1970 in Wales

1970 in Wales

Other years

1967 | 1968 | 1969 << All >> 1971 | 1972 | 1973

1970 in: The United Kingdom • Ireland

Other events of 1970

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1970 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
• Princess of Wales - vacant
• Secretary of State for Wales - George Thomas
• Archbishop of Wales - Glyn Simon
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Tilsli

Events

• 11 January - The last trolleybuses run on the Cardiff trolleybus system, the last such system in Wales.
• 23 May - The 120-year-old Britannia Bridge built by Robert Stephenson across the Menai Strait is destroyed by fire.
• 2 June - During the construction of the Cleddau Bridge, a cantilever collapses, resulting in the deaths of four workers. It is the last major bridge disaster in the UK.
• 18 June - In the UK General Election:
  • S. O. Davies, having resigned from the Labour Party, retains his Parliamentary seat of Merthyr Tydfil, standing as an Independent Labour candidate.
  • Gwynfor Evans loses his seat at Carmarthen.
  • Jim Griffiths retires as MP for Llanelli, to be replaced by Denzil Davies.
  • Nigel Birch retires from the House of Commons, to be created Baron Rhyl.
• Dr Phil Williams becomes the first Chairman of Plaid Cymru.

Arts and literature

• Richard Burton appears in the stage version of Equus.
• Robert Plant and Jimmy Page retreat to Bron-Yr-Aur to write songs for Led Zeppelin III.

Awards

• Bernice Rubens wins the Booker Prize for The Elected Member.

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Ammanford)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Tomi Evans
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Bryan Martin Davies
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

New books

• Marion Eames - Y Stafell Ddirgel
• Ron Berry - So Long, Hector Bebb
• Tom Earley - The Sad Mountain
• T. Wilson Evans - Iwan Tudur
• Menna Gallie - You're Welcome to Ulster!
• J. Gwyn Griffiths - Cerddi Cairo
• John Robert Jones - Ac Onide
• Sally Roberts Jones - Turning Away
• John Ormond - Requiem and Celebration
• Harri Webb - The Green Desert
• Gwynne Williams - Rhwng Gewyn ac Asgwrn

Music

• Badfinger - No Dice (featuring the original recording of "Without You")
• John Cale - Vintage Violence
• Meic Stevens - Outlander
• Shakin' Stevens and the Sunsets - A Legend

Film

• Stanley Baker stars in The Games.
• Hugh Griffith appears in Start the Revolution Without Me.

Welsh-language films

• None

Broadcasting

• Coverage of the Llangollen International Eisteddfod is the first colour programme to be made by BBC Wales.

Welsh-language television

• Fo a Fe makes a star of Ryan Davies.

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - David Broome
• Boxing - Eddie Avoth wins the Commonwealth lightweight title.
• Snooker - Ray Reardon wins the World Professional Championship for the first time.
• Show Jumping - David Broome wins the individual Show Jumping World Championship.

Births

• 1 January - Brian Law, footballer
• 7 March - Cameron Toshack, footballer
• 2 April - Jason Perry, footballer
• 19 May - Stuart Cable, rock musician and television presenter
• 25 May - Robert Croft, cricketer
• 22 June - Paul Davies, snooker player
• 18 July - Gruff Rhys, musician
• 27 July - David Davies, politician
• 30 July - Alun Cairns, politician
• 9 August - Lee Jones, football goalkeeper
• 26 September - Kevin Lloyd, footballer
• 14 November - Derwyn Jones, rugby union player
• 27 November - Stephen Evans, actor and comedy writer
• 29 December - Aled Jones, singer and radio presenter
• date unknown
  • Rebecca John, BBC reporter
  • Lucy Owen, TV presenter
  • Gary Pritchard, sports reporter

Deaths

• 4 January - David John Williams (D. J. Williams), author and Plaid Cymru politician, 84
• 23 January - Ifan ab Owen Edwards, founder of the Urdd, 74
• 26 January - Albert Evans-Jones (Cynan), poet, 74
• 2 February - Bertrand Russell, philosopher, 97
• 20 April - Thomas Iorwerth Ellis, academic, 70
• 29 April - Bryn Evans, Welsh rugby international, 68
• 7 May - Jack Jones, novelist, 75
• 3 June - John Robert Jones, philosophy professor, 58
• 9 June - Billy Spiller, cricketer and rugby player, 83
• 10 July - Isaac Griffiths, politician in Canada, 78
• 7 November - Naunton Wayne, actor, 69
• 9 November - Huw T. Edwards, trade union leader and politician, 77
• date unknown
  • John Edward Jones, Plaid Cymru leader
  • Alwyn Lloyd, architect
  • Trefor Morgan, financier