This article is about the particular significance of the year 2003 to
Wales
Wales ( cy, Cymru ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It is bordered by England to the east, the Irish Sea to the north and west, the Celtic Sea to the south west and the Bristol Channel to the south. It had a population in ...
and
its people.
Incumbents
*
First Minister
A first minister is any of a variety of leaders of government cabinets. The term literally has the same meaning as "prime minister" but is typically chosen to distinguish the office-holder from a superior prime minister. Currently the title of ' ...
–
Rhodri Morgan
Hywel Rhodri Morgan (29 September 1939 – 17 May 2017) was a Welsh Labour politician who was the First Minister of Wales and the Leader of Welsh Labour from 2000 to 2009. He was also the Assembly Member for Cardiff West from 1999 to 2011 and ...
*
Secretary of State for Wales
The secretary of state for Wales ( cy, ysgrifennydd gwladol Cymru), also referred to as the Welsh secretary, is a secretary of state in the Government of the United Kingdom, with responsibility for the Wales Office. The incumbent is a member ...
–
Peter Hain
Peter Gerald Hain, Baron Hain (born 16 February 1950), is a British politician who served as Secretary of State for Northern Ireland from 2005 to 2007, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions from 2007 to 2008 and twice as Secretary of State ...
*
Archbishop of Wales
The post of Archbishop of Wales was created in 1920 when the Church in Wales was separated from the Church of England and disestablished. The four historic Welsh dioceses had previously formed part of the Province of Canterbury, and so came unde ...
–
Barry Morgan,
Bishop of Llandaff
The Bishop of Llandaff is the ordinary of the Church in Wales Diocese of Llandaff.
Area of authority
The diocese covers most of the County of Glamorgan. The bishop's seat is in the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul (the site of ...
(elected)
*
Archdruid
Archdruid () is the title used by the presiding official of Gorsedd Cymru, the Gorsedd.
The Archdruid presides over the most important ceremonies at the National Eisteddfod of Wales including the Crowning of the Bard, the award of the and the C ...
of the
National Eisteddfod of Wales –
Robyn Llŷn
Events
*February – Former Conservative Assembly leader
Rod Richards
Roderick Richards (12 March 1947 – 13 July 2019) was a British politician. He was a Conservative before joining UKIP in 2013. He was the Conservative Member of Parliament for Clwyd North West, in Wales, from 1992 to 1997, when he lost his ...
is declared bankrupt with debts estimated at over £300,000.
*
27 February –
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, (born 14 June 1950) is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet. He was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, a position he held from December 2002 to December 2012. Previously the Bish ...
is enthroned as
Archbishop of Canterbury.
Dominic Walker is installed as his replacement as
Bishop of Monmouth.
*
9 March
Events Pre-1600
* 141 BC – Liu Che, posthumously known as Emperor Wu of Han, assumes the throne over the Han dynasty of China.
* 1009 – First known mention of Lithuania, in the annals of the monastery of Quedlinburg.
*1226 &ndash ...
–
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
Events Pre-1600
* 845 – Paris is sacked by Viking raiders, probably under Ragnar Lodbrok, who collects a huge ransom in exchange for leaving.
*1430 – The Ottoman Empire under Murad II captures Thessalonica from the Republic of V ...
–
Porthmadog
Porthmadog (; ), originally Portmadoc until 1974 and locally as "Port", is a Welsh coastal town and community in the Eifionydd area of Gwynedd and the historic county of Caernarfonshire. It lies east of Criccieth, south-west of Blaenau Ff ...
Cob is bought by the
Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh may refer to:
Related to Wales
* Welsh, referring or related to Wales
* Welsh language, a Brittonic Celtic language spoken in Wales
* Welsh people
People
* Welsh (surname)
* Sometimes used as a synonym for the ancient Britons (Celtic peop ...
and the road toll is discontinued after 192 years.
*
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
Plaid Cymru ( ; ; officially Plaid Cymru – the Party of Wales, often referred to simply as Plaid) is a centre-left to left-wing, Welsh nationalist political party in Wales, committed to Welsh independence from the United Kingdom.
