2008 in Wales explained

This article is about the particular significance of the year 2008 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• First Minister – Rhodri Morgan
• Secretary of State for Wales
  • Peter Hain (to January 24)
  • Paul Murphy
• Archbishop of Wales – Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • Selwyn Iolen (outgoing)
  • Dic Jones (incoming)

Events

• 18 January – Last working of Tower Colliery, the last deep mine in the South Wales Valleys (official closure: 25 January).
• 24 January – Peter Hain resigns from his government offices (including Secretary of State for Wales) after the Electoral Commission refers to the Metropolitan Police his failure to report donations amounting to £100,000.
• 25 January – Official closure of Tower Colliery in the Cynon Valley, the last deep coal mine to be worked in Wales.^[1]
• 11 February – At the 50th Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, California, the Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording goes to Hansel and Gretel, starring Rebecca Evans.
• 18 February – Plans to publish Wales's first daily newspaper in the Welsh language, under the title Y Byd (The World), are abandoned because of inadequate finance.
• March – Harpist Catrin Finch gives the broadcast première of Alun Hoddinott's Serenissima on BBC Radio 3, shortly before the composer's death.
• 1 March – St David's Day Cardiff sees record-breaking numbers march in the annual St David's Day parade, from National Museum Cardiff to the Senedd in Cardiff Bay.
• 7 March – The Queen visits Swansea to open its new leisure centre, a replacement for the building she opened in 1977.
• 16 April
  • Swansea's new bowls stadium hosts the World Indoor Singles and Mixed Pairs Championship for bowls.
  • First minister Rhodri Morgan officially opens Amazon.co.uk's 400000square feet Fulfilment Centre in Jersey Marine.
• 1 May – All Wales local council elections.
• 31 May – Swansea Bay Film Festival begins.
• 12 June – Cardiff Castle opens a new interpretation centre at a cost of £6 million.^[2]
• 13 June – While taking part in BBC Radio Cymru's weekly radio show, Dau o'r Bae, Alun Cairns apologises for referring to Italians as "greasy wops".^[3]
• 14 June – In the Queen's Birthday honours list, Russell T Davies is awarded the OBE and Joe Calzaghe the CBE.
• 28 June – At the Wales Book of the Year Awards, Heritage Minister Rhodri Glyn Thomas reads out the wrong name, and runner-up Tom Bullough arrives on stage only to find he has lost out to Dannie Abse. Bullough comments "The Book of the Year event was out-and-out the worst night of my life."^[4]
• 18 July – Rhodri Glyn Thomas resigns from his position in the Welsh Assembly Government after having been reprimanded for smoking in a pub.^[5]
• July – North East Wales Institute of Higher Education, based at Wrexham, is renamed Glyndŵr University.
• 2 August – The National Eisteddfod of Wales opens in Cardiff.
• 11 August – A resurvey of Mynydd Graig Goch in the Moel Hebog group of Snowdonia summits determines its height to be 2,000 ft 6in (609.75m) rather than the 1998 ft (609m) previously recorded, qualifying it as a mountain.^{[6] [7]}
• 12 September – The Tower, Meridian Quay, is topped out, becoming the tallest building in Swansea and the tallest residential building in Wales.^[8]
• 5 October – Delyth Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, replaces Kevin Brennan as Lords Minister for the Department for Children, Schools and Families.
• 20 November – AM and Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones makes history by using the Welsh language for the first time as a representative of the UK government at a European Union meeting in Brussels.^[9]
• 14 December – Trinity College, Carmarthen, announces negotiations with University of Wales, Lampeter, with a view to a merger.
• 19 December – A haul of 22 million counterfeit cigarettes, the biggest such seizure ever in Wales, is recovered by Cardiff customs officers in a container from Dubai.^[10]
• 31 December – In the New Year Honours 2009, Michael Sheen is awarded the OBE and Owain Arwel Hughes the CBE. Cyclists Nicole Cooke and Geraint Thomas receive the MBE.

