The Road to Balcombe Street: The IRA Reign of Terror in London

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But if they thought charm was going to help get them what they wanted – a plane to take them to Ireland – they were mistaken. During the negotiations O’Connell let slip that the men were confined to the front living room in the Matthews’ flat.

The census collection is designed so that each group of postcodes should contain at least 100 people (50 in Scotland). The Cortina was pursued through the busy West End traffic to Gloucester Place in Marylebone. A number of shots were fired and the windscreen of the getaway car was shattered. The streets formed part of the Portman Estate. Their layout shows a social hierarchy of square, thoroughfares and side streets mirrored by a hierarchy in the design of houses, from the grand four storey buildings in Dorset Square to the rather less grand terraces and smaller houses in Balcombe Street and Gloucester Place and the significantly smaller scale of the three and two storey ‘third rate’ houses in the side streets and mews. The information on housing, people, culture, employment and education that is displayed about Balcombe Street, Westminster, London, NW1 6HH is based on the last census performed in the UK in 2021. Police appear prepared for a long siege. A large mobile headquarters has been brought in and there is an army personnel carrier in a nearby street where several diplomats are believed to live.With its classic wooden interiors and friendly staff, this pub is perfect for a casual drink after work or a relaxed evening with friends. They also serve a selection of traditional British pub food. It was during the Balcombe Street siege that fingerprints from Ireland confirmed his identity. His father, who said he had not heard from his son for two years before the siege, described him as "a nice quiet boy at home who never gave us any trouble". The four men went to 22b Balcombe Street in Marylebone, taking its two residents, middle-aged married couple John and Sheila Matthews, hostage in their front room. The men declared that they were members of the IRA and demanded a plane to fly both them and their hostages to Ireland. Scotland Yard refused, creating a six-day standoff between the men and the police. Peter Imbert, later Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police, was the chief police negotiator. [9] Max Vernon, who was later chief negotiator of the Iranian Embassy siege, was another of the police negotiators. [10] The Metropolitan Bar is a popular pub chain that offers a great selection of drinks and food at reasonable prices. The gang and their hostages were held in a single room, with no access to running water or a toilet. Although police initially refused requests for food, they did give them water and a chemical toilet.

They serve a range of cask ales, lagers, and wines, as well as a menu of classic pub grub. With its friendly atmosphere and affordable prices, the Globe is a popular spot for locals and visitors alike.By now the IRA ASU were acting as if it was the Wild West. To many people it seemed that they were able to drive round bombing and brazenly shooting at ‘ruling class’ restaurants and hotels at will. The police, however, realised there were patterns to the bombing and the bombs were being activated in the same areas of London. Under the name Operation Combo it was decided that un-armed plain-clothes police should flood Chelsea and the West End looking out for anything unusual. One reporter who was covering the events for radio was Jon Snow, now a Channel 4 newsreader. “I think we all fell victim to Balcombe Street fever,” he recalled.