# 1953 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1953 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Archbishop of Wales – John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
** Cynan (outgoing)
** Dyfnallt (incoming)

## Events

* 7 March – A "Saint David's Day" pageant is held by the London Welsh Association in the streets of London.
* 11 March – The Royal Badge of Wales is granted an augmentation of honour including the motto Y Ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn ("The red dragon inspires action").
* 1 June – In the Queen's Coronation Honours List, Victoria Cross recipient Ted Chapman is awarded the British Empire Medal.
* 9 July – Elizabeth II makes her first visit to Wales since her 2 June Coronation.
* 10 July – The royal tour of Wales concludes with a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle and visits to the National Eisteddfod site at Rhyl, Wrexham and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
* 2 December – Llandudno experiences unusually warm weather as a result of the "foehn effect".
* date unknown
** The Royal College of General Practitioners is established in Wales.
** Goronwy Rees becomes Principal of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
** Grismond Picton Philipps is knighted.

## Arts and literature

* July 6 – Dorothy Squires marries Roger Moore in the United States.
* date unknown
** Thomas Parry (later Sir Thomas) becomes head of the National Library of Wales.
** Waldo Williams leaves the Baptist denomination and becomes a Quaker.
** Robert Frank photographs a Glamorgan mining village for U.S.Camera.
** Susan Williams-Ellis joins her father, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, in his work on the village of Portmeirion.

### Awards

* Emyr Humphreys wins the Somerset Maugham Prize for Hear and Forgive.
* National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Rhyl)
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – E. Llwyd Williams, "Y Ffordd"
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dilys Cadwaladr, "Y Llen"
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – withheld

### New books
#### English language

* Jack Jones – Time and the Business
* Bertrand Russell – Satan in the Suburbs and Other Stories

#### Welsh language

* Islwyn Ffowc Elis
** Cysgod y Cryman
** Ffenestri Tua'r Gwyll
* David John Williams – Hen dŷ ffarm

### Music

* 8 June – Geraint Evans appears in the première of Benjamin Britten's Gloriana.

## Film

* Rachel Thomas and Clifford Evans co-star in Valley of Song.
* Richard Burton stars in The Robe.
* Rachel Roberts stars in The Limping Man.

## Broadcasting

* 6 January – The Broadcasting Council for Wales meets for the first time.
* January – Edward Williamson, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, broadcasts a lecture on Henry Vaughan on BBC radio.
* 9 December – In the UK Parliament, the Postmaster General, Earl De La Warr, confirms that none of the first independent television stations will be located in Wales.

### Welsh-language television

* 1 March – First broadcast of a television programme entirely in Welsh: a religious service from the Tabernacle Baptist Chapel, Cardiff.

### English-language television

* The National Eisteddfod of Wales is broadcast on BBC television, with English commentary by Hywel Davies.

## Sport

* Archery – The North Wales Archery Society is founded.
* Rugby – In December, Wales defeat New Zealand 13-8 at Cardiff Arms Park.

## Births

* 10 February – Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans
* 15 March - Alan Couch, footballer
* 11 April – Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, politician
* 12 April – Huw Edwards, Labour politician, MP for Monmouth 1991–1992 and 1997–2005
* 26 April – Andy Secombe, voice actor and fantasy novelist
* 8 June – Bonnie Tyler, singer
* 7 July – Eleri Rees, judge
* 11 July – Nigel Rees, footballer
* 20 July – Dave Evans, singer
* 10 August – Gillian Elisa, actress, singer and comedian
* 2 September – Keith Allen, comedian and actor
* 28 October – Phil Dwyer, footballer
* 16 November – Griff Rhys Jones, actor, comedian and television presenter
* Shani Rhys James, Australian-born painter
* Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru politician, MP for Caernarfon, later Arfon 2001–

## Deaths

* 10 January – Howell Elvet Lewis ("Elved"), poet and Archdruid, 92
* 7 March – Jack Williams, Victoria Cross recipient, 66
* 20 March – Fred Parfitt, Wales international rugby player, 83
* 24 March – Mary of Teck, Princess of Wales 1910–1936, queen consort of the United Kingdom 1936–1952, 85
* 6 April – Idris Davies, poet, 48
* 30 April – Sir David Rocyn-Jones, medical practitioner and President of the WRU, 90
* 2 May – Thomas Mardy Rees, author, 81/82
* 23 May – Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway, industrialist, horticulturalist and politician, 74
* 5 June – Elizabeth Mary Jones ("Moelona"), novelist, 75
* 18 June – Reg Plummer, Wales and British Lion rugby union player, 64
* 26 August – Rachel Barrett, Welsh editor and suffragette, 77
* 9 November – Dylan Thomas, poet, 39
* 11 November – John Glyn Davies, poet and children's writer, 83
* 26 November – Sir Ivor Atkins, organist and choirmaster, 83
* 27 November – T. F. Powys, Anglo-Welsh writer, 77
* 17 December – David Rees Griffiths, poet, 71