Aberfan: 50 years on

[Tetchytyke]

50 years ago today, a slag heap in Aberfan collapsed into the village school, killing 116 schoolchildren and 28 adults, including their teachers. The National Coal Board knew it was dangerous and did nothing, acting with extreme callousness afterwards. The disaster fund- set up for the victims- was raided by the government to pay for the removal of the dangerous slag heaps. This money was only returned by the Welsh Assembly fifteen years ago.

Two things today have really made me think about this.

Firstly, John Humphrys' message on Radio 4 Today, saying that the children were betrayed and we owe it to their memory to always challenge authority.

https://twitter.com/BBCr4today/status/789348016234893312

And secondly, the stories from the survivors about that awful day 50 years ago:

http://aberfan.walesonline.co.uk/

It was long before I was born, but it's good to remember the people of Aberfan today.

 

[ChiefPlanner]

Thank you for putting this on.

Being West Wales born with a father in a supervisory role in the coal industry - there is a connection.

I have just had a reflecting hour on this in memory of that community and the response of supporters and especially those who assisted.

Not forgotten.

 

[Steveman]

We used to have a mention of it every year in assembly at school but apparently it's been pretty much airbrushed by teachers and children have no idea about it any more.

 

[WelshBluebird]

I think for me, one of the big things that really hits me about the horrible horrible event was that it could have been anywhere and anyone in that area. I wasn't born at the time but am from the Rhondda and my parents grew up just over the mountain from Aberfan. Had fate been different, it could well have been the school my parents went to at the time. When I see the pictures from the day, I also see my own village (as all of the mining villages in the area pretty much look identical).

And the other big thing, to anyone who whinges about health and safety and red tape and whatever else the popularity media want to make a headline about, this is what you get when you have no care for health and safety, no care for consequences. You kill innocent children. How nobody lost their job as a result of what happened is an utter disgrace considering villagers had previously complained about the perceived risk of the tip that ended up causing the accident.

However, my rants aside, we will never forget what happened or those so horribly affected.

 

[AlterEgo]

We used to have a mention of it every year in assembly at school but apparently it's been pretty much airbrushed by teachers and children have no idea about it any more.

We used to have mention of it too. I definitely remember being taught about it when I was a kid.

A terrible tragedy which would have greater presence in the public consciousness had it happened in the Home Counties rather than rural Wales.

 

[theblackwatch]

I too had been going to start a thread about this. It is one of those events which, like many, I am too young to remember but I still have it up there with other major disasters such as Hillsborough and the Herald of Free Enterprise. Absolutely shocking how the NCB and Government dealt with it, choosing to ignore all the warnings and then using charity money to remove the tips. It makes today's government look good.

I watched a programme with John Humphries about it on Tuesday evening, and there was another on last night which I have still to see.
--- old post above --- --- new post below ---

We used to have mention of it too. I definitely remember being taught about it when I was a kid.

A terrible tragedy which would have greater presence in the public consciousness had it happened in the Home Counties rather than rural Wales.

I don't get the impression it's been forgotten about - at my workplace we had a minute's silence today, and our sites are in Yorkshire and London, not Wales.

 

[Tetchytyke]

We used to have a mention of it every year in assembly at school but apparently it's been pretty much airbrushed by teachers and children have no idea about it any more.

I was taught about it at school. I don't get the impression it has been "airbrushed", although if it has that's do to with the National Curriculum and not individual teachers,.

I don't know if it has been forgotten about, I think it is starting to slide from memory as the years go by. My own mother was only six when it happened. But I think there are stronger memories in mining communities where everyone knows it could have been them.

It's the callousness of the head of the National Coal Board, Lord Robens, that I will never ever understand. He just lied and lied and lied, going so far as to attend his coronation as Chancellor of the University of Surrey rather than go and see the people whose lives he had destroyed. Rubbing salt into the wounds, Lord Robens was then appointed head of the health and safety review board, suggesting that employers should "self-regulate" on health and safety.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-150d11df-c541-44a9-9332-560a19828c47

 

[Steveman]

I was taught about it at school. I don't get the impression it has been "airbrushed", although if it has that's do to with the National Curriculum and not individual teachers,.

