Some people leave an indelible mark on Mallorca, and Angela Ross together with husband Ken certainly did that. Remembered fondly by all who knew her, many of you will have spotted Angela’s sad passing at 71 noted in the British press. A former actress and top model whose face was once so high profile it was plastered on billboards around London, even on the sides of buses. A mainstay of newspapers and glossy magazine covers during the 80’s,
Described by Ken, her husband of 42 years as “a Sunderland miner’s daughter from the northern pits who dared to dream,” her life was indeed extraordinary. Angela Jay’s fresh-faced beauty was quickly spotted, and she was soon exclusively on the books of an elite model agency that catapulted her into a world she could never have imagined. The face of Gossard, snowballed until she became the face and body of every major lingerie label. Incredibly during her career, she was chosen for a staggering 22 television commercials.
“The first time I saw her I knew instantly” reminisced Ken. “She was the beautiful girl-next door, that stopped me in my tracks. It really was love at first sight. I was 23. Until then I had been enjoying a fantastic Jack-the-lad lifestyle. Red sports car, great job as a photographer in entertainment business and travelling widely. Then came Angela. She was only 19, and I had to court her the old-fashioned way with flowers and chocolates.” Within a year they were partners travelling the world working together in the most glamorous destinations, rubbing shoulders with the top movers and shakers of the era. Reading Ken’s book “Showbusiness Photographer. The Autobiography” a great insight into their eccentric lifestyle is like a who’s who of the rich and famous.
Moving to Mallorca to retire, they soon decided that with their contacts on such a celebrity island, they could produce their own glossy magazine. Thus Celebrity Mallorca was born, which saw them at every social event on the island. Angela with pen in hand as Ken captured all on his camera. The magazine was about Mallorca, its people, parties and fun. It was a huge success. However, after 16 years ill health saw them move back to England, settling in Eastbourne where at least they could still be close to the sea.
A formidable close-knit team for over 50 years, Ken is devastated by the speed from diagnosis to her passing of cancer. She went into hospital on Friday afternoon, and passed peacefully in her sleep the following night. Drifting off to Ken holding her hand, chatting, telling her (and believing) he would take her down to the restaurant in the morning for a slap-up breakfast.
“Every one of our Mallorcan friends has been so kind, it really has helped to know how much Angela was liked. She never stopped talking of the island and all of our Mallorcan friends,” Ken told me. “I suppose we grew up together, lived the dream together and gave life one hell of a shake by the tail.”