1974 in Wales

Centuries:	18th; 19th; 20th; 21st; ;
Decades:	1950s; 1960s; 1970s; 1980s; 1990s;
See also:	List of years in Wales; 1974 in The United Kingdom England Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1974 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents[]

Secretary of State for Wales – Peter Thomas (until 5 March);^[1] John Morris
Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor
Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Brinli^[2]

Events[]

23 January – A UFO appears to crash in a remote area of North Wales. This becomes known as the Berwyn Mountain Incident.^[3]
28 February – In the first United Kingdom general election of 1974, Geraint Howells wins Ceredigion for the Liberals,^[4] while Gwynfor Evans fails to retain Carmarthen for Plaid Cymru by three votes.
5 March – Elwyn Jones is appointed Lord Chancellor in Harold Wilson’s government.^[5]
1 April – The Local Government Act 1972 comes into effect, reorganising local government areas and incorporating the area of Monmouthshire as part of Wales.^[6]
10 October – In the second United Kingdom general election of 1974, Gwynfor Evans regains his seat at Carmarthen.
22 November – Helen Morgan becomes Miss World; she is forced to resign after four days when it is discovered that she is an unmarried mother.^[7]
Tredegar House is bought by Newport Council.
Laura Ashley opens stores in Paris and San Francisco.^[8]

Arts and literature[]

Kyffin Williams is elected to the Royal Academy.
Andrew Vicari is appointed official painter to the Saudi royal family.
The Cory Brass Band is the first Welsh band to win the British National Championship.
The BBC Welsh Symphony Orchestra achieves full symphony status.
Foundation of the Welsh Jazz Society.
Journalist Hugh Cudlipp is created Baron Cudlipp of Aldingbourne.
Glyn Daniel becomes Professor of Archaeology at Cambridge.

Awards[]

National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Carmarthen)
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair -
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - William George
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Dafydd Ifans

New books[]

English language[]

Tony Conran - Spirit Level
Gwynfor Evans - Land of my Fathers
Jan Morris - Conundrum
Leslie Norris - Mountains, Polecats, Pheasants
John Ormond - Definition of a Waterfall
Goronwy Rees - Brief Encounters
Alun Richards - Dai Country
Harri Webb - A Crown for Branwen

Welsh language[]

Islwyn Ffowc Elis - Marwydos^[9]
David Jenkins - T. Gwynn Jones: Cofiant
Bobi Jones - Tafod y Llenor^[10]

Music[]

Andy Fairweather-Low - Spider Jiving (album)^[11]
Alun Hoddinott - The Beach of Falesá (opera)
Mike Oldfield - Hergest Ridge (album)

Film[]

Richard Burton stars in The Klansman.

Welsh-language films[]

None

Broadcasting[]

30 September - Independent radio station Swansea Sound comes into operation.

Welsh-language television[]

8 October - Pobol y Cwm appears for the first time.

English-language television[]

Richard Burton is banned from BBC productions after complaints about his derogatory comments about Winston Churchill and others in power during World War II.
Windsor Davies makes his first appearance as Sergeant Major Williams in It Ain't Half Hot Mum.

Sport[]

Curling – The Welsh Curling Association is formed.
Golf – Brian Huggett wins the Portuguese Open.
Snooker – Ray Reardon wins his third World Championship title.^[12]
Gareth Edwards wins BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.^[13]

Births[]

5 January – Iwan Thomas, athlete^[14]
30 January – Christian Bale, actor
3 May – Barry Jones, boxer
11 May – Darren Ward, footballer
29 May – Jenny Willott, politician^[15]
3 June – Kelly Jones, rock singer-songwriter-guitarist
25 June – David Park, golfer
11 August – Dafydd Trystan Davies, chair of Plaid Cymru
1 September – Tony Bird, footballer
3 September – Rob Page, footballer
5 September – Becky Morgan, golfer
13 September – Andy Gorman, footballer
20 September (in Suva, Fiji) – Owen Sheers, poet and actor
17 October – Beverley Jones, athlete
18 October – Robbie Savage, footballer
24 October – David Evans, squash player
8 November – Matthew Rhys, actor
12 November – Jonathan Morgan, politician
date unknown – Bedwyr Williams, installation and performance artist

Deaths[]

21 January - Sandy Griffiths, football referee, 65
11 February - D. Jacob Davies, Unitarian minister, broadcaster, writer and journalist, 57^[16]
12 February - Alec Harris, spiritualist medium, 76
3 April – Desmond Donnelly, politician, 53 (suicide)^[17]
5 April - Cecil Spiller, cricketer, 73
14 April - Sir Archibald Lush, schools inspector, 74^[18]
13 May – Islwyn Evans, Wales international rugby player, 75^[19]
June – David Davies, actor, 68
29 August (in Oxford) – Harold Arthur Harris, academic, 71
9 September – Neil McBride, MP for Swansea East, 64^[20]
28 October (in Harrow) – David Jones, poet and artist, 78
November – Bessie Jones singer, 87
14 November - Gomer Hughes, rugby player, 64
24 November - Ivor Jones, footballer, 75
29 December – William Charles Fuller, Victoria Cross recipient, 80^[21]

References[]

