1999 in Wales
Encyclopedia
This article is about the particular significance of the year 1999 to Wales
and its people
.
Wales
Wales is a country that is part of the United Kingdom and the island of Great Britain, bordered by England to its east and the Atlantic Ocean and Irish Sea to its west. It has a population of three million, and a total area of 20,779 km²...
and its people
Welsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
.
Incumbents
- Prince of WalesPrince of WalesPrince of Wales is a title traditionally granted to the heir apparent to the reigning monarch of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the 15 other independent Commonwealth realms...
- Charles, Prince of WalesCharles, Prince of WalesPrince Charles, Prince of Wales is the heir apparent and eldest son of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh. Since 1958 his major title has been His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales. In Scotland he is additionally known as The Duke of Rothesay... - Princess of WalesPrincess of WalesPrincess of Wales is a British courtesy title held by the wife of The Prince of Wales since the first "English" Prince of Wales in 1283.Although there have been considerably more than ten male heirs to the throne, there have been only ten Princesses of Wales. The majority of Princes of Wales...
- vacant - First Minister - Alun MichaelAlun MichaelAlun Edward Michael is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.-Education:Michael was born at Bryngwran Anglesey, son of...
- Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for WalesPresiding Officer of the National Assembly for WalesThe Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales is the Speaker of the National Assembly for Wales, elected by the Members of the National Assembly for Wales to chair their meetings ; to maintain order; and to protect the rights of Members.He or she also heads the Corporate Body of the...
- Dafydd Elis-ThomasDafydd Elis-ThomasDafydd Elis Elis-Thomas, Baron Elis-Thomas, PC, AM, is a Welsh politician and was the Presiding Officer of the National Assembly for Wales until 2011... - Secretary of State for WalesSecretary of State for WalesThe Secretary of State for Wales is the head of the Wales Office within the British cabinet. He or she is responsible for ensuring Welsh interests are taken into account by the government, representing the government within Wales and overseeing the passing of legislation which is only for Wales...
- Alun MichaelAlun MichaelAlun Edward Michael is a British Labour Co-operative politician, who has been the Member of Parliament for Cardiff South and Penarth since 1987. He was formerly First Minister of Wales and leader of the Welsh Labour Party from 1999 to 2000.-Education:Michael was born at Bryngwran Anglesey, son of...
(until 27 July) - Paul Murphy
- Alun Michael
- Archbishop of WalesArchbishop of WalesThe post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England , and disestablished...
- Rowan WilliamsRowan WilliamsRowan Douglas Williams FRSL, FBA, FLSW is an Anglican bishop, poet and theologian. He is the 104th and current Archbishop of Canterbury, Metropolitan of the Province of Canterbury and Primate of All England, offices he has held since early 2003.Williams was previously Bishop of Monmouth and...
Events
- January
- Protesting farmers blockade the north Wales headquarters of supermarket chain IcelandIceland (supermarket)Iceland is a supermarket chain in the United Kingdom and Ireland. Iceland's primary product lines include frozen foods, such as frozen prepared meals and frozen vegetables - hence the name of the company...
. - Opening of the St David's Hotel in Cardiff BayCardiff BayCardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
, Wales's first 5-star hotel.
- Protesting farmers blockade the north Wales headquarters of supermarket chain Iceland
- February - Outbreak of meningitisMeningitisMeningitis is inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, known collectively as the meninges. The inflammation may be caused by infection with viruses, bacteria, or other microorganisms, and less commonly by certain drugs...
in the PontypriddPontypriddPontypridd is both a community and a principal town of Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales and is situated 12 miles/19 km north of the Welsh capital city of Cardiff...
area. - March - West WalesWest WalesWest Wales is the western area of Wales.Some definitions of West Wales include only Pembrokeshire, Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire, an area which historically comprised the Welsh principality of Deheubarth., an area called "South West Wales" in the Nomenclature of Territorial Units for Statistics....
and the ValleysSouth Wales ValleysThe South Wales Valleys are a number of industrialised valleys in South Wales, stretching from eastern Carmarthenshire in the west to western Monmouthshire in the east and from the Heads of the Valleys in the north to the lower-lying, pastoral country of the Vale of Glamorgan and the coastal plain...
is designated an Objective 1 region within the European Community. - 6 May - First elections to the National Assembly for WalesNational Assembly for WalesThe National Assembly for Wales is a devolved assembly with power to make legislation in Wales. The Assembly comprises 60 members, who are known as Assembly Members, or AMs...
