1981 in Wales

Centuries:	18th; 19th; 20th; 21st; ;
Decades:	1960s; 1970s; 1980s; 1990s; 2000s;
See also:	List of years in Wales; 1981 in The United Kingdom Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1981 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents[]

Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edwards^[1]
Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor^[2]
Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
- Geraint (outgoing)
- (incoming)

Events[]

January - First phase of St. David's Shopping Centre, Cardiff, opens to the public.
26 March - Roy Jenkins co-founds the Social Democratic Party (UK) in London. Welsh Labour MPs defecting to the new party are: Tom Ellis (Wrexham), Ednyfed Hudson Davies (Caerphilly) and Jeffrey Thomas (Abertillery).
24 February - Buckingham Palace announces the engagement of the Prince of Wales to Lady Diana Spencer.^[3]
5 April - UK census: Results reveal that the percentage of Welsh language speakers has fallen to an all-time low of 18.9% of the Welsh population and Gwynedd is the only Welsh county with a Welsh-speaking majority.
11 June - Britain's first Urban Enterprise Zone is created in Lower Swansea Valley.^[4]
29 July - Wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer at St Paul's Cathedral in London.
November - Joan Ruddock becomes Chair of CND.^[5]
Independent film company Teliesyn begins producing programmes for S4C, BBC Wales and HTV.^[6]

Arts and literature[]

6 June - The Alarm play their first gig under their new name, at the Victoria Hotel, Prestatyn.^[7]
Theatre Wales is established.
Harry Secombe receives a knighthood.

Awards[]

National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Machynlleth)
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - , "Y Frwydr"^[8]
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - , "Wynebau"^[9]
National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - , "Cysgodion ar y Pared"^[10]

New books[]

English language[]

Clive Jenkins & Barrie Sherman - The Leisure Shock
Eiluned Lewis - The Old Home
Kenneth O. Morgan - Rebirth of a Nation: Wales 1880-1980^[11]
R. S. Thomas - Between Here and Now

Welsh language[]

Irma Chilton - Y Cwlwm Gwaed
Eigra Lewis Roberts - Merch yr oriau mawr

Drama[]

J. R. Evans - Brawd am Byth

Music[]

Dafydd Iwan - "Yma o Hyd"
Daniel Jones - Symphony no. 10
William Mathias - Let the people praise Thee, O God

Film[]

English-language films[]

, starring Huw Ceredig.
Dragonslayer, with exterior scenes filmed in Wales.

Welsh-language films[]

Broadcasting[]

English-language television[]

The Life and Times of David Lloyd George, written by Elaine Morgan and starring Philip Madoc

Welsh-language television[]

Croeso i S4C, presented by Owen Edwards^[12]

Sport[]

BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – John Toshack^[13]
Boxing - Neville Meade becomes British heavyweight champion.
Football - Neville Southall joins Everton F.C.

Births[]

12 January – Sarah Thomas, field-hockey player
13 March – Ryan Jones, rugby player
17 March - Leigh De-Vulgt, footballer
28 March – Gareth David-Lloyd, actor
6 April – Robert Earnshaw, footballer
23 May – Gwenno Saunders, singer
24 May – Darren Moss, footballer
25 May – Huw Stephens, radio presenter
18 November – Sian Reese-Williams, actress
19 November – Mark Wallace, cricketer
16 December – Gareth Williams Scottish-Welsh footballer

Deaths[]

January - Leslie Jones, footballer, 69
March - Dai Francis, miners' leader^[14]
1 March - Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, theologian, 81^[15]
8 March - Nigel Birch, Baron Rhyl, politician, 74^[16]
3 April - Will Owen, miner and politician, 80
13 April - Gwyn Thomas, author, 67^[17]
15 May - J. E. Meredith, Presbyterian minister and writer, 76^[18]
16 June - Billy Hughes, footballer, 63
17 June - Ike Fowler, dual-code international rugby union player, 86
23 July - Goronwy Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts, politician, 67^[19]
6 August - George Lewis, footballer, 67
18 September - Brinley Richards, poet, author and archdruid^[20]
30 September - Roy John, Wales and British Lions international rugby union player, 55
25 December - Tom Griffiths, Welsh international footballer, 75^[21]

References[]

