Ronni Ancona (born 4 July 1968) is a Scottish actress, impressionist and author. She first became well known as a result of appearing in the BBC's BAFTA award winningThe Big Impression alongside Alistair McGowan.
Ancona was born in Troon, Ayrshire, Scotland and is of English and Italian, Jewish descent. She attended Marr College, a secondary school in Troon. In the programme "Comedy Map of Britain" she returned to her old school in Troon and talked about her earliest comedy performing experience as part of an improvisation group called "Pots People". She made a one-off appearance on Blue Peter in 1986 while she was still at school. She moved to London when 17 to study design at St Martin's. After this she became a teacher before embarking on stand-up comedy.
Her comedy career started on the comedy circuit and she won the Time Out Hackney Empire New Act of the Year in 1993. For many years she worked extensively in radio and on television shows, such as Fist of Fun, as well as performing stand-up comedy. She also appeared in the first series of The Sketch Show before the The Big Impression.
Ancona (Italian pronunciation: [aŋˈkoːna]; Greek: Ἀγκών - Ankon (root)) is a city and a seaport in the Marche region, in central Italy, with a population of c. 101,997 as of 2015. Ancona is the capital of the province of Ancona and of the region.
The city is located 280 km (170 mi) northeast of Rome, on the Adriatic Sea, between the slopes of the two extremities of the promontory of Monte Conero, Monte Astagno and Monte Guasco.
Ancona is one of the main ports on the Adriatic Sea, especially for passenger traffic, and is the main economic and demographic centre of the region.
Ancona was founded by Greek settlers from Syracuse about 387 BC, who gave it its name: Ancona stems from the Greek word Αγκων, meaning "elbow"; the harbour to the east of the town was originally protected only by the promontory on the north, shaped like an elbow. Greek merchants established a Tyrian purple dye factory here. In Roman times it kept its own coinage with the punning device of the bent arm holding a palm branch, and the head of Aphrodite on the reverse, and continued the use of the Greek language.
The Ancona is a breed of chicken which originated in the Marche region of Italy, but which was bred to its present type mainly in the United Kingdom in the 19th century. It is named after the city of Ancona, capital of the Marche. It is popular in Britain and the United States, but uncommon in Italy; an initiative to re-establish it in its native area and preserve its biodiversity was launched in 2000. There are also Ancona bantams.
The first Ancona chickens were imported into England in 1851, and selectively bred there for regularity and consistency of the white markings in the plumage. In 1880 a breeder named Cobb showed a group. Some birds were exported from Britain to the United States in 1888. Rose-combed Ancona chickens were first shown in Birmingham in 1910.
In the United States, the single-comb Ancona was recognised by the American Poultry Association in 1898, and the rose-comb bird in 1914.
The Ancona is a good layer of white eggs, of which it lays an average of 220 per year; the eggs weigh 50 g or more. Hens have little tendency to broodiness; pullets may begin to lay at 5 months. It is a typical Mediterranean breed, rustic, lively and hardy. Birds range widely and take flight easily.
Ancona is a surname. Notable people with the surname include: