2002 in Wales explained

This article is about the particular significance of the year 2002 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• First Minister – Rhodri Morgan^[1]
• Secretary of State for Wales
  • Paul Murphy (until 24 October)^[2]
  • Peter Hain
• Archbishop of Wales – Rowan Williams, Bishop of Monmouth (translated)
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • Meirion Evans (outgoing)^[3]
  • Robyn Llŷn (incoming)

Events

• In the BBC's 100 Greatest Britons poll,^[4] those with a Welsh connection who finished in the top 100 were:
  • Diana, Princess of Wales – 3
  • Elizabeth I of England – 7
  • Owain Glyndŵr – 23
  • Henry VIII of England – 40
  • Aneurin Bevan – 45
  • Henry V of England – 72
  • Richard Burton – 96
• 14 February – at the Ogmore by-election, the Labour Party candidate Huw Irranca-Davies holds the seat held by Sir Ray Powell until his death^[5]
• 13 March – The ferry is introduced on the Fishguard - Rosslare route.^[6]
• April – Welsh Assembly Government concessionary travel scheme (‘Cerdyn Cymru’) entitles over-60s and registered disabled people to uniform free off-peak travel on all stage carriage bus services.
• May – H & Claire release their debut single.
• May 25 – Jessica Garlick represents the UK in the Eurovision Song Contest held in Estonia.^[7]
• June
  • Archaeologists discover the Newport ship.
  • DNA from the exhumed body of Joe Kappen proves beyond reasonable doubt that he was responsible for the murders of three teenage girls in 1973.
• June 18 – Cowbridge businessman Peter Shaw is kidnapped while working in Tbilisi, Georgia. He is held in brutal conditions until he escapes in November.^[8]
• June 28 – David Morris receives four life sentences for the Clydach murders of June 1999. Despite his having been a suspect days after the murder was committed, it had taken police 21 months to arrest and charge him.
• July
  • Research reveals that Wales has the highest figures for company failures of any region of the UK.
  • Ebbw Vale Steelworks shut down.
• August – "Barney" saves his owners' lives by warning them of a fire at their home in Wrexham.
• August 5 – Rowan Williams is admitted to the Gorsedd of bards.
• October – Archaeological excavations on a Bronze Age site recover the Banc Ty'nddôl sun-disc, one of the earliest gold objects found in Wales.
• October 24 – Paul Murphy is appointed Secretary of State for Northern Ireland.

Arts and literature

• Connie Fisher wins the Wilbert Lloyd Roberts Scholarship in the National Eisteddfod "Songs from the Shows" competition.
• Menna Elfyn is named Poet Laureate for the Children of Wales.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Myrddin ap Dafydd
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Aled Jones Lewis
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – O! Tyn y Gorchudd – Hunangofiant Rebecca Jones by Angharad Price
• Wales Book of the Year

• • English language: Stevie Davies, The Element of Water^[9]
  • Welsh language:
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen – Eirug Wyn^[10]
• John Tripp Prize for Spoken Poetry – Cliff Forshaw

New books

English language

• Richard J. Evans – Telling Lies About Hitler
• Ken Follett – Hornet Flight^[11]
• Steve Jones – Y: The Descent of Men^[12]
• Jo Mazelis – Diving Girls
• Jan Morris – A Writer's House in Wales^[13]
• Steve Strange – Blitzed! The Autobiography of Steve Strange
• Rachel Trezise – In and Out of the Goldfish Bowl
• Rowan Williams – Arius – Heresy and Tradition

Welsh language

• Grahame Davies – Cadwyni Rhyddid
• Angharad Price – O! Tyn y Gorchudd
• Eirug Wyn – Bitsh^[10]

Drama

• Dic Edwards – Franco's Bastard^[14]

Film

• Christian Bale stars in Laurel Canyon.
• Anthony Hopkins plays Hannibal Lecter for the third time, in Red Dragon.^[15]

Welsh-language films

• Gwyfyn.^[16]
• Oedd yr Addewid

Music

• 3SL – "Take it Easy" (single)
• Carreg Lafar – Profiad (album)^[17]
• Feeder – Comfort In Sound (album)
• Mclusky – Mclusky Do Dallas^[18]
• Bonnie Tyler – Heart & Soul/Heart Strings (album)

