My dad was one of the 'rescuers' that day. He was in the civil defence. He was a steelworker, so not immune to danger himself. I have two older sisters, 8 & 10 years older than me. I was a year-old baby when this happened. Dad was carrying out bodies of "babies" (his word - the only time he ever talked about it to me when I discovered his civil defence overall which had been stuffed in the back of a cupboard) the same age as my next sister up. Dad never got over it. He died a few years ago in his late 80s, but that day never left him.
I'm sorry for your loss, but I hope you take solace in knowing your father was a hero, whose courage helped ease some of the suffering of those afflicted by this terrible tragedy. I hope that the world will continue to produce people like him.
We were taught about this in school. There were a handful of kids who were off sick that day, when all the rest of their class were killed - they suffered from huge survivor's guilt. Thanks for talking about this!
@@smallvalleyproductions9103 well duh bruh. They are like, you won't be able to live with seeing all you friends die so you better be here when they go 🤣
You can ask practically any person in South Wales and they'll know someone who was, or they themselves were, affected by the Aberfan disaster. The gardener that swings by our house is a survivor and is missing fingers because of it. My grandfather helped dig. The disaster scarred my country so deeply that it will never be forgotten, never can be forgotten, as we remember the people who should be here and who's graves now overlooked the valley they called home.
Although I don’t personally know anyone who was affected by this, most likely due to my family being somewhat immigrant, I do know a fair amount about what happened in Abertillery. Such a tragic event for both towns.
I'm 23 and Welsh and I just want to say thank you for covering this topic. Everyone remembers Aberfan in Wales from the old people to the young wannabe chavs, they even teach it in schools. This event made the Welsh people lose hope in their local governments and its officials, mp's ect even to this day. Also you get extra points for correctly pronouncing Aberfan.
I was just talking to my friend about how happy I am about this video topic. we learned about it in school and from what I've heard, they're still talking about it to this day. it's very good to have someone on a global platform talk about it.
I'm actually currently working on gathering a list of as many man-made disasters as possible. When done, I plan on making a UA-cam channel and/or website, gathering them all in one place. Are there any lesser-known Welsh, not known by the outside, that I should add to my list?
When i heard him go over how those low life scum miner board members it enraged me How low, how heartless do you have to be to even talk to grieving parents like that after they’re responsible for hundreds of childrens deaths…
Apparently someone, either from the government or the NCB, (please feel free to elaborate if anyone knows who actually said it) suggested that the residents of Aberfan would "not be able to handle" a larger sum. How fucking disgusting is that???
When those we trust place more value in money than us, that's when you know tragedies like this are inevitable. Avoidable, inexcusable and horrific. The aftermath and legacy just adds the salt to the wounds.
@@pfadiva Ill never trust any government. There always to greedy, never do the right things, they lie, and most of all would rather Liston to billion dollar companies, than there general population.
When I was younger I told my Granda from Sunderland that I thought mining sounded like a fun job, he told me loads of grim stories like the time he saw a pair of bloody overalls spinning in one of the machines, or the time he nearly lost his life as he crawled through a tunnel screaming as a digging machine slowly and nearly caught up to him, I quickly realised that mining wasn’t as easy and as fun as a young me had thought. Hearing this paired with my Granda’s stories made me feel sorry for all those who suffered and awful and for ever thinking mining could be a good job that wasn’t dangerous.
@@jimmyrustler8983 luckily my granda is in his mid seventies now and doesn’t have any lung issues, sadly the same can’t be said for the many others that made that sacrifice to bring food to the table.
@@sentientweetabix2228 Extremely lucky, I'd say. 👍 Silicosis or "Black lung" was also known as "Knappers rot", due to flint knappers often becoming afflicted by it from breathing in the flint dust. It was officially recognized as the first work based health hazard back in the day, too.
Makes me think of all the idiots that want to "bring back coal!" here in the US. That was one of Trump's "promise's". I believe none of the jackass's chanting that ever stepped foot inside a mine.
3 further ideas for you for events in Wales (these are moreso for tales in a bottle): the drowning of the Tryweryn Valley (not so jolly but noone died as a result of the flooding) and also Operation Julie, the breakup of one of the biggest LSD operations in the world. Took place in Mid Wales. Then you also have the Rebecca Riots that also took place in Wales that may make for an interesting topic. Hope these may spring some ideas for you for the future. Diolch - FedoraGoat aka Riley
The Rebecca Riots are something I always look back on with pride :) That and the capture of the last Napoleonic French invaders by a bunch of women wearing traditional dress. Because it's red and with a big hat, from a distance they looked like the "Red coats". Thinking themselves surrounded, the French soldiers surrendered. They were rather embarrassed on discovering that they'd surrendered to unarmed women!
One infamous story I recall from a documentary told that during the debate over responsibility, some Aberfan miners filled their trousers with spoil from the disaster site and travelled all the way to the National Coal Board headquarters in London, whereupon they emptied the spoil onto the lobby floor, a symbolic gesture to say "This waste, and our childrens' blood, is on your hands." This isn't even the latest in the long and often tragic history of the Welsh mining industry. And yet almost paradoxically the decline and gradual end of that same industry that has cost so many lives is costing lives of its own. Without the mines, vast swaths of Wales are being left destitute for gainful employment; for many villages and even large towns the mines were all they had, and now that they're gone there's no work to be had. And with that loss of employment prospect breeds financial and even psychological deprivation; I'm sure many Welsh viewers will cringe at the mentioning of the name Bridgend and I almost needn't mention why. The mines may have been dirty, backbreaking and dangerous, but without them what is there? A question much of Wales is struggling to answer.
Having been born in Bridgend, I know exactly what you mean. I was brought up in a village about 6 miles away, near Porthcawl. The part of the village I was in was built by the local council in the 50s on behalf of the steelworks in Port Talbot (where Dad worked) and the mines. Next door's dad was a miner, but I only ever knew him as a sick 'old' man. His youngest was two months younger than me. He died of 'the dust' when we were 6.
