DAVIES, HYWEL (1919 - 1965), broadcaster

Born in Llandysul, Cardiganshire, 2 February 1919, one of the four children of Ben Davies, Congl. minister and Sarah his wife. He was educated at Llandeilo grammar school and the University of Edinburgh, where he graduated M.A. with honours in English literature.

He first intended becoming a business man and was employed by the Lewis Co. of Manchester, but in 1942 he became an announcer and news reader for the B.B.C in London and subsequently editor of Welsh news. From 1946 onwards he was at Cardiff serving successively as organiser, deputy head and, from 1958 till his death, head of programmes. In 1961 a Ford Foundation scholarship enabled him to travel extensively in the U.S.A.

Hywel Davies was an excellent organiser and became well known throughout the U.K. as a radio broadcaster and later as an interviewer in television programmes. In 1959 he and the producer, David J. Thomas, won an award for their programme ' Out of this world ' in an international competition in Monte Carlo. Again, in 1962, he was the interviewer in the programme ' It happened to me ', which was successful in the same competition. He was praised for his television broadcasts from the International Eisteddfod at Llangollen and won the praise and admiration of viewers in every part of the U.K. for his work as interviewer in the series ' At home '. In January 1965 the B.B.C. published the lecture which he delivered on ' The role of the regions in British broadcasting ' in the series of lunch-time lectures in the B.B.C. headquarters in London. The same year he was honoured with an O.B.E. a few months before he died, 16 October 1965. His widow, Lorraine, was organiser of ' Awr y plant ' and chief producer on Radio B.B.C. Cymru.

Author

• Dr Owen Edwards

Sources

• Personal knowledge
• Portreadau'r Faner, ii, 21-2

Further Reading

• Wikipedia Article: Hywel Davies

Images

• Geoff Charles, B.B.C. outside broadcast unit at the Llangollen Eisteddfod, one of their first big ventures
• Geoff Charles, Eisteddfod Genedlaethol yr Urdd, Rhuthun 1962

Additional Links

• Wikidata: Q20733249

Published date: 2001

Article Copyright: http://rightsstatements.org/page/InC/1.0/