2014 in Wales

← 2013 2012 2011 2014 in Wales → 2015 2016 2017
Centuries:	19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1990s 2000s 2010s
See also:	List of years in Wales 2014 in The United Kingdom England Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 2014 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – The Prince Charles
• Princess of Wales – The Duchess of Cornwall (does not use title)
• First Minister – Carwyn Jones
• Secretary of State for Wales – David Jones
• Archbishop of Wales – Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Christine James

Events

• 1 January
  • Flooding affects many parts of Wales after several days of heavy rainfall. The worst-affected areas include the Amman Valley and parts of Pembrokeshire.^[1]
  • The 30th annual New Year's Day swim at Saundersfoot attracts over a thousand participants.^[2]
• 31 January - Ann Clwyd announces that she is to stand down as a parliamentary MP at the 2015 UK General Election.^[3]
• February - Caerphilly County Borough Council launches the first dual Welsh/English language Heroes Welcome scheme.
• 2 February - It is announced that the wartime grave of Welsh artist Gwen John has been located in France.^[4]
• 18 February - Murder of April Jones: Appeal Court judges rule that the life sentence passed on Mark Bridger is legal and should be allowed to stand.^[5] Bridger had already abandoned his appeal against the sentence.
• 11 March
  • Week In, Week Out reveals that the developers of the proposed Circuit of Wales have asked the Welsh and UK governments to commit up to £50m towards the scheme.^[6]
  • Plaid Cymru's Sustainable Communities group publishes its own "Property and Planning Bill"^[7] enshrining the six main principles of its Property Act and establishing the Welsh language as a statutory material consideration in the planning system.
• 13 March - Dafydd Elis-Thomas loses his role as transport spokesperson and chair of the assembly's environment committee, as a result of criticisms of party leader Leanne Wood.^[8]
• 2 April - Welsh Health Minister Mark Drakeford announces that the Welsh Government is considering a ban on electronic cigarettes in public places.^[9]
• 29-30 April - Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom makes a 2-day visit to Wales.^[10]
• 19 May - Businesses close and hundreds line the streets of Cowbridge for the funeral of a local man killed in an army helicopter crash in Afghanistan.^[11]
• 24 May - The Queen's Baton arrives in Wales for a week-long journey, on its way to the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.^[12]
• 6 June - Welsh veterans of the D-Day landings return to Normandy to take part in the 70th anniversary commemoration.^[13]
• 7 June - The newly discovered archeological remains of a medieval convent, cemetery and Tudor mansion in Ceredigion are opened to view by the public.^[14]
• 24 June - Glyndŵr University loses the right to enrol overseas students as a result of an investigation into the fraudulent use of English language qualifications.^[15]
• 1 July - The Prince of Wales and Duchess of Cornwall visit Dyffryn Gardens.^[16]
• 14 July - David Jones loses his position as Secretary of State for Wales in a Cabinet reshuffle.^[17]
• 15 July - Stephen Crabb is appointed Secretary of State for Wales.^[18]
• 21 July - British prime minister David Cameron attends the Royal Welsh Show at Builth Wells.^[19]
• 2-9 August - National Eisteddfod of Wales held in Llanelli, Carmarthenshire.^[20]
• 1 September - Replacement Pont Briwet opens to rail traffic.
• 4-5 September - The 2014 NATO Summit was held at Newport. It was the first time a NATO summit has been held in Britain outside London.^[21]
• 22 September - Mark Drakeford announces that Wales is to be the only UK country to date where the cancer drug Abraxane will be available from the NHS.^[22]
• 28-29 December - Wales experiences the coldest night of the year, with temperatures down to -6.7 C in parts of Carmarthenshire, Ceredigion and Powys.^[23]
• 30 December - Welsh recipients of New Year Honours include Mary Quant (DBE),^[24] Paul Silk (KCB), Shân Legge-Bourke (DCVO) and Professor Teresa Rees (CBE).