I know what will help. Refugees. From third world countries. Here's a million. We'll have a million more for you next month. You're welcome Sincerely, Liberal Democracy
My Grancha was a Steelworker in Newport, South Wales (Where I'm from actually). I was told by my mother that as soon as he heard about it, he grab his shovel and got in his car and drove up to Aberfan to help. I still have his shovel and his welsh pride (and his voice, apparently). He was there for about a day and when he came home my Nan said that he was in tears as the bodies just piled up. He died sadly in 2005, when I was just 3 but still, what that man went through to help people he didn't know just shows that the Aberfan Disaster was and still is, a National (Welsh) tragedy. Also, I thank you for sharing this vid as it's very obscure unless you're from Wales or West UK (From Liverpool down to Somerset is the West of the UK for those who don't know.) So again, thank you for making this video to show how wrong and disgusting the injustices were at the time, it really is a breath of fresh air. Diolch yn fawr a nos da.
As an Irish - Canadian man, I'm no stranger to mining accidents, and death. I'm a modern day miner, and much has changed. The old mining mistakes have not gone in vain. We have learned from every death as we move forward. All miners must be unionized. Unions are so important for dangerous jobs. In fact, Unions are responsible for so many safety standards, and saved lives. Gr8 documentary here. God Bless 🙏
Every time someone says "And then the government had to step in to meet the rest of the cost of cleanup" I hear "The corporation successfully billed the general public for cleanup after dumping (usually toxic) waste on their community."
Tragedy *happens* Company: *Gasp* . Yes , very sad , however we are in no way liable for what happened .Here Take 50 pounds for your dead kid (out of my generosity) Isn't it horrifying how money makes people absolutely inhumane?
I've heard about this tragedy before. While utterly heartbreaking it makes me very angry. Why do we always wait until there's death before we act? The answer: money. It's always about money. I hope the coal board members each carried a millstone of guilt for all the lives so needlessly lost. It was stupidity to build mountains of spoil on a hillside. It was penny-pinching greed that kept them there even as it became obvious that it was a problem.
The most angering and annoying part. Clean up from accidents costs more then fixing it before it ever happened to begin with. Idk why this is such a hard concept before people, change you oil. Before you blow a motor
55 years ago today. Watched this video a few weeks ago and just now saw an article about it today. Let’s hope they’re always remembered. It’s good videos like this exist.
Every country has a miners memorial day, I strongly encourage observing the day, mining built our communities and is a dangerous and unforgiving industry, Canada has had a tragic history aswell. If you can't grow it, you gotta mine it
@@Cbd_7ohm absolutely I agree, but ultimately where else do you get paid $30+ and hour for unskilled labour, it will always attract workers, and as long as they can bleed money from us they'll keep taking our healthy and safety.
@@airplanemaniacgaming7877 also Westray Mines, a lot of the mine rescue guys from my mine went to assist, and it fucked a lot of them up, they said seeing giant beams and heavy equipment in pools of molten metal, there was no survivors and it was completely preventable
@@arianbyw3819 yeh they suffered with dust on the lungs aswell as other complications. My grandfather died of stomach cancer in the end after having kidney dialasis for months. He used to talk about the mines and how life was back then etc and how his pension from the coal board consisted of free coal for life until they eventually changed his coal fire to a boiler
@gavin. Yup. My paternal grandfather had a pit accident, nearly lost both his legs, suffered for 11 years before he died. It was a hard price to pay for free coal.
@@ianbaker8225 what dont you understand? I remember the disaster not from being there but im local i know my local towns history obviously.. taught in school visited the graves, remembered the dead in assemblies im very familiar with the disaster completely
Great accounts of past tragedy. I know that you can't always find funny history, but it is what it is. I'm 62 and have never heard about this. But I've come to realize that there is more that I will never know, than I ever will. Thanks Qxir! Peace and love. Dan from Nebraska.
Landslides are terrifying, in my country a glaciar fell over a lake after an earthquake, completely erasing several towns in its way to the ocean. But it's sadder when things could've been prevented like in this case.
You should cover the Tangiwai Disaster. On Christmas Eve 1953 a train bridge was hit by a lahar (basically a fast-flowing slurry of volcanic material) while a train was crossing, killing over 150 people. About 20 bodies were never found and presumably floated down river. It remains the worst rail disaster in New Zealand.
Kudos for introducing this dark day to your audience. It's something which has hung over our heads ever since, and tragic doesn't begin to describe the aftermath the community of Aberfan suffered. Also thanks for pronouncing 'Aberfan' correctly as well as acknowledging our government is in fact a government
My dad grew up not too far from Aberfan and was the age as most of the students in he school and he can recount the story of when it happened, and how the atmosphere in south wales towards mining activities changed so fiercely afterwards. Still virulently fresh on his mind to this day.
The whole of the Valleys is littered with coal tips, all greened over so they look like mountains. But thanks to increased rain they're now collapsing again.
I used to live in aberdare and could see the site of this from the bedroom window. It's terrible what happened and it's still very much remembered in Wales.
Seen a heap of vids on this, like a lot of the things you cover, but your cool drawings and way of telling still make stuff I already know really interesting and you often include things others omit. Love your work mate.
Because I have exams soon, I set myself a 30 min UA-cam allowance every day. Your channel is my one go to when I want to watch something that’s worth spending time on
Qxir is a legend… always comes up with really interesting unique stories unlike other channels that just produce stories we’ve all heard time & time again. Keep up the Awesome work Mate And his merch is awesome too! I own two T-shirt’s now & most likely get afew more
Centralia is a borough and near-ghost town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its population has declined from 1,000 in 1980 to 5 residents in 2017 because a coal mine fire has been burning beneath the borough since 1962. The condition of the town inspired a game and a movie, both titled "Silent Hill". I would love to see you do a video on this as well. Thank you.
There's already plenty of videos about centralia. And centralias got nothing on this. Atleast the people in centralia got to keep their lives and were told to move b4 a tragedy happened. Those 5 residents are the ones who chose to stay. Centralias messed up cuz of financial loss but this aberfan thing is the worst of human loss.
