OC City Lunch 2005

Thursday 7/7/05 Was The Day That 49 Died

It was also the day that was scheduled for the OC City Lunch at the RAC. By the beginning of that week while around 25 had shown an interest 16 had confirmed they were coming. Andrew Beaton was understandably nervous since he was the member at the RAC and any unpaid bills would land on his doorstep. We reassured him that the OCs would pick up any such bills. Rodney Spokes had to cry off because his wife had broken a leg and had to go to hospital that day. So we were down to 15. The year before I had taken a camera with no film, so to make sure there was a picture for the Newsletter I phoned Bob Mash at nine that morning to make sure that he would bring a camera. Certainly little did we know that at the precise time we were talking the day was taking a savage and bloody turn for the worse.

AT 10.00 Bob who was coming up from Dorset phoned to say that his train had stopped at Salisbury and passengers were being advised not to go forward to London. The bells started ringing. I looked at the BBC News web site which was reporting the holding line of the Power Surge which we now know was to give the emergency services time to swing into action. Whatever, there was chaos in Central London. I phoned Beaton and we decided to cancel. One or two had already twigged and were emailing the fact they couldn’t or wouldn’t be coming. A few phone calls and the lunch was off. Stephen Levinson manfully said he would have walked but if he had he would have eaten alone. And so our lunch was off.

Elsewhere a medieval demonic force had claimed 49 lives and wrecked scores of others. Only the day before we had been cheering the Olympics win. The following week the Clayesmore Cormorants started their cricket week. For most life went on. For 49 it didn’t.

Hugh Thompson (60-64)