There are places where when you hear them mentioned, you think of nothing but tragedy. Who hears Lockerbie, without thinking of the bombing of Pan Am 103? And Dunblane, where 16 children and one teacher were murdered? For those of us of a certain age, the name Aberfan conjures up the worst memories of all, where in 1966 116 children and 28 adults were killed after the collapse of a colliery spoil tip in and around Pantglas Junior School. Today, Aberfan is in the news again after what police describe as a “serious assault”.
Of course, I am shocked and horrified by the news, but the name of the village is bigger than anything. Following the latest incident, the area is in lockdown, with police helicopters buzzing overhead as they search for the perpetrator, but when I hear Aberfan, all I can think about is the disaster of 1966.
A couple of years ago, my partner and I visited the memorial garden which has been built on the site of the school and, like my memory of the disaster, which I watched unfolding on a crackling and fizzing black and white television, I cannot get it out of my mind.
My memory of 1966 flickers. I definitely remember seeing it on television and sometime after I attended a school assembly where the headmaster addressed the school, although I don’t remember a word that was said. For years, I felt I remembered seeing the great Cliff Michelmore delivering one of the world’s greatest live broadcasts from the scene of the disaster, conveying as only the very best journalists can the sheer magnitude of events. But it is more likely I saw it in later life. For all that, I will never forget it, even though You Tube appears to have.
Sky’s headline, “Armed officers at scene of ‘serious assault’ in Aberfan, South Wales Police say” barely registers with me before it is overwhelmed by the events of 57 years ago. I would wager that everyone who is of my generation feels exactly the same way.
To its credit, the media is not reporting along the lines of “Aberfan, where in 1966 …” because the temptation must be there. That is why it was such a massive, terrible event. Even for those of us many miles away, the pain we feel, if only as ordinary human beings, will never leave.
