Aberfan cemetary
For those of you that don't know, Aberfan is an unremarkable former mining village in south Wales. Unremarkable apart from the events of a morning in 1966...

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aberfan_disaster

The cemetary clings onto the valley side, and following a short but unbelievably steep walk you find two immaculately kept rows of arches. Under each arch is the grave of a child, some personalised with things like Teddy bears, football boots and dolls.
Unless you know the families of the children, the names mean little. Its what's written beneath that hits hardest.

Aged 7, Aged 6, Aged 7, Aged 9, Aged 8, Aged 6...
( TheMattInAHat has a particular... odour..., Sat 9 Apr 2011, 21:19, 9 replies)

I remember it well
It was not long after my 7th birthday. A girl that I was at school with had a cousin who died in the disaster. Awful day.
( His Popiness the Hole Invaded Poland on, Sat 9 Apr 2011, 21:24, closed)

God, you is well old

( sandettie light vessel automatic New Twitter - @bollocksreally, Sat 9 Apr 2011, 23:53, closed)

I'm actually 14.
ish.
( His Popiness the Hole Invaded Poland on, Sun 10 Apr 2011, 21:41, closed)

Or like the playground joke when I was a kid went:
What's big and black and chases children?
( stuj (^(^;;^)^) GO TEAM SPIDERS!(^(^;;^)^), Sat 9 Apr 2011, 21:39, closed)

Not really creepy
Just very sad .
( bane, Sat 9 Apr 2011, 21:46, closed)

I remember my dad
...coming home late one evening. Mum woke us, and said "Go downstairs and kiss Dad, then go back to bed."

Being dutiful children between the ages of 6 and 3 we did. We went back upstairs, and I heard an odd sound, between a cough and a groan, which went on for about 10 minutes.

He never spoke, but we found out later he was in the RAF rescue teams who dug for the bodies.
(all my scars face forward possesses 2.5% of a hyperalloy combat chassis, Sat 9 Apr 2011, 23:04, closed)

jesus!
It's hard enough thinking about natural disasters where the bodies of people of all ages are being recovered but to have to pull out child after child.

It must have taken a special something for him to keep going after that.

Hat off to him!
(OTT, Sun 10 Apr 2011, 11:04, closed)

^^^
Exactly what he said.
(dchurch bah, Sun 10 Apr 2011, 12:40, closed)

Yes.
Indeed.
( e.m.m.y. foxtrot uniform charlie kilo india tango, Mon 11 Apr 2011, 13:51, closed)