1979 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1979 to Wales
and its people
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and its people
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
.
Incumbents
- Prince of WalesPrince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
- Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay... - Princess of WalesPrincess of WalesPrincess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
- vacant - Secretary of State for WalesSecretary of State for WalesThe Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
- Nicholas Edwards - Archbishop of WalesArchbishop of WalesThe post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England , and disestablished...
- Gwilym Owen WilliamsGwilym Owen WilliamsGwilym Owen Williams was Bishop of Bangor from 1957 to 1982 and Anglican Archbishop of Wales from 1971 to 1982.... - ArchdruidArchdruidThe Archdruid is the title used by the presiding official of the Gorsedd.The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, The Award of the Prose Medal and Chairing of the Bard. From 1932 only former winners of the...
of the National Eisteddfod of WalesNational Eisteddfod of WalesThe National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
- GeraintGeraint Bowen (poet)Geraint Bowen was a Welsh language poet.He was the nephew of Carmarthenshire minister David Bowen, and the brother of poet Euros Bowen. He was a Welsh nationalist, and during the Second World War was a conscientious objector, undertaking farming...
Events
- 1 March - The devolutionDevolutionDevolution is the statutory granting of powers from the central government of a sovereign state to government at a subnational level, such as a regional, local, or state level. Devolution can be mainly financial, e.g. giving areas a budget which was formerly administered by central government...
referendumReferendumA referendum is a direct vote in which an entire electorate is asked to either accept or reject a particular proposal. This may result in the adoption of a new constitution, a constitutional amendment, a law, the recall of an elected official or simply a specific government policy. It is a form of...
rejects the Wales Act 1978Wales Act 1978The Wales Act 1978 was an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom intended to introduce a limited measure of self-government in Wales.The provisions of the Act were put to the populace in 1979 in the Welsh devolution referendum through the question:...
(which would have established a Welsh Assembly) by four to one. - The Parliamentary Select Committee on Welsh Affairs is established.
- 7 June - In the elections for the European Parliament, Ann ClwydAnn ClwydAnn Clwyd Roberts is a Welsh Labour Party politician who has been the Member of Parliament for Cynon Valley since 1984.-Early life:Ann Clwyd is the daughter of Gwilym Henri Lewis and Elizabeth Ann Lewis...
and Win GriffithsWin GriffithsWinston James Griffiths, known as Win Griffiths, is a politician in the United Kingdom, and ex-member of Parliament for Bridgend for the Labour Party. He was first elected in 1987, having previously been a member of the European Parliament. He stood down from Parliament in 2005. He is now...
are among the newly-elected MEPs. Plaid CymruPlaid Cymru' is a political party in Wales. It advocates the establishment of an independent Welsh state within the European Union. was formed in 1925 and won its first seat in 1966...
win no seats. - 8 June - A Cessna aircraft crashes into a mountain in SnowdoniaSnowdoniaSnowdonia is a region in north Wales and a national park of in area. It was the first to be designated of the three National Parks in Wales, in 1951.-Name and extent:...
, killing all six occupants. - 12 December - Four holiday homesVacation propertyVacation property is a niche in the real estate market dealing with residences used for holiday vacations . In the United Kingdom this type of property is usually termed a holiday home, in Australia, a holiday house/home, or weekender, in New Zealand, a bach or crib...
in rural Wales are the target of arsonArsonArson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
attacks by Welsh Nationalist political activists. - Annie PowellAnnie PowellAnnie Powell was a Welsh Communist politician.Born in Rhondda and educated at Pentre Grammar School, Powell became interested in politics while at Glamorgan Training College, Barry, in the 1920s...
of RhonddaRhonddaRhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
becomes Britain's first Communist mayor.
