Events That Shook The Vine

[Bigmallly]

In the same format as the Jukebox thread, I thought it appropriate at this time of year to remember those who have been affected by world events. I could obviously kick off with the terrorist attack on America but thought it more fitting to choose this as it's 8th anniversary approaches. What event made you stand still?

2004 Boxing Day Tsunami - YouTube

[veggiechicken]

For me Aberfan as it was so local and I worked with someone who lived in the village, who heard the news at work
BBC ON THIS DAY | 21 | 1966: Aberfan - a generation wiped out

[Aberdeenplotter]

I was still at school and was horrified.

[cardiffsteve]

For me it has to be the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and the subsequent nuclear meltdown.
I was unemployed at the time and for at least a week I watched the news trying to find out more information.
i think the real problem i had was the feeling of helplessness.
There is still debris floating across the Pacific ocean and drifting on the west coast of America.

[Potstubsdustbins]

There have been so many events during my life I wouldn't like to pick just one.

The two towers does stand out as I watched it unfold on the tele.

But it has to be said not all big things have been disasters many good things have caught the imagination. I well remember the reporting of the first heart transplant, seemed like pure science fiction at the time.

Potty

[veggiechicken]

The twin towers also stands out for me as I was in New York State when it happened, due in New York 2 days later. In the UK you could see the terrible events on TV but we had nothing, just rumours and hearsay. We couldn't ring out to tell anyone that we were OK as they only knew that we would be going to New York, not when. I remember the silence, everywhere was quiet, nobody knowing quite what was happening or being able to believe it was true. We went back to NY the following year to pay our respects.

[Bigmallly]

A sad ending to a beautiful piece of engineering.

Concord(e) Crash at Paris CDG - YouTube

[Alison]

For me Aberfan as it was so local and I worked with someone who lived in the village, who heard the news at work
BBC ON THIS DAY | 21 | 1966: Aberfan - a generation wiped out

Whilst I wasn't born when that happened and therefore it obviously had no effect on me I know exactly what you mean. The big stuff in the news is obviously shocking but it doesn't really impact on my life. However if you know somebody or it's close to home you get that sense of direct involvement. I found that very much when there was the IRA bombings in Warrington, I usually went into town on a Saturday morning but had been off work that week so had nipped in the day before but had a real sense of "it could have been me" or somebody I knew. Luckily nobody I knew was directly involved but I was still quite shaken. Remember my mum being very worried as the phone lines were down and it was before we all had mobiles so she couldn't get in touch with me to check I was OK for a few hours.

[Feral007]

The twin towers certainly, I had turned the tv off, and closed the computer down about 5 mins before it happened. Was woken up the next morning by my 5 yo daughter saying 'Come and look, a plane in a building and everyone is crying.'

The Newcastle (australia) earthquake. I was in Sydney but all my family in Newc. and all you could hear was the news on the radio. The phone lines were out due to the station the lines went thru.

Finally got hold of my sil's mother who was panicking madly about 20 k's from them. She said 'I've taken an anginine, and I don't know what to do' So being a nurse I told her to take another anginine and I'd call her back when I found anything out. Dad was walking towards a shop when it started, and an awning just dropped straight off the front of the shop. He had seen them before so knew to stay out from under things.

The bushfires here. They're just horrible. Once they get going you know it's going to be nothing but misery.

[Bigmallly]

I remember this so well, very very sad..........

Bradford Fire - YouTube

[FROSTYFRECKLE]

Lockerbie sticks in my mind. I remember sitting watching the TV for hours with my mum and sister, not knowIng what to think. Unfortunately the atrocities do stick in our minds but I like to believe even in the worst of times the best of human nature shines through.

[Bren In Pots]

My earliest memory of a disaster was Tristan da Cunha volcano I'd be 6 at the time our school knitted blanket squares and made a collection.

The evacuation of Tristan da Cunha | History Today

[julesapple]

The Twin Towers, I'll never get those pics out of my mind. A school friend of mine survived that. Living in the USA for about twenty years at the time, she'd taken her very first day off work, that day, with 'flu. I know that she's still going to occasional counselling sessions for the engulfing guilt that she felt that she wasn't there when everyone of her colleagues died.

The infants being killed in the school in Dunblane. My sister phoned and yelled at me to turn the tv on. It was horrible, as was last week's devastation. My DD was the same age, and coincidentally, doing PE at the same time. Those parents' and families lives are forever marred. My heart just aches with it all.

[Bigmallly]

Didn't mean to cause such sadness on what is supposed to be a time of celebration. It puts all our lives into perspective Jules.

[Nicos]

I suppose the one event which affected me directly and makes me realise how lucky I am to be alive is the Stockport Air disaster in 1967.

My parents, brother and I were booked on this flight, but as it was overbooked the first passengers to have booked in were allowed on. We had to wait in Majorca for the next flight.

Needless to say having to hang around the airport make us kids a bit grumpy cos we wanted to play outside in the sunshine.
Little did we know at the time how lucky we were..

Stockport Plane Crash: 1967 News Report - YouTube