Do you remember where you were? Do you remember your feelings and your thoughts, as the news reports came through? I remember very well. I remember where I was, I remember my confused thoughts and feelings. I remember a total sense of bewilderment. Looking back over twenty years, I remember much more than I expected. The media reports and public reaction after the event, being most likely responsible for those seared memories.
It was Tuesday the 11th of September 2001, being English we put the numbers before the month. The day began with an early start and a meeting with two of my friends for a trip out. We were all at university back then. I was a mature student, Maxim and Adam were younger.
We changed buses at Derby and headed out on the Manchester route, reaching the village of Rowsley in the late morning. It was a slightly overcast day, with patches of bright sunlight in competition with small formations of cloud. The countryside about us was speckled by these patches of shade and sunlight. The day was neither cool nor too warm, it was an ideal day for a hike across the lower Peak District.
We began the slow but enjoyable climb from the village, up to the plateau of Stanton Moor. We meandered our way, passing other quaint English villages, attractive gardens and fields of sheep. We were completely cut off from the outside world. That sense of peace was then, as much of an attraction as it is now. We were away from the busy roads, very few aeroplanes went over us and we saw only a few fellow ramblers. Our mobile telephones, which were still something of a novelty in 2001; had long ceased to receive a signal.
We almost stumbled upon the Nine Ladies Stone Circle, the heather and trees obscured our view as we came up from the north side, the Reform Tower standing far off to our left. This stone circle which may technically be a henge; as there is evidence of what could be an eroded bank around it, is ancient. It was built during the late Neolithic or early Bronze Age, it is believed to be between three and six thousand years old. The lower figure being favoured by the majority of archaeologists, places the structure in the Bronze Age.
It was the first visit to this part of the Peak District for my friends, so we spent a short time exploring the immediate area and viewing the stone circle. We spoke very briefly to other hikers, all equally oblivious to the death and destruction now taking place across the Atlantic. The peace, tranquilly and emptiness of the moor, would stand in stark contrast; to the horrific chaos of which we were soon to learn.
We began to head south for Birchover, walking across an expanse of deserted moorland. We entered the village looking for a suitable public house or perhaps a shop for snacks. We came down from the hills to enter an equally deserted village. The school bus had not yet been through, so there were no children out and the Red Lion was closed. We found the village shop and I remained outside. Max and Adam entered.
They came out with snacks and news. Adam was pale and concerned. Max was rather flushed. His words, 'The Russians have dropped the bomb, New York is on fire.' One can never really tell with Max whether he is joking or not. I really had no idea what to make of his words or his expression. I went into the shop myself. There was a television on a shelf in the corner, two shop workers and two, perhaps three customers were watching it. This was the largest group of people we had seen since we left Rowsley. It was not a modern television like we have now, flat screen and colour. It was an old portable black and white. On the small fifteen inch screen the news played over and over, showing at least one Boeing jet hit a tower.
I was speechless. I turned to Max and Adam saying, 'Is this real?' I thought I was watching a video, it looked so much like a Hollywood blockbuster. I could not accept the reality of the situation. Someone said, 'It's real.' Another said, 'It's a terrible accident.' Max said, 'It's the Russians.' I was mentally paralysed by a deep sense of disbelief and resentment. The latter caused by fear. How dare Russia start a war and ruin our lives.
We stayed there for a few minutes, long enough to ascertain that it was not the Russians or the start of a Nuclear war. We left the shop and headed out of the village to wander home. We believed that there had been a terrible accident, the full enormity of the situation would not become apparent for quite some time. It was all so distant and faraway, a tragedy yes but not really touching us.
No doubt many people reading this piece will now laugh but prior to the 11th of September 2001, I had never heard of the Twin Towers. I was in complete ignorance of the existence of the World Trade Centre and why would I not be? It had no bearing or relevance upon my own existence then. I can however, assure the reader that I did know that New York did exist. I am not that insular nor oblivious, to the greater world environment.
We made our way out across farmland in the general direction of Winster and the river Derwent. Here my usual lack of any sense of direction and my poor map reading skills, became a minor hindrance. We missed Minster, got lost and eventually found our way back to the river Derwent by a ridiculously convoluted route. Not that it was a major issue, we were still walking through the beautiful Derbyshire countryside, the weather had improved. It was warm, we had bright sunshine and magnificent views across the Derwent valley.
Our journey home once we had found the correct bridge and the main road, was uneventful. True that we had passed through some dense woodland and a field of collapsed mine workings, carefully avoiding the pits as we went. It was perhaps not the safest route out but we lived to tell the tale. There was little or no mention of the events in New York on the journey home. Our fellow bus travellers, many on their way home from work in Bakewell and Matlock, were as oblivious as we were to the details of the event. It was only once we were all safely back home, with access to others, the television and news reports; that the true catastrophic nature of events became clear.
In those first few days and this may seem quite at odds, with what many of the younger generation will now know. There was not a universal outpouring of grief and support for the USA. Many in the UK and in continental Europe, while expressing sadness at the loss of life, observed that US foreign policy was at fault. It was suggested that decisions made by successive US Governments since the fifties, bore some responsibility for the radicalisation of terrorists across the world.
Others observed that while countries such as the UK, France, Germany and Spain had suffered acts of terrorism, the USA had not always been as supportive as the people of those countries would have wished. These views, expressed not by Government officials but by citizens; illustrated that USA foreign policy had been frequently viewed with suspicion.
These opinions which we rarely hear today, should not in any way detract from or devalue the tragic loss of life. Approximately three thousand people lost their lives that day or died of their injuries soon after. Whatever the politics, the blame or the cause, people died. Innocent people died. The full impact, the importance and approximation of victim numbers, was not fully appreciated in those first few days after the event.
Whatever the politics and whatever the consequences that followed, the attack of the 11th of September 2021 was a criminal act. It was an act of terror, a catastrophe and those that died were murdered. Rather than apportion blame and make vain inappropriate excuses, we should remember the victims of terrorism, before, then and since.
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