OBITUARIES

[Tardis]

Tony Greig, RIP

[Tripps]

Channel 4 Racing aged 27yrs. All current team seem to have been put out to grass. Alastair Down was nearly in tears. R.I.P.

I think I read that the ubiquitous Clare Balding will be the next reincarnation. "we'll leave that one to the judge" as the commentator often says.

[Stanley]

She's everywhere isn't she.....

[Tardis]

CMJ RIP

[Bruff]

The actor Jon Finch, who was in Polanski's Macbeth and Hitchcock's Frenzy.

He was offered the Bond role after S Connery stepped down, but to the surprise of many turned it down; he also turned down the role of Bodie in The Professionals (which went to Lewis Collins). He was happy doing a film or so a year as this gave him enough money, and he wasn't 'ambitious'. A noted Shakespearean actor, he had served in the Parachute Regiment and after leaving was a member of the Territorial SAS for some time, stepping down as his acting ate into the time he had to devote to this.

Richard Broughton

[Stanley]

My old friend Alan Parker has died. A good man, I shall write an obit for him for next week's paper....

[Bruff]

The Guardian sports journalist Frank Keating died Friday last week. As one tribute said, a light has gone out in the pavillion. A wonderful writer and wordsmith, incredibly evocative.

Richard Broughton

[Stanley]

I must be getting old Richard. Your post reminded me of Neville Cardus and the piece he wrote for the Manchester Guardian about Len Hutton's innings of 364 runs. The title was "The joy bells rang in Pudsey" or something very similar.
See this LINK

[PanBiker]

Patty Andrews, from the close harmony group The Andrews Sisters has died aged 94, "Don't sit under the apple tree Patty" R.I.P.

Telegraph Article

[Thomo]

Yes Ian, one of the sounds of the 40s, and then the Beverley Sisters took over where they left off.

[Nolic]

RIP Reg Presley singer with The Troggs aged 71. Saw them twice down the Imp. He was a clever bloke who invented some contraption to help planes land in fog. Nolic

[PanBiker]

He did indeed Nolic although he never made any money out of it:

Guardian - Yesteryear

He could write a decent song as well. R.I.P. Reg.

[Nolic]

The actor Richard Briers has died aged 79. He had been suffering from a serious lung condition. Nolic

[Cathy]

Reports say he died of emphysema, and that he did his last interview last month, in it he said that he had smoked 500,000 cigarettes during his life.

R I P Richard Briers

[Sunray10]

Derek Batey the former host of tv's Mr & Mrs has died at the age of 84.

[Nolic]

Alvin Lee, guitarist with seminal 60's/70's band Ten Years After has died aged only 68. He featured strongly in the film made of Woodstock with his 12 minute guitar solo. http://news.sky.com/story/1061474/woods ... n-lee-dies Nolic

[PanBiker]

Kenny Ball - Jazz Trumpeter, aged 82.

Sukiyaki - Midnight in Moscow.

[Thomo]

I saw Kenny Ball twice in the 60s, the Winter Gardens at Blackpool and I think the other was at the Majestic here. I saw many Jazz Bands in those days, Johnny Dankworth at Clitheroe Castle, Louis Armstrong and the All Stars at Leeds along with Bob Barclays Yorkshire Jazzmen, The Glenn Miller sound at the Imp, Nelson, Chris Barber at Blackpool and Ray Ellington at the Majestic, to name just a few. And there was the Jazz Club at Thornton Manor on Sunday nights.

[Nolic]

RIP Norman Collier comedian aged 87. Mike Harding is paying him many tributes including this " So picture this - a low loader used for carrying tanks and half-tracks is parked in the desert of Oman on the edge of the empty quarter - this is the stage. There is a low moon in the sky over the djebel and roughly 400 assorted swaddies and SAS troopers are sitting on chairs waiting to be entertained. There is a spotlight mounted on a truck washing the "Stage" with light. Into the light walks a little bloke in a suit. He tweaks his hair onto a coxcomb and slacks his jacket down his arms to make a air of wings. Then he turns into a chicken. He struts round the stage clucking and nodding and pecking imaginary slugs and corn and 400 swaddies fall about - not just them but the 200 or so arabs that are on the fringes of the crowd. This little man, this inspired clown speaks the universal language of comedy under an Arabian sky. And I had the privilege to be there. RIP Norman Collier." Nolic
Lik

[Thomo]

Frank Thornton of "Are you being served" and "Last of the Summer wine" has died peacefully in his sleep aged 92. I you are going to go, that is as good as it gets!

[Sunray10]

The former BBC North-West Tonight presenter Nigel Jay has died. Nigel was also a town campaigner and canal enthusiast. See link http://www.middlewichguardian.co.uk/new ... d/?ref=rss

[Tripps]

Richard Griffiths the actor aged 65 from post op complications. They are all speaking of Harry Potter, The History Boys, and Uncle Monty from Withnail, but for me he was Pie in the Sky. Saw him lately in The Sweeney from 1978 - much slimmer.

[Nolic]

He was in a comedy, a Kind of Living with Tim Healy and Frances de la Tour. I used to enjoy this. He once delivered a drunken, long drawn out statement in a laconic drawl "You're born........you live........you die" Believe it or not this had me in tears. Nolic

[Tardis]

Richard Griffiths the actor aged 65 from post op complications. They are all speaking of Harry Potter, The History Boys, and Uncle Monty from Withnail, but for me he was Pie in the Sky. Saw him lately in The Sweeney from 1978 - much slimmer.

...and Ruth's dad in The Archers

[Tardis]

Just a little reminder that yesterday was the anniversary of Gail Usher's death