A Thursday in July | 1

Summary

Summary of "7/7: The Inside Story" Episode 1: "A Thursday in July"

Release Date: June 18, 2025
Host: Thomas Small | Produced by Wondery

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Introduction: A Normal Morning Shattered

The episode opens on the serene morning of July 7, 2005, painting a picture of a typical Thursday in central London. Thomas Small sets the scene, describing London as a "slow, lumbering beast, creaking as it wakes up" (00:00). The listener is introduced to the unsuspecting commuters and the bustling city life that characterizes London's daily rhythm.

The Unfolding Tragedy

Bombings Strike

At 8:49 AM, the tranquility is abruptly broken by four coordinated bomb explosions across different London Underground lines. Thomas Small narrates the immediate chaos, emphasizing that "three underground trains, three bombs, all detonating simultaneously" (14:14). The impact is swift and devastating, with survivors recounting their harrowing experiences:

• Bill Mann describes the initial moments of the explosion: “It was clearly something incredibly violent” (13:29).
• Martine Wright recalls a “big white flash” and the sudden realization of a catastrophic event (13:32).
• Susan Greenwood experiences the force of the blast and the ensuing panic: “Everything went black and then sort of starry eyed” (13:41).

Immediate Response

As explosions reverberate through the Underground, emergency protocols are triggered. Transport for London declares an Amber alert at 9:15 AM, attempting to manage the crisis despite the unprecedented nature of the attacks. Dr. Peter Holden, an expert in emergency medicine, provides insight into the immediate medical response:

“If you're managing the scene, you cannot get involved... you've got to do the most for the most” (22:03).

Personal Accounts: Survivors and Heroes

Survivors' Stories

The episode delves into the personal traumas endured by survivors:

• Susan Greenwood, an operating department practitioner, details her severe injuries and the struggle to manage her wounds: “I was wearing a cardigan with a belt at the time, so I was able to tourniquet that leg to stop the blood flow” (15:55).

• Martine Wright, a marketing professional, recounts her double amputation and the emotional turmoil that followed: “All I kept saying is, don't want to be here. I've got no legs” (26:03). Her resilience is highlighted as she later competes in the 2012 Paralympics, turning her tragedy into triumph.

• Bill Mann shares his experience of immediate survival and the subsequent psychological impact: “I had a genuine flashback in my sleep... I felt like I could just have a complete breakdown” (28:21).

First Responders' Bravery

The episode honors the first responders who acted swiftly amid chaos:

• Dr. Peter Holden and Dr. Andrew Dearden orchestrate the medical response under extreme pressure, employing makeshift triage methods to save lives (23:53, 21:53).

• Liz Kenworthy, a policewoman, is remembered by Martine Wright as a "guardian angel" who provided crucial assistance during the aftermath (26:03).

Eamon Dean: The Inside Spy

A pivotal figure in the narrative is Eamon Dean, a former jihadist turned MI6 spy. His unique perspective offers deep insights into the terrorist network:

“It was a wake-up call... Terrorism is basically the acts of violence in order to intimidate, to terrorize and to deter” (05:38).

Dean reflects on the pre-attack climate, describing how the focus of UK intelligence had shifted abroad until signs of impending attacks began to surface in early 2005 (07:38). His expertise becomes crucial in unraveling the complexities behind the 7/7 bombings.

Government and Public Reaction

Prime Minister Tony Blair addresses the nation from the G8 summit, acknowledging the severity of the attacks:

“I'm just going to make a short statement to you on the terrible events that have happened in London earlier today” (25:17).

Blair's statement marks the beginning of a robust governmental response aimed at bringing the perpetrators to justice (31:57).

The Investigation Begins

As the day progresses, authorities work tirelessly to identify the bombers. Drawing parallels to previous attacks like the Madrid bombings and 9/11, the investigation focuses on radical Islamic terrorism as the primary motive. Eamon Dean emphasizes the challenges in anticipating the specifics of terrorist plans despite recognizing red flags:

“The problem with red flags is that they don't tell you the direction of the wind” (33:01).

Legacy and Reflection

The episode concludes by highlighting the enduring impact of 7/7 on London and the UK at large. Survivors like Martine Wright and Susan Greenwood exemplify resilience, while first responders like Dr. Peter Holden underscore the importance of preparedness and swift action in the face of terror.

