2008 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 2008 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...
- Camilla, The Duchess of CornwallCamilla, The Duchess of CornwallCamilla, Duchess of Cornwall is the second wife of Charles, Prince of Wales, and is the current holder of the titles of Princess of Wales, Duchess of Cornwall, Duchess of Rothesay and Countess of Chester...
(does not use title) - First Minister - Rhodri MorganRhodri MorganHywel Rhodri Morgan is a Welsh Labour politician who, as First Secretary for Wales, and subsequently First Minister, was leader of the Welsh Assembly Government from 2000 to 2009. A former leader of Welsh Labour, he was the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011...
- Deputy First Minister of Wales - Ieuan Wyn JonesIeuan Wyn JonesIeuan Wyn Jones, AM is a Welsh politician, who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Assembly Government from 2007 until 2011. Jones is the current leader of Plaid Cymru and Member of the National Assembly for Wales for the Ynys Môn constituency...
- Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for WalesPresiding Officer of the National Assembly for WalesThe Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales is the Speaker of the National Assembly for Wales, elected by the Members of the National Assembly for Wales to chair their meetings ; to maintain order; and to protect the rights of Members.He or she also heads the Corporate Body of the...
- Dafydd Elis-ThomasDafydd Elis-ThomasDafydd Elis Elis-Thomas, Baron Elis-Thomas, PC, AM, is a Welsh politician and was the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales until 2011... - 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 HainPeter HainPeter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
(to January 24) - Paul Murphy
- Peter Hain
- 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...
- Barry MorganBarry MorganBarry Cennydd Morgan has been the Archbishop of the Church in Wales since 2003.-Early life:Morgan was born in Gwaun-Cae-Gurwen, Neath Port Talbot and studied history at University College, London and theology at Selwyn College, Cambridge...
(Bishop of LlandaffBishop of LlandaffThe Bishop of Llandaff is the Ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff.-Area of authority:The diocese covers most of the County of Glamorgan. The Bishop's seat is located in the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul , in the village of Llandaff, just north-west of the City of...
)
Events
- 18 January - Last working of Tower CollieryTower CollieryTower Colliery is the oldest continuously working deep-coal mine in the United Kingdom, and possibly the world, and the last mine of its kind to remain in the South Wales Valleys...
, the last deep mine in the South Wales ValleysSouth Wales ValleysThe South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
(official closure: 25 January). - 24 January - Peter HainPeter HainPeter Gerald Hain is a British Labour Party politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for the Welsh constituency of Neath since 1991, and has served in the Cabinets of both Tony Blair and Gordon Brown, firstly as Leader of the House of Commons under Blair and both Secretary of State for...
resigns from his government offices (including 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...
) after the Electoral Commission refers to the Metropolitan Police his failure to report donations amounting to £100,000. - 25 January - Official closure of Tower CollieryTower CollieryTower Colliery is the oldest continuously working deep-coal mine in the United Kingdom, and possibly the world, and the last mine of its kind to remain in the South Wales Valleys...
in the Cynon ValleyCynon ValleyThe Cynon Valley , is a famous former coal mining valley within the South Wales Valleys of Wales. The Cynon Valley lies between the other mining Valley of Rhondda and the iron industrial Valley of the Merthyr Valley. Its main towns are Aberdare located North of the Valley and Mountain Ash located...
, the last deep coal mineCoal miningThe goal of coal mining is to obtain coal from the ground. Coal is valued for its energy content, and since the 1880s has been widely used to generate electricity. Steel and cement industries use coal as a fuel for extraction of iron from iron ore and for cement production. In the United States,...
to be worked in WalesWalesWales 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...
. - 11 February - At the 50th Grammy Awards50th Grammy AwardsThe 50th Annual Grammy Awards took place at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on February 10, 2008. Kanye West received the most nominations, with eight. Amy Winehouse was the big winner, winning a total of five awards. Herbie Hancock's River: The Joni Letters won Album of the Year,...
in Los Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles, CaliforniaLos Angeles , with a population at the 2010 United States Census of 3,792,621, is the most populous city in California, USA and the second most populous in the United States, after New York City. It has an area of , and is located in Southern California...
