1976 in Wales

File:White Castle, 1976 - geograph.org.uk - 1494267.jpg

White Castle in 1976

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1976 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Secretary of State for Wales – John Morris
• Archbishop of Wales – Gwilym Williams, Bishop of Bangor
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Bryn

Events

• 9 February - The Prince of Wales (now Charles III) becomes commander of .
• 17 February - Operation Julie is launched; it eventually results in the break-up of one of the largest LSD manufacturing operations in the world.
• March - The Welsh Regional Office of the European Community opens in Cardiff.
• June–September - 1976 United Kingdom heat wave: A very hot summer brings a major drought with water shortages.
• July - Miners’ leader Dai Francis challenges the Prince of Wales (now Charles III), in the election for Chancellor of the University of Wales.
• 25 July - Former Submarine Commander Neil Rutherford, DSC & Bar, murders four people at the Red Gables Hotel in Penmaenmawr.
• 4 October - The InterCity 125 high speed train runs for the first time between Swansea railway station and London Paddington.
• 7 December - Swansea-born former fashion model Lilian Davies marries Prince Bertil of Sweden at Drottningholm Palace after a 30-year relationship.
• date unknown - David Emanuel marries Elizabeth Weiner.

Arts and literature

• May 27 - Actor Stanley Baker is given a knighthood in the Prime Minister's Resignation Honours, a few months before his death.
• August - Dic Jones loses the National Eisteddfod chair on a technicality.
• October - Mistar Urdd is created by Wynne Melville Jones.
• unknown date - Griff Rhys Jones becomes Vice-President of the Cambridge University Footlights Dramatic Club.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Cardigan)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Alan Llwyd
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Alan Llwyd
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Marged Prichard

New books

English language

• Ruth Bidgood - Not Without Homage
• Glyn Davies - Overseas Investment In Wales
• Kenneth O. Morgan - Keir Hardie
• Bernice Rubens - I Sent a Letter to My Love

Welsh language

• John Emyr - Enaid Clwyfus
• Alun Llywelyn-Williams - Gwanwyn yn y Ddinas
• Owain Owain - Y Dydd Olaf

Poetry

• J. M. Edwards - Cerddi Ddoe a Heddiw - Egin
• Donald Evans
• Geraint Jarman - Cerddi Alfred Street
• Gwilym R. Jones - Y Syrcas a Cherddi Eraill

New drama

• John Gwilym Jones - Gobaith Mawr y Ganrif

Music

• Edward H. Dafis - 'Sneb yn Becso Dam
• Alun Hoddinott - Murder the Magician (opera)
• Dafydd Iwan - Mae'r Darnau yn Disgyn i'w Lle (album)
• Geraint Jarman - Gobaith Mawr y Ganrif (album)
• Daniel Jones - Dance Fantasy
• Man - The Welsh Connection
• Bonnie Tyler - "Lost in France" (debut single)

Film

Welsh-language films

• Y Dieithryn, produced by Emlyn Williams

Broadcasting

• Sir Huw Wheldon is knighted for his services to broadcasting.

Welsh-language television

• Seren Wib, presented by Emyr Glasnant and Sharon Morgan
• Tybed? with Marged Esli
• Mae Gen i Stori

Welsh language radio

• Tros Fy Sbectol

English-language television

• How Green Was My Father: a Welsh Odyssey for 1976, with Ryan Davies and Max Boyce

Sport

• Football – The Wales national football team plays in the quarter-finals of UEFA Euro 1976.
• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Mervyn Davies and the Wales national rugby union team.
• Rugby union – Wales win their seventh Grand Slam.
• Snooker
  • 30 January – Ray Reardon wins the Masters.
  • 23 April – Ray Reardon wins his fifth World Championship title.

Births

• 14 January - Scott Young, footballer
• 6 April - James Fox, singer
• 8 May - Ian Watkins, pop singer
• 13 May - Mark Delaney, footballer
• 16 June - Cian Ciaran, musician
• 25 June - Iestyn Harris, rugby player
• 14 July - Geraint Jones, cricketer
• 9 August - Aled Haydn-Jones, radio producer
• 1 November - Buffy Williams, politician
• 7 November - Andrew Davies, cricketer
• 20 December – Adam Powell, inventor
• date unknown - Steffan Cravos, musician and language activist

Deaths

• 3 January – Mal Evans, Beatles' former roadie and patron of Badfinger, 40 (shot)
• 23 January – Sir Tudor Thomas, ophthalmic surgeon, 82
• 26 January – Eric Francis, architect, 88
• 4 February – Roger Livesey, actor, 69
• 12 February – John Lewis, Marxist philosopher, 87
• 14 February - Tommy Scourfield, dual code rugby player, 66
• 29 March - Harold Davies, rugby player, 77
• 26 March - Duster Bennett, blues musician, 29 (car accident)
• 30 March - Jackie Mittell, footballer, 70
• 31 March - Billy Moore, rugby player, 66
• 18 April – Haydn Davies, politician, 70
• 28 April – Richard Hughes, novelist, 76
• 6 June – David Jacobs, athlete, 88
• 20 June – Sir Goronwy Edwards, historian, 84
• 28 June – Sir Stanley Baker, actor, 48
• 18 July – Jenkin Alban Davies, Wales international rugby captain, 90
• 22 July – Willie Evans, Welsh international footballer, 63
• 30 August - David Rees-Williams, 1st Baron Ogmore, politician, 72
• 10 October - David Lewis, 1st Baron Brecon, politician, 71
• 7 November - Glyn Davies, Wales international rugby union player, 49
• 22 November - Rupert Davies, actor, 60 (cancer)
• 24 November - Ambrose Baker, rugby player, ?79
• date unknown
  • Eveline Annie Jenkins, botanical artist, 82/83
  • Meirion Williams, songwriter

See also

• 1976 in Northern Ireland