Birmingham UK again....[False Alarm]

Eye Witness (ME) | Vanity

[mewzilla]

It is. Can't beat it. Glad whatever it was was over quick. Hopefully Brit Guy can get some quality z's.

[jimtorr]

The quickest way to the Notting Hill area from Stansted, if you don't want to check into a hotel or anything, is to take the M11 into Greater London, to the town of Redbridge.

The Redbridge tube station is very convenient, it's at the first roundabout after the M11 descends to a surface street, at the intersection with Eastern Avenue.

Take the Red Line from Redbridge Station and get off at the Notting Hill Station. I believe that puts you near the Kensington Gardens end of Notting Hill Road.

[Bon mots]

How about the Stansted Express?
That's what I was considering...
Stansted Express

Or else I would just take a cab, but I think it would cost about £80 or so.

[snugs]

Thanks hopefully it is something and nothing

[jimtorr]

The Stansted Express sounds like the way to go. I don't think it existed when I was over there, in 1992. Stansted had only recently opened then, and they were still building the infrastructure.

I always drove into London from the Cambridge area, which is North up the M11 a bit from Stansted.

Once you get into London it isn't that hard to get around, if you don't mind using the Underground. I'd get a good A-Z map of the city and another of the Underground system.

Of course, if you have the funds for a cab, that's a whole different story. The drivers are required by law to know where everything is, and are tested annually.

Are you going on business, a pleasure trip, or both? I was in England on business, but long enough to play tourist quite a bit.

[Brit_Guy]

Well. I've got up this morning after all the excitement and note the thread title has been changed to 'false alarm'. Which confirms nothing was in the papers. Quite frustrating as as a resident it would be nice to know why we have a helicoptor hovering overhead with a halogen beam lighting us up for so long at that time at night. However, I guess operational security means that the police will keep quiet (and also it may be that this operation prooved unsuccessful - in which case they wouldn't go to the media). The only reference I can find anywhere to any new activity in Birmingham is at this link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4732951.stm
(which is dated a couple of ours before this incident)

Right the bottom they have the line: "Teams are also studying items seized from other addresses in London and Birmingham"

The 'other addresses' bit clearly meaning that not every raid makes the news! Sorry if I got anyone overly excited.....

[Bon mots]

Are you going on business, a pleasure trip, or both? I was in England on business, but long enough to play tourist quite a bit.

This time playing tourist. I've been to London a zillion times and know it quite well, but this is my first time going in via Stansted.

From what I see, the cab will cost about £80.00, and I was wondering if there were any cheaper private cars like there are in the New York area.

[WestTexasWend]

Sounds like congrats are in order, Brit guy!

Seven more arrested in connection with failed London bombings
ASSOCIATED PRESS (from Lubbock Avalanche-Journal)
Story last updated at 1:55 a.m. Monday, August 1, 2005

LONDON (AP) - Police arrested seven people Sunday during a raid on an apartment in southern England, bringing to 21 the number in custody in the relentless hunt for accomplices in the failed July 21 transit bombings.

Investigators determined to prevent further attacks also were probing possible ties between two of the bombing suspects and Saudi Arabia, British newspapers reported. Police were searching for anyone who may have recruited and directed the attackers and built the explosives.

Police arrested the six men and one woman during a search of two buildings in Brighton, on the southern coast, said a Metropolitan Police spokeswoman, speaking on condition of anonymity because her department does not allow her to give her name. So far, 18 people have been arrested in Britain and three in Italy.
(entire article at >>>>)
http://www.lubbockonline.com/stories/080105/wor_080105057.shtml