Roy Noble
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| Roy Noble | |
 Roy Noble at a Charity event in Aberdare
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| Born | 1942 (age 65–66) Brynamman, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire |
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| Nationality |  Welsh |
| Occupation | Teacher Broadcaster Journalist |
| Known for | BBC Radio Wales |
| Spouse | Elaine |
| Children | 1*son, Richard |
| Website http://www.bbc.co.uk/wales/radiowales/sites/roynoble |
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Roy Noble OBE, DL, O.St.J is a Welsh radio and television broadcaster.
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[edit] Biography
Noble was born in 1942 in Brynamman in the Amman Valley of Carmarthenshire, the only son of coal miner Ivor Noble and his wife Sadie. Brought up in Brynamman, after passing his 11 Plus entrance examination he attended Amman Valley Grammar School where fellow pupils included Vernon Pugh and John Cale.[1]
Upon completing his school education, he tried to join the RAF as he had always wanted to be a pilot, but was turned down because he suffers from hay fever. He subsequently left Ammanford and went to Cardiff to train as a teacher.[1]
[edit] Teaching career
Noble's early professional career was in education and in the latter years he was a Head Teacher of two primary schools in the County of Powys. One school was in Pontneddfechan, near Glynneath and the other in Llangattock, near Crickhowell; where he qualified as a bus driver to drive children on school trips.[1]
During his years in education he attained several bursaries and was able to travel extensively in Europe to study education management systems. He also won a Page Scholarship under the auspices of the English-Speaking Union which allowed him to spend time in several states of the USA, undertaking a comparative study of education systems.[1]
[edit] Broadcasting career
Noble's move to broadcasting was gradual and part-time, writing and presenting a weekly "Letter from Aberdare" on the A.M. programme on BBC Radio Wales. He eventually joined the BBC in Wales full time, and his daily radio programme has attained the highest listening figures in Wales for a number of years, in 1999 receiving a Sony Award.[citation needed]
Television appearances have included a diet programme with Barbara Dickson and a series of Noble Guides covering many subjects from Paris to "Manliness and Mortality". The popular Noble Trails series also covered a journey along the "Celtic Rim" of Europe and more recently his series, Common Ground was highly acclaimed gaining him the Royal Television Society Award as Regional Presenter of the Year for the year 2000. He was a regular co-presenter on the Welsh language evening magazine programme Heno (Tonight) for seven years.
[edit] Charity and other works
He was Chairman of the Wales Youth Agency from 1998 to 2001 and is often involved with public engagements and initiatives. In the 2001 Queens Birthday Honours List, he was awarded an OBE for services to the community and for charity support in Wales.[2]
He was also made a Fellow of the University of Wales Institute, Cardiff (UWIC), and is an Officer of the Venerable Order of Saint John. In 2007 he was appointed a Deputy Lieutenant for the County of Mid-Glamorgan. Roy has appeared as an after-dinner speaker at many organisations, clubs, and societies, including engagements in Hong Kong, Singapore, Dubai and Canada.
[edit] Personal life
For the past 30 years, Noble and his wife Elaine have lived in Aberdare. The couple have one son Richard.[3]
