For the first time, I feel a bit twitchy!

[i11matic1795]

I would say I'm also more on edge with what's been going on recently, although I do live in an area that I wouldn't expect to be targeted. My dad has also been feeling similar, and having spent the past week in London he's definitely been keeping an eye out for any situations developing, being ex police he's pretty aware of his surroundings most of the time.

One positive is that he's been talking quite a lot about getting us a BOL, and probably even a BOB for himself

[Bosworth]

NO it's not, I was in central london ( near to where TSHTF ) repairing machinery on the day of 7/7 and it was absolute f*****g pandemonium.

Just trying to get out of the area in a big van as quickly as possible by the shortest route was a nightmare.

Sirens and blue lights everywhere, choppers flying all over the place as well as the military choppers flying around.

Not an experience that i want to go through again or re-live.

When i finally hit the M20 motorway the overhead signs going into London were saying "london closed" "turn back".

It was sort of sureal, looking at the motorway signs was like almost like seeing a clip from a film, you just didnt expect it.

Enough said, still turns my stomach over even now.

But you weren't actually hurt, though? And if the worst impact of that dreadful day was that it took you a few hours to get home, is that not a reasonable outcome considering? Was it so bad that you would change your life to avoid such a thing happening again?

I also was in town that day, and in fact on a train 2 minutes ahead of the one that blew up at Aldgate. I had to walk home. It was unpleasant, but my life was never in danger.

[itsybitsy]

One of the things that everyone must now accept is that there are NO LOW RISK AREAS !!

Not true my m8 lives on a farm with cows for friends i think he's fairly low risk.

All1

Stop being facetious.

[itsybitsy]

One of the things that everyone must now accept is that there are NO LOW RISK AREAS !!

Not true my m8 lives on a farm with cows for friends i think he's fairly low risk.

All1

http://www.independent.co.uk/environmen ... 76775.html

Not so
there everywhere

[warringtonmum88]

Thanks for everyone's replies, I'm a bit more at ease that this isn't my mind going crazy and that other people are feeling similar emotions.

It's not that I'm letting it change my life, I am still going shopping, I am still taking my kids to school daily, I am still doing what I need to do but the feeling I get now doing those things is unnerving.

Like I said over the weekend, going about my business I spotted two armed officers in our local shopping centre, being faced with that when you don't expect to see it is a bit shocking too and that's even after our town has been bombed twice by the IRA. I've been to London many times and seen the armed police around Westminster and armed guards at the palace and expect to see that but seeing them in our town and my son shouting "they've got guns" just sent shivers down my spine that the threat is obviously very very real and being taken highly seriously by many towns across the UK.

Someone else said "the knee jerk reaction will ease off eventually" yes it will but whose to say that's not what they are waiting for, waiting for everything to die down, waiting for everyone to go about their business without being so vigilant and then striking to cause the mass hysteria again that they have caused in recent days to amplify the effect of what they do.

For the person who said they wished they had been shown things at a younger age, I didn't have much choice really, my son has seen the news all week (he is 9), then with how busy the town centre was and then seeing the armed police out and about and him spotting them I felt that was a perfect opportunity to show him how to use emergency exits, to look for side doors or hiding places small enough for him to get into should we get separated. I made it a bit of a scavenger hunt, (find the emergency exit, find a staff door, find a good hiding place etc) and i think it has made him more aware, my daughter who is only 4 would simply have to be picked up and ran with.

As I said in my original post I am aware that as individuals we are very unlikely to get caught up in something like that, and we'd be really unlucky for it to happen to us but these people could be anywhere, as Paris has proven they thought the ring leader was still in Syria but in fact he had traveled across Europe many times unchecked, unnoticed. The powers that be estimate approximately 3000 Briton's have traveled to Syria or Iraq for whatever reason and at least 600 have returned, it took 7-8 people in Paris last week to hit simultaneously and kill almost 130 people and cause maximum chaos, by my maths based on the figure of 600 returned and currently in the UK and based on 7 attackers that is 85 towns/cities that they could hit with who knows what death toll, nevermind injury toll.

