1988 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1988 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...
- Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, 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...
- Diana, Princess of WalesDiana, 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...
- Peter WalkerPeter Walker, Baron Walker of WorcesterPeter Edward Walker, Baron Walker of Worcester, MBE, PC , was British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served in the Cabinet as the Environment Secretary , Trade and Industry Secretary , Agriculture Minister , Energy Secretary and Welsh Secretary... - 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...
- George NoakesGeorge NoakesGeorge Noakes was the Bishop of St Davids and the Archbishop of Wales.Born in Ceredigion on 13 September 1924 and educated at the University of Aberystwyth, after wartime service in the RAFVR he was ordained in 1950... - 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 :...
- EmrysEmrys RobertsEmrys Owen Roberts was a Welsh Liberal politician and businessman.-Education & early career:Emrys Roberts was born at Caernarfon and educated at Caernarfon Grammar School, at University College of Wales, Aberystwyth, where he gained a law degree, Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge and the...
Events
- Conway Castle, Beaumaris CastleBeaumaris CastleBeaumaris Castle, located in the town of the same name on the Isle of Anglesey in Wales, was built as part of King Edward I's campaign to conquer the north of Wales. It was designed by James of St. George and was begun in 1295, but never completed...
, Caernarfon CastleCaernarfon CastleCaernarfon Castle is a medieval building in Gwynedd, north-west Wales. There was a motte-and-bailey castle in the town of Caernarfon from the late 11th century until 1283 when King Edward I of England began replacing it with the current stone structure...
and Harlech CastleHarlech CastleHarlech Castle, located in Harlech, Gwynedd, Wales, is a concentric castle, constructed atop a cliff close to the Irish Sea. Architecturally, it is particularly notable for its massive gatehouse....
become the first Welsh sites to be placed on the UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
World Heritage list. - The last British RailBritish RailBritish Railways , which from 1965 traded as British Rail, was the operator of most of the rail transport in Great Britain between 1948 and 1997. It was formed from the nationalisation of the "Big Four" British railway companies and lasted until the gradual privatisation of British Rail, in stages...
steam train stops operating on the Vale of Rheidol line.
Arts and literature
- Tom JonesTom Jones (singer)Sir Thomas John Woodward, OBE , known by his stage name Tom Jones, is a Welsh singer.Since the mid 1960s, Jones has sung many styles of popular music – pop, rock, R&B, show tunes, country, dance, techno, soul and gospel – and sold over 100 million records...
loses a paternity suit and is forced to support a son, Jonathan Berkery. - The European Centre for Traditional and Regional Cultures opens in LlangollenLlangollenLlangollen is a small town and community in Denbighshire, north-east Wales, situated on the River Dee and on the edge of the Berwyn mountains. It has a population of 3,412.-History:...
. - The GregynogGregynogGregynog is a large country hall in the village of Tregynon, 4 miles northwest of Newtown in Powys, mid-Wales. Various halls have occupied the site since the twelfth century and it was the ancestral home of the Blayneys and the Traceys from the fifteenth century...
festival is re-launched by Anthony Rolfe JohnsonAnthony Rolfe JohnsonAnthony Rolfe Johnson, CBE was an English operatic tenor.-Life and career:Born in Tackley in Oxfordshire, Rolfe Johnson studied with Ellis Keeler and Vera Rosza at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. He first appeared in opera in the chorus and in small roles at the Glyndebourne Festival...
. - This year sees the foundation of:
- BAFTA CymruBAFTA CymruBAFTA Cymru is the Welsh branch of the British Academy of Film and Television Arts.Formed in 1991, they hold an annual awards ceremony to recognise achievement by performers and production staff in Welsh-made films and television programmes...
- Hay-on-WyeHay-on-WyeHay-on-Wye , often described as "the town of books", is a small market town and community in Powys, Wales.-Location:The town lies on the east bank of the River Wye and is within the Brecon Beacons National Park, just north of the Black Mountains...
Festival of Literature - Ffilm Cymru (Film Foundation for Wales)
- New Welsh ReviewNew Welsh Review-History:Founded in 1988 as successor to The Welsh Review , Dock Leaves, and The Anglo-Welsh Review , New Welsh Review is Wales’s foremost literary magazine in English...
- BAFTA Cymru
Awards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in NewportNewportNewport is a city and unitary authority area in Wales. Standing on the banks of the River Usk, it is located about east of Cardiff and is the largest urban area within the historic county boundaries of Monmouthshire and the preserved county of Gwent...
)
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Elwyn Edwards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - T. James JonesT. James JonesT. James Jones is a Welsh poet and dramatist, and is Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales. He is also known by the bardic name Jim Parc Nest....
