Arfon Haines Davies (born 1948) [1] is a Welsh television presenter who began his career as a continuity announcer for HTV Wales (now part of ITV Cymru Wales) during the 1970s and 1980s.
Haines-Davies comes from Aberystwyth and studied drama in London. He began work as an announcer for HTV Wales in 1975 while still at college, after his sister had seen an advert in a Welsh language magazine and encouraged him to apply. [2] He continued in this role for the next 18 years, additionally presenting a variety of television shows in English and Welsh. [2] Continuity announcers appeared on screen during his period in the role, hence Haines Davies was one of ITV's most familiar faces. [3] He is still presenting programmes, notably with the ITV series Never To Be Forgotten in 2008. [4]
Haines-Davies was one of the people honoured by the Gorsedd of Bards at the 2014 National Eisteddfod of Wales for his contribution to Welsh language and culture. [5]
In Welsh culture, an eisteddfod is a festival with several ranked competitions, including in poetry and music. The term eisteddfod, which is formed from the Welsh morphemes: eistedd, meaning 'sit', and fod, meaning 'be', means, according to Hywel Teifi Edwards, "sitting-together." Edwards further defines the earliest form of the eisteddfod as a competitive meeting between bards and minstrels, in which the winner was chosen by a noble or royal patron.
Ioan Gruffudd is a Welsh actor. He first came to public attention as Fifth Officer Harold Lowe in Titanic (1997), and then for his portrayal of Horatio Hornblower in the Hornblower series of television films (1998–2003). Subsequent roles have included Lancelot in King Arthur (2004), Reed Richards/Mister Fantastic in Fantastic Four (2005) and its sequel (2007), William Wilberforce in Amazing Grace (2006), and Tony Blair in W. (2008).
Archdruid is the title used by the presiding official of 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 Prose Medal and the Chairing of the Bard. Although Iolo Morganwg was the first to preside over the Gorsedd when the National Eisteddfod came into being, his successor David Griffith, under the bardic name "Clwydfardd", was the first to be known by the official title "Archdruid".
Matthew Rhys Evans is a Welsh actor. He is known for playing Kevin Walker in Brothers & Sisters (2006–2011) and Philip Jennings in The Americans (2013–2018), for which he received two Golden Globe Award nominations and a Primetime Emmy Award. In film, he appeared as Dylan Thomas in the film The Edge of Love (2008) and as Daniel Ellsberg in the film The Post (2017) and starred in A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood (2019). In 2020, he starred in the lead role on the HBO period series Perry Mason, for which he received his third Golden Globe Award nomination for Best Actor – Television Series Drama.
The National Eisteddfod of Wales is the most important of several eisteddfodau that are held annually, mostly in Wales. Its eight days of competitions and performances are considered the largest music and poetry festival in Europe. Competitors typically number 6,000 or more, and overall attendance generally exceeds 150,000 visitors. The 2018 Eisteddfod was held in Cardiff Bay with a fence-free 'Maes'. In 2020 the event was held virtually under the name AmGen; events were held over a one-week period.
The West Tonight was a regional news programme for the West of England, produced by ITV West.
Sir (Albert) Cynan Evans-Jones CBE, more commonly known within Wales by his bardic name of Cynan, was a Welsh war poet and dramatist.
Sue Powell-Reed was a Welsh Radio & Television Broadcaster and now heads up two corporate companies, Vibe Live Limited and SSC Europe Limited.
Margaret Pritchard is a former Welsh radio and television broadcaster, best known for her work at HTV Wales. She was born in Bethesda in Gwynedd and is a first language Welsh speaker. She attended the Welsh College of Music and Drama and later gained a degree in Social Science.
Andrew M. Green was the librarian at the National Library of Wales in Aberystwyth from 1998 to 2013. His predecessor was J. Lionel Madden. The role has been influential in Wales, since John Ballinger first took up the position in 1909.
Orig Williams was a Welsh professional wrestler and wrestling promoter. Williams spent his wrestling career in the persona of a villainous heel under the pseudonym "El Bandito", and after retiring as a fighter he became a promoter, manager and television presenter. He is recognised as one of the most famous wrestlers to come from Wales.
Charlotte Alexandra Jones is a Welsh television presenter, best known for co-presenting the BBC One magazine programme The One Show.
Howell Elvet Lewis, widely known by his bardic name Elfed, was a Welsh Congregational minister, hymn-writer, and devotional poet, who served as Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales from 1924 to 1928.
David Griffith, known by the bardic name of "Clwydfardd", was a Welsh poet and Archdruid of the National Eisteddfod of Wales.
Mai Davies is a Welsh journalist and television presenter.
Tara Bethan Williams is a Welsh actress, singer and presenter.
Huw Llywelyn Davies is a Welsh broadcaster and rugby union commentator.
This is a timeline of the history of television in Wales.
Gorsedd Cymru, or simply the Gorsedd or the Orsedd, is a society of Welsh-language poets, writers, musicians and others who have contributed to the Welsh language and to public life in Wales. Its aim is to honour such individuals and help develop and promote their fields in addition to maintaining relationships with other Celtic nations and Y Wladfa. The Gorsedd is most prominent at the National Eisteddfod of Wales where it is responsible for the main ceremonies held.