Birminham Pub Bombings 1974

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Man arrested in Belfast today.

[WBA1955]

I will watch the details unfold with great interest.

[Titchfieldbaggie]

I won't invest any hope that this will at last be sorted

[mickd1961]

I will watch the details unfold with great interest.

A friend of mine was due to be in The Talk Of The Town on that terrible night.

He failed to turn up for a session with the other lads from Hepworth Menswear where they all worked due to illness.

The other lads were gathered around the jukebox that the bomb was planted behind, one lad was sat on the jukebox.

When Phil hadn’t turned up they decided to phone his home ( no mobiles in 74 ) and were a reasonable distance away from the bomb when it exploded.

One of the lads had made it to the stairs and was walking up them to reach ground level, the bomb blew him 20-30 feet up the stairs and out into New Street........head first into a lamppost and he broke his neck.

Thankfully he wasn’t paralysed and after a few months fully recovered.

If Phil hadn’t been sick then he and Jason who broke his neck and the others in the crew would’ve been blown to bits!

If they’d waited 10-15 seconds more before moving they’d be 46 years dead like those other sad souls.

Inept policing and cover ups over nearly five decades.

Justice if it comes is 46 years too late and more than a Dollar short..........almost pointless it seems and I don’t mean to disrespect the families by saying that.

A complete s h I t show by everyone investigating and in power over two generations.

[Albionic68]

My eldest sister and her mate were supposed to meet up (somewhere) that night before heading onto the Tavern in the Town. Her mate didn't turn up as she wasn't feeling very well so my sister headed home. Two very lucky people, a sliding doors moment.

[stripes39]

My eldest sister and her mate were supposed to meet up (somewhere) that night before heading onto the Tavern in the Town. Her mate didn't turn up as she wasn't feeling very well so my sister headed home. Two very lucky people, a sliding doors moment.

Back in 2002 I spent a few weeks travelling around the far east. We spent some time in Bali. We always ended up nearly all our evenings in a bar very close to our hotel in Kuta Beach where we were staying called The Sari bar as it was a good mix of locals, Brits, Americans and Aussies.

A few days before leaving the UK the 3 of us mates who travelled together bought forward our flights by 72 hours as a close mate had decided to get married in the UK on the 12th which I'm sure was a Saturday. After we were back and attended the wedding we saw on the news that an Islamic suicide bomber detonated a bomb that evening killing dozens of people in the bar we would undoubtedly have been in. There was an Irish bar across the way with a very congenial Irish owner who also got hit along with dozens more as the bombs were detonated simultaneously.

I sometimes find I need to remind myself of that if ever 'stuff' is getting me down or work stuff is pi**ing me off. Most things I realised aren't that important in the grand scheme of things. A sliding doors moment indeed.

[Albionic68]

Back in 2002 I spent a few weeks travelling around the far east. We spent some time in Bali. We always ended up nearly all our evenings in a bar very close to our hotel in Kuta Beach where we were staying called The Sari bar as it was a good mix of locals, Brits, Americans and Aussies.

A few days before leaving the UK the 3 of us mates who travelled together bought forward our flights by 72 hours as a close mate had decided to get married in the UK on the 12th which I'm sure was a Saturday. After we were back and attended the wedding we saw on the news that an Islamic suicide bomber detonated a bomb that evening killing dozens of people in the bar we would undoubtedly have been in. There was an Irish bar across the way with a very congenial Irish owner who also got hit along with dozens more as the bombs were detonated simultaneously.

I sometimes find I need to remind myself of that if ever 'stuff' is getting me down or work stuff is pi**ing me off. Most things I realised aren't that important in the grand scheme of things. A sliding doors moment indeed.

Events like that bring everyday gripes and groans into sharp perspective '39, I've had a few of them. Doesn't stop me feeling sorry for myself at times though. The trick is to keep those times to a minimum and to be grateful for those around us. Although far from wealthy I'm fortunate enough to be rich in other ways. Stay safe chap .

[stripes39]

Events like that bring everyday gripes and groans into sharp perspective '39, I've had a few of them. Doesn't stop me feeling sorry for myself at times though. The trick is to keep those times to a minimum and to be grateful for those around us. Although far from wealthy I'm fortunate enough to be rich in other ways. Stay safe chap .

Agree with all of that 68. I think this year has given a lot of us time for reflection as to what and where our priorities are.

[mickd1961]

Agree with all of that 68. I think this year has given a lot of us time for reflection as to what and where our priorities are.

I’ve done a lot of reflecting this year.

Conclusion......I’m still a miserable t w a t.

[9goals2hattricks3pen]

Events like that bring everyday gripes and groans into sharp perspective '39, I've had a few of them. Doesn't stop me feeling sorry for myself at times though. The trick is to keep those times to a minimum and to be grateful for those around us. Although far from wealthy I'm fortunate enough to be rich in other ways. Stay safe chap .

I like this post a lot.