJammieDodger]

Just realised it's the 7th anniversary of the 7/7 London bombings tomorrow.

I haven't thought about that day for some time now, but for a long time after there wasn't much else I could think about. Here's my recollection of the day.

I was on my way to a primary school outside of London to do some user testing for a course my company had developed and was en route between Bethnal Green, where I lived, and Waterloo.

I walked in to Liverpool Street Station and down in to the ticket area of the tube and made my way on to the eastbound platform just as a circle line train was pulling in. I was running pretty early so decided to grab a can of coke to wake me up from the kiosk on the platform, and let that train go by without me. Not long after the train had fully left the station there was a whooshing sound, soon followed by (which really stayed with me) a smell of burning (plastic or something).

A kind of controlled panic ensued, nobody knew what had happened, we all started getting off the platform as quickly as possible and the staff were ushering everyone out of the station. by the time I managed to get outside the emergency services were arriving. I had no idea what to do so just started walking to Waterloo, desperately trying to get a news feed up on my phone to see what was going on (this was 2005 - no smart phones back then!) but couldn't. It wasn't until I arrived at Waterloo that I found out what had happened and was told that I could leave London, but I wouldn't be getting back in today, so I decided to cancel the testing, make my way home and work from there.

I started to make my way, again on foot (public transport had obviously completely shut down), but every street I walked down seem to be being cordoned off by the police and I found myself walking further and further trying to find a route, then it started raining. Finally I managed to get to Bethnal Green Road after walking for what felt like hours, my mum managed to get through to me on my mobile after hours of trying, as soon as I heard her voice I just sat down on the curb and started crying - the gravity of the situation just hit me.

Took me a while to realise that that decision to have a can of coke could have potentially saved my life (dependent on what carriage I'd got on of course) - the ironic thing is I don't drink the stuff any more as I can't have caffeine due to panic attacks/anxiety issues.

Wow - that was long, sorry if I've bored you to death! That was the first time I've written down in detail what happened that day, rather cathartic really.

Interested to hear your memories of the day.

I was in the Navy on basic training. We were walking on the moors, and they pulled us all back to HMS Raleigh on lockdown. A lot of people had families living in Central London and didn't know if they were safe.

in a soft play area with my dc's who were 5 and 3 years old at the time. Someone turned the telly up and everyone was gathered around a woman whose husband could have been on one of the tubes, but thankfully wasn't. It took her ages to confirm he was ok and she was very very upset. Later on, dh told me that his friends wife was on the Kings Cross tube which was blown up. She moved down the platform, to where it was less busy.. and that was probably what saved her life.

I do use the tube, regularly, with my dc too. It's not something I really think about anymore. I didn't feel comfortable for a few months afterwards though. I worth about the Olympics too. Will probably avoid when they are on.

Worry not worth

I was on a bed watch at The Whittington - one of the girls from my wing gave birth and I was the first to hold him :) Getting home when my shift ended was a bloody nightmare though (working NW london when you live in SW london and relying on public transport not good at the best of times)

I never used buses in town, but was on the picadilly line every day for work. It was scary getting back on that once you could - although easy to get a seat! It was some time before the carriages started filling up again.

I still use the tube, I didn't stop. I don't love it but that's more because of the heat and all the people. I don't really think about it any more.

The problem with living and working in London is that it's always going to be a target. My parents worked on Victoria st (by the Houses of Parliament) and at Canary Wharf (in 1 Canada Sq) respectively when 9/11 happened and it does scare you because they're both big potential terrorist targets - but short of packing it all in and living in the middle of nowhere, you can't do anything about it so you just have to go to work each day and hope for the best.

I know someone who was in the Kings Cross fire though and he doesn't use the tube any more. His employer accepts that and allows him to put taxis through his expenses.

On an overground going into Liverpool street .
As soon as it arrived, there was a anoouncement to get out of the station.
I walked to my office in the Minories. I t was really eerie and the were closing the roads off behind me.
I got to the office and our office was the last building inside the policeline. We were not allowed to leave until the afternoon. I ended up going to my mums house in south london. Thankfully Dh was working locally and could collect dcs from school .

