0:00:05 > 0:00:07In the '90s, Wales came of age.
0:00:07 > 0:00:10From diversity of language and culture, to nationhood.
0:00:10 > 0:00:13It was a true transformation.
0:00:13 > 0:00:15Behind it were men and women with vision.
0:00:15 > 0:00:18Passionate for what they believed in.
0:00:18 > 0:00:21I felt my society really did help
0:00:21 > 0:00:25some people re-identify with their Welshness.
0:00:27 > 0:00:31Having your own culture makes you confident.
0:00:31 > 0:00:35And you're then open to other people's cultures.
0:00:37 > 0:00:39It just gave us a voice, where we didn't have.
0:00:39 > 0:00:42We would have blended into the massive mix of stuff.
0:00:42 > 0:00:45It was the best decision, that as a nation, we made.
0:00:46 > 0:00:49This is the story of how Wales forged a new identity
0:00:49 > 0:00:53through people with conviction
0:00:53 > 0:00:54who created a nation for all.
0:01:02 > 0:01:04The '90s was a decade of achievements
0:01:04 > 0:01:08that laid the foundation of modern Wales.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11There was a growing sense of national self-confidence,
0:01:11 > 0:01:14reflected in culture and social diversity.
0:01:17 > 0:01:18The site of Welsh in public life
0:01:18 > 0:01:22was enriched in the Welsh Language Act of 1993.
0:01:25 > 0:01:28And successors in the media and education policy
0:01:28 > 0:01:31gave a brighter outlook for the young, bilingual generation.
0:01:33 > 0:01:38Our very own One Show presenter Alex Jones grew up in Carmarthenshire,
0:01:38 > 0:01:41fluent in English and Welsh.
0:01:41 > 0:01:43I love being bilingual.
0:01:43 > 0:01:45It's really important to me.
0:01:45 > 0:01:49It's a big part of my identity, that I'm a Welsh speaker.
0:01:49 > 0:01:53And, for me, it's always been key to who I am.
0:01:53 > 0:01:55It's how I've made friends.
0:01:55 > 0:01:57It's how I've been educated.
0:01:57 > 0:01:58It's how I've socialised.
0:01:58 > 0:02:01It's how I've grown into myself as a person, as an adult.
0:02:02 > 0:02:06And, you know, it's what I will definitely speak to my children.
0:02:08 > 0:02:12In 1995, Alex went to Aberystwyth University to study theatre,
0:02:12 > 0:02:14film and television in Welsh.
0:02:16 > 0:02:19I knew where I want to be at the end of the three years,
0:02:19 > 0:02:23after university. A very, very clear picture.
0:02:23 > 0:02:26I definitely wanted to work in media, which was really weird,
0:02:26 > 0:02:29because I was still a bit shy at that point.
0:02:29 > 0:02:33And so although we did play hard in Aberystwyth University,
0:02:33 > 0:02:36when you could go out on a fiver, or even a tenner.
0:02:36 > 0:02:38Then, you'd be absolutely hammered.
0:02:39 > 0:02:42I did know what the end goal was as well.
0:02:42 > 0:02:46And I think that came a little bit from girl power, and suddenly,
0:02:46 > 0:02:48the women were very strong.
0:02:49 > 0:02:52'And then, I got to work in the Welsh media,
0:02:52 > 0:02:55'and may one presenting job was through the medium of Welsh.'
0:02:55 > 0:02:57Wyt ti'n ffansio ennill llwyth o wobrau?
0:02:57 > 0:03:01Alex found her true vocation when she landed the job
0:03:01 > 0:03:03as presenter of Popty on S4C.
0:03:04 > 0:03:07This all comes down to the fact that I had the Welsh language
0:03:07 > 0:03:09in my back pocket, and therefore,
0:03:09 > 0:03:14had the opportunity to learn my craft as a presenter on S4C.
0:03:14 > 0:03:17Dewch i weld pwy sy fan hyn, 'te.
