Thanks.

No problem! sounds really terrifying!! Really hope everyone living anywhere near the affected areas is safe and sound at home!!

Good to hear. And yes, of course, Cyrilla is in Leicester atm.

edit - nah, I don't feel like talking about the riots

We can add Sutton, Purley, Bromley to the list of hotspots

Very sad, and now not a little worried

Glad to see you online and safe, corenfa.

VH seems to have gone...? He surely can't have gone to bed with all that going on outside...

Edit: He's posted at the same time as me.

I have to go to Sutton tommorow. Hope trains are running and it is safe! Also I have not gone, I was just watching the news and getting a call from a concerned friend.

It seems to have died down outside and the shop alarms have stopped. No police in sight but I guess they are all tied up in Croydon etc...

Yeah. Texted all the friends / relatives I can think of who live in South London. Worried about a pregnant friend in North London, due any day now. Think her hospital may be near one of the hotspots.



Thanks.. I'm in north London, not too near any of the hotspots but not that far away either.

Where's Purley? I can't find it on the map. Sutton and Bromley are further away from you at least, but that doesn't help other people.

Am logging out now. Will post tomorrow morning. Take care, all of you, and stay safe.

You too. Take care.

Purley is south of Croydon, and quite a small place, not an obvious target.
I read something about Purley Way - which is a main road from Purley to north of Croydon - there's a retail park there which could be the focus.

Okay. If they come near you please text to say that you're okay...

I shall

Thanks Barry - you take care too.

I spoke too soon earlier: No 1 son's housemate popped out to the corner shop only to have it invaded by a masked gang who grabbed the owner by the throat and ordered everyone else out. The friend made it home OK, but they are all very shaken.

Hope everyone in the affected areas is OK. The elderly mother of a friend of mine is in Croydon, and I know they'll be worrying what to do.

I'm glad his friend got back okay. Make sure they stay at home - they are probably safer staying there then they would be trying to get to you.

I think my area got away fairly lightly. Will see the extent of the damage tommorow. I think it is mainly just smashed windows etc but no fires that I could see from my windows.

Do you know whereabouts? although it's bad, it's quite localised, town centre stuff. Residential areas are in the main ok.

They are in lockdown anyway - couldn't go anywhere else if they tried. The alternative route is no longer viable as that is through Clapham.

They will be staying indoors for the rest of the night - the house itself will be safe enough. Apparently it was the only shop still open and therefore packed with customers.

Glad they are ok - it must be nasty to be right in the middle of it.

I'm fairly sure it's a residential area, though I don't know any more than that, so what you've said is reassuring, thank you

Riot vans have turned up now.

But that's hours after they were needed - or it feels like hours anyway.

Hope VH is ok - reading reports of a shop fire in Clapham, and residents being asked to leave their homes.

Reports via a friend's facebook that Manchester and/or Liverpool may also have had something start. Liverpool seems fairly certain, Manchester less so, although so far I've been unable to find anything official about either. I'm off to bed in a couple of minutes but if anyone sees anything official on either Manchester, Liverpool or surrounding areas please can you let me know? I live between both so am a bit worried right now!

My feelings on seeing images online of a woman jumping from a burning building on the street where I used to live are indescribable. I asked my parents to come back with me tonight but they don't want to leave their home. Thankfully they are in a residential area of Croydon well away from the trouble spots. My Dad stayed in Glasgow all through the Second World War. He says he's not going to frightened off by a bunch of teenage hoodies (very very proud of my Dad ). I've taken my two teenage nieces though. They find the whole thing worryingly exciting.

We are truly blessed that, so far, there don't seem to have been any fatalities. I think our best hope is to pray for a lot of heavy rain. Sure that will do more good than the eventual return of David Cameron and Mayor Johnson.

I am so saddened to hear about all of this, particularly in Croydon. I can't believe Reeves is gone....

Hope everyone is safe there and everywhere else in the UK. Batten down and good luck to you all xx
He might sometimes be a pain to live with, but I'm rather glad my Dad is here as our old house would be right in the middle of it all

Well there is CCTV all around...I hope they manage to hunt down at least some of them afterwards.

Stay safe, people

Oh my goodness!! I've just put on the television to hear what's happened - all across England!!!

