Coal-miner Harry Chappell

With today being the 50th Anniversary of the Aberfan mine disaster I thought of my Grandfather who was a Welsh coalminer  -  he lived in Cefn Coed, a village just ten miles from Aberfan. 116 school-children and 27 adults died in Aberfan on the 21st October 1966 when a mountain of coal waste slid down onto the school and nearby houses. My grandfather didn't actually work in the Cefn Coed Colliery, which was just as well because according to accounts of it the depth at which the mine worked was so hot that 'by mealtime the cheese in their sandwiches melted like butter'!  I only met my Grandfather once and this is the only photograph I have of him. The bride is his daughter - my Aunt Hetty (Henrietta)  - and his mother-in-law  (my Great-grandmother) - also Henrietta - is standing behind my aunt. I couldn't find the original photo but luckily had a copy in my laptop - so this is a photograph from my laptop screen. My heart goes out to the community of Aberfan who lost so many loved ones on that day.