:00:00. > :00:00.That's all from the BBC News at 6, so it's goodbye from me,
:00:00. > :00:12.It was among this country's darkest days - a generation wiped out,
:00:13. > :00:25.an unimaginable loss of life that changed this village forever.
:00:26. > :00:29.50 years on, the village and the nation come to a standstill
:00:30. > :00:39.116 children and 28 adults died when an avalanche of coal waste
:00:40. > :00:44.collapsed onto their school and nearby houses.
:00:45. > :00:48.Living a life with losing two siblings in our family
:00:49. > :00:56.But I think the community has shown that today, has come together,
:00:57. > :01:00.and we are still as strong 50 years on as what we were then.
:01:01. > :01:05.Among the last to be pulled out alive -
:01:06. > :01:10.this little boy shocked, bewildered, but safe.
:01:11. > :01:14.I didn't know what had happened to me.
:01:15. > :01:18.All I could hear was the shouts and screams of people
:01:19. > :01:23.Obviously, those got less and less as time went by.
:01:24. > :01:28.I tried to get out, but I couldn't move.
:01:29. > :01:32.But amid the grief and sorrow, a story of strength and resilience,
:01:33. > :01:54.of how Aberfan came together to face the future.
:01:55. > :01:58.Once Aberfan was much like any other village in these mining valleys -
:01:59. > :02:04.a village dominated by coal and the vast coal waste tips
:02:05. > :02:11.It was on this street, Moy Road, that Pantglas School stood.
:02:12. > :02:16.But on the 21st of October 1966, at 9:15 in the morning,
:02:17. > :02:21.one of the waste coal tips slid down the mountain,
:02:22. > :02:24.engulfing the school and a row of terraced houses.
:02:25. > :02:31.144 people lost their lives - most of them children.
:02:32. > :02:34.50 years on, a memorial garden and playground stand
:02:35. > :02:43.And today the people of Aberfan have been remembering those who died.
:02:44. > :02:46.And joining them in their silent reflection,
:02:47. > :02:56.Wales came to a standstill to remember that terrible morning.
:02:57. > :03:05.At 9:15am on the 21st of October 1966, Time stood still. Today,
:03:06. > :03:08.exactly 50 years and, Wales and the children of Aberfan fell silent to
:03:09. > :03:33.remember those who perished. 150,000 tonnes of coal slurry that
:03:34. > :03:39.down the mountain. In its path, homes and Pantglas School. Something
:03:40. > :03:44.like a jet came very low and was crashing. All I could see was a
:03:45. > :03:53.terrible black cloud. My neighbours said there was an explosion, and
:03:54. > :03:58.that Pantglas School had gone. I was 8.5. I was buried and rendered
:03:59. > :04:02.unconscious. When I was brought out initially, I was placed with the
:04:03. > :04:08.dead bodies, until someone thought they saw my foot move. But as myself
:04:09. > :04:13.there, that is my father. This is the day after the disaster, a
:04:14. > :04:18.Saturday morning. Gareth was one of the lucky ones. As a six-year old,
:04:19. > :04:28.he was able to climb out of a window. My teacher put a chair next
:04:29. > :04:32.to the window and we kind out. It was a matter of seconds. It was her
:04:33. > :04:39.quick thinking that saved our lives. Everyone nearby rushed to help.
:04:40. > :04:46.There were 50 people there, and they had their normal clothes on, with
:04:47. > :04:50.much all over. The miners came. When they came to me, it was like
:04:51. > :04:57.something from a John Wayne film, the cavalry while driving. The
:04:58. > :05:04.miners went in as part of the rescue team. They quickly realised there
:05:05. > :05:12.was no one to save. It was an adult, we issue a teacher, with her back to
:05:13. > :05:23.me, with their arms stretched out. That was awful. We were trying to
:05:24. > :05:26.protect from the slurry. Every so often, there is absolute quiet as
:05:27. > :05:29.the would-be rescuers and listen to see if anyone is alive underneath.
