Return to Terror after Short Break

Hello - after a while.

The terror bombing and its aftermath in London continues. This has been written in haste and will be updated as more news develops - I had a short break last week, coming back on 21/7/05 - the day we had the second terror scare in London. (About Tom - he is safely out of it - in his Kent rehab, thankfully doing really OK - more on him later!) Some writers here, and maybe abroad, have been saying some people here are making too much fuss - after all it was not as bad as 9/11. But 52 dead, in 4 public transport carriages is bad enough!!

Anyway - now for my own tale. On 21/7 I was caught up in the fear and confusion in London. Coming home by express train from Edinburgh, Scotland - had truly enjoyed my short break with hill walking (wonderful - I will describe that in another blog entry). After an hour on the train, I was sitting, just reading the paper and eating sandwiches - then an announcement came over the intercom. There was a new security situation in London - and all the tube lines were closed. Further announcements would follow. Of course everyone then called home or to their offices on their mobile (cell) phones. I rang D., after 5 minutes alone to collect my thoughts. Inthat time I went to the station toilet and prayed to God that we would be OK, and for Him to protect all those travelling on my train!

D. told me on my phone that he thought some tubes were open and I would get home to Twickenham (in Richmond, SW London) OK. But I was sceptical. I had a tube and road map of London with me - I studied it and realised I could walk with my own light luggage to Waterloo from Kings Cross - the site of one earlier terrible blast on 7/7. When we got out, I found there was no tube available from there - few were operating. I began walking, past the site of the earlier bombings - past floral tributes, messages and photos of the lost - then managed to get on a 68 bus near Tavistock Square - another serious bombing site. We were squashed in like sardines. I made it to Waterloo Station - somehow, past cordoned-off areas in the Strand and Russell Square. Got a surburban train home - what relief! Then I watched the story unfold on our TV news at home.

The day after that, on the Friday we had the horror of an innocent young man being shot dead on a tube train - mistaken for an Asian or Muslim terrorist. He was Brazilian, and probably Christian. It is understandable that our London cops did this - they must have been under pressure, and with some reason to suspect him. But it makes one scared. I've since been avoiding using a rucksack (which I often use - and it is possible that a woman might be a suspect before long) on the train or bus, and have avoided the tube where I could - that is not completely possible. I use the overground train to go to London twice a week for my church. Then walk and sometimes use a bus - though that can be scary too (as a London bus was bombed - many of us don't go upstairs or sit at the back if possible. My husband D. does not now go up to London - he went once in January last when Tom was in rehab up in Camberwell, SE5 - but now he only drives out of town. I don't blame him!

I heard today (27/7) that more people were newly arrested in Birmingham - in the Midlands; and 1 (an actual bomber)was taken in London recently. That sounds good for now - but I doubt if that will be the end of it; no doubt more fanatical terrorists will follow their example... We will have to carry on our daily lives in a different, moe cautious and risk-aware way. That is 'it' for now - a quick update. Many other Londoners could be like me - I'm sure most of us are scared, despite the widespread media invocation of the Blitz (a different type of threat anyway) - saying you're not is just bravado. But life has to go on.

Love & peace - Tigey