Arts and literature

• Gillian Clarke succeeds Gwyn Thomas as National Poet of Wales.

Awards

• Glyndŵr Award – Tudur Dylan Jones
• National Eisteddfod of Wales:^[11] Chair – Hilma Lloyd Edwards^[12]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Hywel Griffiths^[13]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Mererid Hopwood^[14]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal – Glesni Hâf Jones, Dŵr Mawr Dyfn^[15]
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen: Bet Jones, Craciau^[16]
• Wales Book of the Year

• • English language: Dannie Abse – The Presence
  • Welsh language: Gareth Miles – Y Proffwyd a'l Ddwy Jesebel
• Dylan Thomas Award: Nam Le
• Cân i Gymru

Aled Myrddin – "Atgofion"

New books

• The Academi – Encyclopaedia of Wales / Gwyddoniadur Cymru
• Geraint Talfan Davies – At Arm's Length: Recollections and Reflections on the Arts, Media and a Young Democracy
• Rhys Evans – Gwynfor Evans: a Portrait of a Patriot
• Ray Gravell – Grav in his Own Words
• Simon Jenkins – Wales: Churches, Houses, Castles
• Peter Lord – Winifred Coombe Tennant: a Life through Art (National Library of Wales)
• Iolo Morganwg and the Romantic Tradition in Wales: The Correspondence of Iolo Morganwg, Vols 1, 2 & 3 (ed. Geraint H. Jenkins, Ffion Mair Jones & David Ceri Jones)
• Ian Skidmore – Kyffin: a Figure in a Welsh Landscape
• Dai Smith – Raymond Williams: a Warrior's Tale
• Louie Myfanwy Thomas (d. 1968) writing as Jane Ann Jones – Pererinion
• Rowan Williams – Dostoevsky: Language, Faith and Fiction

Music

Classical

• Alun Hoddinott – Music for String Quartet
• Karl Jenkins – Stabat Mater

Albums

• The Automatic – This Is a Fix
• Duffy – Rockferry
• The Gentle Good – While You Slept I Went Out Walking
• Katherine Jenkins – Sacred Arias
• Kids in Glass Houses – Smart Casual
• Bryn Terfel – First Love: Songs from the British Isles

Singles

• Feeder – Miss You

Film

• Jonathan Pryce appears in Leatherheads.
• Michael Sheen plays David Frost in Frost/Nixon
• Catherine Zeta-Jones stars in Death Defying Acts
• Freebird is filmed and set in Wales.
• Flick, starring Faye Dunaway, is filmed in Wales.

Broadcasting

Welsh-language TV

• Natur Cymru (with Iolo Williams)
• Noson Chis a Meinir

English-language TV

• Teen Tribes (with Rhod Gilbert) (BBC2)
• The Wright Taste

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Shane Williams^[17]
• BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year – Eleanor Simmonds
• Cycling
  • March – Geraint Thomas is a member of the gold medal-winning team in the UCI Track Cycling World Championships - Men's Team Pursuit.
  • September – Nicole Cooke wins the UCI Road World Championships - Women's Road Race.
• Darts
  • Mark Webster wins the 2008 BDO World Darts Championship.^[18]
• Football
  • 9 March – Cardiff City F.C. defeat Middlesbrough F.C. to reach the semi-finals of the FA Cup for the first time since 1927.
  • 6 April – Cardiff City F.C. defeat Barnsley F.C. to reach the final of the FA Cup for the first time since 1927.
  • 17 May – Cardiff City F.C. are defeated by Portsmouth F.C. in the final of the FA Cup
  • 16 August – Opening round of the Welsh Cup 2008-09
• Rugby union
  • 2 February – Wales defeat World Cup finalists England in their first match of the 2008 Six Nations Championship.
  • 8 March – Wales defeat Ireland to clinch the Triple Crown.
  • 15 March – Wales defeat France to win the Grand Slam for the second time in five years.
  • 12 April – Ospreys defeat Leicester Tigers and lift the EDF Energy Cup trophy.
• 2008 Summer Olympics
  • 10 August – Cyclist Nicole Cooke wins the gold medal in the Women's road race.
  • 16 August – In rowing, Tom James wins a gold medal as one of the British team's victorious coxless four.
  • 18 August – Cyclist Geraint Thomas wins gold as a member of the GB Team Pursuit team.
  • 21 August – David Davies of Barry wins the silver medal in the Men's marathon 10 kilometre swim.

