1994 in Wales explained

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1994 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Secretary of State for Wales – John Redwood^[1]
• Archbishop of Wales – Alwyn Rice Jones, Bishop of St Asaph^[2]
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – John Gwilym Jones^[3]

Events

• 26 January – A man fires two blank shots at the Prince of Wales (now Charles III), during the prince's visit to Sydney, Australia.^[4]
• 10 February – An earthquake shock measuring 2.9 on the Richter scale is experienced within a 50-mile radius of the epicentre near Bangor, Wales.
• 18 March – An earthquake shock measuring 3.1 on the Richter scale is experienced within a 30-mile radius of the epicentre near Newtown, Montgomeryshire.
• 1 April – At Coney Beach Pleasure Park, Porthcawl, a 9-year-old boy is killed after being flung off the 58-year-old "Water Chute" ride when a steel hoop collapses in wet and windy conditions and falls onto the open-topped carriage in which he is travelling.^[5]
• 29 June – In a televised interview with Jonathan Dimbleby, the Prince of Wales admits having committed adultery after the breakdown of his marriage.
• 19 July – Glenys Kinnock is elected to the European Parliament.
• 24 July – Explosion at Pembroke Refinery injures 26.
• 28 August – Sunday trading becomes legal in England and Wales for the first time.^[6]
• 10 September – Bryn Terfel is guest soloist at the Last Night of the Proms in London.^[7]
• Dr Elizabeth Haywood is the first winner of the Welsh Woman of the Year award.^[8]
• Miners at the Tower Colliery in South Wales, led by Tyrone O'Sullivan, set up TEBO (Tower Employees Buy-Out) to try to save their mine.
• Work begins on the Cardiff Bay barrage.
• St Davids (population 2,000) is restored to city status in the United Kingdom at the request of the Queen, confirmed by letters patent presented on 1 June 1995.

Arts and literature

• Foundation of the Harlech Biennale visual arts festival.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Neath)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – Emyr Lewis, "Chwyldro"^[9]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Gerwyn Williams, "Dolenni"^[10]
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Robin Llywelyn, O'r Harbwr Gwag i'r Cefnfor Gwyn^[11]
• Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Eirug Wyn^[12]
• Wales Book of the Year

• • English language: Paul Ferris, Caitlin
  • Welsh language: Robin Chapman, W. J. Gruffydd
• Aventis Prize – Steve Jones, The Language of the Genes
• Glyndŵr Award – Ian Parrott (composer)

New books

English language

• John Davies – A History of Wales
• Jonathan Dimbleby – The Prince of Wales: a Biography
• Mike Jenkins – Graffiti Narratives
• John May – Reference Wales
• Jenny Rees – Looking for Mr Nobody; The Secret Life of Goronwy Rees^[13]

Welsh language

• Donald Evans – Wrth Reddf
• Bobi Jones – Crist a Chenedlaetholdeb (Christ and Nationalism)^[14]
• Esyllt T. Lawrence - Cyn y Wawr
• Mihangel Morgan - Te Gyda'r Frenhines^[15]

New music

• Gorky's Zygotic Mynci - Tatay (album)
• Karl Jenkins -

Film

• Keith Allen plays the mysterious lodger in Shallow Grave.

Welsh-language films

• Branwen (Ceri Sherlock)
• Hedd Wyn
• Tân ar y Comin (premièred 1 January on S4C television)^[16]
• Ymadawiad Arthur

Music

• John Cale performs a spoken-word duet with Suzanne Vega on the song "The Long Voyage" on Hector Zazou's album Chansons des mers froides.
• Shakin' Stevens gives up recording.

Albums

• Bryn Fôn – Dyddiau Di-gymar
• Dafydd Iwan – Caneuon Gwerin

Broadcasting

Welsh-language television

• Gogs (animation)
• Gwalia yng Nghasia (documentary)
• Yr Heliwr ("A Mind to Kill") (drama)
• Pengelli
• Uned 5 (children's)

English-language television

• Wales Tonight (HTV)

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year – Steve Robinson^[17]
• Commonwealth Games – The Wales team wins a total of 19 medals, including five golds (Colin Jackson, 110m hurdles; Neil Winter, pole vault; Michael Jay, rapid-fire pistol; David Morgan, middleweight weightlifting snatch and overall middleweight title).
• Football – Vinnie Jones is chosen to captain the Wales international side.
• Golf – Ian Woosnam wins the British Masters tournament.

Births

• 7 February – Nathan Walker, Welsh-Australian ice hockey player
• 30 June – Rhys Jones, sprinter
• 2 July – Jessica Leigh Jones, engineer
• 7 September – Elinor Barker, cyclist
• 6 October – Joe Woolford, singer
• date unknown – Rhys Morgan, health blogger