Plaid wa ...
,
Ieuan Wyn Jones
Ieuan Wyn Jones (born 22 May 1949) is a Welsh politician who was the Deputy First Minister in the Welsh Government from 2007 to 2011. He was the Member of the Senedd for the Ynys Môn constituency from 1999 to 2013, and he was also leader of P ...
stands down as party president and leader of the assembly group.
*
19 June
Events Pre-1600
* 325 – The original Nicene Creed is adopted at the First Council of Nicaea.
* 1179 – The Battle of Kalvskinnet takes place outside Nidaros (now Trondheim), Norway. Earl Erling Skakke is killed, and the battle chan ...
–
Prince William of Wales visits Bangor and
Anglesey
Anglesey (; cy, (Ynys) Môn ) is an island off the north-west coast of Wales. It forms a principal area known as the Isle of Anglesey, that includes Holy Island across the narrow Cymyran Strait and some islets and skerries. Anglesey island ...
, to mark his 21st birthday (on 21 June).
*August
**
National Eisteddfod of Wales held at
Meifod.
**A memorial to
Owain Lawgoch
Owain Lawgoch ( en, Owain of the Red Hand, french: Yvain de Galles), full name Owain ap Thomas ap Rhodri (July 1378), was a Welsh soldier who served in Lombardy, France, Alsace, and Switzerland. He led a Free Company fighting for the French agai ...
is unveiled at
Mortagne-sur-Gironde,
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
.
*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 by a German U-boat.
*November –
Michael Howard becomes leader of the Conservative Party.
*December
**
Dafydd Wigley
Dafydd Wynne Wigley, Baron Wigley, (born David Wigley; 1 April 1943) is a Welsh politician. He served as Plaid Cymru Member of Parliament (MP) for Caernarfon from 1974 until 2001 and as Assembly Member for Caernarfon from 1999 until 2003. He w ...
is appointed Pro-Chancellor of the
University of Wales
, latin_name =
, image =
, caption = Coat of Arms
, motto = cy, Goreu Awen Gwirionedd
, mottoeng = The Best Inspiration is Truth
, established =
,
, type = Confederal, non-member ...
.
**
Aberllefenni Slate Quarry ceases working.
*
7 December
Events Pre-1600
*43 BC – Marcus Tullius Cicero is assassinated in Formia on orders of Marcus Antonius.
* 574 – Byzantine Emperor Justin II, suffering recurring seizures of insanity, adopts his general Tiberius and proclaims him ...
– The
Wales & Borders
Wales and Borders was a train operating company in the United Kingdom owned by National Express that operated the Wales & Borders franchise from October 2001 until December 2003.
History
In October 1996, the Valley Lines franchise commenced oper ...
train operating franchise is awarded for a 15-year period to
Arriva Trains Wales.
*
North Hoyle Offshore Wind Farm commences operation.
*The former
Brains Brewery
Brains (S. A. Brain & Company Ltd.) is a regional brewery based in Cardiff, Wales. It was founded in 1882 by Samuel Arthur Brain. The company controls more than 250 pubs in South Wales (particularly in Cardiff), Mid Wales and the West Country. ...
site in
Cardiff
Cardiff (; cy, Caerdydd ) is the capital and largest city of Wales. It forms a principal area, officially known as the City and County of Cardiff ( cy, Dinas a Sir Caerdydd, links=no), and the city is the eleventh-largest in the United Kingd ...
is redeveloped into the "Old Brewery Quarter".
*Veteran Cardiff politician
Stefan Terlezki
Stefan Terlezki, (29 October 1927 – 21 February 2006) was a British Conservative politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Cardiff West from 1983 to 1987. Terlezki was born in Antonivka, a village near the town of Tlumach i ...
goes to the European Parliament to press the case for eventual Ukrainian membership of the European Union.
*In
Channel 4
Channel 4 is a British free-to-air public broadcast television network operated by the state-owned Channel Four Television Corporation. It began its transmission on 2 November 1982 and was established to provide a fourth television service ...
