1993 in Wales explained

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1993 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Secretary of State for Wales – David Hunt (until 27 May);^[1] John Redwood^[2]
• Archbishop of Wales – Alwyn Rice Jones, Bishop of St Asaph^[3]
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – John Gwilym Jones^[4]

Events

• 13 January - Wayne Edwards from Cefn Mawr is the first British soldier killed in the Bosnian War.^[5]
• April – Childline Wales is launched by George Thomas, Viscount Tonypandy.
• 11 June
  • Five hundred homes in Llandudno are damaged by flash floods, and 2500 people are evacuated.^[6]
  • Welsh-born Dr John Savage becomes prime minister of Nova Scotia.
  • John Redwood, recently appointed Secretary of State for Wales, attracts ridicule after being filmed attempting to mime to the Welsh national anthem at the Welsh Conservative Party conference, when he clearly did not know the words.^[7]
• 20 August - Closure of the Royal Navy Propellant Factory, Caerwent.
• 21 October - The Welsh Language Act receives Royal Assent, placing Welsh on an equal footing with English within the public sector in Wales.^[8]
• 31 December – Terry Yorath is sacked after five years as manager of the Wales national football team.^[9]
• The University of Wales celebrates its centenary.
• The government announces the privatisation of DVOIT, the former IT arm of the Driver and Vehicle Licensing Agency, Swansea's biggest employer. DVLA contracts for the provision of IT services are let to EDS.
• Laura Tenison sets up the maternity and babywear retailer JoJo Maman Bébé in Newport.^[10]

Arts and literature

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Llanelwedd)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Meirion MacIntyre Huws, "Gwawr"^[11]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Eirwyn George^[12]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Mihangel Morgan, Dirgel Ddyn
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen – Endaf Jones, Mewn Cornel Fechan Fach^[13]
• Wales Book of the Year:
  • English language: Robert Minhinnick – Watching the Fire Eater^[14]
  • Welsh language: Robin Llywelyn – Seren Wen ar Gefndir Gwyn^[15]

New books

English language

• Thomas Charles-Edwards – Early Irish and Welsh Kinship^[16]
• Gillian Clarke – The King of Britain's Daughter^[17]
• Janet Davies – The Welsh Language
• John Davies – A History of Wales
• Glenys Kinnock & Fiona Millar – By Faith and Daring^[18]
• Saunders Lewis – Selected Poems
• Phil Rickman – Crybbe^[19]

Welsh language

• Geraint Bowen – O Groth y Ddaear (autobiography)^[20]
• Moses Glyn Jones – Y Dewin a cherddi eraill^[21]
• Mihangel Morgan - Saith Pechod Marwol^[22]

Music

• Psychedelic rock band Super Furry Animals is formed in Cardiff.
• The Hennessys – Caneuon Cynnar
• Siân James – Distaw
• Michael Jones – Rouge
• John Pickard – String Quartet no. 2
• Meic Stevens – Er Cof Am Blant Y Cwm (album)

Film

• Anthony Hopkins plays C. S. Lewis in the film version of Shadowlands.

Welsh-language films

• Tân ar y Comin

Broadcasting

• 1 January – S4C becomes responsible for selling its own advertising air time.
• 16 December – Tim Vincent becomes Blue Peters first Welsh presenter.

Welsh-language television

• Dafydd
• Delweddau Zimbabwe, presented by Iwan Bala^[23]

English-language television

• Paul Rhys and Michael Sheen star in Gallowglass.
• The Slate (arts programme)^[24]

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Colin Jackson^[25]
• Football – The Wales national football team achieves its highest ever FIFA ranking (27).
• Golf – Wales wins the European Amateur Men's Team Championship in the Czech Republic.
• Rowing – The Celtic Challenge becomes a regular (biennial) event.

