U.K.: PEOPLE IN LONDON'S WEST END REACT TO NEWS OF SECOND COORDINATED TERRORIST ATTACK ON LONDON'S PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYTEM IN TWO WEEKS

Record ID: 647752

  • Title: U.K.: PEOPLE IN LONDON'S WEST END REACT TO NEWS OF SECOND COORDINATED TERRORIST ATTACK ON LONDON'S PUBLIC TRANSPORT SYTEM IN TWO WEEKS
  • Date: 21st July 2005
  • Summary: (BN15) LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM (JULY 21, 2005) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD LEADING TO WARREN STREET STATION 0.05 2. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE WALKING (2 SHOTS) 0.15 3. SV/CU: SHOP CLOSE WITH SIGN READING: "THURSDAY 21/7. DUE TO TODAY'S EVENTS THIS STORE HAS CLOSED FOR THE DAY" (2 SHOTS) 0.24 4. POLICE CAR ON TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD 0.28 5. CORDONED OFF STREET LEADING TO BFI BUILDING 0.33 6. PERSON SITTING ON CURB 0.40 7. SCU: PEOPLE USING PUBLIC TELEPHONE 0.44 8. VARIOUS OF POLICEMEN GIVING DIRECTION TO PEOPLE (2 SHOTS) 0.53 9. CU: MAN LOOKING ON 0.57 10. MAN READING NEWSPAPER WITH COVER PAGE READING: "NEW TUBE AND BUS BOMBINGS" 1.02 11. EXTERIOR OF DOMINION THEATRE ON TOTTENHAM COURT ROAD; PAN DOWN TO PEOPLE ENTERING BUILDING 1.09 12. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ENTERING THEATRE AND HOLDING TICKETS (2 SHOTS) 1.16 13. (SOUNDBITE)(English) THEATRE-GOER KAREN, FROM KENT, SAYING: "We booked the tickets in advance and we got here. Things had already started so we wasn't aware of it (the blasts) until we got to the hotel and then obviously we thought we better go and see if the show is still on, the tickets are going. This road obviously was cordoned off, it was a bit worrying we did see an incident up the road (Warren Street Station) and that really did sort of frightened you a little bit everything seems to have calmed down so I don't know... we just carry on. You've got to carry on that's all I can say." 1.44 14. PEOPLE OUTSIDE VENUE 1.48 15. VARIOUS OF POLICE REDIRECTING TRAFFIC AND STRANDED PEOPLE (3 SHOTS) 2.03 16. EXTERIOR OF PALACE THEATRE ON CHARING CROSS ROAD 2.08 17. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE ENTERING PALACE THEATRE (2 SHOTS) 2.18 18. (SOUNDBITE)(English) PAUL LEWIS, PALACE THEATRE USHER, SAYING: "We are not sure what is going to happen tonight. We are not very busy tonight and we are going to find out soon, you know, just how delayed people are, how affected they are by transport so we won't know for another half hour or so how it's going." 2.33 19. SCU: BOARD READING: "SECURITY CHECKS ARE IN OPERATION AT THIS THEATRE" 2.37 20. (SOUNDBITE)(English) BILL, FROM SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA, SAYING: "No we are coming in advance, we are coming here no matter what, it wasn't difficult to get here particularly, we had a little trouble getting a cab but once we did it took about 10 minutes instead of immediate. That was about it." 2.50 21. EXTERIOR OF CINEMA VUE IN LEICESTER SQUARE 2.54 22. PEOPLE LEAVING CINEMA 2.58 23. (SOUNDBITE)(English)UNIDENTIFIED CINEMA-GOER, SAYING: "No, no today it was fine. Honestly nothing to worry about, it's all good. We will be fine. 3.05 24. MAN ENTERING EMPIRE CINEMA 3.09 25. CU: NOTICE ON BOARD READING: "CCTV IN OPERATION THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING...ALL BAGS WILL BE INSPECTED..." 3.13 26. VARIOUS OF EXTERIOR OF ODEON WEST END (3 SHOTS) 3.25 27. PAN VIEW OF SHOPS IN LEICESTER SQUARE 3.34 28. CLOSE VIEW OF ESPRESSO BAR 3.38 29. (SOUNDBITE) (English) ESPRESSO BAR, SHOP OWNER, SAYING: "Every day the business is going down, everyday, not just one day, every week. (reporter asking: "Why do you think is that?") Because people are scared of the bombs, it's not easy." 3.54 30. CU: STREET SIGN READING: "SHAFTESBURY AVENUE, THEATRELAND" 3.58 31. VIEW OVER NEWSPAPER STAND READING: "NEW TUBE BOMB ALERTS" AND PAN OVER BAR 4.03 32. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE IN BARS AND RESTAURANTS ON OLD COMPTON STREET, SOHO, LONDON (4 SHOTS) 4.20 33. (SOUNDBITE)(English) JOHN, TOURIST FROM BIRMINGHAM, SAYING: "Life goes on. I didn't take a lot of notice, just carried on as normal. You are worried a little bit but you don't bother really. So we went for a drink, then we went for a meal, then we went to bed this afternoon in a hotel and went out tonight, marvellous, it (the attack) doesn't bother ourselves." 4.38 34. LONG VIEW DOWN OLD COMPTON STREET 4.41 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 5th August 2005 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LONDON, ENGLAND, UNITED KINGDOM
  • City:
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA4WQI1B957Z31HNN32EW8S9D7A
  • Story Text: People weary of visiting London's normally busy West End
    after morning blasts.



