1970 in Wales

← 1969 1968 1967 1970 in Wales → 1971 1972 1973
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1970 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1970 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – The Prince Charles
• Princess of Wales – vacant
• Secretary of State for Wales – George Thomas (until 20 June); Peter Thomas
• Archbishop of Wales – Glyn Simon, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Tilsli

Events

• 11 January - The last trolleybuses run on the Cardiff trolleybus system, the last such system in Wales.
• 23 May - The 120-year-old Britannia Bridge built by Robert Stephenson across the Menai Strait is destroyed by fire.
• 2 June - During the construction of the Cleddau Bridge, a cantilever collapses, resulting in the deaths of four workers. It is the last major bridge disaster in the UK.
• 18 June - In the UK General Election:
  • S. O. Davies, having resigned from the Labour Party, retains his Parliamentary seat of Merthyr Tydfil, standing as an Independent Labour candidate.
  • Gwynfor Evans loses his seat at Carmarthen.
  • Jim Griffiths retires as MP for Llanelli, to be replaced by Denzil Davies.
  • Nigel Birch retires from the House of Commons, to be created Baron Rhyl.
• 25 October - Pope Paul VI canonizes the Forty Martyrs of England and Wales, who include the priests Philip Evans and John Lloyd, John Jones, David Lewis, John Roberts, and the teacher Richard Gwyn.^[1]
• Dr Phil Williams becomes the first Chairman of Plaid Cymru.

Arts and literature

• Richard Burton appears in the stage version of Equus.
• Robert Plant and Jimmy Page retreat to Bron-Yr-Aur to write songs for Led Zeppelin III.

Awards

• Bernice Rubens wins the Booker Prize for The Elected Member.
• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Ammanford)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Tomi Evans
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Bryan Martin Davies
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

New books

English language

• Ron Berry - So Long, Hector Bebb
• Tom Earley - The Sad Mountain
• Menna Gallie - You're Welcome to Ulster!
• Sally Roberts Jones - Turning Away
• John Ormond - Requiem and Celebration
• Harri Webb - The Green Desert

Welsh language

• Marion Eames - Y Stafell Ddirgel
• J. Gwyn Griffiths - Cerddi Cairo
• John Robert Jones - Ac Onide
• R. Williams Parry - Yr Haf a Cherddi Eraill
• Gwynne Williams - Rhwng Gewyn ac Asgwrn
• T. Wilson Evans - Iwan Tudur

Music

• Badfinger - No Dice (featuring the original recording of "Without You")
• John Cale - Vintage Violence
• Meic Stevens - Outlander
• Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets - A Legend

Film

• Stanley Baker stars in The Games.
• Hugh Griffith appears in Start the Revolution Without Me.

Welsh-language films

• None

Broadcasting

• Coverage of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod is the first colour programme to be made by BBC Wales.

Welsh-language television

• Fo a Fe makes a star of Ryan Davies.

English-language television

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - David Broome
• Boxing - Eddie Avoth wins the Commonwealth lightweight title.
• Snooker - Ray Reardon wins the World Professional Championship for the first time.
• Show Jumping - David Broome wins the individual Show Jumping World Championship.

Births

• 1 January - Brian Law, footballer
• 7 March - Cameron Toshack, footballer
• 19 March - Tracey Hinton, Welsh athlete
• 2 April - Jason Perry, footballer
• 15 April - Rebecca John, TV presenter
• 19 May - Stuart Cable, rock musician and television presenter (died 2010)
• 25 May - Robert Croft, cricketer
• 22 June - Paul Davies, snooker player
• 18 July - Gruff Rhys, musician
• 27 July - David Davies, politician
• 30 July - Alun Cairns, politician
• 9 August - Lee Jones, football goalkeeper
• 26 September - Kevin Lloyd, footballer
• 14 November - Derwyn Jones, rugby union player
• 27 November - Stephen Evans, actor and comedy writer
• 29 December - Aled Jones, singer and radio presenter
• date unknown
  • Lucy Owen, TV presenter
  • Gary Pritchard, sports reporter

Deaths

• 3 January - Trefor Morgan, financier, 55
• 4 January - David John Williams (D. J. Williams), author and Plaid Cymru politician, 84
• 23 January - Ifan ab Owen Edwards, founder of the Urdd, 74
• 26 January - Albert Evans-Jones (Cynan), poet, 74
• 2 February - Bertrand Russell, philosopher, 97
• 16 February - Bil Perry, Wales international rugby player, 83
• 20 April - Thomas Iorwerth Ellis, academic, 70
• 29 April - Bryn Evans, Welsh rugby international, 68
• 7 May - Jack Jones, novelist, 75
• 30 May - John Edward Jones, Plaid Cymru leader, 64
• 3 June - John Robert Jones, philosophy professor, 58
• 9 June - Billy Spiller, cricketer and rugby player, 83
• 10 July - Isaac Griffiths, politician in Canada, 78
• 7 November - Naunton Wayne, actor, 69
• 9 November - Huw T. Edwards, trade union leader and politician, 77

References

1. National Calendar for Wales, Liturgy Office for England and Wales, accessed 31 July 2011