time

My watch is claiming 32°C. Alexa agrees. Doesn't feel that warm though.

Paula Hanna Carey-Williams, the mother of late The Wire actor Michael K. Williams, reported dead aged 94.

Comedy actress Betty Marsden died on this day 24 years ago, aged 79. Born in Liverpool, she was a member of ENSA during the war, had been a stage actress before turning to comedy, and is particularly remembered for playing most of the female characters in Beyond Our Ken & Round The Horne. She appeared in two Carry On.. films, Regardless (1961), playing Mata Hari & Camping (1969) playing Harriet Potter (wife of Terry Scott's character, Peter), as well as a host of other film, TV and radio roles in a career spanning almost 60 years up to 10 days before her death. She had been suffering with heart problems and pneumonia but was thought to be recovering well when she died suddenly, at the bar of Denville Hall, while she was socialising with friends..

Its 28 years since the death of Jean Borotra, one of the four musketeers* of French tennis of the 1920s & 30s, at the age of 95 "following a short illness". Known as The Bounding Basque, he won four Grand Slam singles titles, one French, one Australian and two Wimbledon, missing out on the US when he was beaten by his countryman René Lacoste, as well as nine doubles and 5 mixed doubles. Arrested by the Gestapo in 1942, he was imprisoned in Itter Castle, which was being used as a PoW camp for French VIPs, playing a part in the Battle for Itter Castle (where the US Army, French POWs, & soldiers from the Wehrmacht defended the castle from the 17th SS Panzergrenadier Division) by leaving the castle, evading attackers and summoning US infantry reinforcements. In 1963 he founded the International Fair Play Committee, which recognises sportsmen who have excelled themselves in this regard, and the Jean Borotra World Fair Play Trophy is awarded to athletes who have displayed good sportsmanship throughout their career. Additioanlly, the International Club established the Jean Borotra Sportsmanship Award in 1996 to honour tennis players who have excelled similarly. In 1974 he was awarded the Olympic Diploma of Merit (the last time the award was made). He (simultaneously with the other musketeers) was inducted into the International Tennis HoF in 1976. *The others being Jacques Brugnon, Henri Cochet & René Lacoste. The French Open Mens' Singles trophy is named the Coupe des Mousquetaires in their honour.

Musician and composer Zoot Money is 80 today. In a career spanning more than 60 years, he's played with numerous artists, including Eric Burdon, Andy Summers, Ronnie Laine & Maggie Bell, as well as producing for others. Additionally he's been musical director for the BBC Scotland production Tutti Frutti (plus writing the theme tune and a bit-part appearance) and numerous bit part appearances as an actor.

Its 21 years since the death of Beate Uhse-Rotermund, from pneumonia, aged 81. An early interest in flying, from hearing the story of Icarus, led to her obtaining a pilot's licence on her 18th birthday, and her stunt pilot licence the following year. Wprk as a test pilot and delivery pilot for aircraft firms lead to her being asked to fly as a stunt pilot in films. She later married her stunt trainer , Hans-Jurgen Uhse, and they had a son together'. The wedding they had planned had to be cancelled owing to the outbreak of WW2, so a quiet wedding was held hours before Hans Jurgen was posted. He was killed in a plane crash in 1945, leaving her a widow with a small child at 24. With the outbreak of war, film work was stopped, so Beate began a new role, ferrying aircraft for the Luftwaffe. She escaped with her son and his nanny at the fall of Berlin, but was captured by British forces in Leck, North Friesland. Post war, as an ex-Luftwaffe pilot she was banned from flying, so she began a job selling door-to-door, where she met many housewives and learned of their problems, many concerning unwanted pregnancies. This lead her to research fertility and she produced a leaflet to help women identify their fertile vs non-fertile days. This progressed to selling Condoms and "marriage guides" via mail order and eventaully a "marital hygiene" shop in Flensburg - the world's first "sex-shop". In 1999 Beate Uhse AG became a public company, which is now Germany's biggest pornography retailer, despite filing for bankruptcy in 2017.

Derek Griffiths is 76 today. If you've ever watched British TV any time over the past 50-odd years, chances are you'll have seen him. People my age grew up with him presenting Play School & Play Away but you name it, he's (probably) been in it. He's also found time for stage work somehow (everything from Panto to Gilbert & Sullivan, via Shakespeare & Tennessee Williams) and a few films, composing and advertising.

Former Russian national coach Georgi Yartsev reportedly dead aged 74. Played 5 times for USSR and had club career with CSKA, Spartak, Lokomotiv etc.