I know as a group we're not in the business of scaremongering, and i'll be damned if they will dictate how I go about my business but there is no mistaking the heaviness in the air and the fear instilled in the public.

To the poster with the British Muslim wife, I'm sorry that you and your wife are experiencing judgement I can't imagine it's a nice feeling!

These are just examples of what has happened in my town in the last year through local people, so the threat that the armed police are now seemingly protecting against is especially chilling considering it has been over 20yrs since armed police were last publicly visible in our town!

http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/new ... s_attacks/

http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/new ... f=mr&lp=15 (this happened behind my house and the police dog units searched the wooded area behind us for weapons)

http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/new ... _stabbing/

http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/new ... alse_alarm_/ (this was after teenagers were set a small fire in some toilets and were throwing those bangers into shops (the ones that bang when thrown at the floor)

http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/new ... triggered/

http://www.warringtonguardian.co.uk/new ... _suspects/

As a town that have experienced attacks at the hands of the IRA twice before needless to say when things like the above happen in our town people get nervous.

[diamond lil]

But because the IRA hit a town doesnt mean that every other terrorist gang will come along and hit the same town pet, does it? I'm currently reading a book about WW2, people's experiences and thoughts in their own words - and so many mums said and felt the same as you. And it's almost exactly word for word the same as I'm reading today in the news and in here. Why the hell can't the human race ever learn anything? We've spent thousands of years going round and round the same damn mulberry bush and it's getting bloody boring!

[warringtonmum88]

I'm not saying that another terrorist organisation would hit Warrington again but the effect that the IRA left on the psyche of our town is palpable again after what has happened in Paris.

I am more thinking along the lines of vigilance, preparation and knowing that my eldest could/can operate and emergency exit/door if he had to.

Maybe it's a mother thing, from what you have said it could very well be.

I am on here to learn, to expand my thought process and gain something from other people's opinions around these situations. I'm not running round like bloody Rambo or Bear Grylls, I am trying to be proactive without being reactive and by attempting this and gathering other people's experiences and view points I hope to be able to settle my own mind and know where to go from in terms of "just in case". Surely that can't be a bad thing?

[northern bloke]

When all this came out it prompted my wife to show me the other night how she would deal with a terrorist coming into the house and she was serious it was so scary.

First off she would grab the snow ball xmass ornament off the mantelpiece because its the heavy glass ball type you shake until it snows (that would put the fear of god into any would be terrorist armed with a kalashnikov eh?) but whilst he is stood at the sitting room door shouting some fraze from whatever religion he might belong to she would run at him and hit him in the nuts and as he bows down with the pain she will bang him over the head with said ornament.

A warning to anyone planning on breaking into our house albeit a terrorist or just the local burglar Our lass is armed and ready.

[Arzosah]

I am on here to learn, to expand my thought process and gain something from other people's opinions around these situations. I'm not running round like bloody Rambo or Bear Grylls, I am trying to be proactive without being reactive and by attempting this and gathering other people's experiences and view points I hope to be able to settle my own mind and know where to go from in terms of "just in case". Surely that can't be a bad thing?

Of course its not, warringtonmum ... you're aware of what's happened in your town, like your neighbours are, and things like those bombs leave scars. Try talking in Liverpool about the Heysel stadium disaster, or the Hillsborough disaster ... these events cast a long shadow.

[Briggs 2.0]

1. a large number of FAC holders live in rural Britain and I dare say most of them would be only too happen to bag a brace of Terrs mate.

I have had a word with a few of my neighbours and we've come to the unanimous decision that normal shoot guidelines apply and it would be rather poor form and a bit of a bad show if one were to bag more than a brace. One of the more senior chaps wanted to impose a side-by-side only rule but the consensus felt that under the circumstances, three-shot semi-autos would be acceptable, just in case you winged one.

Anyway. As for the OP, I think it's a very good thing you are thinking the way you do and quite normal in my opinion. It pays to be vigilante and aware of threats and to plan what ifs. I'm old enough to remember the IRA bombing Knollys Road and grew up with bomb-scares being part of normal life.

I'm glad the great response you've had on here has put your mind at rest.