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Notable Quotes:

• Eamon Dean on the legacy of 7/7:
  “It was a wake up call... Terrorism is basically the acts of violence in order to intimidate, to terrorize and to deter” (05:38).

• Martine Wright on her recovery:
  “I remember the strength that you get from other people. My mum grabbed hold of my face and said, martine, stop crying. You're going to be okay...” (26:26).

• Dr. Peter Holden on managing the scene:
  “You've got to prioritize what you do. You've got to do the most for the most” (22:03).

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Conclusion and Teaser for Next Episode

Thomas Small wraps up the episode by setting the stage for future discussions, promising deeper dives into the intelligence operations and investigative efforts that followed the attacks. He hints at exploring Eamon Dean's spy activities post-9/11 and the early signs that led to the 7/7 bombings in the upcoming episodes.

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This comprehensive summary encapsulates the key moments, personal stories, and broader implications of the 7/7 bombings as presented in the first episode of "7/7: The Inside Story." It offers listeners a detailed understanding of the tragic events, the heroes who emerged, and the lasting impact on UK society and security.

Transcript

[Thomas Small]

You're listening to an episode of a Wandry exclusive series. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of 77 the Inside Story? Episodes 2 through to 6 are available exclusively and ad free right now on Wandry. Start your free trial of Wandri on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or in the Wandre app. It's early in the morning on the 7th of 2005, just a regular Thursday in central London. On days like this, the UK capital is a slow, lumbering beast, creaking as it wakes up, ready to receive millions of commuters pounding their way to work.

[Bill Mann]

So the day started normally, and probably for everybody in the country.

[Martine Wright]

It was a summer's day. Always remember that.

[Thomas Small]

But this morning, something happens that shocks London out of its summertime slumber. Something that had been fermenting for years as a unique and radical ideology spread throughout communities across the UK. Something that the British government had feared ever since September 2001 when two planes hit the World Trade center in New York.

[Eamon Dean]

I started seeing the news about an incident in London. When I saw the images, I thought, okay, this could be it. This could be the attack.

[Bill Mann]

I rather feared the worst.

[Thomas Small]

On that Thursday in July, the country watches in horror as breaking news reports four explosions on busy commuter routes across the capital.

[Martine Wright]

As bombs exploded across London's subway system, there were scenes reminiscent of New York on 9 11.

[Susan Greenwood]

I knew it was an explosion.

[Dr. Peter Holden]

Reports of an explosion outside Liverpool street station. I remember everything going salmon pink. And then I heard the bang.

[Bill Mann]

It was a day long feared in the capital.

[Thomas Small]

The perpetrators weren't foreigners, they were British citizens. It's the UK's first ever case of homegrown Islamic terrorism.

[Tony Blair]

It's reasonably clear that there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London.

[Thomas Small]

That summer's day would become known to history simply as seven. Welcome to Conflicted 77 the Inside Story, Episode 1 A Thursday in July. I'm Thomas Small, a filmmaker based in the uk, and the host of Conflicted, a podcast about the Middle east, especially radical Islam, and its impact on recent global history. For years, we've been unraveling the complex web of geopolitics, religious ideology and war that has long tormented the Middle East. But in this special Conflicted documentary series for Wandri, we're turning our attention a bit closer to home. Over the next six episodes, Seven Seven The Inside Story will investigate the tumultuous events of 7 July 2000, exactly 20 years ago, when Islamic terrorists carried out a series of deadly attacks in London. Attacks that claimed over 50 lives and changed the course of UK history. And to help me on my way, I'm turning to an old friend, someone who was at the heart of UK counterterrorism and intelligence in the years before 77.

[Eamon Dean]

My name is Eamon Dean. Once upon a time when I was a teenager, I joined the global jihad movement. First in Bosnia, then I joined Al Qaeda in Afghanistan in 1997 before defecting and joining MI5 and MI6, where I spent the next eight years working in an undercover capacity for the UK Intelligence and Security services. Deep undercover within Al Qaeda.

