1983 in Wales
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1983 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
- Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edwards[1]
- Archbishop of Wales – Derrick Childs, Bishop of Monmouth (elected)[2]
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Jâms Nicholas[3]
Events
- 5 May - District council elections take place across Wales (and England). The Conservatives regain control of Cardiff City Council.[4]
- 9 June - In the UK General Election.
- The SDP, led by Roy Jenkins, allies with the Liberals and gains fourteen seats.
- Stefan Terlezki becomes MP for Cardiff West.
- Plaid Cymru retains two seats.
- John Marek is elected for Wrexham, becoming the only Czech-speaking MP.
- Geraint Howells retains Ceredigion for the Liberals.
- 21 June - Last coal raised at Tymawr and Lewis Merthyr Colliery.
- September - The Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, heir to the Dutch throne, begins a two-year course of study at Atlantic College.[5]
- 5 September - Marcher Sound is launched on 1260 AM and 95.4 FM (now BBC Radio Wales) from Wrexham, inaugurating the Marcher Radio Group.
- 2 October - Neil Kinnock, 41-year-old MP for Islwyn, replaces Michael Foot as leader of the UK Labour Party.[6]
- The BBC National Chorus of Wales is formed.
Arts and literature
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llangefni)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Einion Evans
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Eluned Phillips
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Tudor Wilson Evans
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal - William Owen
New books
English language
- Walter Hugh Boore - The Odyssey of Dai Lewis[7]
- Rachel Bromwich - Dafydd ap Gwilym: Poems
- Alice Thomas Ellis - The 27th Kingdom
- Emyr Humphreys – The Taliesin Tradition[8]
- Nigel Jenkins - Practical Dreams
- Robert Nisbet - Stories of Sheepskin[9]
- Craig Thomas - Firefox Down
Welsh language
- Marion Eames - Y Gaeaf Sydd Unig[10]
- Donald Evans – Machlud Canrif[11]
- R. Tudur Jones - Ffydd ac Argyfwng Cenedl
- Alan Llwyd - Yn Nydd yr Anghenfil[12]
New drama
- W. S. Jones - Ifas y tryc
Music
- The Alarm - "Sixty Eight Guns" (#17 in the UK Singles Chart)[13]
- Y Cyrff form at Llanrwst
- First Cardiff Singer of the World competition, won by Finnish soprano Karita Mattila
- "Yma o Hyd" is released by Dafydd Iwan and Ar Log[14]
Film
- Owen Glendower, Prince of Wales (TV film), starring David Barry
Welsh-language films
- Yr Alcoholig Llon
Broadcasting
Welsh-language television
- Torri Gwynt[15]
English-language television
- QED: Simon's War (about Simon Weston)[16]
Sport
- BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Colin Jones[17]
- Boxing - David Pearce of Newport wins the British heavyweight title.
Births
- 11 January
- Rhodri Gomer-Davies, rugby player and reporter
- 14 February - Rhydian Roberts, singer[18]
- 18 February - David Vaughan, footballer
- 5 March - Owain Arthur, actor
- 28 March - Richard Jones, chess master
- 13 April - Nicole Cooke, cyclist[19]
- 12 May - Jamie Tolley, footballer
- 7 June - Gareth Jewell, actor
- 9 June
- Kate Alicia Morgan, beauty queen
- Ryan Watkins, cricketer
- 11 June - Huw Bennett, rugby player[20]
- 19 June - Richard Evans, footballer
- 22 July - Ifan Evans, rugby player
- 6 August - Lloyd Langford, comedian
- 10 August - Richie Pugh, rugby player and coach[21]
- 23 August - James Collins, footballer
- 26 August - Darren Jones, footballer
- 9 October - Rianti Cartwright, half-Welsh actress (in Indonesia)
- 5 November - David Pipe, footballer
Deaths
- 5 January - Amy Evans, singer and actress, 98
- 10 January (in Amsterdam) - Carwyn James, rugby coach, 53[22]
- 31 January - Edwin Williams, dual-code rugby international, 84
- 10 February - Michael Roberts, politician, 55 (collapsed in Parliament)[23]
- 3 March - Percy Morgan, cricketer, 78
- 20 March - Alec Jones, politician, 58[24]
- 23 March - David Wynne, composer, 82[25]
- 16 April - Gladys Morgan, comedienne, 84[26]
- 6 June - Bryn Howells, dual-code rugby player, 72
- 23 June - Emrys Evans, dual-code rugby player, 72
- 31 August - Iorwerth Jones, dual-code rugby player, 80
- 1 September - John Williams, Dean of Llandaff, 76[27]
- 9 September - Edgar Morgan, dual-code rugby international, 87
- 1 October - Ernie Finch, Wales international rugby player, 84
- 8 October - Ron Wynn, footballer, 59
- 24 October - Norman Fender, Wales dual-code rugby international, 73
- 2 November - Tudor Watkins, politician, 80[28]
- 8 November - E. G. Bowen, geographer, 82[29]
- 15 November (in London) - Dai Rees, golfer, 70[30]
- 30 November - Richard Llewellyn, novelist, 76[31]
- 30 December - Ellis Evans, Dean of Monmouth, 75
- date unknown - Mary Vaughan Jones, novelist, 64/65[32]