. - 10 May - The Queen attends a gala concert in Cardiff BayCardiff BayCardiff Bay is the area created by the Cardiff Barrage in South Cardiff, the capital of Wales. The regeneration of Cardiff Bay is now widely regarded as one of the most successful regeneration projects in the United Kingdom. The Bay is supplied by two rivers to form a freshwater lake round the...
to celebrate the opening of the Welsh Assembly. - 25 May - Last pit ponyPit ponyA pit pony was a type of pony commonly used underground in coal mines from the mid 18th up until the mid 20th century.-History:Ponies began to be used underground, often replacing child or female labour, as distances from pit head to coal face became greater...
works in the South Wales coalfieldSouth Wales CoalfieldThe South Wales Coalfield is a large region of south Wales that is rich with coal deposits, especially the South Wales Valleys.-The coalfield area:...
, 'Robbie' at Pant y Gasseg, PontypoolPontypoolPontypool is a town of approximately 36,000 people in the county borough of Torfaen, within the historic boundaries of Monmouthshire in South Wales....
. - June
- The Clydach murders: four members of the same family are found bludgeoned to death.
- Eight children in north Wales are taken ill with E. coliEscherichia coliEscherichia coli is a Gram-negative, rod-shaped bacterium that is commonly found in the lower intestine of warm-blooded organisms . Most E. coli strains are harmless, but some serotypes can cause serious food poisoning in humans, and are occasionally responsible for product recalls...
poisoning.
- July - Bryncelyn BreweryBryncelyn BreweryBryncelyn Brewery is a brew pub in 'Wern Fawr Inn', a pub located near Ystalyfera, Neath Port Talbot in Wales. Brewing was begun in July 1999, and the brewers are Will Hopton and Robert Scott....
begins brewing. - December - HyderHyderHyder can refer to:*Hyder, Alaska, a town in the United States*Hyder , a former UK utility infrastructure company*Hyder Consulting, a current infrastructure company, former subsidiary of Hyder*the Arabic name Haydar...
cuts 1000 jobs after being forced to make cuts in their charges for electricity and water. - 19 December - Charlotte ChurchCharlotte ChurchCharlotte Maria Church is a Welsh singer-songwriter, actress and television presenter. She rose to fame in childhood as a classical singer before branching into pop music in 2005. By 2007, she had sold more than 10 million records worldwide including over 5 million in the United States...
makes her debut as a television actress in Heartbeat. - Main construction work on Cardiff Bay BarrageCardiff Bay BarrageThe Cardiff Bay Barrage lies across the mouth of Cardiff Bay, Wales between Queen Alexandra Dock and Penarth Head. It was one of the largest civil engineering projects in Europe during construction in the 1990s.-History:...
completed.
Arts and literature
- Cysgod y Cryman by Islwyn Ffowc ElisIslwyn Ffowc ElisIslwyn Ffowc Elis was one of Wales's most popular Welsh-language writers.Born Islwyn Ffoulkes Ellis in Wrexham, Elis was educated at the University of Wales colleges of Bangor and Aberystwyth. During World War II he was a conscientious objector and he began writing poetry and prose, winning the...
is voted the most significant Welsh languageWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
book of the 20th century20th centuryMany people define the 20th century as running from January 1, 1901 to December 31, 2000, others would rather define it as beginning on January 1, 1900....
. - Sir Harry SecombeHarry SecombeSir Harry Donald Secombe CBE was a Welsh entertainer with a talent for comedy and a noted fine tenor singing voice. He is best known for playing Neddie Seagoon, the central character in the BBC radio comedy series The Goon Show...
suffers a second stroke, which forces him to give up his television career. - Mary HopkinMary HopkinMary Hopkin , credited on some recordings as Mary Visconti, is a Welsh folk singer best known for her 1968 UK number one single "Those Were The Days". She was one of the first musicians to sign to The Beatles' Apple label....
joins The ChieftainsThe ChieftainsThe Chieftains are a Grammy-winning Irish musical group founded in 1962, best known for being one of the first bands to make Irish traditional music popular around the world.-Name:...
on their UK tour. - Dick FrancisDick FrancisRichard Stanley "Dick" Francis CBE was an English jockey and crime writer, many of whose novels centre around horse racing.- Personal life :...
