1969 in Wales explained

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1969 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Secretary of State for Wales – George Thomas
• Archbishop of Wales – Glyn Simon, Bishop of Llandaff^[1]
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • E. Gwyndaf Evans (outgoing)^[2]
  • Tilsli (incoming)^[3]

Events

• 1 April – Registration of births and deaths in the Welsh language is allowed for the first time.^[4]
• May – Deep mining of slate at Oakeley Quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog, ceases.^[5]
• 22 May – Engineer Morien Morgan becomes Director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Hampshire, having been knighted in the New Year Honours.^[6]
• 1 June – The South Wales Constabulary is created by merging the police forces of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.
• 11 June – The Prince of Wales' (now Charles III) new standard is flown for the first time.
• 20 June – Llandudno Cable Car opened, the longest gondola lift system in the UK.
• 30 June – Two members of the Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Movement for the Defence of Wales) are killed whilst placing a bomb outside government offices in Abergele in an attempt to disrupt the following day's events.^[7]
• 1 July
  • The Prince of Wales (now Charles III) is invested with his title at Caernarfon Castle.^{[8] [9] [10]}
  • Six members of the Free Wales Army are convicted in Swansea of public order and firearms offences; three are imprisoned.
• 3 July – Swansea is granted city status.
• 25 July – The Development of Tourism Act 1969 paves the way for creation of the Wales Tourist Board.
• 22 August – Closure of Dinorwic slate quarry.
• November – Clashes between police and anti-apartheid protesters occur when the touring South African rugby team play Swansea.^[11] A silent protest takes place at an Ebbw Vale match.
• December – Serious damage at Lluest-wen Reservoir requires emergency evacuation and repairs.

Arts and literature

• Dafydd Iwan co-founds Sain Recordiau Cyf, which would become the major Welsh-language record label.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Flint)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – James Nicholas
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dafydd Rowlands
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Emyr Jones

New books

• Glyn Mills Ashton – Angau yn y Crochan
• Pennar Davies – Meibion Darogan
• Rhys Davies – Print of a Hare's Foot
• T. Glynne Davies – Hedydd yn yr Haul
• R. F. Delderfield – Come Home, Charlie, and Face Them
• Raymond Garlick – A Sense of Europe
• Glyn Jones – The Dragon Has Two Tongues
• T. J. Morgan – Dydd y Farn Ac Ysgrifau Eraill
• Dennis Selby – Sanctity: or There's No Such Thing as a Naked Sailor
• John Griffith Williams – Pigau'r Sêr

Drama

• Urien Wiliam – Cawl Cennin

Poetry

• John Fitzgerald – Cadwyn Cenedl
• D. Gwenallt Jones – Y Coed
• Gwilym R. Jones – Cerddi
• John Ormond – Requiem and Celebration
• Penguin Book of Welsh Verse

Music

Albums

• Amen Corner – Explosive Company (album)
• Blonde on Blonde – Contrasts (album)
• Man – 2 Ozs of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle

Singles

• Huw Jones – Dŵr ("Water") (protest song)

Classical music

• Jeffrey Lewis – Mutations I
• Mansel Thomas – Mini-Variations on a Welsh Theme
• David Wynne – Cymric Rhapsody no. 2

Film

English-language films

• Richard Burton stars in Anne of the Thousand Days.
• Hywel Bennett stars in The Virgin Soldiers.

Broadcasting

• Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) publishes a pamphlet entitled Broadcasting in Wales: To Enrich or Destroy Our National Life?

English-language television

• Philip Madoc has roles in Manhunt!, The Avengers, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), The Champions and The Detective, among others.

Welsh-language television

• Miri Mawr (children's)

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Tony Lewis^[12]
• Cricket – Glamorgan win the County Championship.
• Rugby union – Wales win the Five Nations Championship and take the Triple Crown.
• football – Cardiff City win the Welsh Cup.

