1986 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1986 to Wales
and its people
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and its people
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
.
Incumbents
- Prince of WalesPrince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
– The Prince CharlesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay... - Princess of WalesPrincess of WalesPrincess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
– DianaDiana, Princess of WalesDiana, Princess of Wales was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, whom she married on 29 July 1981, and an international charity and fundraising figure, as well as a preeminent celebrity of the late 20th century... - Secretary of State for WalesSecretary of State for WalesThe Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
- Nicholas Edwards - Archbishop of WalesArchbishop of WalesThe post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England , and disestablished...
- Derrick ChildsDerrick ChildsDerrick Greenslade Childs was the Anglican Bishop of Monmouth and Archbishop of Wales.Childs was educated at University College, Cardiff and ordained in 1942. He was a curate in Milford Haven and then Laugharne before becoming Warden of Llandaff House, Penarth... - ArchdruidArchdruidThe Archdruid is the title used by the presiding official of the Gorsedd.The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, The Award of the Prose Medal and Chairing of the Bard. From 1932 only former winners of the...
of the National Eisteddfod of WalesNational Eisteddfod of WalesThe National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales.- Organisation :...
- GeraintGeraint Bowen (poet)Geraint Bowen was a Welsh language poet.He was the nephew of Carmarthenshire minister David Bowen, and the brother of poet Euros Bowen. He was a Welsh nationalist, and during the Second World War was a conscientious objector, undertaking farming...
Events
- 21 April - Elizabeth II is presented with a kilo of Welsh goldWelsh goldWelsh gold is highly prized because of its origin and scarcity, and occurs naturally in two distinct areas of Wales. One area is in North Wales in a band stretching from Barmouth, past Dolgellau and up towards Snowdonia. This was mined at several mines, the largest of which were the Gwynfynydd Gold...
for her 60th birthday, in the knowledge that supplies are becoming scarce. - 30 June - MaerdyMaerdyMaerdy is a village and community in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, and within the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan, Wales, lying at the head of the Rhondda Fach Valley.- History :...
colliery, the last pit in the RhonddaRhonddaRhondda , or the Rhondda Valley , is a former coal mining valley in Wales, formerly a local government district, consisting of 16 communities built around the River Rhondda. The valley is made up of two valleys, the larger Rhondda Fawr valley and the smaller Rhondda Fach valley...
, is closed. - The Wales National ice rink opens in Cardiff.
- Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in GwyneddCastles and Town Walls of King Edward in GwyneddThe Castles and Town Walls of King Edward in Gwynedd refers to a UNESCO-designated site of patrimony located in Gwynedd, Wales.In 1986, four castles related to the reign of King Edward I of England were proclaimed collectively as a World Heritage Site, as outstanding examples of fortifications and...
are designated collectively as a World Heritage SiteWorld Heritage SiteA UNESCO World Heritage Site is a place that is listed by the UNESCO as of special cultural or physical significance...
.
Arts and literature
- The first Welsh PromsWelsh PromsThe Welsh Proms take place at St David's Hall, Cardiff in July each year.The series usually consists of several orchestral concerts with the Welsh Proms Fringe running alongside, presenting jazz, folk, roots and chamber music....
are held at St David's Hall, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
. - The Old DevilsThe Old DevilsThe Old Devils is a novel by Kingsley Amis, first published in 1986. The novel won the Booker Prize. It was adapted for television by Andrew Davies for the BBC in 1992, starring John Stride, Bernard Hepton, James Grout and Ray Smith...
, Kingsley AmisKingsley AmisSir Kingsley William Amis, CBE was an English novelist, poet, critic, and teacher. He wrote more than 20 novels, six volumes of poetry, a memoir, various short stories, radio and television scripts, along with works of social and literary criticism...
's novel set in Wales, wins the Booker Prize.
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in FishguardFishguardFishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Gwynn ap GwilymGwynn ap GwilymGwynn ap Gwilym is a Welsh language poet, novelist, editor and translator.He was born in Bangor but raised in Machynlleth, in Gwynedd, north-west Wales....
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - T James Jones
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Ray Evans
- Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Robat Gruffudd, Llosgi
New books
- Duncan Bush - Salt
- J. Eirian Davies - Cerddi
- Mary Jones - Resistance
- Rhiannon Davies Jones - Dyddiadur Mary Gwyn
- Elyn L. Jones - Cyfrinach Hannah
- Christopher Norris - Contest of Faculties
- Oliver ReynoldsOliver ReynoldsOliver Reynolds is a British poet and critic. He studied drama at the University of Hull before returning to Wales to work as an assistant to the Director for Theatre Wales. He won the Arvon Foundation International Poetry Competition in 1985 for his poem 'Rorschach Writing' and the Eric Gregory...
