Sad Day

Well I didn't intend to watch the BBC documentary on the Hungerford Massacre last night but unfortunately I did and now wish I hadn't. I remember that day 17 years ago like it was yesterday and whilst I was not personally involved, I did know some of the dead and injured like everyone else in the town and as a close knit community all pulled together to overcome our grief along with sympathy and condolances from communities all over the world.
Being a member of Round Table helped because it meant we could physically do something positive in the aftermath, although the press and media attention for months afterwards was immense. We didn't want nor need this documentary, certainly no one in Hungerford needs reminding of the events of that day.
For those of you who read this blog that live outside our community, we are fed up by only being known for the Hungerford Massacre, and not the pretty historical market town that we should be known for. Unfortunately dodcumentaries like this will not allow it any other way, it just reminds us of how helpless we all were at the time. I sat in my front room watching things unfold on the news as Ryan was running around Hungerford, the Police completey unaware of his location, I had all doors locked and my shotgun nearby just incase he walked up my drive, What I would have done if he had I'll never know. Fortunately my wife was at work in Newbury, but we couldn't get in touch with each other which was frustrating.
I can only hope that the families of the victims haven't been too traumatised by this documentary, I can only hope that they didn't watch it! Thankfully many details and victims were excluded form this version and we were spared any sensationalism with actual photographs etc. I note much of the filming was made elsewhere.
I think the BBC proved that the only good thing that came out of the events of taht day was the need to update our communications systems.
I hope this will be the last ever on the subject, but no doubt there'll be 'Hungerford 25 years on' or some such other. Personally I wanted to cry after watching this.