1999 in Wales

← 1998 1997 1996 1999 in Wales → 2000 2001 2002
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1999 in The United Kingdom England Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1999 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – The Prince Charles
• Princess of Wales – vacant
• First Secretary - Alun Michael (from 12 May)
• Secretary of State for Wales
  • Alun Michael (until 28 July)
  • Paul Murphy
• Archbishop of Wales
  • Alwyn Rice Jones, Bishop of St Asaph (retired)
  • Rowan Williams, Bishop of Monmouth (elected)
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • Dafydd Rowlands (outgoing)
  • Meirion Evans (incoming)

Events

• January
  • Protesting farmers blockade the north Wales headquarters of supermarket chain Iceland.
  • Opening of the St David's Hotel in Cardiff Bay, Wales's first 5-star hotel.
• February - Outbreak of meningitis in the Pontypridd area.
• March - West Wales and the Valleys is designated an Objective 1 region within the European Community.
• 6 May - First elections to the National Assembly for Wales.
• 10 May - The Queen attends a gala concert in Cardiff Bay to celebrate the opening of the Welsh Assembly.
• 25 May - Last pit pony works in the South Wales coalfield, 'Robbie' at Pant y Gasseg, Pontypool.
• June
  • The Clydach murders: four members of the same family are found bludgeoned to death.
  • Eight children in north Wales are taken ill with E. coli poisoning.
• July - Bryncelyn Brewery begins brewing.
• December - Hyder cuts 1000 jobs after being forced to make cuts in their charges for electricity and water.
• 19 December - Charlotte Church makes her debut as a television actress in Heartbeat.
• Main construction work on Cardiff Bay Barrage completed.

Arts and literature

• Cysgod y Cryman by Islwyn Ffowc Elis is voted the most significant Welsh language book of the 20th century.
• Sir Harry Secombe suffers a second stroke, which forces him to give up his television career.
• Mary Hopkin joins The Chieftains on their UK tour.
• Dick Francis: A Racing Life, an unauthorised biography, suggests that his books were written by his wife Mary.
• Kyffin Williams is knighted for his services to the arts.
• Swansea Grand Theatre becomes the base for the Ballet Russe company.

Awards

• Cardiff Singer of the World - Anja Harteros
• Glyndŵr Award - Gillian Clarke
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Gwenallt Lloyd Ifan
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Ifor ap Glyn
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Sonia Edwards
• Wales Book of the Year:
  • English language: Emyr Humphreys - The Gift of a Daughter
  • Welsh language: R. M. Jones - Ysbryd y Cwlwm: Delwedd y Genedl yn ein Llenyddiaeth
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Ann Pierce Jones: Fflamio

New books

• Richard Booth - My Kingdom of Books
• Greg Cullen - Paul Robeson Knew My Father (play)
• Grahame Davies - Sefyll yn y Bwlch
• Paul Ferris - Infidelity
• Patrick Hannan - The Welsh Illusion
• Craig Thomas - Slipping into Shadow

Music

• Gillian Elisa - Haul ar Nos Hir (album)
• Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Spanish Dance Troupe (album)
• Karl Jenkins - The Armed Man: a Mass for Peace

Film

• Catherine Zeta-Jones co-stars in Entrapment.

Welsh-language films

• Cymer Dy Siâr
• Porc Pei (Pork Pie)
• Solomon a Gaenor, starring Ioan Gruffudd

Broadcasting

• May - Huw Edwards begins presenting the BBC Six O'Clock News.

Welsh-language television

• Y Palmant Aur (drama)
• Yno o hyd (documentary)
• Tri Tenor - Gala concert with performances by Welsh tenors Gwyn Hughes Jones, Rhys Meirion and Timothy Richards
• Catrin Finch (documentary)
• Ponteifi (sitcom)

English-language television

• Sea of Troubles (documentary)
• House of the Future (documentary by Malcolm Parry)
• Barry Welsh is Coming (winner of the BAFTA Wales Award for Light Entertainment)
• Belonging (BBC Wales)
• The Big Picture (presented by Peter Lord)

Sport

• The Rugby Union World Cup is hosted by Wales, with the final being held at the Millennium Stadium, Cardiff, on 6 November. Australia are the winning team.
• UWIC Inter Cardiff are Welsh Cup winners after beating Carmarthen Town on penalties.
• Barry Town win their fourth successive League of Wales title.
• Winners of the three divisions in the Welsh Football League are: Ton Pentre (Division 1), Penrhiwceiber Rangers (Division 2) & Caerleon (Division 3).
• Flexsys Cefn Druids are champions of the Cymru Alliance.
• AFC Llwydcoed and Garden Village are promoted to the Welsh Football League.

Births

Deaths

• 3 February (in London) - Alfred Janes, artist, 87
• 8 February - Meredith Edwards, actor, 81
• 16 February - Don Hayward, Wales and British Lions international rugby player, 73
• 17 February – John Lansdown, computer graphics pioneer, 70
• 11 April - Alan Evans, darts player, 49
• 6 May - Johnny Morris, television presenter, 82
• 11 May - Robert Thomas, sculptor, 72
• 5 September - Ivor Roberts, former TWW presenter, 74
• 22 September - Clive Jenkins, trade union leader, 73
• 24 October - Howard Griffiths, screenwriter, 64
• 15 November - Sir Harry Llewellyn, equestrian champion, 88
• 27 November - Ernest Zobole, artist, 72
• 6 December - Gwyn Jones, writer, 92
• 19 December - Desmond Llewelyn, actor, 85 (car accident)
• 23 December - Eirene White, politician, 90