# 1981 in Wales

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

## Incumbents

* Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edwards
* Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor
* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
** Geraint (outgoing)
** Jâms Nicholas (incoming)

## Events

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

## Arts and literature

* 6 June - The Alarm play their first gig under their new name, at the Victoria Hotel, Prestatyn.
* 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"
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Siôn Aled, "Wynebau"
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - John Griffith Jones, "Cysgodion ar y Pared"

### New books
#### English language

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

#### Welsh language

* Irma Chilton - Y Cwlwm Gwaed
* 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

## Sport

* BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – John Toshack
* 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
* 19 November – Mark Wallace, cricketer
* 16 December – Gareth Williams Scottish-Welsh footballer

## Deaths

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