Awards
- Michael BogdanovMichael BogdanovMichael Bogdanov , is a British theatre director known for his work with new plays, modern reinterpretations of Shakespeare, musicals and work for Young People.-Early years:...
is named "Director of the Year" for the Royal Shakespeare CompanyRoyal Shakespeare CompanyThe Royal Shakespeare Company is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs 700 staff and produces around 20 productions a year from its home in Stratford-upon-Avon and plays regularly in London, Newcastle-upon-Tyne and on tour across...
production of The Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the ShrewThe Taming of the Shrew is a comedy by William Shakespeare, believed to have been written between 1590 and 1591.The play begins with a framing device, often referred to as the Induction, in which a mischievous nobleman tricks a drunken tinker named Sly into believing he is actually a nobleman himself...
.
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in CaernarfonCaernarfonCaernarfon is a Royal town, community and port in Gwynedd, Wales, with a population of 9,611. It lies along the A487 road, on the east banks of the Menai Straits, opposite the Isle of Anglesey. The city of Bangor is to the northeast, while Snowdonia fringes Caernarfon to the east and southeast...
)- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - withheld
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Meirion Evans
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Robyn Lewis
New books
- Gillian ClarkeGillian ClarkeGillian Clarke is a Welsh poet, playwright, editor, broadcaster, lecturer and translator from Welsh.-Life:Clarke was born in Cardiff and brought up in Cardiff and Penarth, though for part of the Second World War she was in Pembrokeshire...
- The Sundial - Pennar DaviesPennar DaviesWilliam Thomas Pennar Davies was a Welsh clergyman and author.Born simply William Thomas Davies, in Mountain Ash , the son of a miner, he took the name "Pennar" "as a sign of his identification with the native culture of Wales"...
- Mabinogi Mwys - Wendy DaviesWendy DaviesWendy Elizabeth Davies OBE FBA FSA FRHistS FLSW is an Emeritus Professor of History at University College, London in England.Davies studied for her BA degree and PhD degree in history at UCL. Following positions in Munich and Birmingham, she returned to UCL as a Lecturer in Medieval History...
- The Llandaff Charters - Marion EamesMarion EamesMarion Eames was a Welsh novelist.Marion was born in Birkenhead, Cheshire, of Welsh parents, but was brought up at Dolgellau from the age of 4, where she attended Dr Williams's School...
- I Hela Cnau - James Hanley - A Kingdom
- Emyr HumphreysEmyr HumphreysEmyr Humphreys is a leading Welsh novelist, poet and author. He was born at Prestatyn in Flintshire, and attended University of Wales, Aberystwyth. He registered as a conscientious objector at the outbreak of the Second World War...
- The Best of Friends - Sian JamesSian James (novelist)Siân James is a Welsh novelist who writes in English.James was born near Llandysul in Carmarthenshire, and attended the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. She is a Fellow of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth and was awarded an Honorary Doctorate by the University of Glamorgan. She is a Fellow...
- A Small Country - Dic JonesDic JonesDic Jones , was a Welsh language poet and the Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales.He was born Richard Lewis Jones at Tre'r-ddôl in Ceredigion. The son of a farmer, Jones himself farmed on at Fferm yr Hendre at Blaenannerch in Aberporth...
- Storom Awst - Tristan JonesTristan JonesTristan Jones was an author and mariner who wrote numerous books and articles, many in the first person, about sailing...
- The Incredible Voyage - Anna KashfiAnna KashfiAnna Kashfi is a former film actress, who had a brief Hollywood career in the 1950s and is best known for having been married to Marlon Brando.-Early life and origins:...
- Brando for Breakfast - Leslie NorrisLeslie NorrisGeorge Leslie Norris FRSL , was a prize-winning Welsh poet and short story writer. Up to 1974 he earned his living as a college lecturer, teacher and headmaster...
- Sliding - John Rowlands - Tician, Tician
- Gwyn Alf Williams - The Merthyr Rising
- Raymond WilliamsRaymond WilliamsRaymond Henry Williams was a Welsh academic, novelist and critic. He was an influential figure within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the mass media and literature are a significant contribution to the Marxist critique of culture and the arts...
