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Siblings return to Manchester Arena six months after attack horror for Little Mix gig

They showed real bravery

Most people who were witness to a horrifying terrorist attack would be forgiven for never returning to the scene again.

But that attitude isn’t the way Max Trobe, 18, and his sister Martha, 10, approach things.

Six months after being in the crowd that witnessed a shocking terrorist attack at an Ariana Grande concert, Max and Martha faced their fears and returned to the Manchester Arena last night to see a gig by Little Mix.

And Max’s tweet from their seats has gone viral, with hundreds of well-wishers flooding in to commend the pair.

The siblings from Darwen, Lancashire, were among thousands affected by the terror attack in May that left 22 dead.

But returning to the scene of the horror, Max’s tweet read: “Tonight I brought my sister back to the Manchester Arena for the first time since the Ariana Grande concert, and thanks to Little Mix bad memories were replaced with great ones.”

Max told the BBC: “I wasn’t going to go, but then I thought: ‘I will not let the senseless actions of one individual ruin my enjoyment, why should I?

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“My sister’s still very naive to the situation, she fell straight asleep on the night of the attack because she thought it was a balloon, but to me, going back was a big deal and a tough decision.

“She really wanted to go, and I thought, if Martha can do it, I can do it.”

Little Mix also tweeted a message of support on the night of the concert, highlighting signs that read: “For our 22 angels we miss you.”

Max and Martha aren’t the only ones trying to stay positive six months after the attack.

Charlotte Campbell, the mother of 16-year-old Olivia who was killed in the bombing, is set to marry her fiancé Paul Hodgson this weekend – just days before what would have been Olivia’s 16th birthday.

Visiting Good Morning Britain this week, Charlotte said: “Every day is a different day. We get through with a lot of joy, with memories of Olivia and keep going. We have to.”

She said: “We chose this day because it is the nearest Saturday to her 16th birthday, so it’s going to be a party for her as well.”

And her husband-to-be Paul also revealed some more details of the wedding day, saying: “We’re going to have [a recording of] John Legend’s ‘All of Me’ actually sung by Olivia.

“It will be highly emotional but we can’t think of a better way, she would have sung it for us anyway.”

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“Olivia will always be with us. That’s why the wedding’s been planned, it’s keeping us going.”


Nancy Brown
Associate Editor

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