I have spent the past two days writing this, the final version can be seen here on deviantart. Not a lot has changed really from this version to that one, except a few things brought up by friends who have commented. It’s just a few words I wrote inspired by things, experiences and dreams… enjoy!

The story is what I would call a binary tale, I have written the male representation of events and the wonderful Chloe has written the female representation which can be seen if you go here.

Chapter One
Cursing his feelings, he sat on the 9:15 train to London reading a crumpled newspaper he had picked up from the vacant seat next to him. He had never found it this difficult before, but somehow events where different this time. Having only just met her the once in the Bull & Horns pub during his last visit to London, they had since spent weeks on the phone to each other almost every night and he had grown quite attached to her voice. looking out of the window at the blurred British country side whizzing past his mind mulled over the idea of turning back home and just forgetting the whole affair, he could say something else had cropped up and issue a raincheck.

Unfortunately for him it was already too late to turn back, London Victoria was the next station and she had already rung his mobile just moments before this was announced to confirm she was sitting at the station eagerly waiting for him. This alone made him nervous, and he glanced back from the window down to the three day old newspaper which lay open in his hands. It was a short while later and the sudden jolt of the of the train as it pulled into Victoria jerked him out of the trance he had fallen into, upon realising he had spent the past fifteen minutes reading the same article repetitively he folded the paper up and sat it down next to him before glancing up through the window at the urban scene. The sight caused a twinge in his chest as he was reminded of why he had came. Normally London would have felt like home to him, not today, he had other things to be doing and wasn’t entirely sure if he should be.

Even before the train had stopped, commuters were busying themselves with collecting their things and moving as close to the doors in a futile attempt at being the first to exit. On a normal day he would have joined them, excited by the prospect of visiting his favorite city again and meeting all the old friends he had collected during his years on the net. Today he didn’t really feel like rushing, the usual excitement he had felt upon entering the train had all but left him now, replaced by worry, he was nervous, never having done this sort of thing before he slowly gathered his things, checked his reflection in the window and got up – one of the last to leave, he nodded to the cleaner entering the carriage as he departed on to the noisy platform, platform two. He looked around to check that she wasn’t anywhere to be seen before putting his bag over his shoulder and making his was at a leisurely pace towards the ticket machines, this at least gave him time to try and regain the excitement he had felt that morning, excitement it seemed now impossible to stir again as he put his ticket into the machine and walked through, past the guard and into the heart of Victoria.

He knew this station like the back of his hand, spending as long as he had in such a place tends to endow upon someone an un-natural knowledge of where things are. He knew every stain on the floor, even recognised some of the pigeons sometimes, quite often he would stop and say hello to the regular homeless people he knew, the sorry looking folk who in their time of need would ask for spare change – once upon a time he had even gone so far as to buy one scruffy looking chap dinner in a spontaneous act of charity, it was Christmas two years previous, he never did see him again. Walking from the ticket machines he entered WHSmith to check if they had a magazine in he had been hunting for, this was of course just another method of grabbing more time to think, they didn’t so he was spared the long wait to purchase it, something that did insight some despair within him but he pushed it to one side and decided that he wouldn’t procrastinate any more and go meet the girl.

Chapter Two

They had planned to meet in Weatherspoons, it only just now occurred to him that she may have seen him reluctantly walking from the train to the WHSmith which lay below where they where to meet. This rejuvenated him somewhat and he quickly walked out of the shop and turned to head up the escalators towards the meeting point, in his haste he had almost knocked over several people milling around outside and both their complaints and his words of apology where lost to the wind as he sped up the moving staircase.

Upon reaching the top he composed himself before entering through the vast glass doors of the drinking establishment. The thick stagnant smell of smoke was in the air making it difficult for him to breath, he almost choked as he walked past someone exhaling blue wafts while he made his way through to the non smoking area. At this time of the morning the place was mostly frequented by business men sat down sharing a coffee before they headed off to work and the odd lay about sharing a pint of the brown stuff, a smile crossed his face as he was reminded of previous times spent here with friends while waiting for their trains but that thought was all but obliterated when he caught a glimpse of her. She was sitting in the corner of the non-smoking section dressed in a body clinging white dress and reading a book, she hadn’t seen him yet and so he moved to a position where two men heartily laughing about something partially blocked her view of him. “She – is – beautiful!” he thought and excitement filled his veins once more. On the table in front of her was an empty glass, and he began to worry that maybe he had left her waiting too long. With that in mind and his heart thumping he made his way through the thronging crowd to where she sat.

