9/11 Anniversary: Local Residents Share Where They Were in Bristol

Key Points

• It is 25 years since the terrorist attacks of September 11 took place in 2001.
• On that day, four airplanes were taken over by hijackers and crashed into the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, as well as in a field in Pennsylvania, killing close to 3,000 people.
• Previously, Bristol Live had asked its Facebook followers about their whereabouts when the news of the attack reached them and had collected almost 8,000 comments.
• They included stories about how some were in schools, workplaces, hospitals, or even traveling in Florida at the time.
• These stories include watching the attacks live on TV in department stores, pubs, and tire shops.

Bristol (Bristol Express News) September 11, 2026 — As reported by senior editors Sophie Grubb and Pete Gavan of Bristol Live, today marks the solemn 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, an event that remains a day that altered the world irrevocably. Twenty-five years have passed since four aircraft were hijacked on September 11, 2001, and flown into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.

The harrowing sight of smoke billowing from the Twin Towers, resembling scenes from a catastrophe movie, remains utterly unforgettable. The fourth aircraft was believed to have been heading for the Capitol in Washington DC, but came down hundreds of miles away from its intended target after passengers and crew attempted to wrestle back control. Nearly 3,000 people lost their lives in the attacks, including hundreds of emergency responders who rushed to the scene.

How did the 9/11 attacks unfold across the world and impact the global consciousness?

As detailed by Sophie Grubb and Pete Gavan of Bristol Live, the tragedy began when the first aircraft struck the North Tower at approximately 1.46pm GMT (8.46am Eastern Time). The South Tower was struck 17 minutes afterwards, and within two hours, both iconic skyscrapers had collapsed. In the run-up to the landmark 20th anniversary five years ago, Bristol Live posed a question on Facebook asking people where they were when they learned about the tragedy unfolding thousands of miles away. Nearly 8,000 comments have been posted in reply, showcasing a collective archive of global shock and local remembrance.

Where were Bristol residents when they heard the news of the tragedy?

Numerous local people remembered being at school or work when news first emerged. As reported by Sophie Grubb and Pete Gavan of Bristol Live, residents shared deeply personal accounts of how the news reached them.

Siobhan Taylor from Bristol recounted that she was at the Magic Kingdom theme park in Florida at the time. Responding to the Facebook post, Siobhan Taylor stated that: “We were all evacuated and people didn’t know what was going on to begin with. Thought there was a bomb scare in the park. It wasn’t until we were waiting for the boat across the lake that a family from New York stood next to us told us what happened.”

Closer to home, Paula Anslow recalled:

“I was in Gillies cafe in Nailsea. They had the radio on. Everyone sat in stunned silence. I didn’t know what the Twin Towers were at the time.”

Emma Johnson noted that she remembers the day “vividly”, writing:

“It was my first day in secondary school and the weather was beautiful. I had just got home and I was sat doing my homework in front of the TV, and I remember the reports on the news…at that age I didn’t quite understand what was going on but as I got older, I got more awareness and every year that day fills me with sadness. I can’t imagine the pain that people have suffered, and my thoughts are always with everyone affected.”

How did public spaces and institutions in and around Bristol react to the live broadcasts?

As documented in the Bristol Live report by Sophie Grubb and Pete Gavan, many citizens experienced the horror alongside strangers while gathering around television screens displaying live coverage.

Nathan Smith revealed he was at Bristol Children’s Hospital with a broken arm, awaiting surgery at the time. Nathan Smith commented that:

“My room was the only room with a TV so all the nurses squeezed into watch the news.”

Shaun ‘Wivaquiff’ added that he was:

“[I was] in a pub in Cheddar Gorge, the whole place was silent all watching the news on a little TV.”

Sevda Zeki described the atmosphere as surreal, commenting:

“I was in John Lewis’ electrics department with my then three-month [old] baby in pushchair (now age 20). I was surrounded by massive TVs showing it all live. It was so surreal.”

Grahame Dodd added:

“Working in a tyre centre in Portishead we all watched the horror unfold in the customer TV room.”

Chrissie Wakefield shared her experience, commenting:

“[I was] heavily pregnant ironing in front of the TV as it happened. Then had to go to a midwife appointment as the Pentagon got hit. So many feelings going on at the time.”

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Background of the Particular Development

The practice of gathering public recollections decades after a major historic trauma serves as a vital sociological tool for community archiving. As historical distance increases from catastrophic events like September 11, local media outlets frequently turn to crowdsourced oral histories to anchor global milestones in local experiences. Platforms like Bristol Live utilising social media threads to collate thousands of individual responses reflect a broader shift in digital journalism toward participatory history, preserving ephemeral memories of collective shock for future generations.

How can this development and ongoing 9/11 commemorations affect Bristol readers and the broader public?

Reflecting on historical tragedies a quarter-century later reinforces collective empathy and heightens awareness of geopolitical security and global interconnectedness among local audiences in Bristol. For readers, revisiting these personal accounts serves as a poignant reminder of vulnerability, community solidarity, and how international crises instantly penetrate everyday domestic life. This ongoing remembrance helps younger generations—who have no living memory of 2001—contextuse how modern global security, travel, and political landscapes were fundamentally reshaped.