On the 21 October 1966, 144 people, 116 of them children, were killed when a tip of coal waste slid onto the village of Aberfan in South Wales.

The history of the tragedy is well documented elsewhere, but briefly for some 50 years up to 1966, millions of cubic metres of excavated mining debris from the National Coal Board’s Merthyr Vale Colliery was deposited on the side of Mynydd Merthyr, directly above the village of Aberfan. Huge piles, or ‘tips’, of loose rock and mining spoil had been built up over a layer of highly porous sandstone that contained numerous underground springs, and several tips had been built up directly over these springs. Although local authorities had raised specific concerns in 1963 about spoil being tipped on the mountain above the village primary school, these were largely ignored by the NCB’s area management.

Early on the morning of Friday, 21 October 1966, after several days of heavy rain, a subsidence of about 3–6 metres occurred on the upper flank of colliery waste tip No. 7. At 9:15 a.m. more than 150,000 cubic metres of water-saturated debris broke away and flowed downhill at high speed. The slide hit the local school and one hundred and sixteen children were killed. In all one hundred and forty-four people died in the incident and it has left a scar on the memories of those of us who remember the day.

I’r rhai a garwn ac y galarwn o’u colli

These are the names of the 116 children who died that day. Remember them.

Amiette Smith
9 years old

Andrew Rees
14 years old

Angela Vaughan Hopkins
7 years old

Angela Williams
8 years old

Anne Catherine Lee
8 years old

Annette Hughes
9 years old

Anthony David Hill
8 years old

Anthony John Sullivan
10 years old

Anthony Joseph Watkins
10 years old

Anthony Wayne England
8 years old

Arthur O’Brien
8 years old

Avis Elizabeth Sullivan
9 years old

Barbara Eileen Murray
9 years old

Brian Davies
8 years old

Brian Michael Gough
9 years old

Carl Minnett
7 years old

Carol Anderson
9 years old

Carol Ann Carpenter
9 years old

Carol Williams
10 years old

Catherine Elizabeth Evans
3 years old

Cheryl Mortimer
8 years old

Christine George
10 years old

Christine Prosser
9 years old

Corwyn Thomas Reakes
10 years old

Daphne May Fudge
8 years old

David Morgan
9 years old

David Paul Roberts
7 years old

David Trefor Davies
10 years old

David William Williams
8 years old

Dennis Arscott
8 years old

Desmond Carpenter
10 years old

Dwynwen Griffiths
9 years old

Edward Clive Mumford
11 years old

Edwin Davies
8 years old

Edwina Bartlett
9 years old

Eryl Mai Jones
10 years old

Gareth Davies
10 years old

Gareth Evans
3 months old

Geoffrey Derek Needs
10 years old

Gillian Gough
8 years old

Gillian Irene Jones
11 years old

Graham Williams
8 years old

Howard David Prosser
9 years old

Howell Lloyd Evans
7 years old

Ian Dougall
9 years old

Jacqueline Powell
8 years old

Janet Jones
9 years old

Jean Launchbury
10 years old

Jean Winifred Evans
11 years old

Jeanette Lynne Brown
10 years old

Jennifer Haines
8 years old

Jill Elizabeth Parfitt
9 years old

John Anthony King
9 years old

John Islwyn Jones
10 years old

Joseph Wilkshire
8 years old

Julie Jeannine Regan
9 years old

Julie Price
8 years old

June Margaret Williams
10 years old

Karen O’Brien
8 years old

Kay Bowns
10 years old

Keith Williams
9 years old

Kelvin David Andrew
10 years old

Kevin Thomas Jones
9 years old

Layton Kerrie Reakes
9 years old

Linda Anderson
10 years old

Linda Hodkinson
8 years old

Lorraine Rosa Isobel Richards
10 years old

Lynn Harding
9 years old

Malcolm Andrew
8 years old

Maralyn Carol Howells
9 years old

Maralyn Minnett
10 years old

Martine Anne Short
9 years old

Maureen Mary Evans
8 years old

Megan Olwen Robbins
10 years old

Merrill Barnard
11 years old

Michael Collins
10 years old

Michael Jones
13 years old

Michael Fitzpatrick
7 years old

Necia James
9 years old

Norma Mumford
10 years old

Pamela Heaman
10 years old

Patricia Probert
12 years old

Paul Davies
8 years old

Paul Jones
9 years old

Peter Collins
10 years old

Peter Williams
10 years old

Philip Mumford
9 years old

Randolph Tudor
10 years old

Raymond John Collins
14 years old

Richard Phillip Goldsworthy
10 years old

Robert Breeze
10 years old

Robert Coffey
14 years old

Robert Garfield Jones
9 years old

Robert George Minney
10 years old

Robert Orville Jones
8 years old

Roger Colin Summers
7 years old

Roger Dyfrig Hayes
9 years old

Royston Barrett
10 years old

Royston Carl Davies
9 years old

Royston Hodkinson
9 years old

Sandra Leyshon
9 years old

Sandra Pauline Donovan
10 years old

Sharon Lewis
9 years old

Sheila Fitzpatrick
13 years old

Stephen Vaughan Hopkins
10 years old

Susan Jones
9 years old

Susan Mary Crotty
10 years old

Susan Meredith
8 years old

Sylvia Frances Richards
9 years old

Terence Malcolm Davies
10 years old

Thomas Probert
7 years old

Trevor Timothy Gray
9 years old

Valmai Mary Owen
8 years old

Victoria Marie Symonds
10 years old

Vincent Clark Parfitt
13 years old

Yvonne Drage
11 years old

Norwegian Church

Celebrate a traditional Scandinavian Christmas at the Norwegian Church in Cardiff Bay. There is a long tradition of celebrating Christmas at the Church and this weekend is no exception as the Church hosts its annual Christmas Market. Children and adults alike are also welcome to attend the Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony and Carol Service.

On 29th of November the traditional Norwegian Church Christmas market will be displaying a wide range of tasty produce. Take a relaxing stroll around the market stalls laden with decorations, cards and gifts and you can also enjoy treats available from the Norwegian Coffee Shop.

Everyone is welcome and admission is free!

Also on the day will be the annual Christmas Tree Lighting ceremony opening with the Salvation Army Band who will be singing from 4.30 with the annual Carol and Tree Lighting Service from 5.15. As the Christmas tree is a gift to the Norwegian Church from the people of Hordaland, Ms Ingeborg Astrup, Director of International Affairs at Hordaland Council will deliver a Christmas message, ahead of the lighting of the Christmas tree. The ceremony will conclude with a folk and jazz music ‘Concert for a Starry Night’ in the Tube (ticket holders only, limited number available).

Councillor Nigel Howells, Executive Member for Sport, Leisure and Culture said “This is one of my favorite times of year in Cardiff Bay. With the city bustle in the distance, the waterfront comes into its own as a cosy, tranquil haven. With the traditional, festive atmosphere, there is something for everyone to enjoy here at Christmas time.”