time

I've just looked through the 90s, and I was surprised how many I knew, so I could go another round using the same MO as for the 80s - i.e. upvote/downvote those I know and ignore those I don't and let everyone else sort them out.

35 a-ha – The Sun Always Shines On TV 34 Nena – 99 Red Balloons +3 33 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love +1 27 Soft Cell – Tainted Love 26 Blondie – Atomic  24 Pet Shop Boys — It’s a Sin 23 Madness – House Of Fun 22 Men at Work – Down Under 19 Madonna — Into The Groove 18 George Michael — Careless Whisper 18 Madonna — Like a Prayer 17 The Specials — Ghost Town  16 David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes 6 The Communards & Sarah Jane Morris — Don’t Leave Me This Way 3 Bee Gees – You Whine Again -6

Tom Tierney, who won 8 caps for Ireland, and subsequently coached the women's team, has died suddenly, aged 46.

British singer/actor Jess Conrad is 87 today. He began as an actor, and got his break into music when playing a postar on a TV play, he was noticed by Jack Good, producer of Oh Boy!, and invited onto the show. This lead to a recording contract and a few minor hits in the early 60s. He appeared in stage shows and TV throughout his career, includingas Mr Walpole, head of sportin goods in Are You Being Served, and as a semi-regular during Jim Davidson's Generation Game (he's also appeared on TV with N*gel Fa**ge, so somewhat dubious taste in some of the company he keeps) and has featured as a talking head in numerous TV & music retrospectives & documentaries. In 1977, listener's to Capital FM's Kenny Everett Show voted in 7 of his records as "The World's Worst" with his This Pullover coming sixth worst of all time. (I've just had idea for the next Kill or Save...) He's been married to Renee, a former "Camay Girl" (as in the soap) for nearly 60 years, and knows/has known just about everyone.

You want "The French Language" thread.

Feature/interview on/with Faulding here. (Guardian today).

Happy National Toast day @Toast

Author Bernard Cornwell (no relation to Judy) is 79 today. Famous for his historical novels, notably the Sharpe books and the Saxon Stories (featuring Uhtred son of Uhtred), he now lives in the United States with his wife, who is American, and is now a US citizen. His father was William Outghred, a Canadian airman, and his mother, Dorothy Cornwell, a British member of the WAAF, and he was adopted by the Wiggins family, pacifists who were members of the Peculiar People. He initially used Cornwell as a pen name but changed his name by deed poll when his adoptive father died. He is, through his natural father, a descendant of Uhtred the Bold, on whom the Saxon Stories are based.

He was well enough to go to Sutton United a couple of weeks or so ago

I'm so old I was an adult by Des's heyday!

35 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love 30 Pet Shop Boys — It`s a Sin 28 Nena – 99 Red Balloons +4 26 Soft Cell – Tainted Love 25 a-Ha – The Sun Always Shines On TV 24 Madonna – Into The Groove 23 Blondie – Atomic 21 Madness – House Of Fun 21 Communards & Sarah Jane Morris – Don’t Leave Me This Way 20 Madonna — Like a Prayer 20 Men at Work – Down Under 18 Eurythmics – There Must Be An Angel (Playing With My Heart) 18 George Michael— Careless Whisper 15 Human League – Don´t You Want Me -2 15 Bee Gees – You Win Again -4 15 David Bowie – Ashes To Ashes 11 The Specials — Ghost Town 08 Frankie Goes to Hollywood — Two Tribes

Dickie then Motty, my childhood sports viewing has all but disappeared. Only Barry Davies left.

Ah, I'm not familiar with the racing bods these days (Brough Scott, John Oaksey & Peter O'Sullevan last time I watched regularly). I don't watch a lot of broadcast TV these days, but one person guaranteed to send me searching for the remote is Paddy McGuinness. It's like someone said there's not enough regional accents on TV, send for McGuinness. He was everywhere.

Do you mean Mark? I don't have a list as such, and its more hearing than seeing, but most of the football commentators/co-commentators for live matches. Savage and McManamanamanaman are worst, they talk unremitting bollocks and don't know when to shut-up.

Not on my facebook they don't. Fortunately I seem to have shed most of the people who posted that sort of thing.

It's quite possible (i.e very likely) I've mentioned it before (many times).

