Right in front of you, you’ll spot a big green tarpaulin tent set up in the middle of the square, with a police van parked nearby. This is a clear sign something serious happened here - the area is roped off and bustling with activity. To get your bearings, look for the glass-fronted shops with “New Look” on them: you’re exactly where Princesshay’s centre felt the impact of a dramatic day.
Now, let’s step back to 22 May 2008 - a sunny, ordinary day in Exeter, when lunchtime at the Giraffe café turned unforgettable. Picture yourself here, perhaps just popping in for a coffee, when suddenly--the calm is shattered by an explosion from the café toilets. At first, most people shrug it off, blaming nearby construction, but there’s a ripple of unease. Some say it sounded more like a series of pops, or even a lightbulb blowing.
Moments later, the police and ambulance services rush to the scene. They quickly realise this is no drill. The restaurant is evacuated, and the usually busy Princesshay shopping area is transformed into a scene straight out of a TV crime drama; the police stretch a cordon across the whole city centre. Buses are diverted. Shoppers are herded out, wondering what on earth has just happened to their day.
Inside, all eyes are on one man: Nicky Reilly. He’s rushed to hospital-astonishingly, the only one injured, as the home-made device explodes before he ever leaves the toilet. Meanwhile, bomb disposal teams sweep the area and find another device, which, thankfully, is made safe.
For hours, the city’s heart beats with tension as roads close and the streets stand strangely silent. People peek behind curtains, business owners wring their hands, police dogs sniff their way through the scene. After six hours, the cordon begins to lift and, slowly, Exeter starts to come back to life. The only evidence of the chaos is a lingering memory, and maybe a story or two for the next coffee break.
So, as you stand here now, imagine the drama that unfolded on what was supposed to be just another unremarkable Thursday. And take a look around - you never know what stories the modern city streets have to tell… or which lunch spots to choose for maximum excitement!
