In a message dated 7/8/05 12:02:51 AM Eastern Daylight Time, 
[log in to unmask] writes:

Like other friends and colleagues, I grieve the loss to our wonderful friends 
in the UK. Below is a note from a friend of my family who lives nearby 
Edgeware road station.

Regards,

Rick Barry
www.mybestdocs.com
Cofounder Open Reader Consortium
www.openreader.org 
==============================
Dear Family and Friends,

Thanks for all your concern, telephone calls and emails.  It really was a 
horrible experience on Thursday 7th July.  John and I are well but we must pray 
for those who have died and those who are badly injured (no limbs etc). 

I was at home getting ready to go to the high street and do some shopping .  
John had left home at 8.30 am and actually passed the Edgware Tube station 
about 15 minutes before the bomb went off!

As I was getting ready to go, a friend phoned and gave me the news. I 
switched on the news and confirmed that there had been a series of bomb blasts.  I 
called John and found out that he was safe and was busy working. 

A little bit of news – which you may have already have heard on the news 
channels.

1.  The Emergency Services were nothing short of being completely 
professional.  As this attack has been expected for some time now, they had rehearsed 
'Operation Cobra'. With our involvement in Iraq it was inevitable. It appears 
that our security services had foiled a number of attacks but one can't stop them 
all in such a big city. 

2.  The Islamic militancy group could not have timed it better with the G8 in 
Gleneagles - all the security had moved north! 

3.  It was like preparing for war!  The TV and radio stations immediately 
instructed everyone not to go into London; everyone must stay indoors - at home, 
in school or in the office – and wait for further instructions.  We were not 
to call the Emergency Services unless our own life was in danger.  And that all 
public transport had been suspended – we were asked to keep tuned to the 
media services for instructions, especially those who travel in Central London.  
The underground system alone carries over 3 million people a day. 

They stopped all public transport to check all the busses and tubes in case 
they were unexplored devices in them. 

4.  The police appear to have come out from the woodwork – they were 
everywhere! In the midst of the traffic in London, they kept cars going on one lane on 
either side and cleared two lanes for the ambulances, fire engines etc.  The 
neighboring counties sent their emergency services to assist. 

5.  They cleared all the hospitals of all non-emergency operations and kept 
an enlarged A& E room at every hospital.  Make-shift centers to treat the 
walking wounded came up everywhere – the Hilton Hotel near Edgware Road was used as 
one such centre.  Medical personal who had also taken part in the drill 
appeared from everywhere with back packs of medical supplies and in neon orange 
outfits with 'Doctor' written on the back.  In some cases apparently some 
patients were so bad they had to be operated at the scene and it was marvelous to see 
how quickly and how prepared they were with operating equipment to take down 
though the tunnels. 

6.  London Underground was also well prepared.  They immediately appeared on 
the scene and cleared the underground stations showing people trapped where to 
go and channeling them outside; the lights in the stations had fused and in 
the darkness there was confusion, so flashlights were used to help people.  
Apparently this is what saved those injured because they were able to clear 
people. The medics were able to get to those severely injured quickly.  Later as 
they said on TV, that it is the first 30 minutes that saves lives. 

As you know London has four levels of underground tube and some of the 
explosions took place between stations. The Emergency Services had to get down to 
the levels affected, past all the wreckage etc to stabilize the injured and 
bring them up on stretchers, it was a real feat especially as the bomb blasts 
meant that there was also structural damage to the walls, ceiling etc…   At the 
time of writing to you yesterday they were still pulling people out of the 
mangled wreck of the tubes. 

The people in London too rallied around.  Construction workers nearby 
realized what was happening and were the first to give blood; loads of others 
followed.  The news also reports that people were relatively calm.  They obeyed 
orders quickly; there was no screaming (except for those who were badly injured), 
or getting frantic.  American tourists here were fascinated.  They could only 
say that the people were stoic and were truly the grand children of those in 
the blitz in the Second World War.  They even said that in the States there 
would have been emotions shown and hysterical people screaming.  People took it in 
their stride, were led to safety to the make-shift shelters nearby and were 
seen by the medics quickly. 

Tony Blaire gave a speech not of revenge or of hate, but of togetherness and 
of unity among all the communities.  As Duncan and Mary can vouch for, there 
are loads of Muslims here.  Various Muslim leaders came out with priests and 
bishops to condemn the act and to say how united the various faiths were.  

By the way, Catholic priests and Anglican vicars also were part of the 
emergency operation, going down into the tunnels wearing the Emergency Outfit which 
said ' RC Priest' or 'Vicar'.  This was particularly moving for me because the 
practice drill had taken those of Christian faith who were in a serious 
condition, into consideration. The priests were not with the walking wounded in the 
shelters (who would get treatment and be okay), but they were taken down deep 
into the tunnels to administer to those critical injured and to bless those 
who had died.  They too came with their back packs with holy water and oils.  

Finally, Transport For London aware about those already in the city and in 
schools, put on extra double decker busses to ferry people to the stations just 
outside London and to take school children to pick up spots.  Instructions 
were given through the media and one had to listen and act.  They even went into 
details such as moving workers, starting from one part of London at 3 pm to 
get them to a station which was operating, to get home.

Today 90% of the transport has been resumed (the bomb areas are crime sites 
and forensics will not reopen them until they have all the information they 
need). 

I do not know if you saw the flowers and posters put outside the stations 
where the blasts occurred.  Some of the posters say 'We are all British – we are 
one people' ,   'We will not be intimidated or defeated', 'You bombed the 
wrong city if your intention was to cause chaos; 'We were never overcome in the 
War'.  There appears to be a defiant attitude in the people of London and they 
are also very resilient.  Most people have gone back to work today, although 
schools are closed.  This is the last two weeks of school especially for those 
sitting the A levels. 

Last week there were huge celebrations of the battle of Trafalgar – the 
British victory over the combined French and Spanish navy. Then last week more 
celebrations: there was Live 8, the British presidency of the G8; the British 
Presidency of the European Union; of UNESCO – for the next two years; Winning the 
Olympic Games bid in 2012.  There has been so much celebration, and then this 
attack. 

The Queen is visiting those in hospital today as well as the families who 
lost members.  She  is flying the Union Flag at half-mast over Buckingham Palace 
(She had to remove her Standard, which flies when she is in BP).  As she 
cannot fly her Standard at half-mast she is flying the Union Flag. 

Thank you once again for thinking of us.

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