I have been following your videos for a long time. I love your wit, dark humour and flippancy. This video is honest, sensitive and your genuine nature comes across... Keep it up marra :D
This is basically the British version of the Vajont dam disaster in Italy: negligence, ignored dangers and complaints, a huge flood of mud, an entire village destroyed, great rescue efforts and victims' families not properly repayed
Born and raised in south wales. I had to try to keep it together to watch your video, it's difficult to relive the details even though I was born many years after the disaster. I learnt about Aberfan in school and my bampy when I was little, we had relatives who had went there to help. I still remember the sad looks on my families face when they talk about it, even now they still remember where they were when they heard about the disaster. People travelled from all over south wales to try and assist. Even now Aberfan is still impacted by the loss of a generation. It's a place that is eerily quiet even now. Each year my family light candles on the anniversary. some schools even go on school trips there to teach the children of the disaster. It's horrific that once again our people had to pay the price for the mistakes of people higher up and people who didn't care. So many incidents in Wales happened for the same reason. The photo of the broken clock that stopped of the time of the incident still lives in my head rent free
I couldn't imagine digging in rubble looking for my girls. It's painful just thinking on it, idk what I'd do living it. RIP to those who didn't make it. I hope peace for those who lived it.
Thank you, I really enjoy your videos and watch for a long time but so nice as a Welsh person to actually hear something about our history and share with a wider audience, and again thank you
Thank you for covering this story. I live not far from where the disaster took place and I know a lot of people who were there when it happened, including my parents. This story doesn't get talked about as much as it should.
I always feel so positive after your glorious stories /s I always have an emotional crises after your stories, but I love them and how you tell stories
That’s why public has to be more aggressive in their demands to the government and local businesses especially when is about life of simple people especially children.
In many cases violent uproars and/or rioting is the only thing that governments and rich and greedy corporations listens to. Sorry that it is this way, but so many peaceful protests have done *nothing* and *nothing* over and over again to actually make a change - and not without trying... *HARD* - but as soon as some violence and people showing their hatred towards the greed and indiference of these corporate overlords and hit them where it hurts; in their money and the way the public sees them, in newspapers, on the news and on the streets, where people are screaming and demanding *RESPECT* and *DIGNITY* - that's often where change takes place. Because then neither the corporation nor the government is able to ignore the people anymore, or they'll seriously *fuck up* the PR for everybody who depends on good PR (politicians, news agencies, corporations etc etc) And by this I'm *not in any way or form* condoning meaningless violence, or violence that crosses over from being a part of a protest into something that's violent against people or places that simply has nothing to do with the problem at hands - that feels like a *very* important thing to add.
I Remember a story that my grandma told me, on how a little girl the night before the disaster had a dream she was choking and the clocks stopped and broke, when she woke her mother told her to go back to bed, she went into school and was one of the bodies found. It’s a horrible story and as South Wales (where I’m from) is such a small place everyone has links to everyone, some who my mum knows half the welsh rugby team
I just have to say I love your channel and your work. The topics you discuss are often completely new to me and that makes it all the more interesting. Additionally it's important to know about events like this tragedy in Aberfan. We need to know these things so we have examples to provide when we notice our own governments neglect and mismanagement of public safety. The more we have the more likely it is we can prevent similar events to occur in the future and we definitely must do everything in our power to do so. Thank you for this video. My condolences to any and all survivors and rescuers.
It’s so eerie looking at the videos of the rescues I can see houses that I pass everyday I can’t imagine how the families dealt with loosing there kids .
I'm so glad Qxir is uploading regularly. Thanks Qxir, your videos always make my day! They were the only thing keeping mefrom falling asleep when I used to work night shifts as a rceptionist.
@@airplanemaniacgaming7877 Caernarvon is the english name for the Welsh town. The town is many hundred years older then war thunder, or even moder warfare itself.
My grandfather and grandmother were there helping. As soon as he heard about it on the radio he drove straight up. My grandmother made tea for all of the helpers and my grandfather was digging. He found one teacher and three kids. There's a memorial there now but he never had the heart to go to Aberfan again.
I live in South Wales, and there was also a huge number of deaths in another town very close by called Abertillery. There’s a statue made from wire made because of the incident.
Reminds me of Centralia PA. There was a coal mine under that town, and it lit on fire. It's been burning for 6 decades straight and has no signs of stopping. The funny thing is I'm pretty sure there are still a handful of people that live in Centralia.
just asked my ma about this because our family was from the valleys. turns out my bampi and his family lived there and helped with rescue efforts, being miners themselves. Bampi lost a cousin to the slide, he posts about it almost every year on facebook - he never forgot. I can't believe i only just found out about this now. Im. I feel weird about it because of suddenly how personal it is.
This story kind of reminds me of Frank slide, an entire side of a mountain collapsed on to the town of Frank in 1903. You can visit the area today, but it's nothing but a huge field of rocks since the debris we're never able to be cleared because of the obviously enormous scale of the disaster...
I've heard this story before, but I don't think I've ever seen this video footage. I can't imagine what was going through the minds of those miners. You're a great storyteller, keep it up!
Thanks for this video, it happened before I was born, but for everyone that lives in the area it still hurts. It's widely known in Wales but I can't help but feel that if something similar had happened in the SE of england or london it would be more widely known
Most Tragic Bud...Left me Speechless...Kudos to You Good Sir, it's important that you are pointing out these failures in some of the most negligent human tragedies caused by individuals motivated by greed and apathy...Thank You
I was 2 yearsand 7 months old when this happened & 170 miles away. But just hearing the name of that town in Wales stops me in my tracks still. It must've been on the television so much that I have emotions memories instead of actual memories. It's a miner's face & helmet covered in spoil slurry that is recalled when I hear "Aberfan". Theres5 a line from a song I know... "Blood & bone is the price of coal." I'm glad we're weaning ourselves off of coal, oil & gas. The price that men & their families pay is far too high!
@@Aengus42 no, I mean for ever, and no electric power, no electronics(they’re made from gross amounts of fossil fuels which you claim to want to be rid of) no electric cars for same said reason.
Thank you Qxir,, I'm from a valleys mining town and the Aberfan disaster is a huge part of our local history - Funny how the powers that be continue to ignore the needs of the south wales valleys. I had to move away because of the lack of industry, jobs and money in the area.
I live only a few miles from this. There’s a large memorial to it close by. Thank you for covering this. A true disaster of our times. Happening the final day before half term too. The coal board not taking responsibility is a classic case of the English government doing what they do in regards to Wales. The Welsh government having to donate the amount as the English refused. So much for a “United” Kingdom.