: A Racing Life, an unauthorised biography, suggests that his books were written by his wife Mary. - Kyffin WilliamsKyffin WilliamsSir John "Kyffin" Williams, KBE, RA was a Welsh landscape painter who lived at Pwllfanogl, Llanfairpwll on the Island of Anglesey...
is knighted for his services to the arts. - Swansea Grand TheatreSwansea Grand TheatreThe Grand Theatre is a performing arts venue in the centre of Swansea, Wales. The theatre stages plays, pantomimes and touring theatrical acts visiting Swansea. The Grand Theatre is the base for the UK's only Russian ballet company, the Swansea Ballet Russe....
becomes the base for the Ballet Russe company.
Awards
- Cardiff Singer of the World - Anja HarterosAnja HarterosAnja Harteros is a German operatic soprano. In 1999, she became the first German to win the Cardiff Singer of the World competition -Biography:...
- Glyndŵr AwardGlyndwr AwardThe Glyndŵr Award is made for an Outstanding Contribution to the Arts in Wales. It is given by the Machynlleth Tabernacle Trust to pre-eminent figures in music, art and literature in rotation...
- Gillian ClarkeGillian ClarkeGillian Clarke is a Welsh poet, playwright, editor, broadcaster, lecturer and translator from Welsh.-Life:Clarke was born in Cardiff and brought up in Cardiff and Penarth, though for part of the Second World War she was in Pembrokeshire...
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair -
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown -
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal -
- Wales Book of the YearWales Book of the YearThe Wales Book of the Year is a Welsh literary award given annually to the best Welsh and English language works in the fields of fiction and literary criticism by Welsh or Welsh interest authors...
:- English language:
- Welsh languageWelsh languageWelsh is a member of the Brythonic branch of the Celtic languages spoken natively in Wales, by some along the Welsh border in England, and in Y Wladfa...
:
- Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen -
New books
- Greg Cullen - Paul Robeson Knew My Father (play)
- Grahame DaviesGrahame DaviesGrahame Davies is a poet, editor and literary critic. He was brought up in the former coal mining village of Coedpoeth near Wrexham in north east Wales.-Education:...
- Sefyll yn y Bwlch - Patrick HannanPatrick Hannan (presenter)Patrick Hannan MBE was a Welsh political journalist, author and television and radio presenter.The son of an Irish doctor who migrated to Wales in the 1930s, he was born and raised in Aberaman, near Aberdare in South Wales...
- The Welsh Illusion - Craig ThomasCraig Thomas (author)David Craig Owen Thomas was a Welsh author of thrillers, most notably the Mitchell Gant series.-Background:...
- Slipping into Shadow
Music
- Gillian ElisaGillian ElisaGillian Elisa is an actress, singer, and comedian. Early in her career she was known by her full name of Gillian Elisa Thomas.-Career:...
- Haul ar Nos Hir (album) - Gorky's Zygotic MynciGorky's Zygotic MynciGorky's Zygotic Mynci were a Welsh alternative rock band, formed in Carmarthen, west Wales in 1991. They sang songs in both Welsh and English. They split up in May 2006.-Biography:...
- Spanish Dance TroupeSpanish Dance TroupeSpanish Dance Troupe is the sixth album by Welsh psychedelic folk band Gorky's Zygotic Mynci, released on 4 October 1999. The album was recorded at Stiwdio Ofn in Llanfaelog, Anglesey and mastered by Chris Blair at Abbey Road Studios...
(album) - Karl JenkinsKarl Jenkins-Other works:*Adiemus: Live — live versions of Adiemus music*Palladio *Eloise *Imagined Oceans *The Armed Man: A Mass for Peace...
- The Armed Man: a Mass for Peace
Welsh-language films
- Cymer Dy Siâr
- Porc Pei (Pork Pie)
- Solomon a Gaenor, starring Ioan GruffuddIoan GruffuddIoan Gruffudd is a Welsh actor.Trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, he started off in Welsh language film productions, then came to international attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in the film Titanic , and as Lt. John Beales in Black Hawk Down...
Broadcasting
- May - Huw EdwardsHuw Edwards (journalist)Huw Edwards is a BAFTA award-winning Welsh journalist, presenter and newsreader.He is a news presenter for BBC News in the United Kingdom. Edwards presents Britain's most watched news programme, BBC News at Ten, which is also the corporation's flagship news broadcast...
begins presenting the BBC Six O'Clock NewsBBC Six O'Clock NewsThe BBC News at Six is the evening news programme broadcast each night on British television channel BBC One and the BBC News channel at 18:00. For a long period the News at Six was the most watched news programme in the UK but since 2006 it has been over taken by the BBC News at Ten...
