I was in Brussels in a chocolate shop when a young man told us of the atrocity.
On 10^th September myself and twenty others left Scarborough on a trip to Brussels. We had a very pleasant journey. We arrived at our hotel which was quite a distance from the city centre at 10 p.m. After a nightcap we retired to bed, quite exhausted and looking forward to the highlight of our journey a trip to the European Parliament the next day.
We arrived at the E. U. at 11 a.m. and were given a tour around. Among other things we were shown into one of the many various voting chambers, it was a very impressive room. The seating was arranged in the shape of a arc. We were given a talk by Robert Goodwill M.E.P. He is responsible for employment and social affairs, environment, public health & consumer policy, agriculture & rural development, fisheries and transport for Yorkshire and the Humber area.
He told us there is a paper on the humble lawnmower, apparently a two stroke engine emits too many emissions into the atmosphere. Did you know that it is now illegal to sell runny honey as pure honey? It has now to be sold as industrial honey. The pollen, when left in the honey, causes the honey to set but when you take it out you get runny honey. The banana is the wrong shape, it's too curvy. Ideally it should be square as should the cucumber according to Brussels. Also our chocolate, it seems, does not have enough cocoa butter in it so therefore it should not be called chocolate. Cadbury's were not too happy about this so despatched a large container of Dairy Milk to the Assembly, so they could taste our chocolate before they voted. They liked the taste and voted in our favour this time.
We then went into the members restaurant for lunch. After a very enjoyable meal accompanied by Robert Goodwill M.E.P. we were joined by Edward McMillan Scott M.E.P. He apologised for not being able to meet us earlier but he was delayed on a flight from Strasbourg where he had been voting on some issue. We then made our way back to our coach for a trip into the city centre, where we did some shopping.
Ten minutes after we left the Parliament the whole building was evacuated.
At 4.30 p.m. we made our way back to our hotel, a journey that should have taken 35 minutes took us three hours. Everything was in chaos. Accidents, I have never seen so many. Roads were closed, policemen and soldiers on the streets carrying sub machine guns. Brussels was on red alert.
We left for home next morning quite numb with the shock at what we were witnessing on the television.
On a lighter note - not a fuchsia to be seen.           ANN PRESTON