In London

Vi, I thought of you immediately after I had posted the first message asking if any of our number were British. Your passport may not reflect it, but of course they are your countrymen.

I wanted to let you know that Lezlie’s friends were all safe. They evidently shut London down so tight and so fast that those who were not in exactly the wrong place at the wrong moment never reached the areas of horror. There were a lot of people who had to walk an incredible distance, but they managed to contain things remarkably well and evidently responded amazingly quickly. Imagine London at rush hour, however, with the tubes shut, the trains stilled and all the busses halted. I have such tremendous respect for the British in so many ways. Those thousands and thousands of people just picked themselves up and walked home.

I can’t stop weeping for them all. And for Vi. And for Bob Geldof and Bono who had so recently tried so hard to do something so good. I weep for those blazing young people Lezlie knows who move through the unsafe streets with such passion, dedication and commitment - wishing only to make the world better with art and culture; hoping for a world in which it will matter. For today, Shakespeare is safe, and all those brilliant, caring children are too.