The Queen Sends Her Deepest Sympathies To The Victims And Families Of The London Bridge Terror Attack Yesterday

A convicted terrorist, recently released from prison, went on the rampage in Borough Market, beginning with an attack on two people in Fishmonger’s Hall (who have subsequently tragically died)

and then he went on to attack three other people after that, with a long knife.

The Queen has made the following statement:-

“Prince Philip and I have been saddened to hear of the terror attacks at London Bridge.  We send our thoughts, prayers and deepest sympathies to all those who have lost loved ones and who have been affected by yesterday’s terrible violence.  The Queen went on to say “I express my enduring thanks to the police and emergency services, as well as the brave individuals who put their own lives at risk to selflessly help and protect others.”

The attacker then ran onto London Bridge, but was brought down by several heroic members of the public using fire extinguishers,

(including one off-duty traffic police officer,

who, with the help of the other members of the public, managed to disarm the attacker of his knife and run down the road with it), with the man subsequently being held down by the other members of the public on the floor

until the police arrived by crossing the road and jumping over the barrier.

Even though the attacker was wearing a suicide vest (not realising at that point that it was a hoax), the public continued to hold him down seemingly unconcerned for their own welfare,

as with the brave policemen who caught up with the attacker at 14.03 (less than five minutes after someone had called in to report the stabbing at 13.58 p.m. from Fishmonger’s Hall.)

The police immediately called for the public to clear the area (as they could see by now that the attacker had a suicide vest on), but one member of the public who had sat on top of the attacker was so tenacious that he had to be pulled off by one of the police officers, so that they were able to get a clean shot. The police then shot the attacker dead.

Subsequently and following this incident,

all members of the public were evacuated from all the buildings in the vicinity.

Police Chief Cressida Dick Conveys Her Dismay At The Events Which Unfolded Yesterday….

Following yesterday’s events there has been much talk about the nature of the incident and how it could possibly have happened, with many people,

including an ex Counter-Terror boss saying that allowing convicted terrorists to be released early from prison or hospital is like gambling with the lives of the public.

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AND THE HEARTRENDING TRIBUTES PAID BY PC ANDREW HARPER’S MOTHER AND FAMILY, WHEN HIS MOTHER SAID “GOOD NIGHT SWEETHEART”, AND RELAYED THAT HER FAMILY WOULD NEVER GET OVER HIS DEATH HAVE MOVED US ALL

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ALSO YESTERDAY, GRIEVING POLICE OFFICERS LAID MORE FLORAL TRIBUTES YESTERDAY FOR PC ANDREW HARPER

AND ON AN APPEALS PAGE FOR DONATIONS WHICH HAS BEEN SET UP BY THAMES VALLEY POLICE FEDERATION TO SUPPORT PC HARPER’S WIDOW LISSIE AND HER FAMILY – SOME POIGNANT WORDS “WE CONFRONT DANGER ON A DAILY BASIS. WE KNOW THERE IS A RISK WHEN WE PUT ON THE UNIFORM, BUT WE DO SO AS WE ARE PROUD TO PROTECT THE PUBLIC. SADLY, ON VERY RARE AND HORRENDOUS OCCASIONS, A COLLEAGUE MAKES THE ULTIMATE SACRIFICE. WE WILL ENSURE THAT HEROISM IS NEVER FORGOTTEN.”

OUR CONDOLENCES, THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS ARE WITH ALL OF THE FAMILY, FRIENDS AND WIDER POLICE FAMILY OF PC ANDREW HARPER AT THIS HEARTBREAKING TIME FROM ALL OF US HERE AT FASHION SHOW IMAGES…..

Words by Amanda Waters

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THE UK MARKED THE 100TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE ARMISTICE ON SUNDAY

BRITISH ROYALS INCLUDING GERMAN PRESIDENT FRANK-WALTER STEINMEIER, WHO EARLIER LAID A WREATH ALONGSIDE QUEEN ELIZABETH’S AT THE CENOTAPH FOR THE FIRST TIME, ARRIVE FOR AN ARMISTICE REMEMBRANCE SERVICE

ARMISTICE DAY COMMEMORATIONS WERE ALSO HELD AT THE ARC DE TRIOMPHE IN FRANCE, BY FRENCH PRESIDENT EMANUEL MACRON, WHERE OVER 60 HEADS OF STATE AND GOVERNMENT INCLUDING US PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP, FIRST LADY MELANIA TRUMP, GERMAN CHANCELLOR ANGELA MERKEL AND RUSSIAN PRESIDENT VLADIMIR PUTIN WERE IN ATTENDANCE

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and on the 31st August 2018 the family of the US War Hero said their goodbyes to him inside the Capitol Rotunda alongside dignitaries where wreaths were laid in front of Senator McCain’s casket.

