# 1972 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1972 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Secretary of State for Wales – Peter Thomas
* Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor
* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
** Tilsli (outgoing)
** Brinli (incoming)

## Events

* 1 January – Welsh rugby captain John Dawes is made an OBE in the New Year Honours List.
* 30 January – Opening to rail traffic of the new Britannia Bridge linking Anglesey with mainland Wales (following the destruction of the previous bridge by a fire).
* March/April – The "Miners' Tramway" underground at Llechwedd Slate Caverns, Blaenau Ffestiniog, opens to the public.
* 3 May – Leslie Harvey, guitarist of Stone the Crows, is fatally electrocuted while performing at Swansea's Top Rank Suite.
* 13 September – Hypermarkets make their debut in the United Kingdom some twenty years after debuting in France, when French retail giant Carrefour opens a hypermarket in Caerphilly.
* 26 October – Passage of the Local Government Act 1972, which will reorganise and simplify local government in Wales and Monmouthshire from 1974.
* 11 December – Rhoose Airport is opened by The Duke of Edinburgh.
* date unknown
** Sir Morien Morgan becomes Master of Downing College, Cambridge.
** The island of Flat Holm is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).
** The communities of Machynys and Bwlch y Gwynt cease to exist, following the closedown of local industry; the residents are moved into Llanelli.
** Llyn Brianne regulating reservoir on the River Towy is completed; its dam is the UK's tallest, standing at a height of 300 ft (91 m).

## Arts and literature

* Writer James Morris becomes Jan Morris.

### Awards

* National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Haverfordwest)
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Dafydd Owen, "Preselau"
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dafydd Rowlands, "Dadeni"
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Dafydd Rowlands, "Ysgrifau yr Hanner Bardd"
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal – Urien Wiliam

### New books
#### English language

* Alexander Cordell – The Fire People
* A. H. Dodd – Life in Wales
* Emyr Humphreys – National Winner
* Richard Jones The Tower is Everywhere
* Roland Mathias – Absalom in the Tree
* Edith Pargeter – A Bloody Field By Shrewsbury
* Will Paynter – My Generation (autobiography)
* Goronwy Rees – A Chapter of Accidents
* Ifor Williams – The beginnings of Welsh poetry

#### Welsh language

* Marion Eames – Y Rhandir Mwyn
* Islwyn Ffowc Elis – Eira Mawr
* Bobi Jones – Allor Wydn
* David Tecwyn Lloyd – Lady Gwladys a Phobl Eraill
* Gerallt Lloyd Owen – Cerddi'r Cywilydd
* Kate Roberts – Gobaith a Storïau Eraill

## Drama

* Gwyn Thomas – Amser Dyn sef Darnau o Einioes

### Music

* Badfinger – Straight Up (album)
* John Cale – The Academy in Peril (album)
* Dafydd Iwan – Yma Mae 'Nghân (album)
* Mary Hopkin – Live At The Royal Festival Hall (album)
* Tom Jones – Close Up (album)

## Film

* The film of Dylan Thomas's Under Milk Wood appears, with Richard Burton, Glynis Johns, Ryan Davies and many other Welsh stars.
* Hywel Bennett stars with Hayley Mills in Endless Night.

### Welsh-language films

* The Song We Sing Is About Freedom

## Broadcasting
### Welsh-language television

* Gwrando ar fy Nghan with singer Heather Jones
* Teliffant with Myfanwy Talog

### English-language television

* Kenneth Griffith's reputation is underlined with a four-part documentary series about the Boer War, Sons of the Blood.
* Anthony Hopkins wins acclaim for his first starring role on television in BBC2's adaptation of War and Peace.
* Glyn Houston appears as Bunter opposite Ian Carmichael as Lord Peter Wimsey, in the first of several TV serials based on the stories of Dorothy L. Sayers.

## Sport

* Chess – Wales competes in the World Chess Olympiad at Skopje, Yugoslavia.
* Cricket – Tony Lewis captains England on his Test debut in Delhi, India.
* Rugby union
** 25 March – Derek Quinnell makes his debut for Wales against France.
** 31 October – Llanelli RFC defeat the New Zealand All Blacks 9–3 at Stradey Park in front of 26,000 supporters.
* The Welsh Sports Association is established.
* BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Richard Meade

## Births

* 27 January
** Nathan Blake, footballer
** Wynne Evans, tenor
* March - Helen Raynor, dramatist and screenwriter
* 23 March – Joe Calzaghe, boxer
* 10 April – Chris Corcoran, comedian
* 7 June – Sian Lloyd, television news presenter
* 5 July – Nia Roberts, actress
* 20 August – Scott Quinnell, rugby player
* 24 August – Jason Bowen, footballer
* 4 September – Guto Pryce, musician
* 23 September – Julian Winn, cyclist
* 3 October – Josie d'Arby, actress and television presenter
* 4 November – Tim Vincent, television presenter
* 27 December – Colin Charvis, rugby player

## Deaths

* 17 January – Stan Davies, footballer, 73
* 4 February – Sir Charles Robert Harington, chemist, 74
* 25 February – S. O. Davies, politician, 85
* 27 February – Will James, dual-code rugby player, 69
* 7 March – Jack Morley, Wales and British Lions rugby player, 62
* 10 March – Gwynfor Davies, cricketer, 63
* 20 March – Dudley Lloyd-Evans, First World War flying ace, 76 or 77
* 28 March – James Edward Nichols, geneticist, 69
* 10 April – Ormond Jones, footballer, 61
* 28 May – The Duke of Windsor, Prince of Wales 1910–1936), 77
* 14 June (at Goathurst) – Glyn Simon, Archbishop of Wales (1968–71), 69
* 9 July – Sir Henry Morris-Jones, doctor, soldier and politician, 87
* 10 July – Emrys Jones, actor, 56 (heart attack)
* 12 August – Reg Anderson, cricketer, 58
* 28 September – Tom Roberts, Wales international rugby union player, 75?
* 19 October
** David Hughes, opera singer, 47 (heart failure)
** Fred Keenor, footballer, 78
* 6 November – Hilary Marquand, economist and MP, 70
* 13 November – Glyn Prosser, dual-code rugby player, 64
* 30 November – Frank Evans, dual-code international rugby player, 75
* 4 December – Lynn Ungoed-Thomas, politician and judge, 68
* unknown date
** Sam Davies, Wales international footballer, 77 or 78
** Lillian Griffith, sculptor, 94 or 95