55 years ago today....

[Furryanimal]

TODAY marks 55 years since the Aberfan disaster.
At 9.15am this morning, Wales will fall silent to remember those who lost their lives in the disaster.
Disaster struck the South Wales village on October 21 1966.
More than 150,000 tonnes of coal waste, loosened by persistent rain, slid down a hillside, killing 116 children and 28 adults.
Pit villages in South Wales were all too familiar with the danger that mining brought. Until the Aberfan disaster, it was the men underground who faced this peril.

October 21, 1966, saw the youngest and most vulnerable pay the highest price for the coal hewn from the ground.
In more recent times, the events of October 21, 1966 were played out in a poignant, moving episode of popular Netflix show The Crown.

 

[hollydolly]

yes I remember it well, I was the same age as some of the children who died. It was a terrible tragedy.. and at the time I believe the worst peace time tragedy in Britain.

 

[Aunt Bea]

 

[timoc]

All people over a certain age in the UK will remember this terrible, terrible disaster, to me it seemed like yesterday. I'd just come home from work and it was all over the TV and radio news, my Gran was sobbing her heart out.

 

[Furryanimal]

All people over a certain age in the UK will remember this terrible, terrible disaster, to me it seemed like yesterday. I'd just come home from work and it was all over the TV and radio news, my Gran was sobbing her heart out.

Yes...I was in school that day and although news travelled slower in those days I remember our teacher -who I worked with many years later-being somewhat subdued after morning break.
I have seen the cemetery.

 

[Pepper]

A few years after the tragedy, I went to the site with my parents. We ate in a very fancy type, at least for us Americans (table had real cloth napkins). Our server was a young boy, so he must have been related to the owners. I remember thinking how this child must be so cherished as one of the few young people to carry on. I also remember I had roast beef & yorkshire pudding. It was delicious.

So much sadness in the atmosphere, so heavy on hearts.

 

[feywon]

Tho American, i remember that. That was one of the most hectic years of my life but i read newspapers daily and when available listened to news on radio or watched on TV in those days. i'd turned 20 just 3 months before. James Baldwin was right that we pay more attention to news from any place we have a 'connection' to in some way (know someone there, our grandparents immigrated from there) having a Welsh Grandfather (whom i sadly never met) the story caught my attention.