[Thomas Small]

Long before becoming my conflicted co host, Amon Dean was for many years a jihadist committed to protecting defenseless Muslims from attack. In his mind at least. However, as the years went by, Eamon found himself no longer convinced by the radical sheikhs who had seduced him to take up global jihad. He decided to leave and in the end was recruited by MI6. By July 2005. He had been serving in this role for years. And after the events of 7 7, his expertise would be essential in the days and weeks to come. Heyman, it's been 20 years since 7 7. 20 years since you were the UK's top double agent inside Al Qaeda. How does it feel to look back on that time now, to look back on the life that you led back then?

[Eamon Dean]

Goodness, Thomas, now that you say it's been 20 years, I feel much older now. Much older. A life in this line of work will age you each year for double.

[Thomas Small]

What do you think is the longest lasting legacy on the security side of 77?

[Eamon Dean]

It was a wake up call. And it is the event that more or less focused the mind and the efforts and the resources of the state from monitoring and combating extremism and terrorism abroad and brought it back home. Terrorism is basically the acts of violence in order to intimidate, to terrorize and to deter. And therefore, since there will always be individuals who are tempted to use violence to advance their political cause against the state or states, unfortunately, there will always be terrorism.

[Thomas Small]

In this special series of Conflicted to present this tragic and hugely consequential sliver of history from as many informed points of view as possible, we're introducing you, our dear listeners, to insiders and eyewitnesses. But at Conflicted, we go deeper than just what happened. We want to know why, how, and perhaps most Importantly, in the 20 years since the attacks, what's changed? The UK's response to the attacks is one of the most divisive topics in recent political history. It has been at once lauded and deeply criticized, accused both of overreaching and of not going far enough. Despite hundreds of millions of pounds being spent by multiple governments over two decades, no one can agree on what seven seven's legacy really is. And so into this complex web conflicted dives, I wanted to take Eamon back to that time of sunny days in London. The hope and promise of a world before the 2008 financial crash, but a world where terror was waiting in the wings.

[Eamon Dean]

Generally speaking, the attitude was, on one hand, we are not a priority target in the uk. On the second hand, the UK intelligence services and the security services were so good that they are able to prevent such attack from happening. And that was the attitude. And the focus shifted completely abroad. I mean, literally by October 2002, I was sent abroad. And so it was clear that the priority was to counter Al Qaeda overseas rather than to focus on the homeland. It's only around January and February of 2003 that we started to see rising voices. Thanks to the run up to the Iraq war, we started to see that they are now raising their heads and they started to shout, you know, slogans of jihad again in Londonistan.

[Thomas Small]

Eamonn remembers that in early July 2005, the security services were worried.

[Eamon Dean]

The week before 77, I was thinking that, you know, something is not right.

[Thomas Small]

In Gleneagles, a luxury golf resort In Scotland, the UK government was playing host to the G8 summit, a meeting of the leaders of the world's largest economies. An event like this takes considerable brain power.

[Eamon Dean]

Were they distracted? That's a question. Were the internal security service distracted?

[Thomas Small]

UK security were distracted. And so too were normal Londoners, because the day before the 6th of July, the whole nation had reacted to extremely exciting news.

[Eamon Dean]

The 30th Olympiad in 2012 are awarded.

[Thomas Small]

To the City of London.

[Bill Mann]

6Th of July 2005. It was a big thing. The Olympics were coming to London.

[Thomas Small]

This is Bill Mann in 2005. He just started a new job in the finance sector.

[Bill Mann]

There was a real, there was a real buzz. Everyone seemed to be in a good mood.

[Thomas Small]

Like the other people we'll hear from on this episode, his life would forever be changed by the events of 7 7. Meanwhile, Susan Greenwood was also looking to the future. She was about to begin her morning commute from North London to her job in the city centre in operating theaters in Great Ormond Hospital.

[Susan Greenwood]

Very exciting times. It was a really wonderful thing to be thinking that that was going to happen in the future in the city you live in.

[Thomas Small]

The night before the town was abuzz. Excitement was high from the Olympics news And even though it was a work night, London partied.

[Martine Wright]

My last working memory was jumping up and down in my office in front of huge screens, cuddling my work colleague saying, we've won it, we've won it, London's won it. And then we immediately went out and proceeded to go down to the local pub and celebrate.

[Thomas Small]

Martine Wright is a born and bred Londoner, a proper Cockney, born within earshot of the Bells of St. Mary Le Beau. In 2005, she worked in marketing in St. Catherine's Dock, right next to Tower Bridge. After the revelry of the night before, the next morning on the 7th of July, she set off for work.