0:03:17 > 0:03:19Hia, bechgyn.
0:03:19 > 0:03:21Hi, Alex.
0:03:21 > 0:03:25The image of Welsh culture was changing too.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30For generations, many Welsh people had made London their home.
0:03:32 > 0:03:35But by the 1990s,
0:03:35 > 0:03:37some felt the expat societies there seemed to offer an
0:03:37 > 0:03:39old-fashioned portrayal of Welshness.
0:03:41 > 0:03:46Actor Stifyn Parri hit upon the idea for a new, more up-to-date society.
0:03:47 > 0:03:50But starting one from scratch was a big challenge.
0:03:50 > 0:03:52First, he had to think of a title.
0:03:53 > 0:03:55I wanted something snappy,
0:03:55 > 0:04:00and I wanted something that had a Welsh word.
0:04:00 > 0:04:03And there's a Welsh word called sws, which means kiss.
0:04:03 > 0:04:04S-W-S. And I thought,
0:04:04 > 0:04:08that would be great if that SWS would mean something.
0:04:08 > 0:04:11And I thought social, Welsh, sexy.
0:04:11 > 0:04:18And I decided, maybe I should have some sexy lips as the logo.
0:04:18 > 0:04:21And I thought, or do I know that's got sexy lips?
0:04:21 > 0:04:22Catherine Zeta Jones.
0:04:22 > 0:04:26Ker-ching. So I was having dinner with Catherine Zeta Jones in London,
0:04:26 > 0:04:29and at the end of the dinner I said,
0:04:29 > 0:04:32would you mind kissing this piece of white paper,
0:04:32 > 0:04:36and we will create a logo out of your lips?
0:04:36 > 0:04:40So she left her lipstick mark on this white paper,
0:04:40 > 0:04:42I got some friends to then design this logo.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45MUSIC: Vogue by Madonna
0:04:47 > 0:04:51Stifyn Parri's SWS attracted a glitterati of Welsh expats
0:04:51 > 0:04:53to its monthly events in London.
0:04:56 > 0:04:59It grew really, really quickly.
0:04:59 > 0:05:01It was fantastic.
0:05:01 > 0:05:05That made me think, it won't just work in London.
0:05:05 > 0:05:07We need to go further afield.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11So I found myself in New York, launching SWS there.
0:05:11 > 0:05:14MUSIC: Rhythm of the Night by Corona
0:05:20 > 0:05:24First there was King Kong, then it was Godzilla.
0:05:24 > 0:05:26Now there's SWS New York!
0:05:30 > 0:05:33I had all sorts of people, all coming together,
0:05:33 > 0:05:35but what they were having when they were there
0:05:35 > 0:05:38was a really good night out.
0:05:39 > 0:05:42And because I had well-known people as members,
0:05:42 > 0:05:46it really helped promote the whole scene.
0:05:46 > 0:05:50However, it wasn't just for the luvvies.
0:05:50 > 0:05:53SWS was for everyone.
0:05:53 > 0:05:57And I feel that SWS really did help some people
0:05:57 > 0:06:00re-identify with their Welshness.
0:06:09 > 0:06:11In the early 1990s,
0:06:11 > 0:06:15the Asian community in Wales was around 40,000,
0:06:15 > 0:06:19made up of groups from India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
0:06:22 > 0:06:25Together they represented a very rich cultural heritage,
0:06:25 > 0:06:28and diversity of religions and languages.
0:06:31 > 0:06:36In 1994, Cardiff hosted its first South Asian Arts Festival.
0:06:38 > 0:06:41It was a rare opportunity for people of all cultures
0:06:41 > 0:06:45to sample the joys of music of the Punjabi community - bhangra.
0:06:52 > 0:06:54Malkit Singh from Birmingham
0:06:54 > 0:06:58was the most successful bhangra singer at the time.
0:07:05 > 0:07:09Bhangra music was everything to Punjabis who'd grown up in Cardiff,
0:07:09 > 0:07:12like Ishar Singh.
