Ross (''Ros'' in Scottish Gaelic) is a region of Scotland and a former mormaerdom, earldom, sheriffdom and county. The name ''Ross'' allegedly derives from a Gaelic word meaning ''a headland'' - perhaps a reference to the Black Isle. The Norse word for Orkney - ''Hrossay'' meaning ''horse island'' - is another possible origin. The area once belonged to the Norse earldom of Orkney. Ross is a historical comital region, perhaps predating the Mormaerdom of Ross.

History

Excavations of a rock shelter and shell midden at Sand, Applecross on the coast of ''Wester Ross'' have shown that the coast was occupied by Mesolithic hunter-gatherers.

It may be doubted whether the Romans ever effected even a temporary settlement in the area of the modern county. In Roman times, and for long afterwards, the land was occupied by Gaelic Picts, who, in the 6th and 7th centuries, were converted to Christianity by followers of Saint Columba. Throughout the next three centuries the natives were continually harassed by Norse raiders, of whose presence tokens have survived in several place-names (Dingwall, Tain, and others). At this time the country formed part of the great province of Moray (Latin: ''Moravia''), which then extended as far west as the Dornoch Firth and the Oykel, and practically comprised the whole of Ross and Cromary.

William, the 4th Earl of Ross, was present with his clan at the Battle of Bannockburn (1314), and almost a century later (1412) the castle of Dingwall, the chief seat on the mainland of Donald, Lord of the Isles, was captured after the disastrous fight at Harlaw in Aberdeenshire, which Donald had provoked when his claim to the earldom was rejected. The earldom reverted to the crown in 1424, but James I soon afterwards restored it to the heiress of the line, the mother of Alexander Macdonald, 3rd Lord of the Isles, who thus became the 11th Earl. In consequence, however, of the treason of John Macdonald, 4th and last Lord of the Isles and 12th Earl of Ross, the earldom was again vested in the crown (1476). Five years later James III bestowed it on his second son, James Stewart, whom he also created Duke of Ross in 1488.

By the 16th century the whole area of the county was occupied by different clans. The Rosses held what is now Easter Ross; the Munros the small tract around Ben Wyvis, including Dingwall; the Macleods Lewis, and, in the mainland, the district between Loch Maree and Loch Torridon; the Macdonalds of Glengarry, Coigach, and the district between Strome Ferry and Kyle of Lochalsh, and the Mackenzies the remainder.

The county of Ross was constituted in 1661, and Cromarty in 1685 and 1698, both being consolidated into the present county in 1889.

Apart from occasional conflicts between rival clans, the only battles in the county were Invercarron, at the head of Dornoch Firth, when Montrose was crushed by Colonel Archibald Strachan on 27 April 1650—and the Battle of Glenshiel, when the Jacobites, under the Earl of Seaforth, aided by Spaniards, were defeated by a force under the command of General Joseph Wightman on 10 June 1719.

Geography

Ross lies south of Sutherland and the Dornoch Firth, west of the North Sea and the Moray Firth, north of the Beauly Firth and Inverness-shire and east of The Minch. There are also a number of small islands off the area's west coast, among which are:

Gillean (lighthouse) in the parish of Lochalsh

Crowlin Islands in Applecross

Eilean Horrisdale, and Isle of Ewe in Gairloch parish

Isle Martin and Tanera More, of the Summer Isles group in the parish of Lochbroom

The area of the mainland comprises .

On the North Sea (eastern side) of the area the major firths are the Beauly Firth and the (Inner) Moray Firth, which mark off the Black Isle from Inverness-shire, the Cromarty Firth, which bounds the districts of Easter Ross and the Black Isle, the Moray Firth, separating Easter Ross from Nairnshire, and the Dornoch Firth, dividing north-east Ross from Sutherland.

On the Atlantic (western) coastline—which has a length of nearly —the principal sea lochs and bays, from south to north, include Loch Duich, Loch Alsh, Loch Carron, Loch Kishorn, Loch Torridon, Loch Shieldaig, Upper Loch Torridon, Gair Loch, Loch Ewe, Gruinard Bay, Loch Broom and Enard Bay.

The chief capes include Tarbat Ness on the east coast, and Coigach, Greenstone Point, Rubha Reidh, Redpoint and Hamha Point on the west.

Almost all the southern boundary with Inverness-shire consists of a rampart of peaks, many of them Munros: An Riabhachan (), Sgurr na Lapaich (), Carn Eige (Càrn Eighe) (), Mam Sodhail (Mam Soul) (), Beinn Fhada (Ben Attow) (), Sgurr Fhuaran (), The Saddle ().

To the north of Glen Torridon are the masses of Liathach (), Beinn Eighe (), Beinn Alligin () and Beinn Dearg (). On the northeastern shore of Loch Maree rises Slioch (), while the Fannich group contains six Munros, the highest being Sgurr Mor (). The immense isolated bulk of Ben Wyvis (), forms the most noteworthy feature in the north-east, and An Teallach () in the north-west appears equally conspicuous, though less solitary. Only a small fraction of the west and south of the area is under in height. Easter Ross and the peninsula of the Black Isle are comparatively level.

