Gooseberry Crumble

I have had an initial automated reply to my Apricot Crumble team that stated if I sent further teams in subsequent emails from the same email address those teams would not receive an automated acknowledgement but not to worry as the initial email meant the system was working and they would be OK. In terms of official confirmation that my teams have been checked and accepted I am assuming that will happen and I will receive that in the next weekish?

Goodness I had forgotten I had Alice Mahon on this team and thus a' hit 'for me!

So glad I kept the faith and didn't choose Pope Benedict or Barbara Walters in this pool.

I wonder who the committee will replace him and some others with as there is no doubt in my mind that Pope Benedict, Barbara Walters and Pele would all have featured in next year's list. Liza Minnelli? Julie Goodyear? Pope Francis? Ethel Kennedy?

I never doubted it would even for a minute!!

King Salman of Saudi Arabia turns 87 today. He hasn't been mentioned as much as I thought he'd be by deadpoolers.

Would they be that mischievous?!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11586227/He-changed-life-Cliff-Richards-tribute-friend-manager-lived-30-years.html Cliff Richards manager and friend who he lived with for 30 years , Bill Latham, has died.

On this day 20 years ago in 2002, English novelist Mary Wesley died aged 90. A hugely successful and popular author , Marys novels and writing which often explored deeply emotional and sexual themes as well as gently teasing apart the idiosyncrasies of the 'british character and mindset' , have been referred to as "arsenic without the old lace" and "Jane Austen plus sex". Her novels include The Camomile lawn (1984) , which was adapted for television, Second Fiddle (1988), A Dubious legacy (1992) , Not that sort of girl (1987), The Sixth Seal(originally published 1969, republished 1991) and Haphazard house(1983). Marys writing career was prolific and succesful but she never really hit her stride and had a breakthrough success as an author until she was 70- hence some novels being republished to much greater prominence and acclaim years later.

English former racing driver Guy Edwards, best known for his career in Formula one and Sportscar, celebrates his 80th birthday today. British American actress, comedienne and producer Tracey Ullman turns 63 today.

So now 277?! So close so close and there is still time to match 279...!

You have!

Thanks Will. You know its strange how the human brain works. To this very day I remember a turn of phrase that I heard Alice Mahon use in the House of Commons in one of the debates in the lead up to the Iraq war. "Light on fact high on conjecture " in reference to the Intelligence dossier and rationale used by Tony Blair for the 2003 Iraq war. A very wise comment and a turn of phrase I keep in my armoury to this day ,to use in debates or discussions with people if I think the argument and claims they are making is based on not very much! Strange the things you remember!

Desperately sad

On this day 15 years ago in 2007 Scottish footballer Phil O'Donnell died aged just 35 after collapsing on the football pitch. During his career he played for Celtic amongst other teams.

Oscar nominated British actor Jude Law celebrates turning 50 today. Peter Robinson, former First minister of Northern Ireland, celebrates his 74th birthday today. American actor Ted Danson , probably most famous for his role in legendary American sitcom Cheers , celebrates his 75th birthday today.

My strong feeling and belief about the enema for 2023 is that there will be a disproportionately larger than normal number of deaths connected to heads of state- I mean current or former heads of state dying or people intimately connected to them which amounts to the spouses of heads or former heads of state. Eg Bernadette Chirac, Queen Paola of Belgium, Queen Sonja of Norway, Imelda Marcos. Doesn't have to just be heads of state of big name countries eg Jimmy Carter, Pope Benedict, King Juan Carlos of Spain etc but just a larger than normal number of people in this category dying. So the heads of state 'category ' and both big name Hollywood film stars and the Hollywood Old guard are going to be categories kept busier than normal by the enema in 2023 For deadpoolers who are interested in being competitive I would steer you towards these two categories when picking names in particular. So names that are both big Hollywood film star names and the old guard could for example be Shirley Maclaine, Clint Eastwood, Robert Redford, Gene Hackman, Sophia Loren .Names that are old guard but less big would include say Vera Miles and Stella Stevens. Big names that are not old guard I think will include a real big shock death so obviously harder to predict but someone like Leonardo Di Caprio, Brad Pitt, Lindsay Lohan, Catherine Zeta Jones would all count as big name film stars who are not old guard. My strong feelings and predictions would be around these two categories.

https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-coronation-streets-rebecca-ryan-28837026 Coronation Street actress Rebecca Ryan has announced she is pregnant with her first child.

I think the former Archbishop of Canterbury George Carey in his late 80s is at least worth serious .consideration by deadpoolers.

@La Faucheuse Only some mobility issues as far as I am aware with regards to Lee Majors. I would be astonished if Barbara Walters isn't on next years official list.

"They're just" carrying a lot of weight in my opinion..maybe too much weight! It's the qualifying obituary criteria /rules that does the majority of heavy lifting with regards to noteworthiness.

I will defend my juicy unique picks until the end of time!! Also many of my previous and current unique picks are not nobodies. Donald Wetzel a key architect of ATM cash machines that have surely shaped the modern age? The original warner of climate change James Lovelock? The semi iconic author of the original celebrity revenge memoir Christina Crawford? Anyone who got decent billing in the golden age of Hollywood Vera Miles, Jacqueline White- not nobodies. Patrick Moberly, senior British diplomat to South Africa in a troubled era, Leonard Hayflick who made instructive studies on human biology, Ed Fury one of the original bodybuilders who transitioned to eye candy in Hollywoods golden age, Tony Martin who sparked a huge debate in the UK about the right to defend yourself and your property, David Ogilvy former senior staff member to the Queen. Not nobodies in my opinion! I think uniques enable people who are underappreciated but important people, sometimes even vital cogs in the system, who showboat less than many famous people, to gain recognition for example . Just my thoughts!!

Reserve players in themselves can be an interesting phenomenon...

You are right! I should have mentioned it!!

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11580205/Stacey-Solomon-pregnant-Loose-Women-star-expecting-child-husband-Joe-Swash.html British singer and television presenter/personality Stacey Solomon has announced she is expecting her fifth child.