Surely teachers are perfectly able to at least mention it, is every single tiny subject ruled by the curriculum. Doesn't a teacher have 5 mins in their school day to just bring it up, I can't believe the school day although very short can't spare a short moment.

 

[Tetchytyke]

Doesn't a teacher have 5 mins in their school day to just bring it up, I can't believe the school day although very short can't spare a short moment.

I don't really think this is the place to be dragging up strawmen because you don't like teachers, is it?

Aberfan was mentioned in assemblies when I was a kid, I remember saying prayers every year like a good little Catholic boy. I seriously doubt that, today of all days, it won't be the same.

 

[Steveman]

I don't really think this is the place to be dragging up strawmen because you don't like teachers, is it?

Not a strawman at all but a perfectly reasonable question as to why Aberfan is not mentioned in schools, can't see why it should cause you to get worked up.

 

[Antman]

Not a strawman at all but a perfectly reasonable question as to why Aberfan is not mentioned in schools, can't see why it should cause you to get worked up.

No I can't see why it is seemingly not mentioned in schools today, I spoke to my 23 year old daughter about it this morning and I was astonished that she wasn't aware of the disaster.

I'd barely been born at the time but I certainly remember being taught about it in school, amazing really that nobody was ever prosecuted.

 

[70014IronDuke]

...... A terrible tragedy which would have greater presence in the public consciousness had it happened in the Home Counties rather than rural Wales.

Well, it had huge coverage at the time. IIRC, the Daily Mirror had double page photos. (OK, left-leaning paper, but still.) It definitely felt to me as if the entire UK knew and felt about it. As a youth in central England, I suspect i had other things on my mind than death. But I certainly remember later going to Aberfan (in the 80s) and looking out a the village and wondering what it was like. It's a shock to read the death toll though, today.

 

[theblackwatch]

No I can't see why it is seemingly not mentioned in schools today, I spoke to my 23 year old daughter about it this morning and I was astonished that she wasn't aware of the disaster.

I'd barely been born at the time but I certainly remember being taught about it in school, amazing really that nobody was ever prosecuted.

I too am astonished - that it has taken 23 years to mention the event to your daughter.

 

[Antman]

I too am astonished - that it has taken 23 years to mention the event to your daughter.

It doesn't really come up in everyday conversation does it:roll:? Her partner didn't know about it either so I guess his parents are just as bad?

 

[70014IronDuke]

...
It's the callousness of the head of the National Coal Board, Lord Robens, that I will never ever understand. ......
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-150d11df-c541-44a9-9332-560a19828c47

That's what you get from private corporations seeking profit all the time. Oh, just a minute ....

 

[headshot119]

It doesn't really come up in everyday conversation does it:roll:? Her partner didn't know about it either so I guess his parents are just as bad?

I'm around the same age as your daughter, born in England but have lived most of my life in Wales. I too never knew about the disaster until I came across it by chance when reading about the Gresford disaster.

It certainly was never mentioned in school when I went.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I'd be astounded if it isn't being mentioned in every school assembly in the land this morning, given the anniversary. But this is why it's important to remember these things and commemorate them whilst they're still in living memory.

It is part of the A2 geography course, btw.

 

[Steveman]

I'd be astounded if it isn't being mentioned in every school assembly in the land this morning, given the anniversary. But this is why it's important to remember these things and commemorate them whilst they're still in living memory.

It is part of the A2 geography course, btw.

My daughter comes home for dinner time and she just said that nobody had mentioned it.
As a matter of interest how many schools still have an assembly, it is a legal requirement but apparently the majority don't bother any more.

