Shoreham Air show crash

[Tricky Dicky]

Have just been along to the bridge to lay my flowers and it's an impressive effort by everyone. A lot of people there paying their respects, I thought there would be some, but there were probably hundreds.

 

[Blazing Apostle]

Just come back from the bridge after laying some flowers with my daughters - very moving

 

[British Bulldog]

The press have also been knocking on random people's doors in the local area looking for anybody who has got a story to tell, Utter scumbags.

Had one at my door this afternoon, I can't put into words how disgusted I feel about them.

 

[Gullflyinghigh]

Had one at my door this afternoon, I can't put into words how disgusted I feel about them.

Very glad they've not got this far into Lancing yet. I'd imagine I sit just far enough way that they wouldn't expect a gruesome story, so not worth the effort.

I feel nothing but loathing for those vultures.

 

[The Upper Library]

When I went down to the foot bridge to lay my flowers yesterday I couldn't help but feel some degree of resentment towards all the TV station vans there. This tragedy however being so close to home and so profoundly affecting me has also made me look at how I have in the past used media to look at other tragedies. Whilst news needs to be conveyed to the country and beyond I just find the media circus so distasteful -

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Very glad they've not got this far into Lancing yet. I'd imagine I sit just far enough way that they wouldn't expect a gruesome story, so not worth the effort.

I feel nothing but loathing for those vultures.

I think somebody has already mentioned the upset reportedly caused to the Reeves family by the Mail journalists. Mr Reeves' son has posted on Facebook just how distressing an experience that was, and how a situation that's already heartbreaking for the family has been made worse thanks to the Mail Online.

Sometimes you wonder if journalists like this have an ounce of humanity in them. Professionally, I have a bit of a specialism as a family liaison officer, which means I get deployed to work with families who've suffered the loss of a relative in sudden/ unexpected circumstances, usually in the first few, desperately raw hours after it's happened. It's hard enough communicating with people who are overwhelmed by grief, even when, as in my case, you're trying to offer them care & assistance. I can't even imagine what sort of person you'd have to be to start haranguing people in such a situation, and effectively threatening them with losing control of their memories of that person. Contemptible individuals.

 

[bhafc1976]

Edna, I've come to the conclusion over the years that many journos are 'radicalised' just as much as some of our customers that they report on.

 

[Tricky Dicky]

When I went down to the foot bridge to lay my flowers yesterday I couldn't help but feel some degree of resentment towards all the TV station vans there. This tragedy however being so close to home and so profoundly affecting me has also made me look at how I have in the past used media to look at other tragedies. Whilst news needs to be conveyed to the country and beyond I just find the media circus so distasteful -

There was just one van when I went today, and they weren't filming, just sitting in the van. Most have lost interest now we're not the top story, other things to go to.

 

[Lady Whistledown]

Edna, I've come to the conclusion over the years that many journos are 'radicalised' just as much as some of our customers that they report on.

I get that they have to fill pages. I understand that some of the most visually shocking images are an important part of our means of understanding certain situations.

But I can barely bring myself to read some of the stuff they post about given situations now. Some of the personal detail & (made-up) opinion they publish, I can't bring myself to read, as it feels horribly voyeuristic. When I'm dealing with grieving families, I have to warn them that the local press will scope out the social media accounts of the deceased, as well as those of the rest of the family and friends. I have to explain that they are legally entitled to publish any photograph on there that is in the public domain, and any comments left by them or others.

If you're a mother grieving the loss of a (say) nineteen year old son in a car crash, the last thing you want to be worrying about is walking down the street to see his face unexpectedly staring out at you from a newspaper billboard. Maybe it was a treasured photo, a family favourite: in which case that image becomes seared on their mind as a symbol of awful times, rather than the happy memory it used to be. I accept that we should probably all be more aware of our social media settings, as most of us know what is and what isn't public. But it's still unpleasant for traumatised people to deal with. It's not until I started doing my current job that I realised just how much of what newspapers write is made up. With little thought to the impact that might have upon some poor soul.

I accept they have a job to do, but it's turning into grief-trolling.

 

[Beach Hut]

Went down to the Toll Bridge today to place some flowers it was very moving until someone asked if we would speak to ITN News, made it all rather vulgar really.

 

[Frutos]

Went down to the Toll Bridge today to place some flowers it was very moving until someone asked if we would speak to ITN News, made it all rather vulgar really.

Very sad indictment of things when news crews have to intrude on things like that.

 

[Driver8]

Very sad indictment of things when news crews have to intrude on things like that.