It took a couple of seconds before she noticed him standing there, he waved and cautiously said hello. Looking up from her book – The Magician by Raymond E. Fiest – in the blink of an eye she registered who he was and jumped up beaming at him.
“Oh, hey Matt!” she said excitedly “Have a good journey?” From up close he could see better than before how the dress covered with a blue butterfly design showed off the beautiful contours of her body, this caused him to take a moment before he registered that she had her arms wide open to hug him. Dropping his bag to the ground and hugging her he felt the warmth from her skin with his hands as she squeezed him slightly, “Journey was alright,” he lied, it had actually been fraught with worry but that was gone now, in its place sat a fat child and a mountain of candy.

An hour past quickly, the entire time was seemingly spent with the pair staring longingly towards each other and giggling about silly things the other had said, he had gone up to the bar soon after meeting her and ordered two drinks, they had hardly touched them in that time. It’s during meetings like this that you know two people are destined to get along or at least one may hope so. From a casual onlookers point of view they looked like an age-tested couple out on a date, maybe they where, had they not just spent the past 6 weeks on the phone to each other almost all the time? This nor the time was any consideration of Matts at the moment. In his mind was a symphony of thoughts and emotions, it was a nice feeling and beat the day to day cacophony of noise that usually took its place. She had been right, you do miss all the chances you don’t take, and he was pretty glad that he had taken this one. Another hour past during which they finished their drinks and left the pub heading for the tube.

It was a comfortably warm day outside and they had taken the tube from Victoria to Hyde Park. Walking along the path surrounded by green grass and tall trees they where silent, content enough in the comfort of each others company to walk together and enjoy the time spent wondering, it was at this moment she put her hand in his and he placed his fingers about hers, they glanced at each other for a second before looking out at the other people in the park, both smiling.

Matt looked out at the busy park, as they walked hand in hand he saw couples together on the grass some chatting, some cuddling and some simply laying there basking in each others and the suns warm glow. He felt happy, happier than he could remember being he turned to her and after biting his lip asked,
“Do you think we could make this work?” she looked at him, blushed a little before replying,
“Anything is possible,” slightly confused by her cryptic reply but reassured by her smiling at him he responded,
“Well, I would like to make it work.” She looked up at him, “But what about the distance?” she knew this wasn’t a problem but couldn’t think of any other excuse,
“Distance is no challenge, I really, really like you,” he paused thankful he hadn’t used the dreaded L word and then continued, “if we both want it to happen then, then I shall do my best to make it…” His sentence was broken off as she planted her lips softly on his in a kiss, his heart thumped in amazement, overcome by shock his mind a fireworks display of emotion and unknowing of what else to do he instinctively wrapped his arms around her, closed his eyes and kissed her back, moving his hands up her back to support her neck while she wrapped her arms around his waist and held his body close, feeling his heart beat next to hers.

They kissed for a short while, an act which caused passing couples to some how feel closer to each other, and provoked many a smile on the face of other passerby’s. Unfortunatly they had been crossing a bike lane when the moment happened and it was called short as a guy not paying too much attention to the road had to brake hard and almost come off his bike in an attempt to avoid hitting the new couple. Slightly embarrassed the two jumped to one side as the cyclist rode by glaring at them, unbeknown to them he was somewhat jealous of their obvious affliction for one another. They looked at each other before laughing, their eyes glistening in the sunshine full of energy, she jabbed his arm with her finger and upon announcing “TAG!” darted off across the green grass laughing while dodging the other couples who had sat down to enjoy the day.

He grinned before taking off after and upon quickly catching up with her he playfully grabbed and swung her about him, her beautiful dress spraying out in the wind, both of them breathing heavily from the recent exertion, looking longingly into each others eyes they kissed a lingering, loving kiss. To the on looking couples who had been disturbed by this act of affection the two looked very happy with each other and instilled a feeling of love in all those who lay there with their partners. The atmosphere had changed remarkably from that morning, Matt had felt incredibly nervous of meeting this girl unsure of what would happen, but he was glad he had taken her advice and come. It was this moment, right now that he was thankful for allowing himself to meet her and for listening to his heart more than his head, a risk which had paid off.

