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7/7 Bombings: How London Bravely Carried On After A Harrowing Day Of Trauma

Pictures Reveal How Londoners Bravely Returned To Work After 7/7
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Assistant News Editor

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To mark the 10 year anniversary of the London 7/7 terrorist attacks, HuffPost UK is running Beyond The Bombings, a special series of interviews, blogs, in-depth features and exclusive research reflecting on how Britain has changed since.

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“A momentous day” was how then Prime Minister Tony Blair described July 6, 2005.

London had triumphed over Paris to win the right to host the 2012 summer Olympic Games, after three unsuccessful bids. A key platform of its bid was multiculturalism.

Lord Coe, who presented the pitch, described the win as “the most fantastic opportunity to do everything we ever dreamed of in British sport”. The Queen sent her “warmest congratulations” to all involved and Britain celebrated the golden moment.

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Crowds in Trafalgar Square react to the news that London had been awarded the 2012 Olympic Games

History was made again the following day on a Thursday morning commute. At 8.49am Britain suffered its first ever suicide attack and the worst bombing since the Second World War.

Fifty-two people died. Nearly 800 were injured.

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The wreckage of the double-decker bus after it was bombed near Tavistock Square

The city stopped. Phone networks jammed and public transport networks shut down. Forever after the day was known simply as 7/7.

On July 8 police held a press conference confirming the detonation sites and the death toll, but little else. The bombings had caught everyone off guard.

The Union Flag flew at half-mast... but London stood tall and carried on.

Carriage by carriage, commuters returned to the Tubes in the following days. London had been wounded, but not beaten. Further attacks were feared but Londoners were not paralysed by fear, or overcome with hatred.

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The Queen speaks to bombing survivor Bruce Tait at Royal London Hospital

“Those who perpetrate these brutal acts against innocent people should know that they will not change our way of life," the Queen said following a visit to the Royal London Hospital.

The Prince of Wales added: “What I can never get over is the incredible resilience of the British people who have set us all a fantastic example of how to react to these tragedies.”

Here's how London returned to work in the wake of tragedy...

7/7: The aftermath
(01 of19)
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Londoners courageously returned to the underground where, as the note on the board details, services on most lines resumed. In bold letters at the bottom of the board, commuters are told to keep their belongings with them at all times and to "report anything suspicious to a member of staff". (credit:Daniel Berehulak via Getty Images)
(02 of19)
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There was only one story in the news on July 8, as the bombings eclipsed the joyous news of London winning the right to host the Olympics, but many commuters continued undeterred. (credit:Scott Barbour via Getty Images)
(03 of19)
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The efforts of family members to find their lost loved ones after the bombings were moving and inspiring. Miriam Hyman, seen in the poster near King's Cross Station, was sadly killed in the bombings. (credit:Scott Barbour via Getty Images)
(04 of19)
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A weeping couple embrace after laying a floral tribute at King's Cross Station, one day after the bombings. Londoners were applauded for the way in which they dealt with the tragedy - stopping to remember the victims while at the same time carrying on without being paralysed with fear. In an address to the nation, Prime Minister Tony Blair praised "the stoicism and resilience of the people of London" in the face of the bloodshed. (credit:Scott Barbour via Getty Images)
(05 of19)
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This Tube snap, taken during rush hour, is a study of uneasy emotion. Some commuters study the papers with disbelief, while others look off into the distance. Some authorities had told commuters to stay home - but they didn't. (credit:Daniel Berehulak via Getty Images)
(06 of19)
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Traffic, seen above on Edgware Road, was heavy in the days after the bombings as some Londoners were wary of returning to public transport. (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(07 of19)
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But other carriages did remain empty - this shot is from rush hour on the Central Line, a testament to the strength one London resident, bravely catching a tube a day after three were bombed. (credit:MATT DUNHAM/AP)
(08 of19)
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Hundreds of members of the public wrote condolences and messages, as well as leaving flowers, such as at this site outside the Saint Pancras Parish Church on July 17, 2005.
(09 of19)
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The messages were overwhelming those of community, inclusivity and togetherness, despite the news that the bombers were all Islamic extremists.
(10 of19)
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The Union Jack flies at half mast from Buckingham Palace, as a mark of respect for the 52 people who lost their lives and the more than 700 who were injured. (credit:Daniel Berehulak via Getty Images)
(11 of19)
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Police officers check a van on London's Euston Road as security in the city hits an all-time high. Prime Minister Tony Blair promised "the most intense police and security service action to make sure that we bring those responsible to justice", amid fears the bombers could strike again. (credit:SANG TAN/AP)
(12 of19)
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This quote from British leader Winston Churchill was anonymously stuck to a lamppost near the site of one of the bombings.
(13 of19)
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While 52 lives were lost during the bombings, hundreds of heroes were born, such as Paul Dadge, centre, who helped a burned woman with a while face mask after the explosion at Edgware Road Station. Pictures of him helping the woman, Davina Turrell, had earlier appeared in newspapers. (credit:LEFTERIS PITARAKIS/AP)
(14 of19)
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One of the many tributes was simply an English flag, with the words "Bombed, never."
(15 of19)
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Britain's emergency services were heroic and not unmoved by the tragedy. Here, a British police office lays flowers from a member of the public near the scene of the bus bombing at Tavistock Square. (credit:MATT DUNHAM/AP)
(16 of19)
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A woman leaves flower tributes at a road barrier at King's Cross railway station where commuters slowly returned in the aftermath of the tragedy. (credit:SANG TAN/AP)
(17 of19)
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Marks & Spencer employees post a sign at their store near Edgware Road Station, letting customers know they are open for business. (credit:Bloomberg via Getty Images)
(18 of19)
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Engineers and construction workers got to work securing Tube station structures after the bombings, such as this project at Edgware Road, under police guard. (credit:Scott Barbour via Getty Images)
(19 of19)
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At the Labour Party national conference on July 16, days after the bombings, then Prime Minister Tony Blair gave a defiant speech on Islam and terrorism, saying: "The spirit of our age is one in which the prejudices of the past are put behind us, where our diversity is our strength. It is this which is under attack. Moderates are not moderate through weakness but through strength. Now is the time to show it in defence of our common values."

MORE BEYOND THE BOMBINGS:

How was Britain impacted by the 7/7 bombings? Join the @HuffPostUK conversation on Twitter with #BeyondTheBombings

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