Twenty-One years since the death of Tom Chantrell, aged 84 from a heart attack. He was a British artist known for his movie posters. After leaving school in Manchester Chantrell had a couple of jobs with local advertising agencies; when he was wrongly dismissed from the second, unable to find work locally he moved to London and after a couple of years working in printing, began working for design agency, Bateman's, who had the unglamourous job of producing movie posters. His first such work was for The Amazing Dr. Clitterhouse (1938): Following wartime service disposing of unexploded bombs (he was a conscientious objector) he returned to the design agency and continued producing movie posters, including for Brighton Rock, featuring the likeness of Richard Attenbrough. He designed many posters for Carry On... films, including ...Spying and ...Cleo, both of which brought copyright objections from big studios for being too similar to From Russia With Love & Cleopatra respectively, and all of Hammer's film posters from 1965 to 70, including Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, which is a painting of himself as no reference photo ofChristopher Lee was available. In 1977 he was commissioned to produce a poster for the UK release of Star Wars, which became one of his most recognised works. It was based on the poster for the Dirty Dozen:

That would help.

Absolutely this. So many left-wing commentators on Twitter (RIP) are seemingly quite happy to allow the Tories in by default because of something that Corbyn/Starmer said/didn't say. Its unlikely that this country will ever have a truly socialist/marxist government, but there comes a time when you have to be pragmatic and opt for the 'least worst' option.

It's 10 years since the death of Roy 'Pretty Boy' Shaw, - the hardest man in Britain - a renowned 'East End' criminal and unlicensed boxer. Born in Stepney, London, he had always been involved in criminal activity, becoming an acquaintance of the Kray twins in the process. Once a schoolboy boxing champion, he began a career on the unlicensed boxing circuit after serving an 18-year prison sentence for armed robbery (spending time with Ronnie Biggs, with whom he discussed escape plans) , and is particularly remembered for his three bouts with Lenny "The Guv'nor" McLean (of which he won the first, lost the other two). On retiring from both crime and boxing, he embarked on various ventures becoming a millionaire through his property investments. Towards the end of his life he developed alzheimers and was almost defrauded of £643,000, until his daughter, alerted by his bank, stepped in and took the perpetrator to court. Shaw was 76 when he died.

Marcel Remy, Swiss alpine climber, has died aged 99. Earlier this year he was still climbing 15 metre indoor walls. Climbed the 450m Miroir d'Argentine at the age of 94.

Its 42 years since the death of Sir Seretse Khama, first president of Botswana. Born into the Bamangwato royal family of what was then the British Protectorate of Bechuanaland; he ascended to the Bamangwato throne at the age of 4, with his uncle, Tshekedi, as regent/guardian. He was educated in South Africa before relocating to the UK to study at Oxford University, before joining the Inner Temple to study for the bar. He met Ruth Williams, an English woman, and they subsequently married in 1948. The interracial marriage caused outrage in neighbouring South Africa which had recently established apartheid. South Africa put pressure on the British government to declare Khama unfit to rule; not wishing to jeopardise relations (and the economic ramifications), the British exiled Khama from Bechauanaland in 1951. Eventually, the Khamas were allowed to return as private citizens; entering local politics he became a tribal councillor, receiving an OBE in 1961 for his services. In 1961 he founded the Bechuanaland Democratic Party, becoming Prime Minister in 1965; independence from Britain was achieved in 1966, with Khama serving as President until his death from Pancreatic cancer, aged 59. His story is told in the film A United Kingdom, with David Oyelowo as Seretse Khama and Rosamund Pike as Ruth Williams.

Forty years since actor Kenneth More died, aged 67. Initially diagnosed with Parkinson's disease, it is now believed he suffered from and died of Multiple system atrophy. After a succession of minor roles, his first starring role was in the comedy Geneviève, with other memorable performances following, notably Doctor in the House, for which he won a BAFTA, the Doiuglas Bader biopic Reach for the Sky, which was the most popular film of 1956 and A Night to Remember, the story of the Titanic disaster. Such was his popularity, he was the subject of This is Your Life in 1959. He was made a CBE in 1970, and was a success playing Father Brown in the 1974 TV adaptation of G.K. Chesterton's stories.

Twenty-One years since the enfant terrible of Dutch rock music, Herman Brood, killed himself by jumping from the roof of the Amsterdam Hilton, aged 54, supposedly driven to it by the frustration of not kicking his drug addiction. He was also a successful artist in later life, with a style described as graffiti-inspired pop art.

Former Kiwi captain Barry Sinclair has died aged 85. He was captain in 3 of his 21 tests, scoring 3 centuries, but never finishing on the winning side.

To not die, I look both ways when crossing the road, avoid free-climbing up tower blocks, and resist BASE jumping.

It won't be Dorries, if this is to be believed...

Patel. It's just the sort of thing the tories would do.

Brian Jackson, The Man From Del Monte, also had a small part (steady!) in Carry on Sergeant.

@msc The man from Del Monte is dead. Brian Jackson, died aged 91. eta DDP pick for @Gooseberry Crumble Apricot team, but not for Handrejka's ITC theme team!

James Caan gone.

Confirmation, if it were needed, that Johnson is taking the piss/doesn't know (or care) what he's doing. (delete as applicable).

As some on the Twitter said, if Johnson hangs around until October, he'll stuff the Lords with his Russian cronies (and other benefactors/enablers).