Where were you on........Sept 11th 2001

[teaboy]

In New York on holiday. Won't forget that one!

 

[MRRF 10]

I was at school, got home about 4 and turned on telly and saw what I thought was a disaater film, so i went on the computer then my dad came in and told me about it.
Nearly two years ago, hard to believe, feels like yesterday.

 

[fleet]

I found out from SCR as I was driving to Brighton to watch us play Southampton in the cup. Was hard to get involved in a football match that day!

 

[Curious Orange]

I was busy writing some test scripts when news went round the office (in no more than a couple of minutes) of what was going on. A TV was hurriedly set up in the rest area and I ended up watching the second tower collapsing with the chief underwriter. He was quite often out at GE's offices in New York, so his mobile was going off every other minute with people checking where he was.

Went to the game, and even by Withdean standards it was a very odd atmosphere.

It was also my sister's birthday, so I don't reckon she'll ever forget it.

 

[Harold]

Was on train on way into Brighton for game. Mate rang me to ask if I was watching what was happening. Got to Brighton and sat in Finnegans wake having a few jars and watching the news updates. Scenes that I'll never forget.

 

[Brady's Old Lady]

I was just about to leave my building to go to a meeting in another building. Someone mentioned that a plane had hit the WTC. Like a lot of people I thought they meant a light aircraft. On the way to my meeting went past a Dixons, and people were just pavement deep looking at the TV in the window. Got to the other building and the security guards said that the first tower had collapsed, and a plane had hit the other tower. The meeting took place but was very subdued. I then noticed that all the pictures in the meeting room were of NY, each one featuring the Twin Towers prominently.

 

[Italiaseagull]

I was watching Jerry Springer, I got bored so flicked channels and saw the second plane hitting the towers. I thought it was a movie or something, then it clicked.

 

[Withdean and I]

I had just got in my car at approx 1.55pm to drive back to the farm. Heard that a plane had hit one tower (giving me goosebumps just writing it). Got to work at 2pm to load up a trailer of Free Range hens for a delivery to East Hoathly. My Dad and brother and our farm manager were there.

I got out and (with shock on face) said that something unbelievable was going on in New York. We left 5 Live on the radio while we were loading the hens and it was awful.

On way to delivery we heard the first tower fall. Then while unloading we heard the second tower fall. Shock was the word.
Got home and just sat in front TV trying to take it in. There were a few tears as I remember because our daughter was only 6 months old then and we wondered what sort of a world she was coming into.

There is a lot of good out there and there is a lot of bad. As someone once said. Evil flourishes when Good men stand by and do nothing.

I don't know if the right thing is being done by attacking Afghanistan and Iraq. The innocent are suffering big time!

The world needs a lot more love in it!

 

[marvin]

Just leaving Birmingham on route to Brighton for a football match.

Took very few pictures spent most of the time on the mobile trying to help my son who was trying to help his nan locate her partners son who worked in the towers.

 

[Legend]

I was at work. We had the radio on in the background,but was not taking too much notice of what was going on. Wife picked me up from work and asked me if I had heard what was going on. I innocently replied that I had heard something about a stock market crash or something. I was totally shocked when she told me what had happened. Still sends shivers down the spine even now.

 

[Normal Rob]

I was working in London. I came out of a meeting at about 2pm to bump into a mate who told me the news about the WTC and that several otherplanes were up in the air suspected to be on similar missions. Then i remember being in Paddington station surrounded by people in pin stripes as the financial district had been shut early as a precaution.

I also remember being very scared about what might happen next.

 

[Lush]

Heard it on the radio going to pick up the kids from school. Rushed home to hear the story on the news. Remember seeing the bodies falling from the building, although I think that was soon edited out.

Remember coming on NSC, when the first concerns about Ricky Marlowe's Hairpiece were being voiced (R.I.P Robert).

Then got the news that my sister had given birth at Brighton Hospital.

Sam. Born 11th Sept 2001....

And so, life begins anew.....

 

[BrightonFoxDave]

At work, Haywards Heath, Insurance company.

Someone turned round and said "A planes just hit the WTC" and I remember thinking how on earth could anyone crash in to one of those towers, they're huge. Then we heard that the other tower had been hit and then it sank home.