Thank you for keeping the memory of these children alive. Let us never forget the innocent ones who died that day due to greed and the lack of humanity. Qxir you are my hero for giving those who cant speak a voice. //the Swedish Draugr
When I heard "a day before holidays were due to start" I had a shiver up my spine.... My family always took the last day of school off... that would've been the worst day off school i could've ever imagined...
Thank you for covering arguably the most horrific disaster to befall Wales and keeping those that lost their lives before they even began remembered. Gorffwys yn heddychlon blant ❤️🏴
Aberfan was terrible, Senghenydd just over the other side of the valley was even worse, the largest mining disaster in the UK. Hundreds died! The price paid for a cosy coal fire.
I moved to South Yorkshire a few of years back. It's crazy how many deaths there were back in the day. Like you say, just for coal. I'm not originally from a coal mining area, and although you hear about these things occasionally being mentioned, it's not until you look into it you understand how potentially lethal it all was.
Thanks for handling this one with respect. I dunno why but this one always gets to me. Such an avoidable tragedy and people responsible didn't want to take accountability. Poor small town.
i once learned about this at school in 6th grade, the story described only the part about the school getting destroyed but it did it in extreme detail for 6th grade.
Qxir, your channel I tippy top shelf material. I have no doubt that your other subscribers are just as loyal, and really enjoy your weekly episodes. You take care to bring us some fascinating and often forgotten gems. Keep it up man- I hope you surpass a million subs in the next year
The National Coal Board denies responsibility. Blighters. Reminds me of that famous quote by Mandy Rice Davies regarding Lord Astor's denial "Well, he wouldn't he?" Heaven forfend that they actually take responsibility for their oversight role...
I miss you so much your videos brought me great joy I'm sorry that I fell off but tbh I have memory problems but your videos fueled my love for history and I'm happy to have found your channel again 💖
I can remember my mum telling me a story about this when I was young. She said that one girl from Aberfan had a horrible dream the day before of a big black monster swallowing the school - she was so upset that she didn't go to school the next day, and so survived. Anyone ever heard of that?
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Can you do a video about the Halifax disaster?
In a similar vein, there is the tragedy of Frank Slide: the deadliest landslide in Canadian history. It was also (debatabley) caused by coal mining.
Why is there no art drawing
My dad was one of the 'rescuers' that day. He was in the civil defence. He was a steelworker, so not immune to danger himself. I have two older sisters, 8 & 10 years older than me. I was a year-old baby when this happened. Dad was carrying out bodies of "babies" (his word - the only time he ever talked about it to me when I discovered his civil defence overall which had been stuffed in the back of a cupboard) the same age as my next sister up. Dad never got over it. He died a few years ago in his late 80s, but that day never left him.
My condolences, your dad was a brave soul
Bless him. I can’t imagine the mental burden that must’ve placed on him.
So he's a hero, then?
Brave, amazing man.
Stay proud over him and his amazing contribution those days.
I'm sorry for your loss, but I hope you take solace in knowing your father was a hero, whose courage helped ease some of the suffering of those afflicted by this terrible tragedy. I hope that the world will continue to produce people like him.
Well done dad, I hope his soul is resting in peace knowing how much he helped
We were taught about this in school. There were a handful of kids who were off sick that day, when all the rest of their class were killed - they suffered from huge survivor's guilt. Thanks for talking about this!
Sounds like your school tried to guilt trip you into showing up everyday lmfao
@@RandoManFPV ??? you do know what survivor's guilt is, right?
@@smallvalleyproductions9103 well duh bruh.
They are like, you won't be able to live with seeing all you friends die so you better be here when they go 🤣
@@RandoManFPV Wow! That is next level unfunny and in bad taste
@@D.M.S. that's my bad bro I thought I was commenting on a pka podcast again XD
You can ask practically any person in South Wales and they'll know someone who was, or they themselves were, affected by the Aberfan disaster. The gardener that swings by our house is a survivor and is missing fingers because of it. My grandfather helped dig. The disaster scarred my country so deeply that it will never be forgotten, never can be forgotten, as we remember the people who should be here and who's graves now overlooked the valley they called home.
wales isn't even a real place.
@@Ass_of_Amalek I'll assume that you are a bot. If you were a real person I would be disgusted by you.
@@neilwilson5785 I mean I’m all down for some welsh slander but this is definitely not the place for that
@@Ass_of_Amalek
So callous
Although I don’t personally know anyone who was affected by this, most likely due to my family being somewhat immigrant, I do know a fair amount about what happened in Abertillery. Such a tragic event for both towns.
I'm 23 and Welsh and I just want to say thank you for covering this topic.
Everyone remembers Aberfan in Wales from the old people to the young wannabe chavs, they even teach it in schools.
This event made the Welsh people lose hope in their local governments and its officials, mp's ect even to this day.
Also you get extra points for correctly pronouncing Aberfan.
Turns out Qxir will pronounce everything flawlessly in all Celtic languages
What's a chav?
@@Coltavena Celtic Heroes And Victors
I was just talking to my friend about how happy I am about this video topic. we learned about it in school and from what I've heard, they're still talking about it to this day. it's very good to have someone on a global platform talk about it.
And now it’s remembered in a Netflix historical drama
Thanks for covering a Welsh tragedy, our dark days are not often talked about on an international stage
Agreed
To be fair not many people can understand what you are trying to say.
@@Penoatle what
I am from coal country in the US and I never knew about this tragedy until today. Thank you for sharing this part of Welsh history.
I'm actually currently working on gathering a list of as many man-made disasters as possible. When done, I plan on making a UA-cam channel and/or website, gathering them all in one place. Are there any lesser-known Welsh, not known by the outside, that I should add to my list?
Imagine having your child killed by negligence and oversights and then being told 50 pounds is generous…
When i heard him go over how those low life scum miner board members it enraged me
How low, how heartless do you have to be to even talk to grieving parents like that after they’re responsible for hundreds of childrens deaths…
@@Hannibalkakihara excatly it’s disgusting. And the saddest part is stuff like this happens today. People didn’t learn at all
Apparently someone, either from the government or the NCB, (please feel free to elaborate if anyone knows who actually said it) suggested that the residents of Aberfan would "not be able to handle" a larger sum. How fucking disgusting is that???
