I was sitting on a train at Cannon Street when an excited Dave Davies (RIP fellow Addick) joined me in an agitated state saying a plane had hit the WTC. We got off at Charlton and went to the Royal Oak and watched slack-jawed as it all unfolded. Truly an "end of the Earth" feeling. Hard to imagine how evil you would need to be to even think of a plan like that, let alone carry it out.
Working in the City. First I heard was a colleague received a call from her husband saying the first plane had hit, then another to say another one had hit. Then it hit home this wasn't just a simple aviation disaster (like a small plane lost control) but a real terrorist attack. All the internet news sites were locked. They screened the events on one of the meeting room screens. Everyone just standing there in sheer horror and shock. I also remember tales of London and other major cities being under attack including Canary Wharf but it didn't materialise. Still didn't hang around and was gone around 3.30pm to go home and watch the events unravel on tv. Surreal doesn't quite cover it...like a disaster movie...
I was at work in a council building in Woolwich. Was faintly amused at the initial report because I'd got it second hand and just assumed it was the small plane scenario that had happened a few times before. Then I saw the news pictures as the second plane hit, and I just went cold, and as the story unfolded throughout the day there was difficulty getting to the news websites, and a general sense of panic at rumours of more planes being hijacked.
I can honestly say that no event in my lifetime has hit me like 9/11 has. I still feel emotional when watching the docu's that come out every year. I don't remember doing a second more work that day, and spending the next few days glued to the news trying to take it all in.
I later found out that one of my staff was actually on a plane heading for Boston that day - no idea if he knew on the plane what was happening, but unsurprisingly he landed elsewhere.
Watching live as the second plane hit the tower on a big screen. Thought it was à replay of the first until they changed camera angles to reveal both of them hit.
Couldn't believe what i was seeing and even 12 years later its still the most shocking thing to happen in my life time. People jumping from 100 floors up is terrible.
I was working for a firm called Eurobrokers at the time and wathced it all unfold live on TV from the dealing room. Our New York office was in the 2nd tower and the confusion and terror that was coming from there was horrific. We lost 61 staff that day.
I know work for a firm called BGC, who bought Eurobrokers in 2005. BGC lost over 650 staff.
To mark the anniversary we now hold a Charity Day where all our revenues go to good causes. Originally the money was to help the bereaved families but it has grown so much it now extends to many good causes, mainly in the UK. Since it began in we raised over £80 million.
This is my first since 2005 as I worked for another firm in the interim period.
Some may see these things as a bit cynical and originally I did but being involved today has changed my mind.
We had Prince William and Harry in earlier and have had loads of celebs since. Rod and Penny, Rob Brydon, Anna Freil, Jeff Stelling, Gary McAllister and many more.
I got Barry Hearne to deal with one of my clients who is an O's fan. Both were delighted. Had a chat to Barry and he was a very nice man.
Danny Dyer arrived a few minutes ago!
As I write Frank Bruno has just walked in and received a spontaneous standing ovation and cheers of Bruno! Bruno! It was fantastic and the only one we've had all day and it brought a tear to my eye.
We lived in New Jersey from Sept 2000-March 2001, must have been upto the Windows of the World (bar at the top of one of the towers) at least 10 times (I was the unofficial tour giude for the visitors we had while we were there). We left about 6 months before 9/11 after my wife turned down the offer of staying out there permenantly....RIP to all those that died that day.
It's the National Day of Catalunya, so I was at home, watching The Good The Bad And The Ugly having just come off the beach. It just felt like some sort of weird fiction, especially as Mrs Shabby refused to see any relevance in it at first, and kept trying to change the channel. It was weird going out that evening Shell shocked, and seeing the tourists coming off the beach not knowing what had happened. RIP
I visited Ground Zero this year. It really is humbling. For those who don’t know each towers' space now homes a large, square fountain. Along each perimeter are the names of those who died in each tower, and a rose is laid on their birthday.
