# 1973 in Wales

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1973 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 – Brinli

## Events

* 10 February - A special conference of the Trades Union Congress is held at Llandrindod Wells as part of the campaign to establish a Wales TUC.
* April - Elections take place to the new county councils of Wales
* April – The first Welsh-language papur bro community newspaper, Y Dinesydd, is founded.
* 10 May – Elections take place to the new Wales district councils, with big gains for the Labour Party in South Wales.
* May – Sony opens its factory in Bridgend, the first major Japanese investment in Wales.
* 15 May – The Llyn Brianne dam is officially opened by Princess Alexandra.
* 17 July – Sixteen-year-old Sandra Newton is found murdered at Tonmawr.
* 16 September – Sixteen-year-olds Geraldine Hughes and Pauline Floyd are found murdered at Llandarcy. Their murders, along with that of Sandra Newton in July, will remain unsolved for 29 years.
* 23 October – Professor Brian Josephson wins the Nobel Prize for Physics.
* During the year, there are 424 road deaths in Wales – an all-time record.
* Drilling for oil and gas begins off the coast of Wales. A fourth oil refinery opens at Milford Haven.

## Arts and literature

* The Welsh Philharmonia Orchestra is founded.
* Theatr Ardudwy at Coleg Harlech, designed by Colwyn Foulkes & Partners, opens.
* Sir Richard Armstrong becomes conductor of Welsh National Opera.
* Joe Strummer begins his studies at Newport College of Art.
* Welsh actress Angharad Rees marries Christopher Cazenove.

### Awards

* National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Ruthin)
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Alan Llwyd
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Alan Llwyd
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Emyr Roberts
* National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal – Urien Wiliam

### New books
#### English language

* Leo Abse – Private Member
* Gwynfor Evans – Wales Can Win
* Richard Hughes – The Wooden Shepherdess
* Emlyn Williams – Emlyn

#### Welsh language

* Huw Lloyd Edwards – Y Llyffantod
* Jane Edwards – Tyfu
* W. J. Gruffydd (Elerydd) – Cerddi'r Llygad
* Moses Glyn Jones – Y Ffynnon Fyw
* T. Llew Jones - Barti Ddu
* Judith Maro - Atgofion Haganah
* Caradog Prichard - Afal Drwg Adda
* Gomer M. Roberts - Cloc y Capel

### New drama

* Islwyn Ffowc Elis - Harris

### Music

* 23 November - Max Boyce records his legendary Live at Treorchy show at Treorchy Rugby Club.
* Karl Jenkins' first album with Soft Machine, Six, wins the Melody Maker British Jazz Album of the Year award. Jenkins also wins the miscellaneous musical instrument award.
* Grace Williams – Ave Maris Stella and Fairest of Stars

### Visual arts

* Ivor Roberts-Jones – Statue of Winston Churchill, Parliament Square, unveiled on 1 November by Lady Churchill.

## Film
### Welsh-language films

* None

### English-language films

* Holiday on the Buses filmed on location at Pontins holiday camp, Prestatyn

## Broadcasting

* The Labour Party publishes a study arguing that independent television arrangements in the UK are causing non Welsh-speaking residents to lose their Welsh identity.

### Welsh-language television

* Youth music programme Disc a Dawn ends its six-year run, to be replaced the following year by Gwerin 74, a folk music show.

### English-language television

* Fish (with John Ogwen)
* Hang out your Brightest Colours, controversial documentary by Kenneth Griffith
* Philip Madoc makes a memorable appearance as a U-boat captain in Dad's Army.

## Sport

* Athletics – Cardiff Amateur Athletic Club wins the British Athletics League Championship for the second time.
* Cycling – The Welsh Cycling Union is formed.
* Horse racing – Geoff Lewis wins both the Epsom Oaks and the 1,000 Guineas on "Mysterious".
* Rugby union – Japan plays its first rugby match in Europe at Penygraig in the Rhondda Valley.
* Snooker – Ray Reardon wins his second World Championship title.
* Berwyn Price wins BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year.

## Births

* 20 January – Stephen Crabb, politician (born in Scotland)
* 15 February - Adrian Lewis Morgan, actor
* 27 February - Mark Taylor, rugby union player and manager
* 24 April - Gabby Logan, television presenter
* 3 May - Jamie Baulch, athlete (born in Nottingham)
* 10 May – Ryan Nicholls, footballer
* 29 May – Lee Jones, footballer
* 4 July – Bradley Dredge, golfer
* 6 August – Donna Lewis, singer
* 22 August – Lee Dainton, skateboarder
* 17 September – Jason Mohammad, radio and television sports presenter
* 6 October – Ioan Gruffudd, actor
* 9 October – Sian Evans, singer
* 3 November – Mark Evans, comedy scriptwriter
* 29 November – Ryan Giggs, footballer
* 25 December – Ewen MacIntosh, comic actor (died 2024)

## Deaths

* 8 January – Sir David Hughes Parry, professor of law and university administrator, 80
* 11 January – Vernon Morris, cricketer, 78
* 30 January – Trystan Edwards, architectural critic, town planner and amateur cartographer, 88
* 12 March – Willie Llewellyn, Wales international rugby player, 94
* 19 March – Sir Clement Price Thomas, surgeon, 79
* 23 May – Kenneth Allott, poet and critic
* 29 July – Guy Morgan, rugby player, 65
* 9 August – Donald Peers, singer, 66
* 11 August
** Johnnie Clay, Test cricketer, 75
** Gil Morgan, rugby league player, 65
* 17 August – Elena Puw Morgan, novelist, 73
* 21 September – C. H. Dodd, theologian, 89
* 8 October – Evan Tom Davies, mathematician, 69
* 3 November – Melville Richards, academic, 63
* 4 November – Billy Williams, dual-code international rugby player, 67
* 16 November – Dai Hiddlestone, Wales international rugby player, 83
* 24 November – Brigadier Hugh Llewellyn Glyn Hughes, soldier and medical administrator, 81
* 28 November – Anne Griffith-Jones, educationist, 83 (in Malaysia)
* date unknown - Morris Meredith Williams, painter and illustrator