1988 in Wales

1988 in Wales

Other years

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1988 in: The United Kingdom • Ireland • Scotland

Other events of 1988

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1988 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales - Charles, Prince of Wales
• Princess of Wales - Diana, Princess of Wales
• Secretary of State for Wales - Peter Walker
• Archbishop of Wales - George Noakes
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales - Emrys

Events

• 14 February - Lynette White is murdered in her Cardiff flat. The case remains controversial for over 20 years.
• Conway Castle, Beaumaris Castle, Caernarfon Castle and Harlech Castle become the first Welsh sites to be placed on the UNESCO World Heritage list.
• The last British Rail steam train stops operating on the Vale of Rheidol line.

Arts and literature

• Tom Jones loses a paternity suit and is forced to support a son, Jonathan Berkery.
• The European Centre for Traditional and Regional Cultures opens in Llangollen.
• The Gregynog festival is re-launched by Anthony Rolfe Johnson.
• This year sees the foundation of:
  • BAFTA Cymru
  • Hay-on-Wye Festival of Literature
  • Ffilm Cymru (Film Foundation for Wales)
  • New Welsh Review

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Newport)

• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Elwyn Edwards
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - T. James Jones
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - withheld

New books

• T. Glynne Davies - Cerddi
• Bobi Jones - Llenyddiaeth Gymraeg 1902-36
• Rhiannon Davies Jones - Cribau Eryri
• Hilary Llywelyn-Williams - The Tree Calendar
• Sheenagh Pugh - Beware Falling Tortoises
• Oliver Reynolds - The Player Queen's Wife
• Manon Rhys - Cwtsho
• Wiliam Owen Roberts - Y Pla
• Bernice Rubens - Our Father
• Huw Walters - Canu'r Pwll a'r Pulpud
• Glanmor Williams - Recovery, Reorientation and Reformation

Music

• Malcolm Arnold - Four Welsh Dances, Op. 138
• Ffa Coffi Pawb - Dalec Peilon
• Trebor Edwards - Goreuon Trebor

Film

• Peter Greenaway directs Drowning by Numbers.

Welsh-language films

• Stormydd Awst

Broadcasting

Welsh-language television

• Pobol y Cwm becomes the first European soap opera to be broadcast daily.
• C'mon Midffild (drama)

Sports

• Rugby union
  • Wales top the 1988 Five Nations Championship winning the Triple Crown.
  • 18 May to 11 June -Wales tour New Zealand, losing heavily in both Tests to the All Blacks.
• Steve Jones becomes the first Briton to win the New York Marathon.
• Snooker - Doug Mountjoy wins the UK Open Championship.

Births

• 9 January - Glyn Wise, TV personality
• 18 February - Mark Davies, footballer
• 24 March - Curtis McDonald, footballer
• 11 April - Nathan Stephens, athlete and Paralympian
• 15 November - Daniel Evans, rugby player
• 13 December - Darcy Blake, footballer
• 28 December - Ched Evans, footballer

Deaths

• 26 January - Raymond Williams, writer, 66
• 2 April - Euros Bowen, poet, 83
• 13 May - Elfed Evans, footballer, 61
• 8 September - Mel Rosser, dual-code international rugby player, 87
• 23 September - Arwel Hughes, composer and conductor. 79
• 12 October - Ruth Manning-Sanders, poet and children's author, 102
• 11 November - William Ifor Jones, conductor and organist, 88
• 13 December - Brynmor John, politician, 54
• 25 December - W. F. Grimes, archaeologist, 83
• date unknown
  • T. Glynne Davies, poet, novelist and broadcaster
  • John Gwilym Jones, writer
  • John Morgan, journalist