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

[PaulB]

9/11. - Business trip to France the following day so had a rare pub lunch with wife only to get home and watch that unfold on TV.

The Sayeret Maktal raid on Entebbe airport. At school

The Lockerbie disaster. Watched that on the evening news

Elvis dying. A real passion killer with new girlfriend I'd hoped to impress but she was devastated by hearing that news

Neil Kinnock falling over on the beach and getting wet. - Was THAT a great or significant moment? Really?

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

 

[PaulB]

I remember waking up in an Edinburgh hotel with a song that went (something like) 'Tears all over the world' going through my head. The next morning, going down to breakfast, there was a newspaper outside one room stating in its headline; 'Dodi dead, Di seriously injured'. Conference over, I ran through Hollyrood park with flowers already adorning the big gates outside the palace.

 

[Drago]

9/11. - Business trip to France the following day so had a rare pub lunch with wife only to get home and watch that unfold on TV.

The Sayeret Maktal raid on Entebbe airport. At school

The Lockerbie disaster. Watched that on the evening news

Elvis dying. A real passion killer with new girlfriend I'd hoped to impress but she was devastated by hearing that news

Neil Kinnock falling over on the beach and getting wet. - Was THAT a great or significant moment? Really?

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

Oh aye, the Sayeret raid was awesome. They also destroyed the Ugandan airforce as it sat on the tarmac.

Captain Betser took command of the raid after Major Netenyahu (the same family) took a round early on. Betser's book "Secret Soldier" is well worth a read.

 

[Beebo]

I have just remembered another one.
The Bunsfield oil explosion. It was the day after my 30th birthday party. I was walking on Epsom Downs and the sky over London was black with smoke.
I can’t believe it was almost 20 years ago!

 

[mistyoptic]

Mustn't forget the Ash Cloud.

We'd just arrived at Schiphol, for our flight back to East Midlands, when the departure boards all change to "Flight Cancelled"

My, that was an interesting day...

 

[Gwylan]

9/11. - Business trip to France the following day so had a rare pub lunch with wife only to get home and watch that unfold on TV.

The Sayeret Maktal raid on Entebbe airport. At school

The Lockerbie disaster. Watched that on the evening news

Elvis dying. A real passion killer with new girlfriend I'd hoped to impress but she was devastated by hearing that news

Neil Kinnock falling over on the beach and getting wet. - Was THAT a great or significant moment? Really?

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

Neil Kinnock - he was off his tree and should have known better.
9/11 I was in board room in Moscow. There was a lot of money on the table. My son messaged me from London! A friend warned me to get on a train, no plane!
My clients were in tears. That changed my take on the them.
Someone did the "you dont know me" - go off line and make your way to base! You are deniable- Pillock.

 

[VinSumRox]

Moon landings - watched them on the TV when a child.
9/11 - was working in a hospital ward and saw the news coverage on patients TVs, thought it was a disaster movie for a while.

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Moon landings - watched them on the TV when a child.
9/11 - was working in a hospital ward and saw the news coverage on patients TVs, thought it was a disaster movie for a while.

9/11 I was in a library using their facilities to look for a job
I heard one of the librarians come out of an office and say to anotehr one
"Their flying planes in building over here"
and the both went back to the office

I assumed it was some sort of novelty flying trick show somewhere

then I got home and put the new on!!!!

 

[Wheelspinner]

For 9/11, I was on a flight from Sydney to Bangkok for work. Arrived at midnight local time and wondered what all the security fuss was about.

Dunno about Diana’s death, but I do remember arriving at Heathrow on the day of her funeral. Waltzed through Immigration in record time as they were too busy watching the TV. Had to collect a rental car and drive to visit friends in Knaresborough which was a rather pleasant trip on a deserted A1 for once. The M1 was closed.

 

[Seevio]

For 11/9, as I'm not American and can write dates properly, I was in a office. The BBC website went to text only due to high demand. My first thoughts were that someone is going to get invaded. I wasn't sure who at the time.