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld
New books
- T. Glynne DaviesT. Glynne DaviesThomas Glynne Davies , usually known as T. Glynne Davies, was a Welsh poet, novelist and television and radio broadcaster born in Llanrwst, Denbighshire, Wales.-Literary achievements:...
- Cerddi - Bobi JonesBobi JonesEmeritus Professor Robert Maynard Jones , generally known as Bobi Jones, is a Welsh Christian academic, one of the most prolific writers in the history of the Welsh language. A versatile master of poetry, fictional prose and criticism, he is now in his seventies and still producing work of a high...
- Llenyddiaeth Gymraeg 1902-36 - Rhiannon Davies Jones - Cribau Eryri
- Hilary Llywelyn-Williams - The Tree Calendar
- Sheenagh PughSheenagh PughSheenagh Pugh is a British poet, novelist and translator who writes in the English language.-Life:Sheenagh Pugh studied languages at the University of Bristol. She now lives in Shetland but lived for many years in Cardiff and taught creative writing at the University of Glamorgan until retiring in...
- Beware Falling Tortoises - 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...
- The Player Queen's Wife - Manon Rhys - Cwtsho
- Wiliam Owen RobertsWiliam Owen RobertsWilliam Owen Roberts , is a Welsh language novelist and writer of plays for radio, television and theatre.He was born in Bangor, Gwynedd, and studied Welsh Literature and Theatre Studies at the University of Wales from 1978 to 1981....
- Y Pla - Bernice RubensBernice RubensBernice Rubens was a Booker Prize-winning Welsh novelist.-Background:She was of Russian Jewish descent and born in Cardiff, Wales where she attended Cardiff High School. She came from a very musical family, both her brothers becoming well-known classical musicians. She was married to Rudi...
- Our Father - Huw Walters - Canu'r Pwll a'r Pulpud
- Glanmor WilliamsGlanmor WilliamsSir Glanmor Williams was one of Wales's most eminent historians.Sir Glanmor was born in Dowlais, into a working-class family, and was educated at Cyfarthfa Castle School. He studied at Aberystwyth alongside Alun Lewis and Emyr Humphreys, becoming a specialist in the early modern period of Welsh...
- Recovery, Reorientation and Reformation
Music
- Malcolm ArnoldMalcolm ArnoldSir Malcolm Henry Arnold, CBE was an English composer and symphonist.Malcolm Arnold began his career playing trumpet professionally, but by age thirty his life was devoted to composition. He was ranked with Benjamin Britten as one of the most sought-after composers in Britain...
- Four Welsh Dances, Op. 138 - Ffa Coffi PawbFfa Coffi PawbFfa Coffi Pawb was a band that is commonly acknowledged to be the prototype of the Super Furry Animals. They were signed to top Welsh music label, Ankst....
- Dalec Peilon - Trebor EdwardsTrebor EdwardsTrebor Edwards is a Welsh tenor, best known to Welsh-speaking audiences.Edwards was born in Denbigh and became a farmer at Corwen before beginning his recording career in 1974. He has won five gold discs and sold over 200,000 records - huge success for a Welsh language performer...
- Goreuon Trebor
Welsh-language television
- Pobol y CwmPobol y CwmPobol y Cwm is a Welsh-language television soap opera which has been produced by the BBC since October 1974. The longest-running television soap opera produced by the BBC, Pobol y Cwm was originally transmitted on BBC Wales television and later transferred to the Welsh-language station S4C when it...
becomes the first European soap operaSoap operaA soap opera, sometimes called "soap" for short, is an ongoing, episodic work of dramatic fiction presented in serial format on radio or as television programming. The name soap opera stems from the original dramatic serials broadcast on radio that had soap manufacturers, such as Procter & Gamble,...
to be broadcast daily. - C'mon MidffildC'mon MidffildC'mon Midffild is one of the most successful comedy series ever broadcast on Welsh channel S4C. Created by Mei Jones and Alun Ffred Jones, the show started life on BBC Radio Cymru before being adapted for the screen by Ffilmiau'r Nant in 1988....
(drama)
Sports
- Steve JonesSteve Jones (athlete)Steve Jones is a Welsh athlete and former world marathon record holder.Steve Jones was born in St James' Hospital Tredegar and grew up in the neighbouring town of Ebbw Vale, Wales, Jones began his career as an aircraft technician in the Royal Air Force...
becomes the first Briton to win the New York Marathon. - SnookerSnookerSnooker is a cue sport that is played on a green baize-covered table with pockets in each of the four corners and in the middle of each of the long side cushions. A regular table is . It is played using a cue and snooker balls: one white , 15 worth one point each, and six balls of different :...
