Hemel Hempstead Explosion

December 11th 2005. Today is the day that will be remembered across the world as the explosion that rocked England. A 6.03 this morning, an explosion at the Buncefield fuel depot, near Hemel Hempstead (7 miles from us in Watford) was heard on the south coast, as far as Hastings.

I Live 10 miles from the blast, the shockwave was so powerful when I woke up my house was facing the other way!

Said Daniel from Hemel (source: BBC News).

Personally, I slept through the whole thing. Ali woke me around 8 o’clock, “you know that explosion this morning?”, “Huh?” “It was a big petrol explosion in Hemel. It woke me up!!” “Huh?”

I feel that some of the mass hysteria fuelled by the press is slightly exagerrated, now that the dust is beginning to settle. It’s pretty bad, sure – a number of people close to the explosion were probably very scared to be woken up by this first thing in the morning. Reducing fuel emissions may well be affected, and I have no doubt it’s cost a lot of people a lot of money. However, I’m glad I didn’t rush out and buy as much petrol as I can for the car I don’t have – just in case the countries supplies are all used up. Why didn’t someone flag down that plane that was flying overhead – think of the devastation that could have been stopped by prevention of this obviously terrorist attack on our country. Oh wait, it’s quite near an airport isn’t it, that’s why it was aviation fuel that went up?

This would never have happened if we hadn’t gone into Iraq for all that oil in the first place, would it?

Are we all hoping for a disaster this much – that when something big does happen – everyone feels the need jump on the “the explosion ruined my life” bandwagon? I can’t wait for the public inquest, and the damage cheques to be handed out.

5 Comments

    • Ali
    • December 11, 2005
    • Reply

    Having been terrified by the defeaning explosion at 6am today, I’m insulted that you don’t seem to realise what an impact this is having on us. I mean, look at the clear blue sky outside. The tranquil winters day. Its shocking!! I’m scared to breath in case the smoke that is so clearly not engulfing our flat fills my lungs. I mean, it was that bad that I’m sure my uncle in Australia must have heard the explosion. Or not.

    Yeah, its affected people in Hemel, a bit, and the postings on BBC News have been keeping us amused… but I think its just time for a nice cup of tea and a rest from all the excitement.

  1. I’ve just started looking at the comments on the BBC News site and it looks like it could have been heard as far as Russia – oh no, hang on, Space Cadets isn’t really in Russia – that’s Ipswitch I’m thinking of, and that’s where the comment was from ! How do they explain that to the strange deluded folk on Space Cadets !

    Anyway, must fess up, we were completely oblivious to the whole thing until we arrived at the folks house just after 4pm – just goes to show, if all you watch on a Sunday morning is Hollyoaks, and don’t turn on your RSS feed the world could end, and you’d never know !

  2. I forgot to add – where are my keys, I must go out and queue for hours to buy half a tank of Petrol !

    • Jules
    • December 12, 2005
    • Reply

    I’m a bit peeved… I left my bike parked in the office carpark over the weekend…..and the carpark’s toast….. Hope the TPF&T pays out

