Weeping For London
Recording my Experience of Being in London when Terrorists Bombs went off & Killed Fifty Two people injuring over 700 more in 2005!
Being that I am British by Birth & British in my Soul
On this sad day I just wanted to say 'my bit' about what happened in London on Wednesday, March,23rd 2017.
I don't usually put political thoughts on my blog so I won't get too political but I wanted to say how sad I am that another one of these terrorist attacks has happened again.
Totally innocent people , tourists who have saved up to come for a holiday of a lifetime in the beautiful historical city of London, UK.
All enjoying themselves with no knowledge about what was about to happen.
Two American's a Husband and Wife celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary on a trip of a lifetime..their life changed forever as the Wife's Beloved Husband has his life tragically taken away and His Beloved Wife lays in a foreign hospital seriously hurt ...my heart and prayers go out to them and their families.
This must stop ....something has to be done ...Heads of Countries must do something ...what I don't know but I just know it has to STOP !!
My Heart, thoughts, sorrow and prayers go out to everyone that has been effected.
Do not stop going on trips and holidays of a lifetime for then the terrorists have won ...
Keep going and being vigilant but don't give in to them
On this sad day I just wanted to say 'my bit' about what happened in London on Wednesday, March,23rd 2017.
I don't usually put political thoughts on my blog so I won't get too political but I wanted to say how sad I am that another one of these terrorist attacks has happened again.
Totally innocent people , tourists who have saved up to come for a holiday of a lifetime in the beautiful historical city of London, UK.
All enjoying themselves with no knowledge about what was about to happen.
Two American's a Husband and Wife celebrating their 25th Wedding Anniversary on a trip of a lifetime..their life changed forever as the Wife's Beloved Husband has his life tragically taken away and His Beloved Wife lays in a foreign hospital seriously hurt ...my heart and prayers go out to them and their families.
This must stop ....something has to be done ...Heads of Countries must do something ...what I don't know but I just know it has to STOP !!
My Heart, thoughts, sorrow and prayers go out to everyone that has been effected.
Do not stop going on trips and holidays of a lifetime for then the terrorists have won ...
Keep going and being vigilant but don't give in to them
Danny and I experienced bombings in London the London Bombings of the 7th July, 2005 ...you see we were there.
Fifty Two (52) people were killed on that tragic day and over 700 were injured.
We will never ever forget it ...I can relive every moment of it and am forever thankful that we just so happened to be in the safest place we could have been on that day ...God was looking after us very well.
I will tell you how our unforgettable day started from the time we knew that, that day would always be etched in to our memories forever.
I was so excited to show my beautiful Husband Danny this incredible City that I loved and had visited so many times in my life ...
To show it off to him to see the delight in his lovely American eyes ...to see the wonder of it, knowing that he just loves history and never thought he would ever come over to that side of the pond.
After a wonderful time spent in Guernsey with our lovely boys and loved family and on the way back to catching our plane in London back to the States we had decided to spend several days in London.
So that day we woke up had breakfast and Danny chose the first place he wanted to see that day ...it was the Winston Churchill War Rooms in the War Tunnels way below ground underneath the White Hall area of London ....so you see we were in the safest place we could have been.
We were in there for ages as Danny wanted to read and discover everything he could and he was well impressed with it all ....such a lovely few hours ..little did we know....
Fifty Two (52) people were killed on that tragic day and over 700 were injured.
We will never ever forget it ...I can relive every moment of it and am forever thankful that we just so happened to be in the safest place we could have been on that day ...God was looking after us very well.
I will tell you how our unforgettable day started from the time we knew that, that day would always be etched in to our memories forever.
I was so excited to show my beautiful Husband Danny this incredible City that I loved and had visited so many times in my life ...
To show it off to him to see the delight in his lovely American eyes ...to see the wonder of it, knowing that he just loves history and never thought he would ever come over to that side of the pond.
After a wonderful time spent in Guernsey with our lovely boys and loved family and on the way back to catching our plane in London back to the States we had decided to spend several days in London.
So that day we woke up had breakfast and Danny chose the first place he wanted to see that day ...it was the Winston Churchill War Rooms in the War Tunnels way below ground underneath the White Hall area of London ....so you see we were in the safest place we could have been.