The pair sat in the park for several hours, some people had come with kites which provided some amusement for them as they watched the colorful fabric fly in an astonishing aerodynamic display before returning their attention to each other. They lay down, he had his arm supporting her head while his other hand rested on her waist, this prompted her to turn and snuggle into him and he moved his hand so that he could stroke her hip with his thumb. He kissed her forehead lightly and she tilted her head up to meet his lips, kissed and then snuggled deeply into his chest to feel his warmth. They had joined the other couples in the park in the very popular past time of enjoying each others company during which the pair dozed off for what seemed like only a few minutes.

When he woke up Matt felt a cool breeze on his face and noticed that thick black clouds had taken dominance in the sky where a warm and friendly sun had been sat only hours before. At his side she was happily asleep in his arms and it felt wrong of him to disturb her. Gently nudging her and whispering that she should wake up she stretched out and groaned a little before opening her eyes and smiling at the sight of him,
“It’s cold,” she said softly, slightly shivering as the cool breeze turned into a slight wind.
“Looks like rain,” he replied, rubbing her arms in an attempt to warm her up, “fancy wearing my hoodie?” he asked, “I brought one just in case,” he finished while opening his bag and rummaging. She accepted his offer and pulled the material he offered her over her head, it was thick and black with Coventry University written on the front in big white lettering and surprisingly warmed her up substantially. She smiled as he helped her up and upon collecting their things they dashed back to the tube station in an attempt to seek refuge before the heavens opened.

They hadn’t made it quite back to the tube station before gigantic raindrops by the dozen fell from the sky soaking the pair as they made a run for cover. They soon reached the station and rushed down the stairs into the warm sanctuary of the underground before both passing through the ticket machines and quickly boarding a train which had just pulled into the north bound platform of the Piccadilly line. By now it was late afternoon and the trains where beginning to get busy again, by the time they departed at Leicester Square the train was full and their seats where quickly filled as soon as they had left them. The relative warmth of the underground had mostly dried them off by the time they reached the surface, both hand in hand they walked out of the station to be greeted by the afternoon sun low in the sky it illuminated the urban surroundings in a warm, golden light. The now mostly light gray clouds could be seen moving on the horizon off loading what was left of their load on other unfortunate beings while the couple disappeared into the crowds in search of somewhere to eat.

Chapter Three

Even though the restaurant was brimming with people Mark had nothing to do, the rest of the staff had everything covered and so he lent against the bar waiting for the next hungry customer to come through the door and give him something to do. He had almost dozed off when a young couple came in through the low doorway, the taller of the two leaning down so as not to bump his head on the oak beam. The girl was wearing a white body hugging dress with a black university hoodie over the top, the sight of which woke Mark up a little, the guy on the other hand was just wearing jeans and a T-shirt not nearly warm enough for the cold of the night, he noticed they looked happy together and so he watched them for a second as they both stood waiting before deciding to provide some form of service.

The restaurant looked old, very old. Matt and Laura stood looking about them at the dark beams and white washed walls with old paintings hung on them and the people sat at big oak tables eating what looked like very tasty food from big white plates. There was a busy atmosphere as the building was filled with a hundred conversations, Matt caught glimpses of some, husband and wife talking about their day, a couple in the corner giggling at each other and a businessman, obviously a workaholic eating his meal while on the phone to some client or other. A few moments passed before a waiter came up to them and introduced himself,
“Good evening, I’m Mark. Table for two?”
“Yes please,” replied Matt while putting his arm around Laura. The two where guided by Mark to a table lit by candles in a remote corner of the restaurant, remote as it was they where surrounded by several other couples some staring into each others eyes, others holding hands while chatting and a few actually eating the food sat in front of them while sharing a conversation about something Matt couldn’t make out.

Having ordered their food and upon Mark placing a bottle of Domaine des Baumard on their table the two sat sipping on the aromatic wine while chatting about the day. By the time their food had arrived the pair had already settled in to the environment and from a distance would have been indistinguishable from the other couples sat pining over each other. Mark smiled to himself as he set down their meals, the couple thanked him and he left slightly jealous of the guy, “She is a very beautiful lady” he thought as he returned through the swinging doors of the kitchen, thankful of having something to occupy himself with.

After finishing their meals and leaving a larger than normal tip Matt helped Laura out of her chair, she held his hand and kissed him before they departed the scene and out onto the London streets at night. Mark cleaned up their table after pocketing the surprising tip, he liked spring, romance was in the air and it made people generous.

