Aberfan,, 50 years ago

[Hobbit]

I was just a few days short of 8 years old when the Aberfan disaster occurred. Although I remember the news on the TV its enormity didn't register a great deal. But what did make me take note was the hug from my mum and the feel of her tears on my cheek.

144 people died, of which 116 of them were children.

It was avoidable, and the back story surrounding it would make your blood boil. But today it's about remembering those lost and those still carrying the hurt.

Aberfan, not forgotten.

 

[Crow]

I was 6 and also didn't really understand the enormity.

I remember collecting stuff to sell on the high street of the village with my brother and friends to raise money for the appeal. What we collected was probably a load of tat but people still bought it.
Only raised a pittance but people across the country were doing similar so it all added up. There was a column in the local paper listing each donation made and who by, it ran for weeks and weeks.

I'm sure that at the time, in my 6 year old world, getting my name in the paper was more significant than the disaster but it has since meant that I've always felt a connection to those involved in this terrible tragedy.

 

[Spear-Chucker]

Happened a while before I turned up in the world but was something my father mentioned to me during childhood in quite emotional terms which he NEVER did. Very moving, well written and superbly photographed piece on the BBC website, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-150d11df-c541-44a9-9332-560a19828c47. Took me longer than anticipated to read it.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

Saw a man interviewed this morning. He was in the school, 6yrs old. His teacher smashed a window for him and others to get out and told them to run home. He got home and his mum told him off for leaving school early and playing in the coal, he was black from the dust. The bloke spoke brilliantly about the impact on everyone, very moving.

A couple of days ago I also heard a retired Labour mp from the area talking about the report on the disaster and how appalling the coal board were and how badly the survivors were dealt with by Whitehall. Scandalous. The report was hugely damning, no punches pulled.

Aberfan, Lockerbie, Dunblane, all names of towns and villages that send a shiver down your back even if you weren't old enough to have known the incidents at the time.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

I was just a few days short of 8 years old when the Aberfan disaster occurred. Although I remember the news on the TV its enormity didn't register a great deal. But what did make me take note was the hug from my mum and the feel of her tears on my cheek.

144 people died, of which 116 of them were children.

It was avoidable, and the back story surrounding it would make your blood boil. But today it's about remembering those lost and those still carrying the hurt.

Aberfan, not forgotten.

I was two months past my 8th birthday...and I remember it being on the news - the horror - and thinking that the children would be just like me. I recall very vaguely the assassination of JFK; and with more clarity the death of Churchill - but these were distant people. Aberfan struck home, and the memory of it is still there.

Aberfan - I too will never forget.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Been some wonderfully moving programmes on BBC this week. Very sad that it happened and was preventable

 

[HomerJSimpson]

Cracking programme currently on BBC4 - part docu drama, part real life reminiscences from the survivors. Well worth seeing on catch up.

 

[chrisd]

I was 13 and (obviously) at school and remember it so so well, it was probably the first disaster I remember and I was shocked then and recalling it, and the appalling treatment from the Coal Board, rekindled that

 

[SammmeBee]

What happened?

 

[Smiffy]

I was 13 and (obviously) at school and remember it so so well, it was probably the first disaster I remember and I was shocked then and recalling it, and the appalling treatment from the Coal Board, rekindled that

The way the NCB behaved at the time was despicable.
And whoever's idea it was to take £150k out of the appeal fund to help pay for the slagheaps to be removed should have been put up against a wall and shot.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

What happened?

Best you just have a look on-line for the full horror of the disaster and corporate negligence and failure to admit culpability afterwards. Suffice to say that 116 children and 28 adults died as massive coals bings swamp a village school and neighbouring buildings.

 

[MegaSteve]

This....

I was 13 and (obviously) at school and remember it so so well, it was probably the first disaster I remember and I was shocked then and recalling it, and the appalling treatment from the Coal Board, rekindled that

And, this...

The way the NCB behaved at the time was despicable.
And whoever's idea it was to take £150k out of the appeal fund to help pay for the slagheaps to be removed should have been put up against a wall and shot.

 

[shewy]

Quite raw round these parts still after all this time, lots of people helped with the relief effort and all say they saw things no young person should ever see.