The longest stream of the mainland portion of Ross and Cromarty is the River Orrin, which rises from the slopes of An Sidhean () and pursues a north-easterly course to its confluence with the River Conon after a run of about , during a small part of which it forms the boundary with Inverness-shire. At Aultgowrie the stream rushes through a narrow gorge where the drop is considerable enough to make the Falls of Orrin. The River Blackwater flows from mountains in Strathvaich southeast for until it joins the Conon, forming soon after it leaves Loch Garve the small but picturesque Falls of Rogie. Within a short distance of its exit from Loch Luichart the Conon pours over a series of graceful cascades and rapids and then pursues a winding course of , mainly eastward to the head of the Cromarty Firth. Situated above Glen Elchaig in the southwest of the region are the Falls of Glomach. The stream giving rise to them drains a series of small lochs on the northern flanks of Beinn Fhada (Ben Attow) and, in an almost unbroken sheet over a metre in width, effects a sheer drop of 110 m, and soon afterwards ends its course in Glen Elchaig. The falls are usually visited from Invershiel 11 km to the south-west. 12 miles south-east of Ullapool, on the estate of Braemore, are the Falls of Measach, formed by the Droma, a headstream of the River Broom. The cascades, three in number, are close to Corrieshalloch Gorge. The River Oykel, throughout its course, forms the boundary with Sutherland. There are many freshwater lochs, the largest being Loch Maree. In the far north-west, above the sea, lies Loch Sionascaig, a loch of such irregularity of outline that it has a shore-line of . It contains several wooded islands, and drains into Enard Bay by the River Polly. Lochan Fada (the long loch), above the sea, is in length, and covers an area of , and is deep, with a mean depth of . Once drained by the Muice (Allt na Muice), it has been tapped a little farther west by the Abhainn na Fhasaigh, which has lowered the level of the loch. Other lochs are Fionn Loch (the white or clear lake), long by wide, famous for its herons, Loch Luichart towards the centre of the area (8 miles long and between wide), fringed with birches and having the shape of a crescent, the mountain-girt Loch Fannich (1 mile wide); and the wild narrow Lochs Monar ( long) and Mullardoch ( long), on the Inverness-shire boundary.

Of the straths or valleys the more important run from the centre eastwards, such as Strathconon, Strathbran, Strathgarve, Strathpeffer and Strathcarron. Excepting Glen Orrin, in the east central district, the longer glens lie in the south and towards the west. In the extreme south Glen Shiel runs between five mountains (The Five Sisters of Kintail to its mouth on Loch Duich. The A87 passes down the glen. Further north lie Glen Elchaig, Glen Carron, and Glen Torridon. The railway from Dingwall runs through Glen Carron to Kyle of Lochalsh.

Geology

The central portion of this county is occupied by the younger highland schists or Dalradian series. These consist of quartzites, mica-schists, garnetiferous mica-schists and gneisses, all with a gentle inclination towards the southeast. On the eastern side of the county the Dalradian schists are covered unconformably by the Old Red Sandstone. The boundary runs southward from Edderton on Dornoch Firth, by Strathpeffer, to the neighborhood of Beauly. These rocks comprise red flags and sandstones, grey bituminous flags and shales. An anticlinal fold with a southwest-northeast axis brings up the basal beds of the series about the mouth of Cromarty Firth and exposes once more the schists in The Sutors (The Sutors of Cromarty) guarding the entrance to the firth. The western boundary of the younger schist is formed by the great pre-Cambrian dislocation line that traverses the county in a fairly direct course from Elphin on the north by Ullapool to Glencarron. Most of the area west of the line of disturbance is covered by Torridonian Sandstone, mainly dark reddish sandstones, grits and shales, resting unconformably on the ancient Lewisian gneiss with horizontal or slightly inclined bedding. The unconformity is well exposed on the shores of Gairloch, Loch Maree and Loch Torridon. These rocks, which attain a considerable thickness and are divisible into three sub-groups, build up the mountain districts of Applecross, Coigach and elsewhere.

Within the Torridonian tract the older Lewisian gneiss occupies large areas north of Coigach, on the east of Enard Bay, between Gruinard Bay and Loch Maree. Between the last named and Gairloch, on both sides of middle Loch Torridon and at many other spots smaller patches appear. The Lewisian gneiss is everywhere penetrated by basic dikes, generally with a northwest-southeast direction; some of these are of great breadth. The Torridonian rocks are succeeded unconformably by a series of Cambrian strata confined to a variable but narrow belt west of the line of main thrusting. This belt of Cambrian rocks has suffered an enormous amount of subordinate thrusting. It is composed of the following subdivisions in ascending order: falsebedded quartzite, Pipe Rock quartzite, fucoid beds and Olenellus band, serpulite grit, Durness dolomite and marble, Durness dolomite and limestone: but these are not always visible at any one spot. So great has been the disturbance in the region of thrusting that in some places, as in the neighborhood of Loch Kishorn and elsewhere, the rocks have been completely overturned and the ancient gneiss has been piled upon the Torridonian.

On the shore of Moray Firth at Rathie a small patch of Kimeridge shale occurs, and beneath the cliffs of Shandwick there is a little Lower Oolite with a thin seam of coal. Glacial striae are found upon the mountains up to heights of , and much boulder clay is found in the valleys and spread over large areas in the eastern districts. Raised beaches occur at up to or so above the present sea-level; they are well seen in Loch Carron.

Climate and agriculture

On the west coast considerable rainfall occurs, averaging for the year at Loch Broom and at Strome Ferry (autumn and winter being the wettest seasons), but on the east coast the annual comprises only mean . The average daily maximum temperature for the year is . Temperatures for January and July are and respectively.

The most fertile tracts lie on the eastern coast, especially in Easter Ross and the Black Isle, where the soil varies from a light sandy gravel to a rich deep loam. As of 1911, among grain crops oats were most generally cultivated, but barley and wheat were also raised. Turnips and potatoes were the chief green crops. The higher grounds contain much good pasturage, with heavy flocks of sheep, blackfaced being the principal breed. Most of the horses, principally half-breds between the old garrons (hardy, serviceable, small animals) and Clydesdales, were maintained for the purposes of agriculture. The herds of cattle, mainly native Highland or crosses, were large, many of them supplying the London market. Pigs were reared, though in smaller numbers than formerly, most generally by the crofters.

Owing partly to the overcrowding of the Isle of Lewis and partly to the unkindly nature of the bulk of the surface—which offered no opportunity for other than patchwork tillage—the number of smallholdings was enormous. Sutherland, alone among Scottish counties, shows an even larger proportion of holdings under , while the average size of all the holdings throughout the county did not exceed .

As of 1911 about were devoted to deer forests, a greater area than in any other county in Scotland, among the largest being Achnashellach with ), Fannich with , Kinlochluichart with , Braemore with , Inchbae with and Dundonnell with . At one time the area under wood must have been remarkable, if we accept the common derivation of the word "Ross" as from the Old Irish ''ros'', a wood, and there was until recent times a considerable extent of native woodland, principally pine, oak, ash and alder.