We share our internet link with one of our London offices and the underwriters and office staff up there must have saturated the link as we couldn't get near any of the news sites. We set up a standalone PC with dialup to try to get anything at all, but we got nowhere as the net was at melting point, so I had to wait till I got home to see the horrors for myself. No-one at our place was working that afternoon, there was a lot of quiet reflection over the next few days, very very surreal.

One of our offices in NYC was evacuated and was affected for a long time, as it was very close to ground zero.

 

[Grizz]

I was in a hotel just south of Central park in New York after flying in from Washington the night before. Our original lunchtime flight from Washington had been cancelled because of the thunderstorms raging over New York and they said we'd more than likely have to stay there until the following day. We waited and waited and got the last 2 seats on the last flight to La Guardia that evening landing about midnight in New York.

Never heard a thing until we got up to go to breakfast at about 10am. Switched on the tv and saw the second plane slam into the tower. I thought, christ its early for a spoof movie on the tele and then they cut back to the news desk. I sat there numb for a couple of minutes and then ran as fast as my legs could carry me to the nearest phone box to call home. Luckily i got thru first time and its the only time i've heard my old man cry. They had feared the worst since we'd planned to do all the touristy bits early in the morning and were meant to be on the first boat to the Statue of Liberty, but due to the cancelled flights etc we were shattered and didn't make it.

A unique experience, very scary at first, nothing puts the fear of God into you than seeing F16's flying low over New York, but after the first two days all i wanted to do was get out of there and home as quickly as possible. Unfortunately that wasn't to be for another 4 days.

Grizz

 

[Seagulls over Lewes]

I was in the Brewers Arms in Lewes having a crafty beer before picking up my boy from playschool. One of the bar men came round to the front bar where there is no telly and said about the first plane hit in the first tower. By this time I had to go and get my boy so when I got home I told my wife and we switched on Sky news by which time the second plane had hit. We just watched in silence.

I remember my little boy seeing it and saying about the plane hitting the build two to three weeks later and thinking he doesn't even no whats going on yet his saying it in a somber way rather than a action packed movie type of way.

Robert Eaton R.I.P.[B/]

 

[GUNTER]

I was on the observation platform on tower 2

 

[oapdodge]

At work,got phone call then we all listened to the radio.
Didn't we have a match that night?

 

[Lord Bracknell]

In New York on holiday. Won't forget that one!

Yes, Dan.

And neither will I. But tell the truth - you were staying in Greenwich Village, about a mile from the WTC - and managed not to notice anything going on until mid morning.

Meanwhile, I was in the Bar Mariuccia in Montalcino (Italy) - a place I lived in for fifteen months back in the 1970s. Surrounded by a group of about 10 American tourists who were trying to make sense of what was being reported on Italian TV. As the only English speaker there who had any Italian, I was trying to provide some sort of translation as events unfolded. And none of it made much sense, because there was no context to put things in. The New Yorkers in the party, in particular, were - naturally enough - getting seriously upset by what they were watching.

All this while I was worrying about the likelihood that the teaboy and his girlfriend might have got out of bed early enough to wander down into Lower Manhattan to take in a tall building or two. Thankfully, they hadn't. But it was 24 hours before we got a reassuring text message.

A dramatic day for us mere onlookers. But nothing compared with the experience of others.

 

[Wilts]

I was in work at Deloitte and Touche in Reading, and heard something that the managers were all watching it on telly. After hearing the day before that the Queen Mum had died (a hoax), we didn't believe it at all. Then I got a phone call from my girlfriend (in tears) who was in love with America and New York, having been on holiday there a few years earlier.

Then I went to Reading vs West Ham at the Madejski in the evening, where we beat them 6-5 on penalties in front of 24,000, which at the time was a bit of a giantkilling with them 4th in the Premiership (now we're in the same division - mad!). Adie Viveash had not played a game for nearly a year following a traumatic experience in his family (I think he lost a 3 year old son), and came on to score the winning penalty. The sheer delight in his eyes was amazing, and is one of my favourite moments in football.

Went home afterwards feeling that I'd had one of the most surreal days of my entire life. While all the tragedy was going on, I'd seen one of the most emotional games of my life (at the time) and it was all a bit crazy to say the least.

 

[Bad Ash]

I was unemployed and in bed.

Have to say I got annoyed with the amount of tv coverage after a while (same with diana and queen mother's death). With only 5 channels and each one showing the same thing life is hell for someone without a job!