0:07:12 > 0:07:16Punjabi culture is bhangra, obviously, it's a part of us.
0:07:17 > 0:07:21I used to sing and perform at weddings, not as an artist,
0:07:21 > 0:07:24but just as a party piece,
0:07:24 > 0:07:25I suppose, really, to be honest.
0:07:25 > 0:07:28And people say, look, you want to do something,
0:07:28 > 0:07:31get involved, form a band, so a few friends, you know,
0:07:31 > 0:07:34local lads from Cardiff, we said, look, let's do something.
0:07:36 > 0:07:39They named their band 2XL.
0:07:53 > 0:07:56We were the only bhangra band in Wales.
0:07:56 > 0:07:59It was good, yeah. You're there and you've got that buzz,
0:07:59 > 0:08:03performing in front of, be it 20 people, or be it 2,000 people.
0:08:07 > 0:08:09We Sikhs love music.
0:08:09 > 0:08:11Absolutely and totally love music.
0:08:11 > 0:08:15And that's where bhangra comes from, it's, enjoy yourself, be happy,
0:08:15 > 0:08:17and share the happiness with everyone.
0:08:25 > 0:08:29The Punjabi language was used in all bhangra music.
0:08:30 > 0:08:31And for the Punjabi community,
0:08:31 > 0:08:35its performance was a way of ensuring
0:08:35 > 0:08:37their language didn't die out in Wales.
0:08:43 > 0:08:47Our nation was proud of being a society that recognise the value of
0:08:47 > 0:08:49language input and culture.
0:08:52 > 0:08:55A form of Indian classical dance, Bharatanatyam,
0:08:55 > 0:08:58started to find an audience in the '90s.
0:08:58 > 0:09:02Its leading exponent was Kiran Ratna.
0:09:10 > 0:09:13Bharatanatyam originated from the south of India,
0:09:13 > 0:09:16in Hindu temples as a form of worship.
0:09:16 > 0:09:19You could basically say anything
0:09:19 > 0:09:23with your hand gestures and facial expressions.
0:09:23 > 0:09:27I always say to people, it's like learning a language.
0:09:28 > 0:09:32With your body, through dance, you can be anything or anyone,
0:09:32 > 0:09:34and the language of dance is universal.
0:09:34 > 0:09:36And I saw that in practice.
0:09:41 > 0:09:43Kiran's successful performances
0:09:43 > 0:09:46encouraged her to set up workshops in Indian classical dance
0:09:46 > 0:09:49in Cardiff. They were open to everyone.
0:09:50 > 0:09:53Some were joining because they were Indian,
0:09:53 > 0:09:55and something Indian was happening in Cardiff.
0:09:55 > 0:09:59Then there were those who were just intrigued.
0:10:00 > 0:10:04One of the girls that came then, and has carried on to this day,
0:10:04 > 0:10:06was Megan Lloyd.
0:10:06 > 0:10:09She was a student in Cardiff at that time, and said, oh,
0:10:09 > 0:10:11I wonder what this is.
0:10:11 > 0:10:14And she came along, and what she always says,
0:10:14 > 0:10:16is that she got addicted to it.
0:10:22 > 0:10:25I think having your own culture makes you confident,
0:10:25 > 0:10:30and you will then open to other people's cultures.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34I think that's the key, really.
0:10:34 > 0:10:36It's about openness...
0:10:38 > 0:10:42..that thrived in the '90s in Wales, I think.
0:10:43 > 0:10:46I could be open. They could be open.
0:10:46 > 0:10:48And we could share happily.
0:10:53 > 0:10:57Kiran Ratna toured the country with her own dance company before forming
0:10:57 > 0:11:01India Dance Wales in 1998.
0:11:03 > 0:11:06MUSIC: Ride On Time by Black Box
0:11:08 > 0:11:10Throughout the '90s,
0:11:10 > 0:11:14rave dancing captivated the young from all over Wales.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17They were drawn by a liberating sense of togetherness.