The fauna was noteworthy. Red and roe deer abounded, and foxes and alpine hares were common, while badgers and wild cats were occasionally trapped. Winged game was plentiful, and amongst birds of prey the golden eagle and osprey occurred. Waterfowl of all kinds frequented the sea lochs. Many rivers and lochs were rich in salmon and trout, and the pearl mussel was found in the bed of the Conon.

Other industries

Tourism is a major industry in the region, with over 20% of the workforce employed in the wholesale, restaurant and hotels sector, second only to the public service sector. A little over 5% of the workforce are employed in agriculture, forestry and fishing, traditionally major industries in the region. The oil industry, which spurred a rapid increase in industrial development in the 1970s, is in decline, although still a major employer.

The Glen Ord and Glenmorangie distilleries are prominent whisky distilleries.

A railway, the Far North Line from Inverness, enters the county to the north of Beauly and runs northwards to Dingwall. From there the Far North Line continues north/northeast through Sutherland to Thurso and Wick in Caithness, and the Kyle of Lochalsh Line runs west/southwest to the Kyle of Lochalsh.

Antiquities

The principal relics of antiquity - mainly stone circles, cairns and forts - appear in the eastern district. A vitrified fort crowns the hill of Knockfarrel in the parish of Fodderty, and there is a circular dun near the village of Lochcarron. Some fine examples of sculptured stones occur, especially those that, according to tradition, mark the burial-place of the three sons of a Danish king who were shipwrecked off the coast of Nigg. The largest and handsomest of these three crosses - the Clach a' Charraidh, or Stone of Lamentation - stands at Shandwick. It is about 10 feet (3 m) high and contains representations of the martyrdom of St Andrew and figures of an elephant and dog. It fell during a storm in 1847 and was broken in three pieces. On the top of the cross in Nigg churchyard are two figures with outstretched arms in the act of supplication; the dove descends between them, and below are two dogs. The cross was knocked down by the fall of the belfry in 1725, but has been riveted together. The third stone formerly stood at Hilton of Cadboll, but was removed for security to the grounds of Invergordon Castle.

Among old castles are those of Lochslin, in the parish of Fearn, said to date from the 13th century, which, though ruinous, possesses two square towers in good preservation; Balone, in the parish of Tarbat, once a stronghold of the Earls of Ross; the remains of Dingwall Castle, their original seat; and Eilean Donan in Loch Alsh, which was blown up by English warships during the abortive Jacobite rising in 1719.

Local government areas

: ''See also'' Politics of the Highland Council area

The local government county was created under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1889, which also established elected county councils for all counties in Scotland. The county of Ross and Cromarty was nominally a merger of two older administrative counties, Ross-shire and Cromartyshire, but there were some alterations to boundaries. The alterations became fully effective, for all purposes except parliamentary representation, in 1892.

The county included six burghs: Cromarty, Dingwall, Fortrose, Invergordon, Stornoway and Tain. Dingwall was the county town.

When counties and burghs were abolished as local government areas, in 1975, under the Local Government (Scotland) Act 1973, the area of the county was divided between two new areas, the Highland region and the Western Isles, and the Ross and Cromarty district of the region was created as one of eight districts of the new region.

Stornoway and the district of Lewis merged into the Western Isles. Also, the new Ross and Cromarty district excluded two other areas, which merged into other districts of the region. The electoral division of Kincardine was merged into Sutherland, and the South West electoral division (an area around and including Lochalsh) was merged into Skye and Lochalsh.

In 1996, under the Local Government etc (Scotland) Act 1994, the district was abolished and the Highland region was turned into a unitary council area. The new unitary authority, the Highland Council, then adopted the area of the former district as a council management area, and created area committees to represent it. The management area consisted then of 13 wards, each electing one councillor by the first past the post system of election. The council as a whole had 72 members.

Ward boundaries were altered in 1999, to create 80 new wards, but management area boundaries were unaltered. Therefore area committees ceased to represent exactly the areas for which they were named and made decisions. 18 wards and, therefore, 18 councillors were related to the Ross and Cromarty management area.

Under the Local Governance (Scotland) Act 2004, ward boundaries changed again this year, 2007. Also, the eight management areas were abolished in favour of three new corporate management areas. The Ross and Cromarty area was divided between the Caithness, Sutherland and Easter Ross area and the Ross, Skye and Lochaber area.

References

External links

Genealogy of Ross and Cromarty, including list of parishes

Category:Historical regions Category:Ross and Cromarty

Coordinates	57°32′″N38°20′″N
name	Chrisette Michele
background	solo_singer
born	December 08, 1982Central Islip, New York
origin	Patchogue, New York, U.S.
instrument	Vocals, piano
genre	R&B;, soul, jazz, hip-hop soul
occupation	Singer-songwriter
years active	2006–present
acts	Nas, Will I.Am, Game
label	Def Jam
website	}}

Chrisette Michele Payne (born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Chrisette Michele, is an American R&B; and soul singer-songwriter on the Island Def Jam Music Group. She won a Grammy Award for Best Urban/Alternative Performance in 2009 for her song "Be OK".

Biography

Michele was born in Central Islip, New York, and grew up in Patchogue. Her father was a deacon and her mother a choir director. Michele led gospel choirs in high school. She attended Five Towns College in Dix Hills, New York, and graduated with a vocal performance degree.

Music career

Beginnings

Michele has been featured on several hip hop albums. She is on The Game's album ''LAX'' on "Let Us Live". On Jay-Z's ''Kingdom Come'' she was featured on the second single "Lost One", while on Nas' ''Hip Hop Is Dead'', she was featured three times: on the album's second single "Can't Forget About You", the Kanye West-produced "Still Dreaming", and the final track "Hope". She also appeared on the bonus track "Slow Down", from Ghostface Killah's ''The Big Doe Rehab''.

