Aberfan

It took me only three days to go through 380 pages and it was nothing short of amazing. A Terrible Kindness, as it reads on the back, tells the following story: “It is October 1966 and William Lavery is having the night of his life at his first black-tie do…

Previous parts can be read: Going underground (Part 1, into the darkness) | by Inna Gregory | Aug, 2022 | Medium Going underground (Part 2, the deep) | by Inna Gregory | Aug, 2022 | Medium It is impossible to convey with what joy I rose to the surface of…

This tragedy shocked the world when 116 children were killed as coal slurry buried their school — The pit heap disaster that happened in the village of Aberfan on 21st October 1966 was one that shocked the nation, especially because most of the victims were young children. Disaster in South Wales I can still remember the profound sense of shock that the whole United Kingdom felt on…

Look for the people helping — On Boxing Day, 2004, many people will recall waking up and hearing the news of the Indian Ocean tsunami. It was a tragic event that claimed over 250,000 lives across 14 different countries. 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami - Wikipedia The 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami (also known as the Boxing Day Tsunami and, by the scientific community…en.wikipedia.org

Fifty-five years ago, a black tide swept away 109 young lives — It was a quarter past nine on the morning of 21st October 1966, the staff and pupils of Pantglas Junior School in the village of Aberfan were just beginning the day. On the other side of the country, in Hull, my eight-year-old self was doing the same at Southcoates Lane…

Today was the 54th anniversary of Aberfan, and so here’s everything you should know about this disaster: Those coal tips that you can see in the first picture below were dotted all over the landscape in the ’60s. Mining was Wales’ primary industry, and nearly every South Wales town was…

How a school which petitioned for change; the coal board failed to act — For as long as there were coal mines, there were mining disasters. On hearing the news of an underground explosion or a collapsed pit, the families of the men and boys would gather at the entrance of the mine awaiting news of their loved ones. Yet on one October morning…

Aberfan: “Buried alive by the National Coal Board.” One word, which across the world means only one thing. Linked forever to a terrible, black nightmare of a school day morning, which was all over in a few seconds. Except it could never be over. It was a waking, crying, living…