I was at home when it flashed up on the tv. Watched the news in disbelief. Had many calls from family in case we had gone to great ormond street hospital that day (ds1 appointment was the following week).

I was on the Central line, heading to a meeting at White City. We all got turfed off the train after 1 stop and I walked on foot from Chancery Lane to Tottenham Court Road. I noticed no taxis anywhere with lights on.

I got through to my client on the phone and she told me to go home, the meeting was cancelled & there had been an explosion at Kings Cross. I said 'I'm only 10 minutes from the office, I'll walk there'; she said 'no, I think you should go home', but I had a very strong instinct to get to the nearest place that was safe, and that was the office, not home.

My office was only a few streets from Tavistock Sq so my colleagues heard the blast but I didn't, as I was walking from the other direction (I purposely took the back streets).

We were kept in the office all day for our safety, and to keep the roads clear for ambulances (we were very close to UCH) - all we could hear were sirens all day.

These days, I get on the tube if there is no choice, but I avoid it if I can.

I just sat in my flat in SE London in disbelief. I was listening to Radio London as the news was breaking....it went from a phone call about travel distruption to basically all unfolding on air. I was meant to be going in to town for a meeting but ended up staying at home and being thankful I was nowhere near it. Met up with friends later in the pub and even Brixton seemed to have a subdued air about it.

"All you Londoners, do you still go on the tube?"
Yes, every working day I pass through Aldgate tube station. The day after 7/7 I had to get the Central Line instead ... and I can't remember how long it took until the Circle Line was back in operation.
I worked in London through most of the IRA bomb attacks as well.

Shit, bisjo, just... Shit.

I had just got to work near St Pauls and was doing my rounds. Had my mobile and saw my dad trying to ring me but was getting cut off after one ring. After the 10th time got quite worried and went back to my office where I heard about the power surge. Finally got through to me dad and he was almost crying when he heard me. I told him not to be silly because it was just a power surge. He said "it's not a power surge, it's a bombing attack."

I reported this to my office and they scoffed but we turned the radio on and heard about the other explosions. My DH worked next to Liverpool street and would have been on the tube. I was hysterical trying to call him as I xouldn't reach him but just as I was leaving the office to go looking f

Whoops

For him he called - he'd been a bit late so had
Missed the tube and walked in, and seen people being brought up.

Really eerie going home that evening - overground trains were running from our station and no one sp

Oh FFS

Spoke a word. A big burly bloke burst into tears getting on the train. Train was absolutely silent. Scariest day if our lives, and still breaks our heart thinking about those who were murdered so casually.

I was at home. My brother lived near London and took the tube into work every morning. When the news came through I tried to phone him, but couldn't get through. He was trapped on the tube for ages then stranded in London the rest of the day. He also lost a colleague. He still has panic attacks.

I've been conscious of today because he and family are coming round later, and it's going to be hard :(

I was on a tiny island just north of Lombok in Indonesia. We were all chilling out having some beers and just remember seeing this girl running down the path yelling "London's been blown up, London's been blown up!" - took me half an hour to get throu to my dad who told me what had happened and then told me he couldn't talk for long as he hadn't gotten through to my mum, brother and sister who all work in town. They were all fine but being a million miles away with no information was hard, completely helpless.
The locals were incredible though, hooked up a satellite link so we could watch BBC for some information.

There were several moments when I thought I was going to die. Ds was 12 months old and I worried about leaving him an orphan. I remember thinking I would die and then thinking that there was no way I could die and I must do everything I could to survive. For me that meant trying to calm people in my part of the carriage as I was worried about mass hysteria. Not helped by what we could see and hear from the bombed carriage and how damaged our part of the carriage was. That will never leave me but I've managed to move on. This anniversary is particularly hard because of the Olympics (the bomb happened the day after we were awarded the Games so whenever I see that tv clip of the announcement it takes me straight back to 7/7.).