''I Am'' (2007)

Michele's debut album, ''I Am'', was released on June 18, 2007. The song "Your Joy" was released on iTunes as a free single of the week. The album spawned four singles: "If I Have My Way", "Best of Me", "Be OK", and "Love Is You". The album's lead single "If I Have My Way" charted at number four on ''Billboard''s Hot Adult R&B; Airplay and number twenty-four on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs. "Best of Me" charted on the Hot Adult Contemporary Tracks at number twenty-one. In December 2007, "Be OK" was released as the third single, charting at number sixty-four on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs and number twenty-one on the Hot Adult R&B; Airplay. In 2008, "Love Is You" was released as the album's fourth and final single on the album; it reached number ninety on the Hot R&B;/Hip-Hop Songs and number twenty on the Hot Adult R&B; Airplay.

''Epiphany'' (2009)

In 2008, Michele appeared on the track "Rising Up" from The Roots' album ''Rising Down''. Michele guest starred as herself in The CW's ''Girlfriends'', in the episode entitled "What's Black-a-Lackin'?", which originally aired on February 11, 2008. She also wrote a song for ''Tyler Perry's House of Payne'' entitled "I've Gotta Love Jones". From May to July 2008 Michele embarked on a nationwide co-headlining tour with fellow soul singer Raheem DeVaughn called the Art of Love Tour; Solange Knowles served as the opening act. In September 2008, Michele performed twice at the Evening of Stars: A Tribute to Patti Labelle.

In mid-2008, Michele began recording for her second album, ''Epiphany''. In January 2009, the album's title track was released as the lead single. Released on May 5, 2009, the album debuted at number one on the ''Billboard'' 200 selling 83,000 copies in its opening week.

Michele quickly starting working with rapper Rick Ross, and Canadian rapper/singer Drake on the fourth single of Ross's album Teflon Don called Aston Martin Music. The song was released on October 5, 2010.

''Let Freedom Reign'' (2010)

Michele released her third studio album, ''Let Freedom Reign'', in 2010. The album includes the singles, "I'm a Star", "Goodbye Game". The album features Michele performing hip-hop, R&B;, as well as the dance-pop influenced "So Cool".The album debuted at number 25 on the US Billboard 200 chart, selling 42,000 copies in its first week.

Discography

;Studio albums

2007: ''I Am''

2009: ''Epiphany''

2010: ''Let Freedom Reign''

;Mixtapes

2010: '' Love Thy Brother

Tours

The Art of Love Tour (with Raheem DeVaughn) (2008)

The Epiphany Tour (2010)

Awards and nominations

Vibe Music Award

2008, Breakthrough Artist of the Year ''(Nominated)''

Grammy Award

2008, Best Female R&B; Vocal Performance: "If I Have My Way" ''(Nominated)''

2009, Best Urban/Alternative Performance: "Be OK" (Won)

BET Award

2010, Centric Award: ''(Nominated)''

2008, Best New Artist: ''(Nominated)''

BET J/Centric

2008, Virtual Awards: Soul Approved: (Won)

2008, Female Artist of the Year: ''(Nominated)''

NAACP Image Awards

2008, Outstanding New Artist: ''(Nominated)''

Soul Train Awards

2009, Best R&B;/Soul Female Artist: ''(Nominated)''

Urban Music Awards

2009, Best Female Act: ''(Nominated)''

References

External links

Official website

Chrisette Michele on Def Jam Recordings

Category:1982 births Category:American Christians Category:American rhythm and blues singer-songwriters Category:American soul singers Category:Def Jam Recordings artists Category:Grammy Award winners Category:Living people Category:Neo soul singers Category:People from Suffolk County, New York Category:Rhythm and blues pianists Category:Singers from New York

de:Chrisette Michele es:Chrisette Michele fr:Chrisette Michele ko:크리셋 미셸 pt:Chrisette Michele ru:Крисетт Мишель

Coordinates	57°32′″N38°20′″N
bgcolour	#6495ED
name	Bob Ross
birth name	Robert Norman Ross
birth date	October 29, 1942
birth place	Daytona Beach, Florida
death date	July 04, 1995
death place	New Smyrna Beach, Florida
nationality	American
field	Painter
awards	}}

Robert Norman "Bob" Ross (October 29, 1942 – July 4, 1995) was an American painter, art instructor, and television host. He is most known as the creator and host of ''The Joy of Painting'', a television program that ran for twelve years on PBS stations in the United States.

Personal life

Ross was born in Daytona Beach, Florida, and attended school until the ninth grade. Raised in Orlando, Florida, Ross enlisted in the U.S. Air Force at age 18 and was living in Florida early in his military career when the Air Force transferred him to Eielson AFB (in Alaska), where he first saw the snow and mountains that later became recurring themes in his artwork; he developed his quick-painting technique in order to be able to create art for sale in brief daily work breaks. Having held military positions that required him to be, in his own words, "mean" and "tough," "the guy who makes you scrub the latrine, the guy who makes you make your bed, the guy who screams at you for being late to work," Ross decided that if he ever moved on from the military, "it wasn't going to be that way any more," "vowing never to scream again". Ross discovered after beginning his sideline in painting that he was soon able to earn more from selling his work than from his Air Force position. After leaving the Air Force, he studied with Bill Alexander before becoming famous worldwide with his own television program.

Ross had a son, Steven, from his first marriage to Lynda. Steven occasionally appeared on ''The Joy of Painting'' and is a Bob Ross–certified instructor. Ross and Lynda's marriage ended in divorce in 1981. Ross married again, this time to Jane. Jane died of cancer in 1993, and Ross himself had battled lymphoma in his later years. In early 1994, Ross cancelled ''The Joy of Painting'' after its 11th season to continue battling the disease. On July 4, 1995, Ross died at home and was survived by his ex-wife, Lynda, his son Steve, a half-brother and a full brother. He is buried at Woodlawn Memorial Park in Gotha, Florida.

Ross had a brother Jim, whom he mentioned in passing on his show.

Television show

Ross was the host of the public television series ''The Joy of Painting''. The show ran from January 11, 1983 to May 17, 1994 and appears in reruns in many broadcast areas and countries, including the PBS oriented Create. During each half-hour segment, Ross would instruct viewers in the art of oil painting using a quick-study technique that kept colors to a minimum and broke paintings down into simple steps that virtually anyone could follow. Art critic Mira Schor compared him to another PBS television host, noting that the softness of Ross's voice and the slow pace of his speech was similar to Mr. Rogers.