@@emlix1 no way did they actually say that….so unbelievably inhumane
@hiddengoblo. It's true.
When those we trust place more value in money than us, that's when you know tragedies like this are inevitable. Avoidable, inexcusable and horrific. The aftermath and legacy just adds the salt to the wounds.
And some wonder why folks don't trust their governments.
But it was nationalised and 'for the people' right? So they are morally incorruptable!
@@pfadiva Ill never trust any government. There always to greedy, never do the right things, they lie, and most of all would rather Liston to billion dollar companies, than there general population.
Who trusts them?
The Government does not even trust itself.
"Oh your child died? Here, 50 quid."
"Okay, okay. 500 quid. Because I'm generous."
Its 8800 with inflation today, still to low
"Gonna keep pouting? Have a Baton to the head."
The level of sociopathy there is unreal
@@mattmurphy7030 WHat type of car?
@@simonscott1121 Lmao
When I was younger I told my Granda from Sunderland that I thought mining sounded like a fun job, he told me loads of grim stories like the time he saw a pair of bloody overalls spinning in one of the machines, or the time he nearly lost his life as he crawled through a tunnel screaming as a digging machine slowly and nearly caught up to him, I quickly realised that mining wasn’t as easy and as fun as a young me had thought. Hearing this paired with my Granda’s stories made me feel sorry for all those who suffered and awful and for ever thinking mining could be a good job that wasn’t dangerous.
If everything else down there doesn't get you first, then the fine, black dust will eventually.....
@@jimmyrustler8983 luckily my granda is in his mid seventies now and doesn’t have any lung issues, sadly the same can’t be said for the many others that made that sacrifice to bring food to the table.
@@sentientweetabix2228 Extremely lucky, I'd say. 👍
Silicosis or "Black lung" was also known as "Knappers rot", due to flint knappers often becoming afflicted by it from breathing in the flint dust.
It was officially recognized as the first work based health hazard back in the day, too.
This is why you dont base your career choices on minecraft
Makes me think of all the idiots that want to "bring back coal!" here in the US. That was one of Trump's "promise's". I believe none of the jackass's chanting that ever stepped foot inside a mine.
3 further ideas for you for events in Wales (these are moreso for tales in a bottle): the drowning of the Tryweryn Valley (not so jolly but noone died as a result of the flooding) and also Operation Julie, the breakup of one of the biggest LSD operations in the world. Took place in Mid Wales. Then you also have the Rebecca Riots that also took place in Wales that may make for an interesting topic. Hope these may spring some ideas for you for the future. Diolch - FedoraGoat aka Riley
The Rebecca Riots are something I always look back on with pride :) That and the capture of the last Napoleonic French invaders by a bunch of women wearing traditional dress. Because it's red and with a big hat, from a distance they looked like the "Red coats". Thinking themselves surrounded, the French soldiers surrendered. They were rather embarrassed on discovering that they'd surrendered to unarmed women!
@@y_fam_goeglyd OH Yeah! Jemima Nicholas! Its also defo worth a look :)
Not in wales ( not even close ), but what about the Centralia fire?
Julie's been working for the drug squad
Operation Julie happened a few miles away from where my mother grew up.
One infamous story I recall from a documentary told that during the debate over responsibility, some Aberfan miners filled their trousers with spoil from the disaster site and travelled all the way to the National Coal Board headquarters in London, whereupon they emptied the spoil onto the lobby floor, a symbolic gesture to say "This waste, and our childrens' blood, is on your hands."
This isn't even the latest in the long and often tragic history of the Welsh mining industry. And yet almost paradoxically the decline and gradual end of that same industry that has cost so many lives is costing lives of its own. Without the mines, vast swaths of Wales are being left destitute for gainful employment; for many villages and even large towns the mines were all they had, and now that they're gone there's no work to be had. And with that loss of employment prospect breeds financial and even psychological deprivation; I'm sure many Welsh viewers will cringe at the mentioning of the name Bridgend and I almost needn't mention why. The mines may have been dirty, backbreaking and dangerous, but without them what is there? A question much of Wales is struggling to answer.
Well put.
Having been born in Bridgend, I know exactly what you mean. I was brought up in a village about 6 miles away, near Porthcawl. The part of the village I was in was built by the local council in the 50s on behalf of the steelworks in Port Talbot (where Dad worked) and the mines. Next door's dad was a miner, but I only ever knew him as a sick 'old' man. His youngest was two months younger than me. He died of 'the dust' when we were 6.
we need the mines because we need our OWN FUEL!
not rely on other countries for our energy!
@@y_fam_goeglyd Not many miners lived beyond 50.
I know what will help.
Refugees. From third world countries. Here's a million. We'll have a million more for you next month.
You're welcome
Sincerely,
Liberal Democracy
My Grancha was a Steelworker in Newport, South Wales (Where I'm from actually). I was told by my mother that as soon as he heard about it, he grab his shovel and got in his car and drove up to Aberfan to help. I still have his shovel and his welsh pride (and his voice, apparently). He was there for about a day and when he came home my Nan said that he was in tears as the bodies just piled up. He died sadly in 2005, when I was just 3 but still, what that man went through to help people he didn't know just shows that the Aberfan Disaster was and still is, a National (Welsh) tragedy.
Also, I thank you for sharing this vid as it's very obscure unless you're from Wales or West UK (From Liverpool down to Somerset is the West of the UK for those who don't know.) So again, thank you for making this video to show how wrong and disgusting the injustices were at the time, it really is a breath of fresh air. Diolch yn fawr a nos da.
As an Irish - Canadian man, I'm no stranger to mining accidents, and death. I'm a modern day miner, and much has changed. The old mining mistakes have not gone in vain. We have learned from every death as we move forward. All miners must be unionized. Unions are so important for dangerous jobs. In fact, Unions are responsible for so many safety standards, and saved lives. Gr8 documentary here. God Bless 🙏
"The stronger the union, the safer the mine."
Still true.
Every time someone says "And then the government had to step in to meet the rest of the cost of cleanup"
I hear
"The corporation successfully billed the general public for cleanup after dumping (usually toxic) waste on their community."