I should have been at BMA House - the bus bomb blew up right outside. Thankfully I was working from home instead - last minute decision. All those middle aged GPs I only know as sources of quotes about health politics or medicine, and who hadn't worked in A&E since their early 20s were suddenly thrust into the middle of a real emergency. Thankfully Peter Holden, a GP who has a particular interest in emergency response, was there and led his colleagues. But I'm not sure anything can prepare you for that.

Couldn't get hold of dh, or my friend's sister who also worked at BMA House - thankfully turns out she was so badly delayed by all the transport chaos she was miles away at the time.

I was in DH's (then boyfriend's house)
friend from abroad phoned to ask if I was okay, wasn't on the UK news yet but was on the news abroad (BBC hadn't decided what angle to spin on it yes , god forbid they just report the facts as known at the time with no opinion either way)
Then the ambulances started flying past (DH lived beside the dual carraigeway)
Then it was AGES before much was on the UK news, so I phoned family to say we were fine before the news broke and the mobile networks got over loaded.

once it was on the news I sat hoping my phone wouldn't ring, My workplace was involved but I was very new there and not yet confident with easy tasks there let alone a major incident! It didn't ring.

I was at home because I was only working 3 days a week as part of my maternity package. I'd been at work the day before. My office was on High Holborn and I used to get the bus down from Euston, past Tavistock Square and Russell Square. Our company had offices in both those squares and my team were often in and out of them setting up meetings. Thankfully no-one from my team was injured but I'm always glad that I wasn't in the office that day.

Got on the Bakerloo line at Waterloo headed for Picadilly Circus. Tube never left Waterloo and after what felt like ages an announcement asked us to leave the tube and the station. Walked to work in Soho where the tv screen in the foyer was just starting to report.
My mother was beside herself because my sister was working in town that day too and she didn't hear from either of us until later that day. Security at work were a bit heavy handed and threatening to lock down the building and not let us leave. Still to this day don't understand that. The first two hours at work were awful. A good friend of mine travelled in on the H&C and could not be contacted. She was a bit overwhelmed by the response she received when she finally made it in.
I remember watching the news when I got home later that evening and feeling so conflicted. It felt wrong to be sobbing and crying because ultimately me and mine were fine and others were not. I can't quite articulate how I felt.

It's so chilling thinking back to that day, it should be recognised on the news today, surely?

I remember being evacuated from the tube at Westminster. I called my DP to tell him, I was on my way to a meeting and cheesed off. He was in Farringdon and said it's not a power surge it's a bomb, he said it was going crazy there with emergency services.

I called a friend who worked in Westminster and we went for a coffee. Things started to feel a bit scary as police cars flew past, sirens blazing constantly. She is Irish and started telling me stories of bombs she had seen back home. I decided it was time to head home.

By now my mobile wasn't working, I couldn't get hold of DP. I caught a bus, it was packed, my mum called me panicking and told me what had happened, I said I was okay and on a bus, she said 'but they just bombed a bus!'

I remember walking over Waterloo bridge towards the London Eye. Speeding along the river was a police boat with guys all in black with massive machine guns!! They were checking under the bridge for bombs, now I was scared. Weirdly, I remember the London Eye was still operating.

I walked back to our flat in Bermondsey and put the news on. I couldn't get through to DP still, but he was okay. I have never heard so many sirens in my life as that afternoon.

Next day I was back at work in Stratford, 48 hours we had stood outside the station and celebrated the Olympic bid. Crazy.

My colleague's sister was on the bus at Tabistock Square, she survived.

We were at home. DH had come off nightshift as it was also the G8 summit at Gleneagles.

I had to wake him as our neice was in London working short term (she was here from Australia) and I couldn't get hold of her. Tried for about an hour. Woke DH who was in quite a state and had to call family in Australia.

Turns out she'd gone off to Oxford for a conference that day at the last minute. She had been on one of the tube lines a couple of hours before.

Just quickly to Cuppa - no bad memories at all. I just realised that I had blanked it all out, as if I wasn't part of it.