1983 in Wales

1983 in Wales

Other years

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1983 in: The United Kingdom • Ireland • Scotland

Other events of 1983

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1983 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – The Prince Charles
• Princess of Wales – Diana
• Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edwards
• Archbishop of Wales – Derrick Childs, Bishop of Monmouth (elected)
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Jâms Nicholas

Events

• 9 June - In the UK General Election.
  • The SDP, led by Roy Jenkins, allies with the Liberals and gains fourteen seats.
  • Stefan Terlezki becomes MP for Cardiff West.
  • Plaid Cymru retains two seats.
  • John Marek is elected for Wrexham, becoming the only Czech-speaking MP.
  • Geraint Howells retains Ceredigion for the Liberals.
• 13 June - Four days after Labour's landslide defeat to the Conservatives in the general election, Michael Foot resigns after two-and-a-half years as party leader.^[1]
• 2 October - Neil Kinnock, 41-year-old MP for Islwyn replaces Michael Foot as leader of the UK Labour Party.^[2]
• Alan Wilson discovers what he believes to be King Arthur's memorial stone at the small ruined church of St Peter-super-Montem on Mynydd-y-Gaer in Glamorgan.
• Marcher Sound launches on 1260 AM and 95.4 FM (now BBC Radio Wales) from Wrexham, inaugurating the Marcher Radio Group.
• The BBC National Chorus of Wales is formed.

Arts and literature

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llangefni)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Einion Evans
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Eluned Phillips
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Tudor Wilson Evans

New books

• Walter Hugh Boore - The Odyssey of Dai Lewis
• Rachel Bromwich - Dafydd ap Gwilym: Poems
• Marion Eames - Y Gaeaf Sydd Unig
• Alice Thomas Ellis - The 27th Kingdom
• Nigel Jenkins - Practical Dreams
• R. Tudur Jones - Ffydd ac Argyfwng Cenedl
• Alan Llwyd - Yn Nydd yr Anghenfil
• Robert Nisbet - Stories of Sheepskin
• Craig Thomas - Firefox Down

New drama

• W. S. Jones - Ifas y tryc

Music

• The Alarm - "Sixty Eight Guns" (#17 in the UK Singles Chart)
• Y Cyrff form at Llanrwst

Film

Welsh-language films

• Yr Alcoholig Llon

Broadcasting

Welsh-language television

• SuperTed makes his first appearance.

English-language television

• QED: Simon's War (about Simon Weston)

Sport

• Boxing - David Pearce of Newport wins the British heavyweight title.

Births

• 19 January - Rhian Morrissi, harpist
• 14 February - Rhydian Roberts, singer
• 18 February - David Vaughan, footballer
• April - Gary Griffiths, operatic baritone
• 13 April - Nicole Cooke, cyclist
• 12 May - Jamie Tolley, footballer
• 9 June - Ryan Watkins, cricketer
• 19 June - Richard Evans, footballer
• 10 August - Richie Pugh, rugby player
• 23 August - James Collins, footballer
• 25 October - Marcus Stead, journalist & author
• date unknown - Myfanwy Waring, actress

Deaths

• 10 January (in Amsterdam) - Carwyn James, rugby coach, 53
• 10 February - Michael Roberts, politician, 55 (in Parliament)
• 20 March - Alec Jones, politician, 58
• 9 September - Edgar Morgan, dual-code rugby international, 87
• 10 September - Dai Rees, golfer, 70
• 1 October - Ernie Finch, Wales international rugby player, 84
• 24 October - Norman Fender, Wales dual-code rugby international, 73
• 2 November - Tudor Watkins, politician, 80
• 30 November - Richard Llewellyn, novelist, 76
• date unknown - Richard Vaughan, novelist

References