TV charity appeal

[Twilight]

I've just seen Anne Dawson do an appeal for the British Red Cross. It started with her talking about the Aberfan disaster as black & white photos of that tragedy were shown; this awful event happened the day after my 8th birthday & it was the first time I discovered that sad things happened. Her memories of talking about it with her mother mirror my own & the advert moved me beyond words.

 

[maymorganlondon]

I'm too young to remember it, as I was just over a year old when it happened. I watched a documentary about it earlier this year, and it was the most heart breaking thing I think I've ever seen.

 

[PennyPitStop]

I don't live that far from Aberfan.

It is a tragedy. I was only 3 so can't remember about it.

 

[Turandot]

I was a teenager and I remember it but in those days we didn’t have wall to wall news as we do now. It was newspapers and bulletins.
Can’t imagine how those people coped.i saw the documentary. Heartbreaking.

 

[donna255]

I remember the appeals they had but they were in the newspapers not on TV. An older friend(she was 4 years older than me) going round the houses collecting with a tin and I walked with her one night at teatime.

I believe it was Channel 4? Who did a documentary about the disaster on its 40th or 50th anniversary showing all the mistakes made and ignored as there had been warning that the coal piles were unsafe?

 

[Bettyboo]

I remember it very well as my three children very young at the time and it really hit home. I also saw the documentary and it brought it all back to me. I hope and pray it never happens again.

 

[Twilight]

I was in the first year of my junior school & our teacher was Welsh, she was one of those loved by her class & we were very proud to be in Miss Morgan's children. She wasn't in our classroom when we went back after lunch on that awful day, the school secretary met us & said we had to go to the hall, all four years were there, we were told about what had happened & asked to pray. Miss Morgan then walked onto the stage & sang Land Of My Fathers in Welsh & without any accompaniment, that beautiful anthem reduces me to tears every time. Fifty years later, & with a class of my own, it was my turn to do a house assembly & I chose to tell them about the disaster, what I didn't expect was that Ofsted would be in school that day, the head asked me to do it & said she's be in with us. I did it & controlled the lump in my throat; at the end the inspector told me that he couldn't have got through my talk & thanked me, something these people never do, I was also pleased that the inspectors mentioned the assembly & the students' response in their report.

 

[Vienna]

Mr V is the last in a long line of miners and he worked in the pit from leaving school in the 1960`s until the mines were eventually closed down by Maggie. His Father, his grandfather and his great grandfather were all miners too and to this day Mr V still says the NCB got away with murder, literally.
He started off as a young surface worker and then moved from job to job below ground and eventually went to College and became a Deputy. During his time he says he saw many accidents and also deaths which need never have happened and faulty, poorly maintained or outdated equipment, poor health and safety, lack of proper training and lack of investment plus human error were mainly to blame but the NCB always came out squeaky clean. The Management and the big noises from the NCB always closed ranks and that`s exactly what happened after Aberfan.
I was at secondary school when the disaster happened and I remember my parents faces when we watched the evening news on our black and white telly and can still see my Mum wiping away the tears with her pinny when she saw the Aberfan Mothers standing silent waiting for news of their children and the men digging away some with bare hands amidst the murdering slurry.
I watched the documentary last year or maybe this year and now I`m a Mother and a Grandmother the enormity of the tragedy struck me far harder than it did as a teenage school girl, especially when it showed the long trench grave and the rows of coffins.
I now live in an area which at one time relied heavily on mining, there were several pits around here and it was the main source of employment. There are still reminders everywhere and the one thing about miners is they never forgive or forget and I daresay the legacy and remembrance of Aberfan will continue throughout generations to come. Long after those bereaved parents are dead and gone, their children and grandchildren will continue to remember those who lost their lives and the tale of that tragic day and rightly so.