 

[DarloRich]

Was John Humphrys not the the first reporter to arrive on the scene following the Aberfan disaster? I was going to post something on this earlier today but was not sure if it would be remembered.

We were taught about it at school. Loads of schools still have an assembly although more often than not without the religious connotations.

 

[Steveman]

Was John Humphrys not the the first reporter to arrive on the scene following the Aberfan disaster? I was going to post something on this earlier today but was not sure if it would be remembered.

We were taught about it at school. Loads of schools still have an assembly although more often than not without the religious connotations.

In 2004 only 24% of secondary schools still had any assembly so I imagine it's even less now.

 

[GB]

I too am astonished - that it has taken 23 years to mention the event to your daughter.

Not quite sure what your trying to suggest there.

 

[ac6000cw]

Well, it had huge coverage at the time. IIRC, the Daily Mirror had double page photos. (OK, left-leaning paper, but still.) It definitely felt to me as if the entire UK knew and felt about it. As a youth in central England, I suspect i had other things on my mind than death.

I agree with you - I was only eight years old at the time (growing up near Birmingham), but I can certainly remember the shock of it happening, and the considerable media coverage.

 

[sprinterguy]

I'd be astounded if it isn't being mentioned in every school assembly in the land this morning, given the anniversary.

It was never mentioned in any school assemblies when I was a school pupil between ten and twenty years ago. Likewise, despite growing up in a coal mining area (The North East of England rather than South Wales) it was never mentioned to me by a family member and I cannot understand why, as devastating a disaster as it unarguably was, it is expected by some on this thread that this should have been otherwise. The North East of England is a long way from South Wales and many working class communities traditionally involved in heavy industry are pretty insular to begin with. Plus there were plenty of local tragedies in the mining industry to contemplate which occurred much closer to home.

I spared a thought for the victims of this tragedy when I became aware that it was fifty years ago to the day, but I was only previously aware of it thanks to my interest in industrial history and, much like headshot119, I came across it quite by chance while reading about the Gresford Disaster, which itself I only learnt about thanks to a song by The Albion Band on the subject.

I also studied A-Level Geography, diligently, as it was my favourite subject, and I am fairly confident that it was never mentioned there, either.

This is in no way meant to denigrate the scale of the disaster or the impact it had on the victims and families of those caught in its' path.

 

[AlterEgo]

Well, it had huge coverage at the time. IIRC, the Daily Mirror had double page photos. (OK, left-leaning paper, but still.) It definitely felt to me as if the entire UK knew and felt about it. As a youth in central England, I suspect i had other things on my mind than death. But I certainly remember later going to Aberfan (in the 80s) and looking out a the village and wondering what it was like. It's a shock to read the death toll though, today.

Aberfan happened 20 years before I was born. A lot of people don't know about it. They may recognise the name but perhaps don't know why.

 

[Tetchytyke]

I cannot understand why, as devastating a disaster as it unarguably was, it is expected on this thread that this should have been otherwise.

No, I'm not entirely sure why Steveman went off on a rant about teachers either. Doesn't seem very fitting. It's something to remember and acknowledge, I set the thread up precisely because a lot of people won't know about it. My wife doesn't, and she's from Cornwall.

I went to a religious school and we normally had assemblies about the matters of the day. My daughter goes to a non-religious but rural village school and they have regular assemblies.

I think Aberfan was different to other mining disasters because of who it killed, and how, not because of the death total. The men and boys going down the pit knew the dangers; primary school kids going to school should have been safe.

 

[theblackwatch]

Not quite sure what your trying to suggest there.

What I'm trying to point out is I find it a bit strange that there some to be people who think it needs to be taught about, but then don't bring up the subject themselves. Although I was aware of the event (I can't remember if it was ever mentioned at school or not), I think I learnt a lot more about it from documentaries I've seen on TV, which have either mentioned it or been about it. I certainly don't see it as being something that has been forgotten about.

