Gooseberry Crumble

American singer Donny Osmond celebrates his 65th birthday today. American actor Beau Bridges, son of Hollywood golden era actor Lloyd Bridges and brother of actor Jeff Bridges, celebrates turning 81 today.

On this day yesterday (8th December) , three years ago in 2019, american puppeteer Caroll Spinney , of Sesame Street fame, died aged 85. Multi talented he was a puppeteer, author cartoonist and artist who was best known for playing Big Bird and Oscar the grouch on Sesame Street from 1969 until 2018.

Belated Happy Birthday to Irish singer songwriter Sinead O'Connor who turned 56 yesterday. Legendary England footballer Geoff Hurst, the first and only man to score a hat trick in a world cup final celebrated turning 81 yesterday. Belated

Gosh two of my picks, Doddie Weir and Johnny Johnson have now died. I will need to think up 3 more subs @msc if a third dies?

On this day 25 years ago in 1997 Scottish footballer Billy Bremner died from a heart attack aged 54. He played for Scotlands national team and Leeds United- the latter he went on to be manager for.

British actor Nicholas Hoult celebrates his 33rd birthday today. His first 'big' role was age 12 in Hugh Grant Toni Collette lead film About a boy (2002) but arguably his big breakthrough career wise was in E4 teenage drama Skins. He has subsequently gone on to have a big Hollywood career including a regular role in the X Men film franchise. Former British Conservative government minister and rebel MP Anna Soubry celebrates her 66th birthday today.

I will be taking part!

Hollyoaks actress Jorgie Porter has given birth to her first child. https://www.mirror.co.uk/3am/celebrity-news/breaking-jorgie-porter-gives-birth-28620523

British singer Pete Doherty and his musician wife Katia Vidaa have announced they are expecting their first child together. https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11507687/Peter-Doherty-wife-Katia-Vidas-having-baby.html

On this day 34 years ago american singer songwriter and musician Roy Orbison , formerly a member of the rock band The Travelling wilburys, died aged 52 from a heart attack. His song you got it became a posthumous number one in the charts in 1989.

Helen Liddell, now Baroness Liddell, former Secretary of State for Scotland in Tony Blairs government, celebrates her 72nd birthday today. British professional artistic gymnast and olympian Joe Fraser celebrates his 24th birthday today. He is currently the European all rounder champion in artistic gymnastics. He also won gold at this years Commonwealth games.

16' hits''now needed within 25 days to match last year's total and obviously 17 to beat it. I am increasingly optimistic that it is going to happen.

Kirstie Alleys shock death provides a unique' hit ' for the DDP . https://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-11506083/Kirstie-Alley-dead-71-Cheers-stars-heartbroken-children-announce-actress-passed-away.html

Here is my entry for this year's pool! Rosemary Squires (joker) Queen Paola of Belgium Ron Ely Pope Benedict Fred Talbot Luke Halpin Kerri Parker (british glamour model) Frank Field Anita Bryant Nigel Lawson David Ogilvy Liza Minnelli King of Bahrain Barbara Walters Fay Weldon Paul Biya President of Cameroon Julie Goodyear Christina Crawford Ronnie Knight Jim Bolger (former PM of New Zealand) John Savident Bernadette Chirac Wendy Williams The Duchess of Kent Mary Quant Sidney Cooke Stella Stevens Mohammed Al Fayed Joni Mitchell Sir Bernard Ingham Ethel Kennedy Barry Humpheries (Dame Edna Everage) King Juan Carlos of Spain Alan Greenspan Jimmy Carter Sylvia Sims Freddie Foreman Pat Boone James D Watson Joan Bakewell Linda Ronstadt Jackie Loughery (First Mrs USA) Bill Wyman Tina Turner Gene Hackman Raquel Welch Glenda Jackson Edgar Pearce (mardi gra bomber) Terence Stamp June Spencer Subs Linda Nolan Rolf Harris Eileen Derbyshire Jacqueline White Rose West Petula Clark Shirley Maclaine Arthur Scargill Elizabeth Kelly (eastenders actress) Barbara Rush Thanks very much for your efforts running this brilliant pool again! Gooseberry