Deaths

• 1 January –
  • Aled Rhys Wiliam, writer, 81^[19]
  • Laura Mattan, wife of Mahmood Hussein Mattan, the last man to be hanged at Cardiff Prison, who campaigned to have his wrongful conviction overturned, 78^[20]
• 4 February – Peter Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gwydir, politician, 87^[21]
• 8 March – Patrick Gibbs, RAF Wing Commander, author and film critic, 92
• 12 March – Alun Hoddinott, composer, 78^[22]
• 18 March – Philip Jones Griffiths, photojournalist, 72^[23]
• 24 March – Neil Aspinall, Beatles' friend and assistant, 65^[24]
• 12 April (in Heywood, Greater Manchester) – Dai Royston Bevan, rugby player, 80
• 17 April – Gwyneth Dunwoody, politician, 77^[25]
• 25 April – Humphrey Lyttelton, jazz musician and former Port Talbot steelworker, 86^[26]
• 1 May – Mark Kendall, footballer, 49^[27]
• 19 May – Dai Davies, sports journalist, 69
• 28 May – Elinor Lyon, English children's novelist who retired to Harlech, 86^[28]
• 12 June – Derek Tapscott, international footballer, 75^[29]
• 16 June – Gareth Jones, rugby player, 28
• 22 June – Ron Stitfall, footballer, 82^[30]
• 30 June – Anthony Crockett, Bishop of Bangor, 62^[31]
• 14 July – George Noakes, former Archbishop of Wales, 83^[32]
• 12 August (in London) – Michael Baxandall, art historian, 74^[33]
• 18 August – Bob Humphrys, TV sports presenter, 56^[34]
• 20 August – Leo Abse, politician, 91^[35]
• 10 September – Vernon Handley, conductor, 77^[36]
• 7 October – Leslie Hardman, rabbi, 95
• 22 October – George Edwards, footballer, 87^[37]
• 27 October – Colin Gale, footballer, 76
• 12 November – Richard Rhys, 9th Baron Dynevor, 73^[38]
• 7 December – John Ellis Williams, novelist, 84

