The "where were you when...?" thread

[Drago]

All the great and significant moments of modern history.

9/11.

The Sayeret Maktal raid on Entebbe airport.

The Lockerbie disaster.

Elvis dying.

Neil Kinnock falling over on the beach and getting wet.

Where were you when history's key moments occurred, and what were you doing?

 

[Dave7]

I was in the bath when my wife ran in to tell me Elvis had died.
I was asleep in bed when (again) my wife woke me to tell me Lady Di had died in the car crash......that one did upset me.

 

[Dirk]

I was in the bath when my wife ran in to tell me Elvis had died.
I was asleep in bed when (again) my wife woke me to tell me Lady Di had died in the car crash......that one did upset me.

I'd have been upset being woken up, as well.

9/11 - just arrived at our B&B on a walking holiday on the Isle of Wight. The 2nd plane just hit as we saw the TV.

Elvis - I was in the Isle of Man in a pub.

 

[Dave7]

I'd have been upset being woken up, as well.

9/11 - just arrived at our B&B on a walking holiday on the Isle of Wight. The 2nd plane just hit as we saw the TV.

Elvis - I was in the Isle of Man in a pub.

You.....in a pub !!! Now we know you are telling porkies.


Re 9/11....we were just finishing a walk on Angelsey when a couple told us. TBH it didn't sink in until we watched the TV later. So,so tragic.

 

[mistyoptic]

911. On holiday on Kefalonia. Didn’t know about it for two days. Heard folk talking about it in the taverna

 

[Drago]

I remember hearing of Elvis' death on the radio in my Dad's car.

For 9/11 I was off work with a sprained neck having been pushed down a flight of stairs by a sheetbag (he went to prison for it.) I couldn't move so was propped on the sofa with a book and had Sky News going on tv in the background and watched it unfold. After the first tower went they hastily interviewed Tom Clancy, who's then recent book had a similar incident, and he as the first so say what the media had been too dense to spot- it was deliberate.

For Diana's death I was in an early turn. I got in the car and every radio station was talking news dirge so I slipped in a CD. It wasn't until I got to work that I finally heard the news from the night shift skipper.

 

[Beebo]

9/11. I was working in an insurance company in the City.
As soon as the first plane hit all TVs went on. People were emailing staff when they knew in the building. Aon were one of the biggest brokers we worked with. They list 175 staff that day.
I drove home later that afternoon through docklands, past Canary Wharf and City airport. The place was absolutely dead.

Princess Di, I was out for the night in London. We got in at about 2am, and news was trickling in that she had been in a big car crash, but she was still alive. I woke up with a massive hangover and discovered she had died.

Elivis, I was too young to remember. Bowie, I was listening to the radio in my home office.

The Queen, I was at home. News and rumours were building all day. I was with my son in the kitchen when Hugh Edwards announced her death. That moment has been slightly sullied now.

 

[classic33]

9/11, at an auction. From there to the town centre on very quiet roads, to a very quiet town centre. The bank I went to had it live on the TV's.

Lady Diana's crash, lying in bed listening to the radio when they cut to a news report saying that reports were coming in that she had been involved in a car accident with very little known at the time about her condition.

The Boxing Day Tsunami, staying at a relatives and listening to the news on the radio. First report said four people had been killed, which didn't seem right. This number increased as the morning went on.
Put the fact that we were without electric into perspective.

 

[iandg]

Student's Union at Wolves Poly when a message over PA system announced that John Lennon had been shot.

 

[Mo1959]

I only remember 9/11 and Lockerbie. 9/11 I was in the house getting ready to go out for a back shift and Lockerbie I was travelling in to a night shift and had the car radio on when it was announced.

 

[Electric_Andy]

9/11 - I was shopping with my mum in a homeware store getting ready to go back to Uni. Mum said she'd heard on the radio that there'd been a bomb or something gone off in America. We came home and watched the tragedy unfold on the TV

 

[welsh dragon]

I was 7 when JFK died. I was sitting on the floor at home playing when I heard it on the news.

I was at again at home when I heard that Princess Diana had died.

I have no idea where or what I was doing for the others.

 

[Dirk]

I can remember where I was when JFK was assassinated and also where I was when Churchill died.

 

[wiggydiggy]

2001 Bradford riots

I was in Leeds the night before, and remember the morning after someone shouting something at me outside a newsagent on the Sunday morning related to the events (which I didn't know about). I remember it as I later worked with someone involved on the Bradford side of the riot and their recollection was football hooligans has attempted to march on Asian areas and caused issues.

7 July 2005 London bombings

I remember a picture the day after I saw of someone travelling with a rucksack on the tube, they had taped a sign "I'm going to a Festival" on it. Then later not the event itself as such but I was in the area when the police raids in Leeds took place, it was quite shocking to me that 'local lads' could decide they want to do this.

 

[raleighnut]

9-11 I'd just finished a night shift and instead of having the HiFi on I was watching TV, the program I was watching went to adverts so I flicked to a news channel to see the first tower up in flames but as I watched the plane hit the 2nd tower.

JFK well I'm too young (born in 62) but at the time my Father was stationed on RAF Gan which was a runway with fuel tanks and a radio station. Dad was on duty (Radio Fitter) and was one of the people who re-broadcast the news of his death around the world (all Morse Code in those days)