- The Fight for Manod
Music
- Dave EdmundsDave EdmundsDavid 'Dave' Edmunds is a Welsh singer, guitarist and record producer. Although he is primarily associated with Pub rock and New Wave, and had numerous hits in the 1970s and early 1980s, his natural leaning has always been towards 1950s style rock and roll.-Early bands:As a teenager Edmunds first...
- Repeat When NecessaryRepeat When NecessaryRepeat When Necessary is an album by Welsh rock musician Dave Edmunds. Produced by Edmunds, it was released in 1979 by Swan Song Records...
(album) - Bonnie TylerBonnie TylerBonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
- Diamond Cut (album)
Film
- Rachel RobertsRachel Roberts (British actress)Rachel Roberts was a Welsh actress noted for her fervour and passion; Roberts is best remembered for her forthright screen performances in two key films of the 1960s, Saturday Night and Sunday Morning and This Sporting Life, in both of which she played the older mistress of the central male...
wins the BAFTABritish Academy of Film and Television ArtsThe British Academy of Film and Television Arts is a charity in the United Kingdom that hosts annual awards shows for excellence in film, television, television craft, video games and forms of animation.-Introduction:...
award for Best Supporting Actress for her role in YanksYanksYanks is a 1979 John Schlesinger film, set in World War II in the village of Dobcross, in Greater Manchester, England. Starring Richard Gere, Vanessa Redgrave, William Devane, Lisa Eichhorn, Rachel Roberts and Tony Melody....
. - Emlyn WilliamsEmlyn WilliamsGeorge Emlyn Williams, CBE , known as Emlyn Williams, was a Welsh dramatist and actor.-Biography:He was born into a Welsh-speaking, working class family in Mostyn, Flintshire....
' play, The Corn is GreenThe Corn is GreenThe Corn Is Green is a semi-autobiographical play by Emlyn Williams.At its core is L. C. Moffat, a strong-willed English school teacher working in a small poverty-stricken coal mining town in the late 19th century...
, is filmed for the second time, starring Katharine HepburnKatharine HepburnKatharine Houghton Hepburn was an American actress of film, stage, and television. In a career that spanned 62 years as a leading lady, she was best known for playing strong-willed, sophisticated women in both dramas and comedies...
.
Broadcasting
- BBC Radio CymruBBC Radio CymruBBC Radio Cymru is BBC Cymru's Welsh-language radio station, broadcasting throughout Wales from studios in Cardiff, Bangor, and Aberystwyth on FM since 1977. At the time of its launch it was one of the few FM-only radio services in the UK...
is launched. - New Home Secretary William Whitelaw rejects the idea of a Welsh fourth channel on behalf of the Conservative government.
English-language television
- Colin JeavonsColin JeavonsColin Jeavons is a Welsh television actor.-Career:Jeavons is best known as Inspector Lestrade in the Granada television serials The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, or the part of the undertaker, Shadrack, in the television situation comedy written by Keith Waterhouse and Willis Hall from...
stars in Dennis PotterDennis PotterDennis Christopher George Potter was an English dramatist, best known for The Singing Detective. His widely acclaimed television dramas mixed fantasy and reality, the personal and the social. He was particularly fond of using themes and images from popular culture.-Biography:Dennis Potter was born...
's classic play, Blue Remembered HillsBlue Remembered HillsBlue Remembered Hills is a television play by Dennis Potter, originally broadcast on January 30, 1979 as part of the BBC's Play for Today series....
.
Sport
- BoxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
- Pat ThomasPat Thomas (boxer)Pat Thomas was a Light-middleweight boxer, originally from Saint Kitts and Nevis, who took British citizenship and won two British boxing titles in the 1970s and 80s...
wins the British Light-middleweight title - Rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
- WalesWales national rugby union teamThe Wales national rugby union team represent Wales in international rugby union tournaments. They compete annually in the Six Nations Championship with England, France, Ireland, Italy and Scotland. Wales have won the Six Nations and its predecessors 24 times outright, second only to England with...
win the Five Nations ChampionshipSix Nations ChampionshipThe Six Nations Championship is an annual international rugby union competition involving six European sides: England, France, Ireland, Italy, Scotland and Wales....
and take the Triple CrownTriple Crown (Rugby Union)In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
. - SnookerSnookerSnooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
- Terry GriffithsTerry GriffithsTerrence "Terry" Griffiths OBE is a retired Welsh snooker player and current snooker coach and pundit. He won the World Championship in 1979 at the first attempt, and reached the 1988 final. He also won the Masters in 1980 and the UK Championship in 1982, making him one of seven players to have...
wins the World Championship in his first year as a professional.
