1957 in Wales
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| See also: | List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history
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This article is about the particular significance of the year 1957 to Wales and its people.
- Minister of Welsh Affairs – Henry Brooke[1]
- Archbishop of Wales
- John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff (died 26 June)[2]
- Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth (elected)[3]
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
- Dyfnallt (outgoing)[4]
- William Morris (incoming)[5]
Events
- 18 January – Nigel Birch is appointed Economic Secretary to the Treasury.[6]
- 25 February – Goronwy Rees, Principal of the University of Wales College Aberystwyth, resigns following allegations that he has spied for the Soviet Union.[7]
- 28 February – Carmarthen by-election is held following the death of Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris the previous year. The Liberal Party lose the seat to Labour's Lady Megan Lloyd George, herself a former Liberal MP.[8]
- 1 July – Royal physician Horace Evans is created 1st Baron Evans of Merthyr Tydfil.[9]
- 6 July – The Royal Welsh Show is held at Blaendolau; the showground is flooded to a depth of 1 metre.
- 16 July – Five people drown in a boating accident at Barmouth.
- 31 July – The Tryweryn Bill, permitting Liverpool City Council to build a reservoir which will drown the village of Capel Celyn, becomes law.[10]
- 8 September – The town hall at Aberystwyth is seriously damaged by fire.
- 21 November – Morgan Phillips and Aneurin Bevan, along with Richard Crossman, successfully sue The Spectator for libel.[11]
- 12 December – Wales gets its own minister of state in the Westminster government for the first time. Prime Minister Harold Macmillan rejects requests for a Secretary of State.[12]
- date unknown – Brecon Beacons becomes the third of Wales's national parks.[13]
Arts and literature
- 5 October – Paul Robeson (blacklisted at this time from travelling outside the United States) addresses the Miners' Eisteddfod at the Grand Pavilion, Porthcawl via a transatlantic telephone link to the miners' leader Will Paynter.
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llangefni)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Gwilym Tilsley, "Cwm Carnedd"[14]
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dyfnallt Morgan, "Drama Fydryddol Rhwng Dau"[15]
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Tom Parri Jones, Teisennau Berffro[16]
New books
Welsh language
- Käte Bosse-Griffiths – Mae'r Galon wrth y Llyw
- Islwyn Ffowc Elis – Wythnos Yng Nghymru Fydd
- Bobi Jones – Y Gân Gyntaf
- W. Leslie Richards – Telyn Teilo
- Gwilym Tilsley – Y glöwr a cherddi eraill
English language
- John Charles – King of Soccer
- Rhys Davies – The Perishable Quality
- Trevor Ford – I Lead the Attack
- Dick Francis – The Sport of Queens
- T. Harri Jones – The Enemy in the Heart
New drama
- Albert Evans-Jones – Absalom Fy Mab
Music
- Shirley Bassey – Banana Boat Song (her first chart single)[17]
- Alun Hoddinott – Harp Concerto (written for Osian Ellis)[18]
- Daniel Jones – String Quartet 1957[19]
Film
- Donald Houston stars in The Girl in the Picture.
Broadcasting
- Alun Oldfield-Davies becomes senior regional BBC controller, after several years of successful campaigning for Welsh-language television.
Welsh-language television
- February – Cefndir (first regular Welsh-language programme)
- September – Dewch i Mewn (magazine programme)[20]
English-language television
- Adaptation of Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood, starring Donald Houston and William Squire.
Sport
- Football
- Swansea-born John Charles transfers from Leeds United to Juventus of Turin for a transfer fee of £65,000 (almost double the previous British record)
- Pelé scores a hattrick against Wales
- BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Dai Rees[21]
- Inaugural Glamorgan County Silver Ball Trophy competition held; Taibach RFC are champions.
Births
- 10 March – Terry Holmes, rugby player[22]
- 19 March (in Birmingham) – Jane Davidson AM, politician
- 20 April – Geraint Wyn Davies, actor
- 26 April – Edwina Hart AM, politician
- 8 May – Eddie Butler, rugby union player and commentator (died 2022)[23]
- 17 May – Anne Main, educator and politician
- 12 June – Javed Miandad, Glamorgan cricketer
- 1 July – Wayne David MP, politician
- 20 July – Chris Bromham, stuntman
- 11 August – Leighton Andrews AM, politician
- 11 September – Julie Williams, neuropsychological geneticist and Chief Scientific Adviser for Wales
- 11 October
- (in Holyhead) Dawn French, actress and comedian
- Jon Langford, musician
- 19 October – Karl Wallinger, folk rock songwriter and multi-instrumentalist (died 2024)
- 10 November – Nigel Evans MP, politician
- 21 December – Roger Blake, actor
- Charlotte Voake, children's illustrator[24]