1981 in Wales

← 1980 1979 1978 1977 1976 1981 in Wales → 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history 1981 in The United Kingdom England Scotland Elsewhere

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

Incumbents

For United Kingdom incumbents, see 1981 in the United Kingdom § 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)[3]
  • Jâms Nicholas (incoming)[4]

Events

• January - First phase of St. David's Shopping Centre, Cardiff, opens to the public.[5]
• 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.[6]
• 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.[7]
• 11 June - Britain's first Urban Enterprise Zone is created in Lower Swansea Valley.[8]
• 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.[9]
• Independent film company Teliesyn begins producing programmes for S4C, BBC Wales and HTV.[10]

Arts and literature

• 6 June - The Alarm play their first gig under their new name, at the Victoria Hotel, Prestatyn.[11]
• Theatre Wales is established.
• Harry Secombe receives a knighthood.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Machynlleth)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - John Gwilym Jones, "Y Frwydr"[12]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Siôn Aled, "Wynebau"[13]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - John Griffith Jones, "Cysgodion ar y Pared"[14]

New books

English language

• Clive Jenkins & Barrie Sherman - The Leisure Shock[15]
• Eiluned Lewis - The Old Home
• Kenneth O. Morgan - Rebirth of a Nation: Wales 1880-1980[16]
• R. S. Thomas - Between Here and Now

Welsh language

• Irma Chilton - Y Cwlwm Gwaed[17]
• 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

• The Mouse and the Woman, starring Huw Ceredig.
• Dragonslayer, with exterior scenes filmed in Wales.

Welsh-language films

Broadcasting

English-language television

• 4 March–29 April – The Life and Times of David Lloyd George, written by Elaine Morgan and starring Philip Madoc (BBC Wales)
• 24 September–18 December – Taff Acre (Harlech Television)

Welsh-language television

• Croeso i S4C, presented by Owen Edwards[18]

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – John Toshack[19]
• 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 and TV presenter
• 18 November – Sian Reese-Williams, actress[20]
• 19 November – Mark Wallace, cricketer
• 16 December – Gareth Williams Scottish-Welsh footballer

Deaths

• January - Leslie Jones, footballer, 69
• March - Dai Francis, miners' leader[21]
• 1 March - Dr Martyn Lloyd-Jones, theologian, 81[22]
• 8 March - Nigel Birch, Baron Rhyl, politician, 74[23]
• 3 April - Will Owen, miner and politician, 80
• 13 April - Gwyn Thomas, author, 67[24]
• 15 May - J. E. Meredith, Presbyterian minister and writer, 76[25]
• 16 June - Billy Hughes, footballer, 63[26]
• 17 June - Ike Fowler, dual-code international rugby union player, 86
• 23 July - Goronwy Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts, politician, 67[27]
• 6 August - George Lewis, footballer, 67
• 18 September - Brinley Richards, poet, author and archdruid[28]
• 30 September - Roy John, Wales and British Lions international rugby union player, 55
• 25 December - Tom Griffiths, Welsh international footballer, 75[29]

See also

• 1981 in Northern Ireland

References

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. NA NA (25 December 2015). The Macmillan Guide to the United Kingdom 1978-79. Springer. p. 875. ISBN 978-1-349-81511-1.
4. Stephens, Meic (17 October 2013). "James Nicholas: Poet, teacher and Archdruid of Wales". The Independent. Retrieved 21 October 2013.
5. Thomas Deacon (18 March 2021). "A look back at Cardiff's St David's Shopping Centre after 40 years". WalesOnline. Retrieved 17 August 2023.
6. John Baselmans (6 December 2016). Drugs. Lulu.com. p. 266. ISBN 978-1-326-84325-0.
7. J. W. Aitchison; H. Carter; C. H. Williams. "The Welsh Language at the 1981 Census". Area. 17 (1). Royal Geographical Society: 11–17.
8. "IBA: enterprise zones: list of enterprise zones". Capital Allowances Manual. HM Revenue & Customs. 2006. Retrieved 2018-10-16.
9. Soviet Analyst. World Reports Limited. 1981. p. 59.
10. 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.
11. Graham Betts (2004). Collins Complete UK Hit Singles 1952-2004. Collins. p. 16. ISBN 978-0-00-717931-2.
12. "Winners of the Chair". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
13. "Winners of the Crown". National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
14. "Winners of the Prose Medal". National Eisteddfod of Wales. Retrieved 7 November 2019.
15. Rosemary Deem (2002). Work, Unemployment and Leisure. Taylor & Francis. p. 117. ISBN 9781134985081.
16. Kenneth O. Morgan (1981). Rebirth of a Nation: Wales, 1880-1980. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-821736-7.
17. Mair Rees (2014). Y Llawes Goch a'r Faneg Wen: Y Corff Benywaidd a'i Symbolaeth mewn Ffuglen Gymraeg gan Fenywod (in Welsh). University of Wales Press. p. 237. ISBN 9781783161256.
18. Tony Currie (2004). A Concise History of British Television, 1930-2000. Kelly Publications. p. 83. ISBN 978-1-903053-17-1.
19. "BBC Wales Sport Personality winners". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
20. "BBC Mid Wales Showbiz". Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 31 January 2009.
21. 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.
22. "Dr D. Martyn Lloyd-Jones Papers". Archives Wales. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
23. 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.
24. Janet Podell (May 1982). Annual Obituary, 1981. Thomson Gale. p. 269. ISBN 978-0-912289-51-9.
25. 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.
26. Matthews, Tony (October 2000). The Encyclopedia of Birmingham City Football Club 1875~2000. Cradley Heath: Britespot. p. 116. ISBN 0-9539288-0-2.
27. Jones, John Graham. "Goronwy Owen Roberts, Baron Goronwy-Roberts". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 31 January 2019.
28. Llafur. Society for the Study of Welsh Labour History. 1980. p. 100.
29. Davies, Gareth; Garland, Ian (1991). Who's Who of Welsh International Soccer Players. Bridge Books. p. 75. ISBN 1-872424-11-2.