Wednesday, July 13, 2005
STILL, WE ARE NOT AFRAID
Visited the Memorial Garden in Victoria Embankment Gardens and signed the condolence book.
Why?
Did it make me feel good? Was I doing my part? Is my conscious clear? Am I suffering from mass hysteria?
More here.
:: Posted by pete @ Monday, July 11, 2005
UNCONSCIOUS MUTTERINGS
Do-it-yourself :: painting and decorating
Pickpocket :: Fagan
Ballet :: school
Resumé :: CV
Phenom :: ten minute arm
Love/Hate :: Sis/Dad
Unusual :: wierd
Intense :: pressure
Interruption :: fish slice
Not enough :: wanting
Friday, July 08, 2005
THE DAY AFTER
We go on.
We have to. You cannot spend the rest of your life living in fear. You do learn to cope. Those of us who lived through the 80s and 90s, when the IRA London bombing campaign was at its height, coped.
It isn’t easy. There are constant reminders of the state of security. Frequent false alarms. Packages left on train platforms. Telephone threats. Hoaxes.
Today started slowly. Trains into London were much less busy than usual, even accounting for it being a Friday in July. Victoria station, whilst not quite a ghost town, was hardly the bustling hub of norm.
The District Line was busy, but that was probably a spill over from the closed lines.
Around my office, the roads and pavements were still. Since 9:00am it’s picked up a bit. Seeing buses crawl along the Strand is kind of spooky. I found myself looking for suspicious movements on board. But, there were few passengers.
There has been a bit frustrating lack of additional information on what happened yesterday. The only news being reported is people’s eyewitness accounts and the casualty toll. I expect there will be police briefings soon to catch the evening news bulletins.
Still no pictures from the train blasts (thankfully?). Who knows, there may still be dead on one of the trains in the deep level tunnel.
The mood is a sense of shock, but also of resolve. The guy in my local coffee shop was defiant.
Unfortunately, I came across the first evidence of hate postings this morning on another blog. I won’t give them the benefit of publicity.
The kindness of strangers has been evident, particularly in chat rooms etc.
Everywhere the police presence is greater. At every platform this morning, I saw at least two policemen. There's probably little that they can do. Their presence is symbolic.
As I type these last words, two mounted police clip-clop by for the third time.
Here's hoping it is a trouble free return to home tonight. I'm not looking forward to travelling on a deep level tube.
Thursday, July 07, 2005
TODAY WAS WHEN
Ok, no politics.
People went to work as normal today. Some didn't come home.
I'm lucky. I'm unaffected. I just had the inconvenience of a long walk to catch a train. Others, minding their own business, were not so lucky.
I've lived through many years of IRA attacks. Back in the 90s I heard the mortar attacks on 10 Downing Street, where my ex-wife was working. That was too close.
I heard today's fourth explosion.
The thought that atmosphere of those dark days has returned is not pleasant. But, we'll go in here in London. Like New York. Like Madrid. Tokyo. Hey, even Paris (despite what some people here think of Chirac and the Olympic contest).
Those that wish to disrupt our lives will not win. People will die or be maimed. We won't change. We will not be intimidated. Yes, there are wider issues. There are political issues that need to be addressed.
For now, we'll bury the dead. Tend the wounded. Comfort those who've lost someone. Counsel those who survived.
---
"...not a matter of if, but of when..."
Wednesday, July 06, 2005
STRANGE BUT TRUE
True headlines from an e-mail newsletter:
German Plane Lands On Speeding Porsche
Air France Plane Hits Cow In Nigeria
Plane Stuck In Mud Keeps Angkor Wat Airport Shut
F THE BID UPDATE
Fuck.
[In the style of American TV local news] Film at 11.
Update Pictures from Trafalgar Square:
The reality sinks in across the Channel.
The final say to capitalism.
Tuesday, July 05, 2005
F@CK THE BID
Just a few more hours until (I hope) London is put out of its misery and loses the 2012 Olympic bid to Paris.
Olympics in London, as I've blogged before: lovely idea, but no thanks. Don't want to pay. Don't trust the Government that it will be on budget. Economic case a load of bollocks. Don't need a new stadium in London (see Wembley and, (cough cough) Arsenal). The transport cannot (javelin trains or not) cope. Bogus benefits for East London: don't need the Olympics to deliver these. Only this morning a reminder of our last major showcase public project - the Millennium Dome.
Residents of New York has successfully killed the NYC12 bid. What's stopped the sensible London populus? Why have we been hoodwinked by sleazy Seb Coe. Mayor Ken should know better.
I'll be in Trafalgar Square tomorrow lunchtime. The whoop you here will be me when Paris is announced as the winner.
Meanwhile: still time to fuck the bid.
TWELVE NINE EIGHT APOSTLES
Off the coast of Victoria, Australia sit - or at least sat until a few days aog - the Twelve Apostles. Unfortunately, there were appararently only ever nine limestone sea stacks. But, they remain an icon, adorning Oz guidebooks and travel pages.
We visited the Twelve Apostles last October. Windy and rainy, it was still a striking site.
Well, one of the sea stacks collapsed a day or two ago. Fortunately no one hurt. No plans to reconstruct the stack as far as I know.
Part of one of Australia's most famous natural landmarks has been reduced to a pile of rubble after one of the ruggedly beautiful Twelve Apostles rock pillars collapsed in front of stunned onlookers.