Births

• 22 January
  • Ben Lake, Plaid Cymru, MP
  • Tom Price, rugby player
• 13 February – Sophie Evans, singer and actress
• 1 March – Gwion Edwards, footballer^[26]
• 10 March – Tom Davies, rugby player
• 21 March – Jade Jones, taekwondo competitor^[27]
• 4 April – Cerys Hale, rugby player^[28]
• 24 April – Ben Davies, footballer
• 2 May – Owain Doull, cyclist^[29]
• 5 May – Rhodri Williams, rugby player
• 26 June – Jodie Grinham, Paralympic archer^[30]
• 29 June – Jak Jones, snooker player
• 2 August – Gareth Thomas, rugby player
• 20 September – Jordan Williams, rugby player
• 6 October – Sam Davies, rugby player
• 3 November – Josh Griffiths, marathon runner^[31]
• 24 November – Chelsea Lewis, netball player^[32]
• 26 November – Rhodri Hughes, rugby player^[33]
• 27 November – Sion Bennett, rugby player^[34]
• 31 December – Dave Richards, footballer^[35]

Deaths

• 30 January – Dorothy Miles, poet and deaf activist, 61 (suicide)^[36]
• 27 January – R. H. Williams, rugby player, 62
• 10 March – Bill Price, physicist, 83^[37]
• 7 April – Terry Price, rugby player, 47^[38]
• 21 April – Lyn Thomas, footballer, 72
• 23 April – Daniel Jones, composer, 80^[39]
• 21 May – Cliff Tucker, politician and benefactor of the University of Wales, Lampeter, 80
• 27 May
  • Dennis Powell, boxer, 68
  • Trevor Thomas, art historian, 85^[40]
• 30 May – Mel Rees, footballer, 26^[41]
• 29 July – Gwilym R. Jones, editor and poet, 90^[42]
• 20 August – Iorwerth Hughes, Wales football international goalkeeper, 68
• 4 September – Haydn Davies, cricketer, 81
• 2 October – John James, historical novelist, 69^[43]
• October – Ivor Griffiths, footballer, 75
• 17 November – Gordon Richards, footballer, 60
• 30 November – Wogan Philipps, 2nd Baron Milford, politician, 91^[44]
• 1 December – Lynette Davies, actress, 45^[45]
• 4 December – Roy Vernon, footballer, 56
• 10 December – Roland Davies, comic book artist and animator, 89^[46]
• 13 December – Francis Jones, herald, 85^[47]
• 19 December – Owain Owain, novelist, short story writer and poet, 64^[48]
• date unknown
  • T. Rees Thomas, Congregationalist minister, 82/3
  • Rheinallt Nantlais Williams, philosopher of religion and college principal, 81/2