I'm stunned and appalled. All the looting!! What on earth are these people thinking - they're attacking their own communities! And attacking the fire-engines!!!

What is this? You can't call them animals because animals don't indulge in wanton violence. Is it 'tribal'?

Or is it just stress and frustration among young people that life is not spoon-feeding them?

Sorry for my ramble but I find it so hard to believe the footage of the massive fires and all the damage!!

I hope all our forum members in London and elsewhere are safe

I think the road outside my house is cordoned off as there is nobody walking down it and it always busy at this time of day wth people getting to work and walking to the station etc....

Most of the shops were left alone along my road but the ones that were attacked took a heavy battering and from reports Currys is now empty of all its stock. The thugs went for the high gear so the pawn shop, 02, 3 store have all been badly damanged from what I have heard.

I don't know of a shop on fire, this could be true, it is out of view if my flat and I am yet to go out and see what damage has been caused.

Not sure how I will get to Clapham Common later today as the bus stops i cans ee from my flat are all have the yellow not in use signs on them. Might have to be a pretty long walk!

I feel sorry for the cleaners and street sweepers who will have to clean up the mess.

Good to see a post from you, VH.

This area hasn't been too badly affected (yet), minor issues, but so far, this corner of SE London is OK. You only have to travel a couple of miles or so to see badly hit areas though, including large parts of my teaching patch.

All very sad, and I don't think it's over yet

I am really worried because I have a flight into Gatwick Airport tomorrow evening (8pm) and then I have to get across London to get out on the main line from Liverpool Street.
Does a train into Victoria and then Circle line to Liverpool Street sound feasible at the moment?

I am going to ring my family and see if anybody is available to pick me up from the airport but it's a long journey for them and those that drive often have evening commitments.

Really speechless at the mindless violence at the moment

You should be alright. Your train out of Gatwick will go through East Croydon and Clapham but these stations are still running. Circle Line seems to be running fine so no worries there.

The centre of town is largely unaffected, thouston. Although trains do go through Croydon, which was one of the worst hit areas, I can't see you having a problem.

A bit of a guess, but I think you may be ok. It's the local services across town centres that are affected, it seems. Clapham Junction station was closed for a while last night, but I think if this happens the trains simply don't stop. It is sickening though. Best of luck!

Good to see you, VH.

Do you really need to get to Clapham Common later? If you're inside a cordon then you may well not be allowed out, and if you do go make sure you get back home before trouble starts again.


I'm sad to say that I don't think it's over yet, either.

Whilst the Leeds incident was probably separate (related to a gang thing there earlier in the week), it is no longer just London, with riots in Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool and Nottingham as well (Manchester and Peterborough are denying the initial reports of trouble).

Do you have the option of going to Louise's, Barry?

Is Clapham Junction station still closed or disrupted? I use it so regularly that my life would be ruined without this vital resource.

At one point last night I'm pretty sure I saw that it had re-opened - so fingers crossed for you !

Too far away, Flossie, and too expensive to get to at short notice, and I have commitments here that I should be fulfilling. With violence spreading across the UK, I think second guessing where the next hotspots will be is futile.

This can't possibly go on for ever, I'll be fine, I'm sure.



It's open, VH. The last National Rail station in London to remain shut is Woolwich Arsenal, and I understand that is opening imminently.

This situation is truly terrible.
I am so frightened for all our city friends and so happy when I read that you are safe.
Keep us informed but above all, stay safe.

I don't think they are attacking much residental property, mainly shops and cars and other buildings like Fairfield Halls. We should all be ok so long as we only venture out when required and don't go out in the evening.

Thank you for the reassurance Barry and maggiemay

Being a little bit removed from it here in Italy, all I can see is the large scary headlines.

I so want this trip to go well. I'll be picking up little sister (who has never been out to see me since I moved to Italy and who is phobic about flying) and taking her back for a long weekend. All our other flights are from Luton so avoiding the centre of London from her home, but that one flight is into Gatwick as, ironically, I didn't want to be making my way to the family alone from Luton at 11pm (the only flight in from Italy).

Glad all forumites are OK.

