An amateur theatre production about the aftermath of the 9/11 terror attack on New York is incorporating a special contribution from a man for Ulverston who experienced it.

Ulverston Amateur Operatic Society will this week perform a five-night run of Come From Away at the Coro.  The show tells the story of the thousands of air passengers who were unable to land in New York following the 2001 attack on the World Trade Centre and were diverted to an airstrip in the small town of Gander in Canada.

One of those passengers was Paul Glass, a civil engineer from Ulverston who at the time was making regular commutes to New York for work.

Paul said: “The flight was proceeding as usual and we were around an hour and a half from landing when suddenly the pilot made an announcement saying we were being diverted as American airspace had been closed.  Shortly after, there was another announcement informing us a plane had flown into one of the Twin Towers. I assumed it was a light aircraft accident, but the pilot came on again a short while after saying a second plane had hit the building.

“There was obviously a lot of chatter but the crew were very good and dissipated the tension and communicated with all the passengers really well. It never really occurred to me we might have terrorists onboard.”

Paul’s plane, along with around 40 others, landed at Gander a short time later and they were greeted by the Red Cross on the runway. The passengers were led to a nearby hangar which had been kitted out with beds and facilities for them and they were finally able to see for themselves the tragic events in New York via the TV in the mess hall.

“First thing I did was call home but I remember watching the TV news and shaking. It hadn’t really hit home until I saw the live images. I also hadn’t realised the towers had actually collapsed and couldn’t believe it when I saw. I was shocked,” said Paul.

Paul was one of nearly 7,000 passengers from all over the world diverted to Gander – a small Newfoundland town of only around 10,000 people.  The townsfolk opened their arms to the stranded travellers and Come From Away tells the uplifting story of how the community embraced them and did all they could to help.

“The next day a local family came around and gave us a tour of the area. They were such friendly people and so well organised.  I remember going to a local shop and when they heard I was one of the passengers, they wouldn’t let me pay for anything,” said Paul.

Paul flew back to Manchester the next day but returned to New York soon after and paid a visit to Ground Zero, the site of the former World Trade Centre which had been reduced to rubble. The company he worked for was also involved in the clean-up operation.

Paul has done a special recording of his experiences which will be played as part the UAOS production which runs from the Coro from 30 September to 4 October.  For tickets click here: Come From Away – The Coro

Pic: Paul Glass with Bob Needham from UAOS