This article is about the particular significance of the year 1988 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
Secretary of State for Wales – Peter Walker Archbishop of Wales – George Noakes, Bishop of St David's Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Emrys Deudraeth
Events 14 February - Lynette White is murdered in her Cardiff flat. The case remains controversial for over 20 years, with Jeffrey Gafoor eventually being convicted in 2003. 26 March - The Welsh Ornithological Society is founded at Aberystwyth. October - County Hall, Cardiff, officially opened as the headquarters of South Glamorgan County Council beside the disused Bute East Dock in the Atlantic Wharf area of Butetown, Cardiff. 4 November - British Rail operates the last steam locomotives in its ownership (and its last narrow gauge trains) on the Vale of Rheidol Railway in regular service prior to its privatisation next year (Santa Specials run on 18 December). date unknown - The complete Bible translation into Welsh that has been in use since 1620 is replaced with a new version, Y Beibl Cymraeg Newydd (BCN), translated directly from the original languages.
Arts and literature January - BAFTA Cymru is founded. 28–31 May - First Hay Festival of literature held in Hay-on-Wye. The Gregynog festival is re-launched by Anthony Rolfe Johnson. The European Centre for Traditional and Regional Cultures opens in Llangollen. Independent record label Ankst is formed at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth by Alun Llwyd, Gruffudd Jones and Emyr Glyn Williams. This year also sees the foundation of: Ffilm Cymru (Film Foundation for Wales) New Welsh Review
Awards National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Newport) National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Elwyn Edwards, "Storm" National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - T. James Jones, "Ffin" National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld
New books
English language Tony Conran - Blodeuwedd Hilary Llywelyn-Williams - The Tree Calendar Sheenagh Pugh - Beware Falling Tortoises Oliver Reynolds - The Player Queen's Wife Bernice Rubens - Our Father Glanmor Williams - Recovery, Reorientation and Reformation
Welsh language Idris Foster, Rachel Bromwich & D. Simon Evans (eds.), Culhwch ac Olwen Bobi Jones - Llenyddiaeth Gymraeg 1902-36 Rhiannon Davies Jones - Cribau Eryri Manon Rhys - Cwtsho Wiliam Owen Roberts - Y Pla Huw Walters - Canu'r Pwll a'r Pulpud
Music Ffa Coffi Pawb - Dalec Peilon Trebor Edwards - Goreuon Trebor Bonnie Tyler - Hide Your Heart
Film Peter Greenaway directs Drowning by Numbers.
Welsh-language films Stormydd Awst
Broadcasting
Welsh-language television Pobol y Cwm becomes the first European soap opera to be broadcast daily. C'mon Midffild (drama)
English-language television The Divided Kingdom (HTV/Channel 4)
Sport Association football April – Newport County A.F.C., one of four Welsh teams in the English Football League, are relegated to the GM Vauxhall Conference. Athletics Steve Jones becomes the first British competitor to win the New York Marathon. BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Colin Jackson Rugby union Wales top the 1988 Five Nations Championship winning the Triple Crown. 18 May to 11 June – Wales tour New Zealand, losing heavily in both Tests to the All Blacks. Snooker 2 May – Terry Griffiths is defeated in the final of the 1988 World Snooker Championship by Steve Davis. 27 November – Doug Mountjoy defeats Stephen Hendry in the final of the UK Snooker Championship to claim his second UK title.
Births 29 January - Catrin Stewart, actress 14 February - Jamie Jones, snooker player 18 February - Mark Davies, footballer 29 February - Hannah Mills, sports sailor 24 March - Curtis McDonald, footballer 11 April - Nathan Stephens, athlete and Paralympian 20 June - Shefali Chowdhury, actress 24 August - Kelly Lee Owens, electronic musician 5 October - Sam Warburton, rugby player 15 November - Dan Evans, rugby player 13 December - Darcy Blake, footballer 22 December - Leigh Halfpenny, rugby player 28 December Ched Evans, footballer Elfyn Evans, rally driver 31 December - Holly Holyoake, singer
Deaths January - George Ewart Evans, folklorist and oral historian, 78 26 January - Raymond Williams, writer, 66 2 April - Euros Bowen, poet, 83 April - T. Glynne Davies, poet, novelist and broadcaster, 62 13 May - Elfed Evans, footballer, 61 18 May - Brandon Rhys-Williams, politician, 60 15 June - David Blackmore, cricketer, 88 8 September - Mel Rosser, dual-code international rugby player, 87 23 September - Arwel Hughes, composer and conductor, 79 12 October - Ruth Manning-Sanders, poet and children's author, 102 16 October - John Gwilym Jones, dramatist, 84 11 November - William Ifor Jones, conductor and organist, 88 1 December - Alun Oldfield-Davies, controller of BBC Wales, 83 13 December - Brynmor John, politician, 54 25 December - W. F. Grimes, archaeologist, 83David Gill, 'Grimes, William Francis (1905–1988)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 accessed 3 May 2013 27 December - Tecwyn Roberts, aerospace engineer, 63 date unknown John Morgan, journalist Ray Price, rugby player, 64 (brain haemorrhage)
References