# 1969 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1969 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Secretary of State for Wales – George Thomas
* Archbishop of Wales – Glyn Simon, Bishop of Llandaff
* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
** E. Gwyndaf Evans (outgoing)
** Tilsli (incoming)

## Events

* 1 April – Registration of births and deaths in the Welsh language is allowed for the first time.
* May – Deep mining of slate at Oakeley Quarry, Blaenau Ffestiniog, ceases.
* 22 May – Engineer Morien Morgan becomes Director of the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough, Hampshire, having been knighted in the New Year Honours.
* 1 June – The South Wales Constabulary is created by merging the police forces of Glamorgan, Cardiff, Swansea and Merthyr Tydfil.
* 11 June – The Prince of Wales' (now Charles III) new standard is flown for the first time.
* 20 June – Llandudno Cable Car opened, the longest gondola lift system in the UK.
* 30 June – Two members of the Mudiad Amddiffyn Cymru (Movement for the Defence of Wales) are killed whilst placing a bomb outside government offices in Abergele in an attempt to disrupt the following day's events.
* 1 July
** The Prince of Wales (now Charles III) is invested with his title at Caernarfon Castle.
** Six members of the Free Wales Army are convicted in Swansea of public order and firearms offences; three are imprisoned.
* 3 July – Swansea is granted city status.
* 25 July – The Development of Tourism Act 1969 paves the way for creation of the Wales Tourist Board.
* 22 August – Closure of Dinorwic slate quarry.
* November – Clashes between police and anti-apartheid protesters occur when the touring South African rugby team play Swansea. A silent protest takes place at an Ebbw Vale match.
* December – Serious damage at Lluest-wen Reservoir requires emergency evacuation and repairs.

## Arts and literature

* Dafydd Iwan co-founds Sain Recordiau Cyf, which would become the major Welsh-language record label.

### Awards

* National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Flint)
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – James Nicholas
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dafydd Rowlands
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Emyr Jones

### New books

* Glyn Mills Ashton – Angau yn y Crochan
* Pennar Davies – Meibion Darogan
* Rhys Davies – Print of a Hare's Foot
* T. Glynne Davies – Hedydd yn yr Haul
* R. F. Delderfield – Come Home, Charlie, and Face Them
* Raymond Garlick – A Sense of Europe
* Glyn Jones – The Dragon Has Two Tongues
* T. J. Morgan – Dydd y Farn Ac Ysgrifau Eraill
* Dennis Selby – Sanctity: or There's No Such Thing as a Naked Sailor
* John Griffith Williams – Pigau'r Sêr

## Drama

* Urien Wiliam – Cawl Cennin

## Poetry

* John Fitzgerald – Cadwyn Cenedl
* D. Gwenallt Jones – Y Coed
* Gwilym R. Jones – Cerddi
* John Ormond – Requiem and Celebration
* Penguin Book of Welsh Verse

### Music
#### Albums

* Amen Corner – Explosive Company (album)
* Blonde on Blonde – Contrasts (album)
* Man – 2 Ozs of Plastic with a Hole in the Middle

#### Singles

* Huw Jones – Dŵr ("Water") (protest song)

#### Classical music

* Jeffrey Lewis – Mutations I
* Mansel Thomas – Mini-Variations on a Welsh Theme
* David Wynne – Cymric Rhapsody no. 2

## Film
### English-language films

* Richard Burton stars in Anne of the Thousand Days.
* Hywel Bennett stars in The Virgin Soldiers.

## Broadcasting

* Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg (the Welsh Language Society) publishes a pamphlet entitled Broadcasting in Wales: To Enrich or Destroy Our National Life?

### English-language television

* Philip Madoc has roles in Manhunt!, The Avengers, Randall and Hopkirk (Deceased), The Champions and The Detective, among others.

### Welsh-language television

* Miri Mawr (children's)

## Sport

* BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Tony Lewis
* Cricket – Glamorgan win the County Championship.
* Rugby union – Wales win the Five Nations Championship and take the Triple Crown.
* football – Cardiff City win the Welsh Cup.

## Births

* 6 January – Nicholas A'Hern, race walker
* 20 January – Nicky Wire, musician
* 5 February – Michael Sheen, actor
* 10 February – Francesca Rhydderch, novelist and academic
* 13 February – Gareth Abraham, footballer
* 21 February – James Dean Bradfield, musician
* 24 February – Gareth Llewellyn, rugby player
* 1 March – Dafydd Ieuan, musician
* 11 April – Cerys Matthews, singer
* 4 June – Julie Gardner, television producer
* 26 July – Tanni Grey-Thompson, born Carys Grey, wheelchair athlete
* 4 August – Tony Roberts, footballer
* 4 September – Sasha, DJ and record producer
* 8 September – Gary Speed, footballer and national manager (died 2011)
* 25 September – Catherine Zeta-Jones, actress
* 8 October – David Abruzzese, footballer
* 23 October – Chris Fry, footballer
* 6 December – Anthony Davies, snooker player
* date unknown – Dyfed Wyn-Evans, operatic baritone

## Deaths

* 20 January – Roy Evans, footballer, 25 (car crash)
* 3 February – Trevor Thomas, dual-code rugby player, 61
* 14 February – Ernest Roberts, judge, 78
* 10 March – Jimmy Wilde, boxer, 76
* 18 March – Llewellyn Alston, Royal Welch Fusiliers, 78
* 20 March – Arthur E. Powell, Theosophist writer, 86
* 26 March (in Australia) – Elizabeth Williams Berry, jockey of Welsh parentage, 114
* 27 March – David Lloyd, tenor, 56
* 31 March – Percy Jones, Wales international rugby player, 82
* 5 April – Mal Griffiths, footballer, 50
* 15 April
** John Davies, dual code rugby player, 28 (heart attack)
** Cowboy Morgan Evans, Texan rodeo rider of Welsh descent, 66
* 20 April – Watkin Roberts, missionary, 82
* 4 May – Albert Stock, Wales international rugby player, 72
* 7 May – Stan Awbery, trade unionist and politician, 80
* 21 May – Ben Beynon, Welsh rugby union international and Swansea Town player, 75
* 23 May – Sir Evan Owen Williams, English-born Welsh engineer, 79
* 28 May – Rhys Williams, actor, 71
* 7 July – William David Davies, theologian, 72
* 26 July – Noel Hopkins, clergyman and organist, 77
* 12 August – Air Commodore James Bevan Bowen, RAF officer, 86
* 19 August – Percy Thomas, architect, 85
* 1 October – Dai Richards, footballer, 62
* 5 October – Sir Edward John Davies, judge in colonial service, 71
* 15 October – Charlie Phillips, footballer, 59
* 18 October – Emrys Hughes, politician, 75
* 11 November – Robert Thomas Jenkins, historian, 88
* 21 November – D. B. Wyndham-Lewis, author, 78
* 7 December
** Bill Roberts, Wales international rugby union player, 60
** (in London) Hugh Williams, dramatist, 65
* 20 December – Eleanor Evans, actress, singer and director, 76