:05:30. > :05:34.When we were passing the dead children through, one man looked
:05:35. > :05:42.down, looked at me and said, that was my child. It was one of the
:05:43. > :05:49.worst things. He carried on working. You know, he passed his dead child
:05:50. > :05:55.along and he carried on working. I mean, that shows the strength of the
:05:56. > :06:01.people in Aberfan. Never in my life have I ever seen anything like this.
:06:02. > :06:04.50 years ago, news of the disaster spread across the world. Within
:06:05. > :06:08.days, the Queen came to Aber van, the first of four visits to the
:06:09. > :06:14.village. Today, the Prince of Wales joined villagers to lay a wreath.
:06:15. > :06:22.Aberfan showed the world the darkest sorrow, but also the most shining
:06:23. > :06:27.selflessness. 10-year old Mackenzie has a special interest in Aberfan.
:06:28. > :06:33.His grandmother, who is a dud the time, was amongst those rescued.
:06:34. > :06:39.Today, he showed Prince Charles this cool project he had been working on
:06:40. > :06:42.about his family's personal story. My grandmother was one of the last
:06:43. > :06:46.to be pulled out of the disaster. I am paying for she came out alive,
:06:47. > :06:50.otherwise I would not be here today. Coal-mining evicted the physical
:06:51. > :06:57.scars on the townscape of South Wales. With the demise of the
:06:58. > :07:01.industry, the light is Green and pleasant once more. But the deep
:07:02. > :07:05.emotional scars infected and this smoke amenity, who lost a whole
:07:06. > :07:11.generation, still have not healed half a century on. The people here
:07:12. > :07:14.want of the danger of water and tip another seven. They were ignored.
:07:15. > :07:19.The subsequent tribunal blamed the National coal board for ignorance
:07:20. > :07:23.and ineptitude. The tragedy of October 1966 changed Wales for ever
:07:24. > :07:27.and the country came together today to amend what happened, at two hope
:07:28. > :07:30.for a brighter future. Nick Palit on how
:07:31. > :07:41.the people of Aberfan Denise Morgan lost her sister in the
:07:42. > :07:46.school. What are your thoughts today, on this difficult day?
:07:47. > :07:50.It has been a difficult few months as we have led up to the 50th
:07:51. > :07:57.anniversary, really. But I think it is there to say that today has been
:07:58. > :08:01.a fine tribute to those who lost their lives, to the survivors and to
:08:02. > :08:05.those who helped us at that time to overcome the difficulties and to
:08:06. > :08:09.look for the children. It has been a fitting memorial. To have Prince
:08:10. > :08:16.Charles here as well has been wonderful, really. To see groups of
:08:17. > :08:21.people get together that possibly happen seen each other for 30 or 40
:08:22. > :08:26.years, it was laughter in the Hall this afternoon. I think that is a
:08:27. > :08:29.fine tribute to the drapery and richness of everyone. We have been
:08:30. > :08:34.surrounded by children playing in the playground here, it has been
:08:35. > :08:40.wonderful to hear them playing. I wonder if it becomes easier, 50
:08:41. > :08:46.years on? It has become easier. This anniversary has been particularly
:08:47. > :08:48.difficult in many ways, but also a lot easier in many ways because
:08:49. > :08:54.people have spoken for the first time, and this is help them overcome
:08:55. > :08:57.their grief over the years. There are many inability wanted to get now
:08:58. > :09:05.and move on. It is a difficult junction, isn't it? Do you move on?
:09:06. > :09:08.It is impossible to forget. It is impossible to forget but we must
:09:09. > :09:13.move on. What has happened today is evidence that people have moved on
:09:14. > :09:14.and will continue to do so. Thank you very much.
:09:15. > :09:16.Tonight, a memorial service is being held
:09:17. > :09:19.at St Mary's Church, a mile from here.