    • Anonymous
    • April 30, 2006
    • Reply

    hERTS COUNCIL NEED LAND TO BUILD ANOTHER 6,000 HOMES (AND A SHOPPING CENTRE MAYBE)
    THERE IS MOUNTING EVIDENCE THAT THE EXPLOSION AND HERTFORDSHIRES QUOTA FOR 6,000 NEW HOMES IN THE DACORUM AREA MAY BE LINKED. AFTER ALL, THE RESIDENT HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING FOR AGES THAT THEY CAN SMELL PETROL FUMES. LET ME PUT IT THIS WAY: YOU SMELL GAS, YOU CALL THE GAS BOARD AND THE MATTER IS TREATED WITH GREAT URGENCY AS YOUR HOUSE COULD EXPLOD. EVEN AN IDIOT (WHICH HERTS COUNCIL CLEARLY ARE NOT) WOULD ALLOW PETROL FUME REPORTS TO GO UNADDRESSED. EVEN CHILDREN KNOW THAT PETROL FUMES ARE HIGHLY INFLAMABLE AND WILL EXPLODE ALL THE WAY BACK TO THEIR SCOURCE. SO DID THE COUNCIL ALLOW AN EXPLOSION TO GET THE LAND? ITS CLEAR THE DEPOT WONT BE REBUILT AND ITS A PRETTY CONVENIENT SOLUTION TO AQUIRING MORE BUILDING LAND AT A CRUCIAL TIME FOR HERTS COUNCIL. IF YOU THINK THAT IS FAR FETCHED CONSIDER THAT THEY HAVE ‘LAND GRABBED’ BOVINGDON FIRE STATION STRAIGHT AFTER THE EXPLOSION, ALSO CONSIDER THIS: THERE ARE PLANS UNDERWAY TO SIEZE THE LAND HELD BY WENDY FAIR MARKETS IN BOVINGDON UNDER THE NEW CRIMINAL EARNINGS SIEZURE LAWS. THE DIRECTORS OF BOVINGDON MARKET HAVE BEEN ARRESTED UNDER ORDER OF HERTS COUNTY COUNCIL BY THE POLICE AND CHARGED WITH MONEY LAUNDERING BY WAY OF ALLEGEDLY ALLOWING PIRATED GOODS TO BE SOLD ON THE MARKET. THIS WOULD MEAN A HUGE LAND GRAB FOR HERTS COUNCIL. THERE IS ENOUGH ROOM FOR HUNDREDS OF HOUSES AND ENOUGH LEFT OVER FOR YET ANOTHER “ESSENTIAL” GIANT SHOPPING CENTRE.
    WHAT REALLY STINKS ABOUT THIS AMAZINGLY CRAFTY LAND GRAB IS THAT A FEW PEOPLE WHO WERE SELLING PIRATES AT THE MARKET HAVE BEEN CHARGED WITH WENDY FAIR AND INSTEAD OF BEING TAKEN TO COURT SEPERATLY THEY ARE ALL GOING TO BE TRIED AS A GROUP. THIS SLY MOVE ENSURES THAT THEY ALL APPEAR TO GIVE EVIDENCE AGAINST ONE ANOTHER IN THEIR DEFENCES. THIS IS A FIRST IN BRITISH LAW HISTORY. ADD TO THIS THE FACT THAT HERTFORDSHIRE COUNCIL HAVE CLAIMED THEY HAVE 180 WITNESS STATEMENTS AGAINST THE STALL HOLDERS AND WENDY FAIR MARKETS AND YOU BEGIN TO WONDER WHY 180 WITNESSES WOULD BE NEEDED FOR ANY TRIAL WHATSOEVER LET ALONE THE HIGH TREASON OF SELLING SOME PIRATE GOODS AT A MARKET.
    IT GETS WORSE: THERE IS FACTUALLY NO COMPLAINANT AGAINST THESE PEOPLE CONCERNING ANY PIRACY OF COPYRIGHT OR TRADEMARKS YET THE COUNCIL HAVE BOUGHT A PROSECUTION. ITS A BIT LIKE SOMEONE PINCHING SOMETHING FROM YOU ANDF YOU JUST DONT BOTHER PERSUING IT AND THEN THE COUNCIL COME ALONG ARREST THAT PERSON UNDER CRIMINAL LAW AND HAVE ALL THEIR ASSETS SIEZED AND AWARDED TO THE COUNCIL. YES THEY AWARD ANY SIEZURES TO THEMSELVES. AND IT STILL GETS WORSE: BELIEVE IT OR NOT THE PROCEEDS SIEZED BEFORE PROSECUTION ARE SHARED 50 – 50 BETWEEN THE POLICE AND HERTFORDSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL. YEP THE NEO NAZIS HAVE LANDED!

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