Ross later founded his own successful line of art supplies and how-to books, and also offered painting classes taught by instructors trained in the "Bob Ross method," building a 15 million dollar business In a 1990 interview, Ross mentioned that all his programs were donated free of charge to PBS stations and that his earnings came instead from sales of his 20 books and 100 videotapes (the total to that date), as well as profits from some 150 Bob Ross-ATE teachers and a line of art materials sold through a national supplier. Ross also mentioned on the show "Towering Glacier" (#2341) that he donated all the paintings made on the show to PBS stations around the country to "help them out."

Ross also filmed wildlife footage, squirrels in particular, usually from his own garden. Small animals often appeared on his show, even during some of his trickier works, as he would often take in injured or abandoned squirrels and other assorted wildlife and look after them.

Painting

Ross utilized the wet-on-wet oil painting technique, in which the painter continues adding paint on top of still wet paint rather than waiting a lengthy amount of time to allow each layer of paint to dry. Combining this method with the use of two inch and other types of brushes as well as painting knives allowed Ross to paint trees, water, clouds and mountains in a matter of seconds. Each painting would start with simple strokes that appeared to be nothing more than colored smudges. As he added more and more strokes, the blotches transformed into intricate landscapes. According to Ross's former mentor, William Alexander, who had a competing television show, he taught Ross the "wet-on-wet" technique and Ross has "betrayed him" by presenting the technique as his own. Ross dedicated the first episode of the second season of "The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross" to Alexander, explaining that "years ago, Bill taught me this fantastic [wet-on-wet] technique, and I feel as though he gave me a precious gift, and I'd like to share that gift with you [the viewer]".

Ross noted that the landscapes he painted — typically mountains, lakes, snow, and log cabin scenes — were strongly influenced by his years living in Alaska, where he was stationed for the majority of his Air Force career. He repeatedly stated on the show his belief that everyone had inherent artistic talent and could become an accomplished artist given time, practice, and encouragement, and to this end was often fond of saying, "We don't have mistakes here, we just have happy accidents." Ross was well known for other catchphrases he used while painting as he crafted "happy little trees". In most episodes of ''The Joy of Painting'', he noted that one of his favorite parts of painting was cleaning the brush, specifically his method of drying off a brush, which he had dipped in odorless thinner, by striking it against the thinner can and easel. He would smile and often laugh aloud as he "beat the devil out of it." He also used a palette which had been lightly sanded down which was necessary to avoid catching the reflections of strong studio lighting. At the end of each episode, Ross was known for saying, "so from all of us here, I'd like to wish you happy painting, and God bless, my friend."

When asked about his laid-back approach to painting and eternally calm and contented demeanor, he once commented: "I got a letter from somebody here a while back, and they said, 'Bob, everything in your world seems to be happy.' That's for sure. That's why I paint. It's because I can create the kind of world that I want, and I can make this world as happy as I want it. Shoot, if you want bad stuff, watch the news."

References

External links

Bob Ross Incorporated

Category:1942 births Category:1995 deaths Category:American painters Category:American television personalities Category:Deaths from lymphoma Category:People from Volusia County, Florida Category:United States Air Force airmen Category:Cancer deaths in Florida

de:Bob Ross (Maler) es:Bob Ross fa:باب راس ko:밥 로스 hr:Bob Ross it:Bob Ross nl:Bob Ross ja:ボブ・ロス sv:Bob Ross tr:Bob Ross zh:鮑伯·魯斯

Michael Michael(1957-) was a British supergrass, or police informer, whose evidence led to 34 people being jailed for 170 years, and the dismantling of 26 different drug syndicates. He was born Constantine Michael Michael to Greek Cypriot parents in Birmingham on November 12, 1957.

Among people he informed on were his wife Lynn, given a 24-month jail sentence suspended for two years for her role as a cash courier, and his younger brother, Xanthos, his lover, Sue Richards and Janice Marlborough, his business lieutenant who ran his string of brothels.

Michael's evidence led to drugs worth £49m being recovered from a distribution network that is thought to have smuggled more than 110 kg of cocaine and 19,000 kg of cannabis into Britain. Michael has also alleged that a corrupt police officer took £10,000 cash handouts from him.

Information about Michael's work as an informer were kept secret until December 2001, when a judge at Woolwich crown court sentenced him to six years in jail. Reporting restrictions that had been in place for three years were lifted.

Michael had admitted one count of conspiracy to import cocaine, a similar charge involving cannabis, and three conspiracies to launder the proceeds. He has also pleaded guilty to possessing a firearm.

Michael, who lived in Radlett, Hertfordshire, is thought to have been given a new identity under the terms of the witness protection programme.

Michael, a former hairdresser and unqualified accountant, became a target for customs detectives in January 1998 when the agency launched Operation Draft. He had been identified as a member of a drug ring based at the Lee industrial estate in Hatfield, Hertfordshire, that was smuggling cannabis and cocaine into the country in cars, a coach (nicknamed the Fun Bus) and a tanker.

When officers arrested him four months later on April 25, Michael was wearing body armour and brandished a gun.

Woolwich Crown Court heard that Michael alleged he was paying his handler up to £10,000 a week in return for providing information "of great value" to Michael's operation. He claimed the officer turned a blind eye to the smuggling.

Also jailed was Michael 's younger brother Xanthos, and trusted associate Janice Marlborough, have both been jailed. Tracey Kirby, 38, a former Sun page three model, received three years after admitting being a money courier. She has since been released.

References

Category:1957 births Category:People from London Category:English criminals Category:Crime in London Category:Police informers Category:Living people

Coordinates	57°32′″N38°20′″N
name	Ross Noble
birth name	Ross Markham Noble
birth date	June 05, 1976
birth place	Newcastle upon Tyne, England
medium	Stand-up, television
nationality	British
genre	Improvisation/Surrealism/Randomisation
influences	Billy Connolly
spouse	Fran Noble (1 daughter)
notable work	UnrealtimeSonic WaffleRandomistFizzy LogicNoodlemeisterNobleismThings
website	Official Website }}

Ross Markham Noble (born 5 June 1976 in Newcastle upon Tyne) is an English stand-up comedian from Cramlington, Northumberland.

