David Alun Williams, OBE (26 August 1920 – 30 March 1992) was a

Welsh 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 ...

radio presenter who became one of the best known voices on

BBC radio BBC Radio is an operational business division and service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (which has operated in the United Kingdom under the terms of a royal charter since 1927). The service provides national radio stations covering th ...

when he commentated on events such as the

Coronation A coronation is the act of placement or bestowal of a coronation crown, crown upon a monarch's head. The term also generally refers not only to the physical crowning but to the whole ceremony wherein the act of crowning occurs, along with the ...

in 1953 and sports events including

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) *** Wheelchair rugby league ** Rugby union: 1 ...

, swimming and the

Olympic Games The modern Olympic Games or Olympics (french: link=no, Jeux olympiques) are the leading international sporting events featuring summer and winter sports competitions in which thousands of athletes from around the world participate in a var ...

Life and career

Alun Williams was born in

Port Talbot Port Talbot (, ) is a town and community in the county borough of Neath Port Talbot, Wales, situated on the east side of Swansea Bay, approximately from Swansea. The Port Talbot Steelworks covers a large area of land which dominates the south ...

South Wales South Wales ( cy, De Cymru) is a loosely defined region of Wales bordered by England to the east and mid Wales to the north. Generally considered to include the historic counties of Glamorgan and Monmouthshire, south Wales extends westwards ...

, the son of a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a part of the Reformed tradition within Protestantism that broke from the Roman Catholic Church in Scotland by John Knox, who was a priest at St. Giles Cathedral (Church of Scotland). Presbyterian churches derive their nam ...

minister. He was educated at

Llandeilo Llandeilo () is a town and community in Carmarthenshire, Wales, situated at the crossing of the River Towy by the A483 on a 19th-century stone bridge. Its population was 1,795 at the 2011 Census. It is adjacent to the westernmost point of the B ...

Grammar School,

Pontypridd () (colloquially: Ponty) is a town and a community in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wales. Geography comprises the electoral wards of , Hawthorn, Pontypridd Town, 'Rhondda', Rhydyfelin Central/Ilan ( Rhydfelen), Trallwng (Trallwn) and Treforest (). The ...

Grammar School and

University College, Cardiff , latin_name = , image_name = Shield of the University of Cardiff.svg , image_size = 150px , caption = Coat of arms of Cardiff University , motto = cy, Gwirionedd, Undod a Chytgord , mottoeng = Truth, Unity and Concord , established = 1 ...

. He then served in the

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the United Kingdom's naval warfare force. Although warships were used by English and Scottish kings from the early medieval period, the first major maritime engagements were fought in the Hundred Years' War against F ...

, rising from ordinary seaman to become an intelligence officer serving in the

Far East The ''Far East'' was a European term to refer to the geographical regions that includes East and Southeast Asia as well as the Russian Far East to a lesser extent. South Asia is sometimes also included for economic and cultural reasons. The ter ...

. He began his broadcasting career when he was a student and after working as an outside broadcast assistant became a commentator for the BBC. He introduced many successful radio programmes in the 1950s including ''

Welsh Rarebit Welsh rarebit or Welsh rabbit ( or ) is a dish consisting of a hot Cheese sauce, cheese-based sauce served over slices of Toast (food), toasted bread. The original 18th-century name of the dish was the jocular "Welsh rabbit", which was later fo ...

'' and '' Workers' Playtime'', and went on to present a number of long-running programmes in both English and Welsh on Radio Wales and Radio Cymru including Dewch am Dro, One Good Turn, On the Road, Monday Morning Miscellany, Alun yn Galw and Shw Mai Heno He was a familiar face on television in Wales and for many years was one of the presenters of Come Dancing. He was a member of the Gorsedd with the pseudonym 'Crwydryn' (Wanderer) – a reference to the extensive travelling he undertook during his career, touring with the Welsh rugby team and British Lions, presenting Forces' Chance and covering the Olympic and Commonwealth Games. He was made an officer of the

Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

(OBE) for services to broadcasting in 1982. He was married to Perrie Hopkin Morris, daughter of Liberal MP Sir

Rhys Hopkin Morris Sir Rhys Hopkin Morris (5 September 1888 – 22 November 1956) was a Wales, Welsh Liberal Party (UK), Liberal politician who was a Member of Parliament (United Kingdom), Member of Parliament from 1923–1932 and from 1945–1956. Ear ...

and his wife Gwladys.

References

1920 births 1992 deaths Welsh-speaking journalists People from Port Talbot Welsh journalists Welsh radio presenters Welsh cricket commentators BBC sports presenters and reporters Alumni of Cardiff University People educated at Pontypridd High School {{Wales-writer-stub