Roy Noble O.B.E.

                    'If I eventually meet St.Peter and he asks, "How was it for you? " the reply would have to be , " Well, no complaints really ."  Life has been pretty good to me, personally and professionally. My early life was spent within a warm, supportive, working class family. I have been fortunate to have had a happy marriage for over 45 years and Elaine, my wife, Richard, our son and I have been blessed with good health and contentment.

                    Professionally, luck has been with me in two professions, education and broadcasting. I managed to get two headships in primary schools and, in the media; I have kept riding the conveyor belt, as a presenter, for many years. Now, an odd thing happened to me a few years ago, at the Royal Welsh Agricultural Show. A Romany wanted to read my palm for a pound, and being in one of my insecure periods, I told her “Alright, here are two pounds, make sure and make it good!” On reading my hand, she said, “I see three things. One, you're never going to win the football pools or the lottery, but you'll be fine. Two, in years to come, you'll die near a mountain or a river." In Wales, of course, there's a good chance of you doing that! “Thirdly, you are going to have three professions!" well, at my age, she was sticking her neck out, but, I disregard age, so you never know. To keep going that's the thing. To keep ploughing the furrow and even it's not long, it may be deep and it may be straight

                     So, in my good fortune, I do feel a responsibility ' to give back '. It's an honest philosophy and not declared in any sickly or trite way. I really believe it. The only problem is to say ' no ' now and again, because the calls are many and the burden could become unwieldy, but I will do what I can. There are many needs, deprivations and short-falls in society, internationally, nationally and nearer to home. But it is heart-warming that people feel that they can come to me for support or with an appeal. As I said, I can only do what I can.

                     I also try to encourage others, particularly the young people I meet in school prize nights, that they are all unique, they have a right be and, each and every one, has a valuable contribution to make. With equal rights, of course, come equal responsibilities and all of that is built into the ethos. I also believe that in good humour, you can ram home a point or suggestion, far more effectively than with a mallet. I have found that 99 % of audiences of all ages, accept, and appreciate that. They know what you're saying alright.

                     I have been lucky. I have been blessed. In return, I have to ' give back ' and I continue to look around as to how I can be most effective to make a difference. There is the old saying, “What a difference a day makes ". Reverse it......" What a day a difference makes ". We can all try for that. '