's
100 Worst Britons poll (which includes only living people), the following entries have Welsh connections:
**
H from Steps – 8
**
Charlotte Church – 21
**The Prince of Wales (now
Charles III
Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person t ...
) – 24
**
Catherine Zeta-Jones
Catherine Zeta-Jones (; born 25 September 1969) is a Welsh actress. Known for her versatility, she is the recipient of various accolades, including an Academy Award, a British Academy Film Award, and a Tony Award. In 2010, she was appointed C ...
– 39
**
Lawrence Llewelyn-Bowen – 42
**
Vinnie Jones
Vincent Peter Jones (born 5 January 1965) is a British actor, presenter, and former professional footballer.
Jones played professionally as a defensive midfielder from 1984 to 1999, notably for Wimbledon, Leeds United, Sheffield United, Chels ...
– 61
**
Tom Jones – 72
*The North Wales edition of the ''
Daily Post'' separates from the ''
Liverpool Daily Post
The ''Liverpool Post'' was a newspaper published by Trinity Mirror in Liverpool, Merseyside, England. The newspaper and its website ceased publication on 19 December 2013.
Until 13 January 2012 it was a daily morning newspaper, with the ti ...
''.
Arts and literature
Awards
*
Glyndŵr Award –
Elinor Bennett
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Chair –
Twm Morys
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Crown –
Mererid Hopwood
Mererid Hopwood (born February 1964) is a Welsh people, Welsh poet. She became in 2001 the first woman to win the bardic chair at the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Teaching
Originally from Cardiff, Hopwood graduated with first-class honours in ...
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Prose Medal –
Cefin Roberts
*National Eisteddfod of Wales: Music Medal –
Owain Llwyd
*
Wales Book of the Year
The 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. Established in 1992, the awards are currently ad ...
:
**English language: ''
Sugar and Slate'' –
Charlotte Williams
**Welsh language: ''O! Tyn y Gorchudd – Hunangofiant Rebecca Jones'' –
Angharad Price
*Gwobr Goffa
Daniel Owen
Daniel Owen (20 October 1836 – 22 October 1895) was a Welsh novelist. He is generally regarded as the foremost Welsh-language novelist of the 19th century, and as the first significant novelist to write in Welsh.
Early life
Daniel Owen was bor ...
–
Elfyn Pritchard, ''Pan ddaw'r dydd''
*
John Tripp Award for Spoken Poetry:
Emily Hinshelwood
New books
English language
*
Damian Walford Davies – ''Echoes to the Amen: Essays after R.S. Thomas''
*
Rhys Hughes
Rhys Henry Hughes (born 1966, Cardiff, Wales) is a Welsh fantasy writer and essayist.
Career
Born in Cardiff, Hughes has written in a variety of forms, from short stories to novels.
His long novel ''Engelbrecht Again!'' is a sequel to Mauric ...
– ''The Percolated Stars''
*
Bernice Rubens – ''The Sergeants' Tale''
*
Rowan Williams
Rowan Douglas Williams, Baron Williams of Oystermouth, (born 14 June 1950) is a Welsh Anglican bishop, theologian and poet. He was the 104th Archbishop of Canterbury, a position he held from December 2002 to December 2012. Previously the Bish ...
– ''Poems of Rowan Williams''
Welsh language
*
Bobi Jones
Robert Maynard Jones (20 May 1929 – 22 November 2017), generally known as Bobi Jones, was a Welsh Christian academic and one of the most prolific writers in the history of the Welsh language. A versatile master of poetry, fictional prose and cri ...
– ''
Beirniadaeth Gyfansawdd – Fframwaith Cyflawn Beirniadaeth Lenyddol''
*
Gerwyn Williams – ''
Tafarn Tawelwch''
Music
Albums
*
Huw Chiswell – ''Dere Nawr''
*
Elin Fflur
Elin Fflur Llewelyn Harvey (''née'' Jones; born 26 July 1984), known professionally as Elin Fflur, is a Welsh singer-songwriter, television and radio presenter.