, the Grammy Award for Best Opera RecordingGrammy Award for Best Opera RecordingThe Grammy Award for Best Opera Recording has been awarded since 1961. The award was originally titled Best Classical Opera Production. The current title has been used since 1962....
goes to Hansel and Gretel, starring Rebecca EvansRebecca EvansRebecca Evans is a Welsh operatic soprano.-Personal life:Born in the village of Pontrhydyfen near Neath, the same village as Hollywood actor Richard Burton....
. - 18 February - Plans to publish Wales's first daily newspaper in the Welsh languageWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
, under the title Y Byd (The World), are abandoned because of inadequate finance. - March - Harpist Catrin FinchCatrin FinchCatrin Anna Finch is a Welsh harpist born in Llanon, Ceredigion, Wales. She was the Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales from 2000 to 2004 and is Visiting Professor at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and the Royal Academy of Music...
gives the broadcast première of Alun HoddinottAlun HoddinottAlun Hoddinott CBE , was a Welsh composer of classical music, one of the first to receive international recognition.-Life and works:...
's Serenissima on BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3BBC Radio 3 is a national radio station operated by the BBC within the United Kingdom. Its output centres on classical music and opera, but jazz, world music, drama, culture and the arts also feature. The station is the world’s most significant commissioner of new music, and its New Generation...
, shortly before the composer's death. - 1 March - St David's Day 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...
sees record breaking numbers march in the annual St David's Day parade, from the National Museum of Wales for Y Senedd in Cardiff BayCardiff BayCardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
. - 7 March - Queen Elizabeth IIElizabeth II of the United KingdomElizabeth II is the constitutional monarch of 16 sovereign states known as the Commonwealth realms: the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Jamaica, Barbados, the Bahamas, Grenada, Papua New Guinea, the Solomon Islands, Tuvalu, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Belize,...
visits SwanseaSwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
to open its new leisure centreSwansea Leisure CentreThe LC is a leisure centre located in the city centre of Swansea, Wales, UK. Originally Swansea Leisure Centre, the rebranded facility re-opened to the public on 1 March 2008 after a £32 million makeover...
, a replacement for the building she opened in 1977. - 16 April
- SwanseaSwanseaSwansea is a coastal city and county in Wales. Swansea is in the historic county boundaries of Glamorgan. Situated on the sandy South West Wales coast, the county area includes the Gower Peninsula and the Lliw uplands...
's new bowls stadium hosts the World Indoor Singles and Mixed Pairs Championship for bowlsBowlsBowls is a sport in which the objective is to roll slightly asymmetric balls so that they stop close to a smaller "jack" or "kitty". It is played on a pitch which may be flat or convex or uneven...
. - First minister Rhodri MorganRhodri MorganHywel Rhodri Morgan is a Welsh Labour politician who, as First Secretary for Wales, and subsequently First Minister, was leader of the Welsh Assembly Government from 2000 to 2009. A former leader of Welsh Labour, he was the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011...
officially opens Amazon.co.uk's 400000 sq ft (37,161.2 m²) Fulfilment Centre in Jersey MarineJersey MarineJersey Marine is a village in Neath Port Talbot county borough, Wales, UK located about east of Swansea. It falls within the Coedffranc West ward....
.
- Swansea
- 1 May - All Wales local council elections.
- 31 May - Swansea Bay Film Festival begins.
- 12 June - Cardiff CastleCardiff CastleCardiff Castle is a medieval castle and Victorian architecture Gothic revival mansion, transformed from a Norman keep erected over a Roman fort in the Castle Quarter of Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The Castle is a Grade I Listed Building.-The Roman fort:...
opens a new interpretation centre http://www.culture24.org.uk/art/art58168 at a cost of £6 million. - 14 June - In the Queen's Birthday honours list, Russell T Davies is awarded the OBE and Joe CalzagheJoe CalzagheJoseph William Calzaghe, CBE, MBE is a Welsh former professional boxer. He is the former WBO, WBA, WBC, IBF, The Ring & British super middleweight champion and The Ring light heavyweight champion....
the CBE. - 28 June - At the Wales Book of the Year Awards, Heritage Minister Rhodri Glyn ThomasRhodri Glyn ThomasRhodri Glyn Thomas AM is a Welsh politician. He has been the Plaid Cymru National Assembly for Wales Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr since 1999.-Education:...
reads out the wrong name, and runner-up Tom Bullough arrives on stage only to find he has lost out to Dannie AbseDannie AbseDaniel Abse, better known as Dannie Abse , is a Welsh poet.-Early years:Abse was born in Cardiff, Wales to a Jewish family. He is the younger brother of politician and reformer Leo Abse and the eminent psychoanalyst, Wilfred Abse...