Broadcasting

English-language television

• Cable TV (chat show with Stuart Cable)^[19]

Welsh-language television

• Gwyfyn^[20]

Sport

BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year

• Mark Hughes^[21]

2002 Commonwealth Games

• 25 July to 4 August – At the Commonwealth Games in Manchester, the Wales team wins a total of 33 medals: 6 gold, 15 silver and 12 bronze.^[22]

Cycling

• Andrew Windsor wins the Welsh National Road Race Championships.

Football

• John Fashanu becomes Chairman of Barry Town.
• Barry Town are Welsh Cup winners after beating Bangor City 4–1, and win a sixth League of Wales title.
• Winners of the three divisions in the Welsh Football League are: Ton Pentre (Division 1), Garden Village (Division 2) & Newport YMCA (Division 3).
• Welshpool Town are champions of the Cymru Alliance.

Horse racing

• 27 December – The Welsh National is won by Mini Sensation, ridden by Tony Dobbin.^[23]

Rugby union

• December – Brynmawr RFC and Abertillery RFC withdraw from the Principality Cup, after the Welsh Rugby Union makes an error during the live radio draw for the fifth round.^[24]

Snooker

• 27 January – Paul Hunter wins the Welsh Open tournament in Cardiff.^[25]
• 3 March – Mark Williams wins the China Open tournament in Shanghai.^[26]
• 15 December – Mark Williams wins his second UK Championship title.^[27]

Births

• 23 February – Emilia Jones, actress, daughter of Aled Jones
• 15 September – Medi Harris, swimmer^[28]
• 17 December – Matt Richards, Olympic swimmer (in Worcester)^[29]
• 22 December – Emma Finucane, cyclist^[30]

Deaths

• • • 2 January Ian Grist, politician, 63^[31]
  • Arthur Joseph, cricketer, 82
• 7 January – Jon Lee, rock musician, 33
• 12 January – Moss Evans, trade union leader, 76^[32]
• 3 February – Edward Thomas Chapman, Victoria Cross recipient, 82
• 22 February – David James, cricketer, 80
• 7 March – Geoff Charles, photojournalist, 93^[33]
• 2 March – Mary Grant Price, costume designer, 85^[34]
• 3 March – Bill Hopkin, rugby player, 87
• 6 March – David Jenkins, Librarian of the National Library of Wales 1969–79, 89
• 7 May – Sir Ewart Jones, organic chemist and academic administrator, 91^[35]
• 26 September – Willie Davies, Wales international rugby union and league player, 86^[36]
• 6 October – Nick Whitehead, athlete, 69^[37]
• November – Ernie Jones, footballer, 81/82
• 3 November – Sir John Habakkuk, economic historian, 87^[38]
• 20 November – George Guest, organist and choirmaster of St John's College, Cambridge, 78^[39]
• December – Brian Morgan Edwards, businessman, 68
• 10 December – Steve Llewellyn, rugby league player, 78
• 24 December – Jake Thackray, singer-songwriter, 64^[40]
• 31 December – Billy Morris, footballer, 84

See also

• List of statutory instruments of the Welsh Assembly, 2002
• 2002 in Northern Ireland

