Yesterday, I mentioned my visit to the South Bank and the picture I took of the Swiss Re Tower from the top of City Hall (previous visits noted here and here). I did a little reading on the tower last night to find that the official name of the building is 30 St Mary Axe (which, I guess is also the address). It was the original site of the Baltic Exchange (a membership organisation at the heart of the global maritime marketplace). The Baltic Exchange headquarters was destroyed by a terrorist bomb in 1992 (an IRA attack on London) and there was a plan to try and rebuild part of it. When the damage was greater than expected the plan was changed and Norman Foster’s company came up with the plan for the stunning building that’s there now. There are some fantastic pictures of 30 St Mary Axe at Flickr.

On this day…

2006: Changes At Red Bull Racing
2004: Back Ache
2003: More Gay Marriage
2002: Water, Water Everywhere

My mum and dad have been in London for the weekend. Dad was excited as England won the test cricket this morning. After the celebrations we walked around my favourite part of town: along London’s South Bank. We watched the river traffic from the public gallery at the Oxo tower. Then we wandered towards City Hall. While standing outside City Hall I heard the sirens and watched as Tower Bridge opened to let a ship through. Then I also noticed there were people in London’s Living Room at the top of City Hall so we went for a look at the river from the top. It really is one of the most interesting places in London to go and would highly recommend it.

On this day…

2006: Button Is A Winner!
2004: Saturday News
2003: RSS Feeds
2003: No More Clause 28
2003: July 2003 And All That
2002: Where Are You Now, Miss Boo?

Sometimes the simplest ideas are by far the best. Bob Brotchie, from the East Anglian Ambulance Service, had a great idea to enable the emergency services to contact somebody close to you if you are involved in an accident. The ICE (In Case of Emergency) entry in your mobile ‘phone’s contacts list is brilliant. Read on for more or check out this story at BBC News.

East Anglian Ambulance Service have launched a national “In Case of Emergency ( ICE )” campaign with the support of Falklands war hero Simon Weston and in association with Vodafone’s annual life savers award. The idea is that you store the word ” I C E ” in your mobile phone address book, and against it enter the number of the person you would want to be contacted “In Case of Emergency”. In an emergency situation ambulance and hospital staff will then be able to quickly find out who your next of kin are and be able to contact them. It’s so simple that everyone can do it. Please do. Please will you also forward this to everybody in your address book, it won’t take too many ‘forwards’ before everybody will know about this. It really could save your life. For more than one contact name ICE1, ICE2, ICE3 etc.

On this day…

2005: links for 2005-07-17
2003: Rain Breaks Heatwave
2003: Gay Consumers Are Good
2002: Amazon Light

Thank goodness. At midnight the latest Harry Potter book went on sale. For the last six months – almost every time I have purchased anything in one of the major book stores in London – I have been asked if I would like to reserve a copy. The answer is always no. In recent weeks it’s started to get irritating. I don’t want to pre-order Harry Potter nor do I want an oversized chocolate bar at half price because I was buying a magazine. Just sell me the magazine, please!

Anyway, there’s more on this at BBC News or you can visit the UK Publisher’s site or, I guess, you could go and see what J. K. Rowling has to say about it (apart from thanks for all the cash).

On this day…

2005: links for 2005-07-16
2003: Paris Photographs
2002: “Less Substantial Thinking”

Yesterday I observed the two minutes of silence to remember those killed in last week’s bombings. After work I walked to Trafalgar Square to take part in the vigil. I arrived just after it had started but heard a lot of the speakers. There were moving speeches, prayers and poems from across the political and religious spectrum. There were leaders from the major churches and religions showing a united front. There were London celebrities with sincere words calling for a united city. Sebastian Coe spoke of the Olympic bid and how we’ll build a fitting tribute to the people who lost their lives last Thursday. There were union leaders and politicians who uttered words of support.

But the biggest applause went to members of the transport companies whose buses and trains were attacked and for the emergency services who attended the sites to rescue victims. For once we were not a celebrity-obsessed nation but were there to support the people who keep London moving and safe.

The vigil seemed to go on forever. Perhaps it was too long but when everybody’s words were sincere how could you stop it? It was a united city saying ‘we will not back down in the face of your bombs. You will not break us’.