0:11:18 > 0:11:21Gareth Potter was in at the beginning.
0:11:21 > 0:11:24You knew something special was going on here,
0:11:24 > 0:11:26but you wouldn't go to a club to pick people up.
0:11:26 > 0:11:31You didn't go to nightclubs because they were a cattle market anymore,
0:11:31 > 0:11:35you went because the atmosphere was cool, and people danced.
0:11:37 > 0:11:40The Hippo club in Cardiff was legendary.
0:11:40 > 0:11:45The Hippo club was probably the most hedonistic club I have ever been to.
0:11:47 > 0:11:52The crowd was an incredible mixture of working-class ravers,
0:11:52 > 0:11:56there were students, there was a massive gay presence there.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00It was just a club where everybody went and hugged each other.
0:12:00 > 0:12:03To this insane music.
0:12:08 > 0:12:12Meady Mohamed from Tiger Bay became a long-time doorman at the Hippo.
0:12:14 > 0:12:16The atmosphere of the club was in great contrast
0:12:16 > 0:12:20to his experience in the Cardiff clubs of his youth.
0:12:20 > 0:12:23I felt that the Hippo brought together
0:12:23 > 0:12:25colour, creed, gender, you know,
0:12:25 > 0:12:28everything that you could want,
0:12:28 > 0:12:30it was there.
0:12:30 > 0:12:33And as a person who grew up in Tiger Bay,
0:12:33 > 0:12:37it was certainly refreshing for me coming into a club that I was in,
0:12:37 > 0:12:40and there wasn't going to be a problem.
0:12:40 > 0:12:41I wasn't going to be bullied by a doorman.
0:12:41 > 0:12:46There wasn't going to be any race issues or anything else.
0:12:46 > 0:12:50We did feel proud to be part of a culture of hospitality.
0:12:50 > 0:12:53If we could do that and bring people together,
0:12:53 > 0:12:55then we've created something.
0:12:55 > 0:13:01We've created a unity that was all about peace and love and music.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03Just making new friends.
0:13:10 > 0:13:13Young people of the '90s brought a fresh wave of vitality
0:13:13 > 0:13:15to all walks of life in Wales.
0:13:17 > 0:13:21Many benefited from education in Welsh universities.
0:13:21 > 0:13:24And political parties saw an upsurge in membership.
0:13:27 > 0:13:31One young woman who joined Plaid Cymru was Leanne Wood.
0:13:31 > 0:13:34I never really saw myself as somebody
0:13:34 > 0:13:37who had a political career ahead of them.
0:13:37 > 0:13:42But in 1991 I joined Plaid Cymru after having a conversation with
0:13:42 > 0:13:45some members of the youth section of Plaid at the time.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49And found people who thought and felt the same
0:13:49 > 0:13:53about political issues as I did, and in particular, the state of Wales.
0:13:55 > 0:14:00In 1995, Leanne Wood was elected as Plaid Cymru councillor
0:14:00 > 0:14:04for Penygraig, where she lived in Rhondda Cynon Taff.
0:14:04 > 0:14:06That was good. I was 25 years old,
0:14:06 > 0:14:10but it was a really good experience in terms of, work at the coal face,
0:14:10 > 0:14:13if you like. Involved in community issues,
0:14:13 > 0:14:18really dealing with people's bread and butter concerns.
0:14:18 > 0:14:20It was scary.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23Anything that you do in life where you really have to push yourself,
0:14:23 > 0:14:25I think if you come out the other end
0:14:25 > 0:14:27and it hasn't gone terribly wrong,
0:14:27 > 0:14:30then you grow and you become stronger as a person
0:14:30 > 0:14:32and you get to realise that, yes,
0:14:32 > 0:14:34this is not something that is beyond me.
