This article is about the particular significance of the year 1985 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edwards Archbishop of Wales – Derrick Childs, Bishop of Monmouth Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Elerydd
Events 3 March – The UK miners' strike (1984–85) formally ends. Among the mines not reopening is Bedwas Navigation Colliery. 16 May – Dean Hancock and Russell Shankland are convicted of murder at Cardiff Crown Court and jailed for life. The previous November, at the height of the miners' strike, they had caused the death of a taxi driver by dropping a concrete block onto his car as it passed under a bridge. 29 June – The A55 Colwyn Bay bypass is completed. 4 July – At the Brecon and Radnor by-election (caused by the death of sitting Conservative MP Tom Ellis Hooson) local farmer Richard Livsey takes the seat for the Liberals. 25 July – Clwydian Range AONB is designated. 20 December – Swansea City A.F.C., struggling in the English Third Division just three years after being in the First, are issued with a winding-up order in the High Court and are at risk of closure and being forced out of the Football League. exact date unknown Terry Matthews sells his stake in Mitel to British Telecom. "Cefn" is founded to campaign for the civil rights of Welsh speakers. The Centre for Advanced Welsh and Celtic Studies is founded at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth. Seventeen women are prosecuted on conspiracy charges after the occupation of a nuclear bunker near Carmarthen.
Arts and literature Robat Powell becomes the first Welsh learner to win the Chair at the National Eisteddfod (see below).
Awards National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Rhyl) National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Robat Powell National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - John Roderick Rees National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Margaret Dafydd
New books
English language Alice Thomas Ellis – Unexplained Laughter Lady Olwen Carey Evans – Lloyd George Was My Father David Hughes – The Pork Butcher Christopher Meredith – This Robert Minhinnick – The Dinosaur Park John Powell Ward – The Clearing Ivor Wilks – South Wales and the Rising of 1839
Welsh language Geraint Bowen – Cerddi Bryan Martin Davies – Lleoedd Glanmor Williams Harri Tudur a Chymru Grym Tafodau Tân Eluned Phillips – Cerddi Glyn-y-Mêl
Music Downtown Julie Brown makes her debut on Club MTV. "Dwylo Dros y Môr", performed by various artists, is the Welsh charity song released in coordination with Band Aid. Albums Aled Jones – Aled Jones With The BBC Welsh Chorus Living Legends – Better Dead Than Wed Eirlys Parri – Yfory
Film Jonathan Pryce stars in Brazil. Richard Marquand directs Jagged Edge.
Welsh-language films None
Broadcasting
Welsh-language television Helfa Drysor Sam Tân (Fireman Sam)
English-language television 10 September – ITV broadcasts the Wales vs Scotland World Cup qualifying match live from Ninian Park in Cardiff. Scotland manager Jock Stein collapses and dies in the stadium's first aid room. The Dragon Has Two Tongues, co-presented by Gwyn Alf Williams and Wynford Vaughan-Thomas
Sport BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Steve Jones Horse racing – Hywel Davies wins the Grand National on "Last Suspect".
Births 2 January – Mark Evans, musical theatre actor, singer, dancer and choreographer 9 January – Elen Evans, rugby player 3 March – David Davies, swimmer 8 April – Gareth Rees, cricketer 13 May Iwan Rheon, screen actor Danny Thomas, footballer 31 May – Laura Daniels, lawn bowler 16 June – Craig Morgan, footballer 17 July – Tom Cullen, actor 30 August – Richard Duffy, international footballer and manager 11 September – Daniel Parslow, footballer 19 September – Alun Wyn Jones, international rugby union captain 24 September – Kimberley Nixon, actress 10 October – Marina Lambrini Diamandis, singer 14 December – Alex Pennie, musician 15 November – Simon Spender, footballer 25 December Leon Pisani, pop singer Perdita Weeks, actress 28 December – Nicola Davies, footballer date unknown – Claire Jones, harpist
Deaths 19 January – Tom Richards, athlete, 74 26 January – David Ormsby-Gore, 5th Baron Harlech, 66 (car accident) 9 March – John Tudor Jones, journalist, poet, critic, broadcaster, and translator, 81 29 March – Rae Jenkins, violinist and conductor 4 April – Kate Roberts, author, 94Morgan, Derec Llwyd (1991), Kate Roberts. Writers of Wales series. Cardiff: University of Wales Press. . An introduction to her work in English. 21 April – Owen Temple-Morris, barrister and politician, 88Who was Who: A Companion to Who's Who, 1981-1990, A. & C. Black, p. 747 22 April – Sir Thomas Parry, academic, 80 8 May – Tom Hooson, politician, 52 (cancer) 9 June – Clifford Evans, actor, 73 July - Roger Ashton (footballer), footballer, 63 1 September – Saunders Lewis, writer, 91 14 September – Niel Morgan, cricketer and diplomat, 81 17 September – Laura Ashley, designer, 60 (brain haemorrhage after fall) 18 September – Iorwerth Evans, rugby player, 79 28 October Harold Davies, Baron Davies of Leek, politician, 81 Leslie Harris, cricketer, 70 4 November – Hilda Vaughan, novelist, 93 17 December – Gwyn Richards, dual-code rugby player, 79 27 December – Len Richards, footballer, 74 date unknown – Dewi-Prys Thomas, architect
See also
1985 in England 1985 in Northern Ireland 1985 in Scotland
References