[Martine Wright]

That morning I woke up slightly jaded, hit my snooze alarm, like many people that morning. And I remember running down those stairs thinking, oh my God, I'm gonna be late, I'm gonna be late, I'm gonna be late. Then I'm gonna get on the Tube, on the Circle Line tube, which again, wasn't always a line that I got. So I remember again getting to Moorgate and then running up the escalators and then turning right and seeing the Circle Line tube at that platform. And I distinctly remember thinking, what a result. I haven't got to wait for a train, I'm gonna wait for a tube, I'm not gonna be late.

[Thomas Small]

As Martine ran for a Circle Line train in North London, Susan was cramming onto the Piccadilly line.

[Susan Greenwood]

I was a bit later than normal. We were packing to go to Tealy Park Festival, so I was late because of that. And I would get on a Turnpike Lane tube station and I had given up some smoking that had a cigarette outside. So I was even later than I would be. It was really, really busy that day as well. So everything was sort of delaying you getting to where you needed to go just that little bit more.

[Thomas Small]

Bill was traveling towards Paddington and made a snap decision to stay on the underground just that little bit longer.

[Bill Mann]

I walked around the corner to Tower Hill, which is where I got the Tube, got on the Circle Line train anti clockwise, so that went round towards Paddington. And I remember the train getting to Edgware Road, which is like the station before, and sometimes I would get off there and walk the last leg to Paddington because I could walk down the side of the canal. I didn't get off at Edgware Road. I decided I'd, for the benefit of time, I'd stay on the train and get to work a bit quicker.

[Thomas Small]

Neither Susan, Martine nor Bill were where they were Supposed to be that morning. They were running late on a train line they didn't usually take, or on a different route to the office. But at 8:49am, all of them were on the Tube underground. The next 50 seconds would change their lives forever.

[Bill Mann]

My first memory was of flying through the air.

[Martine Wright]

All I remember is a big white flash in front of my eyes. So it was like a bright light, a huge bright light.

[Susan Greenwood]

It was like a force. Everything went black and then sort of starry eyed.

[Martine Wright]

And the first immediate thing you think of is you think, oh, my God, I've had a crash. We've had a crash.

[Bill Mann]

It was clearly something incredibly violent.

[Susan Greenwood]

It felt like an explosion. I knew it was an explosion.

[Bill Mann]

There was a very brief moment of absolute silence and then the screaming started. There was the screams of people on the carriage that were hysterical and there were the screams of the people that were seriously injured and dying.

[Thomas Small]

Three underground trains, three bombs, all detonating simultaneously. But no one apart from those on the train had any idea what was happening. Above ground, warnings began to show up on control hubs across the Transport for London network. At first they think it's a power surge.

[Bill Mann]

There were theories, is it a power surge? But I thought, that doesn't make any sense. From what we just experienced, there was definitely far more than just a power surgeon.

[Thomas Small]

At 9.15am, Transport for London declares an Amber alert. All trains go to their next station and come to a shuddering stop. But officials quickly ask themselves. Three power surges all at the same time across different parts of London on separate lines. This was clearly something more, something unprecedented was happening. The race was on to find out what. On board the Piccadilly line, Susan realized the danger she was in.

[Susan Greenwood]

I woke up on the floor with sort of bits of tube and bits of rails and stuff lying all around you, and it was very smoky. My first instinct was to get up and help people. And it was at that point that I realized I couldn't get up. And it was then that I saw my left leg and I knew it was really badly damaged. There wasn't much skin left. I was an operating department practitioner, so I knew that that wouldn't be able to be saved. And I was wearing a cardigan with a belt at the time, so I was able to tourniquet that leg to stop the blood flow.

[Thomas Small]

While Susan's emergency training was kicking in, Martine also found herself in a dire situation.

[Martine Wright]

So the bomb had gone off about four feet to the right of me. All the shards of the end of the tube were in My legs, my left leg was fused against this side of the train. Lots of people will probably remember a picture that usually comes up. They always use the same picture and it's this picture of a tube with a big hole in the side of it. That was my tube and that was where I was sitting, where that hole was.

[Thomas Small]

Bill, who had sat just a few seats away from the bomber, remembers the devastation in the carriage.

