East Midlanders with flights grounded in Canada due to 9/11 asked to contribute to Nottingham musical presentation

A Nottingham based operatic group has issued an appeal to East Midlanders who had flights grounded in Canada due to the effects of 9/11 to get in touch.

Whilst the horrors were unfolding in the US, 7,000 airline passengers were stranded in the small town of Gander, Newfoundland on September 11th 2001.  As airspace closed, this remote community opened its homes, offering food, shelter, and kindness to strangers from around the World.

Members of The Carlton Operatic Society know that people from our region were in American airspace as the terrorist attacks happened, and are keen to hear from those people once they landed in Canada, particularly on how locals looked after them, and whether friendships were made for life, or they unexpectedly found love.

The appeal comes ahead of the staging of a musical entitled 'Come From Away' at the Theatre Royal in Nottingham in May 2026 (26th-30th), the year which will mark the 25th anniversary.

Celine is spokesperson for the Operatic Society. She said: "We want to show how the threads of that day spread across the world, right through to the East Midlands.  We would like to highlight how close to home this was, and collect real stories from the people of the region."

To contribute, visit www.carltonoperatic.com.