Chris Witts (born 24 July 1944 in Bristol was Sheriff of Gloucester 2006/7
Education
He came to Gloucester at the age of 7 with his parents and brother and sister, first attending Larkhay Road Infants School, then Elmbridge Junior School and finally Central Boys Technical School.
John Harker Ltd
In July 1960 he left school at 16 years of age and began work as a deckhand on one of John Harker Ltd esturial tanker barges. He worked first on the SHELL STEELMAKER, then the WYESDALE H and finally the WINSDALE H. One night he will always remember is the 25 October 1960 on the WYESDALE H bound for Sharpness from Avonmouth on the evening tide. A thick fog rolled off the shoreline into the River Severn and two tanker barges, the ARKENDALE H with a cargo of black oil and the WASTDALE H with a cargo of petrol sudedenly found themselves being taken with the tide up stream past the entrance to Sharpness Docks. Soon they crashed into the Severn Railway Bridge and two spans dropped onto both barges below. An explosionb occurred and five crewmen were lost. This disaster is one of many that has occurred on the River Severn and is always remembered as the Severn Bridge Disaster. Chris remained with John Harker Ltd for a few years and found himself involved with other diasters on the dangerous River Severn.
Fire Service
In 1966 he joined Gloucester City Fire Brigade as a fireman and remained with this career until 1993. During 1973/4 the Brigade almalgamated with Gloucestershire Fire Service, later to be called Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service. Chris was promoted first to Leading Fireman on White Watch at Gloucester Fire Station then to a divisional staff Sub Officer with West Division. In 1980 he moved to Cheltenham Fire Station as Sub Officer in charge of White Watch. During his time in the Fire Service he did numerous part-time jobs, window cleaning, HGV driving, auctioneer's assistant, but his favourite was in the 1980s as a freelance press photographer.
The Grain Barges
Soon after leaving the Fire Service Chris was offered a mate's job on the two grain barges working from the flour mill at Tewkesbury to Sharpness. Allied Mills Ltd began working the CHACELEY and TIRLEY in the spring of 1993 following their being laid up for the previous eight years. Each grain barge carried 250 tonnes of grain and were crewed by two men. In 1995 the skipper, Lionel Langford, died and Chris was offered the skipper's job. It was during this time that he began writing his numerous books about the River Severn. In 1998 the two grain barges were laid up again, but Chris found himself other work as skipper of the little mud hoppers which took dredged mud from Gloucester to the discharge plant at Purton. That work finally finished in 2000 and Chris was about to make a completely different career move.
Politics
He was asked to stand as a Councillor for the Liberal Democrats in Gloucester fighting the old ward of Longlevens. In 2002 due to ward boundary changes Chris has to fight another election and chose to stand for the new ward of Elmbridge where he has lived since the age of 10 years old. He won with a comfortable majority and then became a Cabinet Member for Care & Maintenacne, his portfolio covered street cleaning, refuse collections and grounds maintenance. In 2006 he had to stand for re-election and again won with a good majority.
Sheriff of Gloucester
Chris was invited to become the 275th Sheriff of Gloucester. As well as being Sheriff he was also Deputy Mayor of Gloucester, a roll that was to keep him very busy for 12 months. This was to be a very busy year in which he supported the Mayor of Gloucester, Cllr Sue Blakeley, to the many functions, not just in Gloucester, but Gloucestershire and even to our twin town of Trier in Germany. He was invited by the Sheriff of York to join him in that ancient city to help fund raise for their version of "An Assize of Ale". Gloucester also has "An Assize of Ale" for which Chris, with others, dressed in mediveal costume and paraded through Gloucester all day one Saturday, visiting many ale houses and raising money for local charities.
Local Celebrity
As well as being a Councillor for Elmbridge with Gloucester City Council he finds time to travel around giving talks about his favourite river the River Severn as well as the odd appearance on radio and television.
Education
He came to Gloucester at the age of 7 with his parents and brother and sister, first attending Larkhay Road Infants School, then Elmbridge Junior School and finally Central Boys Technical School.