It was mid-evening and although the sun had set the streets of London where alive with the hustle and bustle of people out for the night. Matt would have loved to have joined them and taken Laura to a fantastic underground salsa club he knew of in SoHo but it was getting late and her last train would be leaving soon so they couldn’t stay much longer in this city of insomnia. They caught a cab to her train station and she snuggled up to him on the seat, he had his arm around her and looked out the window. It had been a fantastic day, better than he could have hoped for, his mind was lost in a sea of joy for a moment while he stared out of the window at the crowded streets before looking down at his sweetheart, she had her eyes closed and a slight smile of content on her face, he squeezed her slightly prompting her to smile and snuggle more into him.

The taxi pulled up outside the train station just before it began to rain for the second time that day, less violent than before, just a light drizzle but it wasn’t anywhere near enough to dampen Matts day. He opened the door of the taxi and stepped out onto the damp pavement, he then held the door open for Laura to exit though before closing it and paying the driver,
“Keep the change mate,” he said handing over a twenty, the taxi driver slightly astonished at this generosity but not likely to turn down a gift showed his gratitude and drove off leaving the couple to walk into the station.

Her train was waiting at platform four with two minutes to spare they rushed over through the ticket machines, he was surprised his ticket let him through but that thought was pushed out of his head by a greater feeling of sadness. She was going home and he didn’t know when they would next see each other. Just before boarding the train she turned to him and putting her lips to his, kissed him in a strong longing kiss while pulling him close to her, with a tear in her eye she said,
“I shall see you soon, right?”
“Of course you will,” he said, fighting back a tear, “Ring me tonight, ok? Just to let me know you go home safe?”
“Yes, I will,” she replied sniffing before kissing him once more and turning into the train he wondered what she was thinking for a second before stepping back as the train began to move out of the station. He stood waving until he couldn’t make he out anymore and turned to make his way back to Victoria.

He stood outside in the cold, shivering somewhat which reminded him he had left her with his hoodie, not a bad thing though as it gave him an excuse to visit to get it back. The taxi whom he had arrived there in drove past, the driver recognised him and pulled up allowing him to get in. He shared a few friendly words with the driver while he stared out at the street, it was quite a way to Victoria and he was in the taxi a while before it pulled up outside the familiar station. He got out and slung his bag over his shoulder before turning to pay the driver. The man refused his payment with a smile and simply thanked him before driving off satisfied that the good deed had been returned. Matt turned round and headed into the station, slightly confused at the taxi drivers actions he saw his train was just about to leave and ran to catch it.

Just about catching the train before it began to trundle out of the station Matt sat down and picked up a newspaper from the otherwise vacant seat next to him, opened it and without reading began to mull over the day in his mind. Good times he thought to himself, good times, smiling as he stared at the paper seemingly reading the same three day old article over and over as the train sped through the night.

Good times where had a plenty, I didn’t figure that three pints of a liquid that was at almost 8% Vol would make me so drunk however it did and there are plenty of photos of me joining the realms of pissheadedness.

Easter 2007 Devmeet Photos by =carbon-12 on deviantART

As you can see from the above photo collection, it was a very good night, with much fun had by all and I am quite looking forward to next months!

However I did have a wonderful weekend with the beloved girlfriend, it was her birthday and we spent the entire weekend with her family going out and enjoying ourselves.

I’m now stuck in Coventry again, bored out of my skull working on some redesigns and whatnot.

Some good news about the being stuck in Coventry problem, I think I did really well today with my presentation on what i’m going to do for my Multimedia project.

Anywho just a small update about my life…

These guys are so worth checking out, I would describe them as a experimental reggae punk rock band lead by a female singer. If you can, see them.

Although today is in-fact my Birthday, due to it being on a Monday I thought I would celebrate over the weekend, so on Saturday I met up with Skep and Sora in London for a wander followed by Hyde park shenanigans before we met with Camilla (my wonderful girlfriend) after she finished work. We had a fantastic day of exploring London involving a brief visit of the Science Museum (we got in 15 minutes before it closed) before heading off to Namcos for Arcade fun, bumper car madness, a few rounds of air-hockey (seeing who could hit the puck the furthest across the arcade) and an hour of house of dead four before heading off to the bar to end the day with drunken festivities, cake and laughing at my national record of achievement.