. Bullough comments "The Book of the Year event was out-and-out the worst night of my life."http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2008/07/30/awards-gaffe-the-perfect-publicity-for-writer-s-book-91466-21428819/ - 18 July - Rhodri Glyn ThomasRhodri Glyn ThomasRhodri Glyn Thomas AM is a Welsh politician. He has been the Plaid Cymru National Assembly for Wales Member for Carmarthen East and Dinefwr since 1999.-Education:...
resigns from his position in the Welsh Assembly Government after having been reprimanded for smoking in a pub.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/south_east/7514458.stm - 2 August - 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 :...
opens in 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...
. - 12 September - The Tower, Meridian Quay, is topped out, becoming the tallest building in Swansea and the tallest residential building in Wales.
- 5 October - Delyth Morgan, Baroness Morgan of DrefelinDelyth Morgan, Baroness Morgan of DrefelinBaroness Delyth Morgan, Baroness Morgan of Drefelin sits as a Labour Party peer in the House of Lords of the United Kingdom. She was raised to the peerage in 2004 and has been appointed as Chief Executive of Breast Cancer Campaign...
, replaces Kevin Brennan as Lords Minister for the Department for Children, Schools and Families. - 20 November - AM and Heritage Minister Alun Ffred JonesAlun Ffred JonesAlun Ffred Jones is a Welsh politician and member of Plaid Cymru. Jones was the National Assembly for Wales Member for Caernarfon 2003–07 and for the newly created Arfon constituency since the National Assembly for Wales election, 2007....
makes history by using the Welsh languageWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
for the first time as a representative of the UK government at a European Union meeting in Brussels.http://www.northwaleschronicle.co.uk/news/Arfon-Assembly-Member-makes-history.4714674.jp - 14 December - Trinity College, Carmarthen, announces negotiations with University of Wales, LampeterUniversity of Wales, LampeterUniversity of Wales, Lampeter is a university in Lampeter, Wales. Founded in 1822 by royal charter, it is the oldest degree awarding institution in Wales and may be the third oldest in England and Wales after Oxford and Cambridge...
, with a view to a merger. - 19 December - A haul of 22 million counterfeit cigarettes, the biggest such seizure ever in Wales, is recovered by 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...
customs officers in a container from DubaiDubaiDubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...
.http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7834042.stm - 31 December - In the New Year Honours 2009New Year Honours 2009The New Year Honours 2009 principally for the United Kingdom as well as the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 31 December 2008, to celebrate the year passed and mark the beginning of 2009....
, Michael SheenMichael SheenMichael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
is awarded the OBE and Owain Arwel HughesOwain Arwel HughesOwain Arwel Hughes CBE is a Welsh orchestral conductor. Among his numerous titles are Principal Associate Conductor of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, London's Philharmonia Orchestra, Aalborg Symphony in Denmark and the National Youth Orchestra of Wales and Principal Guest Conductor of the Cape...
the CBE. Cyclists Nicole CookeNicole CookeNicole Denise Cooke, MBE is a Welsh professional road bicycle racer for the Mario Cipollini - Giordana Team team, and is the current Olympic road race champion.-Early life:...
and Geraint ThomasGeraint ThomasGeraint Howell Thomas, MBE is a Welsh professional racing cyclist who rides for the UCI ProTour team . A track cycling world champion and Olympic gold medalist in the team pursuit, Thomas has also enjoyed success on the road, winning the Junior Paris-Roubaix in 2004, the British National...
receive the MBE.
Awards
- Glyndŵr AwardGlyndwr AwardThe Glyndŵr Award is made for an Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Wales. It is given by the Machynlleth Tabernacle Trust to pre-eminent figures in music, art and literature in rotation...