- Doug MountjoyDoug MountjoyDoug Mountjoy is a retired Welsh snooker player. Although he only won two ranking titles, he did so in successive tournaments in 1988/1989 – and while in his mid 40s. In more recent years he was the coach to the United Arab Emirates snooker association between 1997 and 1999.- Early life...
wins the UK Open Championship.
Births
- 9 January - Glyn Wise, TV personality
- 18 February - Mark Davies, footballer
- 24 March - Curtis McDonaldCurtis McDonaldCurtis Earl McDonald is a Welsh footballer who plays as a left-sided defender or midfielder. He is currently with Conference National side Forest Green Rovers.-Club career:...
, footballer - 15 November - Daniel EvansDaniel Evans (rugby player)Daniel Evans is a Welsh rugby union fullback who plays for Llanelli RFC and the Scarlets.Evans was part of the Scarlets U16 team that formed part of an age grade clean sweep for the region in the inaugural season of the Reebok Regional Championships, and was part of the Scarlets U18 team that lost...
, rugby player - 13 December - Darcy BlakeDarcy BlakeDarcy James Blake is a Welsh professional footballer currently playing for Cardiff City in the Football League Championship. He is also a Welsh international, having made his debut in October 2010.-Cardiff City:...
, footballer - 28 December - Ched EvansChed EvansChedwyn Michael "Ched" Evans is a Wales international footballer currently playing as a striker for Sheffield United.Born in St Asaph, Denbighshire Evans was an inexperienced youth striker with Manchester City, when he arrived at Norwich City on loan in 2007...
, footballer
Deaths
- 26 January - 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...
, writer, 66 - 2 April - Euros BowenEuros BowenEuros Bowen was a Welsh language poet.Born in Treorchy, and a brother of the poet Geraint Bowen, he was educated in the Presbyterian College, Carmarthen, and later at the University of Wales and Mansfield College, Oxford...
, poet, 83 - 13 May - Elfed EvansElfed EvansElfed Ellison Evans was a Welsh professional footballer.-Career:Evans, an inside-forward, joined Cardiff City in May 1949 from Treharris, having previously played for Trelewis and Glamorgan side Nelson...
, footballer, 61 - 8 September - Mel RosserMel RosserMelvin "Mel" Aaron Rosser sometimes recorded as Melville and Melvyn was a Welsh international rugby centre who played rugby union for Penarth and Cardiff and later turned to professional rugby league joining first Leeds, and then York...
, dual-code international rugby player, 87 - 23 September - 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...
, composer and conductor. 79 - 12 October - Ruth Manning-SandersRuth Manning-SandersRuth Manning-Sanders was a prolific British poet and author who was perhaps best known for her series of children's books in which she collected and retold fairy tales from all over the world. All told, she published more than 90 books during her lifetime. The dust jacket for A Book of Giants...
, poet and children's author, 102 - 11 November - William Ifor JonesWilliam Ifor JonesWilliam Ifor Jones , was a Welsh conductor and organist. Born into a large coal-mining family and raised in Merthyr Tydfil, Jones studied at the Royal Academy of Music in London from 1920 to 1925. He studied the organ with at St. Paul's Cathedral, London; orchestral Conducting with Sir Henry Wood...
, conductor and organist, 88 - 13 December - Brynmor JohnBrynmor JohnBrynmor Thomas John was a British Labour politician.John was Member of Parliament for Pontypridd in South Wales from 1970 until his death in 1988 at the age of 55...
, politician, 54 - 25 December - W. F. GrimesW. F. GrimesProfessor William Francis Grimes was a Welsh archaeologist who devoted his career to the archaeology of London and the prehistory of Wales. Born in Pembrokeshire, Wales, he received his education at the University of Wales. He held a number of prominent posts in Wales, including Chairman of the...
, archaeologist, 83 - date unknown
- T. Glynne DaviesT. Glynne DaviesThomas Glynne Davies , usually known as T. Glynne Davies, was a Welsh poet, novelist and television and radio broadcaster born in Llanrwst, Denbighshire, Wales.-Literary achievements:...
, poet, novelist and broadcaster - John Gwilym Jones, writer
- John MorganJohn Morgan (journalist)John Morgan was a Welsh journalist and broadcaster. Morgan worked for the BBC as a presenter on programmes such as Panorama, and wrote for The New Statesman, The Spectator and The Sunday Times, among others....
, journalist
- T. Glynne Davies