Notes and References

1. Web site: Rhodri Morgan obituary . Hannan . Patrick . Patrick Hannan (presenter). 18 May 2017 . . 18 May 2017.
2. News: Murphy returns as Welsh secretary. bbc.co.uk. 2016-11-13.
3. Web site: An Archdruid's Experiences. People's Collection Wales. 4 August 2022.
4. Web site: 100 great British heroes. BBC News. 21 August 2002. (contains the top 100, sorted alphabetically)
5. Web site: Labour holds Ogmore with cut majority . BBC News . 15 February 2002 . 31 July 2022.
6. Web site: Stena Europe – Stena Line. NIFerrySite. 11 April 2022 . 31 July 2022.
7. Web site: Final of Tallinn 2002. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210408182851/https://eurovision.tv/event/tallinn-2002/final. 8 April 2021. 8 April 2021. European Broadcasting Union.
8. Web site: Free at last: Briton escapes after four months held in a hole in the ground. 8 November 2002. Owen Bowcott. The Guardian. 11 July 2024.
9. Web site: Best Books of 2002. The Observer. 1 December 2002. 24 July 2017.
10. Web site: Eirug Wyn. 11 June 2004. D Ben Rees. The Guardian. 17 January 2024.
11. Book: Ken Follett. Hornet Flight. Pan. 2002. 9780330490689.
12. Book: Jones, Steve . Y: The Descent of Men . Flamingo . 2003 . 0-618-13930-3 .
13. News: A Writer's House in Wales. Penelope. Lively. 23 February 2014. The Independent. 22 November 2020.
14. Web site: Franco's Bastard. Rebecca Nesvet. British Theatre Guide. 17 January 2024.
15. Web site: Anthony Hopkins regrets ‘Silence of the Lambs’ sequels. 10 January 2016. James Hendicott. NME. 11 July 2024.
16. Web site: Mwynhad yn y tywyllwch . Welsh . Enjoyment in the dark . 26 November 2002 . BBC.
17. Book: The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. St. Martin's Press. 2003. XLIV.
18. Web site: 10 Underrated Punk Albums That Should Be Considered Classics. Tom. Reardon. 25 August 2014. Phoenix New Times. 11 July 2024.
19. News: Stereophonics sack drummer Cable. BBC Wales. 25 September 2003. 7 June 2010.
20. Web site: Ffilm hynod sy'n brawf bod y diwylliant teledu Cymraeg wedi aeddfedu. Robyn Tomos . Western Mail . 1 November 2003. cy.
21. News: BBC Wales Sport Personality winners . BBC Sport . 2 August 2021.
22. Web site: Commonwealth Games Manchester 2002. BBC Sport. 11 July 2024.
23. Web site: 2:50 Chepstow, Coral Welsh National Showcase Handicap (Chase) Class A Grade 3 . Racing Post . 27 December 2002 .
24. Web site: Abertillery withdraw from Cup . 11 December 2002 . BBC Sport.
25. Web site: 2002 Welsh Open Results . 2007 . Snooker Database . 14 May 2019.
26. Web site: China Open 2002 . 26 November 2014 . snooker.org . 14 May 2019.
27. Web site: UK Championship full results . 11 December 2002 . BBC Sport . 19 May 2019.
28. Web site: Medi Harris profile. Eurosport. 4 August 2022.
29. Web site: Richards Matthew. Olympics.com. 12 August 2021. 12 August 2021. https://web.archive.org/web/20210812121722/https://olympics.com/tokyo-2020/olympic-games/en/results/swimming/athlete-profile-n1665976-richards-matthew.htm. dead.
30. Web site: Profile. Cycling Archives. 30 March 2022.
31. Web site: Ian Grist. 22 January 2002. Andrew Roth. The Guardian. 1 March 2019.
32. Web site: Moss Evans. 14 January 2002. Geoffrey Goodman. The Guardian. 1 March 2019.
33. Troughton. William. Charles, Geoffrey (1909-2002), photographer.. s11-CHAR-GEO-1909. 7 March 2018.
34. Web site: Mary Grant Price. 16 April 2002. Veronica Horwell. The Guardian. 1 March 2019.
35. Web site: Sir Ewart Jones. 18 May 2002. Pearce Wright. The Guardian. 1 March 2019.
36. Web site: Willie Davies. 8 October 2002. Frank Keating. The Guardian. 11 July 2024.
37. News: Nick Whitehead: Olympic sprinter and influential sports administrator . 12 October 2002 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20090804101031/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/nick-whitehead-613841.html . 4 August 2009 . dead .
38. Web site: Sir John Habakkuk. 14 November 2002. Negley Harte. The Guardian. 1 March 2019.
39. Web site: George Guest. 4 December 2002. John Gummer. The Guardian. 17 January 2024.
40. Web site: Jake Thackray. 28 December 2002. Alan Clayson. The Guardian. 1 March 2019.