- Tudur Dylan Jones - National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Hilma Lloyd Edwards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Hywel Griffiths
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal -
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Mererid HopwoodMererid HopwoodMererid Hopwood is a Welsh poet who made history in 2001 by becoming the first woman ever to win the bardic Chair at the National Eisteddfod of Wales....
- Wales Book of the YearWales Book of the YearThe Wales Book of the Year is a Welsh literary award given annually to the best Welsh and English language works in the fields of fiction and literary criticism by Welsh or Welsh interest authors...
:- English language: Dannie AbseDannie AbseDaniel Abse, better known as Dannie Abse , is a Welsh poet.-Early years:Abse was born in Cardiff, Wales to a Jewish family. He is the younger brother of politician and reformer Leo Abse and the eminent psychoanalyst, Wilfred Abse...
- The Presence - Welsh language: Gareth Miles - Y Proffwyd a'l Ddwy Jesebel
- English language: Dannie Abse
- 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...
Award: Nam LeNam Le (writer)Nam Le is a Vietnamese-born Australian writer, who won the Dylan Thomas Prize for his book The Boat, a collection of short stories... - Cân i GymruCân i GymruCân i Gymru is a Welsh television show broadcast on S4C annually. It was first introduced 42 years ago when BBC Cymru wanted to enter the Eurovision Song Contest. It usually takes place at Afan Lido in Port Talbot. It has taken place every year except 1973...
: Aled Myrddin - "Atgofion"
New books
- Iolo MorganwgIolo MorganwgEdward Williams, better known by his bardic name Iolo Morganwg , was an influential Welsh antiquarian, poet, collector, and literary forger. He was widely considered a leading collector and expert on medieval Welsh literature in his day, but after his death it was revealed that he had forged a...
and the Romantic Tradition in Wales: The Correspondence of Iolo Morganwg, Vols 1, 2 & 3 (ed. Geraint H. Jenkins, Ffion Mair Jones & David Ceri Jones) - Rhys Evans - Gwynfor EvansGwynfor EvansDr Richard Gwynfor Evans , was a Welsh politician, lawyer and author. President of Plaid Cymru for thirty six years, he was the first Member of Parliament to represent Plaid Cymru at Westminster ....
: a Portrait of a Patriot - Ray GravellRay GravellRaymond William Robert "Ray" Gravell was a Welsh rugby union centre who played club rugby for Llanelli RFC. At international level Gravell earned 23 caps for Wales and was selected for the 1980 British Lions tour to South Africa.In his later career he would become a respected broadcaster and...
- Grav in his Own Words - Simon JenkinsSimon JenkinsSir Simon David Jenkins is a British newspaper columnist and author, and since November 2008 has been chairman of the National Trust. He currently writes columns for both The Guardian and London's Evening Standard, and was previously a commentator for The Times, which he edited from 1990 to 1992...
- Wales: Churches, Houses, Castles - Peter Lord - Winifred Coombe TennantWinifred Coombe TennantWinifred Coombe Tennant was a Welsh suffragette, politician, philanthropist, patron of the arts and spiritualist. She was also known by the bardic name "Mam o'r Nedd"....
: a Life through Art (National Library of WalesNational Library of WalesThe National Library of Wales , Aberystwyth, is the national legal deposit library of Wales; one of the Welsh Government sponsored bodies.Welsh is its main medium of communication...
) - Ian Skidmore - KyffinKyffin WilliamsSir John "Kyffin" Williams, KBE, RA was a Welsh landscape painter who lived at Pwllfanogl, Llanfairpwll on the Island of Anglesey...
: a Figure in a Welsh Landscape - Dai SmithDai SmithDai Smith was a Welsh professional rugby league footballer of the 1900s who at representative level played for Other Nationalities, and at club level for Salford, playing at , i.e...
- 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...
: a Warrior's Tale - Geraint Talfan DaviesGeraint Talfan DaviesGeraint Talfan Davies is chairman and one of the co-founders of the Institute of Welsh Affairs, an independent Welsh think-tank. He is also chairman of Welsh National Opera...
- At Arm's Length: Recollections and Reflections on the Arts, Media and a Young Democracy - The Welsh Academy Encyclopaedia of Wales
Classical
- Alun HoddinottAlun HoddinottAlun Hoddinott CBE , was a Welsh composer of classical music, one of the first to receive international recognition.-Life and works:...