:09:20. > :09:30.You join me as people start to arrive for that service,
:09:31. > :09:34.after a day which has clearly been difficult for so many.
:09:35. > :09:37.Among them, Jeff Edwards, one of the last children
:09:38. > :09:44.He still lives just a short distance from where the school once stood.
:09:45. > :09:49.He's been speaking to me about how the experience has shaped his life.
:09:50. > :09:54.Today, Jeff Edwards still lives in Aberfan.
:09:55. > :10:00.because, in the darkness of the ruined school,
:10:01. > :10:05.This is where I lived at the time of the disaster.
:10:06. > :10:11.37 Aberfan Road, which is the main road that goes through Aberfan.
:10:12. > :10:13.And this was a bustling commercial area then,
:10:14. > :10:20.The morning of the disaster, I left this house here and walked
:10:21. > :10:25.down to the next big house that you see, and that was where
:10:26. > :10:31.the general practitioner lived, David Jones.
:10:32. > :10:36.and, every morning, we used to walk to school together.
:10:37. > :10:38.On that morning, it was no different.
:10:39. > :10:42.We walked to school, but Robert would not return.
:10:43. > :10:49.Every detail of that day is etched in his memory.
:10:50. > :10:53.The noise that we heard was a rumbling sound,
:10:54. > :10:59.and that noise got louder and louder.
:11:00. > :11:02.The teacher assured the children in the classroom
:11:03. > :11:06.that there was nothing to worry about, it was only thunder.
:11:07. > :11:15.was waking up with all this material above me.
:11:16. > :11:19.There were desks, and the roof had fallen down,
:11:20. > :11:23.and I survived because I was in a pocket of air.
:11:24. > :11:26.Above me, I could see the sky, actually.
:11:27. > :11:29.The roof had fallen in, and all the materials around me,
:11:30. > :11:37.there was a little gap at the top, which enabled me to see.
:11:38. > :11:41.That's where I think the rescuers, when they came in to the room,
:11:42. > :11:44.actually saw my white hair through that chink
:11:45. > :11:56.by the local greengrocer, Tom Harding.
:11:57. > :11:59.When I was rescued from the classroom itself,
:12:00. > :12:04.I was thrown out in a human chain, out into the yard.
:12:05. > :12:09.We were seen by medics there, and wrapped up in that blanket.
:12:10. > :12:12.Tom Harding actually carried me out of the school.
:12:13. > :12:15.In that photograph, there is an image of my mother
:12:16. > :12:21.You can see how worried her face is at this time.
:12:22. > :12:26.When you look at that now, what do you think?
:12:27. > :12:29.I think I was a very lucky lad, really.
:12:30. > :12:40.That really gave me the motivation to do things for the community.
:12:41. > :12:43.In the years that followed, growing up with his friends gone,
:12:44. > :12:47.he found it hard to speak to his family about the disaster.
:12:48. > :12:51.But, in the end, it was speaking publicly about his experience
:12:52. > :12:56.First, I think, you've got to come to terms with the problem
:12:57. > :13:01.Once you put that aside, I think the driver then
:13:02. > :13:04.is to do the best that you can with your life,
:13:05. > :13:08.because you were saved for a purpose.
:13:09. > :13:10.Effectively, that's been my motivation and drive, really,
:13:11. > :13:17.to make up for the lost lives that day.
:13:18. > :13:19.So despite building a successful career in London,
:13:20. > :13:34.As well as a cybercafe, he started an award-winning scheme
:13:35. > :13:36.to provide cars for unemployed people.
:13:37. > :13:39.And a dial-a-ride service for the elderly.
:13:40. > :13:44.When I came back and saw how badly affected the community had been,
:13:45. > :13:49.through the cars being stolen, through crime in the area,
:13:50. > :13:51.through young people just hanging around the streets,
:13:52. > :13:54.who would have traditionally gone into the mining industry -
:13:55. > :13:56.really, it was another lost generation
:13:57. > :14:06.The childcare he put in place is a particular source of pride.
