1981 in Wales explained

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1981 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edwards^[1]
• Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor^[2]
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • Geraint (outgoing)^[3]
  • Jâms Nicholas (incoming)^[4]

Events

• January - First phase of St. David's Shopping Centre, Cardiff, opens to the public.^[5]
• 26 March - Roy Jenkins co-founds the Social Democratic Party (UK) in London. Welsh Labour MPs defecting to the new party are: Tom Ellis (Wrexham), Ednyfed Hudson Davies (Caerphilly) and Jeffrey Thomas (Abertillery).
• 24 February - Buckingham Palace announces the engagement of the Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer.^[6]
• 5 April - UK census: Results reveal that the percentage of Welsh language speakers has fallen to an all-time low of 18.9% of the Welsh population and Gwynedd is the only Welsh county with a Welsh-speaking majority.^[7]
• 11 June - Britain's first Urban Enterprise Zone is created in Lower Swansea Valley.^[8]
• 29 July - Wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London.
• November - Joan Ruddock becomes Chair of CND.^[9]
• Independent film company Teliesyn begins producing programmes for S4C, BBC Wales and HTV.^[10]

Arts and literature

• 6 June - The Alarm play their first gig under their new name, at the Victoria Hotel, Prestatyn.^[11]
• Theatre Wales is established.
• Harry Secombe receives a knighthood.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Machynlleth)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - John Gwilym Jones, "Y Frwydr"^[12]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Siôn Aled, "Wynebau"^[13]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - John Griffith Jones, "Cysgodion ar y Pared"^[14]

New books

English language

• Clive Jenkins & Barrie Sherman - The Leisure Shock^[15]
• Eiluned Lewis - The Old Home
• Kenneth O. Morgan - Rebirth of a Nation: Wales 1880-1980^[16]
• R. S. Thomas - Between Here and Now

Welsh language

• Irma Chilton - Y Cwlwm Gwaed^[17]
• Eigra Lewis Roberts - Merch yr oriau mawr

Drama

• J. R. Evans - Brawd am Byth

Music

• Dafydd Iwan - "Yma o Hyd"
• Daniel Jones - Symphony no. 10
• William Mathias - Let the people praise Thee, O God

Film

English-language films

• The Mouse and the Woman, starring Huw Ceredig.
• Dragonslayer, with exterior scenes filmed in Wales.

Welsh-language films

Broadcasting

English-language television

• 4 March–29 April – The Life and Times of David Lloyd George, written by Elaine Morgan and starring Philip Madoc (BBC Wales)
• 24 September–18 December – Taff Acre (Harlech Television)

Welsh-language television

• Croeso i S4C, presented by Owen Edwards^[18]

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – John Toshack^[19]
• Boxing - Neville Meade becomes British heavyweight champion.
• Football - Neville Southall joins Everton F.C.

Births

• 12 January – Sarah Thomas, field hockey player
• 13 March – Ryan Jones, rugby player
• 17 March - Leigh De-Vulgt, footballer
• 28 March – Gareth David-Lloyd, actor
• 6 April – Robert Earnshaw, footballer
• 23 May – Gwenno Saunders, singer
• 24 May – Darren Moss, footballer
• 25 May – Huw Stephens, radio and TV presenter
• 18 November – Sian Reese-Williams, actress^[20]
• 19 November – Mark Wallace, cricketer
• 16 December – Gareth Williams Scottish-Welsh footballer

Deaths

• January - Leslie Jones, footballer, 69
• March - Dai Francis, miners' leader^[21]
• 1 March - Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, theologian, 81^[22]
• 8 March - Nigel Birch, Baron Rhyl, politician, 74^[23]
• 3 April - Will Owen, miner and politician, 80
• 13 April - Gwyn Thomas, author, 67^[24]
• 15 May - J. E. Meredith, Presbyterian minister and writer, 76^[25]
• 16 June - Billy Hughes, footballer, 63^[26]
• 17 June - Ike Fowler, dual-code international rugby union player, 86
• 23 July - Goronwy Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts, politician, 67^[27]
• 6 August - George Lewis, footballer, 67
• 18 September - Brinley Richards, poet, author and archdruid^[28]
• 30 September - Roy John, Wales and British Lions international rugby union player, 55
• 25 December - Tom Griffiths, Welsh international footballer, 75^[29]