- Music for String Quartet - Karl JenkinsKarl Jenkins-Other works:*Adiemus: Live — live versions of Adiemus music*Palladio *Eloise *Imagined Oceans *The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace...
- Stabat Mater
Albums
- The AutomaticThe AutomaticThe Automatic , are a Welsh rock band. The band is composed of Robin Hawkins on vocals, bass and synthesizers, James Frost on guitar, synthesizers, backing vocals and occasional bass, Iwan Griffiths on drums and Paul Mullen on vocals, guitar and synthesizer - since 2007...
- This Is a FixThis Is a FixThis Is a Fix is the second album by Wales based band The Automatic. It was released on 25 August 2008. The band worked with producer Don Gilmore in Los Angeles, but were disappointed with these sessions, and instead worked with Butch Walker at Sage and Sound Recording in Los Angeles then back in... - DuffyDuffy (singer)Aimée Ann Duffy , known as Duffy, is a Welsh singer-songwriter. Her 2008 debut album Rockferry entered the UK Album Chart at number one. It was the best-selling album in the United Kingdom in 2008 with 1.68 million copies sold...
- RockferryRockferryRockferry is the debut studio album by Welsh blue-eyed soul singer Duffy, released on 3 March 2008 in the United Kingdom by A&M Records. It was released in the United States by Mercury Records. Duffy worked with several producers and writers on the album, including Bernard Butler, Steve Booker,... - Katherine JenkinsKatherine JenkinsKatherine Jenkins is a Welsh mezzo-soprano. She is a classical-popular crossover singer who performs across a spectrum of operatic arias, popular songs, musical theatre and hymns.-Early life and education:...
- Sacred Arias - Kids in Glass HousesKids in Glass HousesKids in Glass Houses are a Welsh rock band from Cardiff, and are considered a significant part of the Cardiff music scene. The band's name is inspired by the lyrics "not throwing stones at you anymore" from Glassjaw song "Tip Your Bartender". The band achieved success on the strength of the singles...
- Smart CasualSmart casualSmart casual is a loosely defined dress code, casual, yet "smart" enough to conform to the particular standards of certain Western social groups.... - Bryn TerfelBryn TerfelBryn Terfel Jones CBE is a Welsh bass-baritone opera and concert singer. Terfel was initially associated with the roles of Mozart, particularly Figaro and Leporello, but has subsequently shifted his attention to heavier roles, especially those by Wagner....
- First Love: Songs from the British Isles
Film
- Jonathan PryceJonathan PryceJonathan Pryce, CBE is a Welsh stage and film actor and singer. After studying at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and meeting his longtime partner English actress Kate Fahy in 1974, he began his career as a stage actor in the 1970s...
appears in LeatherheadsLeatherheadsLeatherheads is a 2008 American sports comedy film from Universal Pictures directed by and starring George Clooney. The film also stars Renée Zellweger, Jonathan Pryce and John Krasinski and focuses on the early years of professional American football....
. - Michael SheenMichael SheenMichael Christopher Sheen, OBE , is a Welsh stage and screen actor. He trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London, England and made his professional debut opposite Vanessa Redgrave in When She Danced at the Globe Theatre in 1991...
plays David FrostDavid FrostSir David Frost is a British broadcaster.David Frost may also refer to:*David Frost , South African golfer*David Frost , classical record producer*David Frost *Dave Frost, baseball pitcher...
in Frost/NixonFrost/Nixon (film)Frost/Nixon is a 2008 historical drama film based on the 2006 play by Peter Morgan which dramatizes the Frost/Nixon interviews of 1977. The film was directed by Ron Howard and produced for Universal Pictures by Howard, Brian Grazer of Imagine Entertainment and Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner of Working... - Catherine Zeta-JonesCatherine Zeta-JonesCatherine Zeta-Jones, CBE, is a British actress. She began her career on stage at an early age. After starring in a number of United Kingdom and United States television films and small roles in films, she came to prominence with roles in Hollywood movies such as the 1998 action film The Mask of...
stars in Death Defying ActsDeath Defying ActsDeath Defying Acts is a 2007 supernatural romantic thriller. The film is a UK-Australian co-production directed by Gillian Armstrong and starring Guy Pearce and Catherine Zeta-Jones. It concerns an episode in the life of Hungarian-American escapologist Harry Houdini at the height of his career in...
