UK: SCOTLAND: 1ST ANNIVERSARY OF THE DUNBLANE MASSACRE

Описание: (12 Mar 1997) English/Nat

One year after Britain's worst ever mass murder, the parents of the children killed during the Dunblane massacre say the grieving process has only just begun.

There has been a U-K-wide call for the lighting of candles on the evening of the anniversary in tribute to the sixteen young children and their teacher Gwen Mayor who died in the tragedy.

It was at 9.31am on March the 13th 1996 when the history of this sleepy Scottish town was changed forever.

Within minutes of the news of gunman Thomas Hamilton's attack on Primary One's gym class worried parents came running to the school.

The press followed hot on their heels. News of the tragedy sent shock waves around the world.

By that afternoon flowers had started arriving at the school and by the end of the week the pavements were carpeted with bouquets sent from a world stunned by news of the massacre.

The slaughter of sixteen young children and their teacher seemed incomprehensible.

But the release of a black-and-white photo showing the smiling faces of Gwen Mayor's class brought home the full scale of the horror.

The sixteen faces were soon locked into everyone's minds and many people's hearts.

Queen Elizabeth and her daughter, the Princess Royal, visited Dunblane just four days later, on Mothers' Day.

This marked a turning point in the coverage of the tragedy with the media agreeing to pull out.

Here, the Queen and Princess Anne added their wreaths to the thousands already there.

A year on, Dunblane is still trying to recover, but the town will now forever be remembered for the terrible killings which took place there.

The victims' families have asked to be left in peace on the anniversary.

School will open an hour late on March 13 to give the children and families time to visit the site of the gym.

And there have been calls for a country-wide sign of remembrance. People have been asked to place a single candle in their front windows to remember those who were lost.

Many of the parents of the slain children have never spoken publicly of their grief, but a few have chosen to talk about their battle to recover and collaborated on a book.

The proceeds from the book charting their unimaginable ordeal will go to the Save The Children Fund.

University lecturer Dr Mick North lost his only daughter Sophie, two years after his wife Barbara died of cancer.

He says that sometimes the events of March 13 still seem unreal.

SOUNDBITE:
"At first it was difficult to think that you weren't in the middle of a nightmare and suddenly wake up and everything would be alright. But the nightmare lasted too long."
SUPER CAPTION: Dr Mick North, father of Dunblane victim

And he said the loss of both his wife and his daughter made him question his faith.

SOUNDBITE:
"What is most important, looking after the child, bringing up the child, making sure that they are safe and when your child's life is taken away in what should have been the safest possible place, in a school. You have doubts about everything. And that inevitably makes you think - is this right, and what's more important in my life?"
SUPER CAPTION: Dr Mick North, father of Dunblane victim

Kareen Turner lost her five-year-old daughter Megan in the shooting.

She says her involvement in the book is one of the few positive things that have emerged from the tragedy.

She hopes it will help keep the memory of her daughter and the other children alive.

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SUPER CAPTION: Kareen Turner, mother of Dunblane victim


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