1972 in Wales

← 1971 1970 1969 1972 in Wales → 1973 1974 1975
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1972 in The United Kingdom Ireland Scotland

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

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – The Prince Charles
• Princess of Wales – vacant
• 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).
• 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.^[1]
• 26 October - The passing of the Local Government Act 1972 will reorganise and simplify local government in Wales and Monmouthshire from 1974.
• 11 December - Rhoose Airport is opened by The Duke of Edinburgh.
• Sir Morien Morgan becomes Master of Downing College, Cambridge.
• The "Miners' Tramway" at Llechwedd Slate Caverns opens to the public.
• 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.^[2]
• 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
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Dafydd Rowlands
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Dafydd Rowlands
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal - Urien Wiliam

New books

• Alexander Cordell - The Fire People
• Pennar Davies - Y Tlws yn y Lotws
• A. H. Dodd - Life in Wales
• Marion Eames - Y Rhandir Mwyn
• Islwyn Ffowc Elis - Eira Mawr
• Emyr Humphreys - National Winner
• Bobi Jones - Allor Wydn
• Richard Jones - The Tower is Everywhere
• David Tecwyn Lloyd - Lady Gwladys a Phobl Eraill
• 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

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
• 19 March - Julien Macdonald, fashion designer
• 23 March - Joe Calzaghe, boxer
• 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 TV 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
• 7 March - Jack Morley, Wales and British Lions rugby player
• 10 March - Gwynfor Davies, cricketer, 63
• 10 April - Ormond Jones, footballer, 61
• 28 May - The Duke of Windsor (formerly Edward VIII and a former Prince of Wales)
• 14 June (at Goathurst) - Glyn Simon, Archbishop of Wales (1968–71), 69
• 9 July - Sir Henry Morris-Jones, doctor, soldier and politician, 87
• 12 August - Reg Anderson, cricketer, 58
• 28 September - Tom Roberts, Wales international rugby union player
• 19 October - David Hughes, opera singer
• November - Fred Keenor, footballer, 78
• 6 November - Hilary Marquand, economist and MP
• 30 November - Frank Evans, dual-code international rugby player, 75
• 4 December - Lynn Ungoed-Thomas, politician and judge, 68

References

1. "The Hypermarket — Gold mine or white elephant". International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management (MCB) 1 (6): 42–44. doi:10.1108/eb017761.
2. Fisk, Stephen (June 2009). "Abandoned Communities - Machynys". Retrieved 2009-08-05.