Impressions of Londoners

[Pindar]

While sifting through reports for hard news on the effects of the human refuse's actions. One thing struck me. It was the general reaction of the common Londoner. There was no panic or mayhem. Quite the opposite: it seems most were committed to getting about their business and 'soldier on' as it were. I thought this is the stoic resolve that made Perfidious Albion able to stand against so many foes so often in the past. This is the spirit that conquered the Oceans and established Pax Britannica.

I have a Union Jack flying outside my house to show some solidarity with this great city.

London remains one of the jewels of the West. Great is her name.

[Don Corleone]

A brave lot. No mayhem, no looting. A gritty determination that all would be as normal as possible. You have set a very high bar.

[ICantSpellDawg]

where in the crap did you get a union jack on such short notice?
if this happened in cambodia - do you have their flag on reserve too?

bravo to the limeys
i was just in london 3 weeks ago - but the furthest north i went was probably piccadily

[Roark]

I'd like to think that Australia partially inherited that "stiff upper lip" trait... Nobody does it like the Brits though. Very humourously portrayed in Monty Python's Flying Circus, in the skit where the tiger bites a bloke's leg off in the Zulu wars.

[Gawain of Orkeny]

Hers Rudi on the matter and as a fellow New Yorker I totally agree with him

The former Mayor, who now runs Giuliani Partners, a security consultancy and investment bank, said that New Yorkers would be full of sympathy for Londoners caught in today's violence.

"We feel a tremendous empathy with them. I think every New Yorker would join me in saying we feel we very much understand what you are going through," he said.

"This is a difficult time, but the people of London have responded in the exactly right way, with bravery and by moving forward. The emergency services people appear to have responded as if they have been very, very well trained and as if they were expecting attacks, they seem to be prepared for it."

"In a strange way a lot of our response to September 11 was modelling ourselves as much as we could on the people of London during the Second World War and the incredible way they withstood the attacks during the battle of Britain."

Mr Giuliani said the apparently "resolved and determined response" to the attacks had undermined this morning's attempt to induce panic in London today.

No matter how much we squabble England is our mother country. We have a bond that cannot be broken. We may have gone out into the world on our own but we will never forget where we came from. We hold the same values as Blair put so well in his speech today. Damn you guys sure can speak prettier english than we.

[bmolsson]

The tradition of the feared redcoats....

[InsaneApache]

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine that should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved, lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom. Yours, very sincerely and respectfully, Abraham Lincoln

You were saying Gawain?

[doc_bean]

It seems to me that Londoners were expecting an attack sooner or later (probably sooner). So they were prepared, both practically (the emergency services) and mentally.

This attitude is incredibly admirable. If Brussels was attacked (let's face it, it will probably happen too someday) it would have caused widespread panic and the emergency services wouldn't be able to deal with the consequences. because the people here (and certainly the government) prefer to bury their head in the sand instead of preparing for the worst.

Thank you London, for showing how to deal with this kind of threat. You are an inspiration and an example for all

[Al Khalifah]

Its what we Brits do. We get on with things. There was even humour about it, as we try to shrug the whole thing off. Yes, there was loss of life, but it is our defense mechanism and one that has served us well throughout history.

Perhaps the best way to stop the terrorists is to ignore them in the hope they'll stop like a pestering child.

I hope we are a great example to the rest of the world as Britain has always tried to be.

[Ser Clegane]

I hope we are a great example to the rest of the world

You sure did - seeing how the whole situation has been handled and how the Londoners reacted to it was most admirable.

Kudos to you - this the way to show the world that terror cannot and will not win

[Fragony]

pffffffffffffft edited for emotional outburst.

[GonZ]

Glad to see that I'm not the only one who put a flag up in solidarity with the Londoners. My flag of choice is the St. George's Cross, always has been always will be.

[Ser Clegane]

http://www.werenotafraid.com/

[lancelot]

Thanks guys, all of these messages were very considerate and much appreciated.

They have trod on the Lion's tail, now I hope they get what they deserve.

[Al Khalifah]

http://www.werenotafraid.com/

This site is very wtf?

Nice message, but its a wee bit bizarre.

[TonkaToys]

Thanks again for the solidarity shown by everyone here.

There was even humour about it, as we try to shrug the whole thing off.

Heh, it was claimed that the Parisians had done it to scupper the Olympic vote, but that they were a little late.

[Idaho]

I have a Union Jack flying outside my house to show some solidarity with this great city.

Whoa! You live on a boat! Cool...

[InsaneApache]

Whoa! You live on a boat! Cool...

Naughty naughty ...you know he meant the Union flag.

[Sigurd]

Whoa! You live on a boat! Cool...

I was also tempted to make the correction, but out of respect of the main objective of this thread I didn't.
Just shows that the British can crack jokes even in situations like this...
RESPECT

[Idaho]

Actually I'll grant Al Qaida one thing - they managed to get the marketing awayday I was supposed to attend on Monday cancelled. And I was so looking forward to learning about 'Living the firm's corporate values'

[ah_dut]

One thing I found incredibly annoying was the school's paranoia. If they're going to bomb public transport, the hell do they care some kids want to walk home? Also a massive information blackout did no favours either.

But safe and sound so the hell do I care now?

[Pindar]

Whoa! You live on a boat! Cool...

I actually do have a house boat.

[TonkaToys]

I actually do have a house boat.

Ha ha! Nice one Pindar; you were right all along!

[Ianofsmeg16]

I really wasnt surprised that London acted they way it did, The might of the Luftwaffe couldnt take our resolve during WW2 so what are a bunch of cowards going to do about it...Respect to London!

[KukriKhan]

London City Flag.

Today, I am a Londoner.

[The Stranger]

You sure did - seeing how the whole situation has been handled and how the Londoners reacted to it was most admirable.

Kudos to you - this the way to show the world that terror cannot and will not win

it might not win, but i wont loose either, it may not prevail, but it is unbeatable as long as humans exist

[Gawain of Orkeny]

I feel how weak and fruitless must be any word of mine that should attempt to beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the anguish of your bereavement, and leave you only the cherished memory of the loved, lost, and the solemn pride that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon the altar of freedom. Yours, very sincerely and respectfully, Abraham Lincoln


You were saying Gawain?

Huh ?

[TonyJ]

I think it's a comment on your comment that we supposedly speak prettier English than you.

The point of using a speech that old, from a time when standards of language and grammar were so different from today does escape me a little though ....

[Gawain of Orkeny]

The point of using a speech that old, from a time when standards of language and grammar were so different from today does escape me a little though ....

Oh I get it. But its the accent that Im speaking about.

[InsaneApache]

The point I was making was that the Americans are more than capable of utilising the English language to it's most eloquent effect.

I feel quite priviledged that I lost you...