0:14:36 > 0:14:38And so cutting my political teeth
0:14:38 > 0:14:42in Rhondda Cynon Taff was invaluable, really.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48Leanne's determination to help people in the community
0:14:48 > 0:14:50was rooted in her own experience
0:14:50 > 0:14:53of growing up in the aftermath of the miners' strike.
0:14:54 > 0:14:59People were very frustrated, they felt a lack of hope around.
0:14:59 > 0:15:04And I did see many of my circle of friends end up in trouble with the law.
0:15:04 > 0:15:06And certainly,
0:15:06 > 0:15:10that helped me then in terms of where I wanted to go in a career.
0:15:12 > 0:15:14Seeing that side of life,
0:15:14 > 0:15:17and how people can get into deep trouble without support
0:15:17 > 0:15:19pushed me to become a probation officer.
0:15:22 > 0:15:24I felt that often
0:15:24 > 0:15:28people were finding themselves in the criminal justice system
0:15:28 > 0:15:33when things could have been done to stop or prevent that happening.
0:15:33 > 0:15:38It was tough for many people, trying to negotiate mental health services,
0:15:38 > 0:15:40drug and alcohol support services,
0:15:40 > 0:15:43nothing was straightforward for people.
0:15:43 > 0:15:46There was a lot are missing in terms of the kinds of thing
0:15:46 > 0:15:48people needed to put their lives back on track.
0:15:48 > 0:15:50THEY SING DRUNKENLY
0:15:56 > 0:15:58In the '90s, the popularity of binge drinking
0:15:58 > 0:16:01increased alarmingly amongst young people.
0:16:01 > 0:16:06And at the same time, drug abuse reached epidemic proportions.
0:16:08 > 0:16:11They were social problems that confronted the leaders
0:16:11 > 0:16:14of communities in many parts of Wales.
0:16:19 > 0:16:23When Merthyr Vale colliery closed in 1989,
0:16:23 > 0:16:26it left redundancy and hardship.
0:16:27 > 0:16:29The future looked bleak for the youth of the area.
0:16:31 > 0:16:35But in 1996, a regeneration policy began.
0:16:36 > 0:16:40One of the leaders of this revival was Jeff Edwards.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44He was a child survivor of the Aberfan disaster of 1966.
0:16:45 > 0:16:50In the early '90s, he returned to the village after living in London.
0:16:50 > 0:16:55I saw a lot of young people hanging about on the streets,
0:16:55 > 0:17:00drinking flagons of cider, getting off their heads on drugs.
0:17:00 > 0:17:04And there was lots of concern in the village at that time of these
0:17:04 > 0:17:07youngsters who were, basically, causing bedlam.
0:17:09 > 0:17:14So when I saw these young people who had no hope, no future,
0:17:14 > 0:17:17I felt a duty upon me to help them
0:17:17 > 0:17:21achieve something in their own lives.
0:17:23 > 0:17:25Jeff Edwards set up
0:17:25 > 0:17:28the Aberfan and Merthyr Vale Youth and Community Project
0:17:28 > 0:17:32and secured European funding for youth employment schemes.
0:17:32 > 0:17:36One of the most successful was motor mechanic skills.
0:17:36 > 0:17:38These kids love that.
0:17:38 > 0:17:41We devised a course, OCN, it was.
0:17:41 > 0:17:45So that at the end of the day they could have a piece of paper that says
0:17:45 > 0:17:48they were competent to do a particular job.
0:17:48 > 0:17:50That made a hell of a difference to
0:17:50 > 0:17:52the self-esteem and motivation of these young people.
0:17:54 > 0:17:59We bought a derelict cafe in the middle of the village,
0:17:59 > 0:18:05and we had European structural funds to renovate that building.
0:18:05 > 0:18:11And we brought the first cybercafe to Merthyr Tydfil.
0:18:11 > 0:18:14The cafe was opened to provide affordable meals
0:18:14 > 0:18:17for people in the community
0:18:17 > 0:18:22and then the basement we had this computer suite where people
0:18:22 > 0:18:26would be able to access computer skills,
0:18:26 > 0:18:28to enhance their employability.
