Aberfan

Jaberwok

The terrible thing about Aberfan was that the majority of the casualties were little children, I was 23 at the time, and I simply couldn't believe what I was seeing. It was truly awful. The late Queen didn't visit for eight days because she thought that she would hinder and get in the way of the rescue operation. Unfortunately that was a mis step that she deeply regretted.

Whst made it worse was the fact that it was at the beginning of the school day, 9.15am, plus it was half-term the following week.

My thoughts go out to the survivors in the village especially one of our members on GN.

I was 9 when this tragedy happened. I remember my Mother talking about it.

I Remember Annie Bach who was there, she spoke to people and described the events in a poignant way. I hope Annie is OK

Grans may be interested in this thread from 2016, marking the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster.
Anniebach talks movingly from her personal experience.
💐

www.gransnet.com/forums/tv_radio_film_arts/1230856-Aberfan?pg=4

I vividly remember this tragedy even though I was only a a young child at the time.
It was on the tv news, and I can remember my parents and grandparents talking about it.

I think the reason it made such an impression on me was because just the previous year we had been to Wales on holiday.

I clearly remember driving through some of the Welsh mining villages and even though I was only a child at the time I do remember being shocked at the sight of all those huge black slag heaps looming over towns and villages.
It all made such a grim, bleak picture, especially as we had a lot of rain on that holiday.

Of course as we learned, a year later the villagers in Aberfan all pulled together , united in their grief.

Sixty years on, and the horror of what happened still has the power to shock even those who weren’t even born at the time.

I was 10 and in my last year at a small village primary school. We were all assembled in the hall to be told the terrible news, say prayers, and I’m sure we had a minute’s silence. It’s unimaginable still.

I remember it well. The horror was and is indescribable. The coal board were found to have been negligent ignoring warnings for years before. I presume some kind of payment was made to parents and others but to call it compensation would be ridiculous.

I was in my last year at junior school and I remember it so well. Our school had a special assembly and we were all crying it was so sad.

Its one of those traumatic events like the death of Princess Diana that we all remember where we were when we heard about it.

I remember that day so clearly. I was 20 and returned from my lunch break. My boss said there has been a terrible tragedy in Wales". I don't know how he knew because it was before the internet.

it was such a tragedy that would and could have been prevented. if you read the story you will see what a travesty the inquest was and why no one took responsibility. worse none of those people got compensation either which would have at least helped those people sort of build a life again

Just read how a father lay by his daughter while she died, crying again writing this 😢

I can't think of it, even after all this time it brings tears and the sight of those men digging the slag trying to get to there little ones.....awful.

I agree GreyKnitter, that A Terrible Kindness was a wonderful book and made me think anew about the tragedy, in respect to the logistics of managing the terrible aftermath.

I was 14 and cried a lot. So sad watching the search for all those poor little souls and the distraught parents waiting for news. Cannot imagine how they felt.

Greyknitter I was going to recommend that book to read. It is absolutely brilliant and the sheer devastation caused by the disaster is written about in such an emotive but tender way. I had never thought how embalming would be so important in a situation such as this. I shall read it again. Thanks for the reminder.

I must have been in school and saw it on the news in the afternoon. My father thought of going over to help but they said too many were going.

I was 17 at the time of Aberfan. I remember getting home from work in London to find my Mum in complete shock. She was born in the Rhondda and we (and still do) had a lot of family living there, most of them miners. She told me that one of her cousins children were caught up in this terrible tragedy. The son aged 6 died and his sister (a couple of years older) survived, but could never bear to be in a room with the door shut Horrific just thinking about it all and it brings back such sad memories.

I was 12 at the time and it was the first news item I ever remember. I guess at that age I wasn't really interested in the news on TV but it was so shocking it remains the first tragedy I remember experiencing. I still shed a tear remembering.

Estrellita

I remember that day so clearly. I was 20 and returned from my lunch break. My boss said there has been a terrible tragedy in Wales". I don't know how he knew because it was before the internet.

Presumably. he had heard it on the news on the British Home Service.

I was 7 and at school. I have a distant memory of our teacher saying a coal bing had collapsed covering the school in Aberfan, but no-one knew how many people were affected.

I knew the mining district of Fife fairly well, as my paternal grandparents lived in Pittenweem, so I had seen plenty of coal bings and was horrified at the thought of one of those sliding down over a school.

I went through a period of depression starting with the assassination of JFK ,then death of my sweet best friend,serious family illness ,then Aberfan ,then Biafra .
I felt as though my World was coming to an end .
Up until then,I thought that things like couldn't possibly happen .
But they did.
Like everyone else,I had to learn how to cope with them.
I felt that my childhood stopped aged ten.

I too am from the valleys . I was 12 years old when the tragedy happened . My uncle who was a police- man was sent to Aberfan on duty . When he came back he wouldn’t talk for days .

I was 12. I remember my mum crying and say”dear god it would’ve been half term next week too and the school empty”.

ixion

Grans may be interested in this thread from 2016, marking the 50th anniversary of the Aberfan disaster.
Anniebach talks movingly from her personal experience.
💐

www.gransnet.com/forums/tv_radio_film_arts/1230856-Aberfan?pg=4

Thank you so much for sharing this. I wasn’t a GN back then.

I’m sat in my car in a car park, waiting to collect my daughter, with tears in my eyes.

What a wonderful thread back in 2016 and how eloquently and emotionally AB spoke and how very kind to send flowers on behalf of all GNs at that time 💕 💔

Broke my heart🙏🏻