Sadly, for the media, it was just another news story. There were camera crews from across the globe at one end of the square and various reporters were applying their make-up or dabbing the sweat from their brows as technicians plugged in things and waved cues. Behind all the the tributes coming from the front of the square were a selection of “Londoners are gathered …” and “back to you in the studio”. Reports were being filed in a number of languages via a fleet of satellite trucks being powered by noisy generators in the corner of Trafalgar Square. Maybe its because I was right beside the media as I couldn’t get further into the square but the chatter (and the smiles and laughing of some of the production staff) seemed inappropriate somehow. I hope they got their story.

On this day…

2006: Changing The Face of Pop
2003: A 4 Minute Warning
2002: Spending Money At Last

Just before 12 noon today my colleagues and I walked onto the London street outside the Holborn office where we work. It was a bright, hot sunny day in Central London. The kind of day that has you sweating within moments of being on the street. When we reached street level we walked into a crowd of people that had come from the buildings all around. These were office workers whose desks are probably just metres from mine but I don’t see them. I probably walk past them most days as I approach the door to the office but I just don’t see them. Today, we stood crowded onto the street together.

At 12 noon the bus turning the corner in front us stopped and the driver turned the engine off, right across the junction. The taxi at the traffic lights opposite didn’t move when the light turned green and the cyclist near him didn’t try and jump the red light. Most of the pedestrians who were walking stopped.

A silence descended upon London. Not the silence usually associated with a city. A city’s silence is usually punctuated by horns and alarms, by mobile ‘phones ringing or engines passing. No, this silence was eerily silent but it was silent.

And we bowed our heads to remember.

It was a moment when this huge, diverse city that I call home was united in thought. It’s a moment I don’t think anybody who was there will forget.

On this day…

2003: 1789 And All That
2003: Wind Power
2003: Power of the Idea
2002: Number One
2002: Ask Homer (and remember HotWired)

I am back from my Silverstone trip – of which more later – and in to work today. As I was not in town on Thursday I can’t really talk about what it was like in the aftermath of the bomb blasts. It was strange hearing the news emerge on the radio as I was sat in my house answering work-related emails. Of course, there were moments where I connected with the people I know in a bid to check they were all OK. I have, however, felt odd all weekend answering the text messages (and today the emails) from people asking if I am OK. I am very grateful that people thought to contact me – and so I hope I’ve replied to everybody – and happy to report I am safe.

Central London has an estimated population of 7 million people – with many more commuting to work here – so the real chances of being involved are minimal. I almost feel guilty that I don’t have anything to add for the people who contacted me. I was well away from anything and, if I had been in the office on Thursday, I would also have been well away. I am most definitely with Anna on this topic. I wasn’t there. It is unlikely I would have been there. I feel incredibly lucky not to have been anywhere near but I wasn’t.

There has been some excellent coverage across all media but one thing has really intrigued me. If you had been on an underground train and there was an explosion would you have got out your mobile ‘phone and taken pictures or video? I can say with certainty that I would not have done so because I forget to take mobile pictures at good times never mind in times of chaos. I’m not critical – I understand the police are appealing for people’s pictures – but I am amazed that people thought to do it.

On this day…

2003: Summertime in Paris
2002: 497

Of course the day has now changed totally. For those friends of mine who have contacted me, thanks for your thoughts. We are both fine right now but it’s unlikely you’ll be able to get me on the mobile as the services are deluged with people trying to contact people. BBC News has the latest.

On this day…

2005: Silverstone, Here I Come
2005: On A Lighter Note
2003: Well Thank Goodness
2002: “Vent Your Pure Male Macho Juice”

I am speechless and excited right now. I still think it would be fantastic for London but it’s also brilliant for the rest of the UK. The bid team did a brilliant job. Seb Coe‘s made himself a hero for a second time. Roll on 2012.

But this is going to encourage a lot of whinging, I know it is. Yes, people are going to whinge, we’re British, and we love whinging. Yes, some people may not think this is a worthwhile thing. But I disagree. It’s a great thing.

Elsewhere: Anna celebrates too

and in pictures … elsewhere: Awarded to the city of …

On this day…

2005: 12:46
2005: Preliminary Vote
2005: What Have You Done Today?
2005: The G8 Summitt
2004: The Day F1 Came To London
2004: Formula One Comes To Regent Street
2002: Beer

My god. We’re hosting the 2012 Olympics.

On this day…

2005: A Few Moments Of Reflection
2005: Preliminary Vote
2005: What Have You Done Today?
2005: The G8 Summitt
2004: The Day F1 Came To London
2004: Formula One Comes To Regent Street
2002: Beer