July 7th - one year on

My thoughts on 7/7


Today you are going to see & hear lots and lots and lots from a variety of news sources, blogs and websites about July the 7th. A number of people have asked me what I would blog about with the anniversary of the bombings and there's almost too much too blog. So I will try to be brief. This time last year I was blogging virtually every half an hour trying to keep people informed. Then for about a month following the horrible day virtually every day's post was about the aftermath as the London Underground had changed so much.

So one year on and how has the Tube actually really changed? It hasn't. Obviously as a city we needed to go back to "normal". We needed to stop looking suspiciously at people with rucksacks, or beards, or men of a particular race. We needed to stop being anxious every time a train got stuck in a tunnel. We needed to travel on the Tube with the same "freedom" and in the same numbers that we did in the past. We needed to stop seeing pictures of people in Bermuda wearing "We're not afraid" T-Shirts.

However, the threat of another terrorist attack on the Tube remains as strong today as it did a year ago (many thanks to yesterday's badly timed video release of one of the 7/7 bombers, saying that this was just one of a string of attacks). The Government have been paying lip service to attempts to keep people safe on the Tube with talk of scanning machines and more CCTV. Although, as we know, none of this will keep us totally safe. If anyone had an answer to preventing another attack on the London Underground, they would be a rich person.

July 7th changed me in a variety of ways, but fortunately I am still alive to be able to think and talk about those changes. Hopefully this blog is able to make people think a little more about the Tube journeys they share with 3 million other people every day - the good things & the bad.

I would love to hear whether you changed your behaviour on Tube as a result of 7/7 or if it affected you in a particular way, or any personal thoughts on July 7th that you'd like to share.

Today, there will be a national two minute silence at noon to remember the 52 people who were killed. There is also a memorial service at Queen Mary's Gardens in Regent's Park from 6pm. Floral tributes can be left from 8am. Also tributes will be placed by relatives and friends of the dead at the five sites of the bombings. Memorial plaques naming each victim will also be unveiled at each site.

Let's hope that today will mainly be a day without blame, or finger pointing. A day to remember those who lost their lives and also a day to support all those who were seriously injured, both physically & mentally. Ordinary commuters whose everyday Tube or bus journey turned into a nightmare. Please take some time out for the two minute silence.

Thank you.