^ Chris Cook; John Stevenson (10 July 2014). Longman Handbook to Modern British History 1714 - 2001. Routledge. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-317-87524-6.
^ Meic Stephens (April 1986). The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales. Oxford University Press. p. 523.
^ Charles Fort (1972). The Info Journal. International Fortean Organization. p. 6.
^ Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (2005). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) House of Commons official report. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 775.
^ Alan O'Day (11 June 2014). Longman Handbook of Modern Irish History Since 1800. Routledge. p. 296. ISBN 978-1-317-89711-8.
^ Great Britain; Charles Arnold-Baker (1973). The Local Government Act 1972. Butterworths. p. 225.
^ Phyllis Chesler; Emily Jane Goodman (1976). Women, money & power. Bantam Books. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-553-02978-9.
^ Claudia Piras; Bernhard Roetzel (31 December 2000). British Tradition and Interior Design: Town and Country Living in the British Isles. Cologne. p. 157. ISBN 978-3-8290-4851-4.
^ John T. Koch (2006). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 673. ISBN 978-1-85109-440-0.
^ Charles William Sullivan (1996). The Mabinogi: A Book of Essays. Psychology Press. p. 385. ISBN 978-0-8153-1482-0.
^ Dave Marsh; John Swenson (12 October 1983). The new Rolling stone record guide. Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-394-72107-1.
^ "Profile: Ray Reardon". Eurosport. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2019.
^ "BBC Wales Sport Personality winners". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 July 2021.
^ "Iwan Thomas Profile". IAAF. Retrieved 1 October 2019.
^ Dod's Parliamentary Companion. Dod's Parliamentary Companion Limited. 2010. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-905702-89-6.
^ Encyclopaedia Britannica, Incorporated (1 January 1975). Britannica Book of the Year. Encyclopaedia Britannica. p. 597. ISBN 978-0-85229-303-4.
^ Town and Country Planning. The Association. 1974.
^ Who was who. A. & C. Black. 1971.
^ Swansea RFC player profiles^{[permanent dead link]}
^ John Graham Jones. "McBride, Neil (1910-1974), Labour politician". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 24 December 2019.
^ David Harvey (1999). Monuments to courage: Victoria Cross headstones and memorials. Kevin and Kay Patience.

[1] Chris Cook; John Stevenson (10 July 2014). Longman Handbook to Modern British History 1714 - 2001. Routledge. p. 88. ISBN 978-1-317-87524-6.

[2] Meic Stephens (April 1986). The Oxford companion to the literature of Wales. Oxford University Press. p. 523.

[Fort1972-3] Charles Fort (1972). The Info Journal. International Fortean Organization. p. 6.

[4] Great Britain. Parliament. House of Commons (2005). Parliamentary Debates (Hansard) House of Commons official report. H.M. Stationery Office. p. 775.

[5] Alan O'Day (11 June 2014). Longman Handbook of Modern Irish History Since 1800. Routledge. p. 296. ISBN 978-1-317-89711-8.

[6] Great Britain; Charles Arnold-Baker (1973). The Local Government Act 1972. Butterworths. p. 225.

[7] Phyllis Chesler; Emily Jane Goodman (1976). Women, money & power. Bantam Books. p. 35. ISBN 978-0-553-02978-9.

[8] Claudia Piras; Bernhard Roetzel (31 December 2000). British Tradition and Interior Design: Town and Country Living in the British Isles. Cologne. p. 157. ISBN 978-3-8290-4851-4.

[9] John T. Koch (2006). Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia. ABC-CLIO. p. 673. ISBN 978-1-85109-440-0.

[10] Charles William Sullivan (1996). The Mabinogi: A Book of Essays. Psychology Press. p. 385. ISBN 978-0-8153-1482-0.

[11] Dave Marsh; John Swenson (12 October 1983). The new Rolling stone record guide. Random House/Rolling Stone Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-0-394-72107-1.

[12] "Profile: Ray Reardon". Eurosport. 2 March 2010. Retrieved 16 May 2019.

[13] "BBC Wales Sport Personality winners". BBC Sport. Retrieved 29 July 2021.

[14] "Iwan Thomas Profile". IAAF. Retrieved 1 October 2019.

[15] Dod's Parliamentary Companion. Dod's Parliamentary Companion Limited. 2010. p. 363. ISBN 978-0-905702-89-6.

[16] Encyclopaedia Britannica, Incorporated (1 January 1975). Britannica Book of the Year. Encyclopaedia Britannica. p. 597. ISBN 978-0-85229-303-4.

[17] Town and Country Planning. The Association. 1974.

[18] Who was who. A. & C. Black. 1971.

[19] Swansea RFC player profiles^{[permanent dead link]}

[20] John Graham Jones. "McBride, Neil (1910-1974), Labour politician". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 24 December 2019.

[21] David Harvey (1999). Monuments to courage: Victoria Cross headstones and memorials. Kevin and Kay Patience.

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1974 in Wales

Contents

Incumbents[]

Events[]

Arts and literature[]

Awards[]

New books[]

English language[]

Welsh language[]

Music[]

Film[]

Welsh-language films[]

Broadcasting[]

Welsh-language television[]

English-language television[]

Sport[]

Births[]

Deaths[]

See also[]

References[]