Noble rose to mainstream popularity through making appearances on British television, particularly interviews and on celebrity quiz shows such as ''Have I Got News for You''. He has also released DVDs of several of his tours.

In 2007 he was voted the 10th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-Ups and again in the updated 2010 list as the 11th greatest stand-up comic.

Stand-up performance

Noble's stand-up routine is a largely improvised and surreal performance with a stream of consciousness delivery. Often, a large percentage of his set becomes based around heckles and conversations with members of the audience. Although he does often have a few set topics which he performs throughout a tour, he describes the planning for the entire show as "about four words on a piece of scrap paper".

Noble often mimes actions on-stage to help the audience visualise his surreal ideas, for example, telling the audience to never put a blanket over an owl, and exactly what an owl neck detection device is ("just a stick with a pointy bit on it") or showing the audience how to serve double header ice creams properly after considering his own made-up plot of ''24'' in which Jack Bauer escapes a cell using a greasy goose.

Noble has commented that his shows are similar to ''24'', in that he juggles many topics and unfinished stories throughout the show, due to his unpredictable performance style, interruptions from hecklers or because he has drifted off into another surreal conversation. Thus the audience pesters Noble to tell the ending of his unfinished stories, which are usually eventually concluded at the end of his shows. His most famous example is in his ''Randomist'' tour, where he started to tell a story about him being interviewed after Live 8 near the beginning of a show in Newcastle, which he did not finish until the end of the performance, around two hours later. This relates to an earlier comment he made in his ''Regent's Park'' show, saying that his mind "Tends to wander off [the point] slightly," and later added that "[he] can open up too many tangents at once… it's a never-ending expanding spiral of possibilities." At which point, he forgot what he was talking about.

Career

Early years

Noble is originally from Cramlington, Northumberland, England. "The ultimate in dullness" helped him with his career - he found little to do in his hometown so he became particularly imaginative. At the age of 11, it was discovered that he was dyslexic. Because of this, Noble decided to work within a career which did not rely on academic skills. He had a brief stint as a street juggler with a friend, and aspired to join a circus. He joined a clown troupe and sold balloons as a stilt-walker, before deciding to become a comedian after winning tickets to a comedy show. As a teenager, Ross was a member of the youth theatre at the People's Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne. He was also a backing singer for the Kane Gang. In 1997, he was doing warm-ups at the BBC for Friday Night Armistice.

Noble has been performing stand-up since the dyslexia diagnosis, and appeared in his local comedy club at the age of 15, despite licensing laws that prohibited him working there and forced him to leave through the kitchen. Noble studied performing arts at Newcastle College, after he told his careers adviser at school he wanted to be a comedian. He later stated that this had no effect on his stand-up ability, as he believes that the information taught is not important in being a good performer.

Stand-up career

Since starting as a stand-up comedian, Noble has won many awards, including a Time Out award winner in 2000 for his Edinburgh show ''Chickenmaster'', and a Perrier Award nomination in 1999 for another Edinburgh Festival show ''Laser Boy''. He has since achieved great popularity in both the UK and Australia, where he has toured extensively every year since 2001. Noble's 2003 show ''Unrealtime'' was the best-selling show at the Edinburgh Fringe, before transferring to London's West End for a month long season at the Garrick Theatre where it played to packed houses. A recording of this tour was shown on BBC Two in 2004, and a double DVD set was released later that year.

During 2004, Noble performed at the Edinburgh Fringe and the Melbourne International Comedy Festival and other venues with his show ''Noodlemeister''. His 2005 UK tour, ''Randomist'', ran from September to December, of which he continued in Australia during 2006. In April 2006, Noble was involved in a motorbike accident, and both fractured and dislocated his collarbone. Conveniently he crashed right outside a hospital. Noble performed his shows over the following weeks with his arm in a sling. During his 'Things' tour, in Bristol on 1 March 2009, he claimed that before the ambulance officers would help him, he was forced to do his Stephen Hawking impression, which is surprisingly realistic.

Whilst performing in Edinburgh in September 2006 for his ''Fizzy Logic'' tour, a fight broke out during the gig, caused by a drunken member of the audience arguing with another. Also, in his Edinburgh gig, some one gave him a basket of mini-muffins with faces printed on them; this is related to a sketch from Noble's DVD 'Sonic Waffle', in which he mentions his hobby of finding faces in muffins. At another gig, he found someone filming the show on their mobile phone and confiscated the phone. He then recorded a video on it himself. After finding that several people recorded his finale skit, "The falling owl stunt", Noble encouraged the entire audience to record the stunt simultaneously and post them on YouTube, in an attempt to achieve, "The largest number of videos showing exactly the same thing." He then took his tour to Australia in February 2007, during which he filmed a documentary about his travels around the country.

In 2007 Noble finished his ''Nobleism'' tour in the UK with a show in Liverpool on 21 October 2007 which was screened live to 43 Vue cinemas. If the event had sold out, he would have played to over 10,000 people. Upon walking offstage, Noble enquired if the broadcast had succeeded and was informed by a technician that "it worked perfectly... but we lost Aberdeen". To this day, Noble maintains that this is the "coolest thing anyone has ever said" to him.

Noble likes to have spontaneous material related to each specific show, and therefore encourages heckling and has increasingly indulged in the audience giving him gifts during shows. During one show however, a person left their shoe on stage, and asked for it back. Ross was hesitant, but eventually gave the shoe back to much applause. Similarly, at a gig at the Edinburgh Playhouse during Noble's 2005 Randomist tour, a member of the audience put her feet up on the stage, and later removed his shoes and put them on the stage instead. It is now traditional for the entire front row of an Edinburgh audience to place their shoes upon the stage during the interval, which causes Noble much amusement when he returns. However, if your shoes are on the stage elsewhere, they will be thrown onto the second tier of the arena. During a show in Cardiff on the Fizzy Logic Tour, a member of the audience presented Noble with a pair of sunglasses which he had remarked on while at a show in Birmingham. The audience member had purchased them, travelled to the next available show and gave them to Noble as a gift.

