1983 in Wales explained

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]
• Alan Wilson discovers what he believes to be King Arthur's memorial stone at the small ruined church of St Peter-super-Montem on Mynydd-y-Gaer in Glamorgan.
• 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

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)
• 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

Film

• Owen Glendower, Prince of Wales (TV film), starring David Barry

Welsh-language films

• Yr Alcoholig Llon

Broadcasting

Welsh-language television

• SuperTed makes his first appearance.

English-language television

• QED: Simon's War (about Simon Weston)

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Colin Jones^[13]
• Boxing - David Pearce of Newport wins the British heavyweight title.

Births

• • • 11 January Claire Evans, beauty queen
  • Rhodri Gomer-Davies, rugby player and reporter
• 14 February - Rhydian Roberts, singer
• 18 February - David Vaughan, footballer
• 5 March - Owain Arthur, actor
• 28 March - Richard Jones, chess master
• 13 April - Nicole Cooke, cyclist^[14]
• 12 May - Jamie Tolley, footballer
• 19 May - Andrew Davies, darts player
• 7 June - Gareth Jewell, actor
  • • 9 June Kate Alicia Morgan, beauty queen
  • Ryan Watkins, cricketer
• 11 June - Huw Bennett, rugby player^[15]
• 19 June - Richard Evans, footballer
• 22 July - Ifan Evans, rugby player
• 6 August - Lloyd Langford, comedian
• 10 August - Richie Pugh, rugby player and coach^[16]
• 23 August - James Collins, footballer
• 26 August - Darren Jones, footballer
• 9 October - Rianti Cartwright, half-Welsh actress (in Indonesia)
• 5 November - David Pipe, footballer
• date unknown - Myfanwy Waring, actress

Deaths

• 5 January - Amy Evans, singer and actress, 98
• 10 January (in Amsterdam) - Carwyn James, rugby coach, 53^[17]
• 31 January - Edwin Williams, dual-code rugby international, 84
• 10 February - Michael Roberts, politician, 55 (collapsed in Parliament)^[18]
• 3 March - Percy Morgan, cricketer, 78
• 20 March - Alec Jones, politician, 58^[19]
• 23 March - David Wynne, composer, 82^[20]
• 16 April - Gladys Morgan, comedienne, 84^[21]
• 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^[22]
• 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^[23]
• 8 November - E. G. Bowen, geographer, 82^[24]
• 15 November (in London) - Dai Rees, golfer, 70^[25]
• 30 November - Richard Llewellyn, novelist, 76^[26]
• 30 December - Ellis Evans, Dean of Monmouth, 75
• date unknown - Mary Vaughan Jones, novelist, 64/65^[27]

See also

• 1983 Cardiff City Council election
• 1983 in Northern Ireland

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lord Crickhowell obituary. 19 March 2018. The Guardian. Stephen Bates. 19 March 2020.
2. [The Times]
3. Web site: en . James Nicholas: Poet, teacher and Archdruid of Wales . . . 17 October 2013 . 21 October 2013 .
4. News: Michael Thomas . Cardiff is back in Tory hands . South Wales Echo. 6 May 1983. 1.
5. Web site: Terugblik: De koning op school in Wales. 5 September 2021. Blauw Bloed. 28 November 2022.
6. News: 1983: 'Dream ticket' wins Labour leadership. 2 October 1983.
7. Book: Meic Stephens. Cydymaith i lenyddiaeth Cymru. 1998. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-1383-1. 59.
8. Book: M. Wynn Thomas. Emyr Humphreys. 1 September 2018. University of Wales Press. 978-1-78683-297-9. 173.
9. Book: Meic Stephens. The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales. April 1986. Oxford University Press. 430. 978-0-19-211586-7.
10. Book: Whitaker's Cumulative Book List: A Classified List of Publications...together with an Index to Authors and Titles. 1983. J. Whitaker and sons, limited.. 978-0-85021-138-2. 288.
11. Book: Meic Stephens. The New Companion to the Literature of Wales. 1998. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-1383-1. 229.
12. Book: Sally Harper. Wyn Thomas. Bearers of Song: Essays in Honour of Phyllis Kinney and Meredydd Evans. 2007. University of Wales Press. 304. 9780708320815.
13. News: BBC Wales Sport Personality winners . BBC Sport . 2 August 2021.
14. Web site: Nicole Cooke: I hated cycling, I was in pain, I wanted to quit. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/olympics/nicole-cooke-i-hated-cycling-i-was-in-pain-i-wanted-to-quit-966040.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. 19 October 2008. The Independent. 12 October 2019.
15. Web site: Ospreys profile. https://web.archive.org/web/20080115080546/http://ospreys.sportstatdata.com/ST_OSP_1005.aspx?pr=113132. dead. 15 January 2008. Ospreys (archived). 12 October 2019.
16. Web site: Richie Pugh. WRU. 14 May 2022.
17. s11-JAME-REE-1929. James, Carwyn Rees (1929-1983), teacher, rugby player and coach. Llyr James. 27 September 2019.
18. s6-ROBE-ADA-1927. Roberts, Michael Hilary Adair (1927-1983), Conservative politician. John Graham Jones. yes. 27 September 2019.
19. s6-JONE-ALE-1924. Jones, Trevor Alec (1924-1983), Labour politician. John Graham Jones. yes. 27 September 2019.
20. s10-WYNN-DAV-1900. Wynne, David (1900-1983), composer. Rhidian Griffiths. yes. 27 September 2019.
21. Book: Roy Hudd. Philip Hindin. Roy Hudd's Cavalcade of Variety Acts: A who was who of Light Entertainment, 1945-60. 1997. Robson Books. 978-1-86105-115-8. 127.
22. http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whowaswho/U170453 ‘WILLIAMS, Very Rev. John Frederick’
23. s6-WATK-ELW-1903. Watkins, Tudor Elwyn, Baron Watkins of Glantawe (1903-1983), Labour politician. John Graham Jones. yes. 27 September 2019.
24. Harold Carter, 'Bowen, Emrys George (1900–1983)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004
25. "Mr Dai Rees - Major Welsh Golfer", The Times, 17 November 1983; pg. 14; Issue 61692.
26. Web site: Lloyd, Richard Dafydd Vivian Llewellyn (1906–1983). Oxford Dictionary of National Biography. September 2004. 2010-04-11.
27. Book: The School Librarian. 2003. School Library Association..