2009 in Wales explained

This article is about the particular significance of the year 2009 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• First Minister
  • Rhodri Morgan (until 9 December)
  • Carwyn Jones
• Secretary of State for Wales
  • Paul Murphy (until 5 June)
  • Peter Hain
• Archbishop of Wales – Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • Dic Jones (outgoing)
  • Jim Parc Nest (incoming)

Events

• 1 January
  • The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, broadcasts a New Year message on BBC television. He warns against losing sight of our "real treasure" and says: "Our hearts will be in a very bad way if they're focused only on the state of our finances."^[1]
  • Record numbers of swimmers participate in New Year's Day charity swims at Amroth, Saundersfoot and Abersoch.^[2]
• 2 January - Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson denies having criticised the failure to include all UK Paralympic gold medal-winners in the UK New Year Honours List.^[3]
• 9 January - The UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, visits south Wales as part of a 3-day tour of the regions.^[4]
• 11 January - Eight rescuers are injured as four mountain rescue teams help bring two climbers to safety from the summit of Snowdon.^[5]
• 15 January - Welsh Conservative Assembly Members issue an announcement saying that they give their unanimous support to Nick Bourne as leader of the Assembly group.^[6]
• 19 January - The Cardiff International Sports Stadium opens, replacing the old Cardiff Athletics Stadium
• 22 January - After having been the only police force in the UK to record an increase in crime during 2007-2008, South Wales Police witnesses a 4% drop in crime in its area, according to the latest British Crime Survey.^[7]
• 26 January - Corus announces the loss of up to 1,100 jobs at its plants in Wales and the mothballing of the Llanwern hot strip mill.^[8]
• 2 February - After a 24-hour search, the Llanberis mountain rescue team recovers the bodies of two brothers from south-west England who went missing on Snowdon on 31 January.^[9]
• 8 February - At the 51st Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Best Pop Vocal Album goes to Duffy for Rockferry.
• 11 February - Four people are killed in a mid-air collision between two light aircraft near Kenfig. They are two female air cadets from Rhondda, aged 13 and 14, and two RAF instructors.^[10]
• 18 February
  • Duffy wins the Best Female and British Breakthrough Act awards at the 2009 BRIT Awards; her album Rockferry wins Best Album.
  • The inquest opens into the Kenfig air crash of 11 February.^[11]
• 21 February - Rescuers have to abseil 500feet down a sheer rock face in the dark to rescue a team of three climbers stuck on Snowdon.^[12]
• 6 March - Boxer Joe Calzaghe wins a court action against his former manager Frank Warren, claiming £2 million in unpaid fees.^[13]
• 13 March - The Hoover Company ceases washing machine production at Merthyr Tydfil.^[14]
• 1 June - ftrmetro Swansea bus rapid transit system begins operation.^[15]
• 12 June - Hafod Eryri at the summit of Snowdon is opened.^[16]
• 27 June - An 11-mile stretch of the Llangollen Canal, including the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.^[17]
• 21 July - The first race meeting is held at Ffos Las racecourse, the first new National Hunt racecourse to be built in the United Kingdom for 80 years.^[18]
• 22 July - Official opening of the new Cardiff City Stadium, Wales' 2nd largest stadium, when Cardiff City F.C. drew against Glasgow's Celtic F.C.
• 31 July - The Indesit Company ceases washing machine production at Kinmel Park, Bodelwyddan.^[19]
• 1 August - The National Eisteddfod of Wales opens at Bala.
• 8 August - The first test of the Ashes 2009 series, seeing England against Australia in Cricket, begins at Cardiff's SWALEC Stadium.
• 12 August - Wales begins the process of digital switchover with the turning off of parts of the analogue signal from the Kilvey Hill transmitter.^[20]
• 29 September - On his 70th birthday, Rhodri Morgan announces that he will stand down as First Minister in December.
• 22 October - The St David's Centre in Cardiff re-opens as one of the largest shopping centres in the United Kingdom after its multimillion-pound extension and the reconstruction of the surrounding area.
• November - Mererid Hopwood, the first woman to be nominated for the position of Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod, withdraws her name from consideration, leaving T. James Jones as the only candidate.
• 12 November - Health & Social Services Minister Edwina Hart declines a request by Liberal Democrat Kirsty Williams to review how £1 billion has been spent on NHS services in Wales.
• 13 November - The agreement A New Understanding is signed by representatives of the Welsh Assembly Government and the Welsh Local Government Association.^[21]
• 18 November - A report by the All Wales Convention finds that public opinion is narrowly in favour of increasing the powers of the Welsh Assembly.^[22]
• 21 November
  • Dannie Abse receives the Wilfred Owen Poetry Award.
  • Pride In Barry announces the planned placement of a Blue Plaque on 19 Porth Y Castell, Barry, in memory of boxer Jack Petersen.
• 9 December - Carwyn Jones takes office as First Minister for Wales.^[23]
• 16 December - The Afan Lido leisure complex in Port Talbot is badly damaged by fire.^[24]
• 29 December - A crater approximately 10feet wide and 12feet deep appears in Brynmair Close, Aberaman, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Nearby residents are evacuated as the cause is investigated.^[25]