Early life
Fflur was born in Llanfairpwllgwyngyll, Anglesey and was the oldest o ...
– ''
Dim Gair (No Words)''
*
Catrin Finch
Catrin Ana Finch is a Welsh harpist, arranger and composer. 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 in London. ...
– ''Crossing the Stone''
*
Funeral for a Friend
Funeral for a Friend are a Welsh post-hardcore band from Bridgend, formed in 2001 and currently consists of Matthew Davies-Kreye (lead vocals), Kris Coombs-Roberts (guitar, backing vocals), Gavin Burrough (guitar, backing vocals), Darran Smit ...
– ''
Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation
''Casually Dressed & Deep in Conversation'' is the debut studio album by Welsh rock band Funeral for a Friend. It was released on 13 October 2003 through Atlantic Records and was produced by Colin Richardson with co-production by the band themse ...
''
*
Jakokoyak – ''Am Cyfan Dy Pethau Prydferth''
*
Karl Jenkins
Sir Karl William Pamp Jenkins (born 17 February 1944) is a Welsh multi-instrumentalist and composer. His best known works include the song " Adiemus" and the ''Adiemus'' album series; '' Palladio''; ''The Armed Man''; and his ''Requiem''.
J ...
– ''
Adiemus V: Vocalise''
*
Stereophonics – ''
You Gotta Go There to Come Back''
*
Thighpaulsandra
Timothy Lewis – best known by the stage name Thighpaulsandra – is a Welsh experimental musician and multi-instrumentalist, known mostly for performing on synthesizers and keyboards. He began his career working with Julian Cope in the late 1 ...
– ''Double Vulgar''
Theatre
*
Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru
Theatr Genedlaethol Cymru is the Welsh language national theatre of Wales, founded in 2003. It has a counterpart in National Theatre Wales, the English language national theatre company of Wales, founded in 2009. Together the two theatre companie ...
established
Film
English-language films
*
Michael Sheen
Michael Christopher Sheen OBE (born 5 February 1969) is a Welsh actor, television producer and political activist. After training at London's Royal Academy of Dramatic Art (RADA), he worked mainly in theatre throughout the 1990s with stage rol ...
stars in ''
Underworld
The underworld, also known as the netherworld or hell, is the supernatural world of the dead in various religious traditions and myths, located below the world of the living. Chthonic is the technical adjective for things of the underwor ...
''.
Welsh-language films
*''Y Mabinogi''
Broadcasting
Welsh-language television
*''
Wawffactor'' is
S4C's answer to ''
Pop Idol
''Pop Idol'' is a British music competition television series created by Simon Fuller which ran on ITV from 2001 to 2003. The aim of the show was to decide the best new young pop singer (or "pop idol") in the UK based on viewer voting and par ...
''.
*''
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
Paul Rhys (born 19 December 1963) is a Welsh theatre, television and film actor.
Early life
Rhys was born in Neath to working class Catholic parents, Kathryn Ivory and her husband Richard Charles Rhys, a labourer. At fourteen, he bred and train ...
star in the award-winning TV drama, ''The Deal''
*''The Story of Welsh'' presented by
Huw Edwards
Huw Edwards (; born 18 August 1961) is a Welsh journalist, presenter, and newsreader. Edwards presents ''BBC News at Ten'', the corporation's flagship news broadcast.
Edwards also presents BBC coverage of state events, international events, th ...
*''Quest For Perfection'', written and presented by
Russell Davies
Robert Russell Davies (born 5 April 1946) is a British journalist and broadcaster.
Davies was born in Barmouth, North Wales. He attended Manchester Grammar School, according to his own statement on a November 2010 ''Brain of Britain'' programme ...
on
BBC Four
*
Jamie Baulch
James Stephen Baulch (born 3 May 1973) is a retired Welsh sprint athlete and television presenter. He won the 400 metres gold medal at the 1999 World Indoor Championships. As a member of British 4 × 400 metres relay teams, he won a gold medal ...
finishes third in the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
'' programme.
. In the group stages Wales defeat
37–53 to qualify for the knockout stages. The team lose to
title.