See also

• 1981 in Northern Ireland

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lord Crickhowell obituary. 19 March 2018. The Guardian. Stephen Bates. 19 March 2020.
2. Book: Gerald Parsons. The Growth of Religious Diversity - Vol 2: Britain From 1945 Volume 2: Controversies. 20 June 2013. Routledge. 978-1-136-13628-3. 106.
3. Book: NA NA. The Macmillan Guide to the United Kingdom 1978-79. 25 December 2015. Springer. 978-1-349-81511-1. 875.
4. Web site: en . James Nicholas: Poet, teacher and Archdruid of Wales . . . 17 October 2013 . 21 October 2013 .
5. Web site: A look back at Cardiff's St David's Shopping Centre after 40 years. 18 March 2021. Thomas Deacon. WalesOnline. 17 August 2023.
6. Book: John Baselmans. Drugs. 6 December 2016. Lulu.com. 978-1-326-84325-0. 266.
7. The Welsh Language at the 1981 Census. J. W. Aitchison. H. Carter. C. H. Williams. 17. 1. Area. Royal Geographical Society. 11–17.
8. Web site: IBA: enterprise zones: list of enterprise zones. Capital Allowances Manual. HM Revenue & Customs. 2006. 2018-10-16.
9. Book: Soviet Analyst. 1981. World Reports Limited. 59.
10. Book: Ieuan Franklin. Hugh Chignell. Kristin Skoog. Regional Aesthetics: Mapping UK Media Cultures. 15 September 2015. Palgrave Macmillan. 978-1-137-53283-1. 9.
11. Book: Graham Betts. Collins Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004. 2004. Collins. 978-0-00-717931-2. 16.
12. Web site: Winners of the Chair. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
13. Web site: Winners of the Crown. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
14. Web site: Winners of the Prose Medal. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 7 November 2019.
15. Book: Rosemary Deem. Work, Unemployment and Leisure. Taylor & Francis. 2002. 9781134985081. 117.
16. Book: Kenneth O. Morgan. Rebirth of a Nation: Wales, 1880-1980. registration. 1981. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-821736-7.
17. Book: Mair Rees. Y Llawes Goch a'r Faneg Wen: Y Corff Benywaidd a'i Symbolaeth mewn Ffuglen Gymraeg gan Fenywod. University of Wales Press. 2014. cy. 9781783161256. 237.
18. Book: Tony Currie. A Concise History of British Television, 1930-2000. 2004. Kelly Publications. 978-1-903053-17-1. 83.
19. News: BBC Wales Sport Personality winners . BBC Sport . 2 August 2021.
20. News: BBC Mid Wales Showbiz. 2009-01-31. dead. https://archive.today/20120720192716/www.bbc.co.uk/wales/mid/halloffame/showbiz/sianreesewilliams.shtml. 20 July 2012. dmy-all.
21. Book: Evan Smith. Matthew Worley. Waiting for the Revolution: The British Far Left from 1956. 28 February 2018. Manchester University Press. 978-1-5261-1368-9. 191.
22. Web site: Dr D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Papers. Archives Wales. 31 January 2019.
23. Book: Who was who: A Companion to Who's Who, Containing the Biographies of Those who Died. 1981. A. & C. Black. 978-0-7136-3336-8. 636.
24. Book: Janet Podell. Annual Obituary, 1981. May 1982. Thomson Gale. 978-0-912289-51-9. 269.
25. s7-MERE-ELL-1904. Meredith, John Ellis (1904-1981), minister (Presbyterian Church of Wales) and author. D. Ben Rees. 21 November 2019.
26. Book: The Encyclopedia of Birmingham City Football Club 1875~2000 . Matthews, Tony . October 2000 . Britespot . Cradley Heath . 116 . 0-9539288-0-2.
27. Jones. John Graham. Goronwy Owen Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts. s6-ROBE-OWE-1913. yes. 31 January 2019.
28. Book: Llafur. 1980. Society for the Study of Welsh Labour History. 100.
29. Book: Davies . Gareth . Garland. Ian . Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players . 1991. Bridge Books . 1-872424-11-2. 75.