2009 in Wales
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| See also: | List of years in Wales Timeline of Welsh history
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This article is about the particular significance of the year 2009 to Wales and its people.
Incumbents
[edit]- First Minister
- Rhodri Morgan (until 9 December)
- Carwyn Jones
- Secretary of State for Wales
- Paul Murphy (until 5 June)[1]
- Peter Hain[2]
- Archbishop of Wales – Barry Morgan, Bishop of Llandaff
- Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
- Dic Jones (outgoing)
- Jim Parc Nest (incoming)
Events
[edit]- 1 January
- The Archbishop of Canterbury, Dr Rowan Williams, broadcasts a New Year message on BBC television. He warns against losing sight of our "real treasure" and says: "Our hearts will be in a very bad way if they're focused only on the state of our finances."[3]
- Record numbers of swimmers participate in New Year's Day charity swims at Amroth, Saundersfoot and Abersoch.[4]
- 2 January - Dame Tanni Grey-Thompson denies having criticised the failure to include all UK Paralympic gold medal-winners in the UK New Year Honours List.[5]
- 9 January - The UK Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, visits south Wales as part of a 3-day tour of the regions.[6]
- 11 January - Eight rescuers are injured as four mountain rescue teams help bring two climbers to safety from the summit of Snowdon.[7]
- 15 January - Welsh Conservative Assembly Members issue an announcement saying that they give their unanimous support to Nick Bourne as leader of the Assembly group.[8]
- 19 January - The Cardiff International Sports Stadium opens, replacing the old Cardiff Athletics Stadium
- 22 January - After having been the only police force in the UK to record an increase in crime during 2007-2008, South Wales Police witnesses a 4% drop in crime in its area, according to the latest British Crime Survey.[9]
- 26 January - Corus announces the loss of up to 1,100 jobs at its plants in Wales and the mothballing of the Llanwern hot strip mill.[10]
- 2 February - After a 24-hour search, the Llanberis mountain rescue team recovers the bodies of two brothers from south-west England who went missing on Snowdon on 31 January.[11]
- 8 February - At the 51st Grammy Awards in Los Angeles, Best Pop Vocal Album goes to Duffy for Rockferry.
- 11 February - Four people are killed in a mid-air collision between two light aircraft near Kenfig. They are two female air cadets from Rhondda, aged 13 and 14, and two RAF instructors.[12]
- 18 February
- Duffy wins the Best Female and British Breakthrough Act awards at the 2009 BRIT Awards; her album Rockferry wins Best Album.
- The inquest opens into the Kenfig air crash of 11 February.[13]
- 21 February - Rescuers have to abseil 500 feet (150 m) down a sheer rock face in the dark to rescue a team of three climbers stuck on Snowdon.[14]
- 6 March - Boxer Joe Calzaghe wins a court action against his former manager Frank Warren, claiming £2 million in unpaid fees.[15]
- 13 March - The Hoover Company ceases washing machine production at Merthyr Tydfil.[16]
- 1 June - ftrmetro Swansea bus rapid transit system begins operation.[17]
- 12 June - Hafod Eryri at the summit of Snowdon is opened.[18]
- 27 June - An 11-mile stretch of the Llangollen Canal, including the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, is designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site.[19]
- 21 July - The first race meeting is held at Ffos Las racecourse, the first new National Hunt racecourse to be built in the United Kingdom for 80 years.[20]
- 22 July - Official opening of the new Cardiff City Stadium, Wales' 2nd largest stadium, when Cardiff City F.C. drew against Glasgow's Celtic F.C.
- 31 July - Indesit ceases washing machine production at Kinmel Park, Bodelwyddan.[21]
- 1 August - The National Eisteddfod of Wales opens at Bala.
- 8 August - The first test of the Ashes 2009 series, seeing England against Australia in Cricket, begins at Cardiff's SWALEC Stadium.
- 12 August - Wales begins the process of digital switchover with the turning off of parts of the analogue signal from the Kilvey Hill transmitter.[22]
- 29 September - On his 70th birthday, Rhodri Morgan announces that he will stand down as First Minister in December.
- 22 October - The St David's Centre in Cardiff re-opens as one of the largest shopping centres in the United Kingdom after its multimillion-pound extension and the reconstruction of the surrounding area.
