Skip to main content

The Oxford Street Incident

Yesterday, what was meant to be a lovely catch up with a friend I haven't seen in two years turned into a rather terrifying experience. 

It was around 1615 when I met up with Lizzie in one of the busiest streets in London -Carnaby Street. The place was even busier yesterday because of Black Friday. Also, a lot of people visit the area this time of the year because of the impressive Christmas lights and unique decorations. 

So, we decided to have a quick coffee in Sacred Cafe along Ganton St for some "New Zealand cafe experience" as I have been missing New Zealand coffee lately. This explained why I finished my latte in five minutes. 

Deep into our conversation, the waiter interrupted us and asked if he could take our empty cups away. Lizzie and I said "yes, please" in unison. We were talking about going to Primark in Oxford Street to buy some pyjamas, when all of a sudden we heard a commotion from the street. The sight of fleeing crowds, screaming and crying, sent us into a panic mode. And then I heard loud banging and clanking noise, as more and more people entered the cafe. It seemed like the people were being chased. The first thing that occurred to me was the Westminster bridge attack. It couldn't be another terror attack, I thought. But it certainly felt like it was. Then I realised that Carnaby Street is pedestrian only so it couldn't be a vehicle incident.  As the cafe staff instructed us to go down the basement, my mind went blank for a second. Lizzie led me down the stairs and when I realised what was happening, I started shaking and my body went cold. People rushed down in a calm manner, and the next thing I knew, we were in a very dark place.

The people having coffee at the basement had no clue what was going on. They looked as confused as we were. Lizzie and I went all the way to the back of the basement. I noticed a lady opened a door. I had a peek and saw  bottles of water and some cans inside. My mind suddenly played, "If anything bad happens, Lizzie and I will hide inside the room".  

Buffled, I phoned J to tell him not to get out of his office, and that we were in a basement because something happened. As soon as I put the phone down, I heard loud footsteps coming down the stairs. Lizzie told me to sit down. I heard the door shut. It suddenly dawned on me that something terrible has happened. Terror attack sprung to my mind. What if someone went down the basement and started shooting at us? I was shaking terribly and my heart was pounding. I wanted to cry but I couldn't. That was it, we were locked down.

Then a lady next to us caught our attention. She was crying because she got separated from her family, including two children. She was one of the people who ran inside the cafe for safety. She came from Oxford Street. She told us that there were numerous police cars in the area. She didn't know what was going on either. Then someone said gunshots were heard in Oxford St.

I'm not sure how long we were locked down in the basement but it felt so long. When the staff finally said it was safe to go out, Lizzie and I made our way up. Lizzie actually left her suitcase upstairs. Luckily, it was still there when we went back.

We were instructed to avoid the main roads. Fortunately, we could take the back road to our flat. Lizzie doubted at first whether it was safer to stay at the cafe for a few more minutes. In the end, we decided to leave.

We braved the whole situation and started walking. People we met on the streets were on their phone, looking so worried and confused. We walked hand in hand, Lizzie obviously very shaken by what happened. I have calmed down by then. As we got closer to our flat, there was a sense of security. People in our area seemed oblivious of the chaos only one kilometre away.

When we got home, we had cup of tea- because tea makes everything better. Lizzie started crying when she spoke to her parents. I was calm, only because I was in emotional shock. I watched the news while Lizzie spoke to her loved ones. After an hour, it was reported that there was no evidence of gunshots. I felt so relieved. I thanked God no one was hurt this time. 

Lizzie and I reflected on what happened afterwards. Now we know how it feels like to be in that situation. It felt so surreal. I felt like I was in a dream. It may have been a false alarm, but what if it wasn't? Lizzie was at the Oxford Tube Station less than an hour before panic erupted in the area. Imagine?

Our reunion may have been cut short, but we were very thankful for the renewed life and friendship. I am glad I was with Lizzie. We are lucky because although we were terrified, at least we were not traumatised.

Yesterday is certainly one of those days I will never forget.

TIN x


Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

2018, Thank You For The Roller Coaster Ride!

If I have not said it before, New Year is my favourite time of the year as it gives me the opportunity to reflect on the life that was and to look forward to the life that will be.  2018 was indeed a roller coaster ride of emotions, but I remain grateful because those emotions provided me with valuable lessons to be learned. I guess it is fair to say that 2018, you gave me false hopes at the beginning, but then you gave me the light in the end.  So, how did my 2018 go? Well, I documented my journey in my instagram account, so here are a few of my musings that best describe the year that was: 1. Because we have each other, it's good vibes only. - J and I had some minor health scare at the beginning of 2018. As minor as it was, it gave us emotional instability and some degree of physical challenge. I came to a point when I felt like I couldn't do anymore, however, I was reminded that J and I were in this together. The support that we had for each other during this chal
Post a Comment
Read more

The Southern Clifftop Track and Whitireia Walkways in Porirua

The train ride to Porirua for our Whitireia Park walk completed my public transportation experience in Wellington, and I have my friend E to thank for that. It was indeed a very pleasant 20-minute journey from the city and very cheap as well (NZ$11.50 return). Not a bad choice for mode of transport to get in and out of the city in my opinion. From Porirua station, we took the bus (220) to Titahi Bay where we had lunch first before we commenced our walk. After that, we walked all the way to the end of the beach. Unfortunately,  t here was no exit from there so we had to go back up the hill to continue with our walk.  On our ascent to Stuart Park, we were rewarded with beautiful views. The track was paved with small rocks scattered in some areas and it was quite steep, so it took a little bit of an effort to climb up. This part of the walkway provided a good view of the Mana island though. We walked  all the way to the "Sewer Outfall", where we were greet
Post a Comment
Read more

Afternoon Tea in London: My Experiences in 2022

Afternoon Tea has become a huge part of my life since 2006. It has been one of the things that's keeping me sane and happy, especially when life seems challenging and I need something to cheer me up. This is the reason why I didn't even realise that I may have actually overdone it last year. But I have no regrets because I enjoyed every single Afternoon Tea experience I had then, most especially because I shared those experiences with people who matter, old and new. In fact, I had some of the most memorable Afternoon Tea experiences last year, and I'm going to tell you why. 1. The Claridge's - Brook St. Afternoon Tea at The Claridge's was on top of my list last year and I am glad that I was able to share this experience with two wonderful friends, Damaris and Veronica. Perhaps I could say that this Afternoon Tea sealed our sisterhood. It's amazing because despite our huge age difference, we get on very well. And this is why this Afternoon Tea at The Claridge'
4 comments
Read more