Aberfan

[aeropilot]

Legacywr said:

I was only 4 when this happened, but, even at that age, it was very thought provoking!

Same as me, while the actual details naturally went over my head at the time at that age, I can vividly recall the news reports and the effects that it had on the country at the time, etc. Even at such a young age, that was the 3rd of 3 significant events in the space of a few months in 1966 that left their mark on me for various reasons, and probably why I can still remember a lot about '66 as a result.

[hornetrider]

Legacywr said:

I was only 4 when this happened, but, even at that age, it was very thought provoking!

My eldest daughter is 4 and after a doggy death in the family, has been told in the very basic terms about death and what it is, and whilst I'm sure she doesn't fully understand, she's ok with it.

As we live less than 20 miles from Aberfan I'm going to ask her later if they talked about it in school today.

Edit to quote properly.

Edited by hornetrider on Friday 21st October 16:50

[Pat H]

Robertj21a said:

There is an excellent article on the BBC website this morning:-

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-150d11df-c...

Worth taking the time to read, is that.

[Ganglandboss]

Mr Snrub said:

Didn't Robens go to a gala dinner even after he heard of the disaster?

He went to investiture as Chancellor of the University of Surrey that evening. He did not arrive on the scene until the following evening. It's rumoured that NCB officers covered up for him, saying he was already there directing relief work.

[spaximus]

gooner1 said:

If I've got it right, this mine wasn't closed until 1969, so presumably it carried on as a working mine.
Where on earth did the miners find the mental strength to re enter the place?
Especially on the first shift back.

Miners are tough men. They were used to death as mines regularly had to bring men out who were dead. Accidents and people dying due to conditions were a regular thing. My grandfather was a mines rescue man killed in and accident, my Dad went to work that night down the same pit.

What choice did they have but to go back to work, no money and as many knew without the pits the valley would die.

[Pat H]

spaximus said:

gooner1 said:

If I've got it right, this mine wasn't closed until 1969, so presumably it carried on as a working mine.
Where on earth did the miners find the mental strength to re enter the place?
Especially on the first shift back.

Miners are tough men.

Indeed they are. My Grandad was a coal miner. He chain smoked filterless Woodbines and died at the ripe old age of 80.


On a slightly different tack, I visited the National Slate Museum in Llanberis a couple of weeks ago.

It's free. And a good place to visit while you are waiting for your train up Snowdon.

In Victorian times, the average life expectancy of a slate miner was 37. A contemporary agricultural worker lived until he was 67.

Life was very hard indeed. And very short, too.

[Evanivitch]

gooner1 said:

If I've got it right, this mine wasn't closed until 1969, so presumably it carried on as a working mine.
Where on earth did the miners find the mental strength to re enter the place?
Especially on the first shift back.

They had little other choice. If you didn't work in the pit, you worked in the amenities for the pit workers.

[spaximus]

Pat H said:

Indeed they are. My Grandad was a coal miner. He chain smoked filterless Woodbines and died at the ripe old age of 80.


On a slightly different tack, I visited the National Slate Museum in Llanberis a couple of weeks ago.

It's free. And a good place to visit while you are waiting for your train up Snowdon.

In Victorian times, the average life expectancy of a slate miner was 37. A contemporary agricultural worker lived until he was 67.

Life was very hard indeed. And very short, too.

A good day out and also free are the two national mining museums, one is the "big pit" not for from Aberfan the other is South Yorkshire.

People find it hard to believe what they went through.

[NordicCrankShaft]

Same here. My Grand father spent a lot of time in the valley's coalmines too. Right up until they closed in fact. I remember talking about Aberfan and he'd tell me how he people came from miles and miles away to help with the rescue effort. Communities coming together in the toughest of times is what areas like that where all about.

An absolute tragedy.

[Welshbeef]

In the car this morning R4 Today programme an individual spoke he was a survivor & only 8 at the time.
He gave a very graphic account, it came so quickly a crash then darkness screaming cries then the dust settled and he could see he Coal dust glistening in the light. He was pinned in couldn't move at all and beside him was a girl from his class dead (he was there for hours). The cries and screaming got less and less as time past.

50 years on he found it exceptionally hard to tell the story.
Then he moved onto life after the story and it was very hard - the surviving kids couldn't play in the streets as it hurt the parents who'd lost so much. He even said recently he gave his mothers friend a loft in his car to the hair dresser - a normal amicable ride. Anyway she met his mother in the hair dresser and told her she hated that drive and how she wished it was roles reversed (she was sorry she felt like that but when you lose everything and someone else has a miracle instead it makes it so so so hard).

[Blue62]

I was particularly moved by the words of the families QC, who quoted Bernard Shaw at the inquest in reference to the attitude of the NCB and those people who ignored repeated warnings about the spoil heap; 'the greatest sin is not hatred, it is indifference for that is the essence of inhumanity (sic)'.

It summed up in precise and emotional terms the culpability of the NCB and its inadequate, ignorant employees and culture. None of those who were responsible lost their jobs, despite knowing that this was a disaster waiting to happen and while I sometimes struggle with the modern day attitude to compensation and 'elf and safety gone mad', it is surely a natural (and necessary) reaction to the negligent, blameless actions of corporations (the NCB, Union Carbide etc) of the past.

