THE BUSTLE of Okehampton town Ccntre came to a halt on Friday at 11am when a three-minute silence as a mark of respect to all the victims of the terrorist attacks in America was observed.
Just like every other town and village in the area, people paused from their busy lives to remember the thousands of people who died in the tragedy last Tuesday when hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Centre in New York and the Pentagon in Washington.
South West Highways, which is carrying out roadworks in Fore Street, turned off its machinery and all traffic stopped. People gathered outside St James' Chapel in the town centre, which has been the focus of residents' grief and where bouquets of flowers have been laid.
In Hatherleigh, children congregated in the school playground to observe the silence and letters of sympathy have been sent to America from Hatherleigh Town Council and the local clergy.
Fire brigades in Okehampton, Chagford, North Tawton and Moretonhampstead are collecting funds for the families of firefighters and other emergency service heroes who also died in the disaster — believed to be around 300.
Station commander at Chagford Iain Rice said there was a flippant description of firefighters which described them as 'the idiots who run in the opposite direction to all sensible people'.
'Never has the stark reality behind this trite but truthful remark been more vividly demonstrated than by the terrible events last week which showed the most despicable and the most uplifting sides of the human spirit,' he said.
'It is a sobering thought that in a few horrifying moments the New York disaster killed more firefighters than did the whole of the London Blitz in world war two.'
Chagford firefighters will be collecting for the New York 9-11 Disaster Fund around the town over the weekend.