time

Afghanistan-born Salim Durani, who played 29 tests for India between 1960 & 1973, has died aged 88. He scored 1202 runs and took 75 wickets. Suggested as an 'Idea & Possibility" by @arghton

One for List of the Missed, as I had him last year in my "Randoms" team (assuming he gets a QO). @An Fear Beag Presumably this counts for Hare's?

Its 46 years since the Death of Cyril Radcliffe, 1st Viscount Radcliffe. He was a lawyer, made a KC in 1935, but is known for being Chairman of the committees responsible for the partition of India. Despite never having been east of Paris, Radcliffe was appointed Chairman of the two committees designated with prescribing the borders delineating India and Pakistan, such that the majority of Hindus and Sikhs would remain in India and the majority of Muslims in Pakistan; five weeks were allowed to complete the job. Despite his efforts, its estimated 14million people were left the 'wrong' side of the border. This lead to massive loss of life (some figures put it as high as 2 million) and millions more injured. On seeing the effect of partition, Radcliffe refused the salary he was due for the job. He was knighted in 1948, and made a life peer in 1949 on being appointed a Lord of Appeal; he was created an hereditary peer in 1962, adopting the title Viscount Radcliffe of Hampton Lucy, however having no offspring, the title became extinct on his death, at the age of 77, two days after his birthday.

Some top trolling from the Pope...

Howell Williams, one of the teachers who survived the Aberfan disaster, died 29th March, aged 82. He helped several children escape by breaking a wiondow in his classroom. He's the third of four of the teachers who survived to die, following Hettie Williams in 2018 and Rennie Williams in 2020, leaving Mair Morgan as the last.

Theatre director Michael Rudman has died aged 84, two years after surviving covid. Won a Tony for his revival of Death of a Salesman. Hes also the partner (and ex-husband - its complicated) of Felicity Kendal.

According to IMDb, appears as if Still Game was his last acting role. He'd been working for the Scottish Ambulance Service, and had been a competitor on Bargain Hunt (2011). Anyway, not one of the Still Gamers in my DDP team.

69 No Doubt – Don’t Speak 47 The Prodigy – Firestarter 42 Aqua — Barbie Girl 42 Mark Morrison – Return of the Mack 40 Spice Girls – Wannabe 40 Olive – You’re Not Alone 37 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast At Tiffany's +4 34 Oasis — Don`t look back In Anger 33 The Verve – The Drugs Don´t Work 32 White Town – Your Woman 29 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly 29 Blur – Beetlebum 25 Spice Girls – Say You'll Be There 25 Gina G – Ooh Aah … Just A Little Bit 24 Various Artists – Perfect Day 15 The Fugees – Ready Or Not 15 Will Smith – Men in Black 12 Chemical Brothers - Block Rockin Beats 10 Babylon Zoo – Spaceman  9 Spice Girls – 2 Become 1 5 Spice Girls – Spice Up Your Life -6

Only S1 so far. Its either S2 of this or Gangs of London S2 next, probably beginning this weekend.

I've been watching the first season of Sex Education. Not what I expected, and I doubt I'm the target audience, but fwiw, I quite enjoyed it. Also, Succession is back!

Ireland's first Lotto millionaire, Rita Power has died aged 78. She won IR£1.2M (which she shared with her family) in May 1989, a little over a year after the lottery started.

There's a name I haven't heard in years; saw a TV special he did in the 80's, round the time of the Iran-Contra/Ollie North scandal!