- Skevington's Daughter - Alun RichardsAlun RichardsAlun Morgun Richards was a Welsh novelist, best known for his novel Ennal's Point, about the work of a lifeboat crew in South Wales.Richards was born in King Edward Avenue, Caerphilly...
- Days of Absence - R. S. ThomasR. S. ThomasRonald Stuart Thomas was a Welsh poet and Anglican clergyman, noted for his nationalism, spirituality and deep dislike of the anglicisation of Wales...
- Experimenting with an Amen - Angharad TomosAngharad TomosAngharad Tomos is a Welsh author and prominent language activist.-Biography:Tomos was born in Bangor, Gwynedd, in 1958, and raised with her five sisters in Llanwnda near Caernarfon. She attended Ysgol Gynradd Bontnewydd and Ysgol Dyffryn Nantlle...
- Yma o Hyd - Gwyn Alf Williams - When Was Wales?
- Raymond WilliamsRaymond WilliamsRaymond Henry Williams was a Welsh academic, novelist and critic. He was an influential figure within the New Left and in wider culture. His writings on politics, culture, the mass media and literature are a significant contribution to the Marxist critique of culture and the arts...
- Loyalties
Classical
- Arwel HughesArwel HughesArwel Hughes OBE , was a Welsh orchestral conductor and composer.Hughes was born in Rhosllannerchrugog near Wrexham and was educated at Ruabon Grammar School and at the Royal College of Music, where he studied with Ralph Vaughan Williams and C. H. Kitson...
- Gloria Patri - Daniel JonesDaniel Jones (composer)Daniel Jenkyn Jones OBE was a composer of classical music, who worked in Britain. He used both serial and tonal techniques...
- Cello Concerto
Albums
- Bonnie TylerBonnie TylerBonnie Tyler is a Welsh singer, most notable for her hits in the 1970s and 1980s including "It's a Heartache", "Holding Out for a Hero" and "Total Eclipse of the Heart".-Early life:...
- Secrets Dreams And Forbidden Fire (album) - Chichester PsalmsChichester PsalmsChichester Psalms is a choral work by Leonard Bernstein for boy treble or countertenor, solo quartet, choir and orchestra...
, featuring Aled JonesAled JonesAled Jones is a Welsh singer and television/radio personality, broadcaster and television presenter who first came to fame as a treble...
Welsh-language films
- Milwr Bychan
- Rhosyn a RhithComing Up RosesComing Up Roses is a 1986 Welsh language comedy drama film. It was directed by Stephen Bayly and starred Ifan Huw Dafydd, Gillian Elisa and Mari Emlyn...
(Coming Up Roses)
English-language television
- A Child's Christmas in WalesA Child's Christmas in WalesA Child's Christmas in Wales is a prose work by the Welsh writer Dylan Thomas. Originally emerging from a piece written for radio, the poem was recorded by Thomas in 1952. The story is an anecdotal retelling of a Christmas from the view of a young child and is a romanticised version of Christmases...
(adaptation of a short story by Dylan ThomasDylan ThomasDylan Marlais Thomas was a Welsh poet and writer, Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 11 January 2008. who wrote exclusively in English. In addition to poetry, he wrote short stories and scripts for film and radio, which he often performed himself...
) - BBC WalesBBC WalesBBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
wins awards for Penyberth and Ms Rhymney Valley 1985 (documentary) at the Celtic Film and Television Festival. - Chris Stuart - Cha Cha Chat Show
Sports
- AthleticsAthletics (track and field)Athletics is an exclusive collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking. The most common types of athletics competitions are track and field, road running, cross country running, and race walking...
: Kirsty WadeKirsty WadeKirsty Wade is a former middle distance runner, who was born as Kirsty McDermott.Wade competed for Wales in two Commonwealth Games winning a gold medal in the 800 metres at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane, Australia and gold medals in both the 800 and 1500 metres at the 1986 Commonwealth...
becomes the first Welsh woman to win the gold medal in the 800m and 1500m at the Commonwealth GamesCommonwealth GamesThe Commonwealth Games is an international, multi-sport event involving athletes from the Commonwealth of Nations. The event was first held in 1930 and takes place every four years....
. - BoxingBoxingBoxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
:- 9 April - Robert DickieRobert DickieRobert Dickie was a Welsh professional boxer, fighting at both featherweight and super-featherweight. He was Scottish champion at featherweight, British champion at both weights and became WBC International super-featherweight champion in 1988...
wins the British featherweight title.
- 9 April - Robert Dickie
- CricketCricketCricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
: Greg ThomasGreg ThomasGreg Thomas is a Welsh former cricketer, who played in five Tests and three ODIs for England from 1986 to 1987.-Life and career:...
is capped for England. Matthew MaynardMatthew MaynardMatthew Maynard is an English former cricketer. He played in four Tests and fourteen ODIs for England....
becomes the youngest player ever to score 1000 runs for Glamorgan CCC. - GymnasticsGymnasticsGymnastics is a sport involving performance of exercises requiring physical strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and balance. Internationally, all of the gymnastic sports are governed by the Fédération Internationale de Gymnastique with each country having its own national governing body...
