1987 in Wales

← 1986 1985 1984 1987 in Wales → 1988 1989 1990
Centuries:	18th 19th 20th 21st
Decades:	1960s 1970s 1980s 1990s 2000s
See also:	List of years in Wales 1987 in The United Kingdom England Ireland Scotland

This article is about the particular significance of the year 1987 to Wales and its people.

Incumbents

• Prince of Wales – Charles
• Princess of Wales – Diana
• Secretary of State for Wales – Nicholas Edward (until 13 June); Peter Walker
• Archbishop of Wales – George Noakes, Bishop of St David's (elected)
• Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales
  • Elerydd (outgoing)
  • Emrys Deudraeth (incoming)

Events

• 12 January - The lowest daytime maximum temperature ever recorded in Wales (-8.0 °C) is recorded at Trecastle, Powys.
• 5 March - The High Court declares Dorothy Squires a vexatious litigant.
• 24 May - Neil Kinnock is interviewed by David Frost about Labour's defence policy and plans for government.
• 28 May - The Mametz Wood Memorial, sculpted by David Petersen, is unveiled in Cardiff.
• 11 June - In the general election
  • Plaid Cymru's Ieuan Wyn Jones wins the seat of Ynys Môn from the Conservatives. Plaid retain their other two parliamentary seats.
  • Alun Michael replaces James Callaghan as MP for Cardiff South.
  • Labour's Paul Flynn wins back Newport West from the Conservatives.
• 11 July - The Mametz Wood Memorial is dedicated at the site of the Royal Welch Fusiliers battle of 1916.
• October
  • Flooding affects many parts of Wales. Four people are killed when the Glanrhyd Bridge collapses; a train falling into the River Tywi.
  • Keith Best, former Conservative MP for Ynys Môn, is sentenced to four months' imprisonment for share-dealing activities, but only serves five days.
• 22 November - The Welsh language is used within the Vatican for the first time on an official occasion, as part of a beatification ceremony for three Welsh martyrs.
• 3 December - Indian classical musician Ram Narayan records his album Rag Lalit at Wyastone Leys near Monmouth.
• A planning application is turned down at Llanrhaeadr, Clwyd, on the grounds that it would be detrimental to the Welsh language. It is the first time such a decision has ever been made.
• The Roman Catholic Church in Wales creates a new Diocese of Wrexham and moves the Diocese of Menevia to Swansea.
• Creation of the Cardiff Bay Development Corporation.
• Roy Jenkins becomes Baron Jenkins of Hillhead and is elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford.
• Chris Loyn establishes the architectural practice Loyn & Co.
• The National Trust buys Dinefwr Park in Llandeilo, including the deer park.
• Oakwood Theme Park at Narberth opened.

Arts and literature

• MusicFest Aberystwyth is founded by cellist Nicholas Jones.
• Jim Burns becomes the first non-American to win the Hugo Award for Best Professional Artist.

Awards

• National Eisteddfod of Wales (held in Porthmadog)
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair - Ieuan Wyn
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown - John Griffith Jones
• National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal - Margiad Williams

New books

• Dannie Abse - Ask the Bloody Horse
• Euros Bowen - Oes y Medwsa
• Rees Davies - Wales: The Age Of Conquest, 1063-1415
• Stephen Gregory - The Cormorant
• Douglas Houston - With the Offal Eaters
• Dafydd Glyn Jones - Drych yr Amseroedd
• Nesta Wyn Jones - Rhwng Chwerthin a Chrio
• Alan Llwyd - Barddoniaeth y Chwedegau
• Gwylon Phillips - Llofruddiaeth Shadrach Lewis
• J. Beverley Smith - Llywelyn ap Gruffudd
• Frances Thomas - Seeing Things
• Peter Thomas - Strangers from a Secret Land
• R. S. Thomas - Welsh Airs
• Rhydwen Williams - Amser i Wylo

Music

• The Alarm - Eye Of The Hurricane (album)
• Anrhefn - Defaid Skateboard a Wellies
• Y Cyrff - Y Testament Newydd (EP)
• Frank Hennessy - Thoughts and Memories (album)
• Karl Wallinger - Private Revolution (album)

Film

• Timothy Dalton makes his debut as James Bond in The Living Daylights.

Broadcasting

English-language radio

• John Humphrys becomes a regular presenter on BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

Welsh-language television

• Ioan Gruffudd joins the cast of Pobol y Cwm.

Sport

• BBC Wales Sports Personality of the Year - Ian Woosnam.
• Golf - David Llewellyn and Ian Woosnam win golf's World Cup in Hawaii.
• Rugby union
  • Wales finish 4th in the 1987 Five Nations Championship with just a single win, over England.
  • Wales finish third, their best ever position, in the first Rugby World Cup.
  • 5 April - Pontypool Park hosts the first international for the Wales women's national rugby union team who lose 22-4 to England.^[1]
• Skiing - Dry ski slope opened on the Great Orme at Llandudno.

Births

• 9 January - Bradley Davies, rugby union player
• 21 January - Joe Ledley, footballer
• 24 January - Wayne Hennessey, footballer
• 14 February - Lee Selby, World champion boxer
• 24 March - Rob Davies, footballer
• 27 March - Adam Davies, footballer
• April - Hannah Stone, harpist
• 8 May - Aneurin Barnard, actor
• 4 September - Mike O'Shea, cricketer
• 29 September - Claire Williams, athlete
• 30 November - Victoria Thornley, Olympic rower
• 17 December - Bradley Manning, American soldier (educated in Haverfordwest)
• date unknown - Alexandra Roach, actress

Deaths

• 5 January - Brinley Williams, Wales dual-code rugby international, 91
• 21 January - Donald Holroyde Hey, chemist, 83
• 4 February - Wynford Vaughan-Thomas, writer and broadcaster, 78
• 4 April - Richard Ithamar Aaron, philosopher, 85
• 13 April - Alfred Evans, Labour MP, 73
• 19 April - Stan Richards, footballer, 70
• 22 May - Keidrych Rhys, poet and editor
• 22 June - William Price, footballer, 83
• 4 September - Richard Marquand, film director, 49 (stroke)
• August - Dorothy Rees, politician, 89
• 11 September - Hugh David, television director, 62
• 25 September - Emlyn Williams, dramatist and actor, 81
• 5 November - Howard Davies, rugby player, 70
• 27 December - Anna Eliza Williams, oldest documented person in the world, 114
• date unknown - Albert Clifford Williams, politician, Labour MP for Abertillery 1965–1970

Notes