1954 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1954 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Archbishop of Wales – John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Dyfnallt

Events

• 1 April – Civilian flights from the old Cardiff Municipal Airport at Pengam Moors are transferred to the new Cardiff Airport near Rhoose.
• 29 May – Gwyneth Phillips marries John Dunwoody, continuing a dynasty of Labour politicians.
• 19 June – The Welsh Chess Union is founded.
• October – Launch of the Empire News, the first Sunday newspaper to be printed and published in Wales.
• 19 October – Gwilym Lloyd George becomes Home Secretary and Minister for Welsh Affairs – the first Welshman to hold the position.
• 9 December – Flag of the Church in Wales officially inaugurated.

Arts and literature

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Ystradgynlais)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – John Evans, "Yr Argae"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – E. Llwyd Williams, "Y Bannau"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Owen Elias Roberts, Y Gor o Ystradgynlais

New books

• Dannie Abse – Ash on a Young Man's Sleeve
• Kingsley Amis – Lucky Jim
• Glyn Daniel – Welcome Death
• Margiad Evans – The Nightingale Silenced (unpublished)
• Ronald Fenton – The Story of Sker House
• Eiluned Lewis – Honey Pots and Brandy Bottles
• V. E. Nash-Williams – The Roman Frontier in Wales
• Bertrand Russell – Nightmares of Eminent Persons and Other Stories
• Dylan Thomas – Quite Early One Morning

Music

• Geraint Evans stars in William Walton's new opera, Troilus and Cressida.
• Alun Hoddinott – Clarinet Concerto (performed at the Cheltenham Festival by Gervase de Peyer with the Hallé Orchestra under Sir John Barbirolli).
• Arwel Hughes – Menna (opera)
• Daniel Jones – Symphony no 4

Film

• Donald Houston co-stars in Doctor in the House.
• Ray Milland stars in Dial M for Murder.
• The Black Knight, starring Alan Ladd, is partly filmed at Castell Coch.

Broadcasting

• 25 January – Under Milk Wood is performed for the first time on BBC radio with an all-Welsh cast led by Richard Burton and including Hugh Griffith, Rachel Thomas and Philip Burton.

Sport

• Football – John Charles finishes the 1953–54 season having scored 42 goals for Leeds United.
• Rugby union – Wales win the Five Nations Championship, but a loss against England prevents Wales lifting the Triple Crown.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Ken Jones

Births

• 5 January – Elgan Rees, Wales international rugby player
• 6 January – John Sparkes, comedian
• 21 January – Tony Ridler, darts player
• 12 March – Chris Needs, broadcaster (died 2020)
• 13 March – Francis Ormsby-Gore, 6th Baron Harlech
• 17 March – Trish Law, born Patricia Bolter, AM, politician
• 6 April – Alan Curtis, footballer
• 19 April – Jon Owen Jones, politician
• 23 May – David Richards, Wales international rugby player
• 28 May – Gwyn Morgan, writer
• 9 June
• Paul Chapman, rock guitarist
• Rhys Morgan, Wales international rugby player
• 7 July – Mickey Thomas, Welsh international footballer
• August – Ceri Sherlock, filmmaker and theatre director
• 27 August – Bryn Fôn, singer and actor
• 12 September – Sir Michael Moritz, businessman and philanthropist
• 19 September – Mark Drakeford, politician
• 24 September – Helen Lederer, comedian and actress
• 25 September – Gareth Thomas, politician
• 12 October – Keith Griffiths, architect
• 13 October – Kim Davies, cricketer
• 14 October – Lowri Gwilym, television and radio producer
• 13 November – Les Keen, Wales international rugby player

Deaths

• 12 January – Thomas Brinsmead Williams, cricketer, 69
• 6 March – William Davies Thomas, academic, 74
• 25 March – William Jackson, footballer, 78
• 10 April – Harry Hiams, rugby union international, 67
• 6 May – J. J. Williams, poet and archdruid, 84
• 15 June
• William Ewart Berry, 1st Viscount Camrose, 74
• Charles Edwards, politician, 87
• 10 July – Jack Anthony, jockey, 64
• 10 August – Ernest Morgan, architect and painter, 72/73
• 29 September – William John Gruffydd, author and politician, 73
• 31 October – Rhys Davies, trade unionist and politician, 77
• 8 November – Sir Geoffrey Crawshay, soldier and social benefactor, 62
• 3 December – Sir Joseph Davies, statistician and Liberal politician, 87
• 10 December – Sir Cadwaladr Bryner Jones, civil servant and educationist, 82
• 14 December – Cliff Pritchard, Welsh international rugby player, 73
• 20 December – Frank Connah, hockey player, 70
• 22 December – Robert Richards, Welsh politician, 70

See also

• 1954 in Northern Ireland

References