YoungWillz

*ahem* Sir Lenny Henry...

Same as 2015!

Never listen to Malawian prophets...

Don't envy you Shaun keeping tabs on this one! Thanks for running this and good luck to you and all the other entrants. As this is my first entry on this pool, I expect another wooden spoon!

The last known survivor of the USS Oklahoma which was bombed at Pearl Harbor, Ed Vezey, dead at 96. http://kfor.com/2016/01/03/last-survivor-of-uss-oklahoma-dies-at-96/

Vilmos Zsigmond, cinematographer who won for his work on Close Encounters Of The Third Kind and nominated for three other movies has died at 85, New Year's Day. http://variety.com/2016/film/news/vilmos-zsigmond-dead-dies-cinematographer-1201670799/ https://youtu.be/8UEJLy0O3FY

For anyone who has any armed services personnel on their lists, this might be one for you to check on a monthly basis: http://www.defenceviewpoints.co.uk/in-memoriam/

Former Foreign Minister and Deputy Prime Minister of the Lebanon, Fouad Boutros has died at 98. https://translate.google.co.uk/translate?sl=auto&tl=en&js=y&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.lorientlejour.com%2Farticle%2F962954%2Ffouad-boutros-dernier-geant-de-la-vie-politique-libanaise-est-decede.html&edit-text=

Done! Thanks! (And on my 2000th post too!)

Spoilers - how?

Emperor Akihito and Empress Michiko looking well here as they wave to well-wishers at New Year: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/01/02/Japanese-Emperor-Akihito-prays-for-peace-in-New-Years-greeting/6561451752841/

Now the competition is officially closed, I would like to add my congratulations to Spade and also to Theme Team winner Red Flag. As a first time entrant last year, I expected nothing less than equal last, and my expectations were fully realised! Thanks again to TMIB for front page entertainment all year, and I do hope that the change in domain is not going to affect the competition adversely in 2016.

Death Notice for John Murray QC, Lord Dervaird who died on 23 December 2015. http://announcements.telegraph.co.uk/deaths/197955/murray The Scots amongst us may remember that he resigned in the late 1980s/early 1990s as a Court of Session Judge "for personal reasons" amid what became known as the "Fettesgate" scandal. This involved accusations that there was a homosexual 'Magic Circle' of lawyers who would effectively do favours for each other in a professional capacity, and also accusations of child abuse and the giving of more lenient sentences to male prostitutes used by them. It should be made clear here I think that all accusations were eventually dismissed. However, there have been recent calls for the whole matter to be investigated anew as part of the UK Child Abuse Inquiry. Malcolm Rifkind as I recall did not come up smelling of roses at the time, in particular refusing to even countenance an investigation into Lord Dervaird on the basis that he had resigned and that was an end to the matter. Here's a contemporaneous report relating to Dervaird's resignation after less than 2 years on the bench: http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/11972477.Lord_Dervaird_quits_Bench/. We've never been told why, ever. The Deathlist never forgets....

She has announced that her consort, Prince Henrik, is to retire from public duties and only attend public events to a limited extent. http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/75594225/prince-henrik-consort-of-denmarks-queen-margrethe-retires Sounds like it is age related rather than health, but have we all been cats looking at a Queen (instead of a consort)?

Here's Jason Wingreen's UK Obit, for what it's worth: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/article-3382202/Jason-Wingreen-star-Family-voice-Star-Wars-Boba-Fett-dies-95.html

On it! Thanks in advance MPFC, I can appreciate the hard work you've already put into this over a busy time of year.

Dale Bumpers, former Democratic Governor and US Senator for Arkansas dies at 90. http://www.arktimes.com/ArkansasBlog/archives/2016/01/02/former-sen-dale-bumpers-dies-at-90 Edit: UK Obit if needed: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/ap/article-3382142/Ex-Arkansas-governor-US-senator-Dale-Bumpers-dies-age-90.html

My pick Tom Brokaw isn't on your list MPFC.

Thanks, MK and Toast. I had a heart attack on 8 January 2015, on the pills for life. Not famous enough for an obit, I'll not feel certain about travelling for a good while yet.

Well, TMIB is the ultimate adjudicator. Meantime,he gets a UK obit: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/news/latest-news/484848/Steve-Gohouri-dead-Wigan-Athletic-Rhine-TSV-Steinbach

Difficult one for you gcreptile, my thoughts are with you also.

Just received the news that my godmother died on New Year's Eve from cancer at 74. She and my godfather live in Plymouth, so it's unlikely with my heart condition I'll make the funeral. Sad news to receive.

Just like to point out I had nothing to do with his death, I just posted it he he. Congrats gcreptile, that's a heck of a lead to take.

Rev Helmut Koester, German born US Christian scholar of early Christianity at Harvard Divinity School dies on New Year's Eve, 2015 at 89. https://unilu.org/in-memory-of-helmut-koester/

A B Bardhan, veteran leader of the Communist Party of India, dead at 91. http://english.manoramaonline.com/news/just-in/cpi-leader-bardhan-dies-hospital-new-delhi.html Looks like gcreptile is off to a flyer in the Deathrace! Spade hoping a UK obit doesn't come in.