This article is about the particular significance of the year 1983 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edwards Archbishop of Wales – Derrick Childs, Bishop of Monmouth (elected)The Times, 10 February 1983; pg. 12; Issue 61453; col F News in Brief Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Jâms Nicholas
Events 5 May - District council elections take place across Wales (and England). The Conservatives regain control of Cardiff City Council. 9 June - In the UK General Election. The SDP, led by Roy Jenkins, allies with the Liberals and gains fourteen seats. Stefan Terlezki becomes MP for Cardiff West. Plaid Cymru retains two seats. John Marek is elected for Wrexham, becoming the only Czech-speaking MP. Geraint Howells retains Ceredigion for the Liberals. 21 June - Last coal raised at Tymawr and Lewis Merthyr Colliery. September - The Prince Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands, heir to the Dutch throne, begins a two-year course of study at Atlantic College. 5 September - Marcher Sound is launched on 1260 AM and 95.4 FM (now BBC Radio Wales) from Wrexham, inaugurating the Marcher Radio Group. 2 October - Neil Kinnock, 41-year-old MP for Islwyn, replaces Michael Foot as leader of the UK Labour Party. The BBC National Chorus of Wales is formed.
Arts and literature
Awards National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llangefni) National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Einion Evans National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Eluned Phillips National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Tudor Wilson Evans National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal - William Owen
New books English language Walter Hugh Boore - The Odyssey of Dai Lewis Rachel Bromwich - Dafydd ap Gwilym: Poems Alice Thomas Ellis - The 27th Kingdom Emyr Humphreys – The Taliesin Tradition Nigel Jenkins - Practical Dreams Robert Nisbet - Stories of Sheepskin Craig Thomas - Firefox Down
Welsh language Marion Eames - Y Gaeaf Sydd Unig Donald Evans – Machlud Canrif R. Tudur Jones - Ffydd ac Argyfwng Cenedl Alan Llwyd - Yn Nydd yr Anghenfil
New drama W. S. Jones - Ifas y tryc
Music The Alarm - "Sixty Eight Guns" (#17 in the UK Singles Chart) Y Cyrff form at Llanrwst First Cardiff Singer of the World competition, won by Finnish soprano Karita Mattila "Yma o Hyd" is released by Dafydd Iwan and Ar Log
Film Owen Glendower, Prince of Wales (TV film), starring David Barry
Welsh-language films Yr Alcoholig Llon
Broadcasting
Welsh-language television Torri Gwynt
English-language television QED: Simon's War (about Simon Weston)
Sport BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Colin Jones Boxing - David Pearce of Newport wins the British heavyweight title.
Births 11 January Rhodri Gomer-Davies, rugby player and reporter 14 February - Rhydian Roberts, singer 18 February - David Vaughan, footballer 5 March - Owain Arthur, actor 28 March - Richard Jones, chess master 13 April - Nicole Cooke, cyclist 12 May - Jamie Tolley, footballer 7 June - Gareth Jewell, actor 9 June Kate Alicia Morgan, beauty queen Ryan Watkins, cricketer 11 June - Huw Bennett, rugby player 19 June - Richard Evans, footballer 22 July - Ifan Evans, rugby player 6 August - Lloyd Langford, comedian 10 August - Richie Pugh, rugby player and coach 23 August - James Collins, footballer 26 August - Darren Jones, footballer 9 October - Rianti Cartwright, half-Welsh actress (in Indonesia) 5 November - David Pipe, footballer
Deaths 5 January - Amy Evans, singer and actress, 98 10 January (in Amsterdam) - Carwyn James, rugby coach, 53 31 January - Edwin Williams, dual-code rugby international, 84 10 February - Michael Roberts, politician, 55 (collapsed in Parliament) 3 March - Percy Morgan, cricketer, 78 20 March - Alec Jones, politician, 58 23 March - David Wynne, composer, 82 16 April - Gladys Morgan, comedienne, 84 6 June - Bryn Howells, dual-code rugby player, 72 23 June - Emrys Evans, dual-code rugby player, 72 31 August - Iorwerth Jones, dual-code rugby player, 80 1 September - John Williams, Dean of Llandaff, 76‘WILLIAMS, Very Rev. John Frederick’, Who Was Who, A & C Black, an imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing plc, 1920–2015; online edn, Oxford University Press, 2014; online edn, April 2014. . 9 September - Edgar Morgan, dual-code rugby international, 87 1 October - Ernie Finch, Wales international rugby player, 84 8 October - Ron Wynn, footballer, 59 24 October - Norman Fender, Wales dual-code rugby international, 73 2 November - Tudor Watkins, politician, 80 8 November - E. G. Bowen, geographer, 82Harold Carter, 'Bowen, Emrys George (1900–1983)', Oxford Dictionary of National Biography, Oxford University Press, 2004 15 November (in London) - Dai Rees, golfer, 70"Mr Dai Rees - Major Welsh Golfer", The Times, 17 November 1983; pg. 14; Issue 61692. 30 November - Richard Llewellyn, novelist, 76 30 December - Ellis Evans, Dean of Monmouth, 75 date unknown - Mary Vaughan Jones, novelist, 64/65
See also 1983 Cardiff City Council election 1983 in Northern Ireland
References