Summer bliss turns to horror in city’s streets
As the sun went down on the first Saturday of summer in London, many people found themselves sunburnt after a beautifully sunny day.
Parks across the city were packed with people, happy to mix and mingle in the green centres to make the most of the weather.
Pubs began filling up about 6pm ahead of the UEFA Champions League final, a must-watch for any football fans.
Last week’s deadly bombing in Manchester was far from the minds of people out and about enjoying life in Britain’s capital city.
About an hour after the sun went down and just as Real Madrid hoisted the Champions League trophy for the 12th time, the brilliant summer’s day turned grim.
Seven people died when three terrorists mowed down pedestrians on London Bridge and stabbed people in Borough Market.
Revellers who had poured from pubs after the game finished to move on to nightclubs wandered the streets in a daze, unable to get home.
People were crying, distressed to be making the terrifying call to loved ones that has become too familiar to many.
With the Underground closed at many stations people packed them- selves into buses and hired Boris Bikes to cycle home rather than wait on the footpaths amidst the uncertainty radiating through the inner city.
I walked through Borough Market, a popular food market, the day before the attack.
It was a hive of diversity and activity at lunchtime on Friday.
Food stalls from all different nationalities were on show, and it felt like one of the most lively spaces in the city.
That all changed when the attack unfolded.
This morning, as I write this, the sun is already high in the sky and it’s another beautiful summer’s day.
But it’s hard to imagine Londoners will congregate in parks and pubs with the carefree attitude they had yesterday.