We were in there for ages as Danny wanted to read and discover everything he could and he was well impressed with it all ....such a lovely few hours ..little did we know....
 Here a photo's of some of the rooms within the tunnels ... |  This is the map room. |
These are some of the offices ...you also saw Sir Winston Churchills bedroom, Lady Churchill's bedroom and so much more ...it was very , very interesting, wearing earphones attached to a tape recorder telling you all that you needed to know ..
Now it was time to go and visit the London Eye ...as we emerged out in to the London sunshine our phones started to ring immediately ....
On answering there was my Son ...asking me where was I , what had happened, were we ok, why didn't we answer our phones ????
Then he told us ....that there had been a bombing in the train in the tube underground tunnels ...like the Metro in France or the Subway in New York ...and that a double decker bus had been blown up and there were lots of people dead and injured.
Since he hadn't been able to get hold of us they were fearing the worst ...similar calls came in from America from the American family .
But we were very pleased to tell them that we were fine and had been oblivious of anything happening ...no one in the tunnels had ever told us anything ..so perhaps they were all oblivious too.
We were so saddened by it all .
We noticed that the air was just full of whaling sirens ...everywhere and soon became aware of how serious this was...
The emergency ambulances, police, firetrucks,were driving at top speeds through the London traffic and people were running everywhere ....
People looked shocked all around us ...running, running though we had no idea where or what they were running too or from ...
It was out of some crazy disaster movie ...so surreal ...what on earth was happening ??
Are we safe ...which way is safe, shall we go left or right ???
Should we go for safety ?
What to do ? what to do?
On answering there was my Son ...asking me where was I , what had happened, were we ok, why didn't we answer our phones ????
Then he told us ....that there had been a bombing in the train in the tube underground tunnels ...like the Metro in France or the Subway in New York ...and that a double decker bus had been blown up and there were lots of people dead and injured.
Since he hadn't been able to get hold of us they were fearing the worst ...similar calls came in from America from the American family .
But we were very pleased to tell them that we were fine and had been oblivious of anything happening ...no one in the tunnels had ever told us anything ..so perhaps they were all oblivious too.
We were so saddened by it all .
We noticed that the air was just full of whaling sirens ...everywhere and soon became aware of how serious this was...
The emergency ambulances, police, firetrucks,were driving at top speeds through the London traffic and people were running everywhere ....
People looked shocked all around us ...running, running though we had no idea where or what they were running too or from ...
It was out of some crazy disaster movie ...so surreal ...what on earth was happening ??
Are we safe ...which way is safe, shall we go left or right ???
Should we go for safety ?
What to do ? what to do?
So we eventually we crossed the Westminster Bridge (the same one that the terrorist incident yesterday happened on) ...looking around us all the time , for what we didn't know but we looked anyway.
Danny enjoyed looking at Parliament and Big Ben and then we went to look at the London Eye but didn't go on it ...just felt it may not be safe ...
Siren's still filling the air.
People running, has stopped.
Breath !!
Then we went back over the Bridge to White Hall and decided it was time to go for a little lunch.
We go in the Pubs in London as they have the best food and the cheapest food ...usually in ancient buildings where highway men etc...used to frequent and wonderful oak beams on the ceilings all the history that Danny craves.
Danny enjoyed looking at Parliament and Big Ben and then we went to look at the London Eye but didn't go on it ...just felt it may not be safe ...
Siren's still filling the air.
People running, has stopped.
Breath !!
Then we went back over the Bridge to White Hall and decided it was time to go for a little lunch.
We go in the Pubs in London as they have the best food and the cheapest food ...usually in ancient buildings where highway men etc...used to frequent and wonderful oak beams on the ceilings all the history that Danny craves.
 |  |
We entered this lovely Pub called the Red Lion (Westminster)
As early as 1434, a tavern known as the Hopping Hall existed in this location.
In the Victorian Era, a pub called the Red Lion standing on this spot was visited by Charles Dickens as a young boy.
We ordered a lovely meal and we were waiting for it to arrive.
When we noticed a lot of hustle and bustle
and goings on outside in the street by the pub along whitehall.
Coming from the Prime Minister's House at 10 Downing Street
Just across the street to the right.