See also

• 2008 in Northern Ireland

Notes and References

1. News: Coal mine closes with celebration. 25 January 2008. BBC News. 25 January 2008.
2. Web site: New £6 Million Interpretation Centre Opens At Cardiff Castle . 13 June 2008 . . 17 May 2019.
3. News: Tory candidate apologises for 'greasy wops' comment . . London . 14 June 2008 . 23 April 2010.
4. Web site: Awards gaffe the perfect publicity for book . 30 July 2008 . Rhodri . Clark . . WalesOnline . 17 May 2019.
5. Web site: Cigar blunder minister quits job . 18 July 2008 . . 17 May 2019.
6. Web site: Survey turns hill into a mountain. BBC News. 19 September 2008. 17 August 2012.
7. News: The Welshmen who went up a hill, but came down a mountain. The Guardian. London. Martin. Wainwright. Martin Wainwright. 19 September 2008. 17 August 2012.
8. Web site: These pictures show the changing face of Swansea city centre through the years. Robin. Turner. 22 January 2016. Media Wales. WalesOnline. 18 March 2019.
9. Web site: 'Historic' use of Welsh in EU . 20 November 2008 . . 17 May 2019.
10. Web site: 22m counterfeit cigarettes found . 16 January 2009 . . 17 May 2019.
11. http://www.eisteddfod.org.uk/english/2014/the-weeks-results/ Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru: The Week's Results
12. Web site: Chair Winners. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 20 January 2021.
13. Web site: Crown Winners. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 20 January 2021.
14. Web site: Prose Medal Winners. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 20 January 2021.
15. Web site: Drama Medal Winners. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 20 January 2021.
16. Web site: Daniel Owen Memorial Prize Winners. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 20 January 2021.
17. Web site: BBC Wales Sport Personality winners . BBC Sport . 2 August 2021.
18. Web site: Welshman Mark Webster Wins the BDO World Darts Championship. sport.co.uk. 14 January 2008. 8 May 2012. Thomas, Matthew.
19. Web site: Aled Rhys Wiliam: Welsh scholar and broadcaster. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/aled-rhys-wiliam-welsh-scholar-and-broadcaster-768822.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. 8 January 2008. The Independent. 20 January 2021.
20. Web site: Wife of last man hanged in Cardiff dies, 78 . 10 January 2008 . WalesOnline . 5 July 2023.
21. Web site: Lord Thomas of Gwydir: First Tory Welsh Secretary. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/lord-thomas-of-gwydir-first-tory-welsh-secretary-779110.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. 7 February 2008. The Independent. 16 September 2019.
22. News: Alun Hoddinott: Prodigy who became a prolific composer and patriarchal figure in Welsh music. The Guardian . Lewis, Geraint . 14 March 2008 . 6 February 2011.
23. News: Philip Jones Griffiths, photographer, Dies at 72 . Kennedy. Randy. 20 March 2008. New York Times. 3 May 2008.
24. News: Neil Aspinall, 'the fifth Beatle', dies aged 66 . . 25 March 2008 . 23 September 2012 .
25. News: MP Gwyneth Dunwoody dies aged 77 . 17 April 2008 . BBC News online . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20080421091715/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7353743.stm . 21 April 2008 . dmy-all .
26. News: Jazz legend Lyttelton dies at 86 . BBC News . 25 April 2008 . 25 April 2008 .
27. Web site: Obituary – Mark Kendall. Tottenham Hotspur F. C.. 20 January 2021.
28. Web site: Elinor Lyon. The Guardian. Julia Eccleshare. 24 June 2008. 20 January 2021.
29. Web site: Derek Tapscott: Arsenal and Wales striker. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/derek-tapscott-arsenal-and-wales-striker-847907.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. 23 October 2011. The Independent. 20 January 2021.
30. Web site: FAW mourn defender Ron Stitfall . . 24 June 2008 . 20 January 2021.
31. Web site: The Right Reverend Anthony Crockett. The Daily Telegraph. 1 July 2008. 16 September 2019.
32. News: The Right Rev George Noakes: Archbishop of Wales, 1987–1991 . 22 July 2008. Times, The (London). 27 July 2008.
33. Web site: Professor Michael Baxandall: Influential art historian with a rigorously cerebral approach to the study of painting and sculpture. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/professor-michael-baxandall-influential-art-historian-with-a-rigorously-cerebral-approach-to-the-study-of-painting-and-sculpture-901782.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. 22 October 2011. The Independent. 20 January 2021.
34. Web site: Bob Humphrys. 21 August 2008. Paul Rees. The Guardian. 16 September 2019.
35. Web site: Goodman. Geoffrey. Leo Abse. The Guardian. 16 June 2017. 20 August 2008.
36. Web site: Vernon Handley. 12 September 2008. John Amis. John Amis. The Guardian. 19 August 2019.
37. News: Tributes to City and Wales star who loved sport . South Wales Echo . Evans, Catherine Mary . 23 October 2008 . 3 December 2013 . en.
38. News: Lord Dynevor: patron of the arts in Wales. December 18, 2008. The Times. 7 July 2021.