- November - Mererid Hopwood, the first woman to be nominated for the position of Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod, withdraws her name from consideration, leaving T. James Jones as the only candidate.
- 12 November - Health & Social Services Minister Edwina Hart declines a request by Liberal Democrat Kirsty Williams to review how £1 billion has been spent on NHS services in Wales.
- 13 November - The agreement A New Understanding is signed by representatives of the Welsh Assembly Government and the Welsh Local Government Association.[23]
- 18 November - A report by the All Wales Convention finds that public opinion is narrowly in favour of increasing the powers of the Welsh Assembly.[24]
- 21 November
- Dannie Abse receives the Wilfred Owen Poetry Award.
- Pride In Barry announces the planned placement of a Blue Plaque on 19 Porth Y Castell, Barry, in memory of boxer Jack Petersen.
- 9 December - Carwyn Jones takes office as First Minister for Wales.[25]
- 16 December - The Afan Lido leisure complex in Port Talbot is badly damaged by fire.[26]
- 29 December - A crater approximately 10 feet (3.0 m) wide and 12 feet (3.7 m) deep appears in Brynmair Close, Aberaman, Rhondda Cynon Taf. Nearby residents are evacuated as the cause is investigated.[27]
Arts and literature
[edit]Awards
[edit]- Glyndŵr Award – Llŷr Williams
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair – withheld
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown – Ceri Wyn Jones
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Drama Medal – Dyfed Edwards
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Fine Art Medal – Elfyn Lewis
- National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal – Siân Melangell Dafydd
- Gwobr Goffa Daniel Owen – Fflur Dafydd
- Wales Book of the Year:
- English language: Deborah Kay Davies – Grace, Tamar and Laszlo the Beautiful
- Welsh language: William Owen Roberts – Petrograd
- Kyffin Art Prize: Louisa Theunissen[28]
- Cân i Gymru: Elfed Morgan Morris – "Gofidiau"
- BBC Cardiff Singer of the World competition:[29]
- Main Prize – Ekaterina Scherbachenko
- Song Prize – Jan Martinik
New books
[edit]Welsh language
[edit]- Robat Gruffudd - A Gymri Di Gymru?
- Lloyd Jones - Y Dŵr
English language
[edit]- Emyr Humphreys - The Woman at the Window
- Siân James - Return to Hendre Ddu
- Nigel Owens - Half Time
- Malcolm Pryce - From Aberystwyth with Love
- John Powell Ward - The Last Green Year
Music
[edit]Classical
[edit]- Catrin Finch - Goldberg Variations (transcribed for harp)[30]
- Rhydian - O Fortuna[31]
Albums
[edit]- Derwyddon Dr Gonzo - Stonk![32]
- Only Men Aloud! - Band of Brothers[33]
- Super Furry Animals - Dark Days/Light Years[34]
Singles
[edit]- Vanessa Jenkins and Bryn West - "Barry Islands in the Stream" featuring Sir Tom Jones and Robin Gibb[35]
Theatre
[edit]- May - National Theatre Wales, an English-language theatre company, is established with a grant of £3 million.[36]
Film
[edit]- Underworld: Rise of the Lycans, starring Michael Sheen
Broadcasting
[edit]Welsh-language TV
[edit]English-language TV
[edit]- Coal House[38]
- Doctor Who - David Tennant films his final scenes as The Doctor in Cardiff.
- Gavin & Stacey - series 3
Sport
[edit]- January - Simon Lawson of Cardiff wins the 28th annual Richard Burton 10 km run[39] in a time of 31 minutes.
- 21 March - Wales are narrowly defeated by Ireland to finish third overall in the 2009 Six Nations Championship (rugby union).
- June - The first race meeting is held at the newly constructed Ffos Las racecourse.
- 28 December - Blackwood-reared Dream Alliance wins the Welsh Grand National.
- BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - Ryan Giggs[40]
Births
[edit]- 11 January - Dexter Lloyd Henson, son of Charlotte Church and Gavin Henson
Deaths
[edit]- 9 January - T. Llew Jones, writer, 93[41]
- 10 January - Eluned Phillips, writer, 94[42]
- 13 January - Dai Llewellyn, socialite, 62[43]
- 22 January - Vic Crowe, footballer, 76[44]
- 9 February
- Gareth Alban Davies, academic, 82
- Reg Davies, footballer, 79
- 10 February - Gerwyn Williams, rugby union footballer, 84
- 14 February - Sir Bernard Ashley, entrepreneur, 82[45]
- 19 February - Ian L. Jenkins, former Surgeon General of the British Armed Forces, 64
- 26 February - Jackie Bowen, Welsh rugby union and rugby league footballer, 93
- 2 March - Gerard Morgan-Grenville, environmentalist, 77
- 12 March - Huw Thomas, broadcaster, lawyer and politician, 81
- 22 March - Emyr Price, historian, 64
- 23 March - Geoff Holmes, cricketer, 50[46]
- 12 April - John Maddox, biologist, 83
- 22 April - Cliff Curvis, British and Commonwealth boxing champion, 81
- May - Ralph Morgan, Welsh rugby union and rugby league footballer, 88?
- 14 May - Ken Hollyman, footballer, 86
- 16 May - Einion Evans, poet, 82
- 31 May - Brian Edrich, former Glamorgan cricket coach, 86
- 5 June - Haydn Tanner, Wales international rugby union footballer, 92
- 19 June - Major Sean Birchall, soldier, 33 (killed on active service)[47]
- 6 July - Bleddyn Williams, rugby union footballer, 86
- 11 July - Geraint Owen, actor and politician, 43
- 27 July - Aeronwy Thomas, writer and daughter of Dylan Thomas, 66[48]
- 18 August - Dic Jones, poet and archdruid, 75[49]
- 28 August - Noel Jones, Anglican bishop, 76[50]</ref>
- 6 September - Sir David Glyndwr Tudor Williams, barrister and academic, 78[51]
- 9 September - Stanley Cornwell Lewis, artist, 103[52]
- 7 October - Helen Watts, operatic contralto, 81[53]
- 10 October - Sir Bryan Hopkin, economist, 94[54]
- 11 October - Patrick Hannan, radio and TV journalist, 68[55]
- 17 October - Douglas Blackwell, actor, 85
- 20 October - Hubert Rees, actor
- 12 November - Orig Williams, wrestler and TV presenter, 78[56]
- 16 December - T. G. H. James, Egyptologist, 86[57]
- 30 December - Maldwyn Evans, bowls champion, 72[58]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "UK – Wales – Murphy returns as Welsh secretary". BBC. Retrieved 2016-11-13.
- ^ "Hain not charged over donations". BBC News. 5 December 2008. Archived from the original on 6 December 2008. Retrieved 6 December 2008.
- ^ Bagnall, Steve (1 January 2009). "Archbishop of Canterbury warns that money isn't everything". Daily Post. Archived from the original on 17 February 2012.
- ^ "Records broken at New Year swim". BBC News. 1 January 2009.
- ^ "Dame Tanni denies honours worry". BBC News. 2 January 2009.
- ^ "Jobs key to Welsh economy says PM". BBC News. 9 January 2009.
- ^ "Rescuers injured helping climbers". BBC News. 11 January 2009.
- ^ Powys, Betsan (15 January 2009). "Bourne free?". BBC News. Archived from the original on 18 January 2009.
- ^ Devine, Darren (23 January 2009). "Home Office report shows 4% crime drop in South Wales". WalesOnline. Media Wales.
- ^ "Fears over 1,100 Welsh steel jobs". BBC News. 26 January 2009.
- ^ "Two found dead after Snowdon hunt". BBC News. 2 February 2009.
- ^ "Third child tragedy for plane crash mum". WalesOnline. Media Wales. 12 February 2009.
- ^ Devine, Darren (18 February 2009). "Inquest into tragic plane crash opened". WalesOnline. Media Wales.
- ^ "Abseil in dark to rescue climbers". BBC News. 22 February 2009.
- ^ "Calzaghe wins case against Warren". BBC News. 17 March 2009.
- ^ "Hoover Washing Machines Page 2". Old Merthyr Tydfil. Retrieved 3 April 2014.
- ^ "ftrmetro has arrived in Swansea". goftr.com. Archived from the original on 8 February 2011.
- ^ "£8.4m Snowdon summit cafe opens". BBC News. 2009-06-12. Retrieved 2021-11-19.
- ^ "Aqueduct crowned 'world wonder'". BBC News Online. 27 June 2009.
- ^ "New Wales racecourse goes flat out". NewsWales. 13 July 2009. Archived from the original on 28 July 2011.