Ken Warby, who set a water-speed record of 317.6 mph (511.1 km/h) in 1978, which still stands today, has died aged 83

Re infantilising language, and at the risk of upsetting the canine-loving community (behave!), particularly those that take in rescue dogs (excellent work btw) what's this shit with calling them "doggo", and wtf is a '"forever home" its not forever, its only until they "cross the rainbow bridge" (which is possibly the most vomit-inducing phrase I've ever heard anywhere). Grow up!

00 The Jam - Absence of (A town called) Malice

Twenty-two years since the death of British actor Christopher Mitchell. His biggest role was that of Gunner Parkin in BBC's It Ain't Half Hot Mum. His character was erroneously believed by Sergeant Major Williams to be his son, therefore being kept on the concert party despite his lack of talent and general incompetence. He frequently made guest appearances, in mostly comedy roles, and was twice in Only Fools and Horses as PC Hoskins (Slater's sidekick in May The Force BE With You) and then Det. Sgt. Hoskins (In the first feature length special, To Hull and Back). Despite the success of IAHHM, he was never cast in a major role again, which, it is suggested, lead to an alcohol problem contributing to his early death from cancer aged 52.

35 a-ha – The sun always shines on TV 29 Pet Shop Boys – It’s a Sin 27 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love 25 Soft Cell – Tainted Love 25 Eurythmics – There must be an angel (playing with my heart) 25 Nena – 99 red balloons +4 21 George Michael – Careless Whisper 21 Human League – Don´t you want me 20 Men at Work – Down Under 20 Blondie – Atomic 20 Madness – House of fun 20 The Specials — Ghost Town 20 Madonna – Into the groove 20 Madonna — Like a Prayer 19 Communards & Sarah Jane Morris – Don´t leave me this way 19 Bee Gees – You win again 19 Belinda Carlisle – Heaven is a place on earth 11 David Bowie — Ashes to Ashes 10 Frankie Goes to Hollywood – Two Tribes 10 The Bangles – Eternal Flame 09 Enya – Orinoco Flow -6

25 Kraftwerk – The Model / Computer Love 24 a-ha – The sun always shines on TV 24 Pet Shop Boys – It´s a sin 24 The Specials – Ghost Town 22 Madonna – Into the groove 22 Soft Cell – Tainted Love +4 21 Madness – House of fun 21 George Michael – Careless Whisper 21 Human League – Don´t you want me 21 Nena – 99 red balloons 20 Madonna — Like a Prayer 20 Men at Work – Down Under 19 Frankie Goes to Hollywood — Two Tribes 19 Belinda Carlisle – Heaven is a place on earth 19 Blondie – Atomic 19 Communards & Sarah Jane Morris – Don´t leave me this way 19 Bee Gees – You win again 18 David Bowie – Ashes to Ashes 17 Eurythmics – There must be an angel (playing with my heart) 16 The Bangles – Eternal Flame 15 Enya – Orinoco Flow -6 14 Pet Shop Boys — West End Girls 13 Bonnie Tyler – Total eclipse of the heart 07 The Jam – A town called Malice

True, it’s like being asked to pick your favourite turd.

69 Belinda Carlisle – Heaven Is A Place On Earth 53 Madonna – Like a Prayer 45 Marc Almond & Gene Pitney – Something's Gotten Hold of My Heart +4 39 Enya – Orinoco Flow -6 33 The Bangles – Eternal Flame 28 Kylie Minogue – I Should Be So Lucky 9 Pet Shop Boys – Heart

Buffy Sainte-Marie, native American singer/songwriter/composer and activist is 82 today. Born in the Piapot 75 reserve in Saskatchewan, Canada, she was removed from her family and placed with a white couple, Albert & Winifred Sainte-Marie, in Wakefield, Massachusetts (though Winifred identified as part Mi'kmaq) as part of the government programme to raise First-Nations children in white families. She won Oscar, Golden Globe and BAFTA awards for co-writing Up Where We Belong, for An Officer and a Gentleman, becoming the first indigenous American winner. Her song writing has had a heavy emphasis on protest, with neo of her most well-known songs, Universal Soldier, being a hit for Donovan and Glen Campbell. She once sold the rights to the song for a dollar, buying them back 10 years later for $25,000. Asked to appear for a one-off guest appearance on Sesame Street, she initially refused but realising it was an opportunity to educate about Indigenous Americans, agreed, appearing several times over a five year period, once breastfeeding her son Cody on-air.