Deaths

• 1 January – Allen Forward, Wales international rugby union player, 72
• 23 March – Donald Swann, musician, 70^[18]
• 30 April – Herbert Bowden, Baron Aylestone, politician, 89^[19]
• 21 May – Cliff Wilson, snooker player, 60^[20]
• 31 May – Tom Lewis, Wales international rugby union player, 89
• 27 June – Jeremy Brooks, novelist, poet and dramatist, 67^[21]
• 24 July – Aubrey Davies, cricketer, 79
• 29 July – William Mathias, composer, 57^[22]
• 31 July – Caitlin Macnamara, widow of Dylan Thomas, 80^[23]
• 23 August – Wat Jones, cricketer, 77
• 1 September – Dr Roger Thomas, politician, 68^[24]
• 4 October – F. Gwendolen Rees, zoologist, 88^[25]
• 9 October – Idris Hopkins, footballer, 83
• 17 October – Gus Risman, rugby league player, 83
• 28 October – Steve Curtis, boxer, 45
• 6 December – Alun Owen, screenwriter, 69^[26]
• 12 December – Stuart Evans, writer, 60^[27]
• 29 December – Jack Rippon, cricketer, 76
• 31 December – Harri Webb, poet, 74^[28]
• date unknown
  • Colin Edwards, writer, 69/70
  • Elisabeth Inglis-Jones, writer, 93/4

See also

• 1994 in Northern Ireland

Notes and References

1. Book: J. Graham Jones. The History of Wales. January 1998. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-1491-3. 157.
2. 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.
3. Web site: Former Archdruid honoured. 12 July 2012. Aberystwyth University. 17 December 2019.
4. Web site: Student faces six charges after starting-gun incident. 27 January 1994. Angella Johnson. The Guardian. 17 December 2019.
5. News: Survivors speak of tragedy at funfair: Steel hoop 'had collapsed into path of Water Chute car'. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/survivors-speak-of-tragedy-at-funfair-steel-hoop-had-collapsed-into-path-of-water-chute-car-1367452.html . 1 May 2022 . subscription . live. The Independent. London. 1994-04-02. 2018-05-28. Helen. Nowicka. Steve. Boggan.
6. News: Sunday trading legalised. 2008-01-28. 1994-08-28. BBC News.
7. Web site: Soloist injects Welsh note into Proms finale. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/soloist-injects-welsh-note-into-proms-finale-1448277.html . 1 May 2022 . subscription . live. 12 September 1994. Lesley Gerard. The Independent. 8 October 2019.
8. Web site: Dr Elizabeth Haywood. Swansea University. 8 October 2019.
9. Web site: Winners of the Chair. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
10. Web site: Winners of the Crown. National Eisteddfod of Wales. 17 November 2019.
11. Book: Peter France. The Oxford Guide to Literature in English Translation. registration. 2000. Oxford University Press. 978-0-19-818359-4. 189.
12. Web site: Enillwyr Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen. cy. BBC Cymru. 24 November 2019.
13. Lucky Kim. Christopher Hitchens. Christopher Hitchens. 23 February 1995. London Review of Books. 17 . 4 . 11 August 2019.
14. Book: Eleri Hedd James. Casglu Darnau'r Jig-So: Theori Beirniadaeth R. M. (Bobi) Jones. 1 December 2009. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-2247-5. 48.
15. Book: Meic Stephens. Cydymaith i lenyddiaeth Cymru. 1998. University of Wales Press. 978-0-7083-1383-1. 508.
16. Web site: Tim Boswel yn Dychwelyd i Geredigion (Diwrnod Cenedlaethol i Gofio T. Llew Jones). Cyngor Llyfrau Cymru. 1 October 2010. cy.
17. News: BBC Wales Sport Personality winners . BBC Sport . 2 August 2021.
18. Web site: Obituary: Donald Swann. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-donald-swann-1431432.html . 1 May 2022 . subscription . live. 25 March 1994. John Amis. John Amis. The Independent. 11 August 2019.
19. s8-BOWD-WIL-1905. Bowden, Herbert William, Baron Aylestone (1905-1994), politician. 1 June 2011. David Lewis Jones. 6 June 2022.
20. Web site: Obituary: Cliff Wilson. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-cliff-wilson-1438835.html . 1 May 2022 . subscription . live. 27 May 1994. Guy Hodgson. The Independent. 11 August 2019.
21. Web site: Obituary: Jeremy Brooks. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-jeremy-brooks-1411179.html . 1 May 2022 . subscription . live. 2 July 1994. Chris Barlas. The Independent. 11 August 2019.
22. Web site: Obituary: Professor William Mathias . 30 July 1992 . The Independent . 29 December 2021.
23. Web site: Obituary: Caitlin Thomas. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-caitlin-thomas-1380886.html . 1 May 2022 . subscription . live. 2 August 1994. Glyn Jones. The Independent. 11 August 2019.
24. Web site: Obituary: Roger Thomas. https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20220501/https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-roger-thomas-1447277.html . 1 May 2022 . subscription . live. 7 September 1994. Tony Heath. The Independent. 11 August 2019.
25. Morris . J. G. . 10.1098/rsbm.1997.0024 . Florence Gwendolen Rees. 3 July 1906–4 October 1994: Elected F.R.S. 1971 . . 43 . 445 . 1997. 70699996 .
26. Book: Harris M. Lentz. Obituaries in the Performing Arts. 1994. McFarland & Co. 132. 9780786402540 .
27. News: The Times. Obituary: Stuart Evans. 29 December 1994.
28. Book: Harri Webb. A Militant Muse, Harri Webb: Selected Literary Journalism 1948–80. 1998. Seren. 978-1-85411-212-5. 11.