'My sister died in the pub bombings - not a day goes by where I don't think about her'

"Not a day goes by where I don't think about her". It's been 50 years since Julie Hambleton lost her sister Maxine in the Birmingham pub bombings - yet for many of the victims' families, time is no healer.

Maxine Hambleton was one of 21 people who died when two bombs exploded at pubs in the city centre on November 21, 1974. It remains the biggest unsolved mass murder on English soil in the 20th century.

Julie, who was 11 when Maxine was killed, is one of many relatives who will be reflecting on the 50th anniversary of the pub bombings this week at a memorial service in the city centre. Ahead of the anniversary, Julie Hambleton - founder of the Justice 4 the 21 campaign group - spoke to BirminghamLive about the lasting impact of the pub bombings on her life and family.

READ MORE: Why we must never forget about the Birmingham Pub Bombings victims

The IRA terror attacks on the Mulberry Bush and the Tavern in the Town left 21 innocent civilians dead and 182 people injured. 18-year-old Maxine Hambleton was killed shortly after entering the Tavern in the Town pub, and was reportedly standing close to the bomb when it detonated.

"You reflect on it every single day," Julie told BirminghamLive, "the memorial just brings it more to the fore. I don't remember the next two years after Maxine was killed, but there's not a day that goes by where you don't think of her - everyday is important and poignant."

Even after all these years, many families of the pub bombings victims still find it too challenging to speak about the tragedy. "From an emotional and psychological perspective the anniversary will be a challenging day for everybody," Julie added.

"A lot of people still can't face it. It's just too much to bear. I couldn't sleep for a week when the Manchester Arena bombing happened, because it just brought it all back."

The Birmingham Pub bombings.

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Julie touched on the long-lasting impact of Maxine's death on both herself and her mother, who identified Maxine's body after the devastating blast. She said: "It's only after campaigning for such a long time that I realised why I never had children.

"I love kids, and there was a time I would've loved to have children of my own, but in my subconscious I chose not to because the thought of losing that child - like my mother did - would have finished me off. I don't know how any parent who loses a child in those sorts of circumstances can carry on.

"Having lost Maxine, I don't ever want to risk losing someone so close to me like that again."

Julie Hambleton has been at the forefront of the fight for a public inquiry into the 1974 bombings. No one has ever been brought to justice for the attacks, with families accusing successive British governments of a large-scale 'cover up.'

With families still left with no justice five decades on, they say an inquiry is needed to finally provide answers, but also to ensure the same "could not happen again." Julie hopes the 50th anniversary of the bombings will be a chance to educate the next generation on what happened that fateful night.

"People need to be made aware of what happened in our city 50 years ago," she said. "Birmingham is the youngest city in Europe - and its population has changed so much over the years - so there will be a lot of people out there who won't have a clue what happened that day."