Late August 2001: My colleague at work, Laura, had been invited to her cousin’s wedding in Vancouver. She and others persuaded me to go, to have a break from difficulties at home.

She organised for us to stay at her Aunt’s house in Vancouver. All we had to do was get cheap flights to Canada.

We thought about going via New York. We really wanted to go but just didn’t have enough money. I remember being sad not to see the city and all the famous places. However, a cheap flight was flying London to St Louis USA, then across the Rocky Mountains in a smaller plane flying close to the amazing Mount Rainier. We finally landed in Vancouver after a very long trip on Monday 10th of September.

We were picked up at the Vancouver airport by her uncle and taken to his home. I received a very warm welcome from the family and the cat. Drinks and food were waiting for us. We chatted for a while but eventually went to bed to catch up with sleep. It was a pleasure to finally snuggle up in soft duvets, feeling safe and sound.

I remember dozing the next morning and then being shook awake. I struggled to remember where I was first but Laura told me to get up urgently.

“Come to the TV room, you need to see what is happening” she said.

By the time I found my way to the TV room, I had just missed a recording of the first plane crashing into the North Tower in New York That was at 0846hrs. The TV was showing re-runs and images of what was taking place. We watched CNN TV news, watching people running, smoke billowing out of the building, falling debris, terrific noises of people’s cries and emergency services. Many people in the streets in shock, with tears, covered in white dust. Voices asking what was happening. We were hooked watching it all unfold.

Laura’s aunt got me coffee and toast. I ate slowly while watching the TV. We were all in shock. Her uncle was retired but used to work for the Canadian Government in PR. He was analysing the situation, working out what the Canadian government would be doing, what and if there were potential threats to Canada. They were calling different people on the phone. Their daughter’s wedding was only a few days later. We tried dialling out on our mobiles but just got the busy signal. We tried to email on a computer but nothing worked.

The whole situation was unreal. I was sitting in a stranger’s house, thousands of miles from home, drinking coffee in my pjs and watching a scene I couldn’t have dreamt. My head was very slow to take it in, to see the bigger picture. I must admit I was grateful to be with my friend’s uncle and hear his views and to help me understand.

While sitting watching CNN, we saw the second plane crash into the South Tower of the World Trade Centre at 0903hrs.

In a daze, we watched the horrific day unfold. Parts of the buildings were weakening, falling apart. Fires, clouds of smoke and dust filled the sky, turning it into a gray blanket. It was hard to see what was going on. Then there was the realisation that people were actually jumping from the buildings to escape being killed by explosions and merciless raging fires. The news continued with reports of hijacked airplanes, crashes at the Pentagon and in Pensylvania and complete destruction of the twin towers in Manhattan.

The entire airspaces of the United States and Canada were closed. We drove to the airport and saw tail fins of many planes sprawled across the tarmac. A general call went out asking local people to open their homes to take in stranded travellers.

The wedding happened a few days later. It was a lovely event. People tried very hard to make it a happy occasion. Everyone concentrated on the event and happy couple and we did have a lovely time. I recall there was a lot of dancing to music from the film Shrek and to the Scottish band, the Proclaimers.

Generally life was in limbo, always waiting for whatever was going to happen next. We emailed friends, family and work to let them know we were safe and to find out what was going on in the UK, what did people think, how did they react. Many of our colleagues saw the news in meeting rooms in the offices.

Laura’s husband was in California and he decided to drive up to Canada to see her. Essentially to give the couple time alone, Laura’s Aunt and Uncle took me on a trip down through British Columbia, so I could meet other family members and to tour along the wine valleys. It was a bit of a boosey time, one week before the official wine festival. Good wine, good food and gorgeous views. It is a microclimate: fir trees and lakes to cacti and sand. I can remember seeing huge displays of fat orange pumpkins for sale.

My friend’s father decided that we should not fly back through America so instead he organised for us to fly home on Air Canada. At the same time, our employer, an American company, wanted us back and also looking to fly us back home. I was so glad to find people being so generous.

Eventually we returned back to the UK at the end of September. I don’t remember this event accurately but it was a most extraordinary time in my life.