#Lockerbie

[firthbetterorfirthworse]

Colin Firth's last few roles have been of a man in his 60s.

Since he is, in truth, in his 60s, I assumed this was fairly close to how he looks now.

So imagine my surprise when I went to watch interviews about Lockerbie and

are you kidding me sir

are you ever going to look your age

[enriquemzn262]

A horrible fact I wish I didn’t knew is how the remains of Pan Am flight 103, a Boeing 747 destroyed in a terrorist attack over the skies of Lockerbie, Scotland, on the 21 of December 1988, the worst terrorist attack in British history, lay abandoned in a scrapyard next to a go-kart racetrack, because apparently it’s still considered an ongoing investigation, so they cannot be destroyed.

259 souls were onboard that plane, none of them survived, yet somehow the plane’s remains still exist, basically as trash, 35 years after the fact.

It just feels so wrong…

[killieweegie]

In memory of Pan Am Flight 103. 36 years since 270 souls lost their lives over and on the ground in Lockerbie, Scotland. ❤️

[dekaohtoura]

[weaversweek]

35 "Indestructible" - Four Tops and Smokey Robinson

written by Michael Price and Bobby Sandstrom

Top of the Pops saved their lives.

Part of the UncoolTwo50 project, marking the best singles from 1977-99.

The Four Tops enjoyed a career swansong in late 1988; they'd recorded the classic throwback "Loco in Acapulco" for the movie Buster, and were promoting their song in London. The week before Christmas, they perform the song on Top of the Pops.

Producer Paul Ciani had put together an episode marking TOTP's 25th anniversary, with some of the massive hits of the quarter-century. One of them: "Reach out, I'll be there". Recording was a bit of a mess, and the band missed their booked flight to New York. This turned out to be a blessing in disguise; the plane was blown up over Lockerbie, all on board died.

"Loco in Acapulco" was also on the group's album, and the title track is amongst their best. The song "Indestructible" felt like it had fallen through a timewarp from twenty years earlier: Levi Stubbs still had those awesome soul vocals, augmented by Smokey Robinson. Two Motown legends for the price of one? We're buying, what's the price!

The rest of the album is patchy by the group's high standards, though we suspect Alexander O'Neal would have gladly made this LP. Sadly, the single didn't give the group a return to Top of the Pops, just missing the top 20, and they'd not have another big hit here. But for these four minutes, we can remember glories past, and consider those yet to arrive.

Other soul tunes in my UncoolTwo50 shortlist: "Say I'm your number one" by Princess, Macy Gray's "I try", Soul II Soul's "Back to life", and Ten City's "That's the way love is".

[saleintothe90s]

492. Ed's Party in Lockerbie (June 2, 1989)

Sometimes kids have ideas, and they should just stay ideas, you know? Sometimes we shouldn't listen to the kids--but Pan American Airlines did.

Shortly after the December 21st, 1988 bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, 14 year old Ed Blaus of New Jersey sent a request to Pan Am to send the children of Lockerbie Christmas presents. Seems weird that a 14 year old would ask an airline to do this, but ok. A small child, maybe, but a fourteen year old?

I'm sure he meant something like a gift drive for the kids in town who lost everything that Christmas. Pan Am would give presents to the kids that following Christmas, right?

No, there was going to be a party for all of Lockerbie, and boy when the victims families found out, they were pissed and were assaulting the airline in the press:

Susan Cohen, of Port Jarvis, N.Y., who lost her 20-year-old daughter Theodora in the bombing, said the party was 'tasteless' and charged it was a publicty stunt by Pan Am 'to polish their tarnished image.'

'We're appalled by it,' Theodora Cohen's father Dan Cohen said of the party. 'Right now the rock band should be playing on the soccer field about a block and a half from where 75 bodies were found -- which is obscene. They should end their mourning but this is ridiculous.' 3

[...]

"I'm outraged," said a tearful Florence Bissett, whose 21-year-old son, Kenneth, was killed in the bombing. "How can they do something like that - picnic where bodies were found?"