Incidentally, does anyone know if it is mentioned in any displays at the National Coal Mining Museum (a place I've been meaning to visit)? It definitely should be given the effect it had on a whole community.

 

[GB]

What I'm trying to point out is I find it a bit strange that there some to be people who think it needs to be taught about, but then don't bring up the subject themselves. .

Ah yes I see, sorry.

 

[ac6000cw]

That's what you get from private corporations seeking profit all the time. Oh, just a minute ....

Quite - having 'poacher and gamekeeper' under the same umbrella is almost never a good idea.

The 'Aberfan: The Fight for Justice' documentary - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b07zk6fj/aberfan-the-fight-for-justice - is well worth watching. In 1939 there had been a very serious slide of another colliery waste heap in Wales (fortunately without any loss of life) - as result of that, the (then) private mine owners of the time had commissioned a study into how to manage the waste heaps safely - the "Powell Memo". The lessons from that seem to have been either forgotten and/or wilfully ignored 25 years later...

(There is a precis of the documentary here - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/men/thin...de-disaster-50-years-on-we-must-remember-thi/ )

 

[Baxenden Bank]

It's the callousness of the head of the National Coal Board, Lord Robens, that I will never ever understand. He just lied and lied and lied, going so far as to attend his coronation as Chancellor of the University of Surrey rather than go and see the people whose lives he had destroyed. Rubbing salt into the wounds, Lord Robens was then appointed head of the health and safety review board, suggesting that employers should "self-regulate" on health and safety.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/resources/idt-150d11df-c541-44a9-9332-560a19828c47

A tragic event.

The behaviour of 'officialdom' afterwards sticks in my craw.

From Wikipedia:

My bold and underlining, how on earth do he survive in the job and be promoted when his own Counsel disowned him?:

Chairman of the National Coal Board, Alfred Lord Robens was a senior union official in the 1930s and a Labour MP who became Minister of Power in the final days of the Attlee Labour government. His actions immediately after the disaster and in the years that followed have been the subject of considerable criticism. When word of the disaster reached him, Robens did not immediately go to the scene but went ahead with his investiture as Chancellor of the University of Surrey. He did not arrive at the village until Saturday evening. NCB officers covered up for him when contacted by the Secretary of State for Wales, Cledwyn Hughes, falsely claiming that he was personally directing relief work when he was absent.

When he reached Aberfan, Robens told a TV reporter that nothing could have been done to prevent the slide, attributing it to natural unknown springs beneath the tip, a statement the locals challenged. The NCB had been tipping on top of springs that were clearly marked on maps of the neighbourhood, and where villagers had played as children.[9]

Robens' evidence to the Tribunal of Inquiry was unsatisfactory; so much so that the NCB's counsel in its closing speech asked for Robens' evidence to be ignored. Robens took a very narrow view of the NCB's responsibilities regarding the remaining Aberfan tips. His opposition to doing anything more than was needed to make the tips safe, even after the Prime Minister had promised villagers the tips would have to go, was overcome only by a grant from the government and a bitterly opposed and much resented contribution from the disaster fund of £150,000, nearly 10% of the money raised.

Later in the same Wikipedia entry:

In 1997 the incoming Labour government of Tony Blair returned the £150,000 it had been induced to pay by the Labour government of Harold Wilson, towards the cost of tip removal, to the disaster fund. No allowance was made for inflation or the interest that would have been earned over the intervening period.

Bit of a half-hearted gesture by Tony Blair, at least the Welsh Assembly later did the decent thing.

 

[Tetchytyke]

That's what you get from private corporations seeking profit all the time. Oh, just a minute ....

It's more a problem with any organisation is left to regulate itself. It isn't always about profit, but it is about money. Corners get cut to save money, whether that's to increase profit or whether it's to try and defend a business that's losing money. The NCB were tipping as they were because it was cheap; they didn't do anything about it because it was expensive.

The biggest mining disasters, like Gresford, all come from the same place: cutting corners and killing people as a result.