Arts and literature

Welsh Awards

• Glyndŵr Award - Angharad Price^[25]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales:^[26] Chair – Ceri Wyn Jones
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Guto Dafydd
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Lleucu Roberts
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen: Lleucu Roberts
• Wales Book of the Year:
  • English language:
    • Fiction: Francesca Rhydderch The Rice Paper Diaries
    • Non-fiction: Meic Stephens Rhys Davies: A Writer's Life
    • Poetry - Owen Sheers - Pink Mist (English language Book of the Year)
  • Welsh language:
    • Fiction - Ioan Kidd Dewis (Welsh Language Book of the Year)
    • Non-fiction: Alan Llwyd Bob: Cofiant R. Williams Parry 1884 – 1956
    • Poetry: Christine James Rhwng y Llinellau

New books

English language

• Russell Deacon - The Welsh Liberals: the History of the Liberal and Liberal Democrat Parties in Wales
• Jonathan Edwards - My Family and Other Superheroes (winner of Poetry Award in 2014 Costa Book Awards)
• Griff Rhys Jones - Insufficiently Welsh^[27]
• Lonely Planet: Wales

Welsh language

• Euros Lewis - Agor y Llen ar y Ddrama Gymraeg

Music

Awards

• Cân i Gymru – Mirain Evans, Galw Amdanat Ti^[28]
• Welsh Music Prize – Joanna Gruesome, Weird Sister^[29]

Albums

• Euros Childs - Eilaaig
• Katherine Jenkins - Home Sweet Home
• Manic Street Preachers - Futurology
• Gruff Rhys - American Interior
• Rhydian Roberts - One Day like This

Opera

• John Metcalf - Under Milk Wood: An Opera

Film

• Andy Goddard - Set Fire to the Stars
• Lloyd Handley - Third Row Centre (winner of the Best Feature Film award^[30] at the 2014 Madrid International Film Festival.^[31]
• John Bryan Evans - Cysgod Rhyfel
• Pride

Sport

Awards

• BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year - Geraint Thomas^[32]

In sports

Commonwealth Games

• 25 July - Athlete Rhys Williams is suspended from competition after failing a drugs test.^[33]
• 3 August - Wales finish the 2014 Commonwealth Games with a record medal total of 36. This count included five gold medals, won by Francesca Jones (gymnastics), Geraint Thomas (cycling), Natalie Powell (judo), Jazz Carlin and Georgia Davies (swimming). During the closing ceremony Francesca Jones was awarded the David Dixon Award as the outstanding athlete of the Games.^[34]

Athletics

• 18 - 24 August, Swansea hosts the fourth IPC Athletics European Championships, held at Swansea University Stadium.

Cycling

• 28 February - At the 2014 UCI Track Cycling World Championships, Cardiff's Elinor Barker, along with team members Laura Trott, Katie Archibald and Joanna Rowsell, takes gold in the team pursuit in Cali Columbia.^[35]
• 29 June - The 2014 British National Road Race Championships held in Abergavenny, is won by Laura Trott (women) and Peter Kennaugh (men).^[36]

Football

• 2 January - Ole Gunnar Solskjær becomes manager of Cardiff City F.C..
• 4 January - Swansea City FC defeat Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time in their history.^[37]
• 16 April - Gareth Bale scores the winning goal for Real Madrid in the 2014 Copa del Rey Final.^[38]
• 22 April - Ryan Giggs is appointed temporary manager of Manchester United after the sacking of David Moyes.^[39]
• 3 May
  • Cardiff City are relegated from the Premier League after a single season.^[40]
  • The New Saints complete the Welsh double by beating Aberystwyth Town to win the 2013–14 Welsh Cup.^[41]
• 19 May - Ryan Giggs announces his retirement from playing professional football.^[42]

Golf

• 21 September - Joost Luiten of the Netherlands wins the 2014 Wales Open.^[43]

Horse racing

• 27 December - The Welsh Grand National at Chepstow Racecourse is won by Emperor's Choice, trained by Venetia Williams and ridden by Aidan Coleman.^[44]

Snooker

• 2 March - Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Ding Junhui to win the 2014 Welsh Open.^[45]

Broadcasting

English-language television

• Hinterland (English-language version of S4C's Y Gwyll)^[46]
• Coming Home (series 9)

