rockhopper penguin

Because you can't get enough death. BBC Radio 4's obituary programme broadcast each Friday. Sometimes it's not always deaths that week, just to make it interesting. Apologies if friends outside the UK can't access it, but what they hey. This week featured the Right Reverend David Jenkins, Dame Margaret Anstee, Islam Karimov, and Richard Neville. Prince Buster didn't make it, will he be in next week?

New poll now open.

20 years since Tony Zale couldn't beat the count, aged 83.

10 years since Luther Ingram lost his soul, aged 69.

Duck walking up the table.

Big one, oh my ding a ling.

10 years since stumps for Bob Woolmer, aged 58.

Sturgeon backed May into a corner and now has years of political capital to foment.

Much to my surprise I actually got round to watching a film i'd taped (ok, digitally recorded or whatever) over xmas. Alan Partridge: Alpha Papa is a joy. It's quick fire humour delivers joke after prat fall after toe curling embarrassment after laugh out loud one liner. The plot is nonsense. But it enables a narrative thread to run throughout into which Coogan places a character whose behaviour makes you want to to embrace him one second and punch him the next. Joyously funny and guaranteed to lighten any post-truth dark day.

Surtees is a definite but rest not announced. Rumours of a major celebrity having a choking fit.

30 years since Santo Trafficante went swimming with the fishes, aged 72.

A year since Frank Sinatra Jr stopped swinging, aged 72.

Surtees, Sledge, someone else? Who knows, unless you are the producer of the show.

No

She had a cold.

Two falls and a submission for Antonino Rocca 40 years ago, aged 49.

85 years since George Eastman took a snap decision, aged 77.

We'll make a commie, pinko, liberal of you, yet.

May as well stick with Ricksen.

Condolences (on both the death and missing the funeral).

Fanie Lou Hamer was finally overcome this day 40 years ago, aged 59.

That was a miss for me. Man has been sacked more times than a sacky thing with sacks on it.

Ricksen

25 years since Salvo Lima swam too close to the fishes, aged 64.

Haven't been following them for years so just wondered. First saw them in 1976.