- ^ "305 jobs to go at Indesit factory". BBC News. 3 March 2009. Retrieved 31 March 2018.
- ^ "Kilvey Hill transmitter group". Digital UK. 2009. Archived from the original on 7 August 2009.
- ^ "Welsh Assembly Government And Local Governments Sign Up To A New Understanding". eGovmonitor.com. 13 November 2009. Archived from the original on 16 November 2009.
- ^ "More powers for Wales says report". BBC News. 18 November 2009.
- ^ "Carwyn Jones clinches leadership in Wales". WalesOnline. Media Wales. 1 December 2009.
- ^ "'Guarantee' fire-hit Afan Lido to be replaced". BBC News. 17 December 2009.
- ^ "Crater in car park investigated". BBC News. 31 December 2009.
- ^ "First Kyffin art prize is awarded". BBC News. 25 October 2009.
- ^ "BBC Cardiff Singer of the World – 2009 competition". BBC News. Archived from the original on 26 June 2009.
- ^ Jed Distler. "J.S. Bach: Goldbergs on harp/Finch". Classics Today. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Review - Rhydian: O Fortuna". OK magazine. 1 December 2009. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Derwyddon Dr Gonzo - Stonk!". BBC Radio Cymru (in Welsh). Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ Emily Woodrow (13 October 2009). "Only Men Aloud! wowed the crowd at new album's launch". WalesOnline. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Album Review - Super Furry Animals". NME. Archived from the original on 2012-10-11. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ "Comic Relief 2009 presents 'Barry Islands in the Stream'". Tom Jones. Retrieved 15 July 2024.
- ^ Lyn Gardner (5 November 2009). "National Theatre of Wales: by the people, for the people". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ^ Rygbi
- ^ "BBC One - Coal House". Retrieved 4 September 2019.
- ^ "Burton tribute 10km run success". BBC News. 11 January 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ^ "BBC Wales Sport Personality winners". BBC Sport. Retrieved 2 August 2021.
- ^ "Colli 'un o eiconau'r genedl'" (in Welsh). BBC Cymru. 17 September 2019.
- ^ "Eluned Phillips: The only woman poet to have won the National Eisteddfod's Crown twice", The Independent obituary, 13 February 2009 Archived 22 May 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed 19 August 2015
- ^ Burgess, Kaya (14 January 2009). "Sir Dai Llewellyn dies aged 62". The Times. London. Retrieved 14 January 2009.[dead link]
- ^ Mat Kendrick (22 January 2009). "Ex-Villa manager Vic Crowe dies". Birmingham Mail. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ "Sir Bernard Ashley". The Telegraph. 15 February 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ "Ex-Glam star Holmes dies". South Wales Argus. 24 March 2009. Retrieved 17 September 2019.
- ^ "Major Sean Birchall killed in Afghanistan". gov.uk. Retrieved 8 September 2018.
- ^ "Daughter of Dylan Thomas has died". BBC. 28 July 2009. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ^ "Dic Jones: Archdruid of Wales and master poet in the strict metres of". The Independent. 2009-08-21. Archived from the original on 2022-05-01. Retrieved 2017-09-14.
- ^ "Obituaries". Daily Telegraph. No. 47, 985. 11 September 2009. p. 31.
- ^ "Professor Sir David Williams: legal scholar". The Times. 22 September 2009. Retrieved 28 March 2019.
- ^ Colin Gleadell (7 Jun 2010) "Stanley Lewis: the artist who found fame at 101", The Telegraph. Retrieved 2014-01-04.
- ^ "Obituary for Helen Watts". The Guardian. 15 October 2009.
- ^ "Sir Bryan Hopkin". www.telegraph.co.uk. 23 November 2009.
- ^ "Obituary – Patrick Hannan". The Daily Telegraph. 11 October 2009. Retrieved 10 October 2009.
- ^ "Orig Williams: Welsh wrestler". The Times. 23 November 2009. Archived from the original on May 24, 2010. Retrieved 18 April 2010.
- ^ "TGH James". The Daily Telegraph. 25 February 2010. Retrieved 25 July 2010.
- ^ Richard E. Huws. "Evans, Maldwyn Lewis ('Mal') (1937-2009), champion bowler". Dictionary of Welsh Biography. National Library of Wales. Retrieved 18 April 2019.