Welsh-language television

• 35 Diwrnod
• Dim Byd^[47]
• Cysgod Rhyfel

Deaths

• 5 January - Ray Williams, Wales rugby union international, 86^[48]
• 28 January - Nigel Jenkins, poet, 64^[49]
• 4 February - Keith Bradshaw, Wales rugby union international, 74^[50]
• 8 February - Bernard Hedges, cricketer, 86^[51]
• 5 March - John Uzzell Edwards, painter, 79
• 24 March - Bryan Orritt, footballer, 77^[52]
• 30 March - Fred Stansfield, footballer and manager, 96^[53]
• 6 May - Leslie Thomas, novelist, 83^[54]
• 14 May - Anthony Christopher, politician, leader of Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council (since 2012), 67 (leukaemia)^[55]
• 20 June - Handel Greville, Wales rugby union international, 92^[56]
• 23 June - Euros Lewis, cricketer, 72^[57]
• 2 July - Errie Ball, Welsh-born American golfer, oldest PGA member, last living player from inaugural Masters Tournament, 103^[58]
• 11 July - Danny Canning, footballer, 88^[59]
• 15 July - Gerallt Lloyd Owen, poet, 70^[60]
• 1 August - Rod de'Ath, musician, 64^[61]
• 9 September - Howell Evans, actor, 86^[62]
• 28 September - Dannie Abse, poet, 91^[63]
• 18 December - Mandy Rice-Davies, model, 70^[64]
• 21 December - Alan Williams, MP for Swansea West (1964–2010), Father of the House (2005–2010), 84^[65]