It's not a recent thing I can assure you. I know from personal experience that the Sun were harassing grieving families in the 70's.

 

[Cadiz Seagull]

I've often wondered, do we derserve the press we get or do we get the press we deserve?

But that's a discussion for another thread, not this one.

 

[thedonkeycentrehalf]

As a Lancing resident of nearly 50 years I can only echo your feelings from across the bridge. One community I would like to spare a thought for as well who I've seen no mention of so far are the residents of the static gypsy/traveller site on the A27 who are living right next to the site of the crash and must be pretty isolated up there at the moment.

Strangely, when we first heard of the accident and saw the initial pictures I thought that they might have been affected but since then had totally forgotten about the little community tucked away there. I'd assume that they may have been moved away for a few days given the risks that the emergency services were raising about the fuel on the crash site.

 

[Sheebo]

I think somebody has already mentioned the upset reportedly caused to the Reeves family by the Mail journalists. Mr Reeves' son has posted on Facebook just how distressing an experience that was, and how a situation that's already heartbreaking for the family has been made worse thanks to the Mail Online.

Sometimes you wonder if journalists like this have an ounce of humanity in them. Professionally, I have a bit of a specialism as a family liaison officer, which means I get deployed to work with families who've suffered the loss of a relative in sudden/ unexpected circumstances, usually in the first few, desperately raw hours after it's happened. It's hard enough communicating with people who are overwhelmed by grief, even when, as in my case, you're trying to offer them care & assistance. I can't even imagine what sort of person you'd have to be to start haranguing people in such a situation, and effectively threatening them with losing control of their memories of that person. Contemptible individuals.

Hats off to you for your job - I honestly don't think I could do it - too upsetting etc You should be proud of what you do

 

[Doc Lynam]

Unfortunately news is a business.

 

[Woodchip]

Just for those that are interested in how this is covered on the other side the world.

 

[BensGrandad]

An aviation expert said the same in yesterday papers that he saw a little orange flash which indicated an engine misfire which even for a second would cause it to lose its height, similar to a car backfiring and apparently on that aircraft it didnt have afterburners so should not have happened.

 

[The Fifth Column]

Strangely, when we first heard of the accident and saw the initial pictures I thought that they might have been affected but since then had totally forgotten about the little community tucked away there. I'd assume that they may have been moved away for a few days given the risks that the emergency services were raising about the fuel on the crash site.

They are bearing up remarkably well I can report and dealing with it all as best they can. Quite a reslient community as you'd expect. I'll pass on your thoughts.

 

[dazzer6666]

As a born and bred Shorehamite of 37 years, this whole thing has left me in pieces. I wasn't there – en route to the Amex on a bus with the Junior Bobkins – and I didn't know any of those that have died, but it has really got to me.

The Toll Bridge is half a mile away from my current home, and the house I grew up in. I've lost count of the number of times I've been across it, and through those traffic lights. To see it across national and international media has been so surreal, and very saddening, given the circumstances.

My favourite view in the world is from the second car park up Mill Hill, looking down onto Shoreham-by-Sea, the airport and the surrounding areas. I ran up there yesterday morning, sat on the bench and just looked as the amazing support crew got on with their work – whether that be forensics, clearing the scene, or fixing the road. I then went back down and walked across the Toll Bridge to see the flowers (and some TV crews) and to take it all in. I'm not normally a fan of floral tributes, but (maybe because it is close to home, literally), I was amazed by all of the flowers, messages, cards, football shirts and mementos.

The whole place had been so different early on Saturday morning as I ran through the airport, and saw excited punters gagging to get through the gates into the airshow. Amazing weather as well – since Sunday all it seems to have done in Shoreham-by-Sea is rain, which kinda reflects the mood in the town, sadly.

The club's response has been nothing short of amazing, and it means a lot to me – as a fan and as a resident – to see things like Paul Barber going to visit grieving parents, for teams to head down to the Toll Bridge to pay their respects, and for them to seemingly do as much as they can to help the support teams and the local community.

The answers to why and how this happened can wait – the experts are working on it, and have said it may take months or even years. What matters now is that the families of the victims get the support they need and (to a much lesser extent) the community bounces back. They have already done this in so many ways, and have gone out of their way to provide food, clothes, their own services, and other bits of help wherever they can. I'm proud to be a part of such a community.

Apologies for the slightly self-indulgent ramble – It's the first time I've properly put into words my thoughts on it, and this place seemed the best place to do it.

GB

Not remotely self-indulgent GB, just beautifully put. Thanks for sharing.