I saw Hayley Mills was trending on Twitter and feared the worst. Turns out its everyone giving Rev. Richard stick for referring to her as "the lady in #unforgotten"

We'll have to wait. (Bronson parole verdict)

Its 19 years since the death of broadcaster and writer Alistair Cooke. Cooke's journalistic break came while he was on a two-year scholarship in the US; seeing that the BBC's film critic Oliver Baldwin had been sacked he despatched a telegram asking to be considered; arriving 24 hours late for his interview (travelling by Cunard ship), he suggested he write a review, and was offered the job. He combined his tenure with that of NBC's London Correspondent, recording a weekly 15-minute radio broadcast entitled London Letter. He emigrated to the US in 1937, becoming an American citizen in 1941. He suggested to the BBC that he produce a similar 'Letter' for BBC listeners on life in the US, (which was heard worldwide via the World Service). He was also the (Manchester) Guardian's Foreign Correspondent, reporting on Rosa Parks (who he described as "the stubborn woman who started it all") & the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and was present at Bobby Kennedy's assassination. He became host of CBS's first Arts programme, Omnibus, and spent 22 years introducing PBS's Masterpiece Theatre, presenting the best of British drama to a US audience. At the age of 95, on advice from his doctors, he retired from his radio programme after 58 years, and died a few weeks later, from lung cancer, which had spread to his bones. It was revealed the year following his death that some of his bones (along with those of others) had been stolen by a medical tissue recovery firm, intending to use them in bone grafts (though Cooke's were unusable because of the cancer. Its suggested that the theives altered the cause of death and his age, to make them appear suitable).

Radio DJ Johnnie Walker is 78 today. Beginning on pirate radio (England, Caroline - where he was one of the last still broadcasting) before several stints with the BBC as well as stints in the US and on UK local radio. Radio 1 in 1969 - 1976 when he fell out with the management (he described the Bay City Rollers as "musical garbage"). US with some Radio Luxembourg recordings 1976-1981. UK Local radio 1981-1985 Radio 1 1987-88. BBC GLR 1988-1990 before being dismissed for suggesting that people would be celebrating the resignation of Margaret Thatcher as PM Radio 5, 1990-1994, initially 3 shows/week until his GLR dismissal after which he appeared on Radio 5 daily. Radio 1 1991-1995, until leaving for good in 1995 1995- LBC and Classic Gold Radio 2, 1997, initially documentaries & fill-ins until getting his own show in 1998. He was briefly suspended following a tabloid exposé about his drug use, but returned after. He took a break in 2003 after disclosing he was suffering from cancer (Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma); he was off the air for over 8 months. On his return, he played Eric Clapton's Hello Old Friend (Walker & Clapton were born on the same day). He took a further break in January 2019 when he received treatment for a heart condition.

From page 1.

From btl RIP Keith Reid. For a Whiter Shade of Pale you must be forgiven You’re the Voice. Discuss.

65 No Doubt – Don’t Speak 47 The Prodigy – Firestarter 43 Aqua — Barbie Girl 40 Spice Girls – Wannabe 37 Olive — You’re not alone 37 Deep Blue Something – Breakfast At Tiffany's +4 34 Will Smith — Men in Black 33 The Verve – The Drugs Don´t Work 33 Mark Morrison – Return of The Mack 32 White Town – Your Woman 29 The Fugees – Killing Me Softly 28 Blur — Beetlebum 28 Gina G – Ooh Aah … Just A Little Bit 28 Oasis – Don’t Look Back In Anger 26 Various artists – Perfect day 23 Spice Girls – Say You'll Be There 21 Babylon Zoo – Spaceman 20 The Chemical Brothers – Block Rockin´ Beats 19 Spice Girls – 2 Become 1 19 Spice Girls – Spice Up Your Life -3 18 Spice Girls – Mama / Who Do You Think You Are -3 The Chemical Brothers – Setting Sun 15 The Fugees – Ready Or Not 14 L L Cool J – Ain´t Nobody Sticking with the policy of only voting for songs I know means the Spice Girls are get clobbered this round.

The only Keith I know is the wrong side of 70. Alf & Oliver, on the other hand...

James Riley, who as a 14 year-old discovered the body of James Bulger in Liverpool, has died aged 44, while in police custody. He was a known drug addict, which his family attribute to the trauma of finding Bulger.

There's probably no-one there old enough to remember him. (Though no doubt they're all experts in Love Island, BGT, I'm a Celeb etc)

"Breaking news.... Elderly man keeps hospital appointment" BBC isn't what it was. Fuck me, I must be getting old myself.

I always preferred Homburg.

Too soon?