1955 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1955 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

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

Events

• 17 March – In the Wrexham by-election, brought about by the death of Labour Party Member of Parliament (MP) Robert Richards, who had held the seat since 1935, James Idwal Jones holds the seat for Labour with a majority of nearly 11,000 votes.
• 18 April–28 May – Charles Evans leads the mountaineering expedition that conquers Kanchenjunga.
• 6 August – The Usk Reservoir is completed, contributing to Swansea's water supply.
• 31 October – The A48 road bridges over the River Neath at Briton Ferry (six years in the building) are officially opened by the Minister of Transport.
• 3 December – The Farmers' Union of Wales breaks away from the National Farmers Union.
• 20 December – Cardiff becomes the official capital of Wales.

Arts and literature

• The Gold Medal for Architecture is introduced to the National Eisteddfod.
• Bertrand Russell retires to Plas Penrhyn, Penrhyndeudraeth.
• The Guild for the Promotion of Welsh Music is founded.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Pwllheli)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Gwilym Ceri Jones, "Gwrtheyrn"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – W. J. Gruffydd, "Ffenestri"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – M. Selyf Roberts, Deg o'r Diwedd
• Emyr Humphreys wins the Somerset Maugham Award for Hear and Forgive.

New books

English language

• Kingsley Amis – That Uncertain Feeling
• (Edwin) Stuart Evans – Elegy for the Death of a Clown (poem)
• Elisabeth Inglis-Jones – The Story of Wales
• T. E. Lawrence – The Mint (posthumously published)
• Dylan Thomas – A Child's Christmas in Wales (posthumously published)
• R. S. Thomas – Song at the Year's Turning (poems)
• Richard Vaughan – Son of Justin

Welsh language

• Gwilym Thomas Hughes – Ei Seren tan Gwmwl
• Robert Lloyd – Y Pethe
• Louie Myfanwy Thomas writing as Jane Ann Jones – Plant y Foty

New drama

• Saunders Lewis – Siwan

Music

• Grace Williams – Penillion

Film

• Stanley Baker plays Richmond in Laurence Olivier's film of Richard III.
• The Constant Husband, starring Rex Harrison, with opening scenes filmed on location at New Quay and Aberaeron in 1954, includes some Welsh dialogue.

Broadcasting

• The Welsh Home Service becomes available on VHF from Wenvoe

Welsh-language television

• January – First televised Welsh-language play, Cap Wil Tomos

English-language television

Sport

• Cricket – Wilf Wooller becomes an England Test selector.
• Rugby Union
• 22 January – Ken Jones becomes Wales's most capped player (36) in a game against England.
• 12 March – Wales beat Ireland 21–3 at the National Stadium, Cardiff.
• 26 March – Wales win the Five Nations Championship for the fourth time this decade.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – John Disley

Births

• 22 January – Clive Griffiths, footballer (died 2022)
• 30 January – Ian Edwards, footballer
• 23 February – Howard Jones, English-born musician of Welsh parentage
• 4 March – Joey Jones, footballer
• 17 March – John David Lewis, political scientist and historian
• 2 May – Peter Sayer, footballer
• 17 May – Nicola Heywood-Thomas, broadcaster and journalist (died 2023)
• 22 May – Maggie Jones, Baroness Jones of Whitchurch, politician
• 9 June – Alun Pugh, politician
• 21 June (in Sunderland) – Janet Ryder, politician
• 22 June – Green Gartside (Paul Julian Strohmeyer), musician
• 2 August – Alun Davies, biologist
• 3 August – Gordon Davies, footballer
• 4 August – Steve Jones, marathon runner
• 3 September – Eirian Williams, snooker referee
• 29 September – Gareth Davies, rugby player
• 12 October – Brian Flynn, footballer and manager
• 17 November – Amanda Levete, architect
• 7 December – Mihangel Morgan, author and academic
• date unknown
• Aled Gruffydd Jones, social historian, Librarian of National Library of Wales
• Martyn Jones, painter

Deaths

• 5 January – Douglas Marsden-Jones, Wales and British Lions rugby player, 61
• 25 January – Robert Dewi Williams, teacher, clergyman and author, 84
• 26 January – Gwilym Davies, Baptist minister, 75
• 29 January – Sir Rhys Rhys-Williams, politician, 89
• 19 March – Tom Evans, Wales international rugby player, 72
• 2 April – Billy O'Neill, Welsh international rugby player, 76
• 27 April – Ambrose Bebb, author, 60
• 19 May – Percy Bush, Wales international rugby union player, 75
• 21 June – Eric Evans, rugby union player and administrator, 61
• 13 July – Ruth Ellis, murderer, 28 (hanged)
• 28 August – Sir Lewis Lougher, businessman and politician, 83
• 28 September – Lionel Rees, airman, Victoria Cross recipient, 71
• 14 October – Harry Parr Davies, songwriter, 41
• 15 October – Thomas Jones (T. J.), founder of Coleg Harlech, 85
• 30 October – Bert Dauncey, Wales international rugby player, 83
• 1 November – Ronw Moelwyn Hughes, politician, 58
• 15 December – V. E. Nash-Williams, archaeologist, 58
• date unknown – Melbourne Johns, munitions worker and wartime secret agent, 55

See also

• 1955 in Northern Ireland

References