September 11: where were you?

Tell us what you were doing when terrorists flew hijacked planes into the World Trade Centre in New York in 2001

I had just returned to the newsroom at the Newcastle Evening Chronicle with my lunch to find the image on the TV of smoke pouring out of the first World Trade Centre tower. There was uncertainty about what had happened but it was being described, if I remember correctly, as a presumed accident involving a light aircraft.

Then a second plane hit the other tower. With it came a sense of amazement and realisation among colleagues that we had just seen something extraordinary – a massive news story.

Though I didn't know it until just now, at about the same time, Geordie Bird was nearby in central Newcastle's Eldon Square watching the same images through the window of a shop.

"In Eldon Square ... and watched in [sic] unfold outside a tv store with around 30 other people crowding round the shop window".

He is among those who, using a #911wheniheard hashtag, have been tweeting about where they were on September 11 2001 when they heard the news of the terrorist attacks.

Some, like Chirag Desai, were much closer to the scene.

"We were driving into NYC and heard it on the radio. We stopped at a rest-stop and watched it happen live on the news..."

Unsurprisingly, many remember their normal day stopping while they crowded around the nearest television as details emerged, such as Adrian Taylor: "a colleague in the office was reading BBC News online. Slowly the entire office ground to a halt."

Beth Hamilton was at school: "In English class at high school – teacher brought in tv to show us news."

While, Zeashan Asfraf was with his father. "I was in the 3rd grade, saw it with my dad on CNN. I was confused & shocked. I asked "Why did they do that?" Dad didn't reply."

Some remember the anguish that followed.

"My cousin & her boyfriend were on the subway heading to the World Trade Center. No contact for over 24hrs. Awful for her parents."

Many recall the initial disbelief.

"working night duty in hospital went to turn off patients tv and thought it was Bruce Willis movie till recognised newsreader."

Where were you and what were you doing?