John Harker Ltd
In July 1960 he left school at 16 years of age and began work as a deckhand on one of John Harker Ltd esturial tanker barges. He worked first on the SHELL STEELMAKER, then the WYESDALE H and finally the WINSDALE H. One night he will always remember is the 25 October 1960 on the WYESDALE H bound for Sharpness from Avonmouth on the evening tide. A thick fog rolled off the shoreline into the River Severn and two tanker barges, the ARKENDALE H with a cargo of black oil and the WASTDALE H with a cargo of petrol sudedenly found themselves being taken with the tide up stream past the entrance to Sharpness Docks. Soon they crashed into the Severn Railway Bridge and two spans dropped onto both barges below. An explosionb occurred and five crewmen were lost. This disaster is one of many that has occurred on the River Severn and is always remembered as the Severn Bridge Disaster. Chris remained with John Harker Ltd for a few years and found himself involved with other diasters on the dangerous River Severn.
Fire Service
In 1966 he joined Gloucester City Fire Brigade as a fireman and remained with this career until 1993. During 1973/4 the Brigade almalgamated with Gloucestershire Fire Service, later to be called Gloucestershire Fire & Rescue Service. Chris was promoted first to Leading Fireman on White Watch at Gloucester Fire Station then to a divisional staff Sub Officer with West Division. In 1980 he moved to Cheltenham Fire Station as Sub Officer in charge of White Watch. During his time in the Fire Service he did numerous part-time jobs, window cleaning, HGV driving, auctioneer's assistant, but his favourite was in the 1980s as a freelance press photographer.
The Grain Barges
Soon after leaving the Fire Service Chris was offered a mate's job on the two grain barges working from the flour mill at Tewkesbury to Sharpness. Allied Mills Ltd began working the CHACELEY and TIRLEY in the spring of 1993 following their being laid up for the previous eight years. Each grain barge carried 250 tonnes of grain and were crewed by two men. In 1995 the skipper, Lionel Langford, died and Chris was offered the skipper's job. It was during this time that he began writing his numerous books about the River Severn. In 1998 the two grain barges were laid up again, but Chris found himself other work as skipper of the little mud hoppers which took dredged mud from Gloucester to the discharge plant at Purton. That work finally finished in 2000 and Chris was about to make a completely different career move.
Politics
He was asked to stand as a Councillor for the Liberal Democrats in Gloucester fighting the old ward of Longlevens. In 2002 due to ward boundary changes Chris has to fight another election and chose to stand for the new ward of Elmbridge where he has lived since the age of 10 years old. He won with a comfortable majority and then became a Cabinet Member for Care & Maintenacne, his portfolio covered street cleaning, refuse collections and grounds maintenance. In 2006 he had to stand for re-election and again won with a good majority.
Sheriff of Gloucester
Chris was invited to become the 275th Sheriff of Gloucester. As well as being Sheriff he was also Deputy Mayor of Gloucester, a roll that was to keep him very busy for 12 months. This was to be a very busy year in which he supported the Mayor of Gloucester, Cllr Sue Blakeley, to the many functions, not just in Gloucester, but Gloucestershire and even to our twin town of Trier in Germany. He was invited by the Sheriff of York to join him in that ancient city to help fund raise for their version of "An Assize of Ale". Gloucester also has "An Assize of Ale" for which Chris, with others, dressed in mediveal costume and paraded through Gloucester all day one Saturday, visiting many ale houses and raising money for local charities.
Local Celebrity
As well as being a Councillor for Elmbridge with Gloucester City Council he finds time to travel around giving talks about his favourite river the River Severn as well as the odd appearance on radio and television.
A comedy workshop is a training option for people considering starting the performance of standup comedy, or those with some performing experience who wish to refine or change their comedy act. It can also be a recreational activity for people who wish to experience what it is like to perform standup comedy within a sheltered environment rather than in a public comedy club.
Comedy workshops are typically led by experienced comedians (i.e. those who have considerable experience of performing standup comedy in front of a live audience). They should also have training skills in order to be able to guide new entrants into this performance artform and assist them with gaining the required confidence to perform in front of the other workshops participants. The training skills and a supportive, coaching approach is as important as the performing experience of the person who tuns the comedy workshop.
Comedy workshops may be run for a short period e.g. half or one day or a longer period e.g. once weekly for several weeks or months. The longer period workshops provide continuity and allow progressive development to be achieved, often resulting in a "show" to an invitied audience at the end. The shorter period workshops require less commitment and are more suitable for people travelling longer distances to the workshop.
The content of a comedy workshop will often start with a number of improvisational games to warm people up and help them lose any inhibitions. A typical game of this type will involve two performers who have to act out roles suggested by the workshop leader or the other workshops participants, in an often bizarre situation or setting.