A further National Memorial Service took place in Washington yesterday including the family and friends of Senator McCain, and National and International Dignitaries, both past and present, including former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush & Bill Clinton.

Senator John Sidney McCain III was an American Politician, Military Officer and War Hero who was a Senator in the United States for Arizona from January 1987 until his death on August 25 2018.

Senator McCain graduated from the US Naval Academy in 1958 and was commissioned into the United States Navy, where he became a Naval Aviator. During the Vietnam War he nearly died in the 1967 USS Forrestal Fire and whilst on a mission over Hanoi in 1967, he was shot down by the North Vietnamese and endured years of torture as a prisoner of war, yet when he was offered early repatriation he refused to go, believing that there were other’s who should be repatriated before himself.

When Senator McCain did eventually return to the US, he had sustained substantial physical disabilities from his years of torture, but his love for his Country only grew, claiming “I fell in love with my Country, when I was a prisoner in someone else’s.”

Senator McCain retired from the Navy as a Captain in 1981, and moved to Arizona, where he went into Politics and had a long and distinguished career.

Tributes were held throughout the week for Senator McCain, with high profile dignitaries saying wonderful things about him.

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Vice President Mike Pence said Americans had “marvelled at the iron will of John McCain” and praised him for holding fast “to his faith in America through six decades of service.”

Former US President Barack Obama said “John believed in honest argument and hearing other views, and praised Senator McCain’s “spirit” and ability to “find common ground”.  He also called Senator McCain “an extraordinary man – a warrior, a statesman, and a patriot.”

And in the words of Senator McCain’s daughter Meghan…..

“John Sidney McCain III was many things. He was a sailor, he was an aviator, he was a husband, he was a warrior, he was a prisoner, he was a hero, he was a Congressman, he was a Senator, he was Nominee for President of the United States. These are all of the titles and roles of a life that’s been well lived. He was a ‘Great Man’.  I admired him for all of these things, but I love him because he was a great father”.  Meghan went on to say that Senator McCain “was defined by a love of Country, and an even stronger love for his wife and children, and the best of John McCain, the greatest of his titles, and the most important of his roles was as a father.”

Just a few of Senator John McCain’s famous Quotes:-

“The First Role of Government Is To Help People In Crisis Or Need.  That’s Why We Have Government”  – John McCain

“War Is Wretched Beyond Description, And Only A Fool Or A Fraud Could Sentimentalize It’s Cruel Reality” – John McCain

“Most Great Leaders In History That I’ve Studied Always Need To Get As Wide A Range Of Opinions As Possible So That They Can Have Sufficient Information To Make the Right Decisions”  – John McCain

“I Believe In Evolution, But I Also Believe When I Hike The Grand Canyon And See It At Sunset That The Hand Of God Is There Also” – John McCain

 REST IN PEACE SENATOR JOHN McCAIN – A TRULY ‘GREAT MAN’

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When Prince William visited the Yad Vashem Holocaust Museum accompanied by British Chief Rabbi Ephraim Mervis, he laid a wreath on a stone slab under which the ashes of the holocaust victims from the extermination camps are buried. He also took a tour around the museum, during which he looked visibly moved. The remnants of people’s belongings respectfully preserved in suitcases, photographs of deceased families, and thousands of shoes in glass cabinets, which people had been told to take off before they were exterminated in the gas chambers, were all on display, leaving William saying that he was struggling to comprehend the scale of such horror.

William told Guest’s at a reception in Ramat Gan in Israel “Israel is a vibrant Country which thrives on innovation, diversity, talent, and excellence,” and said ties were at an all-time high. He also promised Britain’s support in the quest for peace between Israel and Palestine. He said “I know I share a desire with all of you, and with your neighbours, for a just and lasting peace. The United Kingdom stands with you as we work together for a peaceful and prosperous future.”

