44 Years Ago Today (Aberfan)
HenryGarten
Posts: 24,800 Forum Member
✭✭✭
44 years ago today was one of the most awful disasters in Uk history. It was Aberfan. It is the one disaster that makes my skin creep to this day.
How many here remember Aberfan?
I cannot really remember it on the day but I remember the aftermath, particularly the collection which was so horribly abused by the Coal Board.
See Aberfan
How many here remember Aberfan?
I cannot really remember it on the day but I remember the aftermath, particularly the collection which was so horribly abused by the Coal Board.
See Aberfan
0
Comments
I don't actually remember it - by which I mean I wasn't aware of it at the time.
But crikey - that was a dreadful terrible thing to happen
I remember the picture of the policeman carrying the child from the scene.
We should never forget them.
That is right. The mudslide rolled down a hillside and swept over a school shortly after they had started classes for the day.
Hillsborough was pretty horrific too, the images of the liverpool fans crushed against the fences
It was.http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberfan_disaster
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberfan_disaster#The_Disaster_Fund
It was almost a whole generation of children from just one village. I can't think of anything comparable apart from Dunblane.
One of my very best friends is from Aberdare the next valley over from Aberfan.
I can imagine that it must still be a huge scar on everyone in the area.
It must take generations to get over something like that.
It is hard to even begin to imagine the pain.
It was just so sad seeing the parents waiting for bodies to be recovered
I remember the stories of miners rushing from the pits to dig away at the mud.
I remember the queen visiting the site.
Likewise.
I can remember my gran telling me about how those at the rescue site were pulling their own children's bodies out of the rubble.
I remember when Dunblane happened and one of the little kids I was working with asked was it likely to happen to them, and I just said 'No,it's highly unlikely', I still don't regret that, as this kid would have lived the rest of his life in fear.
(long story but he has autism and it could easily have been something he would 'obsess over' without any valid reason).
I was the same age as the children involved and wanted to do anything I could to help. There was an appeal for things to be sent to the injured and surviving children and I remember I collected my comic collection together and me and Mum parcelled it up and sent it (there was some sort of freepost service) and off they went with a letter I'd written.
It wasn't much but I thought if they entertained just one child and took his/her mind off of things for a while, it would be worth it.
R.I.P.to all those involved.
I promise you there is no shortage of people in the South Wales area still living who knew people who were killed on that terrible day. There will still be people living with us for at least another 40 years who will have clear, first-hand memories of the disaster.
Yes it was a disaster like no other.
Guess I must be about the same age as you then. I remember our class collecting for the families involved. I never dreamed that I would find myself living in South Wales. I read recently that the largest recorded donation to the appeal fund was made by Ronnie and Reggie Kray. It really was a different world in those days.
I remember it being suggested that 2 shillings (10p) would be an appropiate donate. 2 shillings was an awful lot of money in 1966.
It was just so awful, every parent's nightmare.
Sadly since then we have also had Dunblane
R.I.P to all who passed away
It really was a very very sad time - I remember saying prayers in assembly for all concerned in the tragedy