After the bombs

Four bombs exploded in London yesterday and are thought to be the work of an Islamic fundamentalist group. At the moment over 50 people have been reported dead and over 700 people were injured in total. It is expected that more deaths will be reported as the wreckage of 3 tube trains and one double decker bus are examined.

It was a shocking day yesterday as I sat at home listening to the radio whilst in the background were sounds of sirens from about 9am onwards. I went out at 9:45am and returning at 11am not knowing what had happened. Very emotional day as the thought of the people stuck on the tubes and bus being injured and possibly killed is so close to every Londoner.

After 11th September 2001 the thought of bombs going off on public transport was ever present but lately it receded as there was no sign of anything happening. In some ways it seems that the coordinated attacks were less severe than most people had thought they would be when they happened. Although with news coming out minute by minute it is to soon to say.

Today London is almost back to normal which fills me with a pride at people's ability to carry on in adversity. Commuters are sitting on the top decks of bus and using the tubes as usual. The only unusual sound is a lot more sirens as police cars deal with false alarms. Helicopters are overhead and the odd van full of policemen drive past on their way to deal with pressing issues.

Tony Blair seems to have dealt with the initial impact in the best way possible leaving the G8 for face-to-face meetings in London before returning to Gleneagles to carry on business as usual. This sends a strong message to the terrorists that they cannot distract all attention away form the crucial issues that the G8 are discussing.

I feel pride in being a Londoner in a way that I have never felt proud of a town or city before and extreme sorrow for those that have died and those that will continue to suffer the after effects.