The days after

Clare has more or less said in her blog exactly my feelings both about the Olympics and the bombings. I wasn't in favour of the olympics at first, but 'mrs average' changed her mind (my strange power continues) and I was absolutely delighted. Phil has already investigated how to be a volunteer! Then the bombings yesterday. I heard from my NVQ students when mobiles started ringing but insisted on carrying on with the class with much the same words.
Today we had already bought tickets for the Britain exhibition at the Tate and I was determined to go if we had to start early and walk it!
Well we went. We got as far as STratford on the overground then were told Liverpool st was closed for another alert so we got on the Jubilee Line. This was halted briefly because of another alert at Waterloo but then no problem. All the way to Westminster and then on foot.
London I have to report was back open for business. In less than 24 hours most of the transport network was up and running, the tourists (bless em) were back on the street and the only difference was the incredible number of police about, all in body armour and many carrying submachine guns. However these only provided a more interesting backdrop for photos! One of the nicest glimpses I saw was a small group of tourists sitting on the car bomb barriers that are now all round parliament, eating ice creams!
I was very disappointed tonight to hear that Leo's school had cancelled a proposed trip to the Portrait gallery because of the 'danger'. I feel it almost as a military duty to carry on our lives regardless. There's so little we can really do except stand and defy the evil. And in the end terror only wins if you let it inside.