Sport
- BBC Wales Sports Personality of the YearBBC Wales Sports Personality of the YearThe BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year is a televised sporting competition, broadcast on BBC Two every year; and the most prestigious annual sport award in Wales. It was first awarded in 1954, and is currently organised by BBC Cymru Wales...
- Shane WilliamsShane WilliamsShane Mark Williams is a Welsh international rugby union player who plays as a wing for the Ospreys and who can also play scrum-half. Williams is the record try scorer for the Wales national team and he is third on the international list of leading Rugby union Test try scorers behind Daisuke Ohata... - BBC Young Sports Personality of the Year - Eleanor SimmondsEleanor SimmondsEleanor Simmonds MBE is a British Paralympian swimmer who has achondroplasia.Simmonds competed at the 2008 Summer Paralympics in Beijing, China in the 50 m, 100 m and 400 m freestyle, 50 m butterfly, and 200 m individual medley. She swims in the S6 disability category...
- CyclingCyclingCycling, also called bicycling or biking, is the use of bicycles for transport, recreation, or for sport. Persons engaged in cycling are cyclists or bicyclists...
- March - Geraint ThomasGeraint ThomasGeraint Howell Thomas, MBE is a Welsh professional racing cyclist who rides for the UCI ProTour team . A track cycling world champion and Olympic gold medalist in the team pursuit, Thomas has also enjoyed success on the road, winning the Junior Paris-Roubaix in 2004, the British National...
is a member of the gold medal-winning team in the UCI Track Cycling World Championships - Men's Team PursuitUCI Track Cycling World Championships - Men's Team PursuitThe UCI Track Cycling World Championships – Men's team pursuit is the team pursuit competition for men held annually at the UCI Track Cycling World Championships. Since its introduction as an elite event at the 1993 championships, Australia have won the gold medal the most with six victories....
. - September - Nicole CookeNicole CookeNicole Denise Cooke, MBE is a Welsh professional road bicycle racer for the Mario Cipollini - Giordana Team team, and is the current Olympic road race champion.-Early life:...
wins the UCI Road World Championships - Women's Road Race.
- March - Geraint Thomas
- FootballFootball (soccer)Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
- 9 March - Cardiff City F.C.Cardiff City F.C.Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
defeat Middlesbrough F.C.Middlesbrough F.C.Middlesbrough Football Club , also known as Boro, are an English football club based in Middlesbrough, who play in the Football League Championship. Formed in 1876, they have played at the Riverside Stadium since August 1995, their third ground since turning professional in 1889...
to reach the semi-finals of the FA CupFA Cup 2007-08The 2007–08 FA Cup was the 127th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. A record 731 clubs' entries were accepted for the competition....
for the first time since 1927. - 6 April - Cardiff City F.C.Cardiff City F.C.Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
defeat Barnsley F.C.Barnsley F.C.Barnsley Football Club are a professional English football club based in the town of Barnsley, South Yorkshire. Nicknamed the Tykes, they were founded in 1887 under the name Barnsley St. Peter's...
to reach the final of the FA CupFA Cup 2007-08The 2007–08 FA Cup was the 127th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. A record 731 clubs' entries were accepted for the competition....
for the first time since 1927. - 17 May - Cardiff City F.C.Cardiff City F.C.Cardiff City Football Club are a Welsh professional football club based in Cardiff, Wales. The club competes in the English football pyramid and is currently playing in the Football League Championship. Cardiff City is the best supported football club in Wales, averaging approximately 22,500 for...
are defeated by Portsmouth F.C.Portsmouth F.C.Portsmouth Football Club is an English football club based in the city of Portsmouth. The club is nicknamed Pompey. Portsmouth's home matches have been played at Fratton Park since the club's formation in 1898. The team currently play in the Football League Championship after being relegated from...
in the final of the FA CupFA Cup 2007-08The 2007–08 FA Cup was the 127th season of the world's oldest football knockout competition, The Football Association Challenge Cup, or FA Cup for short. A record 731 clubs' entries were accepted for the competition.... - 16 August - Opening round of the Welsh Cup 2008-09
- 9 March - Cardiff City F.C.