See also

• 1993 in Northern Ireland

Notes and References

1. Web site: Lord Hunt of Wirral. UK Parliament. 31 May 2022.
2. Book: J. Graham Jones. The History of Wales. January 1998. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-1491-3. 157.
3. Web site: The Right Rev Alwyn Rice Jones . The Independent . 16 August 2007 . . 31 May 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20071001000228/http://news.independent.co.uk/people/obituaries/article2866732.ece . 1 October 2007 . dead.
4. Gwyn . Thomas . Gwyn Thomas (poet) . 2004 . 61278 . Jones, John Gwilym .
5. Web site: Bosnia bridge renamed to honour soldier Wayne Edwards. 10 October 2011. BBC News. 1 June 2022.
6. Book: David Crichton. Fergus Nicol. Sue Roaf. Adapting Buildings and Cities for Climate Change. 26 October 2009. Routledge. 978-1-136-44455-5. 77.
7. Lauren Niland. "Rick Perry's predecessors: when politicians forget". The Guardian. Retrieved on 23 November 2015.
8. Web site: Welsh Language Act 1993. www.legislation.gov.uk.
9. News: Terry Yorath: Former Wales manager's Romania '93 memories. BBC Sport . November 14, 2013.
10. Web site: Our Story. JoJo Maman Bébé. 2011-04-09.
11. Web site: Winners of the Chair. National Eisteddfod. 17 March 2019. 29 September 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190929131826/https://eisteddfod.wales/about-us/eisteddfod-winners/winners-chair. dead.
12. Web site: Winners of the Crown. National Eisteddfod. 17 March 2019.
13. Web site: Enillwyr Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen. cy. BBC Cymru. 24 November 2019.
14. Book: James Persoon. Robert R. Watson. Encyclopedia of British Poetry, 1900 to the Present. 22 April 2015. Infobase Learning. 978-1-4381-4074-2. 875.
15. Book: International Who's who of Authors and Writers. 2008. Europa Publications, Taylor & Francis Group. 447. 9781857434286 .
16. Book: T. M. Charles-Edwards. T.M.. Charles-Edwards. Early Irish and Welsh Kinship. 1993. Clarendon Press. 978-0-19-820103-8.
17. Book: Gillian Clarke. The King of Britain's Daughter. 1993. Carcanet. 978-1-85754-031-4.
18. Book: Lesley Abbott. Dr Helen Moylett. Helen Moylett. Early Education Transformed. 1 November 2002. Routledge. 1-135-70862-2. 14.
19. Book: Phil Rickman. Crybbe. 1993. Pan. 978-0-330-32893-7.
20. Book: Meic Stephens. The new companion to the literature of Wales. 23 September 1998. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-1383-1. 64.
21. Book: Bibliotheca Celtica. 1996. The Library. 29.
22. Book: Meic Stephens. Cydymaith i lenyddiaeth Cymru. 1998. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-1383-1. 508.
23. Web site: Iwan Bala. Y Lolfa. 15 February 2022. cy.
24. https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p00fffqn/episodes/guide BBC One – The Slate
25. News: BBC Wales Sport Personality winners . BBC Sport . 2 August 2021.
26. Web site: Premier League Clubs submit Squad Lists. Premier League. 3 February 2013. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20130310203125/http://www.premierleague.com/content/dam/premierleague/site-content/News/publications/squad-lists/Squad-Lists-September-2012.pdf. 10 March 2013. dmy-all.
27. Web site: About Jade. GB Taekwondo. 5 April 2019.
28. Web site: Cerys Hale . Welsh Rugby Union Wales & Regions . 18 November 2019.
29. Web site: Owain Doull. IOC. 8 December 2020.
30. Web site: Jodie Grinham PARIS 2024 . Disability Sport Wales . 28 August 2024.
31. Web site: Joshua GRIFFITHS Profile . . 2 May 2022.
32. Web site: Netball Athlete Profile: Chelsea LEWIS . . 2018 . 2 May 2022.
33. Web site: Rhodri Hughes . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160830215615/https://www.ospreysrugby.com/Teams/Ospreys/Player/150826 . 30 August 2016 . 2 May 2022.
34. Web site: Wales U20 Squad : Squad Profiles . . https://web.archive.org/web/20160411072106/http://www.wru.co.uk/eng/matchcentre/squads_wales_u20.php?player=89921&includeref=dynamic . 11 April 2016 . 2 May 2022.
35. Web site: Dave Richards - Goalkeeper - First Team . . 19 October 2021.
36. Web site: Sutton-Spence . Rachel . Dorothy Miles . European Cultural Heritage Online (ECHO) . 7 August 2011 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20111002151727/http://www.let.ru.nl/sign-lang/echo/docs/Dorothy%20Miles.pdf . 2 October 2011.
37. Dixon . R. N. . Richard Dixon (scientist). Agar . D. M. . Burge . R. E. . William Charles Price 1 April 1909--10 March 1993: Elected F.R.S. 1959 . 10.1098/rsbm.1997.0023 . . 43 . 431 . 1997. free .
38. Web site: Obituary: Terry Price. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-terry-price-1454267.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. The Independent. 8 April 1993. Barrie Fairall. 15 February 2022.
39. News: Obituary: Daniel Jones . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-daniel-jones-1457920.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live . Geraint . Lewis . The Independent . 28 April 1993 . 4 August 2014 .
40. Web site: 11 October 2019 . Obituary: Trevor Thomas . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-trevor-thomas-1483804.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live . 9 July 1993 . Stuart, Robert . The Independent.
41. News: Rees loses fight against cancer. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football-rees-loses-fight-against-cancer-1489088.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live . . London. 1 June 1993. 25 April 2010.
42. Web site: Obituary: Gwilym R. Jones. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-gwilym-r-jones-1461473.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. 16 August 1993. D. Ben Rees. Independent. 8 December 2020.
43. Book: John James. Caitlín Matthews. John Matthews. The Fourth Gwenevere. 7 August 2014. Quercus. 978-1-84866-414-2. 8.
44. Web site: Obituary: Lord Milford. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-lord-milford-1465048.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. 3 December 1993. Sally Belfrage. The Independent. 4 October 2019.
45. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/actress-dies-1466985.html Actress dies
46. News: Gifford . Denis . Obituary: Roland Davies . https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-roland-davies-1467688.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live . The Independent . 16 December 1993 . 1993 . en.
47. Web site: Obituary: Major Francis Jones. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-major-francis-jones-1469346.html . 2022-05-01 . subscription . live. 24 December 1993. Thomas Lloyd. The Independent. 4 October 2019.
48. Web site: Owain Owain - Gwyddonydd, Addysgwr, Arloeswr. cy. Cyngor Tref Pwllheli. 23 August 2024.