Basically every gov ever, oh negligence caused this? Ok pay up a small fee (tax) so we clean up
If the gov is very good and just Low on funds I’d give it but most govs are that good
@1:21 the mine was operated by the National Coal Board, an entity owned by the state.
the state billed the people after dumping waste on the people
@Slick Armor ...i hate paying taxes but imagine every dollar of tax you pay going to the wage of the person who caused the death of your child.
Tragedy *happens*
Company: *Gasp* . Yes , very sad , however we are in no way liable for what happened .Here Take 50 pounds for your dead kid (out of my generosity)
Isn't it horrifying how money makes people absolutely inhumane?
I've heard about this tragedy before. While utterly heartbreaking it makes me very angry. Why do we always wait until there's death before we act? The answer: money. It's always about money. I hope the coal board members each carried a millstone of guilt for all the lives so needlessly lost. It was stupidity to build mountains of spoil on a hillside. It was penny-pinching greed that kept them there even as it became obvious that it was a problem.
The most angering and annoying part. Clean up from accidents costs more then fixing it before it ever happened to begin with. Idk why this is such a hard concept before people, change you oil. Before you blow a motor
who the fuck still uses coal
@@flamingrubys11 all of us, coal is in many places the main energy source for the electric grid
Shit man they didn't even want to act even after all those people died lol, that's cartoon levels of evil
@@flamingrubys11bro are you like 12 coal isnt only used in steam locomotive engines its still used today for eletricity
55 years ago today. Watched this video a few weeks ago and just now saw an article about it today.
Let’s hope they’re always remembered. It’s good videos like this exist.
Every country has a miners memorial day, I strongly encourage observing the day, mining built our communities and is a dangerous and unforgiving industry, Canada has had a tragic history aswell.
If you can't grow it, you gotta mine it
It doesn't HAVE to be THAT unforgiving. The owners and government make things way worse.
@@Cbd_7ohm absolutely I agree, but ultimately where else do you get paid $30+ and hour for unskilled labour, it will always attract workers, and as long as they can bleed money from us they'll keep taking our healthy and safety.
an example or two of tragic cases in Canadian mining history: Hillcrest, and Turtle Mountain.
@@airplanemaniacgaming7877 also Westray Mines, a lot of the mine rescue guys from my mine went to assist, and it fucked a lot of them up, they said seeing giant beams and heavy equipment in pools of molten metal, there was no survivors and it was completely preventable
in america iirc we had a coal mine that literally lit up and is apparently still burning
Im welsh from the area and 36yrs old. I remember this and it was extremely tragic. My grandfather was a welsh miner
Both my grandfather's were miners, paid for it with their heakth.
@@arianbyw3819 yeh they suffered with dust on the lungs aswell as other complications. My grandfather died of stomach cancer in the end after having kidney dialasis for months. He used to talk about the mines and how life was back then etc and how his pension from the coal board consisted of free coal for life until they eventually changed his coal fire to a boiler
@gavin. Yup. My paternal grandfather had a pit accident, nearly lost both his legs, suffered for 11 years before he died. It was a hard price to pay for free coal.
I don't understand. You say you're 36 and you remember the Aberfan disaster? But it happened in October 1966.
@@ianbaker8225 what dont you understand? I remember the disaster not from being there but im local i know my local towns history obviously.. taught in school visited the graves, remembered the dead in assemblies im very familiar with the disaster completely
Great accounts of past tragedy. I know that you can't always find funny history, but it is what it is. I'm 62 and have never heard about this. But I've come to realize that there is more that I will never know, than I ever will. Thanks Qxir! Peace and love. Dan from Nebraska.
My English teacher was there and did a talk in assembly.
A very emotional talk.
A technician from my school was there that day although he was only a year old he remembers what it was like growing up and how sad everyone was
Dude that is fucking awful to think about oml
Landslides are terrifying, in my country a glaciar fell over a lake after an earthquake, completely erasing several towns in its way to the ocean. But it's sadder when things could've been prevented like in this case.
You should cover the Tangiwai Disaster. On Christmas Eve 1953 a train bridge was hit by a lahar (basically a fast-flowing slurry of volcanic material) while a train was crossing, killing over 150 people. About 20 bodies were never found and presumably floated down river. It remains the worst rail disaster in New Zealand.
Kudos for introducing this dark day to your audience. It's something which has hung over our heads ever since, and tragic doesn't begin to describe the aftermath the community of Aberfan suffered.
Also thanks for pronouncing 'Aberfan' correctly as well as acknowledging our government is in fact a government
I like the way you tell a story!
I'm from the US, we don't hear of these tragedies, I applaud you for bringing them out.👏
My dad grew up not too far from Aberfan and was the age as most of the students in he school and he can recount the story of when it happened, and how the atmosphere in south wales towards mining activities changed so fiercely afterwards. Still virulently fresh on his mind to this day.
The whole of the Valleys is littered with coal tips, all greened over so they look like mountains. But thanks to increased rain they're now collapsing again.
Aw damn. Sorry. Not as catastrophic, I hope.
I used to live in aberdare and could see the site of this from the bedroom window. It's terrible what happened and it's still very much remembered in Wales.
Seen a heap of vids on this, like a lot of the things you cover, but your cool drawings and way of telling still make stuff I already know really interesting and you often include things others omit. Love your work mate.
Same here
Because I have exams soon, I set myself a 30 min UA-cam allowance every day. Your channel is my one go to when I want to watch something that’s worth spending time on
Just binged like 7 videos today. Nothing like having the freshest episodes to start up more watching.
Thanks for another story to cheer me up at the end of a long day!
Every time you upload, I feel like I am receiving a personal gift.
Thank you for what you do brother! (Your hair looks great!)
Qxir is a legend… always comes up with really interesting unique stories unlike other channels that just produce stories we’ve all heard time & time again. Keep up the Awesome work Mate
And his merch is awesome too! I own two
T-shirt’s now & most likely get afew more
Centralia is a borough and near-ghost town in Columbia County, Pennsylvania, United States. Its population has declined from 1,000 in 1980 to 5 residents in 2017 because a coal mine fire has been burning beneath the borough since 1962. The condition of the town inspired a game and a movie, both titled "Silent Hill".