[MG CHRIS]

My father as a kid lived and went to school pretty close to aberfan in fact a few of his cousin's went to school in aberfan. He remembers that winter being terriable weather wise wet throughout the months leading to the event. He could even hear the slag heap slide down the mountain at the time.

Very lucky that nobody from his/my family lost their lives but they knew loads of familes that did and friends as well. Truly horrific set of events and a community that hasn't really recovered to this day.

Was listening to the local radio station in work talking about it with survivers of the event was truly heart breaking and the whole garage just went dead silent at the minute silence in the morning. I live about 20 miles from aberfan and never been to the memorial park think I will make a visit up there on the weekend.

[danllama]

I'm 29 yet somehow this is the first I've heard of this tragedy (and I don't use that word lightly, it grates me how easily its tagged in to any event these days). This is a true and heartbreaking tragedy. I can't imagine what those poor children went through. Was there ever a greater injustice?

[hornetrider]

danllama said:

Was there ever a greater injustice?

I don't know. However what strikes me as particularly cruel is the timing of it. Half hour before, noone at school. Three hours later, noone at the school. Just awful.

I heard a quote today from someone who visited the graves. The engraving on one headstone reads (sic) 'One day God decided to go out picking flowers, and on this day he picked two of ours'.

I can't even imagine the grief.

Documentary on BBC 1 now (9pm).

[gooner1]

I think my post has possibly been misinterpreted, which is down to me asking what is basically a
rhetorical question.
I of course know how strong Miners are and why they went down this particular pit after the disgraceful and avoidable event.
My inner thoughts were how these men gathered themselves mentally to return.

Apologys if I seemed blasé about this subject,I am anything but.

[danllama]

hornetrider said:

I don't know. However what strikes me as particularly cruel is the timing of it. Half hour before, noone at school. Three hours later, noone at the school. Just awful.

It's a sickening thought. I'm sure we all remember the excitement of the day before half terms.

[Trabi601]

We live less than 10 miles from Aberfan. It has always been something remembered in the area - first heard of it when I was at University over 20 years ago - probably the 25th anniversary when I hadn't lived in Wales for long.

Been past the gardens many times, but never stopped and really thought about it - thing is, it kind of blends into the Valleys scenery, as there are many similar breaks in houses with gardens etc. Next time I'm passing I'll be sure to stop and pay my respects.

What amazes me is there are still tens of dozens of slag heaps precariously perched on hilltops around here - I can see a couple from my office window when working from home - and can see a couple from the drive when I'm washing the car, on the other side of the house. I'm sure they're now safe, but when you're walking in the hills, it gives you a great level of respect for being aware of their relative instability.

[Robertj21a]

For some reason that I've never fully understood I have gone out of my way, on two occasions, to visit the Aberfan cemetery. I have no connection whatsoever with the area, or indeed any part of Wales - I live 100 miles away. To me, the whole event still seems as raw as it ever did, not helped at all by the atrocious attitude of the NCB, and Robens in particular.

The Tribunal of Inquiry is referred to at https://www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/politics/aberfan/tri...

[TheSnitch]

aeropilot said:

Legacywr said:

I was only 4 when this happened, but, even at that age, it was very thought provoking!

Same as me, while the actual details naturally went over my head at the time at that age, I can vividly recall the news reports and the effects that it had on the country at the time, etc. Even at such a young age, that was the 3rd of 3 significant events in the space of a few months in 1966 that left their mark on me for various reasons, and probably why I can still remember a lot about '66 as a result.

Same here. It's the first news event I can clearly recall, and as others have said more than anything I remember the effect on my parents who were terribly distressed. I don't know how a community ever really recovers from such a tragedy and I have nothing but admiration for the people of Aberfan and their strength and fortitude.

[Robertj21a]

Robertj21a said:

For some reason that I've never fully understood I have gone out of my way, on two occasions, to visit the Aberfan cemetery. I have no connection whatsoever with the area, or indeed any part of Wales - I live 100 miles away. To me, the whole event still seems as raw as it ever did, not helped at all by the atrocious attitude of the NCB, and Robens in particular.

The Tribunal of Inquiry is referred to at https://www.nuffield.ox.ac.uk/politics/aberfan/tri...

.

Just noticed this amongst the Tribunal papers, specifically mentioning the school - note the date, 1963 - 3 years before the tragedy.
.

.
.
Mr. D. Roberts,
Area Chief Mechanical Engineer, National Coal Board,
ABERAMAN, Aberdare
20th August 1963

Dear Sir,

Danger from Coal Slurry being tipped at the rear of the Pantglas Schools

In connection with the above my Public Works Superintendent has been in touch with Mr. Wynne, Manager at the Merthyr Vale Colliery in connection with the deposit of slurry on the existing tip at the rear of the Pantglas Schools.

I am very apprehensive about this matter and this apprehension is also in the minds of the local Councillors and the residents in this area as they have previously experienced, during periods of heavy rain, the movement of the slurry to the danger and detriment of people and property adjoining the site of the tips.

I understand that Mr. Wynne has told my Superintendent that the slurry is 40% dewatered before being tipped but he agrees of course, that this would not be a solution to the movement of the slurry in the winter time due to the absorption of storm water.

You are no doubt well aware that the tips at Merthyr Vale tower above the Pantglas Area and if they were to move a very serious position would accrue.

I should like your observations upon this as soon as possible.

Yours faithfully

D.C.W. Jones

Borough and Waterworks Engineer