    London's West End was quieter than normal on Thursday (July 21)
    afternoon following four new coordinated attacks on the capital's transport
    system, exactly two weeks after a similar attack killed 56 people.

    Parts of the city centre still remained closed to the traffic in the
    late afternoon, forcing people to find alternative routes to return home
    and making it difficult for others to reach the capital's entertainment district.

    "We booked the tickets in advance and we got here. Things had
    already started so we wasn't aware of it (the blasts) until we got to the hotel
    and then obviously we thought we better go and see if the show is still on, the
    tickets are going. This road obviously was cordoned off, it was a bit worrying
    we did see an incident up the road (Warren Street Station) and that really
    did sort of frightened you a little bit everything seems to have calmed down
    so I don't know... we just carry on. You've got to carry on that's all I can say,"
    said Karen, who with her daughter, came from Kent to see 'We
    Will Rock You' the smash-hit musical at the Dominion theatre.

    In contrast to what happened on July 7 when most of the establishments
    closed to the public, theatre and cinemas stayed opened but owners and
    employees were uncertain of how many people would attend performances.

    "We are not sure what is going to happen tonight. We are not very
    busy tonight and we are going to find out soon, you know, just how delayed
    people are, how affected they are by transport so we won't know for another
    half hour or so how it's going," said Paul Lewis, usher of the popular Palace
    Theatre on Charing Cross Road.

    But for some, the attacks, didn't disrupt their evening plans.

    "....we are coming here no matter what, it wasn't difficult to
    get here particularly, we had a little trouble getting a cab but once we
    did it took about 10 minutes instead of immediate. That was about it,"
    said Bill, a tourist from southern California, on his way to the Palace Theatre.

    Thursday's attack will have minor impact on the profits of some West
    End businesses but for others the reality is much harder.

    "Every day the business is going down, everyday, not just one day,
    every week......people are scared of the bombs, it's not easy," said the
    owner of an espresso bar on Leicester Square.

    Life on Old Compton Street, in the heart of Soho, seemed bustling with
    the usual crowd of pub-lovers and tourists.

    "Life goes on. I didn't take a lot of notice, just carried on as
    normal. You are worried a little bit but you don't bother really. So we went
    for a drink, then we went for a meal, then we went to bed this afternoon in
    a hotel and went out tonight, marvellous, it (the attack) doesn't bother
    ourselves," said John, a Birmingham resident, who's defiance stemmed
    from his memories of the second world war and the IRA bombings he
    witnessed earlier in his life.


  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register