While there is no recognised standard syllabus in what is very much a cottage industry, comedy workshops should cover most or all of the following:
Performing with confidence
Dealing with hecklers
Comedy competitions
Memorising material
Timing & Pacing
A career in comedy
Getting an open spot
At some stage in the comedy workshop, participants will usually have the opportunity to perform solo with original material. This allows feedback from both the workshop leader and participants, on performance and content.
Some comedy workshops will focus more on writing material while others concentrate on the performance aspects - and the ones which run over a longer period will cover both.
The use of video within comedy workshops is a more recent development which allows both a useful perspective for the workshop participaint when receiving feedback, and can be used as a permanent record of the session to take home and review or show to family and friends.
Views differ about the usefulness or otherwise of a comedy workshop as a training device for budding comedians. Some experienced comedians feel (rightly) that there is no substiture for live performance to truly develop a comedian - however others feel that a comedy workshop can be useful, although very dependent on the experience of the workshop leader.
The quality of a comedy workshop can vary widely, so a recommendation from a previous participant is worth having.
Comedy workshops are typically led by experienced comedians (i.e. those who have considerable experience of performing standup comedy in front of a live audience). They should also have training skills in order to be able to guide new entrants into this performance artform and assist them with gaining the required confidence to perform in front of the other workshops participants. The training skills and a supportive, coaching approach is as important as the performing experience of the person who tuns the comedy workshop.
Comedy workshops may be run for a short period e.g. half or one day or a longer period e.g. once weekly for several weeks or months. The longer period workshops provide continuity and allow progressive development to be achieved, often resulting in a "show" to an invitied audience at the end. The shorter period workshops require less commitment and are more suitable for people travelling longer distances to the workshop.
The content of a comedy workshop will often start with a number of improvisational games to warm people up and help them lose any inhibitions. A typical game of this type will involve two performers who have to act out roles suggested by the workshop leader or the other workshops participants, in an often bizarre situation or setting.
While there is no recognised standard syllabus in what is very much a cottage industry, comedy workshops should cover most or all of the following:
Performing with confidence
Dealing with hecklers
Comedy competitions
Memorising material
Timing & Pacing
A career in comedy
Getting an open spot
At some stage in the comedy workshop, participants will usually have the opportunity to perform solo with original material. This allows feedback from both the workshop leader and participants, on performance and content.
Some comedy workshops will focus more on writing material while others concentrate on the performance aspects - and the ones which run over a longer period will cover both.
The use of video within comedy workshops is a more recent development which allows both a useful perspective for the workshop participaint when receiving feedback, and can be used as a permanent record of the session to take home and review or show to family and friends.
Views differ about the usefulness or otherwise of a comedy workshop as a training device for budding comedians. Some experienced comedians feel (rightly) that there is no substiture for live performance to truly develop a comedian - however others feel that a comedy workshop can be useful, although very dependent on the experience of the workshop leader.
The quality of a comedy workshop can vary widely, so a recommendation from a previous participant is worth having.
Roberta S. Wenocur is a known for employing a new method, combining more than two distinct areas of mathematics, using hyperplanes and algebraic methods to establish combinatorial results in VC-theory, probability theory, and statistics, which are now cited by Vladimir Vapnik and researchers in the fields of computer learning theory, neural nets, and bioinformatics.
The researchers used and cited the work of Wenocur (with Dudley) to develop this Surgical Procedure to help those with impaired hearing.
Also among those who have cited Wenocur are Hausler, Luc Devroye, Janos Galambos and numerous other well-known researchers.
Biography
Before earning her Ph.D. Wenocur worked in actuarial science developing software for use within the insurance industry. Wenocur went on to earn her Ph.D. in mathematics in 1979 under Janos Galambos. After completing her dissertation, Waiting Times and Return Periods Related to Order Statistics, Wenocur has served as faculty member at several universities including the University of Pennsylvania. She has also worked at NCV (New Consulting Ventures), a company that she founded in 1966, where she continues research in mathematics, statistics, and applications. Wenocur is a member of AMS, MAA, APS, and MSRI at the Fibonacci level.
Research
Wenocur’s main fields of interest are probability theory and mathematical statistics, including empirical measures, empirical processes, economic models, investment strategies, Vapnik-Cervonenkis theory, combinatorics, order statistics, Bose-Einstein statistics, probabilistic proofs of hypergeometric identities. Along with R. M. Dudley, Wenocur is known for some “Special Vapnik-Cervonenkis Classes”, which are widely cited and employed in various applications.
Wenocur has received grants from the National Science Foundation to continue her research.