My husband said, the day the conservatives got in, "There will be blood on the streets!". So sad he was right (the fact he said it would be by Xmas, and we got to seven months after Xmas, is not a comfort!)

Having seen all the televison coverage of London last night I thought of all the forumites who lives or travelled through the areas affected.

It must have been very difficult if more than a little frightening.
Glad to hear that everyone is physically in one piece even is shaken.

Lets hope COBRA will do more than be a talking shop and you can get back to a semblance of normality.

Currently Dboys are with grandparents, so if necessary if anyone needs emergency accomodation and can get North to Cambridge (V aware one trainline goes through Hackney and Tottenham, the other through Enfield) then can meet at the station (Cambridge, Waterbeech or Ely)

Hope it all quietens down.

My daughter's a mental nurse near Notting Hill. First thing this morning she rang to say "I'm all right, my van's all right" (she runs a little Bedford Bambi camper van. She said her ward was really calm yesterday evening as staff and patients were just staring at the TV.

What's upset her more than any lf the rest of it is that in one looting spree they had broken into Oxfam (I think it may be Ealing) - she said "I can just about get into the mindset of someone who thinks it's 'OK' to do Carphone Warehouse or a sports shop, but Oxfam???!!!??? that's just sick."

They're mostly (big) kids and a few young adults, and mostly male (sorry, guys)

I'd like to suggest - and this would only be the tiny tip of a big iceberg, but it would put across a message to a few of them - that if parents find looted gear in their house they confiscate it and take it to some place acting as an amnesty centre. Of course it's not a question of "returning stolen property to its rightful owner" as it won't help much in that area, it's more a matter of informing a few of them that what they've done isn't considered smart in their family and they do NOT have a right to that stuff. I haven't seen anyone else make that suggestion yet.

Prepare for your insurance to go sky-high, people

First of all, I am happy to see that all the forumites seem to be save. Thanks for all life signs and hoping you continue to update them.



I live in a different country and what I realised within the past about ten years is a massive increase of violence all around. To me it seems like things that happen now in England (it might come over to germany soon) are somewhat logical to the progression. I don't think it's tribal, to me it seems like a reaction and not an action. Maybe it is close to animals, but animals being tourtured for a long time. They would (if they get the chance to) indulge in wanton violence to get out of the torment.
Just to make sure I am only trying to understand what happens and don't want to excuse it.
It wouldn't be my choice to indulge in wanton violence against people or things (as far as I am able to say) but there is a reason for that. And I doubt they feel like it is their own communities they are attacking. If you are somehow outside the community it is a foreign community. And the number of people who seem to get lost by the communities is increasing.

First of all I hope everyone is safe, particularly those of you who live in the areas where there have been such dreadful disturbances. We heard a little about it on French TV news the day before yesterday and then again yesterday but I have now had time to read all through the messages here and have a good look at the link (I think it was Rosie who put it up) giving a minute by minute account. There was one video censored by the French system as being too violent. I couldn't unlock it.

I thought particularly of those forumites who live in and around the places I knew so well when living in London - Clapham, Brixton, Croydon etc.

I really don't know what to say at the moment except that it is all so mindless and so futile. I am very sorry for all those who have had their work places, their cars, their homes damaged and who have had frightening experiences they will never forget, or suffered anxious hours wondering about their friends and family.

As an English person living abroad I am very sorry, very angry and very ashamed. It isn't perhaps the moment to start the blaming and the political polemic which will inevitably follow but seriously, things have to be taken in hand. What a waste!

Just discovered that there were disturbances and looting virtually on my doorstep.

I ended up working late last night (kept thinking "just another half hour and I'll be done") and got the train home at about 9.30 / 10pm. As we passed through Lewisham I wondered if there would be any signs of disturbance, but I didn't see any. Nor did I see any on my walk home from the station. I didn't hear much in the way of out of the ordinary noise or sirens either. I did wonder why the legs of a shop dummy were in the street on my walk to the station this morning - it seems they came from a nearby designer clothes shop that was looted. I think I'm going to try and avoid working late tonight.

You know you're more than welcome any time Barry, but as you say at short notice it would be expensive. However, if necessary I'd happily find some way of getting you here. I'm sure you will be fine but please do be careful, and that goes for all you forumites in the area. My thoughts are with you all.