[Bill Mann]

This scene of utter devastation. Doors had been blown out, windows were shattered. Five people had lost their lives and there were people in hysterics. I desperately wanted to get out like we all did, but I thought, I can't leave these people. There's no emergency services here, there's no paramedics or anybody. So I thought, well, I'll stay. Which I did and did what I could.

[Thomas Small]

In the space of 50 seconds, three bombs had detonated on underground lines, ripping through metal, people's lives and a whole country's sense of safety. London had experienced bombings in the past, most recently by the ira, but not like this, never of this magnitude, never with this coordination. And little did anyone know, those wouldn't be the last explosions of the day. It's the morning of 7th July 2005. Three bombs have exploded on the London Underground. But above ground, the wider world doesn't know it yet. At 9:15am the first media reports emerge saying an explosion has been reported and emergency services are heading to Liverpool Street Station. Something catastrophic is going on. That's all the public knows at this point.

[Dr. Peter Holden]

If you live in London, you will know that there are always emergency services, vehicles charging around, but there are a lot more than normal. About 9 o' clock there was a heck of a lot of aerial activity going on. The Royal London helicopter was hovering overhead for a very long time.

[Thomas Small]

That's Dr. Peter Holden, an expert in emergency medicine, in particular managing large scale disasters, among other things. He was there during the 1989 Hillsborough Stadium disaster when 97 Liverpool football fans were crushed to death.

[Dr. Peter Holden]

I was at that time also a volunteer physician, air crew on the Lincoln Channels. I also knew you did not hover over built up areas for a long time. You're burning a lot of fuel and pulling a lot of power and you wouldn't be doing that unless you got a very good reason to hang about that. And clearly they were looking at something.

[Thomas Small]

What they were looking at was a group of people emerging from below ground at King's cross station. About 25 minutes earlier, Susan's train carriage had exploded. The first survivors were beginning to appear. Peter and A number of other doctors were in BMA House, a large red brick Edwardian building on Tavistock Square, not too far away. Dr. Andrew Dearden was one of the other GPS who was there.

[Dr. Andrew Dearden]

We were in London having a meeting about the GP contract and so we were in the midst of negotiating an updated version of those contracts.

[Thomas Small]

The carnage underground was causing transport chaos on the road too. At 9.47am, the number 30 bus was being diverted from its usual route and turned onto Tavistock Square, just near Andrew and Peter. As it passed by BMA House, the top deck exploded.

[Dr. Andrew Dearden]

It wasn't a crash or a bang, but very much a sort of whoomp type sound which I'd never heard before.

[Dr. Peter Holden]

I remember everything going salmon pink. And then I heard the bang.

[Thomas Small]

Peter's emergency training kicked in.

[Dr. Peter Holden]

I thought, well, this can only be one thing. It has to be an explosion of some sort. Don't go out there because there may well be a second secondary device.

[Thomas Small]

Just a year before, the Spanish capital of Madrid had been rocked by a series of bomb blasts. Peter recalls that in that case, a second set of devices was found. If they had gone off, they would have killed those rushing to respond to the initial incident.

[Dr. Peter Holden]

After two or three minutes, I said, okay, let's move our way round into the vestibule so we can get a, an eyeball on this. I was first one there. I looked out straight down onto the bus and I just said to folks, this is a bus bomb.

[Dr. Andrew Dearden]

Of all the places the bomb could have gone off except outside an A E department, that was probably the best place for it to happen.

[Thomas Small]

Noticing the top of the bus was missing, Andrew realized something was terribly wrong. Seeing other doctors beginning to approach the scene, he ducked in to get his medical bag and rushed to join them. The damage that had been done was clear as he approached.

[Dr. Andrew Dearden]

As I was running towards the bus, the first thing I saw was a purse which was at least 30, 40 yards away, then probably another 10 or so yards in. I then noticed a severed limb.

[Thomas Small]

Peter had been trained as a major incident commander. He knew what to do in these sorts of situations. His colleagues put him in charge and he didn't waste a second.

[Dr. Peter Holden]

Basically, people were starting to ask me what to do. I said, I'll tell you what to do, but my hands are staying in my pockets. It's a trick we'd all learn from having to do these in exercises. If you're managing the scene, you cannot get involved. If you're going to manage the scene, you've got six command, control, communication, cooperation, control Coordination to prevent the sixth one, which is chaos. So I found a piece of paper and I spent 90 seconds writing down my priorities because I knew that once I got out there, my bandwidth would just be maxed.