Births

• 6 January – Nicholas A'Hern, race walker
• 20 January – Nicky Wire, musician
• 5 February – Michael Sheen, actor^[13]
• 10 February – Francesca Rhydderch, novelist and academic
• 13 February – Gareth Abraham, footballer
• 21 February – James Dean Bradfield, musician^[14]
• 24 February – Gareth Llewellyn, rugby player
• 1 March – Dafydd Ieuan, musician
• 11 April – Cerys Matthews, singer^[15]
• 4 June – Julie Gardner, television producer
• 26 July – Tanni Grey-Thompson, born Carys Grey, wheelchair athlete
• 4 August – Tony Roberts, footballer
• 4 September – Sasha, DJ and record producer^[16]
• 8 September – Gary Speed, footballer and national manager (died 2011)
• 25 September – Catherine Zeta-Jones, actress^[17]
• 8 October – David Abruzzese, footballer
• 23 October – Chris Fry, footballer
• 6 December – Anthony Davies, snooker player
• date unknown – Dyfed Wyn-Evans, operatic baritone

Deaths

• 20 January – Roy Evans, footballer, 25 (car crash)
• 3 February – Trevor Thomas, dual-code rugby player, 61
• 14 February – Ernest Roberts, judge, 78^[18]
• 10 March – Jimmy Wilde, boxer, 76^[19]
• 18 March – Llewellyn Alston, Royal Welch Fusiliers, 78
• 20 March – Arthur E. Powell, Theosophist writer, 86
• 26 March (in Australia) – Elizabeth Williams Berry, jockey of Welsh parentage, 114^[20]
• 27 March – David Lloyd, tenor, 56^[21]
• 31 March – Percy Jones, Wales international rugby player, 82
• 5 April – Mal Griffiths, footballer, 50
  • • 15 April John Davies, dual code rugby player, 28 (heart attack)^[22]
  • Cowboy Morgan Evans, Texan rodeo rider of Welsh descent, 66
• 20 April – Watkin Roberts, missionary, 82^[23]
• 4 May – Albert Stock, Wales international rugby player, 72
• 7 May – Stan Awbery, trade unionist and politician, 80^[24]
• 21 May – Ben Beynon, Welsh rugby union international and Swansea Town player, 75^[25]
• 23 May – Sir Evan Owen Williams, English-born Welsh engineer, 79
• 28 May – Rhys Williams, actor, 71^[26]
• 7 July – William David Davies, theologian, 72^[27]
• 26 July – Noel Hopkins, clergyman and organist, 77^[28]
• 12 August – Air Commodore James Bevan Bowen, RAF officer, 86^[29]
• 19 August – Percy Thomas, architect, 85^[30]
• 1 October – Dai Richards, footballer, 62^[31]
• 5 October – Sir Edward John Davies, judge in colonial service, 71^[32]
• 15 October – Charlie Phillips, footballer, 59^[33]
• 18 October – Emrys Hughes, politician, 75^[34]
• 11 November – Robert Thomas Jenkins, historian, 88^[35]
• 21 November – D. B. Wyndham-Lewis, author, 78
  • • 7 December Bill Roberts, Wales international rugby union player, 60
  • (in London) Hugh Williams, dramatist, 65
• 20 December – Eleanor Evans, actress, singer and director, 76^[36]