Noble performed at the 2008 Latitude Festival and rounded off his set by leading everyone in the tent in a huge conga line (which quickly turned into a stampede) to a vegan food stand so they could all ask for pies and sausage rolls.

It is common for Noble to have a new and elaborate set for each tour. Some of these include - trees disguised as trees, an enchanted forest (complete with an entirely imaginary elven carriage) octopuses that he will deflate and 'resurrect' and a giant inflatable representation of himself. 'Nosensory Overload' backgroung set features ironic represents of stuff that Ross mentions or did in pervious shows like a floatup motorbike and kangaroos which represents Ross' 'Fizzy Logic' tour of australia and a muffin with a face which represents his celebrity muffins segment from his tour 'Sonic Waffle' and so on.

During Noble's "Things" tour he used an inflatable in the form of many animals, consisting of a turtle's body, tentacles, lizard's feet, bird's wings and lobster's claws as a background display. Something Noble described at the Dartford Orchard as "A four tentacled, Dinosaur-legged, lobster-clawed, turtle-bodied, four-headed Ross-beast". However the representation of this monster on the "Postergram" that is available to buy from the shows, has no lobster claws on it. This beast has four heads, all bearing a striking resemblance to Noble.

The DVD of his show 'Nobleism' was released in November 2009, after a legal battle with his previous manager prevented a release in 2008 as originally planned.

Ross took a new show 'Nonsensory Overload' on a UK tour in the Autumn and Winter of 2010. The tour will be taken to Australia in February 2012 after spending the whole of 2011 not touring, a first for Ross.

TV and radio

Guest appearances

Noble has not done any acting work on TV or radio, as he prefers stand-up for giving him the freedom to say what he wants without being influenced by a script or crew. Nevertheless, he has made many TV appearances, which mainly take the form of interviews and panel game participation. In the UK, he has appeared on BBC's ''Johnny Vaughan Tonight'' and ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross''. Noble has also made twelve appearances, the highest number of appearances of any guest, on BBC 1's ''Have I Got News for You'' including the first show guest presented by Paul Merton. His most memorable appearance on the show saw him and Paul Merton answer all their questions wrong, and getting no points in the entire show. He was Paul Merton's guest on Room 101, where he wanted to consign to history the likes of Craig David, cartoon animals who wear clothes, people who look like cats, clipboards and Christian rock music. He makes regular contributions to BBC Radio 4's ''Just a Minute'' and has also appeared on ''I'm Sorry I Haven't a Clue'' and presented ''4 At The Store''. In July 2007, Ross featured, as part of his "In The Company Of...", on the Colin Murray show on BBC Radio 1, and in August 2007 Noble appeared on ''Steve Wright in the Afternoon'' on BBC Radio 2.

In Australia, he has guested on such TV and radio shows as Network Ten's ''Rove (Live)'', ''The Panel'', ''Good News Week'' and ''Thank God You're Here'', the ABC's ''The Glasshouse'', ''Spicks and Specks'', and ''A Quiet Word With ...'', as well as Triple M radio show ''Get This'', and regular appearances on Triple J.

In Ireland, he appeared on the first series of ''Tubridy Tonight'', where he went over to a prop bookcase to inspect if the books were real. Upon reading one book, he found a photo of Mike Yarwood on one page, which he cut out and wore as a mask for a portion of the interview.

In 2010 he made three guest appearances on British comedy panel show QI.

In July 2011 Ross appeared in the second episode of the 17th series of Top Gear. On the show he revealed that he currently owns earth moving machines as well as an Abbott 433 self propelled gun, which he calls his "Tank". He did a lap around the Top Gear track in 1.43.5, beating Tom Cruise and placing him in second place behind John Bishop.

In 2012 he was a regular panelist on ''That Sunday Night Show'' on ITV.

Hosted series

Besides making various guest appearances, Noble has been the host of an Australian radio show, and the subject of two BBC radio series. Noble's worldwide travels as a stand-up were the subject of his own BBC Radio 4 series ''Ross Noble Goes Global'', produced by Danny Wallace. This series, recorded between April and May 2001, saw him recording his observations as he travelled around various countries. In January 2005, Noble joined Australian comedienne Terri Psiakis in co-hosting ''Ross and Terri'', the weekday lunch shift on national radio station Triple J. Following on from ''Ross Noble Goes Global'', Radio 4 broadcasted a new series called ''Ross Noble On…'' during January to February 2007. The 4-episode series followed his 2006 UK tour, featuring performances in Brighton, York, Manchester and Newcastle. All of the Radio 4 programmes have since been released as BBC audio CDs.

Noble once again teamed up with Terri Psiakis on Triple J for two weeks of ''Ross and Terri'' in January 2006. This second period on Triple J also saw Ross and Terri founding "Pants Across Australia", during which, 4 pairs of trousers were sent to the north, south, east and west extremities of Australia and then back to Melbourne.. ''Ross and Terri'' did not return to this slot in 2007, however Terri Psiakis and Amy Blackmur (the pair's producer from their 2006 show) did present a limited run of shows during a similar time frame earlier in the year, under the working title "T 'n' A" ("Terri and Amy"). As well as this, Terri and Amy decided to continue in the evening slot of 6pm - 10pm. The family have since moved to Kent, England as of May 2010.

Noble has an uncle, Mickey Hutton, who is also a stand-up comedian. In many shows he reveals he is an atheist.

A keen biker and off-road rider, Noble is also a fan of MotoGP, WSBK and The Isle of Man TT. He has created an off-road track in the paddock at his home, and has a number of vehicles to use on it, including an FV433 Abbot SPG self-propelled gun. Noble has competed in many races, notably, The Romaniacs and the 24 hour Dusk to Dawn. Noble has attended several track days in 2011, most recently at Brands Hatch on the GP circuit as a guest of MSV aboard his Triumph Daytona 675R.

