The Watcher

Don Murray Jerry Hardin Bob Newhart Eva Marie Saint Gilbert Melville Grosvenor

June Spencer 104 Glynis Johns 100 Lady Pamela Hicks 94 (cousin of Prince Philip & daughter of Lord Mountbatten) Gerald Harper 92 (Adam Adamant in the 60's) Jeremy Walsh 94 (retired bishop) Philippe de Gaulle 101 Eva Marie Saint 99 Harrison Tyler 94 (grandson of 10th USA President) Barbara Eden 92 Gilbert Melville Grosvenor 92 (former chairman & president of National Geographic Society;great grandson of Alexander Graham Bell)

Five from GB: June Spencer, Pete Murray, Gerald Harper (Adam Adamant), Joan Plowright (Lady Olivier), Lady Pamela Hicks. Five from ouside GB: Harrison Tyler, Ethel Kennedy, Jerry Hardin, Gilbert Melville Grosvenor, Philippe de Gaulle.

If the report is genuine then Rashid Karimov has equalled the WORLD RECORD of 7 generations of one family alive at the same time. He had 10 children, 25 grandchildren, 16 great grandchildren, 8 great great grandchildren, 5 great great great grandchildren and 2 great great great great grandchildren. Possibly even more incredible is that he has 3 living brothers aged 104, 101 and 97. Guinness World Records need to check on this and possibly write an entire chapter on him! For comparison Joss Ackland had 7 children, 32 grandchildren (34 in Daily Mail), and 8 great grandchildren (30 in Daily Mail!!!)

William Russell certainly didn't look 39 when Dr Who first aired around the time of the JFK assassination. Back then anyone over 40 looked like today's 60!

Following the death of Ann Hart (widow of Ronnie Corbett) aged 90, the most famous widow of a comedian has to be Joan Morecambe aged 96.

Can they appeal to a higher authority? There seems a stigma attached to the name INGRAM - first the Millionnaire programme cheating row (Coughgate) & now the son-in-law of Captain Tom.

Her son-in-law Eamonn Holmes is always advertising health items as well as complaining about his health issues in articles. (Does he need the money or publicity that much?) It would give him something to do if he can suggest the best medication for his wife's mother. He used to complain about Anthea Turner. Now he complains about a certain companion of Gordon the Gopher. He is always complaining about ITV (which his wife still works for) and that he is not "Male, pale, stale & frail."

David Lawton who played the chef (Mr Booth) at Crossroads and acted in many TV & stage roles for decades was 100 recently with very little media notice. When his stint at Crossraods came to an end for a few months, he would always make the same statement about going to the stockroom to check on supplies!

A true great. King of the Comb-over along with Ralph Coates. He seemed to be in his late 40's when he was probably around 32! Only Denis Law left of the Terrific Trio that also included George Best. He was rumoured to be rather aloof & Ted MacDougall tells a tale of when he joined Manchester United in 1972, he asked Charlton how to get to the training ground. He never received an answer & now never will.

It wasn't a stroke but a brain haemorrhage. There are various ways to treat this but removing the excess blood around the brain is usually the initial process and often long-term recovery with medication to prevent fitting. Fergie was reported as having major surgery which is not at all straightforward when it involves the cerebral cortex.

Despite being 98 later this year, he is still not the oldest surviving actor from Mary Poppins with Glynis Johns 100 today & a 'young' Julie Andrews was 88 earlier this week a decade younger than DVD.

On the Buddy theme, Buddy Holly's widow is 91 later this year.

Despite the 'obituary' Parkinson did not interview Frank Sinatra. He met him once at an event but their conversation was minimal and when Parkinson left Sinatra called him by the wrong name. Parkinson said that the two people he had most missed interviewing were Sinatra & Don Bradman.

Surely far worthier of a damehood than Stanley Johnson (alleged wife beater & groper of at least 2 women including MP Caroline Noakes) is of a knighthood.

She was mocked by Gwhich ham Norton in public which a documentary some months ago stated affected her badly. Lorraine Kelly made an insensitive comment about her which was also reported in the documentary and it was actually shown. Eamonn Holmes appears to be settling past grievances and wounding with words in a different way to Norton & Kelly but probably in just a hurtful way and unlike the other two presenters is doing it for malicious reasons.

Well she was an expert on Tracey Island!

Eamonn Holmes seems to be enjoying this rather too much. He fell out with Anthea Turner (another presenter) I recall calling her Princess Tippy Toes - some sort of euphemism? His wife has never forgiven Schofield for cutting her off by all of about 2 words when she was dloing a link for her upcoming programme. What fragile egos she & hubby Homes (who advertises anything that moves & anything that doesn't) seem to have.

Eamonn Holmes will be milking this development for ages.

Surely the point is that despite her age she always appears immaculate with make-up, wig & always dressed as if she is going to a banquet or some special occasion. From a distance and with wig & make-up she has passed for 20 years younger than her actual age but both she & Joanna Lumley have appeared rather strained/stretched in photos taken at the Coronation & since.

European royal families only have about 6 working royals so see no need for more than C & C, Will & Kate, the Edinburghs, Anne & a few appearances by the Queen's remaining cousins except for Prince Michael who is not technically a working royal although he lives in Kensington Palace. It was rent-free but when this was discovered the Queen paid his rent etc but Charles may change this. Not sure why Anne's husband appears in photo as a working royal. The Edinburgh's children are too young & the York girls have very young children, always appear to be on holiday & are too closely linked with their father.

According to an old Guinness World Records, the most living generations at one time is 7 - so the oldest person had a 4 x great grandchild. [great, great, great, great grandchild]

Apart from the cancer the continuous flying across the Atlantic for the American Strictly for almost 20 years must have taken its toll. There is a theory that David Frost would have lived longer than 74 if his weekly commute to the USA had not occurred.

Trog & Tidy gone within a few days of each other. One illustrated Flook for the Daily Mail & the other wrote & illustrated The Fosdyke Saga for the Daily Mirror - 2 very different papers & 2 very different cartoon strips but both very clever & thought-provoking at times as well being funny.

Wally Fawkes has died aged 98. He could appear in many categories - satirist, cartoonist, clarinettist (with Humphrey Littleton), comedy writer. However he is best known for drawing Flook for the Daily Mail for 35 years & for the Mirror Group for 1 year! Flook was originally aimed at children & then became a political satire & finally the Daily Mail editor David English had had enough of it due to the satirical jibes that appeared to be aimed at Margaret Thatcher even though she was reported to enjoy the cartoon.