: Andrew Morris becomes British men's champion for the third time.
Births
- 9 January - Craig Davies, footballer
- 21 February - Charlotte ChurchCharlotte ChurchCharlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
, singer - 28 March - Jay CurtisJay CurtisJay Curtis is a Welsh broadcaster, columnist and actor.-Childhood:Jay's first taste for acting began at a very young age when he performed Oliver on stage with Theatre Cwm Glo in Ystradgynlais...
, radio presenter - 11 April - Dai Greene, athlete
- 16 August - Chris ReynoldsChris ReynoldsChris Reynolds is a Welsh DJ.-Career:Reynolds began his career as a technical operator at 103.2 & 97.4 Red Dragon, later becoming a Programming Assistant.In July 2005 he left the station and joined 96.4 The Wave to present overnights....
, radio presenter - 17 November - Joe JacobsonJoe JacobsonJoseph Mark "Joe" Jacobson is a Welsh footballer who plays for Shrewsbury Town. He is the former captain of the Wales U21 team, and is also a former captain of the Cardiff City reserve team.- Cardiff City :...
, footballer
Deaths
- 16 February - John TrippJohn Tripp (poet)John Tripp was an Anglo-Welsh poet and short-story writer.Born in Bargoed, Wales, he worked for the BBC as a journalist with the BBC, and later became a civil servant. He edited the literary magazine, Planet, and was a popular performance poet...
, poet, 58 - 28 February - Sir Thomas WilliamsThomas Williams (UK politician)Sir Thomas Williams, QC was a British Labour Co-operative politician.Williams was educated at University College, Cardiff and St. Catherine's College, Oxford. He was President of the South Wales University Students' Union in 1939. He was a Baptist minister and a chaplain with the Royal Air Force...
, UK politician, 70 - March - Lewis ValentineLewis ValentineLewis Edward Valentine was a Welsh politician, Baptist pastor, author, editor, and Welsh-language activist.-Early life:Valentine was born in Llanddulas, Conwy, the son of Samuel Valentine, a limestone quarryman, and his wife Mary...
, political activist, 92 - 1 March - Tommy FarrTommy FarrThomas George Farr was one of the most famous Welsh and British boxers of all time. Born in Clydach Vale, Wales and nicknamed "the Tonypandy Terror", he became British and Empire heavyweight champion on 15 March 1937. Prior to 1936, he had boxed in the light heavyweight division in which he was...
, boxing champion, 72 - 10 March - Ray MillandRay MillandRay Milland was a Welsh actor and director. His screen career ran from 1929 to 1985, and he is best remembered for his Academy Award–winning portrayal of an alcoholic writer in The Lost Weekend , a sophisticated leading man opposite a corrupt John Wayne in Reap the Wild Wind , the murder-plotting...
, actor, 79 - 14 March - Sir Huw WheldonHuw WheldonSir Huw Pyrs Wheldon OBE MC was a BBC broadcaster and executive.Wheldon was born in Prestatyn, Wales and educated at Friars School, Bangor. His father, Sir Wynn Wheldon, was a prominent educationalist, who had been awarded the DSO for gallantry in the First World War...
, television producer and presenter, 69 - 5 June - John Bevan, former Wales rugby union coach, 38
- 29 August - Annie PowellAnnie PowellAnnie Powell was a Welsh Communist politician.Born in Rhondda and educated at Pentre Grammar School, Powell became interested in politics while at Glamorgan Training College, Barry, in the 1920s...
, politician and Wales's first Communist mayor, 79 - 1 November - Tom ArthurTom ArthurTom Arthur was a Welsh international rugby union lock who played club rugby for Neath and was capped 18 times for Wales. A tough second row forward with a strong physique, Arthur was often criticised for being over-vigorous...
, Wales national rugby player, 80 - 6 November (at Henley-on-ThamesHenley-on-ThamesHenley-on-Thames is a town and civil parish on the River Thames in South Oxfordshire, England, about 10 miles downstream and north-east from Reading, 10 miles upstream and west from Maidenhead...
) - Howard ThomasHoward ThomasHoward Thomas CBE was a Welsh-born British radio producer and television executive.-Early career:Thomas began his career typing invoices for a firm of wire-drawers in Manchester. While doing that job, he taught himself to write newspaper articles and short plays...
, radio producer - 13 December - Glyn DanielGlyn DanielGlyn Edmund Daniel was a Welsh scientist and archaeologist whose academic career at Cambridge University specialised in the European Neolithic period. He edited the academic journal Antiquity from 1958–1985...
, archaeologist, 72