Sunday was a us day, during which Camilla took me to the Science Museum where we had a fabulous time exploring the many exhibits, building giant towers out of blocks and seeing who could blow the biggest bubble, after the Science Museum we headed off to find somewhere nice to eat and discovered a really nice restaurant called Leon (136 Brompton Road). It is really nice in there. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming and the food was very nice and heathy – it reminded me of what Mc Donald's might be like if it begun selling healthy good for you food and 100 times more stylish – actually even then I think there is still no comparison Leon is simply that good. I had Moroccan meatballs and Camilla had a wrap thing both looked and tasted yummy helped down with natural smoothies. I would recommend Leon to anyone and I am defiantly planning on going back there.

All in all I had a fabulous weekend with people I care about and whom obviously care about me, I received excellent presents including long socks, some rather delectable turkish delight from Turkey, The Hairy Bikers cookbook (which I am most happy about *hugs her*) and a hand painted chocolate fish. Photos from the day shall appear here later in an update, I just wanted to share how amazing my weekend was with everyone as I am still excited about it. Im doing celebratory things all this week and am planning on having a nice family dinner this Saturday, Camilla attending

It may sound silly, but I have kept the travel cards from the weekend as a memento, on the way home my ticket was punched with a dolphin press which I thought was quite cool – any way onwards to looking forward to this weekend and seeing Camilla again.

VALUE ADVANCE 1ST SINGLE B from COVENTRY to LONDON is £26.00.

This journey may be cheaper if the ticket is split at WARWICK.

Investigating the journey from COVENTRY to WARWICK then LONDON.

STANDARD DAY SINGLE from COVENTRY to WARWICK is £3.90.

This journey may be cheaper if the ticket is split at LEAMINGTON SPA.

Ticket cost is less than £8.00 so not investigating breaks.

JUST 15 SINGLE from WARWICK to LONDON is £14.90.

Total price is £18.80 (£7.20 cheaper than £26.00)

Summary

STANDARD DAY SINGLE from COVENTRY to WARWICK at £3.90

JUST 15 SINGLE from WARWICK to LONDON at £14.90

The total journey price is £18.80.

This is £7.20 cheaper than a £26.00 ticket for the whole journey.

Although I don't know how long it takes by train, considering it costs £14 for a return from where I live in Kent it cant be more than 2 hours as its only 45 mins by train from my house in Kent.

I did find National express which is coach travel, but they have really good prices, and what really interests me is the fact that they have funfare rates from £1 each way, and I've checked some of the dates I'm planning on going places and funfare seats are available, so I could travel to London for just £2 which is a saving of £24 over the train, and by coach it says it takes about 2 hours which is the same time it would take by car almost but also a lot cheaper. And £18.00 economy return is also good on the coach.

For more info see here 

The packed bus at Russell Sq was blown apart, it does not seem like anyone who travelled on the top of the bus survived, it had been described as being ripped apart like a sardine can with bodies flying everywhere.

Tony Blair looking distressed said that there was limited information, but that its reasonably clear that there have been a series of terrorist attacks, obviously deaths and casualties, it is the will of all the leaders at the G8 that the meeting should go on with his absence being he wont be there while he returns to London but that he will return to the summit in the afternoon. It is barbaric that this has happened, on a day that people are meeting to help the people of Africa. Just as this is clear that this is a terrorist attack, it is clear that it has been designed to happen with the opening of the G8. He will talk later on the subject, it is important however that those engaged with the terrorists that we shall defend our freedom, and that we shall resist their efforts of terror, what ever they do it is our determination that they will not succeed.
There is a rescue operation ongoing at kings cross and Russell square. There were a large number of casualties and a number of fatalities although exact numbers are not known.

All trains in and out of London have been stopped; all busses and tube trains have been stopped. It appears that London has been cut off from the outside world as far as trains and busses go.

John Stalker said that this is a very serious attack and that it has brought London to a full stop. It has all the hallmarks of Al Qaeda; the metro police are the best police in the world to deal with such things with 40 years of experience dealing with the troubles in Ireland.

Dianne Abbot said, it was very frightening for her, on her way to Westminster. Her first thoughts where about her son, maybe being on one of the trains. The police, fire and transport services have been fantastic.

12:29: So far there have been 100 people treated in local hospitals, with three busloads of people turning up. Many are feared dead. Eyewitness account says that there have been a lot of people coming out injured from the stations. The attacks being both above and below ground.

Eye witness accounts source: bbc.co.uk

LOYITA WORLEY, LIVERPOOL STREET

“All the lights went out and the train came to an immediate halt.