 In Ramallah, Palestine, President Mahmoud Abbas told the Prince that “the Palestinian side is committed to the peace process with the Israelis.” Prince William then told President Abbas that he was “glad our two Countries work so closely together and have had success stories with education and relief work in the past. So, long may that continue.  My sentiment’s the same as yours in hoping there’s a lasting peace for the region.”

Prince William’s warm statement at the outset of the trip that he was there to listen and learn about Israeli and Palestinian culture, and gentle and calm composure seemingly made for an extremely relaxed and pleasant trip. (For all parties.)

Words by Amanda Waters

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England Soccer Fans, FA Chairman Greg Clarke, Deputy Ambassador To Russia Lindsay Skoll & Other Dignitaries
Joined Together To Pay Tribute To Russia’s Soldiers Who Died During The Battle Of Stalingrad During World War Two Today.

Dignitaries & Fans Pay Their Respects

In A Poignant Ceremony, Where Wreaths Were Laid By Fans & Dignitaries, And Deputy Ambassador To Russia Lindsay Skoll Spoke Of A Historically Strong And Enduring Relationship With Volgograd, All Present Had Joined Together To Remember The Two Million Men Who Lost Their Lives, In What Is Said To Have Been The Bloodiest Battle Of The Second World War.

England Fan Billy Grant (L), & FA Chairman Greg Clarke (R) Lay Wreaths

The Ceremony Was Held At The Hall Of Military Glory In The Heart Of The Mamayev Kurgan Memorial Park, Which Is A Sacred Place Of Deep Respect For The Russian People And Is Permanently Guarded By Russian Soldiers.

The Two England Fans Who Were Chosen To Lay The Wreaths, James Lockett And Billy Grant, Said That They Were “Honoured” To Have Been Chosen.

England Manager Gareth Southgate highlighted the “perspective” which the England team had ahead of the World Cup Match against Tunisia on Monday, when reflecting on the immense suffering which had taken place in Volgograd and it’s deep history.

Historians say that the bravery of the Soviet Defence Of The City Was A Turning Point For The Allies Against Hitler’s Forces In The Second World War.

Volgograd Is Twinned With Coventry, After Women From Coventry Wrote To Express Their Solidarity During The War, And It Is Said That The Queen Mother Was Made An Honorary Citizen of Volgograd. (Stalingrad at the time.)

A Huge Monument Known As ‘The Motherland Calls’ Overlooks The Volgograd Arena And The Memorial Park, Which Is A Short Walk From The Stadium.

The Motherland Calls Monument

The Deputy Ambassador To Russia, Lindsay Skoll Wrote In A Book Of Commemoration; “May Our Bonds Between The People Of The UK & Russia Remain Forever Strong And Enduring.”

Deputy Ambassador To Russia Lindsay Skoll (Below)

She Told Reporters; “As you know, the links between the UK And this Great City are Strong And Enduring.
They were forged during the Second World War, with shared experience of destruction and devastation and immense bravery, and started by 900 women in Coventry, who sent messages of support and solidarity to their sisters in Stalingrad.” 

Ms Skoll also spoke about “Shared Values” Between The Two Nations, and she went on “Given the immense suffering of Volgograd and the pivotal part it played in the route towards victory I think it’s only fitting that the 2018 World Cup should have Volgograd as one of it’s host cities, after all Volgograd today plays host to people from all over the World including Great Britain, who are here in peace and with a common purpose.”

England Fan, Billy Grant (who laid one of the wreaths) said; “People have given up their lives for us and we need to pay respect to the people that have done that because that was a very important moment in World War Two.”

“I’m into football, you’re into football but when you have an event like this you realise it’s more than just football.”

FA Chairman Greg Clarke Attached A Paragraph From The Famous 1941 Poem By English Poet Laurence Binyon “For The Fallen”, To His Wreath. The paragraph read “They Shall Grow Not Old, As We That Are Left Grow Old; Age Shall Not Weary Them, Nor The Years Condemn. At The Going Down Of The Sun And In The Morning……”

 “We Will Remember Them.”

After The Ceremony, Mr Clarke Said That He Felt “Humbled” To Have Been A Part Of A Ceremony Of Such Magnitude.

Words by Amanda Waters

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Grenfell Tower Is Floodlit Green To Mark One Year Since The Tragedy

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A Memorial Service Was Held At Manchester Cathedral To Mark The One Year Anniversary Of The Manchester Terror Attacks On May 22.  850 People Including Prime Minister Theresa May, Prince William The Duke of Cambridge, Dignitaries, First Responders, Survivors And Members Of The 22 Bereaved Families Were Some Of The Many Attendees.