:14:07. > :14:10.Helping the village move on has helped him move on.
:14:11. > :14:16.50 years later, he is clear how the world should think of Aberfan.
:14:17. > :14:20.I think they should think of a lively community
:14:21. > :14:26.that's come to terms with its past, that has a future,
:14:27. > :14:33.and one which looks for inspiration in its young people.
:14:34. > :14:38.I don't want them to remember Aberfan for the tragedy.
:14:39. > :14:40.I want it to be remembered as a community
:14:41. > :14:44.that has overcome tragedy, that has built a future.
:14:45. > :14:50.for anyone that's been involved in any tragedy.
:14:51. > :14:59.Jeff Edwards speaking to Caroline Evans.
:15:00. > :15:01.I'll be finding out how the younger generation here
:15:02. > :15:07.and how they are helping the village to move on.
:15:08. > :15:11.First, the rest of the day's news with Lucy.
:15:12. > :15:15.A former North Wales Police Superintendent has been convicted
:15:16. > :15:19.of four counts of historical sexual abuse against two boys.
:15:20. > :15:24.Gordon Anglesea, who's 79, indecently assaulted the teenagers
:15:25. > :15:27.when he was a police inspector in Wrexham in the early 1980s.
:15:28. > :15:36.From Mold Crown Court, Matthew Richards reports.
:15:37. > :15:41.Opting not to answer police questions about his big things,
:15:42. > :15:46.Gordon Anglesea remained defiant to the end. Do you know? I have nothing
:15:47. > :16:07.further to say. In the early 80s, he indecently
:16:08. > :16:11.assaulted a boy who had been brought to his house by John Allen. The
:16:12. > :16:22.predatory paedophile was jailed in 2014 after abusing boys at homes he
:16:23. > :16:27.ran. Gordon Anglesea ran the centre, and
:16:28. > :16:34.sexually assaulted his victim in the showers. Complains were investigated
:16:35. > :16:47.in 2002. The pressure were standards committee is looking at the handling
:16:48. > :16:50.of the case. Gordon Anglesey abuse a position of trust as a former North
:16:51. > :16:57.Wales police officer, all those years ago. That is sickening. The
:16:58. > :16:59.Crown Prosecution Service said he abused his power to prey on his
:17:00. > :17:04.victims and thank them for their bravery in coming forward. Gordon
:17:05. > :17:09.Anglesea left cold by a rear exit, avoiding the media. The judge told
:17:10. > :17:12.him the fight he was an granted bail was not an indication of a soft
:17:13. > :17:18.sentence. You said that the only one, that of imprisonment. His
:17:19. > :17:23.defence barrister acknowledged he would likely spend rest of his life
:17:24. > :17:30.behind bars. Gordon Anglesea sued several
:17:31. > :17:36.publications for the allegations in the 1990s. Ian Hislop says he takes
:17:37. > :17:39.a grim satisfaction in it. Private eye will not be be claiming the
:17:40. > :17:42.damages, saying others paid a far higher price.
:17:43. > :17:56.Securing a good deal for Wales after Brexit was part of the fight, route
:17:57. > :17:59.party conference today. Here is a little editor.
:18:00. > :18:14.In autumnal colours, there are few places as pretty as Klang Lough --
:18:15. > :18:21.as this. Plaid Cymru say that Brexit will not be pretty unless they
:18:22. > :18:25.secure a deal. They had this message for Theresa
:18:26. > :18:31.May. A voice saying, deliver and exit that works for Wales as well as
:18:32. > :18:36.it possibly can. Yes, Wales voted to leave, but I don't think Wales wants
:18:37. > :18:42.to dig a leave of its senses when it comes to our economic future.
