1953 in Wales

← 1952 1951 1950 1953 in Wales → 1954 1955 1956
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1953 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

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

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – vacant (The Duke of Cornwall (Prince Charles) was not created Prince of Wales until 1958)
• Princess of Wales – vacant
• Archbishop of Wales – John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • Cynan (outgoing)
  • Dyfnallt (incoming)

Events

The Royal Badge of Wales with its 1953 augmentation of honour

• 7 March - A "Saint David's Day" pageant is held 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]
• 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]
• 2 December - Llandudno experiences unusually warm weather as a result of the "foehn effect".
• 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

• Dorothy Squires marries Roger Moore.
• 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
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Dilys Cadwaladr
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

New books

• Islwyn Ffowc Elis - Cysgod y Cryman
• Jack Jones - Time and the Business
• Bertrand Russell - Satan in the Suburbs and Other Stories
• 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.

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

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
• 11 April - Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, politician
• 12 April - Huw Edwards, Labour politician, MP for Monmouth 1991-1992 and 1997–2005
• 8 June - Bonnie Tyler, singer
• 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

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 and Queen 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
• 23 May - Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway, industrialist, horticulturalist and politician, 74
• 5 June - Elizabeth Mary Jones ("Moelona"), 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

References

1. Carr, H. Gresham (1961). Flags of the World. London: Warne. p. 66.
2. "The Queen At Eisteddfod: Visit To Wales Concluded, Caernarvon Castle Ceremony". The Times (52671) (London). 1953-07-11. p. 6.