References

1. "Fire service: 'significant' flooding in Amman Valley", ITV.com, 1 January 2014. Accessed 1 January 2014
2. "More than 1,000 swimmers take part in New Year's Day dip", Wales Online, 1 January 2014. Accessed 1 January 2014
3. "Cynon Valley MP Ann Clwyd to stand down at election". BBC Wales. 3 February 2014. Retrieved 21 June 2014.
4. "Artist Gwen John's wartime grave discovered in France". bbc.co.uk. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
5. "'Life will mean life' for the worst murderers Appeal Court judges rule", North Wales Daily Post, 18 February 2014. Accessed 18 February 2014
6. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-south-east-wales-26519177
7. Property and Planning Bill for the benefit of our communities (Wales) 2014
8. "Dafydd Elis-Thomas fired from Plaid Cymru roles", BBC Wales News, 13 March 2014. Accessed 14 March 2014
9. BBC News - "E-cigarettes face curb in public places in Wales", 2 April 2014. Accessed 7 April 2014
10. ITV Wales - "Greetings Ma'am! Queen visits Welsh card factory", 30 April 2014. Accessed 25 July 2014
11. "Hundreds line streets for Afghanistan crash pilot funeral", BBC South-East Wales, 19 May 2014 Accessed 20 May 2014
12. Team Wales - Queen's Baton Relay. Accessed 25 July 2014
13. "D-Day 70th anniversary marked by Welsh veterans". bbc.co.uk. 6 June 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
14. "'Incredibly important' medieval find at Llanllyr, Ceredigion". bbc.co.uk. 7 June 2014. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
15. Glyndwr University has right to sponsor foreign students suspended - ITV News, 24 June 2013
16. National Trust Press Office - "Dyffryn gardens receives Royal guests", 1 July 2014. Accessed 13 July 2014
17. "David Jones sacked as Secretary of State for Wales", Daily Post, 14 July 2014. Accessed 14 July 2014
18. "MP Stephen Crabb wins Wales Office promotion". BBC News. 5 September 2012.
19. BBC News - "David Cameron launches 'buy local' scheme at Royal Welsh", 21 July 2014. Accessed 21 July 2014
20. National Eisteddfod of Wales 2014: Key dates. Accessed 20 December 2013
21. "Nato summit to be held in September, PM Cameron tweets". bbc.co.uk. 1 March 2014. Retrieved 15 November 2013.
22. News Wales. Accessed 23 Sept 2014
23. BBC News, "Coldest night of the year in Wales", 29 Dec 2014. Accessed 30 Dec 2014
24. BBC News Wales - "New Year Honours: Designer Mary Quant among Welsh recipients", 30 December 2014
25. MOMA Wales website. Accessed 9 November 2014
26. Eisteddfod Genedlaethol Cymru: The Week's Results. Accessed 9 November 2014
27. Gwales - New books. Accessed 8 January 2014.
28. "The Winners". Cân i Gymru. S4C. 26 February 2014. Retrieved 26 May 2015. Barry and Mirain Evans – a father and daughter from Chwilog, near Pwllheli – are the winners of Cân i Gymru 2014.
29. Coper, Leonie (28 November 2014). "Joanna Gruesome win Welsh Music Prize with debut LP 'Weird Sister'". NME. Retrieved 26 May 2015.
30. "2014 Festival Winners". Madrid International Film Festival. Retrieved 2 August 2014.
31. "Adelaide girl produces a winner". South Australian Film Corporation. Retrieved 24 July 2014.
32. BBC Sport Wales. Accessed 26 December 2015
33. BBC Sport - "Glasgow 2014: Rhys Williams fails drugs test", 25 July 2014. Accessed 25 July 2014
34. "Glasgow 2014: Geraint Thomas gold 'perfect ending' - Davies". BBC Sport. 3 August 2014. Retrieved 3 August 2014.
35. "Track Cycling Worlds 2014: GB women win team pursuit gold". BBC Sport. 28 February 2014. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
36. "Laura Trott and Peter Kennaugh win British road race titles". BBC Sport. 29 June 2014. Retrieved 2 July 2014.
37. BBC Sport - "Man United win more 'special' for Swansea fans - Michael Laudrup", 5 Jan 2014. Accessed 8 January 2014
38. Jurejko, Jonathan (16 April 2014). "Gareth Bale helps Real Madrid beat Barcelona in Copa del Rey". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
39. "David Moyes: Manchester United manager sacked by club". BBC Sport. 22 April 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
40. Bevan, Chris (3 May 2014). "Newcastle 3 - 0 Cardiff". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
41. "Welsh Cup Final: Aberystwyth 2-3 The New Saints". BBC Sport. 3 May 2014. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
42. "Ryan Giggs: Manchester United winger ends glittering career", BBC Sport. Accessed 20 May 2014
43. "Wales Open: Joost Luiten wins ahead of Lowry and Fleetwood". BBC Sport. 21 September 2014. Retrieved 31 May 2015.
44. "Welsh National 2014: Emperor's Choice wins at Chepstow". BBC Sport. Retrieved 30 December 2014.
45. Hafez, Shamoon (2 March 2014). "Ronnie O'Sullivan beats Ding Junhui in Welsh Open final". BBC Sport. Retrieved 24 May 2014.
46. BBC News - "'Pioneering' Welsh drama Hinterland hits screens in English", 4 January 2014. Accessed 8 January 2014
47. S4C Entertainment - Dim Byd. Accessed 30 December 2013
48. "Llanelli's rugby fraternity's tribute to late great Ray Williams". Llanelli Star. 8 January 2014. Retrieved 15 February 2014.
49. "Swansea poet and author Nigel Jenkins dies aged 64". Bbc.co.uk. 1970-01-01. Retrieved 2014-01-29.
50. "Former Wales rugby international Keith Bradshaw dies, aged 74". bbc.co.uk. 2 February 2014. Retrieved 3 February 2014.
51. Bernard Hedges - A Tribute
52. "Boro Pay Tribute To Bryan". Middlesbrough F.C. 2014-03-25. Retrieved 2014-03-25.
53. Fred Standfield dies
54. "BBC News - Virgin Soldiers author Leslie Thomas dies aged 83". BBC News. 7 May 2014. Retrieved 7 May 2014.
55. RCT council leader Anthony Christopher dies after illness
56. "Scarlets pay tribute to former captain Handel Greville". scarlets.co.uk. 22 June 2014. Retrieved 22 June 2014.
57. "Glamorgan pay tribute to former all-rounder Euros Lewis". walesonline.co.uk. 24 June 2014. Retrieved 3 July 2014.
58. Denney, Bob (3 July 2014). "Errie Ball, who played in first Masters, dies at 103". Retrieved 3 July 2014.
59. Former Swansea City goalkeeper dies
61. Rod de'Ath dies
62. Tributes paid to actor Howell Evans who played Daddy in Ruth Jones' Sky 1 show Stella
63. Dannie Abse - obituary
64. Profumo affair's Mandy Rice-Davies dies aged 70
65. Ex-Swansea MP Alan Williams dies