See also

• 1969 in Northern Ireland

Notes and References

1. Book: Who was who. 1971. A. & C. Black. 728.
2. Book: Reference Wales. 1994. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-1234-6.
3. Book: Meic Stephens. The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales. registration. April 1986. Oxford University Press. 589.
4. Book: Halsbury's Statutes of England. 1985.
5. Book: Isherwood, J. G.. Candles to Caplamps: the Story of Gloddfa Ganol. Gloddfa Ganol. 1980.
6. Book: Flight International. January 1969. IPC Transport Press Limited.
7. Web site: 'Militants' key role in coming of devolution left ignored deliberately'. Martin. Shipton. WalesOnline. 2008-11-20. 2010-07-22.
8. Book: John S. Ellis. Investiture: Royal Ceremony and National Identity in Wales, 1911-1969. 2008. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-2000-6.
9. News: From the Archives (July 2, 1969): Charles crowned Prince of Wales. 2019-07-02. The Hindu. 2019-07-02. en-IN. 0971-751X.
10. News: Prince Charles celebrates 50th anniversary of investiture as Prince of Wales - with cake. Furness. Hannah. 2019-07-01. The Telegraph. 2019-07-02. en-GB. 0307-1235.
11. Book: Martin Polley. Moving the Goalposts: A History of Sport and Society in Britain since 1945. 11 September 2002. Routledge. 978-1-134-76688-8. 31.
12. Web site: BBC Wales Sport Personality winners . BBC Sport . 29 July 2021.
13. Book: ((Editors of Chase's Calendar of Events)). Chases Calendar of Events, 2012 Edition. 14 October 2011. McGraw Hill Professional. 978-0-07-176673-9. 117.
14. Book: Graham Betts. Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2006. 2006. Collins. 978-0-00-720077-1. 522.
15. Book: Europa Europa Publications. International Who's Who in Popular Music 2008. 2008. Routledge. 978-1-85743-454-5. 205.
16. Book: Larkin, Colin . The Virgin Encyclopedia of Nineties Music . 2000 . Virgin . 9780753504277 . London . 340 . en.
17. News: Catherine Zeta Jones: a profile . . 13 April 2011 . 7 February 2013 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20120617055050/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/celebritynews/8449695/Catherine-Zeta-Jones-a-profile.html . 17 June 2012.
18. Web site: Roberts, Sir Ernest Handforth Goodman (1890-1969), judge. Evan David Jones. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. 2 July 2019.
19. Book: Peter Stead. Gareth Williams. Wales and Its Boxers: The Fighting Tradition. 2008. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-1915-4. 70.
20. News: Mother Berry Dies at 114. 27 March 1969. The Billings Gazette. 6 July 2019. Newspapers.com. https://web.archive.org/web/20190706235346/https://www.newspapers.com/clip/23804804/mother_berry_obit_billings_gazette_1969/. 6 July 2019. live.
21. Web site: Lloyd, David George (1912-1969), singer. Huw Williams. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. 2 July 2019.
22. Web site: When derby victory was marred by tragedy. David Hyomes. Dewsbury Rams. 12 February 2021.
23. Conley, Joseph F. (2000), Drumbeats that Changed the World: A History of the Regions Beyond Missionary Union and the West Indies Mission, 1873-1999 (William Carey Library), p. 507
24. Book: Michael Stenton. Who's who of British Members of Parliament: A Biographical Dictionary of the House of Commons Based on Annual Volumes of Dod's Parliamentary Companion and Other Sources. 1976. Harvester Press. 978-0-85527-335-4. 11.
25. Web site: Ben Beynon player profile. ESPN Scrum.com.
26. Book: Ellenberger. Allan R.. Celebrities in Los Angeles Cemeteries: A Directory. 2001. McFarland. 9780786450190. 101. 18 July 2017. en.
27. Web site: Davies, William David [P.] (1897-1969), minister (Presb.), college tutor and author]. Gomer Morgan Roberts. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. 25 December 2019.
28. [The Times]
29. Obituary (Obituaries) The Times Saturday, 16 Aug 1969; pg. 12; Issue 57640; col G
30. Web site: Thomas, Sir Percy Edward (1883-1969), architect and planning consultant. Norman Percy Thomas. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. 2 July 2019.
31. Book: Matthews, Tony . Birmingham City: A Complete Record . Breedon Books . 1995 . 978-1-85983-010-9 . Derby . 119.
32. http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/10.1093/ww/9780199540891.001.0001/ww-9780199540884-e-48270 "Davies, Sir (Edward) John"
33. Book: Matthews, Tony . Birmingham City: A Complete Record . 1995 . Breedon Books . Derby . 117–18 . 978-1-85983-010-9.
34. Web site: Hughes, Emrys (1884-1969), politician, journalist and author. John Graham Jones. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. 2 July 2019.
35. Web site: Jenkins, Robert Thomas (1881 - 1969), historian, man of letters, editor of Y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig and the Dictionary of Welsh Biography. Williams. John Gwynn. Dictionary of Welsh Biography. 2007. National Library of Wales. 19 February 2009.
36. Stone, David. "Robert Gibson", Who Was Who in the D'Oyly Carte Opera Company, 26 August 2007, accessed 26 November 2009