Aberfan

On 21 October 1966, thousands of tonnes of coal tip waste slid down a mountainside and devastated the Welsh mining village of Aberfan. The black mass crashed through the local school, where pupils were celebrating the last day before half-term.

One hundred and forty-four people were killed. One hundred and sixteen were children.

Gaynor Madgwick was there. She was eight years old and severely injured. Her brother and sister were in classrooms either side of her. Both died.

In Aberfan, Gaynor tells her own remarkable story and gives a voice to others whose lives were forever changed by that day — from the bereaved and the rescuers to the police, members of the community and royalty.

She explores courage, grief, faith, survival and the lasting legacy of a tragedy that shook Britain and the world.

In this new edition, Gaynor adds a deeply personal new chapter reflecting, 60 years on, on the impact Aberfan has continued to have throughout her life. She writes about her diagnosis of PTSD and the five years of counselling that followed; the Aberfan collections at St Fagans and the personal meaning behind them; revelations about the events of 1966 shared by family members many years later; and the poignant 50th anniversary commemorations, including the visit of the then Prince Charles.

These new reflections reveal how the story of Aberfan did not end on 21 October 1966, but continued through the lives, memories and experiences of those who survived and those who lost loved ones.

Both an intensely personal story and an important historical account, Aberfan ensures that the people, the families and the events of that day are never forgotten.

Introduction by Vincent Kane

-- Publisher: Y L