- Rugby unionRugby unionRugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
- 2 February - Wales defeat World Cup finalists England in their first match of the 2008 Six Nations Championship2008 Six Nations ChampionshipThe 2008 Six Nations Championship, known as the 2008 RBS 6 Nations because of the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the ninth series of the rugby union Six Nations Championship. Including the previous incarnations as the Home Nations and Five Nations, this was the 114th...
. - 8 March - Wales defeat Ireland to clinch the Triple CrownTriple Crown (Rugby Union)In rugby union, the Triple Crown is an honour contested annually by the four national teams of the British Isles who compete within the larger Six Nations Championship: England, Scotland, Ireland, and Wales. If any one team manages to win all their games against the other three they win the...
. - 15 March - Wales defeat France to win the Grand Slam for the second time in five years.
- 12 April - Ospreys defeat Leicester TigersLeicester TigersLeicester Tigers is an English rugby union club that plays in the Aviva Premiership.Leicester are the most successful English club since the introduction of league rugby in 1987, a record 9 times English champions - 3 more than either Bath or Wasps, the last of which was in 2010...
and lift the EDF Energy CupEDF Energy CupThe Anglo-Welsh Cup, currently known for sponsorship reasons as the LV Cup , is an English and Welsh rugby union knock-out cup competition featuring the twelve Aviva Premiership clubs and four Welsh Regions...
trophy.
- 2 February - Wales defeat World Cup finalists England in their first match of the 2008 Six Nations Championship
- 2008 Summer Olympics2008 Summer OlympicsThe 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
- August 10 - Cyclist Nicole CookeNicole CookeNicole Denise Cooke, MBE is a Welsh professional road bicycle racer for the Mario Cipollini - Giordana Team team, and is the current Olympic road race champion.-Early life:...
wins the gold medal in the Women's road race. - August 16 - In rowingRowing (sport)Rowing is a sport in which athletes race against each other on rivers, on lakes or on the ocean, depending upon the type of race and the discipline. The boats are propelled by the reaction forces on the oar blades as they are pushed against the water...
, Tom JamesTom JamesThomas James MBE is a Welsh rower, Olympic Champion, and victorious Cambridge Blue.-Education:James was educated at The King's School, Chester, where he took up the sport of rowing...
wins a gold medal as one of the British team's victorious coxless four. - August 18 - Cyclist Geraint ThomasGeraint ThomasGeraint Howell Thomas, MBE is a Welsh professional racing cyclist who rides for the UCI ProTour team . A track cycling world champion and Olympic gold medalist in the team pursuit, Thomas has also enjoyed success on the road, winning the Junior Paris-Roubaix in 2004, the British National...
wins gold as a member of the GB Team Pursuit team. - August 21 - David DaviesDavid Davies (swimmer)David Davies is a Welsh Commonwealth Games and Olympic distance swimmer. Born in Barry, Vale of Glamorgan, Davies swam for Wales at the 2002 and 2006 Commonwealth Games and represented Great Britain at the 2004 and 2008 Olympics...
of Barry wins the silver medal in the Men's marathon 10 kilometre swim.
- August 10 - Cyclist Nicole Cooke
Deaths
- 1 January - Aled Rhys Wiliam, writer, 81
- 4 February - Peter Thomas, Baron Thomas of Gwydir, politician, 87
- 8 March - Patrick GibbsPatrick GibbsWing Commander Reginald Patrick Mahoney Gibbs DSO DFC & Bar was a Welsh military pilot and journalist. Gibbs fought in World War II and was noted for his specialised torpedo attacks against shipping.-Early history:...
, RAF Wing Commander, author and film critic, 92 - 12 March - Alun HoddinottAlun HoddinottAlun Hoddinott CBE , was a Welsh composer of classical music, one of the first to receive international recognition.-Life and works:...
, composer, 78 - 18 March - Philip Jones GriffithsPhilip Jones GriffithsPhilip Jones Griffiths was a Welsh photojournalist known for his coverage of the Vietnam war.- Biography :...