*1982: Grant for research in empirical measures, empirical processes, and rates of convergence.
*1982: Grant for research related to women in science and mathematics.
*1991: Grant for research in chaos and fractal geometry.
Selected publications, book chapters, and works in progress
(1) A probabilistic proof of Gauss’s 2F1 identity . (October 1994). J. Combin. Theory, Series A, 68,
212 - 215.
(2) Order statistics and combinatorial identities. (May 1993). Extreme Value Theory and
Applications 3, 219 - 223.
(3) Predictive models of correlator/tracker algorithm performance in the presence of false alarms. Data
Fusion 2, 1989, 340-346.
(4) An analytic model for the effect of false reports on surveillance tracking. Data Fusion 1, 1988, 630 -640.
(5) Some special Vapnik-Cervonenkis classes. ( 1981, with R. M. Dudley ). Discrete Mathematics 33,
313 - 318
(6) Recurrence of a modified random walk and its application to an economic model. (1981, with S.
Salant). SIAM J. Appl. Math. 40, 163 - 166.
(7) Rediscovery t and alternate proof of Gauss's identity . (1980). Annals of Discrete Mathematics 9, 79
- 82.
(8) Waiting times and return periods related to order statistics: an application of urn models. (1981).
Statis. Distrib. in Scientific Work 6, 419 - 434 .
(9) Waiting times and return periods to exceed the maximum of a previous sample. ( 1981 ). Statis.
Distrib. in Scientific Work 6, 411 - 418 .
(10) Order statistics and an experiment in software design. (1981). Computer Science and Statistics 13,
281 - 283.
(11) Order statistics in the computer science classroom. (1981). Computer Science and Statistics 13.
(12) Bounds for the uniform deviation of empirical measures over special classes of sets. ( 1981 ).
Stoch.Proc.and Applic. 10, p. 98 .
(13) Group theory as a consequence of the theory of equations. ( 1977 ). Temple University
Publications.
(14) Series of entertaining mathematical books for children. In progress.
(15) Contagion and Bose-Einstein statistics (submitted for publication, 2008)
(16) Mathematical prodigies. In progress.
Selected Technical Reports
(content classified; titles not classified; not permitted to be published)
(a) Tests for a Downward Statistical Trend in Oil or Gas Pool Size as Discoveries are Made Through
Time.
(b) Likelihood Test of Independence.
(c) An Instantaneous Detection Probability Algorithm.
(d) A Generalized Cumulative Detection Probability Algorithm.
(e) Sensitivity of Detection Model to the Multi-Ping Criterion.
(f) Simulation Involving Passive Buoys.
(g) An Analytic Model for the Effect of False Reports on Surveillance Tracking.
(h) An Analytic Model for the Effect of False Reports on Surveillance Tracking in the Discrete Glimpse
Case.
(i) Relative Likelihood of Correlated Valid Reports Versus False Tracks.
(j) Discriminants for Time Series Analysis.
(k) Analysis of Pulse Repetition Interval and Scan Rate as Time Series.
(l) WSS Track File Analysis.
The researchers used and cited the work of Wenocur (with Dudley) to develop this Surgical Procedure to help those with impaired hearing.
Also among those who have cited Wenocur are Hausler, Luc Devroye, Janos Galambos and numerous other well-known researchers.
Biography
Before earning her Ph.D. Wenocur worked in actuarial science developing software for use within the insurance industry. Wenocur went on to earn her Ph.D. in mathematics in 1979 under Janos Galambos. After completing her dissertation, Waiting Times and Return Periods Related to Order Statistics, Wenocur has served as faculty member at several universities including the University of Pennsylvania. She has also worked at NCV (New Consulting Ventures), a company that she founded in 1966, where she continues research in mathematics, statistics, and applications. Wenocur is a member of AMS, MAA, APS, and MSRI at the Fibonacci level.
Research
Wenocur’s main fields of interest are probability theory and mathematical statistics, including empirical measures, empirical processes, economic models, investment strategies, Vapnik-Cervonenkis theory, combinatorics, order statistics, Bose-Einstein statistics, probabilistic proofs of hypergeometric identities. Along with R. M. Dudley, Wenocur is known for some “Special Vapnik-Cervonenkis Classes”, which are widely cited and employed in various applications.
Wenocur has received grants from the National Science Foundation to continue her research.
*1982: Grant for research in empirical measures, empirical processes, and rates of convergence.
*1982: Grant for research related to women in science and mathematics.
*1991: Grant for research in chaos and fractal geometry.
