1953 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1953 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Archbishop of Wales – John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
• Cynan (outgoing)
• Dyfnallt (incoming)

Events

• 7 March – A "Saint David's Day" pageant is held by the London Welsh Association in the streets of London.
• 11 March – The Royal Badge of Wales is granted an augmentation of honour including the motto Y Ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn ("The red dragon inspires action").
• 1 June – In the Queen's Coronation Honours List, Victoria Cross recipient Ted Chapman is awarded the British Empire Medal.
• 9 July – Elizabeth II makes her first visit to Wales since her 2 June Coronation.
• 10 July – The royal tour of Wales concludes with a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle and visits to the National Eisteddfod site at Rhyl, Wrexham and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
• 2 December – Llandudno experiences unusually warm weather as a result of the "foehn effect".
• date unknown
• The Royal College of General Practitioners is established in Wales.
• Goronwy Rees becomes Principal of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
• Grismond Picton Philipps is knighted.

Arts and literature

• July 6 – Dorothy Squires marries Roger Moore in the United States.
• date unknown
• Thomas Parry (later Sir Thomas) becomes head of the National Library of Wales.
• Waldo Williams leaves the Baptist denomination and becomes a Quaker.
• Robert Frank photographs a Glamorgan mining village for U.S.Camera.
• Susan Williams-Ellis joins her father, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, in his work on the village of Portmeirion.

Awards

• Emyr Humphreys wins the Somerset Maugham Prize for Hear and Forgive.
• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Rhyl)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – E. Llwyd Williams, "Y Ffordd"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dilys Cadwaladr, "Y Llen"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – withheld

New books

English language

• Jack Jones – Time and the Business
• Bertrand Russell – Satan in the Suburbs and Other Stories

Welsh language

• Islwyn Ffowc Elis
• Cysgod y Cryman
• Ffenestri Tua'r Gwyll
• David John Williams – Hen dÅ· ffarm

Music

• 8 June – Geraint Evans appears in the première of Benjamin Britten's Gloriana.

Film

• Rachel Thomas and Clifford Evans co-star in Valley of Song.
• Richard Burton stars in The Robe.
• Rachel Roberts stars in The Limping Man.

Broadcasting

• 6 January – The Broadcasting Council for Wales meets for the first time.
• January – Edward Williamson, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, broadcasts a lecture on Henry Vaughan on BBC radio.
• 9 December – In the UK Parliament, the Postmaster General, Earl De La Warr, confirms that none of the first independent television stations will be located in Wales.

Welsh-language television

• 1 March – First broadcast of a television programme entirely in Welsh: a religious service from the Tabernacle Baptist Chapel, Cardiff.
• Teledu i Blant (children's programme)
• Telewele (children's programme)

English-language television

• The National Eisteddfod of Wales is broadcast on BBC television, with English commentary by Hywel Davies.

Sport

• Archery – The North Wales Archery Society is founded.
• Rugby – In December, Wales defeat New Zealand 13-8 at Cardiff Arms Park.

Births

• 10 February – Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans
• 15 March - Alan Couch, footballer
• 11 April – Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, politician
• 12 April – Huw Edwards, Labour politician, MP for Monmouth 1991–1992 and 1997–2005
• 26 April – Andy Secombe, voice actor and fantasy novelist
• 8 June – Bonnie Tyler, singer
• 7 July – Eleri Rees, judge
• 11 July – Nigel Rees, footballer
• 20 July – Dave Evans, singer
• 10 August – Gillian Elisa, actress, singer and comedian
• 2 September – Keith Allen, comedian and actor
• 28 October – Phil Dwyer, footballer
• 16 November – Griff Rhys Jones, actor, comedian and television presenter
• Shani Rhys James, Australian-born painter
• Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru politician, MP for Caernarfon, later Arfon 2001–

Deaths

• 10 January – Howell Elvet Lewis ("Elved"), poet and Archdruid, 92
• 7 March – Jack Williams, Victoria Cross recipient, 66
• 20 March – Fred Parfitt, Wales international rugby player, 83
• 24 March – Mary of Teck, Princess of Wales 1910–1936, queen consort of the United Kingdom 1936–1952, 85
• 6 April – Idris Davies, poet, 48
• 30 April – Sir David Rocyn-Jones, medical practitioner and President of the WRU, 90
• 2 May – , author, 81/82
• 23 May – Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway, industrialist, horticulturalist and politician, 74
• 5 June – Elizabeth Mary Jones ("Moelona"), novelist, 75
• 18 June – Reg Plummer, Wales and British Lion rugby union player, 64
• 26 August – Rachel Barrett, Welsh editor and suffragette, 77
• 9 November – Dylan Thomas, poet, 39
• 11 November – John Glyn Davies, poet and children's writer, 83
• 26 November – Sir Ivor Atkins, organist and choirmaster, 83
• 27 November – T. F. Powys, Anglo-Welsh writer, 77
• 17 December – David Rees Griffiths, poet, 71

See also

• 1953 in Northern Ireland

References