1953 in Wales

← 1952 1951 1950 1949 1948 1953 in Wales → 1954 1955 1956 1957 1958
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1930s 1940s 1950s 1960s 1970s
See also:	List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history 1953 in The United Kingdom Scotland Elsewhere

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1953 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Archbishop of Wales – John Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • Cynan (outgoing)
  • Dyfnallt (incoming)

Events

File:Royal Badge of Wales (1953).svg

The Royal Badge of Wales with its 1953 augmentation of honour

• 7 March – A "Saint David's Day" pageant is held by the London Welsh Association in the streets of London.
• 11 March – The Royal Badge of Wales is granted an augmentation of honour including the motto Y Ddraig goch ddyry cychwyn ("The red dragon inspires action").
• 1 June – In the Queen's Coronation Honours List, Victoria Cross recipient Ted Chapman is awarded the British Empire Medal.
• 9 July – Elizabeth II makes her first visit to Wales since her 2 June Coronation.
• 10 July – The royal tour of Wales concludes with a ceremony at Caernarfon Castle and visits to the National Eisteddfod site at Rhyl, Wrexham and the Llangollen International Musical Eisteddfod.
• 2 December – Llandudno experiences unusually warm weather as a result of the "foehn effect".
• date unknown
  • The Royal College of General Practitioners is established in Wales.
  • Goronwy Rees becomes Principal of the University of Wales, Aberystwyth.
  • Grismond Picton Philipps is knighted.

Arts and literature

• July 6 – Dorothy Squires marries Roger Moore in the United States.
• date unknown
  • Thomas Parry (later Sir Thomas) becomes head of the National Library of Wales.
  • Waldo Williams leaves the Baptist denomination and becomes a Quaker.
  • Robert Frank photographs a Glamorgan mining village for U.S.Camera.
  • Susan Williams-Ellis joins her father, Sir Clough Williams-Ellis, in his work on the village of Portmeirion.

Awards

• Emyr Humphreys wins the Somerset Maugham Prize for Hear and Forgive.
• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Rhyl)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – E. Llwyd Williams, "Y Ffordd"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Dilys Cadwaladr, "Y Llen"
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – withheld

New books

English language

• Jack Jones – Time and the Business
• Bertrand Russell – Satan in the Suburbs and Other Stories

Welsh language

• Islwyn Ffowc Elis
  • Cysgod y Cryman
  • Ffenestri Tua'r Gwyll
• David John Williams – Hen dŷ ffarm

Music

• 8 June – Geraint Evans appears in the première of Benjamin Britten's Gloriana.

Film

• Rachel Thomas and Clifford Evans co-star in Valley of Song.
• Richard Burton stars in The Robe.
• Rachel Roberts stars in The Limping Man.

Broadcasting

• 6 January – The Broadcasting Council for Wales meets for the first time.
• January – Edward Williamson, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, broadcasts a lecture on Henry Vaughan on BBC radio.
• 9 December – In the UK Parliament, the Postmaster General, Earl De La Warr, confirms that none of the first independent television stations will be located in Wales.

Welsh-language television

• 1 March – First broadcast of a television programme entirely in Welsh: a religious service from the Tabernacle Baptist Chapel, Cardiff.
• Teledu i Blant (children's programme)
• Telewele (children's programme)

English-language television

• The National Eisteddfod of Wales is broadcast on BBC television, with English commentary by Hywel Davies.

Sport

• Archery – The North Wales Archery Society is founded.
• Rugby – In December, Wales defeat New Zealand 13-8 at Cardiff Arms Park.

Births

• 10 February – Jeffrey John, Dean of St Albans
• 15 March - Alan Couch, footballer
• 11 April – Rhodri Glyn Thomas AM, politician
• 12 April – Huw Edwards, Labour politician, MP for Monmouth 1991–1992 and 1997–2005
• 26 April – Andy Secombe, voice actor and fantasy novelist
• 8 June – Bonnie Tyler, singer
• 7 July – Eleri Rees, judge
• 11 July – Nigel Rees, footballer
• 20 July – Dave Evans, singer
• 10 August – Gillian Elisa, actress, singer and comedian
• 2 September – Keith Allen, comedian and actor
• 28 October – Phil Dwyer, footballer
• 16 November – Griff Rhys Jones, actor, comedian and television presenter
• Shani Rhys James, Australian-born painter
• Hywel Williams, Plaid Cymru politician, MP for Caernarfon, later Arfon 2001–

Deaths

• 10 January – Howell Elvet Lewis ("Elved"), poet and Archdruid, 92
• 7 March – Jack Williams, Victoria Cross recipient, 66
• 20 March – Fred Parfitt, Wales international rugby player, 83
• 24 March – Mary of Teck, Princess of Wales 1910–1936, queen consort of the United Kingdom 1936–1952, 85
• 6 April – Idris Davies, poet, 48
• 30 April – Sir David Rocyn-Jones, medical practitioner and President of the WRU, 90
• 2 May – Thomas Mardy Rees, author, 81/82
• 23 May – Henry McLaren, 2nd Baron Aberconway, industrialist, horticulturalist and politician, 74
• 5 June – Elizabeth Mary Jones ("Moelona"), novelist, 75
• 18 June – Reg Plummer, Wales and British Lion rugby union player, 64
• 26 August – Rachel Barrett, Welsh editor and suffragette, 77
• 9 November – Dylan Thomas, poet, 39
• 11 November – John Glyn Davies, poet and children's writer, 83
• 26 November – Sir Ivor Atkins, organist and choirmaster, 83
• 27 November – T. F. Powys, Anglo-Welsh writer, 77
• 17 December – David Rees Griffiths, poet, 71

See also

• 1953 in Northern Ireland