This article is about the particular significance of the year 1999 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents First Secretary – Alun Michael (from 12 May) Secretary of State for Wales Alun Michael (until 28 July) Paul Murphy Archbishop of Wales Alwyn Rice Jones, Bishop of St Asaph (retired) Rowan Williams, Bishop of Monmouth (elected) Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales Dafydd Rowlands (outgoing) Meirion Evans (incoming)
Events January Protesting farmers blockade the north Wales headquarters of supermarket chain Iceland. Opening of the St David's Hotel in Cardiff Bay, Wales's first 5-star hotel. February – An outbreak of meningitis occurs in the Pontypridd area. March – West Wales and the Valleys is designated an Objective 1 region within the European Community. 6 May – 1999 National Assembly for Wales election, the first to be held. 10 May – The Queen attends a gala concert in Cardiff Bay to celebrate the opening of the Welsh Assembly. 12 May – The National Assembly for Wales meets in Cardiff for its first session. 19 May – 'Robbie', probably the last pit pony to work in the U.K. is retired at Pant y Gasseg drift mine, near Pontypool in the South Wales coalfield. June – Eight children in north Wales are taken ill with E. coli poisoning. 27 June – The Clydach murders: four members of the same family are found bludgeoned to death. July – Bryncelyn Brewery begins brewing. December – Hyder cuts 1000 jobs after being forced to make cuts in their charges for electricity and water. 19 December – Charlotte Church makes her debut as a television actress in Heartbeat. Main construction work on Cardiff Bay Barrage completed.
Arts and literature Cysgod y Cryman by Islwyn Ffowc Elis (1953) is voted the most significant Welsh language book of the 20th century. Sir Harry Secombe suffers a second stroke, which forces him to give up his television career. Mary Hopkin joins The Chieftains on their UK tour. Dick Francis: A Racing Life, an unauthorised biography, suggests that his books were substantially written by his wife Mary. Painter Kyffin Williams is knighted for his services to the arts. September – Swansea Grand Theatre becomes the base for the Ballet Russe company.
Awards Cardiff Singer of the World – Anja Harteros Glyndŵr Award – Gillian Clarke National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Gwenallt Lloyd Ifan National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Ifor ap Glyn National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Sonia Edwards Wales Book of the Year: English language: Emyr Humphreys – The Gift of a Daughter Welsh language: R. M. Jones – Ysbryd y Cwlwm: Delwedd y Genedl yn ein Llenyddiaeth Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen – Ann Pierce Jones – Fflamio
New books English language Richard Booth – My Kingdom of Books John Davies – The Making of Wales Paul Ferris – Infidelity Patrick Hannan – The Welsh Illusion Craig Thomas – Slipping into Shadow
Welsh language Grahame Davies – Sefyll yn y Bwlch Mair Wynn Hughes – Hen Ŵr y Môr
New drama Greg Cullen – Paul Robeson Knew My Father (play)
Music Gillian Elisa – Haul ar Nos Hir (album) Gorky's Zygotic Mynci – Spanish Dance Troupe (album) Karl Jenkins – The Armed Man: a Mass for Peace
Film Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars in Entrapment.
Welsh-language films Cymer Dy Siâr Solomon a Gaenor, starring Ioan Gruffudd
Welsh-language television Y Palmant Aur (drama) Yno o hyd (documentary) Tri Tenor – Gala concert with performances by Welsh tenors Gwyn Hughes Jones, Rhys Meirion and Timothy Richards Catrin Finch (documentary) Ponteifi (sitcom)
English-language television Sea of Troubles (documentary) House of the Future (documentary by Malcolm Parry) Belonging (BBC Wales) The Big Picture (presented by Peter Lord)
Sport
BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Colin Jackson Football UWIC Inter Cardiff are Welsh Cup winners after beating Carmarthen Town on penalties. Barry Town win their fourth successive League of Wales title. Winners of the three divisions in the Welsh Football League are: Ton Pentre (Division 1), Penrhiwceiber Rangers (Division 2) & Caerleon (Division 3). Flexsys Cefn Druids are champions of the Cymru Alliance. AFC Llwydcoed and Garden Village are promoted to the Welsh Football League. Rugby The Rugby World Cup is hosted by Wales, with the final being held at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, on 6 November. The winning team is Australia. Snooker Mark Williams wins the Welsh Open tournament in Cardiff. Mark Williams wins the UK Championship for the first time, defeating Matthew Stevens in an all-Welsh final.
Births 12 January – Tyler Roberts, footballer 26 April – Jake Heyward, athlete 29 April – Callum Scott Howells, actor and singer 23 June – Cai Evans, rugby player 15 October – Ben Woodburn, footballer
Deaths 3 February (in London) – Alfred Janes, artist, 87 8 February – Meredith Edwards, actor, 81 16 February – Don Hayward, Wales and British Lions international rugby player, 73 17 February – John Lansdown, computer graphics pioneer, 70 4 April – Raymond Davies Hughes, RAF airman and broadcaster, 75 11 April – Alan Evans, darts player, 49 6 May – Johnny Morris, television presenter, 82 11 May – Robert Thomas, sculptor, 72 12 July – Guy Griffiths, pilot, 84 16 July – Barri Jones, classical scholar and archaeologist, 63Obituary by Anthony Birley Friday July 23, 1999 in The Guardian 5 September – Ivor Roberts, former TWW presenter, 74 22 September – Clive Jenkins, trade union leader, 73 24 October – Howard Griffiths, screenwriter, 64 15 November – Sir Harry Llewellyn, equestrian champion, 88 27 November – Ernest Zobole, artist, 72 6 December – Gwyn Jones, writer, 92 19 December – Desmond Llewelyn, actor, 85 (car accident) 23 December – Eirene White, politician, 90
See also 1999 in Northern Ireland
References