Welcome to The E-Sylum: Volume 8, Number 30, July 11, 2005:
an electronic publication of the Numismatic Bibliomania Society.
Copyright (c) 2005, The Numismatic Bibliomania Society.


EDITOR'S CORNER

This special edition of The E-Sylum brings some happy news.
Rather than wait until our next regular issue, I thought I'd
publish the following update from our numismatic friends at
Spink in London:


SPINK NEAR LONDON BOMB SITE, BUT UNAFFECTED

Douglas Saville writes: "I am pleased to say that as far as we
are aware nobody here at Spinks was affected too badly on
Thursday, apart from being inconvenienced, but that is hardly
anything to complain about, given the suffering that has been
experienced by some individuals.

The London transport system is fast getting back to normal,
with buses and the underground trains working virtually as
usual today (Monday 11 July). The only affected areas are
in those in the immediate vicinity of the explosions. Rescuers
are still trying to release some of the bodies from inside the
train deep underground in the tunnel, and no more than 700
yards from our offices.

Spinks is about 300 yards from where the bus was bombed.
We heard the explosion of course, and, since by then the
underground had already been closed down for almost an
hour, a large number of people were walking along the
pavements of Southampton Row in front of the Spink offices.
As one, it seemed, they turned around and looked towards
the source of that explosion.

Less than 5 minutes later a tremendous stream of emergency
vehicles started to drive past our building, with ambulances
from all over London, and from elsewhere, and unmarked
police vehicles, and all that went on until at least midday,
when Southampton Row was eventually closed to all but
the emergency services. I would guess 200 or more
ambulances and police vehicles went past Spinks.

We were told by the police to keep inside the building
until early afternoon when it seemed to be reasonably safe
to venture onto the streets in the surrounding area.
To my mind the emergency services seemed to react so
swiftly, as to be astonishing, and this goes someway towards
reflecting the preparedness we have become accustomed
to in recent years. This was something we had been warned
was inevitable, but until it happened one finds it hard to
believe.

Everyone believes the emergency services have dealt with
the incidents in a truly professional and remarkable manner.

So, sort of, "back to normal" again. All best wishes,  Douglas."

[We're so glad all is well - our thoughts are with you
and all Londoners.  -Editor]

  Wayne Homren
  Numismatic Bibliomania Society