PHYLLIS Astarita didn't see the helicopter fall from the sky, but she heard a dull thud as it crashed on to the Clutha.

Phyllis is the manager of Al Dente, a family-owned Italian restaurant in Stockwell Street that sits diagonally across from the stricken pub.

She and her team had finished a quiet night and were heading home.

She said: "We had closed up for the evening. The boys had left and I was getting changed at the back.

"When I heard the noise I went out to have a look and all hell had broken loose."

At first they thought an explosion had occurred inside the bar. But then people began talking about seeing a helicopter. It was the police helicopter which crashed on to the packed bar, claiming 10 lives.

She said: "Suddenly there were fire engines everywhere.

"It seemed as though there was no gap between the incident happening and the emergency services arriving.

"They were just there and people were saying there was a helicopter in the pub. No one knew if it was going to explode."

Being unable to help or get back through the cordon to Al Dente, Phyllis headed home where she watched the drama unfold on the news channels.

Friends and family were inundating her with text messages and calls to find out if she was alright.

The next morning she returned to Stockwell Street. She added: "It was pretty obvious we couldn't do much so we remained closed throughout the weekend."

On the Monday, the restaurant decided to open up during the day to the assembled press.

Television crews and journalists from across the UK were gathered on Stockwell Street for the first week following the disaster.

Phyllis added: "It was quite odd. We had a lot of reporters and photograph-ers in all week on their laptops. It was useful for those who were working down here. It's hard to think it was a full year ago now."

CHARLENE Kennedy thought her staff were winding her up when they texted to say a helicopter had hit the Clutha.

The general manager of the Holiday Inn on Stockwell Street couldn't quite believe what she was being told.

She said: "At first the staff texted me and I thought they were joking as the tone was just so straightforward, the text started, 'Just to let you know...'

"I thought they were taking the mick until I called and I could hear the hysteria in the background.

"I was back to work in 20 minutes but couldn't get anywhere near the building and they wouldn't let staff through immediately after - it was in complete lock down.

"Once I explained who I was and showed my ID the police eventually let me in.

"There were only two people on night shift but the accident was just as the shift change-over happened and there was no question of anyone going home, they all wanted to stay and help."

Charlene and her team of six had a full hotel of 300 guests to deal with but they were also the main muster point for casualties, emergency services - and families desperate for news.

She added: "It was emotionally hard for us. We had family members in here waiting for news of their loved ones and waiting while the bodies were brought out.

"We made them cups of tea and listened to them, it was hard not to cry with them. There were a few arguments with the emergency services as families were becoming anxious from the wait.

"We went through the full range of emotions with them."

Charlene had been working at the Holiday Inn Glasgow Airport during the 2007 terrorist attack.

Following the incident, Glasgow City Council gave crisis training courses for workers across the city and, fortunately, Charlene had taken part.

All the skills she learned came into play.

She said: "On the night, we had around 100 people at any one time in the reception area.

"There were walking wounded as well as emergency workers and the families. We made hot drinks and laid out food for them, provided blankets.

"It was pretty busy.

"A lot of our staff are local, they come from the Gorbals and surrounding areas so it was personal for them.

"The week following we were the focus for people laying down flowers, there were hundreds of flowers outside.

"So there was no space to get away from what had happened, even for a minute, because when you looked out the window, there was the reminder."

Charlene's team were rewarded last week for their efforts by hotel owners IHG Group at a ceremony in Athens.

They also met Prince Charles when he came to see the floral tributes in the week following the disaster.

Charlene added: "We have had a lot of thank you letters from people from around the world remarking on what we did that night and that week.

"Workers said it was important just to have some space to come for five minutes and take stock.

"We really don't feel that we did anything special that night."

catriona.stewart@ eveningtimes.co.uk