There was smoke everywhere and everyone was coughing and choking, but remained calm. We couldn’t open the doors.”

She was in a carriage next to one where an explosion happened.

She said the adjacent carriage was “black on the inside”. She saw people who appeared to have their clothes blown off, and bodies lying inside the carriage.

The blasts have caused chaos and panic across the city, with dazed and bloodied survivors emerging from stations. The mobile phone network was overloaded, and many have struggled to let others know that they are safe.

12:48: It appears that there are still more injured people in the underground, with emergency services carrying cutting gear into the tube stations, and medical personnel carrying medical equipment in what ever they can, bin bags and carrier bags. Roads are at a standstill, people are being taken to hospitals via helicopter, with all London Hospitals on full major incident alert ? all medical staff have been called to come into work to help. At current 7 double Decker busses have carried people to hospital. It is not known how many casualties there are, but about 150 seriously injured but many more walking wounded. There are many still trapped in the underground, with an ongoing rescue attempt to get everyone who was on the train accounted for.
It appears to be that this is a very well planned and co-ordinated terrorist attack on London, although it seems to be

Home secretary Charles Clark has said that Four explosions have been confirmed, it is at current unknown who is to blame, the underground is closed and will remain so for a long time, there are no busses in London, there will be a meeting later today to determine when to start bus routes. People are advised not to travel into London.

An al-Qaeda group appear to have taken the blame posting on their website. Security around Downing Street has been stepped up, there are reports of a mass of armed police military have been seen appearing around London. Other cities around England have had their security stepped up.
The Metropolitan Police advise people to stay where they are and not to call the emergency services except in life-threatening situations. An emergency hotline number is expected shortly.
13:00: Live from Glen Eagles (where the G8 Summit is happening) Tony Blair says, we (he is surrounded by G8 leaders) condemn these barbaric attacks, and send our condolences to those effected, those responsible have no respect for human life, and that we are united. We will not allow violence to change our societies and our values; we shall continue our deliberations at the summit. Here at the summit the world leaders are trying to save and improve life, those terrorists who attacked London want to destroy human life. Tony Bair talking on behalf of the entire G8 leaders ? they are united, this statement was not on behalf of England but on the behalf of all the nations linked by the G8.

It is thought that those who are responsible have been living in England for a long time and have been described as ?sleeping cells?. It is not thought by officials that people responsible just came over today and that they have been here for a while.

June Kelly : Edgware Road : 1310 BST
The police have confirmed there have been a number of fatalities at Edgware Road.
A number of people have been seriously injured, and then there is the walking wounded. Police say everyone is now out of the tube station.
Two trains were caught up in the explosion here. Witnesses have spoken about glass showering down on them and being plunged into darkness.
People who got out are very shaken and have told us in dramatic detail about getting out, but the very bad news is that some people have died here.

George Bush said, that he want to send his condolences to the people of London. This morning Bush had been in touch with his security and had told them to be extra vigilant and to help find out who where to blame. On one hand we have people working to help rid the world of aids and poverty and to help the environment and on the other you have people who just want to kill. The contrast is obvious. He is much impressed by the resolve of those at the G8. We will not yield to terrorist attacks.

The queen has said that the events in London have deeply shocked her, and she has nothing but admiration for the emergency services.

13:35 There are reports of decapitated bodies?

Markets fall after the blasts in London with share prices dropping across Europe. The UK’s benchmark FTSE 100 share index tumbled 118 points, or 2.26%, to 5,111. In France, Germany, Holland and Spain indexes all fell more than 2.5%. The pound has also dipped, with many investors seeing safety in the Swiss franc and commodities such as gold. The price of crude oil also dropped in London. The London Clearing House amongst several other City buildings has been evacuated. While the London stock exchange has introduced ?special measures? and has asked its traders to switch off their ?black box? programme trading systems, these systems use algorithms to place huge trades in response to market volatility. “We are farming out orders to other financial centres, such as Paris because of the uncertainty on the ground in London,” said one dealer in London. The shockwaves have been felt as far away as South Africa, where shares have dropped more than 1.9%. Sterling has fallen to a 19-month low against the dollar and sank 1% to a 6-week low against the euro.

This is the only photo I can find from the underground at the moment, taken by Adam Stacey. As you can see the visibility appears to be poor, with the only lighting being the emergency lighting on the train, the lighting at the station seems to be out, there is black smoke clouding the view, and people looking panicked. Obviously the emergency services will have by now set up their own lighting, but from this image it looks as though the underground at the moment is a scary place to be.