Births
- 21 February – Laura Anne JonesLaura Anne JonesLaura Anne Jones , was a Conservative member of the National Assembly for Wales. She was also the Conservative spokeswoman for Sport in the Assembly 2003-07.-Background:...
AM, politician - 26 February - Steve Evans, footballer
- 17 May - Michaela BreezeMichaela BreezeMichaela Alica Breeze MBE is a British weightlifter. Breeze was born in Watford and raised in Cornwall and educated at Wadebridge School. She started weightlifting under the guidance of PE teacher Dave Allen...
, weightlifting champion - 3 June - Christian MalcolmChristian MalcolmChristian Sean Malcolm is a Welsh athlete, specialising in the 200m.Malcolm was born in Cardiff and resides in Newport, Wales. He won the title of World Junior Athlete of the Year in 1998 and in the 1998 World Junior Championships, he won the 200m in 20.44 seconds...
, athlete - 4 June - Celyn Jones, actor
- 13 July - Craig BellamyCraig BellamyCraig Douglas Bellamy is a Welsh footballer who plays as a striker for Liverpool and the Welsh national team. Born in Cardiff, Bellamy was the captain of the Welsh national side for four years after taking over from Ryan Giggs in 2007, but stood down in January 2011 due to constant injuries...
, footballer - 8 August - Danny Gabbidon, footballer
Deaths
- 7 February - Charles TunnicliffeCharles TunnicliffeCharles Frederick Tunnicliffe was an internationally renowned naturalistic painter of British birds and other wildlife. He spent most of his working life on the Isle of Anglesey.-Life:...
, painter on Anglesey, 77 - 14 May - Jean RhysJean RhysJean Rhys , born Ella Gwendolen Rees Williams, was a mid 20th-century novelist from Dominica. Educated from the age of 16 in Great Britain, she is best known for her novel Wide Sargasso Sea , written as a "prequel" to Charlotte Brontë's Jane Eyre.-Early life:Rhys was born in Roseau, Dominica...
, novelist, 88 - 12 December - Goronwy ReesGoronwy ReesGoronwy Rees was a Welsh journalist, academic and writer. He was educated at the University of Oxford.He was during the 1930s a Marxist intellectual, and in contact with the Cambridge Five spy ring through Guy Burgess. Right at the end of his life he admitted spying for the USSR for a short time,...
, writer, 70? - 21 December - Nansi RichardsNansi RichardsNansi Richards Jones of Penybontfawr, Oswestry, was a Welsh harpist, sometimes known as the “Queen of the Harp”....
, harpist, 91 - date unknown
- Hugh Bevan, academic
- Dilys CadwaladrDilys CadwaladrDilys Cadwaladr was a Welsh poet.She is notable for being the first woman ever to win the Crown at the National Eisteddfod of Wales. She achieved this feat in 1953 at Rhyl.-References:...
, poet - Dilys Davies, actress
- Harold FinchHarold FinchSir Harold Josiah Finch was a Welsh Labour Party politician born in Barry, Glamorgan.A miners' agent in Blackwood after the First World War, Finch was a contemporary of Aneurin Bevan and accompanied him as a miners' delegate to the Labour Party Conference in Liverpool in 1925...
, politician - Eiluned LewisEiluned LewisEiluned Lewis was a Welsh novelist, poet and journalist.She was born in Newtown, Montgomeryshire in Wales. She was educated at Levana School, Wimbledon, and Westfield College London. She had a long period of work on the Sunday Times, becoming assistant editor...
, novelist - Jennie Thomas, children's author