:18:43. > :18:47.APPLAUSE The leader, Leanne Wood, has struck
:18:48. > :18:53.the party's biggest budget deal with chemical labour at the Assembly. On
:18:54. > :18:57.a question and answer session, the question whether it could lead to a
:18:58. > :19:01.future coalition came up. Given the criticism of the Labour government's
:19:02. > :19:08.record in Wales, it is incredible that they could -- is it credible
:19:09. > :19:11.that they could work together? Both parties work in the best interests
:19:12. > :19:17.of Wales. I will not rule out going into coalition with Labour. What is
:19:18. > :19:27.the feeling among delegates? Moving things forward for a better Wales.
:19:28. > :19:30.We did it before. Minority parties, or from coalitions, come off
:19:31. > :19:35.incredibly badly. So why make more problems? In the leader's words, the
:19:36. > :19:41.party is torn about whether to go into government with two labour. But
:19:42. > :19:46.Brexit is much easier. With agreement or out that member ship of
:19:47. > :19:52.the single market cannot be touched. A lot of talk about securing a deal
:19:53. > :19:57.for Wales Gretchen Mike Batt is right.
:19:58. > :20:00.The key point of the single market is it makes it more difficult to
:20:01. > :20:06.control immigration if that is the case. That puts bite, rape against
:20:07. > :20:11.Theresa May and carbon Jones, who says that the referendum result, if
:20:12. > :20:14.it is about anything, is sending a message that something needs to be
:20:15. > :20:18.done about immigration. Plaid Cymru are trying to change that narrative,
:20:19. > :20:22.saying it is not just about immigration, it was about austerity,
:20:23. > :20:26.it was about allsorts of things. The problem I have got is that so many
:20:27. > :20:30.people wanted to leave in Wales and they did so knowing that it would
:20:31. > :20:36.entail leaving the single market as well. Plaid Cymru are insisting they
:20:37. > :20:37.are not in denial about that result in Wales, but there is an accusation
:20:38. > :20:50.that will come their way. Thank you. Sometimes it can be wet and stormy
:20:51. > :20:54.at this time of year, but there is more dry and settled weather to come
:20:55. > :20:58.over the weekend. Some sunshine, but also low cloud, mist and fog
:20:59. > :21:02.patches, with a chilly wind on Sunday. Dryden night, some breaks in
:21:03. > :21:05.the cloud, that will allow some mist and fog patches to form.
:21:06. > :21:09.Temperatures in rural spots dipping close to freezing and with a touch
:21:10. > :21:14.of frost. A chilly, cold so tomorrow morning. Grey and misty in places as
:21:15. > :21:23.well. Some fog patches, the odd spot of drizzle. Otherwise dry. During
:21:24. > :21:28.the morning, the mist and fog will left and clear gradually. Most
:21:29. > :21:33.places are then dry with sunny spells in the afternoon. The shower
:21:34. > :21:35.perhaps later in the far north-east. Top temperatures between nine and 13
:21:36. > :21:41.Celsius, with a light or moderate breeze. Tomorrow night, dry for with
:21:42. > :21:50.some show was about. Kelly spells, low cloud and best of fog patches.