Arts and literature

Awards

• Glyndŵr Award – Llŷr Williams
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – withheld
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Ceri Wyn Jones
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal – Dyfed Edwards
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Fine Art Medal – Elfyn Lewis
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Siân Melangell Dafydd
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen – Fflur Dafydd
• Wales Book of the Year

• • English language: Deborah Kay Davies – Grace, Tamar and Laszlo the Beautiful
  • Welsh language: William Owen Roberts – Petrograd
• Kyffin Art Prize

Louisa Theunissen^[26]

• Cân i Gymru

Elfed Morgan Morris – "Gofidiau"

• BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition

^[27]

• • Main Prize – Ekaterina Scherbachenko
  • Song Prize – Jan Martinik

New books

Welsh language

• Robat Gruffudd - A Gymri Di Gymru?
• Lloyd Jones - Y Dŵr

English language

• Emyr Humphreys - The Woman at the Window
• Siân James - Return to Hendre Ddu
• Nigel Owens - Half Time
• Malcolm Pryce - From Aberystwyth with Love
• John Powell Ward - The Last Green Year

Music

Classical

• Catrin Finch - Goldberg Variations (transcribed for harp)^[28]
• Rhydian - O Fortuna^[29]

Albums

• Derwyddon Dr Gonzo - Stonk!^[30]
• Only Men Aloud! - Band of Brothers^[31]
• Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years^[32]

Singles

• Vanessa Jenkins and Bryn West - "Barry Islands in the Stream" featuring Sir Tom Jones and Robin Gibb^[33]

Theatre

• May - National Theatre Wales, an English-language theatre company, is established with a grant of £3 million.^[34]

Film

• , starring Michael Sheen

Broadcasting

Welsh-language TV

• Caerdydd
• S4C launches a new bilingual rugby website^[35]

English-language TV

• Coal House^[36]
• Doctor Who - David Tennant films his final scenes as The Doctor in Cardiff.
• Gavin & Stacey - series 3

Sport

• January - Simon Lawson of Cardiff wins the 28th annual Richard Burton 10 km run^[37] in a time of 31 minutes.
• 21 March - Wales are narrowly defeated by Ireland to finish third overall in the 2009 Six Nations Championship (rugby union).
• June - The first race meeting is held at the newly constructed Ffos Las racecourse.
• 28 December - Blackwood-reared Dream Alliance wins the Welsh Grand National.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - Ryan Giggs^[38]

Births

• 11 January - Dexter Lloyd Henson, son of Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson

Deaths

• 9 January - T. Llew Jones, writer, 93^[39]
• 10 January - Eluned Phillips, writer, 94^[40]
• 13 January - Dai Llewellyn, socialite, 62^[41]
• 22 January - Vic Crowe, footballer, 76^[42]
• 9 February
  • Gareth Alban Davies, academic, 82
  • Reg Davies, footballer, 79
• 10 February - Gerwyn Williams, rugby union footballer, 84
• 14 February - Sir Bernard Ashley, entrepreneur, 82^[43]
• 19 February - Ian L. Jenkins, former Surgeon General of the British Armed Forces, 64
• 26 February - Jackie Bowen, Welsh rugby union and rugby league footballer, 93
• 2 March - Gerard Morgan-Grenville, environmentalist, 77
• 12 March - Huw Thomas, broadcaster, lawyer and politician, 81
• 22 March - Emyr Price, historian, 64
• 23 March - Geoff Holmes, cricketer, 50^[44]
• 12 April - John Maddox, biologist, 83
• 22 April - Cliff Curvis, British and Commonwealth boxing champion, 81
• May - Ralph Morgan, Welsh rugby union and rugby league footballer, 88?
• 14 May - Ken Hollyman, footballer, 86
• 16 May - Einion Evans, poet, 82
• 31 May - Brian Edrich, former Glamorgan cricket coach, 86
• 5 June - Haydn Tanner, Wales international rugby union footballer, 92
• 19 June - Major Sean Birchall, soldier, 33 (killed on active service)^[45]
• 6 July - Bleddyn Williams, rugby union footballer, 86
• 11 July - Geraint Owen, actor and politician, 43
• 27 July - Aeronwy Thomas, writer and daughter of Dylan Thomas, 66^[46]
• 18 August - Dic Jones, poet and archdruid, 75^[47]
• 28 August - Noel Jones, Anglican bishop, 76
• 6 September - David Glyndwr Tudor Williams, barrister and academic, 78
• 9 September - Stanley Cornwell Lewis, artist, 103
• 7 October - Helen Watts, operatic contralto, 81
• 10 October - Sir Bryan Hopkin, economist, 94
• 11 October - Patrick Hannan, radio and TV journalist, 68
• 17 October - Douglas Blackwell, actor, 85
• 20 October - Hubert Rees, actor
• 12 November - Orig Williams, wrestler and TV presenter, 78
• 16 December - T. G. H. James, Egyptologist, 86
• 30 December - Maldwyn Evans, bowls champion, 72