I would love to see you do a video on this as well. Thank you.
been there a couple time. really interesting areas
This is what I thought the video was going to be about
@@jamesflowers1295 same. for a moment i thought Pennsylvania wasn't totally forgotten about
you copy pasted this from wikipedia
There's already plenty of videos about centralia. And centralias got nothing on this. Atleast the people in centralia got to keep their lives and were told to move b4 a tragedy happened. Those 5 residents are the ones who chose to stay. Centralias messed up cuz of financial loss but this aberfan thing is the worst of human loss.
I have been following your videos for a long time. I love your wit, dark humour and flippancy.
This video is honest, sensitive and your genuine nature comes across... Keep it up marra :D
This is basically the British version of the Vajont dam disaster in Italy: negligence, ignored dangers and complaints, a huge flood of mud, an entire village destroyed, great rescue efforts and victims' families not properly repayed
It’s not the “British version” this was a Welsh tragedy, caused by English colonial greed
American of Welsh descent whose family came to work in the Pennsylvania coal mines . A very sad story , thanks for covering it .
With the amount of coal tips in the valley, it won't be long before there's another slide. There's a few that have already started breaking.
I studied this in geography at secondary, it's eerie hearing the event in more detail than learnt
I loved the video! Please consider doing the Halifax Explosion of 1917 as I feel you’d do an amazing job with it!
Born and raised in south wales. I had to try to keep it together to watch your video, it's difficult to relive the details even though I was born many years after the disaster. I learnt about Aberfan in school and my bampy when I was little, we had relatives who had went there to help. I still remember the sad looks on my families face when they talk about it, even now they still remember where they were when they heard about the disaster. People travelled from all over south wales to try and assist.
Even now Aberfan is still impacted by the loss of a generation. It's a place that is eerily quiet even now.
Each year my family light candles on the anniversary.
some schools even go on school trips there to teach the children of the disaster. It's horrific that once again our people had to pay the price for the mistakes of people higher up and people who didn't care. So many incidents in Wales happened for the same reason.
The photo of the broken clock that stopped of the time of the incident still lives in my head rent free
its crazy to think that the worst mining accident happened above ground
My grandfather was sent up to help move the slag, thank you for covering this tragedy it’s really looked over on the international stage
Aberfan will forever be remembered by the Welsh, let’s hope the rest of the world follows suit
Your story telling is still as vibrant as ever. Thank you for this story
One of the best youtubers out there rn
Thank you so much for covering this Wales' darkest hours 🏴
I couldn't imagine digging in rubble looking for my girls. It's painful just thinking on it, idk what I'd do living it. RIP to those who didn't make it. I hope peace for those who lived it.
Thank you, I really enjoy your videos and watch for a long time but so nice as a Welsh person to actually hear something about our history and share with a wider audience, and again thank you
Thank you for finally talking about Aberfan
Thank you for covering this story. I live not far from where the disaster took place and I know a lot of people who were there when it happened, including my parents. This story doesn't get talked about as much as it should.
I love seeing the notifications when you upload
I always feel so positive after your glorious stories /s
I always have an emotional crises after your stories, but I love them and how you tell stories
That’s why public has to be more aggressive in their demands to the government and local businesses especially when is about life of simple people especially children.
In many cases violent uproars and/or rioting is the only thing that governments and rich and greedy corporations listens to. Sorry that it is this way, but so many peaceful protests have done *nothing* and *nothing* over and over again to actually make a change - and not without trying... *HARD* - but as soon as some violence and people showing their hatred towards the greed and indiference of these corporate overlords and hit them where it hurts; in their money and the way the public sees them, in newspapers, on the news and on the streets, where people are screaming and demanding *RESPECT* and *DIGNITY* - that's often where change takes place. Because then neither the corporation nor the government is able to ignore the people anymore, or they'll seriously *fuck up* the PR for everybody who depends on good PR (politicians, news agencies, corporations etc etc)
And by this I'm *not in any way or form* condoning meaningless violence, or violence that crosses over from being a part of a protest into something that's violent against people or places that simply has nothing to do with the problem at hands - that feels like a *very* important thing to add.
Also companies should be punished harshly for not admitting fault.
@@GrumpyIan Yes, yes SO MANY yes'es I can't write them all because it would take the *entire* night and possibly tomorrow too.
@@GrumpyIan Just like how the government goes soft around big corporations and lets them get away with alot, but gets all huffy at the public.
@@Rustikreign Sorry, get excited/mad. But honestly, this was like two or three words? Is that so bad?
this might be the most painful story to hear. i honestly struggled to get through this video because of your amazing narration
I Remember a story that my grandma told me, on how a little girl the night before the disaster had a dream she was choking and the clocks stopped and broke, when she woke her mother told her to go back to bed, she went into school and was one of the bodies found. It’s a horrible story and as South Wales (where I’m from) is such a small place everyone has links to everyone, some who my mum knows half the welsh rugby team
I just have to say I love your channel and your work. The topics you discuss are often completely new to me and that makes it all the more interesting.
Additionally it's important to know about events like this tragedy in Aberfan. We need to know these things so we have examples to provide when we notice our own governments neglect and mismanagement of public safety. The more we have the more likely it is we can prevent similar events to occur in the future and we definitely must do everything in our power to do so.
Thank you for this video.
My condolences to any and all survivors and rescuers.
between qxir, plainly difficult and fascinating horror im always going to watch all of these histories at least three times, dat good ngl
😂
May I point you in the direction of the "Well There's Your Problem" podcast on this and other disasters?
It’s so eerie looking at the videos of the rescues I can see houses that I pass everyday I can’t imagine how the families dealt with loosing there kids .
I'm so glad Qxir is uploading regularly. Thanks Qxir, your videos always make my day! They were the only thing keeping mefrom falling asleep when I used to work night shifts as a rceptionist.
I went to a Welsh primary school in Caernarfon, and we learnt about this.
that name is quite the cool one. I like to play War Thunder, and seeing that reminds me of the Caernarvon Heavy Tank. *Sorry, random splurge over.*
@@airplanemaniacgaming7877 Caernarvon is the english name for the Welsh town.
The town is many hundred years older then war thunder, or even moder warfare itself.
My grandfather and grandmother were there helping. As soon as he heard about it on the radio he drove straight up. My grandmother made tea for all of the helpers and my grandfather was digging. He found one teacher and three kids. There's a memorial there now but he never had the heart to go to Aberfan again.