0:18:30 > 0:18:33So you had two parts of the community
0:18:33 > 0:18:37who were once at loggerheads with each other,
0:18:37 > 0:18:42actually brought together in terms of helping each other.
0:18:42 > 0:18:46So there was a greater tolerance of what had been happening,
0:18:46 > 0:18:50a greater understanding of the community generally.
0:18:50 > 0:18:56In 2003, Jeff Edwards was awarded an MBE for his community work.
0:19:02 > 0:19:04By the mid-'90s, many people felt
0:19:04 > 0:19:07the decisions on social and political issues
0:19:07 > 0:19:09should be taken in Wales.
0:19:11 > 0:19:14In surveys, there was support for a Welsh Assembly
0:19:14 > 0:19:17from nearly half the population.
0:19:17 > 0:19:20Soon after Labour came to power in April 1997,
0:19:20 > 0:19:25a date was set for a Welsh devolution referendum.
0:19:25 > 0:19:28For the first time in a generation,
0:19:28 > 0:19:31the people of Wales would vote on the future governance of their nation.
0:19:35 > 0:19:38The political parties opened their campaigns in July,
0:19:38 > 0:19:41to establish an assembly, or reject it.
0:19:43 > 0:19:48Labour, Lib Dems and Plaid Cymru officially supported Yes For Wales.
0:19:48 > 0:19:53Tommy Fellows was vice president of the steel union, the ISTC.
0:19:53 > 0:19:58It was something that I always thought we needed.
0:19:58 > 0:20:02And, in fact, I was actively involved
0:20:02 > 0:20:06in leafleting and lobbying to see that we,
0:20:06 > 0:20:08you know, that we'd get it.
0:20:08 > 0:20:12I thought we had more of a chance of looking after our own country
0:20:12 > 0:20:14than what they were doing up in Westminster.
0:20:14 > 0:20:18I did a lot of work with Plaid Cymru and, in fairness,
0:20:18 > 0:20:22Labour people as well, those who were in favour of devolution.
0:20:23 > 0:20:26I just remember spending a lot of time holding street stalls
0:20:26 > 0:20:28and trying to persuade people.
0:20:29 > 0:20:33The Just Say No campaigners included many Conservative Party supporters.
0:20:36 > 0:20:40They argued that an assembly would be a waste of money and Wales was
0:20:40 > 0:20:42better represented in Westminster.
0:20:45 > 0:20:48Opinion polls showed the vote was too close to call.
0:20:50 > 0:20:53Finally, the referendum took place on the 18th of September.
0:20:57 > 0:20:59Alex Jones cast her vote
0:20:59 > 0:21:04in her hometown of Ammanford, Carmarthenshire.
0:21:04 > 0:21:07On the day of the vote it was a no-brainer for me.
0:21:07 > 0:21:10And our polling station has always been a primary school
0:21:10 > 0:21:13that's up the road, within walking distance.
0:21:13 > 0:21:15And I remember thinking, this is brilliant.
0:21:15 > 0:21:18I just hope that everybody does the right thing and votes yes,
0:21:18 > 0:21:20that we do need an assembly in Wales.
0:21:26 > 0:21:29As the count started of over a million votes,
0:21:29 > 0:21:32the scene was set for a night of high drama.
0:21:33 > 0:21:36The supporters of each campaign held their breath
0:21:36 > 0:21:40before each result was announced.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Yes!
0:21:43 > 0:21:4536,300...
0:21:45 > 0:21:48CHEERING
0:21:48 > 0:21:53In Rhondda Cynon Taff, there was a majority for yes.
0:21:53 > 0:21:56I'd gone to the count in the Rhondda,
0:21:56 > 0:21:58and we'd won the vote there,
0:21:58 > 0:22:02but then as the night unfolded, more "no" votes came in,
0:22:02 > 0:22:06it became increasingly likely that the "no" position was going to win.
