25 years ago today I was doing the ironing and listening to local Radio Suffolk when the two presenters suddenly stopped talking.
After that everyone watched their televisions in horror as the events unfolded.
I rang my penfriend in the US even though she lived miles away in Michigan, just needed to check her family were OK and tell her people here in the UK were just as horrified at what had happened.
The after effects of that day are still rumbling on.
Sending condolences to all blog readers in the States who are remembering those events today
It’s my birthday today, as it obviously was then. It’s always there in the background, every year, I feel for those involved, and for everyone involved in wars and terror. So glad I am fortunate enough and privileged enough to live in peaceful surroundings. Ann T Northumberland
ReplyDeleteIt is difficult to believe that it was that long ago. I switched on the tv and thought I was watching a film and only slowly realised it was real. I knew it was happening in a US city, but didn't know which one. I remembered that my sister was due to be at a meeting in downtown Chicago and at that point she rang me and told me that it was New York. I still can't rewatch the footage from that horrible day.
ReplyDeleteI too was ironing what a coincidence and I can remember the shock of it all unfolding, at first I thought it was such a terrible accident but then the second tower was hit and I knew it must be terrorists. Such a dreadful happening. Two years before we holidays in New York and stood in the visitors viewing gallery of one of the towers, remembering that brought me to tears. My thoughts reach out to all who suffered. Sue H
ReplyDeleteWe were in the Fishermen's Mission in Newlyn, Cornwall, having a cup of tea. The TV was on up on the wall. At first I thought it was a film, then asked the staff to turn the sound up. We watched, horrified, together with the staff and a few fishermen. Driving back to St Ives you could tell from the faces of other drivers who had heard and who had not. Terrible, terrible day.
ReplyDeleteA truly horrific day. So many injured and bereaved. So many lives changed.
ReplyDeleteI was on the cardiac ward, all wired up to monitors and drips, and the horrific scenes of 9/11 America were on the silenced television all day and all night, and one of the patients died.
ReplyDeleteYes, it's one of these events where people will remember where they were, or what they were doing, when they heard. I was wallpapering my living room and had moved the tv and radio out of the way, and was just listening to music on my iPod, so hadn't heard any news until my daughter came home from work in the evening (UK time) and asked if war had been declared yet. I thought she was joking about something until she moved the tv back and plugged it in. Even now it makes me cry.
ReplyDeleteI can remember my kids coming home from school (school taxi delivered them to the gate) and watching my little kitchen tv horror-struck and thinking they had somehow stolen empty planes. How wrong I was. A nightmare to see it unfold.
ReplyDeleteThank you for writing this. Our thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims . Unbearably sad.
ReplyDeleteAlison in Devon x
It was a horrific day. I was teaching in Michigan. Just from the teachers in my small school: my cousin/best friend was in the pentagon, my co-worker's cousin died in the twin towers and two co-workers had family (a son and husband) up in planes at the time. All of us in the building had to continue teaching and caring for the children not knowing what was happening or if our loved ones would be safe. All of the love and support from others around the world was one of the few bright spots during that time. Kelly in Michigan
ReplyDeleteI took my 4 children to Battersea Cats and Dogs home that day after school - we were adopting a mother cat and her two 8 week old kittens . I think I heard the 3pm new on Radio 4 describing what at point they thought was a terrible accident . I didn’t have the radio on in the car - too much excited chatter about out new felines on the way there , and too much excited chatter on the way there , and lots of little hands wanting to make a fuss of the cats on the way home . I didn’t routinely take a mobile phone out with me those days …..
ReplyDeleteOnce home my husband called and said turn on the TV . My children were in the play room encouraging the new felines to enjoy their new home and I sat in disbelief staring at the TV
We had been on a family holiday the previous April to New York , and had visited the Towers
All those lives stopped . And all those people who went on to suffer dreadful illnesses as a result of their presence in Lower Manhattan
It was a truly evil act
I went to the 9/11 Memorial and museum a few years ago - a beautiful tribute and so moving . I read the story of a British guy who happened to be in the Towers as a meeting . His body was never recovered but his Sainsburys reward card was - just like the one I had had in my purse . Unbelievably sad
May their memory be a blessing
Miriam
The whole world changed on 9/11.
ReplyDeleteNobody ever imagined such a horrific, unimaginable event could take place.
The new reality (sadly) is heartbreaking.
We will always and forever remember 9/11 and all the lives lost and people injured.
Susan
I was working at Debenhams at the time and watched with growing horror the TV footage during my break. I felt sick for the people involved. So many lives lost and families ruined.
ReplyDeleteAngie
Thank you,Sue,for posting this. It's appreciated. I was at work when the news reports came on,and fairly soon we were sent home. Never ever will that day be forgotten. Living not far from Philadelphia, there was the fear that we would also come under attack. It's a tragedy that still feels close. Again,thank you for remembering and therefore honoring those who died and those who demonstrated great bravery and sacrifice that day. Their numbers are legion.
ReplyDeleteMary from Pennsylvania
We were still in school when the cleaners arrived and told us that the first tower had been hit. We rushed up to the TV room and stood in horror watching the awful events happening. So many people sacrificed their lives that day trying to help others. Many people have since died of the effects of that never to be forgotten day. I was so touched today to see the former presidents and their wives paying their respects. Catriona
ReplyDeleteThank you. We watched it live from the dunes that gave us a view of the Towers. And then the smoke, and the silence.
ReplyDeleteHard to forget those awful scenes. I was home on a day off from work and something made me switch on the televisions, I just couldn't believe what I was seeing. The phone rang it was my brother-in-law asking if I had seen what was happening, we spent ages just talking together whilst we watched events unfold.
ReplyDeleteRemembering that time and listening to the coverage today as I was in the car was very moving. Bringing me to tears as it did when the event was fresh 25 years ago. I was a 4th grade teacher and before I'd heard what had happened parents were arriving at the school office to check out their children. At a break I heard the news and got to watch some of it. We were instructed not to tell our students and to leave that to their parents. This was in Maryland not all that far from DC.
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