Charity

Following the 2009 Victorian bushfires, Noble has used this unfortunate event in his act and donates profits from the sale of the show's programme/poster (or "postergram" as it's called) to a charitable fund to help those similarly affected.

Noble supports British charity Riders for Health and donated money earned from limited edition signed posters together with bucket collections after each gig from his Nonsensory Overload tour to Riders for Health. This raised £42,000 for Riders. Noble has attended their fundraising event Day of Champions on a number of occasions, most recently at Silverstone in 2010. Ross also voiced the Riders for Health BBC Radio 4 appeal aired just before Christmas 2010.

In May 2011, to celebrate his 20th anniversary of stand up, Noble teamed up with Triumph Motorcycles who were also celebrating a milestone, having just produced their 500,000th bikes (since the company was re-launched 20 years ago) and did the Ross Noble "Sit Down" Tour. Using only Twitter as a guide, Noble travelled around the UK on the unique Triumph Speed Triple guided by his Twitter followers and accompanied by a film crew. The Triumph Speed Triple was auctioned by Bonhams at the Goodwood festival of speed on 1 July 2011, with all the proceeds (£8,000) going to Noble's charity of choice, Riders for Health.

In July 2011, Noble competed in the Red Bull Romaniacs, which is "one of the toughest extreme motorcycle events on the planet" as part of the Desert Rose Racing Team with fellow rider Clive "Zippy" Town (Dakar 2006) with both riders on 350 Exc-F KTM's

Tours

These dates apply to Noble's tours.

''Laser Boy'' (1999)

''Chickenmaster'' (2000)

''Slackers' Playtime'' (2001–2002)

''Sonic Waffle'' (2002–2003)

''Unrealtime'' (2003–2004)

''Noodlemeister'' (2004–2005)

''Randomist'' (2005–2006)

''Fizzy Logic'' (2006–2007)

''Nobleism'' (2007)

''Headspace Cowboy'' (2008–2009) (Australian tour only)

''Things'' (2009–2010)

''Nonsensory Overload'' (2010–2012)

''Mindblender'' (2012)

DVD releases

Several recorded performances of Noble are available on DVD, notable for the large amount of extras that appear on them. Noble's recorded shows are mostly dominated by Noble with just a few moments of audience participation. Throughout the rest of his tour Noble is more relaxed, with the audience joining in. However the audience can sometimes dominate a show, as seen on the extra "Live in Birmingham" gig on the ''Randomist'' DVD. All of Ross' DVDs are region free, with the exception of Unrealtime.

Unrealtime

Released: 11 October 2004

:A Double DVD set which includes a performance of Noble's ''Unrealtime'' show at the Garrick Theatre, as well as a performance at the Regent's Park Open Air Theatre. Also Noble on tour backstage footage and a quiz to unlock extra footage. Also contains a 'Trivia Track' which contains spoof "facts" relating to the show's content.

Sonic Waffle

Released: 3 October 2005

:The single DVD contains the uncut last night performance from London's Vaudeville Theatre, complete with commentary and, "commentary on the commentary," audio tracks. It also includes his 'meat on the face' performance from the BBC television series ''Jack Dee Live at the Apollo'', which has an audio commentary opinion where Noble is joined by a Cantonese interpreter. The DVD also offers the viewer to play a game of celebrity muffins.

Randomist

Released: 6 November 2006

:A 4-disc set which contains unedited performances from the City Hall in Newcastle, the Victoria Hall in Stoke, the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham and the town hall in Melbourne, Australia. The extras include the documentaries ''Ross' Highland Fling'' and ''Ross' Australia Tour'', and an interactive quiz. The fourth disc contains the Randomiser, and an hour's worth of randomised live performance clips from York, Manchester and Liverpool. Commentary is included for three of the shows, which was recorded consecutively and described by Noble as "4 hours of me going slowly insane in a small box".

Fizzy Logic

Released: 12 November 2007

:Fizzy Logic is Noble's 4th DVD set, consisting of two discs. The first contains a full performance recorded in Canberra during 2007, and a documentary charting his New Zealand circuit. The second contains six shows from his UK tour and special seventh from Southend, which is unlocked by being able to find out where the previous six shows were performed.

Nobleism

Released: 9 November 2009

:Nobleism is Noble's 5th DVD set. It was released in the UK on 9 November and in Australia on 13 November 2009. It consists of two discs. Disc one features his live stand-up show from the Empire Theatre, Liverpool. Disc two has bonus show footage, a Ross Noble interview with Dr Oliver Double and episode one of Ross Noble's Australian Trip. At the same time of being filmed at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool the show was simultaneously broadcast, via satellite, to 45 Vue Cinemas nationwide.

Things

Released: 29 November 2010

:Ross Noble's new DVD set is a two-disc set. Disc one features the main live show from Manchester on his 'Things' tour. Disc two features highlights from a show performed in a large stadium in Brisbane, highlights from shows in Canberra and Melbourne, a full-length unedited version of his interview on ''Carpool'' and his appearance on ''Friday Night with Jonathan Ross'' where he had a mock fight with host Jonathan Ross. A limited edition set contained an additional third disc containing highlights from a recording in Aberdeen. The DVD is dedicated to Noble's father, Malcolm who died that year.

The Headspace Cowboy

Released: 14 November 2011

:On his official YouTube channel he upload his weekly free clip called "Toucan Bastards" at the end of the clip he announced his new DVD. Upon its release it was confirmed to be the never before seen 2009 tour. The DVD is slightly different to Ross' previous releases due to the fact that rather than one continuous main show it is split into six pieces spreading over two discs approximately 45 to 50 minutes each making this Noble's longest DVD as far as its running time. The DVD also includes a third disc containing bonus material including a commentary on all six shows, unseen bits taken from the show and Ross' Sit Down Tour.

References

External links

Ross Noble Official Website

Ross Noble Official Twitter

Ross Noble Goes Global on bbc.co.uk

Ross Noble Official MySpace profile

Ross Noble Official YouTube channel

Ross Noble Fan Site

Category:1976 births Category:Living people Category:English atheists Category:English comedians Category:English expatriates in Australia Category:English stand-up comedians Category:People from Cramlington

sv:Ross Noble