'My second station bomb in 12 years'

By Liam Allen
BBC News at Liverpool Street

Lorraine Cross has been selling papers in Bishopsgate for 36 years

"There's only one day at work that I can remember that even comes close to yesterday," newspaper seller Lorraine Cross says.

Lorraine, 58, has sold papers in Bishopsgate - in the heart of the City of London - for 36 years.

She has had her current pitch, right outside Liverpool Street Station, for 15 of those, and saw at first hand the aftermath of Thursday's blast at the station.

The day that Thursday reminded her of was 24 April 1993 when, as she stood at the same pitch, she heard a bomb, hidden in a truck, go off.

It wrecked Liverpool Street underground station as well as a mediaeval church, St Ethelburga's, and another church. The damage cost £350m to repair.

Disbelief

That explosion, which killed one and injured more than 40, was the work of the IRA.

People were running out screaming and covered in dust - it was quite a scene Lorraine Cross

But while the scale of deaths and injuries as a result of Thursday's blast at the station was larger - seven were confirmed dead with more than 100 wounded, at least 10 seriously - Lorraine says both were equally chilling.

"Both of them were really nasty," she told the BBC News website the day after the series of London bombings.

"Yesterday, someone ran up from the ticket area downstairs and said 'there's been an explosion on platform one'.

"I couldn't believe it.

"People were running out screaming and covered in dust - it was quite a scene.

"Then the station closed and we heard about the terrible things that had happened."

'Absolutely crowded'

Lorraine said she had been "very, very busy" on Thursday afternoon with people buying papers throughout the day as they crowded into the streets above the station.

Liverpool Street was far quieter than usual at 1730 BST on Friday

"The street was absolutely crowded - everybody was trying to get a cab," she said.

"Because it was so busy, people were wanting to read about what had happened.

"We've been quite busy today as well."

It was with a great deal of trepidation that Lorraine returned to work on Friday morning.

Despite three of her fellow Liverpool Street newspaper sellers staying at home on Friday, Lorraine said she had not considered that as an option.

"It never crossed my mind," she says.

But that is not to say that she felt safe.

"We lost an Evening Standard seller to the Dockland bombing in 1996," she says wistfully.

Station evacuation

Lorraine said Friday had gone smoothly except for a "very worrying" start to the day.

"We got evacuated at about 9am - they closed the station," she said.

This morning's scare made me a bit nervous to say the least Lorraine Cross

"They found a suspect package.

"I'd decided to come in today because I didn't expect anything to happen and then that.

"This morning's scare made me a bit nervous to say the least.

"But you've just got to get on with it, haven't you?"

British stoicism

Lorraine's will to overcome her nerves and carry on as normal was a sentiment shared by many people who turned up for work in London's financial centre on Friday.

Dutch trader Pieter Maat, 29, who works for ABN Amro on Bishopsgate, said he had been "very impressed" by British stoicism in the face of adversity.

If everybody stayed at home, that would be exactly what these people wanted, Pieter Maat

And although he had only lived in the UK for one-and-a-half years, he told the BBC News website he was proud to become a part of that tradition.

"I think it's important you should go to work although I did come in a bit early myself.

"When I first entered my station there was a little bit of a strange feeling - it was really quiet."

Some of his colleagues had stayed at home with the blessing of their bosses, he said.

"But if everybody stayed at home, that would be exactly what these people wanted," he added.

Although Pieter said he found Friday morning's Tube ride into work a bit daunting he had "no problems" about the prospect of his journey back to Notting Hill on Friday evening, he said.

"But first, I'll be going for a few beers around Liverpool Street - the same as any Friday night."