 

[Lemonpop]

I was at Secondary school when it happened and we had an assembly,can't remember what song we sang. I remember we used to sing For those in Peril on the Sea whenever there was a lifeboat or ship accident/disaster

 

[SisterBliss]

Mr V is the last in a long line of miners and he worked in the pit from leaving school in the 1960`s until the mines were eventually closed down by Maggie. His Father, his grandfather and his great grandfather were all miners too and to this day Mr V still says the NCB got away with murder, literally.
He started off as a young surface worker and then moved from job to job below ground and eventually went to College and became a Deputy. During his time he says he saw many accidents and also deaths which need never have happened and faulty, poorly maintained or outdated equipment, poor health and safety, lack of proper training and lack of investment plus human error were mainly to blame but the NCB always came out squeaky clean. The Management and the big noises from the NCB always closed ranks and that`s exactly what happened after Aberfan.
I was at secondary school when the disaster happened and I remember my parents faces when we watched the evening news on our black and white telly and can still see my Mum wiping away the tears with her pinny when she saw the Aberfan Mothers standing silent waiting for news of their children and the men digging away some with bare hands amidst the murdering slurry.
I watched the documentary last year or maybe this year and now I`m a Mother and a Grandmother the enormity of the tragedy struck me far harder than it did as a teenage school girl, especially when it showed the long trench grave and the rows of coffins.
I now live in an area which at one time relied heavily on mining, there were several pits around here and it was the main source of employment. There are still reminders everywhere and the one thing about miners is they never forgive or forget and I daresay the legacy and remembrance of Aberfan will continue throughout generations to come. Long after those bereaved parents are dead and gone, their children and grandchildren will continue to remember those who lost their lives and the tale of that tragic day and rightly so.

Did anyone receive any compensation?

 

[Vienna]

Did anyone receive any compensation?

I presume some did but wouldn`t know for sure as by the time I met and married Mr V in 2011 the pits were long closed. I know miners were always keen Union men and so I imagine whenever a miner was injured or killed then the Union would fight for the men or their families.

 

[Twilight]

Did anyone receive any compensation?

They were originally offered £50 for each child lost. Eventually the NCB paid out £160,000 for the lost children, damage to property & trauma, about £500 each. As I wrote when I started this thread, her appeal goes beyond this event, however, Aberfan had a profound effect on me & still does. I was 8 & had lived my life in safety & happiness but that day is seared in my memory; the negligence of those who were in charge was appalling & in total contrast to the bravery & dignity of that devastated community.

 

[Twilight]

Mr V is the last in a long line of miners and he worked in the pit from leaving school in the 1960`s until the mines were eventually closed down by Maggie. His Father, his grandfather and his great grandfather were all miners too and to this day Mr V still says the NCB got away with murder, literally.
He started off as a young surface worker and then moved from job to job below ground and eventually went to College and became a Deputy. During his time he says he saw many accidents and also deaths which need never have happened and faulty, poorly maintained or outdated equipment, poor health and safety, lack of proper training and lack of investment plus human error were mainly to blame but the NCB always came out squeaky clean. The Management and the big noises from the NCB always closed ranks and that`s exactly what happened after Aberfan.
I was at secondary school when the disaster happened and I remember my parents faces when we watched the evening news on our black and white telly and can still see my Mum wiping away the tears with her pinny when she saw the Aberfan Mothers standing silent waiting for news of their children and the men digging away some with bare hands amidst the murdering slurry.
I watched the documentary last year or maybe this year and now I`m a Mother and a Grandmother the enormity of the tragedy struck me far harder than it did as a teenage school girl, especially when it showed the long trench grave and the rows of coffins.
I now live in an area which at one time relied heavily on mining, there were several pits around here and it was the main source of employment. There are still reminders everywhere and the one thing about miners is they never forgive or forget and I daresay the legacy and remembrance of Aberfan will continue throughout generations to come. Long after those bereaved parents are dead and gone, their children and grandchildren will continue to remember those who lost their lives and the tale of that tragic day and rightly so.

I'm claustrophobic & don't like the dark so have always had the greatest respect for miners. I can understand how families wouldn't want their sons to follow previous generations into the same jobs but would know it was that or nothing.

 

[Vienna]

I'm claustrophobic & don't like the dark so have always had the greatest respect for miners. I can understand how families wouldn't want their sons to follow previous generations into the same jobs but would know it was that or nothing.

Mr V`s Mother didn`t want him to go down the pit and she actually fixed him up with a job as an apprentice butcher but behind his Mum`s back he told the butcher he didn`t want the job and went to see the pit Manager instead.
He was told he was too young to go below ground so for the first 2 years he worked on the surface but as soon as he turned 18 he asked to go down. The money was better as an actual miner below ground and face workers did the hardest jobs of all but it took him another 2 years to become a face worker and then after a while he trained to become what`s called a Fire Man, the person who laid the explosives to open up coal seams and to blast through rock or new ground. Can`t believe they actually trusted my now daft headed 70 year old man with explosives, wouldn`t let him near them now lol.
Several years later he applied for the Deputy`s job and went to College and he stayed in that job until the pit closed.