^ Stephen Bates (19 March 2018). "Lord Crickhowell obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2020.
^ Gerald Parsons (20 June 2013). The Growth of Religious Diversity - Vol 2: Britain From 1945 Volume 2: Controversies. Routledge. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-136-13628-3.
^ John Baselmans (6 December 2016). Drugs. Lulu.com. p. 266. ISBN 978-1-326-84325-0.
^ "IBA: enterprise zones: list of enterprise zones". Capital Allowances Manual. HM Revenue & Customs. 2006. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
^ Soviet Analyst. World Reports Limited. 1981. p. 59.
^ Ieuan Franklin; Hugh Chignell; Kristin Skoog (15 September 2015). Regional Aesthetics: Mapping UK Media Cultures. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-137-53283-1.
^ Graham Betts (2004). Collins Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004. Collins. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-00-717931-2.
^ "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
^ "Winners of the Crown". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
^ "Winners of the Prose Medal". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
^ Kenneth O. Morgan (1981). Rebirth of a Nation: Wales, 1880-1980. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-821736-7.
^ Tony Currie (2004). A Concise History of British Television, 1930-2000. Kelly Publications. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-903053-17-1.
^ "BBC Wales Sport Personality winners". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
^ Evan Smith; Matthew Worley (28 February 2018). Waiting for the Revolution: The British Far Left from 1956. Manchester University Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-1-5261-1368-9.
^ "Dr D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Papers". Archives Wales. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
^ Who was who: A Companion to Who's Who, Containing the Biographies of Those who Died. A. & C. Black. 1981. p. 636. ISBN 978-0-7136-3336-8.
^ Janet Podell (May 1982). Annual Obituary, 1981. Thomson Gale. p. 269. ISBN 978-0-912289-51-9.
^ D. Ben Rees. "Meredith, John Ellis (1904-1981), minister (Presbyterian Church of Wales) and author". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 21 November 2019.
^ Jones, John Graham. "Goronwy Owen Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
^ Llafur. Society for the Study of Welsh Labour History. 1980. p. 100.
^ Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Bridge Books. p. 75. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.

[1] Stephen Bates (19 March 2018). "Lord Crickhowell obituary". The Guardian. Retrieved 19 March 2020.

[2] Gerald Parsons (20 June 2013). The Growth of Religious Diversity - Vol 2: Britain From 1945 Volume 2: Controversies. Routledge. p. 106. ISBN 978-1-136-13628-3.

[3] John Baselmans (6 December 2016). Drugs. Lulu.com. p. 266. ISBN 978-1-326-84325-0.

[4] "IBA: enterprise zones: list of enterprise zones". Capital Allowances Manual. HM Revenue & Customs. 2006. Retrieved 2018-10-16.

[5] Soviet Analyst. World Reports Limited. 1981. p. 59.

[6] Ieuan Franklin; Hugh Chignell; Kristin Skoog (15 September 2015). Regional Aesthetics: Mapping UK Media Cultures. Palgrave Macmillan. p. 9. ISBN 978-1-137-53283-1.

[7] Graham Betts (2004). Collins Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004. Collins. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-00-717931-2.

[8] "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.

[9] "Winners of the Crown". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.

[10] "Winners of the Prose Medal". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.

[11] Kenneth O. Morgan (1981). Rebirth of a Nation: Wales, 1880-1980. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-821736-7.

[12] Tony Currie (2004). A Concise History of British Television, 1930-2000. Kelly Publications. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-903053-17-1.

[13] "BBC Wales Sport Personality winners". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 August 2021.

[14] Evan Smith; Matthew Worley (28 February 2018). Waiting for the Revolution: The British Far Left from 1956. Manchester University Press. p. 191. ISBN 978-1-5261-1368-9.

[15] "Dr D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Papers". Archives Wales. Retrieved 31 January 2019.

[16] Who was who: A Companion to Who's Who, Containing the Biographies of Those who Died. A. & C. Black. 1981. p. 636. ISBN 978-0-7136-3336-8.

[17] Janet Podell (May 1982). Annual Obituary, 1981. Thomson Gale. p. 269. ISBN 978-0-912289-51-9.

[18] D. Ben Rees. "Meredith, John Ellis (1904-1981), minister (Presbyterian Church of Wales) and author". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 21 November 2019.

[19] Jones, John Graham. "Goronwy Owen Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 31 January 2019.

[20] Llafur. Society for the Study of Welsh Labour History. 1980. p. 100.

[21] Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Bridge Books. p. 75. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.

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1981 in Wales

Contents

Incumbents[]

Events[]

Arts and literature[]

Awards[]

New books[]

English language[]

Welsh language[]

Drama[]

Music[]

Film[]

English-language films[]

Welsh-language films[]

Broadcasting[]

English-language television[]

Welsh-language television[]

Sport[]

Births[]

Deaths[]

See also[]

References[]