reposted from city photos...

i went to london monday to see nine inch nails and hang out. i was going to leave thursday and go north...but i cancelled those plans as king's cross station was only having very limited train service, and no tube or bus service. but today i got a train north.

it's sad that this is my first london thread of the year, but it's needed. seeing the city go from jubilation to confusion to sadness to defiance in a little over 24 hours was unbelievable.

thursday morning i woke up and around 8:45 went on a quick run from my hotel/dorm behind the tate modern down to tower bridge and back. i saw a lot of suits around london bridge, more than usual, but i didn't think much of it. i got back to the hotel, ate breakfast, had a shower, packed up and went to check out...

where i was advised at the desk not to leave the hotel because all transport was down due to incidents in central london.

what kind of incidents? they weren't sure...the italians teens there seemed more agitated than normal, and i saw one reading CNN.com in english and translating into italian.

i got my pocket radio and tuned into BBC, and sick of the italians, told the staff i was going for a walk on the riverfront. an older british guy on staff said, "good for you sir!!!"

so thankfully i was nowhere near the attacks; i was on the other side of the thames. now for the pictures.

hotel lobby

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919396.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919397.jpg

on the riverfront; i decided to stay out of the way for now, so i kept on the south side

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919398.jpg

helicopters over what i think is the liverpool street area (i was in that station the night before after going up tower 42)

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919399.jpg

closest tube station

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919400.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919409.jpg

the biggest sign i saw that something was going on...lots of emergency vehicles

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919410.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919411.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919412.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919413.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919434.jpg

while walking i decided i'd stop by southwark cathedral and do a tour and say some prayers. overlooked by st. paul's, it's still a nice cathedral, and a nice 15-30 minute tour of the church shakespeare went to, with some interesting neighborhood history.

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919435.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919436.jpg

later that afternoon, the weather got nice, so i decided i'd go into central london and defy the murderous assholes. plus i wanted to eat at one of london's oldest pubs, ye olde chesire cheese.

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919437.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919438.jpg

moving by foot...plus, i'd wanted to walk this bridge but had never done so

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919449.jpg

my, what a lense you have...

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919450.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919451.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919452.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919453.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919476.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919477.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919478.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919479.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919480.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919487.jpg

it was open, although the basement bar wasn't...still good though. then i kept on walking towards interesting buildings in the distance...

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919488.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919489.jpg

back in service...it was like the feeling when i saw the first plane after 9/11...a simple joy

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919490.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919491.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919500.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919501.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919502.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919503.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919504.jpg

at another pub i stopped at, it looked like somebody had a problem

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919507.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919508.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919509.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919510.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919511.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919516.jpg

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http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919519.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919520.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919551.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919552.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919553.jpg

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http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919555.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919556.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919557.jpg

i love this building...right by my hotel

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919558.jpg

the next day...things almost back to normal

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919576.jpg

fewer people on the tube than usual, especially at the smaller stations

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919577.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919578.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919579.jpg

bus ride

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919581.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919582.jpg

King's Cross, site of one explosion and rescue

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919583.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919584.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919585.jpg

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919586.jpg

although it's by my hotel and out of order, i think this building gave good advice for the situation

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919580.jpg

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fantastic photos.

you really captured the moment.

Fantastic photos. Was very brave you to be right in the middle of London on Thursday. I would of loved to have gone out and captured the moment, but It was impossible.

Fantastic, poignant set of photos.


And that smashed toilet really is something. :eek2:

top photos - that building near your hotel is really interesting

Thanks for the awesome pics.

great pics!

http://www.pbase.com/lsyd/image/45919507.jpg

Will al qa'ida not even let us go to the toilet?????

Bastards.


(is it too soon to be light hearted about this or is humour a reasonable response to crises?)

Ayway, very good photos. I'd have take na few on my way home form town on the day of the attacks but was with a colleague and didn't feel able to stop.

thanks y'all.

top photos - that building near your hotel is really interesting

you mean st. paul's? ;) or southwark? or the round thingy? i guess you mean the round thingy...i loved it last year, still love it. one day, i hope i'm rich enough to own it.

englishman, heh...you know what they say...al'qu'aeda wants us to revert back to the dark ages. that means no pictures, even if it means making your colleague stop and wait a bit, and chamber pots...

really, i've got no idea about how or why that toilet was smashed, other than i saw it and thought, "hey, that's picture worthy."

anyway, i miss london...durham's too fucking quite. i need my noise pollution from traffic.

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I felt like smashing something up when I heard about the attakcs. Maybe someone had the same idea.

Great set of photos on a difficult and unusual day.

Great photos, you're a more brave man than I am, I was too scared that day to go and take some pics :)

LONDON THE WORLD IS WITH YOU IN THIS TERRIBLE TIME, remember though "we shall overcome"

thanks y'all. my dad actually e-mailed me that morning after i e-mailed the states that i was o.k., "don't go taking any pictures..."

i'd rather defy terrorists and risk getting bombed than stay in a hotel full of annoying italian teenagers ;)

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