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Minutes later, at 10.34am, emergency vehicles screeched in the opposite direction at lightning speed on what were now almost empty roads, taking the wounded to nearby hospitals.

At 10.42am, I saw more police vans, carrying officers in protective clothing, flashing past, making their way to Russell Square.

Ten minutes later, a convoy of ambulances rushed by me as masses of people stood in disbelief. Others, desperate to get in touch with loved ones, again tried to make contact on mobile phones.

One young woman burst into tears as the convoy passed and was comforted by her boyfriend.

Less than an hour later, I emerged from London's High Court to be greeted by the news that a bus that had travelled minutes behind me in Tavistock Square had exploded.

I buckled at the news and the stark reality that I could so easily have been caught up in the devastation hit home.

Text messages and phone calls from loved ones ensued.

"It wasn't your time, " they cried.

Desperate for news of a childhood friend who I knew worked at the National Union of Teachers headquarters in Russell Square, my family contacted her mother at St Leonard's School, in Durham.

"She is alive, crying and shocked, but okay, " she said.

After many frantic phone calls, I was put in touch with my friend.

"I survived, " she cried.

Frantic, panicked and disbelief are all words I would use to describe the day's events.

But my family, colleagues and friends watching the news on television screens, could not possibly comprehend the feeling that gripped London.

Finding refuge in a nearby bar, and eager to avoid London hotspots, others followed.

Some wept, others held their hands up in disbelief, As Tony Blair addressed the nation, the hustle and bustle of the bar fell silent "Terrorism will not win, " he said.

These feelings were echoed by many. We were glad to be alive, to still be breathing. Life had never felt so good.

My grandmother, who lives in Durham, finally got through to me on my phone after hours of trying.

"There was an angel on your shoulder today, " she sobbed.

Sadly that wasn't the case for so many people on the bus travelling just behind me.