 People Also Laid Floral Tributes At Stations And Squares Across The City

And Placed Notes On ‘Trees of Hope’

In The Evening A Special Concert of Remembrance Took Place During Which Everyone Could Join In, Where the Unity, Strength, Resilience And Love Of The Unbelievable People Of Manchester Was Truly Inspirational.

Words by Amanda Waters

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 A family spokesman made the announcement saying; “It is with great sadness and an enormous sense of loss that we announce the death of Tessa Jowell.”

“She died peacefully at the family home near Shipston-on-Stour in Warwickshire last night, shortly after 10pm. Her husband David and their children Jessie and Matthew were by her side, with Jessie’s husband Finn, Matthew’s wife Ella, and David’s children from his first marriage.”

 The spokesman added: “In addition to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, in recent months doctors tried innovative new treatments which Tessa gladly embraced, but sadly the tumour recently progressed very quickly.

“The family would like to thank people for the overwhelming support Tessa and they have received since she became ill. They have been touched and moved by the response, in both Houses of Parliament; from members of the public; and other cancer patients and their families around the world.”

Dame Tessa Jowell

Gentle Mrs Jowell was diagnosed with a brain tumour in May last year, and after her diagnosis worked tirelessly for as long as she could to help others with cancer to have better access to experimental treatment.

Tributes have poured in from all sides of the Government, Sporting Community and general public from around the World.

The words “empathy, selflessness, humility, courage, dignity, determination” are repeated in the tributes time and again.

Dame Tessa was the catalyst in bringing the Olympic and Paralympic Games to London in 2012. She thought of the idea in 2002, when she was Culture Secretary, and fought hard to bring the idea to fruition as many of her peers thought that Paris’s bid would win.  However, she managed to convince the Government to support the bid, and forged ahead.  In 2004, she launched the bid, and when London was awarded with the Games she held full ministerial responsibility for the Games as “Olympics Minister.”  She was also appointed Deputy Mayor of the Olympics Village, and was therefore available to assist all those involved in the Games, ensuring it’s overall success.

Lord Sebastien Coe said; “Tessa was not just a close friend, she was a life enhancer. Her contribution to the Olympic and Paralympic Games is easily defined – quite simply, without Tessa there would have been no London 2012, and without Tessa they would not have been the success they were.

“No politician deserves greater credit for the Games. She showed unflinching tenacity in persuading the Prime Minister and the Cabinet that the Government should throw its full weight behind the bid.”

PM Theresa May & Dame Tessa Jowell

Prime Minister Theresa May said;  “The dignity and courage with which Dame Tessa Jowell confronted her illness was humbling and inspirational.” Mrs May went on to say “Her campaigning on brain cancer research was a lasting tribute to a lifetime of public service.”

Labour Leader Jeremy Corbyn said “Devastating to hear the news of Tessa Jowell’s death.  From Councillor to Cabinet Minister, her achievements were huge, including helping to bring the Olympics to London.  Her strength in raising awareness of her illness and fighting for better treatment for others inspired us all.”

Dame Tessa Jowell With Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown said “Tessa Jowell had memorable and lasting achievements to her name – as a popular London MP, a pioneering health minister and as the Culture Secretary who delivered the London Olympics. No-one will ever forget the courage, strength and compassion for others that defined her life, shown in her incredible bravery in facing cancer and her desire to ensure that even while she suffered herself, she helped others who faced similar illnesses.  My thoughts are with her family.”

The Chairman of the British Olympic Association Hugh Robertson said: “It is absolutely true to say that the great British summer, one of the best of most of our lifetimes, would probably not have happened without her. Firstly she corralled government support in the early stages, which was not easy to do. The regeneration of Stratford and everything that has happened around there is a tribute to her vision and work……” He went on to say “She couldn’t have done more to deliver London.”

Dame Tessa Overseeing Olympic Venue Progress

 Matthew Pinsent, Four-time Olympic gold medal-winning rower said: “RIP Tessa Jowell – absolutely central to the effort to win and stage the Olympics and Paralympics in 2012. Her determination and sense of humour surrounding them was infectious.”

David Beckham said “Dame Tessa Jowell was a passionate and amazing woman in so many different ways.”

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