Above Ground Zero now looms the One World Trade Centre, the biggest building in the western hemisphere. It appears as not only a replacement and memorial but an act of defiance against those who seek to destroy. It completely dominates the New York skyline.
I was early for a business appointment in Surrey, so I stopped at a Pub for a coffee. I sat down with my coffee, looked up at the big screen, and I thought ' good grief what film is this ? Of course I quickly realised what I was watching, and watched those poor victims leaping out of windows, some holding hands. I do hope that Obama is able to keep his promise to destroy ISIS, an Islamic State would be a disaster, an Islamic World unthinkable.
Fourteen years. Still seems very vivid in the memory. Not just the millions of clips and reports that have been run and re-run time and time again since; but the crystal clear memory of what happened on that lunchtime (here in the UK) and early morning in NYC.
Shocking, but also mesmerising. I stared at the news all day that day. And still can't tear myself away from watching still, when it's shown again, to see the reaction of people literally living through a piece of history.
I was on holiday in Sorrento and was unaware that anything had happened until we went back to our room for a shower. Completely devasting it became the only topic of conversations for the rest of the holiday. We met loads of stranded Americans in particular a very nice young couple of students who were due to go home and couldn't fly and were running out of money fast. I loaned them my phone so they could call home and get some money wired over and bought them lunch which they were very grateful for.
I will never forget both the event and the aftermath it will stay with all of us for the rest of our lives. It is one of those events that changed the world forever.
Working in the City (Lloyds Building), just remember everyone watching tv in complete shock & silence. City basically was put on red alert, trains stopped etc. Memory of that day will stay with me forever, world of by far a more dangerous place now following all the repercussions that followed.
Bloody Hell. I was in Liberty State Park a couple of weeks ago and it passed through my mind the horror you would have seen from that point on the day.
i was working for ExxonMobil in London and when the "crash phone" went i had to set up the crisis responce room----wall to wall TVs all tunes to differant channels etc . Contact all business leaders in building-----as i was doing it i saw the building collapse ! when the people started to arrive (in mins) i had to tell em what i thought had happened and they started contacting very very VIP people to find out what the feck was going on. We herd at the time there was a plane heading towards Canary Warf and the building would be a target as it was an American oil company---we went into lock down and moved everyone to sheltered areas(for 2 hours !). Had to contact the american school in Surrey and arrange for the kids to be moved out (only the companies) Then arrange for a phase evacuation of the building---over 60% of the workers being yanks. Next few days was total melt down
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Admittedly we where crap at football.
I can honestly say that no event in my lifetime has hit me like 9/11 has. I still feel emotional when watching the docu's that come out every year. I don't remember doing a second more work that day, and spending the next few days glued to the news trying to take it all in.
I later found out that one of my staff was actually on a plane heading for Boston that day - no idea if he knew on the plane what was happening, but unsurprisingly he landed elsewhere.
Couldn't believe what i was seeing and even 12 years later its still the most shocking thing to happen in my life time. People jumping from 100 floors up is terrible.
@Riviera ... where do you sit as I also work for BGC ... ?
It was weird going out that evening Shell shocked, and seeing the tourists coming off the beach not knowing what had happened.
RIP
Above Ground Zero now looms the One World Trade Centre, the biggest building in the western hemisphere. It appears as not only a replacement and memorial but an act of defiance against those who seek to destroy. It completely dominates the New York skyline.
Shocking, but also mesmerising. I stared at the news all day that day. And still can't tear myself away from watching still, when it's shown again, to see the reaction of people literally living through a piece of history.
The JFK moment of our generation.
I will never forget both the event and the aftermath it will stay with all of us for the rest of our lives. It is one of those events that changed the world forever.
We herd at the time there was a plane heading towards Canary Warf and the building would be a target as it was an American oil company---we went into lock down and moved everyone to sheltered areas(for 2 hours !).
Had to contact the american school in Surrey and arrange for the kids to be moved out (only the companies)
Then arrange for a phase evacuation of the building---over 60% of the workers being yanks.
Next few days was total melt down