[Thomas Small]

In an extraordinary feat of organization, braving the very real possibilities of more bombs beneath their feet, the doctors began to triage the victims, prioritizing those who needed their help the most.

[Dr. Peter Holden]

You have to understand that under this scenario, the demands on our efforts exceed our assets. Therefore you've got to prioritise what you do. And the reason for that is you've got to do the most for the most. Because if you get stuck in on one person, you could start losing others who for want of a very simple intervention could suck succumb because the person is yelling and screaming is not your immediate priority. The fact is they've got an airway in their breathing, otherwise they couldn't yell and scream because the things that kill you in these scenarios is airway obstruction, failure to breathe and then bleeding, failure to circulate.

[Thomas Small]

The doctors were forced to make split second decisions, including some of the most difficult you can imagine.

[Dr. Andrew Dearden]

Those with the expertise were distinguishing between the people that we could help and the people that were perhaps beyond help.

[Thomas Small]

With Peter taking control of coordinating the rescue efforts, Andrew and the other doctors set to work treating those they could, using anything they could get their hands on. Tables were used as stretchers, bits of desk were used as splints on broken legs. Curtains were used as bandages because remember.

[Dr. Peter Holden]

This is not a hospital, this is an office building.

[Thomas Small]

Within 30 minutes of the explosion, ambulances began to arrive with real medical supplies and soon left carrying the wounded. Peter has kept control.

[Dr. Peter Holden]

Within two and a half hours of the incident, we had cleared the casualty station by 1210, 1215, as Peter Holden.

[Thomas Small]

Coordinates Andrew and the raft of emergency services in Tavistock Square, the news media have just begun to report what's really happened. But there was still a question mark over the whole thing. For the survivors, for the first responders, for everyone who had done this and why. It's just after midday on 7 July 2005, only a few hours after four bombings had rocked London. As the news counts an ever growing death toll, Prime Minister Tony Blair makes a statement from the G8 summit.

[Tony Blair]

I'm just going to make a short statement to you on the terrible events that have happened in London earlier today. And I hope you understand that at the present time we're still trying to establish exactly what has happened.

[Thomas Small]

Back underground, emergency services arrive on the scene miraculously quickly for Susan, this was never in doubt.

[Susan Greenwood]

I never feared for my life. I knew people would come and save us because there are so many brave people in this world. Someone asked me my name and then they categorized me and put something around my arm. And I remember being pulled back at some stage onto some kind of blanket, and then I was carried out of the tube.

[Thomas Small]

Martine remembers a specific person distinctly.

[Martine Wright]

And I just remember screaming, saying, you know, help, help. And then a policewoman, Liz Kenworthy, my guardian angel. Liz came towards me and she obviously saw the states of my legs and went off and got different tourniquets, whether they were belts, whether they were cardigans, whether they were jackets. She stayed with me for an hour and a half.

[Thomas Small]

The events of this Thursday would forever leave their mark on Susan and Martine.

[Martine Wright]

I just remember waking up eight days later and found out that when I was double amputee above the knee also, I found out I'd lost 80% of my blood. I'd been resuscitated several times. So it was a bit of a shock waking up. And at that point, that first day, you know, I didn't want to be there. I didn't. I did not want to be there. All I kept saying is, don't want to be here. I've got no legs. I've got no legs. And, you know, people say to you, how did you get through that? And then I remember the strength that you get from other people. My mum grabbed hold of my face and said, martine, stop crying. You're going to be okay. You're going to get new legs and you're here and there's 52 people that aren't here. And that belief, you know, gives you so much. So that's really what spurred me on.

[Susan Greenwood]

I was in intensive care for two weeks. I've got sporadic memories of that period of time when I properly come to and I can see that my leg is an above knee amputation, not a below knee. That was upsetting because a bologna amputation, you've got another knee joint that you're missing. So actually it is harder to recover from. My right leg was really badly damaged and right down to the Achilles tendon, and they'd had to do fat and skin grafts on that leg to save that leg, which thankfully they did. The only injury in my brain was my leg. And then to discover there was a lot more was clearly upsetting, but again, not life changing in the fact that I knew I would be okay. I knew I would get out of there. And I guess the focus was to concentrate on getting out of there and walking again, rather than the other little bits and pieces that are around.

