1973 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1973 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Secretary of State for Wales – Peter Thomas
• Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Brinli

Events

• 10 February - A special conference of the Trades Union Congress is held at Llandrindod Wells as part of the campaign to establish a Wales TUC.
• April - Elections take place to the new county councils of Wales
• April – The first Welsh-language papur bro community newspaper, Y Dinesydd, is founded.
• 10 May – Elections take place to the new Wales district councils, with big gains for the Labour Party in South Wales.
• May – Sony opens its factory in Bridgend, the first major Japanese investment in Wales.
• 15 May – The Llyn Brianne dam is officially opened by Princess Alexandra.
• 17 July – Sixteen-year-old Sandra Newton is found murdered at Tonmawr.
• 16 September – Sixteen-year-olds Geraldine Hughes and Pauline Floyd are found murdered at Llandarcy. Their murders, along with that of Sandra Newton in July, will remain unsolved for 29 years.
• 23 October – Professor Brian Josephson wins the Nobel Prize for Physics.
• During the year, there are 424 road deaths in Wales – an all-time record.
• Drilling for oil and gas begins off the coast of Wales. A fourth oil refinery opens at Milford Haven.

Arts and literature

• The Welsh Philharmonia Orchestra is founded.
• Theatr Ardudwy at Coleg Harlech, designed by Colwyn Foulkes & Partners, opens.
• Sir Richard Armstrong becomes conductor of Welsh National Opera.
• Joe Strummer begins his studies at Newport College of Art.
• Welsh actress Angharad Rees marries Christopher Cazenove.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Ruthin)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Alan Llwyd
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Alan Llwyd
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Emyr Roberts
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal – Urien Wiliam

New books

English language

• Leo Abse – Private Member
• Gwynfor Evans – Wales Can Win
• Richard Hughes – The Wooden Shepherdess
• Emlyn Williams – Emlyn

Welsh language

• Huw Lloyd Edwards – Y Llyffantod
• Jane Edwards – Tyfu
• W. J. Gruffydd (Elerydd) – Cerddi'r Llygad
• Moses Glyn Jones – Y Ffynnon Fyw
• T. Llew Jones - Barti Ddu
• Judith Maro - Atgofion Haganah
• Caradog Prichard - Afal Drwg Adda
• Gomer M. Roberts - Cloc y Capel

New drama

• Islwyn Ffowc Elis - Harris

Music

• 23 November - Max Boyce records his legendary Live at Treorchy show at Treorchy Rugby Club.
• Karl Jenkins' first album with Soft Machine, Six, wins the Melody Maker British Jazz Album of the Year award. Jenkins also wins the miscellaneous musical instrument award.
• Grace Williams – Ave Maris Stella and Fairest of Stars

Visual arts

• Ivor Roberts-Jones – Statue of Winston Churchill, Parliament Square, unveiled on 1 November by Lady Churchill.

Film

Welsh-language films

• None

English-language films

• Holiday on the Buses filmed on location at Pontins holiday camp, Prestatyn

Broadcasting

• The Labour Party publishes a study arguing that independent television arrangements in the UK are causing non Welsh-speaking residents to lose their Welsh identity.

Welsh-language television

• Youth music programme Disc a Dawn ends its six-year run, to be replaced the following year by Gwerin 74, a folk music show.
• Strim, Stram Strellach with Marged Esli.

English-language television

• Fish (with John Ogwen)
• Hang out your Brightest Colours, controversial documentary by Kenneth Griffith
• Philip Madoc makes a memorable appearance as a U-boat captain in Dad's Army.

Sport

• Athletics – Cardiff Amateur Athletic Club wins the British Athletics League Championship for the second time.
• Cycling – The Welsh Cycling Union is formed.
• Horse racing – Geoff Lewis wins both the Epsom Oaks and the 1,000 Guineas on "Mysterious".
• Rugby union – Japan plays its first rugby match in Europe at Penygraig in the Rhondda Valley.
• Snooker – Ray Reardon wins his second World Championship title.
• Berwyn Price wins BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.

Births

• 20 January – Stephen Crabb, politician (born in Scotland)
• 15 February - Adrian Lewis Morgan, actor
• 27 February - Mark Taylor, rugby union player and manager
• 24 April - Gabby Logan, television presenter
• 3 May - Jamie Baulch, athlete (born in Nottingham)
• 10 May – Ryan Nicholls, footballer
• 29 May – Lee Jones, footballer
• 4 July – Bradley Dredge, golfer
• 6 August – Donna Lewis, singer
• 22 August – Lee Dainton, skateboarder
• 17 September – Jason Mohammad, radio and television sports presenter
• 6 October – Ioan Gruffudd, actor
• 9 October – Sian Evans, singer
• 3 November – Mark Evans, comedy scriptwriter
• 29 November – Ryan Giggs, footballer
• 25 December – Ewen MacIntosh, comic actor (died 2024)

Deaths

• 8 January – Sir David Hughes Parry, professor of law and university administrator, 80
• 11 January – Vernon Morris, cricketer, 78
• 30 January – Trystan Edwards, architectural critic, town planner and amateur cartographer, 88
• 12 March – Willie Llewellyn, Wales international rugby player, 94
• 19 March – Sir Clement Price Thomas, surgeon, 79
• 23 May – Kenneth Allott, poet and critic
• 29 July – Guy Morgan, rugby player, 65
• 9 August – Donald Peers, singer, 66
• 11 August
• Johnnie Clay, Test cricketer, 75
• Gil Morgan, rugby league player, 65
• 17 August – Elena Puw Morgan, novelist, 73
• 21 September – C. H. Dodd, theologian, 89
• 8 October – Evan Tom Davies, mathematician, 69
• 3 November – Melville Richards, academic, 63
• 4 November – Billy Williams, dual-code international rugby player, 67
• 16 November – Dai Hiddlestone, Wales international rugby player, 83
• 24 November – Brigadier Hugh Llewellyn Glyn Hughes, soldier and medical administrator, 81
• 28 November – Anne Griffith-Jones, educationist, 83 (in Malaysia)
• date unknown - Morris Meredith Williams, painter and illustrator

See also

• 1973 in Northern Ireland

References