1973 in Wales

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

References

References

1. (6 February 2008). "Obituary".
2. David Wilbourne. (8 June 2018). "Archbishop Gwilym Owen Williams — "G. O.": His life and opinions by D. T. W. Price".
3. Meic Stephens. (April 1986). "The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales". Oxford University Press.
4. Arthur Ivor Marsh. (1 December 1979). "Concise encyclopedia of industrial relations: with bibliography". Gower Press.
5. [https://epdf.tips/queue/the-wales-tuc-1974-2004-devolution-and-industrial-politics-university-of-wales-p.html University of Wales Press: ''The Wales TUC, 1974-2004'']
6. "Y Dinesydd".
7. Stephen Mitchell, John O'Sullivan. (11 May 1973). "Labour sweep to power in S. Wales". [[South Wales Echo]].
8. "Llyn Brianne Dam".
9. Nicole Martin. (7 June 2002). "Dead man named as triple murderer after DNA tests".
10. [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/1868685.stm BBC News Wales]
11. "The Nobel Prize in Physics 1973".
12. {{Coflein. (2008-07-11)
13. Meic Stephens. (1998). "Cydymaith i lenyddiaeth Cymru". University of Wales Press.
14. (5 February 2015). "New Perspectives in Celtic Studies". Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
15. Jasmine Donahaye. (15 February 2012). "Whose People?: Wales, Israel, Palestine". University of Wales Press.
16. Russell Davies. (15 June 2015). "People, Places and Passions: A Social History of Wales and the Welsh 18701948". University of Wales Press.
17. Meic Stephens. (1998). "Cydymaith i lenyddiaeth Cymru". University of Wales Press.
18. "Max Boyce – Hymns And Arias (Uk,1974,Emi 2291,PROMO 7)". discoogle.com.
19. Howard, Philip. (2 November 1973). "Resolute and defiant as ever, Churchill's statue is revealed". [[The Times]].
20. Howard Maxford. (8 November 2019). "Hammer Complete: The Films, the Personnel, the Company". McFarland.
21. Medhurst, Jamie. (1 June 2010). "A History of Independent Television in Wales". University of Wales Press.
22. "BBC Year Book 1975". BBC.
23. Mark Connelly. (10 January 2014). "The IRA on Film and Television: A History". McFarland.
24. Bill Pertwee. (3 November 2009). "Dad's Army: The Making of a TV Legend". Bloomsbury USA.
25. "Archive".
26. (April 1973). "Chronicle of the Horse". Chronicle of the Horse, Incorporated.
27. (2 March 2010). "Profile: Ray Reardon". [[Eurosport]].
28. "BBC Wales Sport Personality winners". BBC Sport.
29. Valerie Passmore. (2005). "Dod's Parliamentary Companion: Guide to the General Election, 2005". Dod's Parliamentary Companion Limited.
30. "Jamie Baulch – profile".
31. {{EuroTour player. 7200
32. "Ioan Gruffudd biography".
33. Whyatt, Chris. (24 May 2011). "Ryan Giggs profile".
34. (21 February 2024). "Ewen MacIntosh, Comedian on British Sitcom 'The Office', Dies at 50".
35. [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/31529, D. W. Logan: ''Parry, Sir David Hughes (1893–1973)'', rev. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Sept 2010, accessed 30 October 2012]
36. {{cricinfo
37. Goulden, Gontran. (2004). "Edwards, (Arthur) Trystan (1884–1973)".
38. Alun Roberts. "Price Thomas, Clement (1893–1973), pioneering surgeon". National Library of Wales.
39. Ian Sansom, ‘Allott, Kenneth Cyril Bruce (1912–1973)’, Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004; online edn, Jan 2015 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/60263, accessed 4 March 2017]
40. Trevor Herbert, 'Peers, Donald Rhys Hubert (1909–1973)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, May 2011; online edn, September 2011 [http://www.oxforddnb.com/view/article/95615, accessed 16 April 2017]
41. Katie Gramich. "Morgan, Elena Puw (1900–1973), novelist, author of fiction and short stories for children".
42. John Tudno Williams. "Dodd, Charles Harold (1884–1973), biblical scholar". National Library of Wales.
43. "Evan Tom Davies". School of Mathematics and Statistics University of St Andrews, Scotland.
44. Dr Brynley Francis Roberts. "Y Bywgraffiadur Cymreig".
45. (30 November 1973). "Gen. Hugh Hughes, freed Belsen Camp". [[The New York Times]].
46. W. Ambrose Bebb. (15 July 2009). "A Welsh Hundred: Glimpses of Life in Wales Drawn from a Pair of Family Diaries for 1841 and 1940". AuthorHouse.
47. Duncan Macmillan. (2001). "Scottish Art in the 20th Century, 1890-2001". Mainstream Pub.