See also

• 2009 in Northern Ireland

Notes and References

1. Web site: Archbishop of Canterbury warns that money isn't everything . Steve . Bagnall . 1 January 2009 . . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120217134332/http://www.dailypost.co.uk/news/north-wales-news/2009/01/01/archbishop-of-canterbury-warns-that-money-isn-t-everything-55578-22585830/ . 17 February 2012.
2. Web site: Records broken at New Year swim . 1 January 2009 . BBC News.
3. Web site: Dame Tanni denies honours worry . 2 January 2009 . BBC News.
4. Web site: Jobs key to Welsh economy says PM . 9 January 2009 . BBC News.
5. Web site: Rescuers injured helping climbers . 11 January 2009 . BBC News.
6. Web site: Bourne free? . 15 January 2009 . Betsan . Powys . . https://web.archive.org/web/20090118133449/http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/betsanpowys/ . 18 January 2009 . dead.
7. Web site: Home Office report shows 4% crime drop in South Wales . 23 January 2009 . Darren . Devine . . WalesOnline.
8. Web site: Fears over 1,100 Welsh steel jobs . 26 January 2009 . BBC News.
9. Web site: Two found dead after Snowdon hunt . 2 February 2009 . BBC News.
10. Web site: Third child tragedy for plane crash mum . 12 February 2009 . . WalesOnline.
11. Web site: Inquest into tragic plane crash opened . 18 February 2009 . Darren . Devine . . WalesOnline.
12. Web site: Abseil in dark to rescue climbers . 22 February 2009 . BBC News.
13. Web site: Calzaghe wins case against Warren . 17 March 2009 . BBC News.
14. Web site: Hoover Washing Machines Page 2. Old Merthyr Tydfil. 3 April 2014.
15. Web site: ftrmetro has arrived in Swansea . goftr.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20110208171353/http://www.goftr.com/swansea/home.php . dead . 8 February 2011.
16. News: £8.4m Snowdon summit cafe opens. BBC News. 2009-06-12. 2021-11-19.
17. Web site: Aqueduct crowned 'world wonder'. 27 June 2009. BBC News Online.
18. Web site: New Wales racecourse goes flat out . 13 July 2009 . NewsWales . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20110728042008/http://www.newswales.co.uk/?section=Sport&F=1&id=17109 . 28 July 2011.
19. Web site: 305 jobs to go at Indesit factory. BBC News. 3 March 2009. 31 March 2018.
20. Web site: Kilvey Hill transmitter group . 2009 . . https://web.archive.org/web/20090807140933/http://www.digitaluk.co.uk/when_do_i_switch/wales/kilvey_hill . 7 August 2009 . dead.
21. Web site: Welsh Assembly Government And Local Governments Sign Up To A New Understanding . 13 November 2009 . eGovmonitor.com . https://web.archive.org/web/20091116073616/http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/30822 . 16 November 2009 . dead.
22. Web site: More powers for Wales says report. 18 November 2009 . BBC News.
23. Web site: Carwyn Jones clinches leadership in Wales . 1 December 2009 . . WalesOnline.
24. Web site: 'Guarantee' fire-hit Afan Lido to be replaced. 17 December 2009 . BBC News.
25. Web site: Crater in car park investigated. 31 December 2009 . BBC News.
26. Web site: First Kyffin art prize is awarded. 25 October 2009 . BBC News.
27. Web site: BBC Cardiff Singer of the World – 2009 competition . . https://web.archive.org/web/20090626225859/http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/cardiffsinger/sites/2009/ . 26 June 2009 . dead.
28. Web site: J.S. Bach: Goldbergs on harp/Finch. Jed Distler. Classics Today. 15 July 2024.
29. Web site: Review - Rhydian: O Fortuna. 1 December 2009. OK magazine. 15 July 2024.
30. Web site: Derwyddon Dr Gonzo - Stonk!. BBC Radio Cymru. cy. 15 July 2024.
31. Web site: Only Men Aloud! wowed the crowd at new album’s launch. 13 October 2009. WalesOnline. Emily Woodrow. 15 July 2024.
32. Web site: Album Review - Super Furry Animals. NME. 15 July 2024.
33. Web site: Comic Relief 2009 presents 'Barry Islands in the Stream'. Tom Jones. 15 July 2024.
34. Web site: National Theatre of Wales: by the people, for the people. 5 November 2009. Lyn Gardner. The Guardian. 15 November 2018.
35. http://www.s4c.co.uk/rygbi/ Rygbi
36. Web site: BBC One - Coal House. 4 September 2019.
37. News: Burton tribute 10km run success. BBC News. 11 January 2009 . 15 November 2018.
38. News: BBC Wales Sport Personality winners . BBC Sport . 2 August 2021.
39. Web site: Colli 'un o eiconau'r genedl'. BBC Cymru. Welsh. 17 September 2019.
40. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/eluned-phillips-the-only-woman-poet-to-have-won-the-national-eisteddfods-crown-twice-1608182.html "Eluned Phillips: The only woman poet to have won the National Eisteddfod's Crown twice", The Independent obituary, 13 February 2009
41. News: Sir Dai Llewellyn dies aged 62. 14 January 2009. 14 January 2009. The Times. Kaya . Burgess . London.
42. Web site: Ex-Villa manager Vic Crowe dies. 22 January 2009. Mat Kendrick. Birmingham Mail. 8 September 2018.
43. Web site: Sir Bernard Ashley. 15 February 2009. The Telegraph. 17 September 2019.
44. Web site: Ex-Glam star Holmes dies. 24 March 2009. South Wales Argus. 17 September 2019.
45. Web site: Major Sean Birchall killed in Afghanistan. gov.uk. 8 September 2018.
46. News: Daughter of Dylan Thomas has died. BBC. 28 July 2009. 15 November 2018.
47. News: Dic Jones: Archdruid of Wales and master poet in the strict metres of. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/dic-jones-archdruid-of-wales-and-master-poet-in-the-strict-metres-of-welsh-prosody-1775102.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription. 2009-08-21. The Independent. 2017-09-14. en-GB.