1969 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1969 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Secretary of State for Wales – George Thomas
• Archbishop of Wales – Glyn Simon, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
• E. Gwyndaf Evans (outgoing)
• Tilsli (incoming)

Events

• 1 April – Registration of births and deaths in the Welsh language is allowed for the first time.
• May – Deep mining of slate at Oakeley Quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog, ceases.
• 22 May – Engineer Morien Morgan becomes Director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Hampshire, having been knighted in the New Year Honours.
• 1 June – The South Wales Constabulary is created by merging the police forces of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.
• 11 June – The Prince of Wales' (now Charles III) new standard is flown for the first time.
• 20 June – Llandudno Cable Car opened, the longest gondola lift system in the UK.
• 30 June – Two members of the Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Movement for the Defence of Wales) are killed whilst placing a bomb outside government offices in Abergele in an attempt to disrupt the following day's events.
• 1 July
• The Prince of Wales (now Charles III) is invested with his title at Caernarfon Castle.
• Six members of the Free Wales Army are convicted in Swansea of public order and firearms offences; three are imprisoned.
• 3 July – Swansea is granted city status.
• 25 July – The Development of Tourism Act 1969 paves the way for creation of the Wales Tourist Board.
• 22 August – Closure of Dinorwic slate quarry.
• November – Clashes between police and anti-apartheid protesters occur when the touring South African rugby team play Swansea. A silent protest takes place at an Ebbw Vale match.
• December – Serious damage at Lluest-wen Reservoir requires emergency evacuation and repairs.

Arts and literature

• Dafydd Iwan co-founds Sain Recordiau Cyf, which would become the major Welsh-language record label.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Flint)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – James Nicholas
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dafydd Rowlands
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Emyr Jones

New books

• Glyn Mills Ashton – Angau yn y Crochan
• Pennar Davies – Meibion Darogan
• Rhys Davies – Print of a Hare's Foot
• T. Glynne Davies – Hedydd yn yr Haul
• R. F. Delderfield – Come Home, Charlie, and Face Them
• Raymond Garlick – A Sense of Europe
• Glyn Jones – The Dragon Has Two Tongues
• T. J. Morgan – Dydd y Farn Ac Ysgrifau Eraill
• Dennis Selby – Sanctity: or There's No Such Thing as a Naked Sailor
• John Griffith Williams – Pigau'r Sêr

Drama

• Urien Wiliam – Cawl Cennin

Poetry

• John Fitzgerald – Cadwyn Cenedl
• D. Gwenallt Jones – Y Coed
• Gwilym R. Jones – Cerddi
• John Ormond – Requiem and Celebration
• Penguin Book of Welsh Verse

Music

Albums

• Amen Corner – Explosive Company (album)
• Blonde on Blonde – Contrasts (album)
• Man – 2 Ozs of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle

Singles

• Huw Jones – Dŵr ("Water") (protest song)

Classical music

• Jeffrey Lewis – Mutations I
• Mansel Thomas – Mini-Variations on a Welsh Theme
• David Wynne – Cymric Rhapsody no. 2

Film

English-language films

• Richard Burton stars in Anne of the Thousand Days.
• Hywel Bennett stars in The Virgin Soldiers.

Broadcasting

• Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) publishes a pamphlet entitled Broadcasting in Wales: To Enrich or Destroy Our National Life?

English-language television

• Philip Madoc has roles in Manhunt!, The Avengers, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), The Champions and The Detective, among others.

Welsh-language television

• Miri Mawr (children's)

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Tony Lewis
• Cricket – Glamorgan win the County Championship.
• Rugby union – Wales win the Five Nations Championship and take the Triple Crown.
• football – Cardiff City win the Welsh Cup.

Births

• 6 January – Nicholas A'Hern, race walker
• 20 January – Nicky Wire, musician
• 5 February – Michael Sheen, actor
• 10 February – Francesca Rhydderch, novelist and academic
• 13 February – Gareth Abraham, footballer
• 21 February – James Dean Bradfield, musician
• 24 February – Gareth Llewellyn, rugby player
• 1 March – Dafydd Ieuan, musician
• 11 April – Cerys Matthews, singer
• 4 June – Julie Gardner, television producer
• 26 July – Tanni Grey-Thompson, born Carys Grey, wheelchair athlete
• 4 August – Tony Roberts, footballer
• 4 September – Sasha, DJ and record producer
• 8 September – Gary Speed, footballer and national manager (died 2011)
• 25 September – Catherine Zeta-Jones, actress
• 8 October – David Abruzzese, footballer
• 23 October – Chris Fry, footballer
• 6 December – Anthony Davies, snooker player
• date unknown – Dyfed Wyn-Evans, operatic baritone

Deaths

• 20 January – Roy Evans, footballer, 25 (car crash)
• 3 February – Trevor Thomas, dual-code rugby player, 61
• 14 February – Ernest Roberts, judge, 78
• 10 March – Jimmy Wilde, boxer, 76
• 18 March – Llewellyn Alston, Royal Welch Fusiliers, 78
• 20 March – Arthur E. Powell, Theosophist writer, 86
• 26 March (in Australia) – Elizabeth Williams Berry, jockey of Welsh parentage, 114
• 27 March – David Lloyd, tenor, 56
• 31 March – Percy Jones, Wales international rugby player, 82
• 5 April – Mal Griffiths, footballer, 50
• 15 April
• John Davies, dual code rugby player, 28 (heart attack)
• Cowboy Morgan Evans, Texan rodeo rider of Welsh descent, 66
• 20 April – Watkin Roberts, missionary, 82
• 4 May – Albert Stock, Wales international rugby player, 72
• 7 May – Stan Awbery, trade unionist and politician, 80
• 21 May – Ben Beynon, Welsh rugby union international and Swansea Town player, 75
• 23 May – Sir Evan Owen Williams, English-born Welsh engineer, 79
• 28 May – Rhys Williams, actor, 71
• 7 July – William David Davies, theologian, 72
• 26 July – Noel Hopkins, clergyman and organist, 77
• 12 August – Air Commodore James Bevan Bowen, RAF officer, 86
• 19 August – Percy Thomas, architect, 85
• 1 October – Dai Richards, footballer, 62
• 5 October – Sir Edward John Davies, judge in colonial service, 71
• 15 October – Charlie Phillips, footballer, 59
• 18 October – Emrys Hughes, politician, 75
• 11 November – Robert Thomas Jenkins, historian, 88
• 21 November – D. B. Wyndham-Lewis, author, 78
• 7 December
• Bill Roberts, Wales international rugby union player, 60
• <small>(in London)</small> Hugh Williams, dramatist, 65
• 20 December – Eleanor Evans, actress, singer and director, 76

See also

• 1969 in Northern Ireland

References