1961 in Wales

1961 in Wales

Other years

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1961 in: The United Kingdom • Ireland • Scotland

Other events of 1961

This article is about the significance of the year 1961 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – The Prince Charles
• Princess of Wales – vacant
• Archbishop of Wales – Edwin Morris, Bishop of Monmouth
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Trefin

Events

• 16 February - The BP Explorer, a loaded tanker barge bound for Sharpness from Swansea, turns over in the Severn Estuary.
• 17 February - The BP Explorer is seen bouncing upside down through the wrecked Severn Railway Bridge. Her crew of five men were killed.^[1]
• 1 October - Tabernacle Chapel, Cardiff hosts the first-ever broadcast of the long-running national BBC Television series Songs of Praise.
• 8 November - In a referendum on Sunday opening of public houses, the counties of Anglesey, Cardiganshire, Caernarfonshire, Carmarthenshire, Denbighshire, Merionethshire, Montgomeryshire and Pembrokeshire all vote to stay "dry".
• 9 November - Rosemarie Frankland, originally from Rhosllanerchrugog, wins the Miss World title.
• 19 November - During construction of the Severn Bridge three men fall into the river. A rescue boat crewed by two men sets sail from Chepstow, not knowing that the three men have been picked up safely by a ferry, the Severn Princess. Two empty tanker barges coming down from Sharpness collide with the rescue boat, which has no navigation lights. One member of the rescue boat crew is drowned.
• Atlantic College is established at St Donat's.
• The Llyn Celyn reservoir is constructed in the valley of the River Tryweryn in North Wales to provide water for Liverpool, destroying the village of Capel Celyn.
• Gwynfor Evans becomes president of the Celtic League.
• Formation in Pontypridd of the first Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'í Faith entirely of native Welsh Bahá'í.^[2]

Arts and literature

• Richard Booth opens the first used booktore in Hay-on-Wye.
• Portmeirion Pottery is founded by Susan Williams-Ellis.
• Keith Baxter makes his Broadway debut as King Henry VIII in A Man for All Seasons.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Rhosllanerchrugog)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Emrys Edwards
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - L. Haydn Lewis
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

New books

• Dannie Abse - The Eccentric
• Pennar Davies - Yr Efrydd o Lyn Cynon
• Islwyn Ffowc Elis - Tabyrddau'r Tabongo
• W. J. Gruffydd (Elerydd) - Ffenestri
• Richard Hughes - The Fox in the Attic
• Caradog Prichard - Un Nos Ola Leuad
• Bertrand Russell - Fact and Fiction
• Dave Waldo - Beat the Drum Slowly
• Emlyn Williams - George
• Raymond Williams - The Long Revolution

Music

• Alun Hoddinott - Concerto for Piano, Winds and Percussion

Film

• Ronald Lewis stars in Scream of Fear and Stop Me Before I Kill.
• Victor Spinetti makes his screen debut in The Gentle Terror.
• Clifford Evans stars in The Curse of the Werewolf.
• Pirates of Tortuga, American adventure based on the Welsh privateer, Henry Morgan

Broadcasting

Welsh-language television

• Ambell i Gan
• Pwt o'r Papur
• Gair o Gyngor

English-language television

Sport

• Boxing - Howard Winstone wins the British featherweight title.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - Bryn Meredith

Births

• 24 January - Tarki Micallef, former professional footballer
• 26 March - William Hague, Secretary of State for Wales 1995-97
• 7 May - Phil Campbell, rock guitarist
• 1 July - Diana, Princess of Wales (d. 1997)
• 5 July - Gareth Jones ("Gaz Top"), TV presenter
• 7 July - Steve Brace, long-distance runner
• 8 August
  • The Edge (David Howell Evans), rock guitarist (in Barking, London, to Welsh parents)
  • Simon Weston, war hero
• 18 August - Huw Edwards, newsreader
• 30 August - Delyth Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin, charity worker and Labour peer
• 29 September (in Barry) - Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia
• 20 October - Ian Rush, footballer
• 25 November - Nuccia Focile, star of Welsh National Opera
• date unknown - Twm Morys, poet

Deaths

• 18 April - John Evans, Welsh politician, 85
• 30 April - Charles Williams, academic, 55
• 28 June - Huw Menai, poet, 74
• 3 July - Albert Jenkin, Wales international rugby player, 88
• 1 August - David William Thomas, journalist and lawyer, 84
• 13 October - Augustus John, artist, 83
• 20 November - Edwin Thomas Maynard, Wales international rugby player, 83

References