 

[Vienna]

Did anyone receive any compensation?

Ah sorry I thought you meant compensation for pit injuries or deaths. My earlier reply was regarding those. As Twilight posted the Aberfan families had a long fight for compensation and the NCB weren`t exactly generous.

 

[loveallthingsitalian]

It was the first disaster I remember, I was a teenager and was heartbroken. All TV coverage in black and white which somehow made it more poignant

 

[boffy]

Googled it I just cant read about it or look ay the pictures it would be to distressing I can just imagine how awful it was for these families

 

[Lemonpop]

Mr V is the last in a long line of miners and he worked in the pit from leaving school in the 1960`s until the mines were eventually closed down by Maggie. His Father, his grandfather and his great grandfather were all miners too and to this day Mr V still says the NCB got away with murder, literally.
He started off as a young surface worker and then moved from job to job below ground and eventually went to College and became a Deputy. During his time he says he saw many accidents and also deaths which need never have happened and faulty, poorly maintained or outdated equipment, poor health and safety, lack of proper training and lack of investment plus human error were mainly to blame but the NCB always came out squeaky clean. The Management and the big noises from the NCB always closed ranks and that`s exactly what happened after Aberfan.
I was at secondary school when the disaster happened and I remember my parents faces when we watched the evening news on our black and white telly and can still see my Mum wiping away the tears with her pinny when she saw the Aberfan Mothers standing silent waiting for news of their children and the men digging away some with bare hands amidst the murdering slurry.
I watched the documentary last year or maybe this year and now I`m a Mother and a Grandmother the enormity of the tragedy struck me far harder than it did as a teenage school girl, especially when it showed the long trench grave and the rows of coffins.
I now live in an area which at one time relied heavily on mining, there were several pits around here and it was the main source of employment. There are still reminders everywhere and the one thing about miners is they never forgive or forget and I daresay the legacy and remembrance of Aberfan will continue throughout generations to come. Long after those bereaved parents are dead and gone, their children and grandchildren will continue to remember those who lost their lives and the tale of that tragic day and rightly so.

My grandad,who died in 1950 was a deputy and my hubby worked as an engineer in the coal mines as did his father and grandfather. He left after he finished his engineering apprenticeship. He worked up to his chest in water three miles from the base of the lift cages. They all had to have first aid experience as it was important to get anyone injured to safety as soon as possible. I was glad when he left in the early 70's.

 

[SisterBliss]

My grandad,who died in 1950 was a deputy and my hubby worked as an engineer in the coal mines as did his father and grandfather. He left after he finished his engineering apprenticeship. He worked up to his chest in water three miles from the base of the lift cages. They all had to have first aid experience as it was important to get anyone injured to safety as soon as possible. I was glad when he left in the early 70's.

Let's not moan about our jobs again. Even if we are 'Groom of the stool'

 

[maymorganlondon]

I was in the first year of my junior school & our teacher was Welsh, she was one of those loved by her class & we were very proud to be in Miss Morgan's children. She wasn't in our classroom when we went back after lunch on that awful day, the school secretary met us & said we had to go to the hall, all four years were there, we were told about what had happened & asked to pray. Miss Morgan then walked onto the stage & sang Land Of My Fathers in Welsh & without any accompaniment, that beautiful anthem reduces me to tears every time. Fifty years later, & with a class of my own, it was my turn to do a house assembly & I chose to tell them about the disaster, what I didn't expect was that Ofsted would be in school that day, the head asked me to do it & said she's be in with us. I did it & controlled the lump in my throat; at the end the inspector told me that he couldn't have got through my talk & thanked me, something these people never do, I was also pleased that the inspectors mentioned the assembly & the students' response in their report.

What a moving post, Twilight! I started crying in the first 2 sentences.
The loss of so many young, young lives in such horrifying circumstances is a scar for a community and a nation.
One of the most disgusting issues in the aftermath was bereaved parents having to prove they were close to their dead child to get compensation! Utterly appalling.