In 1967, he married Elizabeth Siân Vaughan Yorath, with whom he has three sons,[1] including Rhodri Talfan Davies, who became the director of BBC Cymru Wales.
In 1971 he moved to The Journal newspaper in Newcastle upon Tyne, relocating to The Times in London in 1973 where he worked for a year, before returning to the Western Mail in 1974 as assistant editor.
His tenure at ACW was cut short in 2006 when, following the council's successful resistance to Welsh Government plans to take over responsibility for the main national arts organisations, the Culture Minister, Alun Pugh, did not renew his appointment for a second term.
In 2000 he was one of a group that formed Glas Cymru Cyf, with the aim of acquiring Welsh Water with a view to turning it into a not-for-profit company.
Davies has previously held numerous other positions: He was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2014 New Year Honours for services to culture, broadcasting, and charity.