When Diana died, I found out on the Sunday morning. I was proper annoyed as the Liverpool - Newcastle match got cancelled. I was looking forward to that.

Elvis dying. In a car park in the New Forest. They played Way on Down on the radio.

 

[gbb]

9/11, I was in the workshops at a former employment, we had a computer in we could use for general browsing.
'Kenny (my colleague at that time) ...come look at this...'
We were stuck to the screen most of the day in disbelief.

Princess Diana I'd just finished nightshift and was listening to the radio on the way home..probably 6am ish.
When I got home I said to my wife, best turn the TV on... I think you'll be shocked. It was a sombre day.

Lockerbie and Elvis, just watching the news I assume, so probably at home .

Icelandic volcano, I was working in Cyprus and due to fly back the next day. Needless to say I was glued to the tv for updates and frequently on the phone. I got back about 5 days later iirc.

Aberfan, I remember the B&W tv images, I'd have been maybe 6. I understood it was really sad but not much else...

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Aberfan, I remember the B&W tv images, I'd have been maybe 6. I understood it was really sad but not much else...

Yes - I was 6 as well - I remember my Dad explaining why Mum was upset and crying because some children had died

I also remember seeing a plaque on the old Menai bridge - no signs or anything it is just there
I just came across it one day while walking with my daughter and it just brought tears to my eyes - that must have been somewhere around 2007/8
I don;t think my daughter had ever seen me upset like that before and I had to explain - she was about 9 or 10

 

[Fastpedaller]

Diana - We were at a B&B in Aberaeron. The clock radio went off and we heard "the Princes have been told of their Mother's death" - it was all quite surreal. We then heard the circumstances as the radio broadcast continued. A short while later we went to the breakfast room where the proprietor was cooking breakfast, holding a frying pan, and clearly didn't know the news. My Wife waited until the lady was away from the cooker and told her what had happened. That day, the locality was filled with wreaths and seemed silent. A holiday we will never forget.

 

[gbb]

Yes - I was 6 as well - I remember my Dad explaining why Mum was upset and crying because some children had died

I also remember seeing a plaque on the old Menai bridge - no signs or anything it is just there
I just came across it one day while walking with my daughter and it just brought tears to my eyes - that must have been somewhere around 2007/8
I don;t think my daughter had ever seen me upset like that before and I had to explain - she was about 9 or 10

Funny how something like that can well up decades later.
A friend of mines 8yo brother drowned in the Trent around 1974 or 5. It was a great tragedy in a very small military Base at that time. We spent hours frantically looking along the river bank, ran for miles, frantic on the way home, it's all so vivid even now
Move forward 20 years, I was happening past the cemetery where he was buried and popped in. All the family were like us, RAF, people move on and away...I just wanted to pay respects.

What I didnt expect was the utter gloom that fell over me for 3 or 4 days after.

Anyone who didn't know just wouldn't understand

 

[ebikeerwidnes]

Funny how something like that can well up decades later.
A friend of mines 8yo brother drowned in the Trent around 1974 or 5. It was a great tragedy in a very small military Base at that time. We spent hours frantically looking along the river bank, ran for miles, frantic on the way home, it's all so vivid even now
Move forward 20 years, I was happening past the cemetery where he was buried and popped in. All the family were like us, RAF, people move on and away...I just wanted to pay respects.

What I didnt expect was the utter gloom that fell over me for 3 or 4 days after.

Anyone who didn't know just wouldn't understand

Yes - funny things stick in your mind from younger days

when I think back some things have stuck that I didn;t realise I thought of as important to me

such as walking around the town/village where we lives and eating an ice cream
and handing it to my Mum so she could nibble the cornet down
I wasn't allowed to eat that bit as I had Coeliac disease and had to avoid gluten

but it was just normal to me at the time so didn;t really affect me
but if it was "just normal" why do I remember several instances of this SO clearly??