September 11

[Mike of CAS]

Shouldn't let the day pass without comment on what awful events happened in New York on this day.

Its forever, for me, associated with Crossroads due to it actually breaking during the lunchtime screening of the 2001 episode (the second half of course which has never aired on ITV)

[Douggie]

Don't forget, the Americans would love you too, that the Pentagon was also attacked and over 500 people lost their lives there.

[jean9]

Eight years ago already, where have those years gone???  I remember it well, I was working at HSBC at the time and the dealers (who had tv screens in their room) came into the main office and told us that a plane had crashed into the twin towers.  We watched it for a little on their screen.  I remember going home and switching on the TV and just watching it all day, over and over.  It was one of those defining moments in your life, much like when Princess Diana died, I had heard it all already but couldn't help watching it over and over.

I must admit I had never heard of the World Trade Centre before this, although I stopped in NY years ago and went up the Empire State Building which I think is pretty close, I don't remember the twin towers.  I guess no one ever really paid them much attention before they moved into infamy.

When I watched the Channel 4 programmes recently about the attack I still can't help but feel for those poor soles who were in offices above where the planes hit and couldn't get out.  I think in their position I would have tried to get out, then when I knew it was impossible I think I would have jumped as many did, rather than burn alive.  It doesn't bear thinking about and I shudder to think what those poor people must have gone through.   

[Maria No. 1.]

Its forever, for me, associated with Crossroads due to it actually breaking during the lunchtime screening of the 2001 episode (the second half of course which has never aired on ITV)

Mike is right in saying that the newsflash broke into Crossroads. 

I was working in my office at the time when a colleague came in and told me about a plane had struck one of the towers.  I tried to get on the internet BBC News Website, couldn't get on it.  Later I found that the BBC website had`crashed' due to that many hits.  A couple of other colleagues came in who had been in other departments and they heard the news on the radio.  A little later, news filtered around the building that a second plane had hit the towers.

I tried a couple of other news sites, but nothing, couldn't get on.  I telephoned my Mum to ask if there had been a `newsflash', she instantly told me that it broke into Crossroads and that she had seen the second plane crash into the towers live as it happened.  The newsflash stayed on air for the rest of the night.

I watched it all when I came home from work that evening.

No words can describe really those terrible events of 11.9.01, it is just too shocking to contemplate.

[Mark]

Like many of you, i first heard about it when the newsflash cut into crossroads, should
still have that moment on tape.  If i come across it i'll stick it on youtube.

What a tragedy though, September 11th was.   Those poor people.

I can remember the morning i woke up, my radio switches on automatically and i heard
this wierd noise that sounded like someone was in room...it wasn't it was the track that
was playing Afroman's Because I Got High...the very first time i ever heard it.

[Mike of CAS]

I do remember like Maria not really knowing of, or much about the WTC. At the time they had a website, I do remember that the webcam was frozen with its last image taken just before the plane hit. The cam was on the roof. Odd what you remember.

[Daniel Freeman]

I was home late from my afternoon stint at the pub next door (WORKING!) when I switched on to catch the second half of Crossroads. I thought 'Hmmm they must be promoting a disaster film or something'. Ten minutes later I realised it was real! I got a chillling feeling in my stomach, it was quite scary.

[Aston Cross]

I too was at work when the planes hit.  One of our colleagues who'd been in the staff smoking room - yes, we still had one - came in and announced what had happened.  I couldn't believe it and tried to find out more on the various news sites, but they'd crashed.  Then another colleague came in and announced about the second plane.  I had to go up and watch but even when I was watching, I still couldn't quite grasp that this was really happening, probably down to the scale and impact and sheer disgust of such an attack taking place.

By the end of the evening, though, I was saturated and I had to watch something else just for 30 minutes.  After that, somehow, it really did sink in.  A day that will live with me for the rest of my life, especially as the day before had been such a happy day - it was our college's graduation ceremony.

[Douggie]

I was at school when the first attacked happened. There was nothing said at school about it even though the teachers knew. Which was odd really. I was in Year 10 at that point so I don't know why they didn't tell us.

Anyway I remember getting home and the house was empty. I turned on the television and it automatically came on at BBC One. I was going to turn it over to Sky One for Buffy but before I had the chance I saw what was being shown on television - the plane going into the first tower.

I couldn't believe it but phoned my parents who hadn't heard anything about it.

At this point I think the two planes had hit the towers and the third had hit the pentagon but the fourth plane was still in the air. They were also saying something about a missing fifth plane over Chicago but I can't remember what became of that - probably just false information admist much mayhem.

The images of the towers collapsing and then the debry flying threw the streets of New York will probably stay wtih me forever.

[Mike of CAS]

This forum wasn't in operation, but I do recall that on the Planet Crossroads or was it Crossroads Online at the time, latter I think. We did have the complaints about Crossroads being ditched... er, some didn't really get the importance.

I do recall making a post in reply to "why take off our TV, its not even happening in the UK" the fact that there will be relatives of people here ect. Strange posts that evening on the forum. Thankfully wiped!

[Maria No. 1.]

As you just said, thankfully wiped Mike.

Terrible really isn't it that there were people who were around who `didn't get it', but few and far between I think.  But hopefully they will have `got it' now !

[Douggie]

This forum wasn't in operation, but I do recall that on the Planet Crossroads or was it Crossroads Online at the time, latter I think. We did have the complaints about Crossroads being ditched... er, some didn't really get the importance.

I do recall making a post in reply to "why take off our TV, its not even happening in the UK" the fact that there will be relatives of people here ect. Strange posts that evening on the forum. Thankfully wiped!

Obviously they completely missed the signifance of several thousand people dying in an utterly unforgiveable terrorist attack.

Or maybe they feel the terrorists should have had better timing and take into consideration the time difference between here and America and attacked at a time when Crossroads wasn't on air here!

[Mike of CAS]

One of them is on my facebook so I'll sit pretty on the fence, but I'm sure everyone gets it now.