Girish Mahajan (Editor)

2003 in Wales

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Centuries:
  
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Decades:
  
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This article is about the particular significance of the year 2003 to Wales and its people.

Contents

Incumbents

  • Prince of Wales – Charles
  • Princess of Wales – vacant
  • First Minister – Rhodri Morgan
  • Secretary of State for Wales – Peter Hain
  • Archbishop of Wales – Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff (elected)
  • Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales – Robyn Llŷn

    • Events

  • February - Former Conservative Assembly leader Rod Richards is declared bankrupt with debts estimated at over £300,000.
  • 27 February - Rowan Williams is enthroned as Archbishop of Canterbury. Dominic Walker is installed as his replacement as Bishop of Monmouth
  • 9 March - Ron Davies announces that he is leaving politics after being asked to stand down by his local party following further revelations by the press about his private life.
  • 29 March - Porthmadog Cob is bought by the Welsh Assembly Government and the road toll is discontinued after 192 years [1].
  • 1 May - In the National Assembly for Wales election, Labour win 30 seats, enabling them to form a government. Following disappointing results for Plaid Cymru, Ieuan Wyn Jones stands down as party president and leader of the assembly group.
  • 19 June - Prince William of Wales visits Bangor and Anglesey, to mark his 21st birthday (on June 21).
  • August
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales held at Meifod.
  • A memorial to Owain Lawgoch is unveiled at Montague-sur-Gironde, France.
  • October - Dafydd Iwan, newly elected President of Plaid Cymru, escapes a driving ban for speeding offences on the grounds that he needs to drive to fulfil his musical and political engagements.
  • 12 October - The Friends of the Leinster hold a service at Holyhead to commemorate the 85th anniversary of the sinking of RMS Leinster by a German U-boat.
  • November - Michael Howard becomes leader of the Conservative Party.
  • December - Dafydd Wigley is appointed Pro-Chancellor of the University of Wales.
  • 7 December - The Wales & Borders train operating franchise is awarded for a 15-year period to Arriva Trains Wales.
  • North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm commences operation.
  • The former Brain's Old Brewery site in Cardiff is redeveloped into the 85,000 sq ft (7,900 m2) "Old Brewery Quarter".
  • Veteran Cardiff politician Stefan Terlezki goes to the European Parliament to press the case for eventual Ukrainian membership of the European Union.
  • In Channel 4's 100 Worst Britons poll (which included only living people), the following entries had Welsh connections:
  • H from Steps - 8
  • Charlotte Church - 21
  • The Prince of Wales - 24
  • Catherine Zeta-Jones - 39
  • Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen - 42
  • Vinnie Jones - 61
  • Tom Jones - 72

    • Awards

  • Glyndŵr Award - Elinor Bennett
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Twm Morys
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - Mererid Hopwood
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Cefin Roberts
  • National Eisteddfod of Wales: Music Medal - Owain Llwyd
  • Wales Book of the Year:
  • English language: Sugar and Slate - Charlotte Williams
  • Welsh language: O! Tyn y Gorchudd - Hunangofiant Rebecca Jones - Angharad Price
  • Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen - Elfyn Pritchard, Pan ddaw'r dydd
  • John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry: Emily Hinshelwood

    • English language

  • Damian Walford Davies - Echoes to the Amen: Essays after R.S. Thomas
  • Rhys Hughes - The Percolated Stars
  • Bernice Rubens - The Sergeants' Tale
  • Rowan Williams - Poems of Rowan Williams

    • Welsh language

  • Bobi Jones - Beirniadaeth Gyfansawdd - Fframwaith Cyflawn Beirniadaeth Lenyddol
  • Gerwyn Williams - Tafarn Tawelwch

    • Albums

  • Huw Chiswell - Dere Nawr
  • Elin Fflur - Dim Gair (No Words)
  • Catrin Finch - Crossing the Stone
  • Funeral for a Friend - Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation
  • Jakokoyak - Am Cyfan Dy Pethau Prydferth
  • Karl Jenkins - Adiemus V: Vocalise
  • Stereophonics - You Gotta Go There to Come Back
  • Thighpaulsandra - Double Vulgar

    • Theatre

  • Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru established

    • English-language films

  • Michael Sheen stars in Underworld.

    • Welsh-language films

  • Y Mabinogi

    • Welsh-language television

  • Wawffactor is S4C's answer to Pop Idol.
  • Cor Cymru – S4C's search for the best choir in Wales – is broadcast for the first time.

    • English-language television

  • Michael Sheen and Paul Rhys star in the award-winning TV drama, The Deal
  • The Story of Welsh presented by Huw Edwards
  • Quest For Perfection, written and presented by Russell Davies on BBC Four
  • Jamie Baulch finishes third in the BBC's Superstars programme.

    • Sport

  • Cricket
  • 31 December - Tony Lewis is awarded the CBE in the New Year Honours List.
  • Cycling
  • Nicole Cooke wins La Flèche Wallonne Féminine for the first time.
  • Football
  • Cardiff City F.C. win promotion to the Football League Championship.
  • Rugby union
  • Introduction of regional rugby union teams in Wales - Professional teams launched as follows:
  • 1 April - Newport Gwent Dragons (merger of Ebbw Vale and Newport RFCs).
  • 6 June - Cardiff Blues.
  • 7 July - Llanelli Scarlets.
  • 24 July - Neath-Swansea Ospreys.
  • Summer - Celtic Warriors (merger of Bridgend and Pontypridd RFCs).
  • October - The Wales team participate in the Rugby World Cup in Australia. In the group stages Wales defeat Canada 41-10, Tonga 27-20, and Italy 41-10, but lose to New Zealand 37-53 to qualify for the knockout stages. The team lose to England 17-28 in the quarter-finals.
  • Snooker
  • 30 November - Matthew Stevens beats Stephen Hendry 10-8 to lift the 2003 UK Championship title.

    • Deaths

  • 5 January – Roy Jenkins, politician and Chancellor of Oxford University, 82
  • 6 January – Glyn Davies, economist, 83
  • 17 January – Goronwy Daniel, academic and civil servant, 88
  • 26 January - Kingsley Jones, rugby union prop, 67
  • 3 February – Trevor Morris, football player and manager, 82
  • 26 February – Brian Evans, footballer, 60
  • 14 April - Bob Evans, rugby player, 82
  • 13 May – John Savage, prime minister of Nova Scotia 1993-97, 70
  • 29 May – Trevor Ford, footballer, 79
  • 8 June – Leighton Rees, darts player, 63
  • 10 June – Phil Williams, politician, 64
  • 16 June - Ivor Bennett, rugby player, 90
  • 17 July – Dr David Kelly, government scientist, 59
  • 21 July – John Davies, Olympic athlete of Welsh descent, 65
  • 3 August - Norah Isaac, educationalist
  • 5 August – Benjamin Noel Young Vaughan, Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, 85
  • 20 September – Gareth Williams, Baron Williams of Mostyn, politician, 62
  • 25 September
  • David Williams, crime novelist, 77
  • Dai Davies, Wales and British Lions international rugby union player, 78
  • 29 September – Billy Cleaver, Wales international rugby union player, 82
  • 7 October – Henry Herbert, 17th Earl of Pembroke, 64
  • 23 November – Paul Grant, bodybuilding champion, 60
  • 27 November – Dai Francis, singer, 73
  • 1 December – Hugh Rees, politician, 75
  • 19 December – Roy Hughes, Baron Islwyn, politician, 78
  • 20 December – Robin Williams, broadcaster and essayist, 80
  • date unknown – Brian Morgan Edwards, businessman

    • References

    2003 in Wales Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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