, photojournalist, 72 - 24 March - Neil AspinallNeil AspinallNeil Stanley Aspinall was a British music industry executive. A school friend of Paul McCartney and George Harrison, he went on to head The Beatles' company Apple Corps....
, Beatles' friend and assistant, 65 - 17 April - Gwyneth DunwoodyGwyneth DunwoodyGwyneth Patricia Dunwoody was a British Labour Party politician, who was the Member of Parliament for Exeter from 1966 to 1970, and then for Crewe from 1974 to her death in 2008...
, politician, 77 - 25 April - Humphrey LytteltonHumphrey LytteltonHumphrey Richard Adeane Lyttelton , also known as Humph, was an English jazz musician and broadcaster, and chairman of the BBC radio comedy programme I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue...
, jazz musician and former Port Talbot steelworker, 86 - 1 May - Mark KendallMark KendallMark Kendall was a Welsh footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He represented his country at schoolboy, youth and Under-21 level.-Biography:...
, footballer, 49 - 12 June - Derek TapscottDerek TapscottDerek Robert Tapscott was a Welsh former professional footballer and Wales international.-Early life:Born in Barry, to Florence and Stanley, Tapscott was one of sixteen children. As a child he began attending High Street Junior School in August 1936 where he remained until leaving school at the...
, footballer, 75 - 16 June - Gareth JonesGareth Jones (rugby player)Gareth Jones was a Welsh rugby union player who played as a scrum-half for Neath rugby club until his death in 2008.- Club career :...
, rugby player, 28 - 22 June - Ron StitfallRon StitfallRonald Frederick "Ron" Stitfall was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international. A one club man he played his entire career for his hometown club Cardiff City.-Career:...
, footballer, 82 - 30 June - Anthony CrockettAnthony CrockettPhillip Anthony Crockett was a Welsh Anglican Bishop of Bangor from 2004 until his death from cancer in 2008.Crockett was educated at Pontypridd Grammar School and King’s College London before beginning his ordained ministry. He was ordained in 1971 and was a curate at Aberdare and Whitchurch...
, Bishop of Bangor, 62 - 14 July - 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...
, former Archbishop of Wales, 83 - 12 August - Michael BaxandallMichael BaxandallMichael David Kighley Baxandall, FBA was a British-born art historian and a professor emeritus of Art History at University of California, Berkeley...
, art historian, 74 - 18 August - Bob HumphrysBob HumphrysGeorge Robert Humphrys was a Welsh broadcaster, chiefly known as a sports presenter on BBC Wales.-Biography:...
, TV sports presenter, 56 - 20 August - Leo AbseLeo AbseLeopold Abse was a Welsh lawyer, politician and gay rights campaigner. He was a Welsh Labour Member of Parliament for nearly 30 years, and was noted for promoting private member's bills to decriminalise male homosexual relations and liberalise the divorce laws...
, politician, 91 - 10 September - Vernon HandleyVernon HandleyVernon George "Tod" Handley CBE was a British conductor, known in particular for his support of British composers. He was born of a Welsh father and an Irish mother into a musical family in Enfield, London. He acquired the nickname "Tod" because his feet were turned in at his birth, which his...
, conductor, 77 - 22 October - George EdwardsGeorge Edwards (Welsh footballer)George Edwards was a Welsh professional footballer and Wales international.-Club career:Born in Treherbert, Edwards began his football career at Swansea Town as an amateur and made his debut in the Football League at the end of the 1938–39 season...
, footballer, 87 - 27 October - Colin GaleColin GaleColin Maurice Gale was a Welsh footballer who made over 200 appearances in The Football League between 1950 and 1961.-Career:...
, footballer, 76 - 12 November - Richard Rhys, 9th Baron DynevorRichard Rhys, 9th Baron DynevorRichard Charles Uryan Rhys, 9th Baron Dynevor was a British peer.He was educated at Eton and at Magdalene College, Cambridge....
, 73 - 7 December - John Ellis WilliamsJohn Ellis WilliamsJohn Ellis Williams was a novelist and writer, writing in both English and Welsh.-Life:Williams was born in Llanddeiniolen, Caernarfonshire, on 20 August 1924, and was from a farming family....
, novelist, 84