Aberdare Boys’ Grammar School
Memories and Memorabilia
The visit of Simon Weston, May1994
from School Records
Falklands War veteran Simon Weston visited Aberdare Boys Comprehensive School to speak to pupils studying his autobiography Walking Tall as part of their GCSE English course.
The Year 10 pupils were able to hear first hand from Simon how his life changed so radically in 1982 when the RFA support ship Sir Galahad was blown up by bombs dropped by an Argentinian Douglas A-4 Skyhawk jet fighter. Simon suffered very serious burns, and forty eight soldiers and seamen were killed in the attack including thirty two Welsh Guards.
He spoke about many aspects of his life, past and present. He gave graphic accounts of his attitude to the young Argentinians, some the age of his audience, caught up in a train of events for which they were ill prepared.
Simon told the pupils: “If
you want to achieve you must have confidence in yourself to go out there and
do it”.
With Simon Weston and deputy headteacher Judith Griffiths are:
Front Row: (l-r) Jonathan Hayton, Lyndon Owen, Anthony Dinwoodie, Kevin
Pugh, Andrew Williams and Gavin Thomas.
Back Row (l-r): Anthony Williams, Jefferson Jones, Andrew Plank, Craig
Connor, Richard Bryant, Gareth Sheehan, Timothy Davies, Gavin Lloyd.