Walking to South Quay station in Docklands just before 7pm on the 10th February 1996. Met a security guard who wouldn't let me go into the station itself. Pleaded and begged for him to let me onto the platform because I really had to get to Liverpool St station to pick the wife up. He wasn't budging so I head back into the office swearing loudly all the way. Walk into the office and announce to the guys I was working with just how p!ssed off I was and then as I was talking......
BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMMMMMM
The loudest, most incredible noise lifts me off my feet and throws me across the room. Ceiling tiles fall down, dust everywhere.
My world had turned into this:
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/8d/SouthKey_bombing_-_9.2.96.jpg
The building I was in was the other side of the station and was partially shielded from the blast, it also had bombproof windows so although the windows bowed in and out at least a foot under the pressure wave from the bomb they staying in one piece. Had they not I would have been minced.
For months afterwards any loud bangs had me scuttling under tables.