Marie Jackson : Fenchurch Street : 1345 BST
My destination is Aldgate East, scene of one of the morning’s explosions. But as is happening all across London, roads are becoming no-go zones as suspect packages are uncovered.
At the junction of Gracechurch Street and Fenchurch Street the police tape goes up, officers redirect traffic and the usual lunchtime haunts of M&S and Boots are evacuated. Sniffer dogs and police vans are quickly at the scene but within minutes the package is investigated and dealt with.
Officers re-open the road as shop staff gather under shelter from the rain, talking about how are they ever going to get home.

Number to ring to report missing persons in relation to this attack is: 0870 1566 344

14:08 – The number of explosions is now back down to four. Three on the tube, one on the bus at Tavistock Square. There have been a number of controlled explosions around the city but the rumour that a suicide bomber was shot earlier by police is definitely not true.

1433BST There has been an substantial step up in security in New York with swat teams visible on the New York subway system.

1439BST As far as I can tell from this photo sent to the BBC by Alexander Chadwick, passengers leaving an underground train in a tunnel near Kings Cross. As you can see emergency lighting is in place, but you cant see any smoke or if any of those in the photo are hurt or how badly.

Met police officers in Scotland are being redeployed to London now, as many as 1500 men officers are being sent back to London from the G8 summit.

It appears that this is not a chemical or biological attack, and thankfully not, although this has not been confirmed. It would be a horrible aftermath if people began turning up to hospitals with strange symptoms.

Officials are beginning to say that this could have been much worse and thankfully it is not. The bomb blasts could have been bigger.
These are not conditional terrorists such as the IRA they are unconditional terrorists who can only be dealt though, by good intelligence and being able to find out what will happen before it does. The terrorists appear to be sending a message such as, ?look we could have done something much more terrible than this? it?s as though they are saying this is just a taster of what we can do.

The BBC has located an Islamist website that has published a 200-word statement issued by an organisation saying it carried out the London bombings. The organisation calling itself the Secret Organisation Group of al-Qaeda Qaeda [literally the base] of Jihad Organisation in Europe has not previously been heard of. The website that the BBC has found, had previously carried statements purporting to be from al-Qaeda. It?s not possible to verify such claims that are published on the web due to the nature of the Internet.
This is the full text of the statement:

In the name of God, the merciful, the compassionate, may peace be upon the cheerful one and undaunted fighter, Prophet Muhammad, God’s peace be upon him.
Nation of Islam and Arab nation: Rejoice for it is time to take revenge against the British Zionist Crusader government in retaliation for the massacres Britain is committing in Iraq and Afghanistan. The heroic mujahideen have carried out a blessed raid in London. Britain is now burning with fear, terror and panic in its northern, southern, eastern, and western quarters.
We have repeatedly warned the British Government and people. We have fulfilled our promise and carried out our blessed military raid in Britain after our mujahideen exerted strenuous efforts over a long period of time to ensure the success of the raid.
We continue to warn the governments of Denmark and Italy and all the Crusader governments that they will be punished in the same way if they do not withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. He who warns is excused.
God says: “You who believe: If ye will aid (the cause of) Allah, He will aid you, and plant your feet firmly.”

Sources: BBC, ITV, CNN , Londonist Guardian.

Last updated: 7th July 2005 @ 15:16

The injured where taken to local hospitals via bus, ambulance and helicopter with 208 brought in to Royal London Hospital 10 serious and six critical. 38 treated at St Mary?s Hospital with 17 seriously injured. Great Ormond Street had about 22 people brought in while the University College Hospital treated about 50 people. The Royal Free Hospital had 55 people arrive, most with minor injuries and Guy?s and St Thomas?s Hospital, eight where brought in.

The three explosions on the London Underground have left 33 dead with the number of people who died in a blast on a double-decker bus unknown. Over 300 people have been treated with many more having to be evacuated from the tubes. The Prime Minister Tony Blair has promised the ?most intense police and security service action to make sure we bring those responsible to justice?. An Islamist website has posted a statement ? purportedly from al-Qaeda ? which has claimed it was behind the attacks, this is not known to be true and could be load of bullshit for all we know.

More will be known tomorrow when officials have had time to gather more intelligence and analyse the bombsites.