A policeman entered the pub;
And spoke to the barman.
Then immediately we noticed him go outside;
The two doors were then locked and policemen
stationed at each door outside.
So we were now locked in a pub in the heart of Whitehall
On a day where terrorists were terrorizing London !!
As early as 1434, a tavern known as the Hopping Hall existed in this location.
In the Victorian Era, a pub called the Red Lion standing on this spot was visited by Charles Dickens as a young boy.
We ordered a lovely meal and we were waiting for it to arrive.
When we noticed a lot of hustle and bustle
and goings on outside in the street by the pub along whitehall.
Coming from the Prime Minister's House at 10 Downing Street
Just across the street to the right.
A policeman entered the pub;
And spoke to the barman.
Then immediately we noticed him go outside;
The two doors were then locked and policemen
stationed at each door outside.
So we were now locked in a pub in the heart of Whitehall
On a day where terrorists were terrorizing London !!
No one told any of us what was happening!
I knew that adrenaline was happening within me;
Questions unanswered;
Nor did we ask.
Not panic but just wondering also perhaps comforted
That there were Policemen guarding us ...on each door.
We had our food by then.
Still wondering.
Danny and I noticed that the street traffic, which is very noisy and busy in London.
Was no longer noisy ..nor was it any longer there ??
What on earth could have stopped the busy streets around Whitehall, Houses of Parliament etc ?
We couldn't see as the bottom of the windows were frosted over.
So Danny went upstairs to use the bathroom,
Looked outside and not a thing was out in the street,
Not a car,
Not a taxi,
Not a bus,
Not a Person of any kind ??
Everyone just carried on eating their meals, drinking their drinks
As if nothing was happening ..but I am sure they were all wondering too ,
Some would say it was their dream to be locked in a pub
But to me , drinking an orange juice, I could think of better dreams
All of a sudden the doors were unlocked
The police vanished
And we were told by way of the news on the television
That a man was seen running very fast with a ruck sack on his back
Past the Prime Ministers residence
The terrorists had bombs in their ruck sacks and they ran too
So they cleared Whitehall and the all clear came
When they realized after questioning this man that he was simply late
And running to wherever he was going ...nothing bomb like was in the ruck sack
But of course they had to check for bombs so hence the shut down.
We gingerly enjoyed the rest of our day in London
But never without the sadness of what had happened that day.
I knew that adrenaline was happening within me;
Questions unanswered;
Nor did we ask.
Not panic but just wondering also perhaps comforted
That there were Policemen guarding us ...on each door.
We had our food by then.
Still wondering.
Danny and I noticed that the street traffic, which is very noisy and busy in London.
Was no longer noisy ..nor was it any longer there ??
What on earth could have stopped the busy streets around Whitehall, Houses of Parliament etc ?
We couldn't see as the bottom of the windows were frosted over.
So Danny went upstairs to use the bathroom,
Looked outside and not a thing was out in the street,
Not a car,
Not a taxi,
Not a bus,
Not a Person of any kind ??
Everyone just carried on eating their meals, drinking their drinks
As if nothing was happening ..but I am sure they were all wondering too ,
Some would say it was their dream to be locked in a pub
But to me , drinking an orange juice, I could think of better dreams
All of a sudden the doors were unlocked
The police vanished
And we were told by way of the news on the television
That a man was seen running very fast with a ruck sack on his back
Past the Prime Ministers residence
The terrorists had bombs in their ruck sacks and they ran too
So they cleared Whitehall and the all clear came
When they realized after questioning this man that he was simply late
And running to wherever he was going ...nothing bomb like was in the ruck sack
But of course they had to check for bombs so hence the shut down.
We gingerly enjoyed the rest of our day in London
But never without the sadness of what had happened that day.
So my heart goes out to all involved in yesterday's terror attack,
The victims,
The families,
The people that witnessed such terror
And the family of the brave Policeman
Who ran towards danger to save others
Rest in Peace PC Keith Palmer
Stay safe and vigilant everyone
Janet
The victims,
The families,
The people that witnessed such terror
And the family of the brave Policeman
Who ran towards danger to save others
Rest in Peace PC Keith Palmer
Stay safe and vigilant everyone
Janet