:21:51. > :21:53.Parts of the West are staying clear with frost batches. One or two
:21:54. > :21:58.showers are possible in mid-North Wales and the marches. Sunniest in
:21:59. > :22:03.the south-west. It will be breezy and gusty easterly winds make it
:22:04. > :22:04.feel cold. The little rain on Monday, but the outlook is mostly
:22:05. > :22:07.dry. Let's return now
:22:08. > :22:16.to Jamie in Aberfan. They are still laying flowers here
:22:17. > :22:20.tonight in the garden behind me. the name Aberfan will always
:22:21. > :22:23.be synonymous with tragedy. But what effect does that have
:22:24. > :22:27.on those born and brought up here? Marjorie Collins
:22:28. > :22:30.lost one of her boys that day, and her grandson, Iwan England,
:22:31. > :22:33.has made a documentary I suppose the most remarkable thing,
:22:34. > :22:53.looking back, is that the disaster didn't affect my childhood
:22:54. > :22:56.in any way whatsoever. I was aware of it,
:22:57. > :22:59.I was aware of the history and of the effect
:23:00. > :23:05.that it had on individuals. But it's a testament to them
:23:06. > :23:08.and to the wider community that it had so little material
:23:09. > :23:14.effect or impact. Whilst I was aware of what had
:23:15. > :23:17.happened, it was perfectly normal for me as a small child
:23:18. > :23:20.to play in the memorial garden, for instance,
:23:21. > :23:23.in the playground next door. The community had made
:23:24. > :23:29.a gargantuan effort to move on, to heal the wounds, and therefore it
:23:30. > :23:34.wasn't front and centre You know, the fact that our family
:23:35. > :23:43.were bereaved wasn't remarkable for a village like Aberfan,
:23:44. > :23:46.because so many others were. And that was just a normal part
:23:47. > :23:49.of the background As I was growing up,
:23:50. > :23:57.I slowly became aware of how this
:23:58. > :24:02.had affected so many other people. you go into their front rooms,
:24:03. > :24:05.and there is a painting of a child You notice surnames in the graveyard
:24:06. > :24:11.of people you know, and didn't realise
:24:12. > :24:14.they'd lost children. As bereaved parents,
:24:15. > :24:17.we had to be strong. that I only had the one child
:24:18. > :24:31.left then, Iwan's father. I only wish that he had
:24:32. > :24:37.a brother or a sister now. I think the one thing that people
:24:38. > :24:47.from outside don't appreciate is the immense work that was done
:24:48. > :24:52.by community leaders and by people who moved to the village
:24:53. > :24:55.to help out the community, especially in the late '60s
:24:56. > :24:59.and early '70s. I really hope that those people
:25:00. > :25:02.who rolled up their sleeves when, most probably,
:25:03. > :25:06.they were suffering greatly, that they vary realise
:25:07. > :25:11.that the generations who came after, benefited immensely
:25:12. > :25:16.from their efforts. They all did whatever they could
:25:17. > :25:21.to bring us back to normal. There's still lots of things that
:25:22. > :25:26.have got to be done. The site where the pit
:25:27. > :25:29.was is still waiting to be developed I think Aberfan will be
:25:30. > :25:36.a very nice place to live. but in some ways
:25:37. > :25:48.they do want to move on. Amidst the immense grief,
:25:49. > :25:51.they've found a strength and a sense of community
:25:52. > :25:54.that has seem them through - that has allowed them
:25:55. > :25:58.to look to the future. It's been a day of public grief,
:25:59. > :26:02.of national grief, but nobody apart
:26:03. > :26:05.from the people of Aberfan can ever truly understand the pain
:26:06. > :26:08.and the magnitude We leave you tonight with an extract
:26:09. > :26:25.from the poet Gwyn Thomas - A nation's heart can never be
:26:26. > :26:34.totally broken. There are always some through distance or
:26:35. > :26:42.indifference whose hearts will never be wounded. The nation's heart is
:26:43. > :26:49.Aberfan. Everyone must have responded to the anguish of that
:26:50. > :26:53.village. It is not possible for us to measure precisely and our own
:26:54. > :26:56.selves and our own flesh the impact of this outrageous misfortune. The
:26:57. > :27:02.Brive do not weep into a night of their own. The fact the faces, the
:27:03. > :27:06.silence of those perished children will be present in the minds of
:27:07. > :27:10.people in all the towns and villages of Britain as they bow their heads
:27:11. > :27:33.in shared sorrow on the chosen day of compassion.
:27:34. > :27:55.No one should have borne the losses you suffered. But no one would have
:27:56. > :28:00.borne them with such strength. We shall be laying at least the
:28:01. > :28:07.beginning of a flower on a stricken minds and bodies of Aberfan.