On this day 8 years ago in 2014 the former Queen Fabiola of Belgium died aged 86. She was the Queen of Belgium for 42 years from 1951 until 1993 when her husband King Baudouin l died aged 62 of heart failure. He was succeeded by his brother King Albert ll as Fabiola and Baudouin never had any children due to numerous miscarriages. Fabiola remained beloved by many Belgians as a widow and former Queen and continued with royal duties as the new Kings sister in law. Infact sometimes it seemed that she was more popular with the public than her successor as Queen -Queen Paola who seemed slightly haughty and aloof in comparison to Fabiola at times.

Dutch actor Jeroen Krabbe who played Bond villian General Georgi Koskov against Timothy Daltons James Bond in The Living Daylights (1987) ,celebrates his 78th birthday today. He also starred in Barbra Streisand directed movie The Prince of Tides (1991) and in Scandal (1989)- about the 1960s political scandal the Profumo affair. English professional snooker player and current world champion Ronnie O'Sullivan,celebrates turning 47 today.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11501563/Bob-McGrath-original-star-Sesame-Street-started-1967-dies-90.html Actor Bob McGrath of Sesame Street fame a unique hit in the DDP.

On this day three years ago in 2019, former England Cricket captain Bob Willis, who is regarded as one of the greatest fast bowlers in cricket of all time, died aged 70 from prostate cancer. He is currently ranked as Englands fourth highest wicket taker of all time. On this day 5 years ago in 2017 former British model and showgirl Christine Keeler died aged 75. She achieved infamy and notoriety in the early 1960s after becoming a central figure in what was to be known as the Profumo scandal, which rocked the conservative government of Harold MacMillian . A huge political scandal. Christine had a sexual relationship with both cabinet minister John Profumo and a Soviet Naval attache which ultimately lead to a huge scandal were both morality and national security were regarded as heavily compromised and at dangerous risk. Profumo resigned over the scandal and a high society medic was prosecuted for acting as a pimp with regards to Keeler.

American radio presenter and game show host Wink Martindale celebrates his 89th birthday today.

Not that I'm one to suck up to the mods or to be a doom and gloom merchant but a close family friend suffered persistently with bronchial pneumonia, at the sane age as Sandy 64, and further investigation found it was persisting because they had advanced lung cancer that killed them 5 months later. It could be more serious than we think.

American Canadian actor Brendan Fraser celebrates turning 54 today. His breakthrough role was in Oscar nominated indie film Gods and Monsters (1998) were he played the gardener of a wealthy Hollywood director in the 1950s and ended up having a very intense affair with. Other film credits include Oscar winning film Crash (2004), The Quiet American (2002) with Michael Caine, Blast from the past (1999) and horror film The Mummy (1999) and its sequels. British songwriter and record producer Mike Stock, the Stock in the famous music producing trio Stock Aitken and Waterman, celebrates his 71st birthday today. Their heyday was the 1980s and early 1990s They were behind many of the hit pop songs and early careers of artists such as Bananarama, Kylie Minogue and Rick Astley.

On this day one year ago in 2021 , long standing royal courtier The Dowager Duchess of Grafton, a lady in waiting and mistress of the robes to the late Queen Elizabeth ll died aged 101. She worked for the Queen from 1967. She outlived one of her sons so her grandson was The Duke of Grafton at the time of her death.

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On this day in 2016 american professional diver and Olympic gold medallist Sammy Lee died aged 96. He was the first asian american to win an Olympic gold medal. He won an Olympic gold in platform diving at the London Olympics in 1948 and at the Helsinki Olympics in 1952.

Cuban born American actor Steven Bauer celebrates his 66th birthday today. His best known film will certainly be Scarface (1983) with Al Pacino. Other film credits include Primal Fear (1996), Raising Cain (1992), Traffic (2000) and Behind enemy lines(2009). Younger audiences are more likely to know him from his roles in hit US television series Ray Donovan and Better call Saul. Serbian born professional tennis player Monica Seles celebrates her 49th birthday today.