0:22:07 > 0:22:1126,712.
0:22:11 > 0:22:13A toast to Pembrokeshire.
0:22:13 > 0:22:15To Pembrokeshire!
0:22:15 > 0:22:19I would agree that they should be a Welsh Assembly, was 42,000...
0:22:20 > 0:22:22We had such an emotional roller-coaster,
0:22:22 > 0:22:25because I remember being in a friend's house in the Rhondda
0:22:25 > 0:22:29and there were a group of us there, we were as low as you could be,
0:22:29 > 0:22:30thinking that we'd lost.
0:22:30 > 0:22:32Yes!
0:22:32 > 0:22:35The "no"s were ahead, with just one result to come.
0:22:37 > 0:22:39All the hopes of the Yes campaigners
0:22:39 > 0:22:42now rested with the voters of Carmarthenshire.
0:22:44 > 0:22:48Finally, just before 3am, the result came in...
0:22:48 > 0:22:5226,000...
0:22:52 > 0:22:54It was a narrow vote for devolution,
0:22:54 > 0:22:56and the Yes campaign won the referendum
0:22:56 > 0:22:58by a majority of just 6,000,
0:22:58 > 0:23:01a last-gasp victory.
0:23:04 > 0:23:06We were jumping around for joy,
0:23:06 > 0:23:09dancing around this tiny living room in a terraced house in the Rhondda.
0:23:09 > 0:23:12And then we just decided, on the spur of the moment, I think,
0:23:12 > 0:23:14three carfuls went to Cardiff.
0:23:14 > 0:23:16I think we were tooting the horns all the way.
0:23:18 > 0:23:22I was pleased as punch, at least as far as I'm concerned,
0:23:22 > 0:23:24it was a step in the right direction.
0:23:26 > 0:23:29Suddenly, Wales could now make its own mind up
0:23:29 > 0:23:33on laws that would affect education, the NHS.
0:23:33 > 0:23:36It just gave us a voice we didn't have.
0:23:36 > 0:23:38We were blended into the massive mix of stuff,
0:23:38 > 0:23:41where we weren't really that important.
0:23:41 > 0:23:45And just going forward for youngsters, for my future children,
0:23:45 > 0:23:48for everybody involved who lives in Wales, who cares about Wales,
0:23:48 > 0:23:53and uses Welsh as their first language, for me, it was really key.
0:23:53 > 0:23:56It was the best decision, that as a nation, we made.
0:23:58 > 0:24:02In 1999, the National Assembly for Wales was established
0:24:02 > 0:24:04with 60 elected members.
0:24:05 > 0:24:09It took up temporary residence in Crickhowell House in Cardiff Bay,
0:24:09 > 0:24:12where the old docks were destined to become the heart
0:24:12 > 0:24:14of the capital of Wales.
0:24:17 > 0:24:20During the '90s, the race was on
0:24:20 > 0:24:23to put Cardiff on the map as a world-class maritime city.
0:24:25 > 0:24:28Central to the project was the barrage,
0:24:28 > 0:24:31to make the largest permanent waterfront in Europe.
0:24:33 > 0:24:36Despite objections, the plan went ahead.
0:24:36 > 0:24:40And buildings for commerce, housing and leisure facilities followed,
0:24:40 > 0:24:42over many years.
0:24:52 > 0:24:56But Cardiff also had another massive construction project
0:24:56 > 0:24:58on the go, the Millennium Stadium.
0:25:02 > 0:25:05Its design manager was Terry Noonan from Swansea.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10It was the biggest project that I've worked on.
0:25:10 > 0:25:13But it's very simplistic in how it works,
0:25:13 > 0:25:18because it's only a series of concrete planks on steel beams,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20on columns.
0:25:21 > 0:25:24So although it looks awesome,
0:25:24 > 0:25:27in engineering terms it is quite simplistic.
0:25:27 > 0:25:29The innovative design was key
0:25:29 > 0:25:33in winning financial backing for the new National Stadium of Wales.