Susan Cohen of Port Jervis, N.Y., said, "We feel Pan Am should be putting its money into security, not parties."

Joe Horgan of West Point, Pa., a member of the Victims of Pan Am 103 group, was quoted by the Dumfries and Galloway Standard as saying, "It is good for them to have a party, but Pan Am's involvement is despicable. We see this purely as a public relations exercise on their part." 4

"Having this picnic is cruel . . ." said Lynne Fraidowitz of Staten Island, whose 20-year-old son, Daniel Rosenthal, was killed. "It would have been easier on me if they had just ripped my heart out." 5

From what I've read in the scant articles I've found, Pan Am played a "he said, she said" with Ed and his idea. In one article, the airline stated that Ed conceived and raised money for the party, but also wrote the airline for help. The airline stated that they simply flew Ed and his family to Scotland. 1 However, a resident of Lockerbie said that PanAm had the idea of a "Summer Christmas", but townspeople suggested it be a party instead.2 Originally, Disney was going to send some costumed characters to Scotland, but due to outrage from the families, this was redacted. Hebrew National who was to supply food for the party also backed out. 3 

(Business Insider)

While families picketed outside of the PanAm headquarters in New York City, in Scotland the party went on with a concerts, bagpipes and food. 2 A football coach from Syracuse University (which lost 37 students in the bombing) came to give kids football lessons, which was a peculiar choice. Apparently there was no representation from Pan Am at the actual party.3

I found a Facebook post from the Annandale Herald and Moffat News on the 30th anniversary of the party. Most partygoers who were probably kids at the time, mostly remembered eating pizza.

Kinsey Wilson. 1989. "Kin of Jet Crash Victims Assail Plans for Party in Lockerbie: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]." Newsday, May 21, 38. 

Daily Press. “Reaction to Lockerbie Party Mixed.” June 4, 1989.

Deseret News. “CONTROVERSY DIDN’T DASH LOCKERBIE BASH,” June 4, 1989. https://www.deseret.com/1989/6/4/18809762/controversy-didn-t-dash-lockerbie-bash.

"Lockerbie Party Outrages Bereaved: [Final Edition]." Edmonton Journal, Jun 04, 1989.

Joseph W. Queen. "Party in Lockerbie, Outrage in NY: [NASSAU AND SUFFOLK Edition]." Newsday, Jun 04, 1989, Combined editions.

[afrotumble]

How Freddie McGregor Saved Sly & Robbie, Maxi Priest & Others From Locke...

[firthbetterorfirthworse]

I was so ready to watch Lockerbie today

but I don't have my partner's most recent password and he's not able to get it to me currently because he actually does like, real work during work

So now I'm just sitting here like

[apunctureinthesky]

Sam Troughton as Murray Guthrie and Colin Firth as Dr. Jim Swire in Lockerbie: A Search for Truth (2025) dir. Otto Bathurst

[dekaohtoura]

[oconnormusicstudio]

Under His Wings

Pan Am Flight 103 Memorial Cairn On December 21 at 1:30PM, the Pender UMC Choir traditionally sang for the Pan Am Flight 103 (Lockerbie) Memorial Service at Arlington National Cemetery. One of the songs we sang at this service – “Under His Wings” – was composed in memory of the victims.  It can be heard in the videos below. On June 20, 2022, a Memorial Concert was held for long-time choir member,…

[uinterview]

Full Story: https://uinterview.com/news/colin-firth-prepares-for-scene-amid-staged-wreckage-of-pan-am-flight-103-in-scotland/

Set dressers organized the scene by setting props in a field for a TV drama about the aftermath of the bombing in Lockerbie starring Colin Firth in Bathgate, Scotland, last week. 

[cebozcom]

„Lockerbie“: Neue Netflix-Serie mit „Suits“-Star Patrick J. Adams und Merritt Wever | CeBoz.com

Die BBC und Netflix arbeiten an der Serie „Lockerbie“, die auf realen Ereignissen basiert. Mit dabei sind unter anderem „Suits“-Star Patrick J. Adams und Merritt Wever.