Aberfan - 'Leave us alone'
Saturday, October 21, 2006
Forty years on and Aberfan still grieves.
But it grieves in public.
Today is the anniversary, but there's been no let up all week. Front page splashes, breakfast tv and endless documentaries. Dermot Murnaghan did his sympathy face, newspapers reached for sombre adjectives and production teams brought out all the usual cello-heavy laments for their soundtracks.
I wasn't convinced about the sincerity of it at all. For me, the most poignant moment came at the end of a BBC Wales programme, broadcast this evening, about a modern art project which set about normalizing the village in the eyes of the world.
One old lady closed the programme with the words, "there's nothing more to say."The press should take note. In ten years time, when the 50th anniversary comes around, they should stay away.
Aberfan needs no help remembering.
posted by Blamerbell @ 9:45 pm,