.
Welsh-language television
- Y Palmant Aur (drama)
- Yno o hyd (documentary)
- Tri Tenor - Gala concert with performances by Welsh tenors Gwyn Hughes Jones, Rhys MeirionRhys MeirionRhys Meirion is a Welsh opera and concert singer.Meirion was born in Porthmadog, Gwynedd. He worked as a primary school headteacher at Ysgol Pentrecelyn near Ruthin before leaving in 1997 to study opera at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London...
and Timothy Richards - Catrin FinchCatrin FinchCatrin Anna Finch is a Welsh harpist born in Llanon, Ceredigion, Wales. She was the Official Harpist to the Prince of Wales from 2000 to 2004 and is Visiting Professor at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and the Royal Academy of Music...
(documentary) - Ponteifi (sitcom)
English-language television
- Sea of Troubles (documentary)
- House of the Future (documentary by Malcolm ParryMalcolm ParryC. Malcolm Parry is a Welsh architect, professor emeritus, and popular broadcaster.-Early Life:Parry left school at the age of 15 and trained as a Mining Surveyor. He intended to attend university to study Civil Engineering but was encouraged by the then Head of Architecture at Cardiff University...
) - Barry Welsh is Coming (winner of the BAFTA Wales Award for Light Entertainment)
- Belonging (BBC WalesBBC WalesBBC Cymru Wales is a division of the British Broadcasting Corporation for Wales. Based at Broadcasting House in the Llandaff area of Cardiff, it directly employs over 1200 people, and produces a broad range of television, radio and online services in both the Welsh and English languages.Outside...
) - The Big Picture (presented by Peter LordPeter LordPeter Lord CBE is a British film producer, director and co-founder of the Academy award-winning Aardman Animations studio, an animation firm best known for its clay animated films and shorts, particularly those featuring plasticine duo Wallace & Gromit.-Biography:In cooperation with David...
)
Sport
- The Rugby Union World Cup is hosted by Wales, with the final being held at the Millennium StadiumMillennium StadiumThe Millennium Stadium is the national stadium of Wales, located in the capital, Cardiff. It is the home of the Wales national rugby union team and also frequently stages games of the Wales national football team, but is also host to many other large scale events, such as the Super Special Stage...
, CardiffCardiffCardiff is the capital, largest city and most populous county of Wales and the 10th largest city in the United Kingdom. The city is Wales' chief commercial centre, the base for most national cultural and sporting institutions, the Welsh national media, and the seat of the National Assembly for...
, on 6 November. AustraliaAustraliaAustralia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
are the winning team. - UWIC Inter CardiffUWIC Inter Cardiff F.C.UWIC Inter Cardiff F.C. are a Welsh football club. Their name is inspired by Internazionale The club is currently in the Welsh Football League Division Three, though they have played as high as the League of Wales...
are Welsh CupWelsh CupThe Welsh Cup is a knock-out football competition contested annually by teams from Wales.The Football Association of Wales is the organising body of this competition, which has been run every year since its inception in 1877-78...
winners after beating Carmarthen TownCarmarthen Town F.C.Carmarthen Town Association Football Club is a Welsh semi-professional football club based in Carmarthen, Carmarthenshire, who play in the Welsh Premier League...
on penalties. - Barry TownBarry Town F.C.Barry Town FC are a football team based in Barry. They dominated the League of Wales during the 1990s, but finished bottom in 2003-04 and were relegated...
win their fourth successive League of WalesLeague of WalesThe Welsh Premier League is the national football league for Wales. It has both Professional and Semi-Professional status clubs and is at the top of the Welsh football league system. Prior to 2002, the league was known as the League of Wales, but changed its name as part of a sponsorship deal...
title. - Winners of the three divisions in the Welsh Football LeagueWelsh Football LeagueThe Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
are: Ton PentreTon Pentre F.C.Ton Pentre Football Club is a football team based in Ton Pentre, Wales, which plays in the Welsh Football League Division Two.Nicknamed the "Rhondda Bulldogs", the team plays at Ynys Park, Ton Pentre, Rhondda Cynon Taff, which once accommodated 2700 seated spectators...
