WELL-KNOWN Peters-field author David Jeffery had a miraculous escape when the terrorist bomb exploded on the bus just 10 yards from him as he walked towards London's Tavistock Square. As he fled from the explosion in terror, Mr Jeffery did not realise he had been hit by flying glass and was bleeding heavily. His first thought was for his daughter, whom he had left minutes earlier when she headed for a teacher's conference in Russell Square. Unsteady on his feet, deafened by the blast and in deep shock, it was only when he tried to use his mobile to reach her that he realised he was covered in blood. This week, he paid tribute to a member of the public who came to his aid in Tavistock Square and helped reunite him with his daughter. Mr Jeffery was in London for two days, staying with his daughter Anna-Louise in north London while he carried out research for his new book, Post-War Petersfield. "We came down into Euston together on the Victoria line because she was going to a teacher's conference in Russell Square and I was going to the British Library, Colindale, to research," he told The Herald. "When we got off the train there was an announcement that Kings Cross was closed because of a power surge. Then they said they were evacuating Euston. "Everyone was very British and queued up patiently. It took about 20 minutes to get out because there were so many people deep down in the tube station." "When we got outside the street was packed with people because it had also been announced that the whole transport network had been shut down." Mr Jeffery, who knows London well, guided his daughter down a side street which he told her would take her directly to Russell Square for her conference. "We said goodbye and as I knew I could no longer get to Colindale I decided to go home to Petersfield and started to walk to Waterloo. I went down Upper Woburn Place, which leads to Tavistock Square." Mr Jeffery was walking down the pavement on the other side of the road from a number 30 bus which was travelling in the same direction as him and immediately beside him. It was only 10 yards away. "Suddenly I heard a double bang; the first must have been the bomb exploding and the second was the noise of the windows blowing out. "I turned and saw a huge cloud of glass heading towards me. I headed away, running down a side street opposite where the bus was, as fast as I could." When he was some distance away, he turned and saw a man lying on the ground, whom he believed was dead. "The bomb had gone off at the back of the bus and the whole of the back, as well as the roof, had blown off. "I had a fleeting glimpse of a man standing at the top of the bus, but I couldn't see how many could have survived at the top. "I headed into Tavistock Square, disorientated and dripping blood, it seemed to be coming from my ear, but I was more concerned about my daughter." By this time the mobile network was down, and with mounting fear Mr Jeffery staggered into Tavistock Square, where he found several tree surgeons at work. "I was a bit tottery by now and shocked. I said 'please stay with me, I have got to find my daughter'" "One of the men kindly took me to the Tavistock Hotel, where they listed the nearby hotels until I recognised The Imperial as being the one where Anna-Louise had gone." It was 200 yards away, and the tree surgeon guided Mr Jeffery until they reached The Imperial. "By this time there were people everywhere, sirens blaring and ambulances rushing to the scene. "Police were telling people to get back and they were taping off the road," he said. Hotel staff found Mr Jeffery's daughter. "There were tears all round and we hugged. "A first aider patched my ear and Anna-Louise and I contacted my wife Irene, who is a teacher at St Margaret's in Midhurst." Together, father and daughter were put into a taxi and taken to St Thomas' Hospital, where Mr Jeffery was one of the first bomb victims to be treated. "The taxi driver refused to take a fare when he dropped us. Everyone was very kind. I was taken in and had 10 stitches in my ear, which had been lacerated. I was also deaf from the blast and the blood which filled my ear." Later the two were put in a taxi and brought home to Petersfield. Still deeply shocked four days later, Mr Jeffery spoke at his Petersfield home this week. "I think my first reaction was that I could not believe I had survived. "It could have been so much worse for me. My daughter and I could easily have been on the top deck of that bus. "We could have walked down that road together. The fact that I sent her along a side road could have saved her. "I have never heard a blast like that bomb. I was very shaky and I have now been four days at home and every time I try to do something I get exhausted. "I have had a very narrow escape, but I keep thinking of the people in the tunnel."
