On 7 July 2005, while the G8 summit was taking place in Gleneagles, you will recall the terrorist atrocities on London’s transport network that killed over 50 people took place.
I was in London that day working for the Office for National Statistics in Pimlico, south of Victoria Station. People were attending our web writing course from the London office, South Wales and Hampshire.
ONS sensibly announced over the internal tannoy that the best advice would be to remain in the building. They also would provide updates on the developing situation on the intranet.
And so they did. This confirmed that the web, with its ease and rapid publication, really comes into its own in a crisis.
Surprisingly, my return home to Sussex that evening was better than usual. When I saw a red bus about to pull away from a bus stop I sprinted towards it and the driver waited to allow me to get on. Now that never normally happens in central London!
Then at Victoria Station, as soon as I sat down in a half empty carriage the train made an unscheduled departure for what proved to be a brisk and efficient trip home. There is something about a crisis that brings out the best in the British.