(Division 1), Penrhiwceiber Rangers (Division 2) & Caerleon (Division 3). - Flexsys Cefn DruidsNEWI Cefn Druids F.C.Cefn Druids A.F.C. is a football team based in the village of Cefn Mawr, Wrexham, Wales playing in the Cymru Alliance.The club was founded in 1992 from the amalgamation of Cefn Albion F.C. and Druids United F.C. Depending on sponsorship, the club was renamed Flexsys Cefn Druids F.C. in 1998, and...
are champions of the Cymru Alliance. - AFC Llwydcoed and Garden VillageGarden Village F.C.Garden Village Association Football Club is a football club, based in Swansea, south west Wales and currently playing in the Welsh Football League Division Two...
are promoted to the Welsh Football LeagueWelsh Football LeagueThe Welsh Football League is a club football league in Wales. Division One of the Welsh Football League is at Level 2 of the Welsh football league system, immediately below the national Welsh Premier League.The Welsh Football League's history stretches back to 1904 when the competition was first...
.
Deaths
- 3 February (in LondonLondonLondon is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
) - Alfred JanesAlfred JanesAlfred George Janes was a Welsh artist, who is also remembered as one of The Kardomah Gang; a group of bohemian friends that included the poets Dylan Thomas and Vernon Watkins, and the composer Daniel Jones....
, artist, 87 - 8 February - Meredith EdwardsMeredith Edwards (actor)Gwilym Meredith Edwards was a Welsh character actor and writer.He was born in Rhosllannerchrugog, Denbighshire, Wales, the son of a collier. He became an actor in 1938, first with the Welsh National Theatre Company, then the Liverpool Playhouse...
, actor, 81 - 16 February - Don HaywardDon HaywardDon Hayward was a Welsh international prop who played club rugby for Newbridge. He won 15 caps for Wales and was selected to play in the British Lions on the 1950 tour of Australia and New Zealand. Hayward is considered to be one of the finest forwards to represent Wales in the early post-war period...
, Wales and British Lions international rugby player, 73 - 11 April - Alan EvansAlan Evans (darts player)David "Alan" Evans was a Welsh professional darts player who competed in the 1970s and 1980s.Evans was one of the early faces of television darts and had some tournament success in the 1970s...
, darts player, 49 - 6 May - Johnny MorrisJohnny MorrisErnest John "Johnny" Morris OBE ) was a Welsh television presenter. He is best known for narrating the imported, Canadian-produced Tales of the Riverbank series of stories about Hammy the Hamster, Roderick the Rat, GP the Guinea Pig, and their assorted animal friends along a riverbank and...
, television presenter, 82 - 11 May - Robert ThomasRobert Thomas (sculptor)Robert Thomas was a Welsh sculptor born in Cwmparc in the Rhondda Valley. He is best known for his work in bronze sculptures, many of which are on public display...
, sculptor, 72 - 5 September - Ivor RobertsIvor Roberts (actor)Ivor Roberts was an English television continuity announcer and television actor who often appeared in comedic roles....
, former TWW presenter, 74 - 22 September - Clive JenkinsClive JenkinsDavid Clive Jenkins was a British trade union leader. "Organising the middle classes", his stated recreation in Who's Who, sums up both his sense of humour and his achievements in the British trade union movement....
, trade union leader, 73 - 24 October - Howard GriffithsHoward Griffiths (screenwriter)Howard Griffiths was a screen and television writer born in Wales who wrote Licensed to Kill and many Australian television shows.-Biography:...
, screenwriter, 64 - 15 November - Sir Harry LlewellynHarry LlewellynSir Harry Morton Llewellyn, 3rd Baronet, CBE was a British equestrian champion. He was born in Aberdare, South Wales, the son of a colliery owner, Sir David Llewellyn, 1st Baronet.- Background :...
, equestrian champion, 88 - 27 November - Ernest ZoboleErnest ZoboleErnest Zobole was a Welsh painter and art teacher. Zobole's paintings, originally oil on canvas, later switching to oil on board, reflected the industrial setting of the Rhondda Valleys...
, artist, 72 - 19 December - Desmond LlewelynDesmond LlewelynDesmond Wilkinson Llewelyn was a Welsh actor, famous for playing Q in 17 of the James Bond films between 1963 and 1999.-Early life:...
, actor, 85 (car accident) - 23 December - Eirene WhiteEirene WhiteEirene Lloyd White, Baroness White, née Jones was a British Labour politician and journalist....
, politician, 90 - date unknown - Gwyn JonesGwyn Jones (author)Gwyn Jones was a Welsh novelist and story writer, and a scholar and translator of Nordic literature and history.Jones was a native of New Tredegar, Monmouthshire...
, writer