Where Were You When You First Heard About The 9/11 Attacks?

[ToraToraTora]

I was working for a Mainframe DB specialist conversion firm in Windsor. The building was a converted nunnery. I was at at my desk and the BBC news site reported breaking news that a plane had hit one of the towers. At first they thought it was a small private plane as that had happened a few years before. The full horror unfolded from there.

[Spicerack]

On a site in Bristol. The blokes who went for a pint at dinnertime came back and told me.
Didn't believe them.

[douglas9401]

Not to belittle the terrible events of that day but does everybody have to start a thread like this around this time of year?

I wouldn't want to shirk my duties.

There, that should give plenty to work with.

[burlyshirley]

At work and a colleague's daughter rang her and was giving us a blow by blow account. She actually screamed when the second plane hit !

[New Judge]

I was in the "City of Yorke", a pub in Islington, just along the road from Angel tube station. I was towards the end of a liquid lunch with a friend from my school days and we watched events unfold on the pub's telly. We were both late back to work.

[tamaris]

On holiday for Xmas in Strathpeffer Highlands of Scotland.

[Spicerack]

Early Christmas?

[jennyjoan]

I was in New York myself when it happened - when my friend went hysterical as her son was working in centre New York and of course thought the worse.

[New Judge]

//Early Christmas?//

Scotland's five hours ahead of New York.

[Spicerack]

Behind,

[pixie374]

I had gone to my sister's, at her previous house. At first, I had assumed she just had a film on, but when she said it was News.... and we saw the second plane hit... we both checked to see whether it really was the News. Unbelievable.

[mushroom25]

in my office in Birmingham, watching the BBC website. Got home and the TV schedule was suspended as the rolling news coverage was allowed to update. Except at 8pm, that is, when the coverage was broken for EastEnders.
(the BBC knew its priorities......)

[Spicerack]

Ignore me. I'm very confused.

[piper107]

i can remember exactly where i was for the 9/11 horror the Staines trident crash the Aberfan disaster and the Zeebrugge ferry disaster

[-SharonA-]

It was at lunchtime, returning to the office after nipping out to do a little shopping. I saw everyone gathered in reception where we had a huge tv showing the planes going into the towers. Some staff were crying. In tg e office mostly everyone had the news on their computer. Shortly after our bosses said we could go home. On the walk to the tube station, another shock, armed police with long guns at the ready, looking like robocops. Sad day.

[Prudie]

I was on the last day of a holiday in Majorca, it was about 2 hours before we had to leave for the airport and walking round the resort wondered why piles of people were in the street crowded round a bar TV. Couldn't believe what we were seeing. People were very twitchy at the airport understandably and even worse on the plane home.

[bakerwales]

I was working when the boss brought in a tv for us to watch - we all downed tools and along with incomming customers watched it unfold. A very bad day.

[vulcan42]

It was such an horrific event even some bosses hearts softened. I was working for an engineering company and the TV in the canteen was switched on when the news started to filter through. A few of us had stopped to watch and the boss entered. Instead of ordering us back to work he said we could stay and watch with him. Interesting how Tv coverage of such events has changed over the years, with the rolling news and constant updates. When President Kennedy was assassinated Tv virtually closed down, BBC just showed a black & white film of a man playing the piano.

[gness]

Returning my daughter to university we would always look out for a strange tree. It was perfectly shaped except for a stray branch at the top which looked just like the American Eagle rising up from the tree.

Just as we spotted the "eagle" the news broke in to report on the first plane hitting the tower. Every trip after that was a sad reminder.

[Peter Pedant]

walking into Otopenye Airport ( Hungary )
I asked as no 2 flew like a bullet into a tower block
'is that in real time' and they said yes

they said all the planes have been told to land

and I said - o in that case we will be home in time

and someone Aber probably said - are you crazy?

and I said: (meep meep) the airports dont have capacity for ALL planes and so they will have to fly empty planes to holding areas- and someone will say I know why dont we put passengers in them?

and everyone said- foo he mad he is. and a foo said 'foo" again!

I was right

[naomi24]

At home. I immediately phoned my husband who had friends and colleagues working at the WTC, and then my friend in Canada who had family in New York. Fortunately her family were safe. My husband’s friends and colleagues weren’t.