VSBfromH

England's oldest surviving Test cricketer Norman "Mandy" Mitchell-Innes has died aged 92: http://content-usa.cricinfo.com/england/co...ory/274447.html Probably couldn't bear to hang about for today's thoroughly shameful result, and who could blame him! Anyone know who takes the "oldest surviving" mantle now?

Janos Furst Celebrated fiddle player violinist, leader and assistant conductor of the Ulster Orchestra, has died at the age of 71.

No, it was reported at the time here. (haven't got the time to look for it now, though) How very odd, this death was all over the broadsheets just before Christmas, then comes back into the news in 2007. Apologies if that is the case. It did ring a little bell that I'd seen something on here in the pre-Christmas haze, so I used the DL search engine for a mention in the last 30 days and it came back blank.

Happy New Year to you all! Here is my first contribution for 2007: Philippa Pearce Author of the best-selling "Tom's Midnight Garden" and other children's books, has died aged 86. It appears that this happened way back on December 21st, but I suppose it got missed...

Can I propose a new thread in which we celebrate those who cannot be classed as famous in a worldwide or even a national sense, but deserve a mention. This could be the place to note those quirky or surreal deaths, or simply those people who you feel deserve a mention due to the content of the report of their death. Hopefully it will declutter the "Near Misses" thread. I will kick it off with the following, who deserves to be a minor star in the firmament due to his assumed title (I doubt any of you had him in your death pools!): The Fred Astaire of Widnes

I've plumped for Tony Curtis. No particular reason other than that I saw him in "Some Like it Hot" the other day and thought "hmmm..."

Ralph Stebbins, who won $124.7 million on the US Mega Millions lottery, dead at 43 less than a year later: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article...EWS05/612270356 Ralph and his wife "got the farm they had wanted. But they never bought that cow."

Confirmation of sorts. Her death was reported on Radio 3 as I was driving into work today.

Dutch Mason, the"Prime Minister of Blues" has died aged 68: http://www.therecord.com/NASApp/cs/Content...l=1024322319351 I have to confess that I had never heard of him until a few months ago when I saw a documentary about him. He was a very entertaining fellow! If anyone wants to transfer him to the "Near Misses" thread, I for one will have no objection. http://www.dutchmason.com/

Charlie. Christmas at Brinsworth House will be a sombre affair - or based on some of the stories of Charile's curmudgeonly nature, maybe the opposite will be true? Get ready for the numerous cries of "why wasn't he on this year's list?!"

His web site is reporting that he recently attended Frank Carson's 80th birthday bash. Also in attendance were Roy Walker, Bobby Ball, Eddie Large. Did no-one have any of that polonium-210 stuff handy? http://www.jimmycricket.co.uk/JCNew/default.htm

Santa dies at children's party in Dundee: http://uk.news.yahoo.com/22122006/356/sant...en-s-party.html "One wee kid said 'how are we going to get our presents next week if Father Christmas is ill?*' - they didn't understand what had happened." * Try your best "wee scawtish kid" accent when saying this in your head, it's funnier!

I had a dream a couple of nights ago about wanting to put Malcolm Allison on here, so maybe I'd put his name forward!

Ricardo da Costa Oliveira, the First Brazilian player in the Macedonian league, has died of a heart attack aged 30: http://football.guardian.co.uk/breakingnew...6295161,00.html

Scobie Breasley, legendary Aussie jockey, has died aged 92: http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/other_spor...ing/6199475.stm Won the Epsom Derby twice and the Prix de l'Arc De Triomphe once.

As I have mentioned on here before, Steve Plytas (who many may remember as Kurt the drunken chef in "Fawlty Towers") died in 1994, according to IMDB. Originally when I was scouring IMDB for potential DL candidates a year or so ago, they had no death details for him, but it was updated soon afterwards. Ronald Pickup is currently be gracing our TV screens here in the UK in "The Worst Christmas Of My Life".

or... "I saw now that there was a metal tank under my drivers seat. He cough. Moaning in agony between coughs as his aching head was kicked lighting a large, green cigar. Svinjars laughter sounded clearly. He was rocking in his chair, was going into recovering that artifact. There is something very was replaced by newer and more stable explosives. I secured the reel mechanism to the inside of the pipe. happening at approximately the same time. help peeking when he stood, hair all down his belly and crotch as into gear. Thirty days past. No antidote. I was alive. I could hear my" WTF?

John Davenport http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=...78120&rfi=6 Lennox Lewis' trainer in the early part of his career

Flying Elvis dies from skydiving injuries I like the way they have to mention that his injuries "included a broken pelvis"...

Rose Mattus, 90, Co-Founder of Häagen-Dazs: http://www.nysun.com/article/44436

Pavarotti to make public appearance

The good ol' Mirror has picked up on it now: Good to Go However, the article concentrates more on former world's oldest woman, Jeanne Calment, who died in 1997 aged 122. I thought it was worth quoting here: "Jeanne was virtually blind and deaf - and totally miserable. Her only pleasure was chocolate, which was used to coax her to talk to the media. When she smelt it, she'd break wind with excitement and whisper a soundbite bringing publicity to her French nursing home. The one she imparted to me was that she hadn't had sex since 1940. Then she fell asleep and we had to wait until she came round again before we could offer another chocolate, hear her rasp with delight, and ask another question ... ... Life terrific after 100? Only if you fancy turning into a cabbage who breaks wind at the thought of announcing you haven't had it for 56 years. All so you'll get a chocolate button"

Robert McFerrin Sr Has died aged 85. He was "the first black male to sing solo at the New York Metropolitan Opera ... also known for providing the vocals for Sidney Poitier in the 1959 movie "Porgy and Bess" " Also the father of Bobby McFerrin (Jr)

Chick Henderson South African who played rugby for Scotland in the 50s. How times have changed: "Those were days of great amateurism. His first invitation to play for Scotland was a letter congratulating him on his selection and requiring him to provide white shorts and regulation Scottish socks which could be purchased from one of two stockists. He would be provided with a jersey which was to be retained in case of further selection. He was advised that he would be refunded for a second class rail ticket to get to the match and was required, if possible, to report by the Friday. He said that in fact some players first made contact on the day of the match and line-out signals had to be worked out in the changing room." I also like the story: "When Scotland played France in Paris in 1953, a Monsieur Hennessy arrived in the Scottish changing room before the match and gave half-jacks of his products to the players. In the coach leaving the ground afterwards some of the players decided to consume the famous cognac, with the result that only eight players made it to the dinner. The captain was amongst the missing. Being the only one able to speak French, Chick was required to speak. His side all believed he was speaking French while the French all believed that he was speaking Scots!"

Richard Clements Not a good week for "former Soviet spies" (alleged in this case, I hasten to add!) Former aide to Michael Foot and Neil Kinnock has died aged 78 in a nursing home after a long illness. "He edited the left-wing newspaper Tribune from 1960 to 1982. In 1999 he was named by the Sunday Times as being a spy - a charge he strongly denied."