The little girl’s belongings that tell the story of the Aberfan disaster
The Little Girl’s Belongings That Tell the Story of the Aberfan Disaster
As the 60th year of the Aberfan tragedy approaches, a unique collection of personal items is being safeguarded by Wales’s national museum. Among them are the school notebooks of Marylyn Minett, a 10-year-old who once filled pages with tales of space exploration, volcanic eruptions, and family outings. Her teacher, in a note, had remarked, “This is not news,” before the events that would make it so.
Months later, the disaster struck. A collapsed colliery tip swept through the village, claiming the lives of 116 children and 28 adults. Marylyn and her teacher perished in the tragedy, which became a global story. Her family, now donating her notebooks, sees them as a window into her character. “Each object reflects who they were,” said Gaynor Madgwick, Marylyn’s sister.
Gaynor’s family also contributed items from their younger brother Carl, who was seven when he lost his life. His football and a belt he wore with his jeans will be housed at Amgueddfa Cymru. A recently uncovered dress, believed to belong to Marylyn, was found wrapped in paper inside the kitchen wall of their old home. Gaynor explained, “It was their father’s way of keeping Marylyn close, preserving her memory.”
Meanwhile, a Welsh language Bible, belonging to Cliff and Anne Bunford, survived the wreckage. The couple, who lived in Cardiff, had rented a home in Aberfan. When the disaster occurred, they arrived to witness the devastation. “The house wasn’t there, just bricks and a chimney,” Anne, 92, recalled. The young mother and baby inside were among the victims.
Cliff, who had been building the bungalow at the time, found the Bible untouched in the slurry. “It was the only thing intact,” Anne said. “Other items were shattered, but the Bible remained.” This relic, once read aloud by Cliff’s father to his children each Sunday, now serves as a symbol of resilience. Anne, who kept it in their Cardiff music room for years, donated it to the museum after Cliff’s passing in 2018.
Amgueddfa Cymru’s curator, Ceri Thompson, highlighted the importance of these physical artifacts. “For years, we only had reports and paperwork,” he said. “Now, we have real objects from the disaster itself.” The collection, including Marylyn’s books and the Bunford Bible, will be stored at the museum’s Nantgarw center. “People want to see and touch these items,” Thompson added. “It makes the tragedy feel personal.”
Gaynor emphasized the emotional weight of the donations. “They were children with dreams and memories,” she said. “These objects will ensure their stories endure.”
