# 1975 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1975 to Wales and its people.

## Incumbents

* Secretary of State for Wales – John Morris
* Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor
* Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
** Brinli (outgoing)
** Bryn (incoming)

## Events

* 20 March - Opening of the Cleddau Bridge at Milford Haven.
* 14 April - Actor/singer Michael Flanders dies suddenly of an intracranial berry aneurysm while on holiday in Betws-y-Coed.
* May - A leak from the Esso Tenby tanker off the coast of Pembrokeshire kills an estimated 1,300 seabirds.
* 28 July - Eight people are injured when a train is derailed between Sarnau and St Clears.
* 19 November - The Wales national football team qualifies for the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 1976, beating Austria 1-0 in Wrexham.
* date unknown - The Glamorgan-Gwent Archaeological Trust is established.

## Arts and literature

* Ryan and Ronnie announce the end of their comedy partnership.

### Awards

* National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Criccieth)
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Gerallt Lloyd Owen
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Elwyn Roberts
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

### New books
#### English language

* Gwynfor Evans - National Future for Wales
* Jeremy Hooker - Soliloquies of a Chalk Giant
* Emyr Humphries - Flesh and Blood
* Joseph Jenkins - Diary of a Welsh Swagman (posthumous)
* Richard Llewellyn - Green, Green, My Valley Now
* Moelwyn Merchant - Breaking the Code
* Prys Morgan - Iolo Morganwg
* Bernice Rubens - I Sent a Letter to My Love
* Peter Tinniswood - Except You're a Bird
* Rhydwen Williams - The Angry Vineyard

#### Welsh language

* Aneirin Talfan Davies - Diannerch Erchwyn a Cherddi Eraill
* T. Glynne Davies - Marged
* Richard Cyril Hughes - Catrin o Ferain
* T. Llew Jones - Tân ar y Comin
* Alan Llwyd - Edrych Trwy Wydrau Lledrith
* Marged Pritchard - Gwylanod ar y Mynydd
* Gwyn Thomas - Y Pethau Diwethaf a Phethau Eraill

### New drama

* W. S. Jones - Y Toblarôn
* Saunders Lewis - Dwy Briodas Ann

### Music

* Max Boyce - We All Had Doctors' Papers
* Edward H. Dafis - Ffordd Newydd Eingl-Americanaidd Grêt o Fyw
* Dave Edmunds - Subtle As A Flying Mallet
* Andy Fairweather-Low - La Booga Rooga, album featuring the top ten hit single "Wide Eyed and Legless"

## Film

* Rachel Roberts appears in Picnic at Hanging Rock.
* Ken Loach's Days of Hope is partly set in Wales.

### Welsh-language films

* None

## Broadcasting
### Welsh-language television

* The Siberry Report recommends a new Welsh-language fourth channel broadcasting 25 hours a week of Welsh-language programmes, with BBC and HTV each responsible for 50% of the output.

### English-language television

* Grand Slam, starring Hugh Griffith and Windsor Davies
* How Green Was My Valley adapted for television by Elaine Morgan, starring Stanley Baker, Sian Phillips, Mike Gwilym, Nerys Hughes and Gareth Thomas.
* Angharad Rees stars in Poldark.

## Sport

* Boxing – Pat Thomas wins the British Welterweight title.
* Darts – Wales win the Home International Series.
* Football – The Wales national football team qualifies for the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 1976.
* Snooker – Ray Reardon wins his fourth World Championship title.
* Arfon Griffiths wins BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.

## Births

* 12 March - Richard Harrington, actor
* 21 March - Mark Williams, snooker player
* 5 April - John Hartson, footballer
* 22 May - Kelly Morgan, badminton player
* 18 June - Jem, singer
* 24 July - Dafydd James, rugby player
* 4 September - Kai Owen, actor
* 26 September - Dai Thomas, footballer
* 19 October - Jamie Donaldson, golfer
* 28 October - Adrian Durston, rugby player
* 5 November - Lisa Scott-Lee, singer
* 25 November - Paul Mealor, composer
* date unknown
** Euros Childs, songwriter
** Cynan Jones, novelist

## Deaths

* 14 February - Arthur Probert, politician, 67
* 23 February - Ossie Male, rugby player, 81
* 3 March - T. H. Parry-Williams, poet, 87
* 15 March - Edward James, cricketer, 78
* 6 April - Tom Morgan, cricketer, 81
* 23 April - Pete Ham, musician, leader of the group Badfinger (suicide), 27
* 24 April - Stephen Halden Beattie, recipient of the Victoria Cross, 67
* 21 May - A. H. Dodd, historian, 83
* 7 June - Jack Smith, footballer, 63
* 8 July - T. G. E. Powell, archaeologist, 59
* 7 August - Jim Griffiths, politician, 84
* 27 August - Noel Morgan, cricketer, 69
* 4 September - Walley Barnes, footballer and broadcaster, 55
* 5 October - Will Davies, rugby player, 69
* 6 November - Norman Riches, cricketer
* 10 November - Emrys Davies, cricketer, 71
* 18 December - R. Ifor Parry, minister, teacher and philanthropist, 67
* date unknown
** Robert Herring, poet and critic, 72
** Alun Jeremiah Jones (Alun Cilie), poet
** Huw Lloyd Edwards, dramatist