Isle of Wight Raiders ice hockey star Adam Anderson was caught in the Canary Wharf bombing of 9th February 1996 – 30 years ago today.
However, the very next day, Anderson featured in team that beat top-of-the-league Oxford City Stars at Ryde Arena, scoring 2 of the goals himself.
Adam had been working late at his Rank Xerox office in the Isle of Dogs in London when the IRA bomb detonated in the next building.
Glass blew in to Adam’s office, the lights went out and a computer from the room above fell to the floor. Adam found himself unable to escape via the emergency exit as the force of the explosion had blown the stairs away.
The ice hockey star then went to the front of the building and stood on a ledge before escaping the building by means of a fire brigade ladder.
After his rescue, Adam said:
“The only thing that saved me was the stock room full of paper which I had my back turned to. It protected me from the blast.”
After Adam’s heroics against Oxford City Stars, hockey reporter Dennis Hammond commented:
“He played a terrific game. It was probably the best thing he could have done to get straight back out on to the ice and put the blast out of his mind.”
It seems like only yesterday. I remember that night very well
it shook London.
I was at the hockey game. It’s unforgivable that ice hockey and the rink
was snatched away from the island.
Everything good that is introduced to the island seems to be destroyed by
nimbys and officialdom. Windsurfing, grass track bike racing. to name another two.
Why cant the needs of the populace, particularly the younger generation, be considered more.