According to CoopBlog, the HMS Belfast is 65 today, and as part of the celebration she will fire her guns at 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. (The Belfast will, that is, not CoopBlog's author.)
The Belfast is moored on the Thames on the southern edge of The City Of London, (London's financial district) where I work. Now, what with Mr. bin Laden still running around, and Mr. Blair and friends on the verge of bombing the fuck out of Iraq, we are all a little nervy around here. Surely they ought to have told a few people about this - unexpected explosions are going to scare the crap out of everyone.
Having said that, it's now twenty past eleven, and I didn't hear anything. ;-)
Posted to Apropos of nothing by Simon Brunning at March 17, 2003 11:20 AMDid ya hear them? Bit of a let down in the end, and nearly 45 mins late. But still, nice to see the ol'girl has a bit of life in her yet.
Posted by: Eloon on March 17, 2003 11:55 AMNot a peep, no. Ah well.
Posted by: Simon on March 17, 2003 11:58 AMOooo! I'll post again seeing as I have found a physical neighbour in this city, and can share my fears of any bombing campaign. We have been drilled that in the case of a bomb alert, we are to go into our stairwell for our building is entirely glass and there is no shelter outside. Which leaves the terrifying idea that we'll be inside a building, with a bomb somewhere...waiting for the all-clear, trying to decide if being entombed is better or worse than cut down by flying glass. Not happy times.
Posted by: Eloon on March 17, 2003 11:58 AMFunnily enough, I feel safer than I used to. I used to work for a large American bank - a great target for your more discerning international terrorist. Though I'm now in The City, I work for a tiny little software house. The only ones who might intend us any harm are our clients.
There is always collateral damage I suppose, but I don't feel like a target any more.
Posted by: Simon on March 17, 2003 12:33 PMI didn't hear the guns at two either. I reckon they must have sent most of the country's gunpowder to Kuwait.
Posted by: Simon on March 17, 2003 02:34 PM