I live in South Wales, and there was also a huge number of deaths in another town very close by called Abertillery. There’s a statue made from wire made because of the incident.
Reminds me of Centralia PA. There was a coal mine under that town, and it lit on fire. It's been burning for 6 decades straight and has no signs of stopping. The funny thing is I'm pretty sure there are still a handful of people that live in Centralia.
just asked my ma about this because our family was from the valleys. turns out my bampi and his family lived there and helped with rescue efforts, being miners themselves. Bampi lost a cousin to the slide, he posts about it almost every year on facebook - he never forgot.
I can't believe i only just found out about this now. Im. I feel weird about it because of suddenly how personal it is.
this story is so tragic... Great job bringing the story to life..
This story kind of reminds me of Frank slide, an entire side of a mountain collapsed on to the town of Frank in 1903.
You can visit the area today, but it's nothing but a huge field of rocks since the debris we're never able to be cleared because of the obviously enormous scale of the disaster...
I remember visiting the area and museum. Iirc there are still bodies under those giant boulders. It's eerie seeing something like that
I've heard this story before, but I don't think I've ever seen this video footage. I can't imagine what was going through the minds of those miners. You're a great storyteller, keep it up!
Thanks for this video, it happened before I was born, but for everyone that lives in the area it still hurts. It's widely known in Wales but I can't help but feel that if something similar had happened in the SE of england or london it would be more widely known
Its amazing how you bring this to light, if it wasn’t for you id most likely never have known of this terrible event. Great video
I was 9 years old at the time and I remember seeing the news reels.
Most Tragic Bud...Left me Speechless...Kudos to You Good Sir, it's important that you are pointing out these failures in some of the most negligent human tragedies caused by individuals motivated by greed and apathy...Thank You
Currently sitting in a machine 1022 meters underground while listening to this. It really becomes extra eary...
Very well done. I'm impressed by how well you adapt your tone to fit the subject.
I was 2 yearsand 7 months old when this happened & 170 miles away.
But just hearing the name of that town in Wales stops me in my tracks still. It must've been on the television so much that I have emotions memories instead of actual memories.
It's a miner's face & helmet covered in spoil slurry that is recalled when I hear "Aberfan".
Theres5 a line from a song I know... "Blood & bone is the price of coal."
I'm glad we're weaning ourselves off of coal, oil & gas. The price that men & their families pay is far too high!
Don’t count on getting rid of fossil fuels for the foreseeable future unless you’re willing to live in a teepee.
@@andrewrivera4029 I have, for a winter in Wales. Very cosy!
@@Aengus42 no, I mean for ever, and no electric power, no electronics(they’re made from gross amounts of fossil fuels which you claim to want to be rid of) no electric cars for same said reason.
Thank you Qxir,, I'm from a valleys mining town and the Aberfan disaster is a huge part of our local history - Funny how the powers that be continue to ignore the needs of the south wales valleys. I had to move away because of the lack of industry, jobs and money in the area.
ps. MORE WELSH STORIES PLS!! We hate the English almost as much as y'all Irish folk do xxx
@@kleebeez im English and i bloody hate our government
Well, that was about fucking depressing. It amazes me how the parties responsible will fight tough and nail to avoid responsibility.
I live only a few miles from this. There’s a large memorial to it close by.
Thank you for covering this. A true disaster of our times.
Happening the final day before half term too.
The coal board not taking responsibility is a classic case of the English government doing what they do in regards to Wales.
The Welsh government having to donate the amount as the English refused. So much for a “United” Kingdom.
Qxir looking like Brad Pitt in his surfer phase. (but Irish and tired)
Or Poundland Kurt Cobain
My grandfather told me about that day...dug with his barehands to find his brother, nice to see on qxir thank you
i remember learning about this in some random english extract we were using for exam practise
Thank you for keeping the memory of these children alive. Let us never forget the innocent ones who died that day due to greed and the lack of humanity.
Qxir you are my hero for giving those who cant speak a voice.
//the Swedish Draugr
Keep up the awesome work!
i feel like this channel is just shrouded hand but less dark, but i still love it.
When I heard "a day before holidays were due to start" I had a shiver up my spine....
My family always took the last day of school off... that would've been the worst day off school i could've ever imagined...
Thank you for covering arguably the most horrific disaster to befall Wales and keeping those that lost their lives before they even began remembered.
Gorffwys yn heddychlon blant ❤️🏴
Aberfan was terrible, Senghenydd just over the other side of the valley was even worse, the largest mining disaster in the UK. Hundreds died! The price paid for a cosy coal fire.
I moved to South Yorkshire a few of years back. It's crazy how many deaths there were back in the day. Like you say, just for coal. I'm not originally from a coal mining area, and although you hear about these things occasionally being mentioned, it's not until you look into it you understand how potentially lethal it all was.
Thanks for handling this one with respect. I dunno why but this one always gets to me. Such an avoidable tragedy and people responsible didn't want to take accountability. Poor small town.
Hell yeah! been waiting for a qxir video
i once learned about this at school in 6th grade, the story described only the part about the school getting destroyed but it did it in extreme detail for 6th grade.
Ayy always happy to see an upload
underrated channel, this guy needs more attention
Although I missed your usual hilarious cartoon graphics, I guess this episode had a scarce need for humour. Thanks for your content bud.
Qxir, your channel I tippy top shelf material. I have no doubt that your other subscribers are just as loyal, and really enjoy your weekly episodes. You take care to bring us some fascinating and often forgotten gems. Keep it up man- I hope you surpass a million subs in the next year
The National Coal Board denies responsibility. Blighters. Reminds me of that famous quote by Mandy Rice Davies regarding Lord Astor's denial "Well, he wouldn't he?"
Heaven forfend that they actually take responsibility for their oversight role...
I miss you so much your videos brought me great joy I'm sorry that I fell off but tbh I have memory problems but your videos fueled my love for history and I'm happy to have found your channel again 💖
We learn about this in school now, and we have to RE-ENACT it
Wait, WHAT!!
The school system will never cease to confuse me
I can remember my mum telling me a story about this when I was young. She said that one girl from Aberfan had a horrible dream the day before of a big black monster swallowing the school - she was so upset that she didn't go to school the next day, and so survived. Anyone ever heard of that?