[Thomas Small]

Across town, Bill had managed to leave the tube train almost immediately. Walking down the track to Edgerow Road station, he called his wife and told her he was okay. By mid afternoon, incredibly, he was already traveling back to his home in Essex.

[Bill Mann]

Now it was about 3 o', clock, meaning my wife was out to pick up the kids from school and when I got home the house was empty. Had to shower twice to get all of this grime off of me. Got dressed just as the key went in the door. My wife came in with the kids and as far as they were concerned, Dad's home early from work. Yeah, very bizarre to go from one extreme to the other. One moment I'm walking out of a bomb situation and the next minute I'm playing with the kids.

[Thomas Small]

Bill was safely home with his family. A calm after the storm, but the trauma lingered.

[Bill Mann]

It came at me continuously because it's all I could think about. It was, wasn't the first night, I think it was two or three nights afterwards. I had a genuine flashback in my sleep and I've never experienced anything like it. It was like I was back in that carriage and awake and experiencing it all again. It wasn't just a vivid dream, it was 10 times more powerful than that. I felt like I could just have a complete breakdown.

[Thomas Small]

The trauma would linger for London and the entire UK as well. The city had been dealt an enormous blow. 52 people had been killed and well over 700 injured. Despite the extraordinary work of Andrew, Peter and the other first responders. Peter recalls how he felt of the.

[Dr. Peter Holden]

50, 15 of us. We were of, I think eight or nine different nationalities. There were Christians, there were Jews, there were agnostics, there were Muslims, there were Hindus. We were multi racial, multi ethnic, multi faith and those who know faith, what's more, and it really choked me when I suddenly tweaked. The courtyard is actually a memorial to the medical dead of both sides from both wars. I hope we've done them proud.

[Thomas Small]

After losing both her legs the day after London won its Olympic bid, in a remarkable turn of events, Martine would go on to compete for Great Britain in the 2012 Paralympics.

[Martine Wright]

Thankfully I got selected and thankfully I lived my dream out. And thankfully I have this memory not in my head, but this is in my heart. And it was from the opening gay that we had and the biggest crowd we'd ever played to before. London was probably about 300 people and I was now walking out in front of 4,000 people.

[Thomas Small]

By late afternoon on the day of the attack, the emergency services had finished their work. For the police, however, the job was only beginning. At 5:32pm Tony Blair made it clear his government was committed to a robust response.

[Tony Blair]

There will, of course now be the most intense police and security service action to make sure that we bring those responsible to justice.

[Thomas Small]

For justice to prevail, the counter terror police first had to identify the bombers. It would take days to work this out, but they had a hunch, a strong hunch. We've mentioned the Madrid bombings of 2004. We've talked about the planes that hit the World Trade center on 9 11. Like those tragedies, the authorities quickly realized that this attack was likely the work of radical Islamic terrorists. Islamic terrorism was no longer a distant thing. In some far off place, it had now arrived in the UK capital. The race was on to find out who was responsible. Next time on conflicted 77 the inside story. Eamon takes us back to his spy days in MI6 post 911 and how the signs of 77 were there all along.

[Eamon Dean]

The problem with red flags is that they don't tell you the direction of the wind. I mean, they just tell you that something is being planned, but you have no idea where, how and exactly when. You just anticipate.

[Thomas Small]

And coming up later in the series, we'll hear from the investigators whose job it was to identify the 77 bombers.

[Bill Mann]

I spent over 30 years in the police service and that was the proudest night of my service.

[Thomas Small]

Conflicted 77 the inside story is produced by Message Heard for Wandery. To listen to our normal Conflicted episodes, just search Conflicted in your favorite podcast app. I'm your host, Thomas Small. This series is written and produced by Harry Stott and Leo Danczak. The production coordinator is Kirsty McLean. Sound design and engineering is by Alan Lear, Ivan E. Eastleigh and Lizzie Andrews. Music by Tom Biddle. You've just listened to episode one of a Wandery plus exclusive series. Want to listen to the remaining episodes of Conflicted 77 the Inside Story? Episodes 2 through 6 are available exclusively and ad free right now on Wandri. Start your free trial of Wandry plus on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or in the Wandry app?