Selected publications, book chapters, and works in progress
(1) A probabilistic proof of Gauss’s 2F1 identity . (October 1994). J. Combin. Theory, Series A, 68,
212 - 215.
(2) Order statistics and combinatorial identities. (May 1993). Extreme Value Theory and
Applications 3, 219 - 223.
(3) Predictive models of correlator/tracker algorithm performance in the presence of false alarms. Data
Fusion 2, 1989, 340-346.
(4) An analytic model for the effect of false reports on surveillance tracking. Data Fusion 1, 1988, 630 -640.
(5) Some special Vapnik-Cervonenkis classes. ( 1981, with R. M. Dudley ). Discrete Mathematics 33,
313 - 318
(6) Recurrence of a modified random walk and its application to an economic model. (1981, with S.
Salant). SIAM J. Appl. Math. 40, 163 - 166.
(7) Rediscovery t and alternate proof of Gauss's identity . (1980). Annals of Discrete Mathematics 9, 79
- 82.
(8) Waiting times and return periods related to order statistics: an application of urn models. (1981).
Statis. Distrib. in Scientific Work 6, 419 - 434 .
(9) Waiting times and return periods to exceed the maximum of a previous sample. ( 1981 ). Statis.
Distrib. in Scientific Work 6, 411 - 418 .
(10) Order statistics and an experiment in software design. (1981). Computer Science and Statistics 13,
281 - 283.
(11) Order statistics in the computer science classroom. (1981). Computer Science and Statistics 13.
(12) Bounds for the uniform deviation of empirical measures over special classes of sets. ( 1981 ).
Stoch.Proc.and Applic. 10, p. 98 .
(13) Group theory as a consequence of the theory of equations. ( 1977 ). Temple University
Publications.
(14) Series of entertaining mathematical books for children. In progress.
(15) Contagion and Bose-Einstein statistics (submitted for publication, 2008)
(16) Mathematical prodigies. In progress.
Selected Technical Reports
(content classified; titles not classified; not permitted to be published)
(a) Tests for a Downward Statistical Trend in Oil or Gas Pool Size as Discoveries are Made Through
Time.
(b) Likelihood Test of Independence.
(c) An Instantaneous Detection Probability Algorithm.
(d) A Generalized Cumulative Detection Probability Algorithm.
(e) Sensitivity of Detection Model to the Multi-Ping Criterion.
(f) Simulation Involving Passive Buoys.
(g) An Analytic Model for the Effect of False Reports on Surveillance Tracking.
(h) An Analytic Model for the Effect of False Reports on Surveillance Tracking in the Discrete Glimpse
Case.
(i) Relative Likelihood of Correlated Valid Reports Versus False Tracks.
(j) Discriminants for Time Series Analysis.
(k) Analysis of Pulse Repetition Interval and Scan Rate as Time Series.
(l) WSS Track File Analysis.
Here is a list of car companies whose lineup does not contain any front wheel drive models:
Excluded from list is:
*Companies that make vehicles in classes that are clearly expected to be RWD (e.g. trucks, construction equipment, etc.); however, sports cars expected to be RWD are an exception to the exclusion rule. However, GMC is about to introduce a front-wheel drive vehicle in the market soon.
*Aston Martin
*Bentley
*BMW
*Bugatti
*Ferrari
*Hummer
*Lamborghini
*Maserati
*Maybach
*Pagani
*Panoz
*Porsche
*Rolls-Royce
Though vehicles by Hummer are technically trucks, any sport utility vehicle with a fully enclosed cargo bed and multiple rows of seating are titled as an automobile (or station wagon) in many countries. None of these manufacturers/divisions produces a front-drive vehicle.
Car companies that do not make FWD models
Excluded from list is:
*Companies that make vehicles in classes that are clearly expected to be RWD (e.g. trucks, construction equipment, etc.); however, sports cars expected to be RWD are an exception to the exclusion rule. However, GMC is about to introduce a front-wheel drive vehicle in the market soon.
*Aston Martin
*Bentley
*BMW
*Bugatti
*Ferrari
*Hummer
*Lamborghini
*Maserati
*Maybach
*Pagani
*Panoz
*Porsche
*Rolls-Royce
Though vehicles by Hummer are technically trucks, any sport utility vehicle with a fully enclosed cargo bed and multiple rows of seating are titled as an automobile (or station wagon) in many countries. None of these manufacturers/divisions produces a front-drive vehicle.
Car companies that do not make FWD models