General Chat

Dear Joy and All

Hello

Remembering all those who died and all those who continue to be affected
by the events of that day.


With deep respect
Elizabeth, EOS
xx

I was 24 at the time and will never forget this
disaster.
It was heart breaking then as it is today to remember
them.

This will bring back memories for other families. The Reporter- was it Cliff Michelmore? - announced from Aberfan that a number of scaffolders had died in an accident elsewhere in the UK.

Like Barry I was newly married in my case seven weeks and had just moved in to our first home.
Like everyone else I was completely shocked, all the more so as my Dad used to attend that school many years before. My Dad was quietly devastated.

I remember hearing the awful news that very dark morning!
We'd been married just seven months and we lived in a small flat in Donny.
I just found out about my posting date to Singers.
So, so many young lives literally swept away almost in the blink of an eye.

I do hope there is a Day of Remembrance nationally next year for the 50th Anniversary.
(Notwithstanding we 'upset' any 'new and permanent' visitors to UK shores, of course!)

Very true Joy <3 <3 <3

I can remember watching the harrowing scenes on the television along with my parents...it was the first time I had ever seen my Dad cry :-( :-(

In an hour our little man will walk through the door from School
With his sunshine smile that lights up our lives
Today has made me think

Just how lucky we are <3

I didn't go to Wales until the 1990s and I can't imagine how the valleys were with the spoil heaps in them.

It must have been a dark place then.

It certainly was that day!

I was 10.
I saw it on TV when I got home, and all over the weekend.
I really didn't want to go to school on the Monday - I was scared.

Oh my goodness, what an appalling thing that was. I can remember that I was playing with my son who was two at the time, when it was reported on the radio. I remember thinking how shocked the announcer sounded and looking at my little boy and bursting into tears.

Let us remember the children and adults of this sad day
Anthony Wayne England 8. Anthony David Hill 8.
Angela Vaughan Hopkins 7. Annette Hughes 9.
Ann Catherine Lee 8. Arthur O'brien 8. Andrew Rees 14.
Annette Smith 9. Anthony John Sullivan 10.
Avis Elizabeth Sullivan 9. Anthony Joseph Watkins 10.
Angela Williams 8.
Brian Davies 8. Brian Michael Gough 9, Barbara Eileen Minney 9
Carol Anderson 9. Carol Ann Carpenter 9. Christine George 10.
Carl Minett 7. Cheryl Mortimer 8. Christine Prosser 9. Corwyn Thomas Reakes 10. Carol Williams 8.
Dennis Arscott 8. Desmond Carpenter 10. Daphne Fudge 8.
Dwynwen Griffiths 9. David Morgan Davies 9. David Gareth Davies 10. David Trevor Davies 10. David William Williams 8.
Edwina Bartlett 9. Edwin Davies 8. Eryl Mai Jones 10.
Edward Clive Mumford 11.
Gareth Evans 3 months. Gillian Gough 8. Gillian Irene Jones 11.
Graham Williams 8.
Howell Lloyd Evans 7. Howard David Prosser 9.
Ian Dougall 9.
Jeannette Lynne Brown 10. Jennifer Haines 8. Jean Winifred Evans 10. Janet Jones 9. John Islwyn Jones 10. John Anthony King 9.
Jean Launchbury 10. Jeffrey Needs 9. Jill Elizabeth Parfitt 9. Jacqueline Powell 8. Julie Pryce 8. Julie Jeannine Regan 9.
Joseph Wilkshire 8. June Margaret Williams 10.
Kelvin David Andrew 10. Kay Bowns 10. Katherine Elizabeth Evans 3. Kevin Thomas Jones 9. Karen O'brien 8. Keith Williams 9.
Linda Anderson 10. Lynn Harding 9. Linda Hodgkinson 8.
Layton Kerrie Reakes 9. Lorraine Rosa Isabel Richards 10.
Malcolm Andrew 8. Merrill Barnard 11. Michael Collins 10.
Michael Fitzpatrick 7. Maralyn Carol Howells 9. Maureen Mary Evans 8. Mecia James 9. Michael Jones 13. Maralyn Minett 10.
Megan Owen Robbins 10. Martine Anne Short 9.
Norma Mumford 10.
Peter Collins 10. Pamela Heaman 10. Paul Davies 8. Paul Jones 9. Phillip Mumford 9. Patricia Probert 12. Paul David Roberts 10.
Peter Williams 10.
Royston Barrett 10. Robert Breeze 10. Raymond John Collins 14. Richard Philip Goldsworthy 10. Roger Dyfrig Hayes 9.
Royston Hodgkinson 9. Robert Coffey 14. Royston Carl Davies 9. Robert Orville Jones 8. Robert Garfield Jones 9.
Robert George Minney 10. Roger Colin Summers 9. Randolph Tudor 10.
Susan Mary Crotty 10. Sandra Pauline Donovan 10.
Sheila Fitzpatrick 13. Stephen Vaughan Hopkins 10.
Susan Jones 9. Sharon Lewis 9. Sandra Leyshon 9.
Susan Lewis Meredith 8. Susan Probert ?.
Sylvia Francis Richards 9.
Trevor Timothy Gray 9. Terence Malcolm Davies 10. Thomas Probert 7.
Valmai Mary Owen 8. Vincent Clark Parfitt 12. Victoria Marie Symonds 10.
Yvonne Drage 11.
Albert Mytton 64. Ann Jennings ?. Brian Harris 24.
Catherine Jones 75. Charies Thomas 60.
David Beynon 47. Evan George Carston 64. Evelyn Mary Jones 61, Frederick Hanson 78. Glenys Gabriel Jones 46. Graham Russell 26. Gwyneth Collins 34. John Morgan Evans 65. Lewis Jones 46.
Lucy May Mytton ?. Margaret Jayne Carston 61, Margareta Bates 35. Marjorie Ann Rees 22. Marjorie Christine Evans 26, Michael Davies 21, Myrtle Irene Thomas 54. Nancy Williams 44. Patricia Evans 32,
Richard Jones 48. Sidney Russell 53. Tydfil Jane Taylor 73.

a few survivors ended up in our local psychiatric hospital - some consumed with guilt because their child was safe - had the slide occurred about ten minutes earlier the classrooms would have been empty

I was 9 years old when this tragedy happened, the same age as many of the children that died that day.

I too remember watching it on the news, and being very upset.

Thinking of those lost children and their teachers today.
Also their poor families.


Always Remembered <3

We have been discussing this for a couple of weeks on our local site.

I can remember watching the news reports and unable to take it all in.

For those that don't remember it there are some very touching video reports on YouTube, please take the time to watch a couple.

Some who helped retold their stories others never mentioned their experiences ever, not even to their family.

This not a political statement but it was Tony Blair's government who cancelled the 'debt'.

you're right Sharron - money for clearing the slag heap was taken out of the donations given from all over the world

And the people of Aberfan were billed for the clearing of the spoil heaps.

Somehow, when I remember Aberfan, I remember the world being grey. I think it was because it was on the television in black and white but the grey seemed so apprpriate.

I remember, as a member of Round Table in the North East of England 50 years ago collecting on behalf of Aberfan.

In memoriam of the the one hundred forty-four dear souls lost.

and last month some local low life deliberately set fire to the chapel in Aberfan - the chapel that was used as a mortuary for the many bodies

when you drive past Aberfan on the upper road above the village you can clearly see the row or memorial arches down in the valley commemorating each life lost