0:25:33 > 0:25:38Construction started in 1997 on the site of the old stadium,
0:25:38 > 0:25:44and had to be ready for when Wales hosted the Rugby World Cup three years later.
0:25:44 > 0:25:48There was huge pressure for all who worked on the project.
0:25:49 > 0:25:53Bob Probert was scaffold supervising foremen.
0:25:53 > 0:25:56One of the main challenges was the old stand.
0:25:56 > 0:25:59We had to put scaffolding all the way through the top of there.
0:25:59 > 0:26:01So we could cut out, and put
0:26:01 > 0:26:04the big main steel girders in.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06To carry the roof. And then, of course,
0:26:06 > 0:26:08you've got the terraces going as well.
0:26:08 > 0:26:15So there was a lot of things going on when the roof was going up.
0:26:15 > 0:26:19To every Welshman, especially myself and a few of my colleagues,
0:26:19 > 0:26:22it was a dream, just to work there.
0:26:22 > 0:26:25To go there. To see it completed.
0:26:28 > 0:26:31By September 1999, the race was won.
0:26:31 > 0:26:36And the Millennium Stadium was ready to welcome its first rugby fans.
0:26:38 > 0:26:40It had a fully retractable roof.
0:26:43 > 0:26:45For Terry Noonan, it was job done
0:26:45 > 0:26:50on a project that captured the imagination of the nation.
0:26:50 > 0:26:54It was the most important achievement in my life.
0:26:54 > 0:26:58To take what was a piece of ground in Cardiff,
0:26:58 > 0:27:01and turn it into a world-beating stadium.
0:27:01 > 0:27:05MUSIC: World In Union by Shirley Bassey
0:27:05 > 0:27:08The opening ceremony of the Rugby World Cup
0:27:08 > 0:27:11started on schedule on the 1st of October.
0:27:13 > 0:27:16It was a moving occasion for anyone Welsh.
0:27:17 > 0:27:20The emotion,
0:27:20 > 0:27:22it gets you right there.
0:27:22 > 0:27:26And you see your team coming out, you know,
0:27:26 > 0:27:28and you're wishing them all the best.
0:27:28 > 0:27:31And it took me to a height, that did.
0:27:31 > 0:27:33That was absolutely excellent.
0:27:34 > 0:27:38Terry took his wife and two daughters to see the match.
0:27:38 > 0:27:44We sang the anthem and they were about to kick off, and then,
0:27:44 > 0:27:50completely out of the blue, the two of them leaned across holding hands,
0:27:50 > 0:27:54saying, "Dad, we're so proud of you. At what you've achieved."
0:27:54 > 0:27:58I shed a tear. I did.
0:27:58 > 0:28:00Because it meant much more than
0:28:00 > 0:28:05anything anybody else in the stadium team could have said to me.
0:28:06 > 0:28:11And I saw lots of people outside the stadium on the day, coming up,
0:28:11 > 0:28:14shaking my hand, congratulating me.
0:28:14 > 0:28:21It was a wonderful ending to a long, tortuous road.
0:28:23 > 0:28:26For many, the Millennium Stadium
0:28:26 > 0:28:30represented an inspiring image of modern Welsh identity.
0:28:30 > 0:28:32Its completion marked a fitting end
0:28:32 > 0:28:36to a decade in which Wales came of age.
0:28:37 > 0:28:41Amongst our people, there was a growing diversity
0:28:41 > 0:28:46and a new-found confidence in a nation for all.
0:28:49 > 0:28:52Next week, we see how the stars of Cool Cymru
0:28:52 > 0:28:54set out to conquer the world.
0:28:54 > 0:28:56MUSIC: Millennium by Robbie Williams
0:28:56 > 0:29:00# We've got stars directing our fate
0:29:00 > 0:29:05# And we're praying it's not too late
0:29:05 > 0:29:11# Cos we know we're falling from grace
0:29:11 > 0:29:14# Millennium. #