msc

Looking a picture of health in her latest TV appearance, naturally.

^ Been a long time since I've seen anyone as happy to be in a TV show as Alan Cumming in that episode. Also had the best lines of the entire series: " It belonged to my first Witchfinder General, Scottie, who saved my life in Berwick. Then later betrayed me, so I had him shot.", "I have a great many artefacts. Torture implements, charms, and a wide selection of body parts.", etc. Overall, I preferred Killing Eve. Which says a lot, possibly.

This is clearly where my "pick an obvious one Toast or Willz will get in 5 mins" clearly backfires! Correct! Phew!

More clues 1. Toast loves the band. 2. Single was 10th track on heavily underrated 2nd album. Was going to say last track but modern copies have 5 extra tracks including one covering Bryan Ferry!!!

Right, one of my favourite bands (I mentioned them in extra-curricular here yesterday!) had 15 UK Top 40 hits in their lifetime, but only one of them in 1985. What was that 1985 song?

Happy Birthday by Altered Images? Single after the great Dead Pop Stars (heard them on the radio) I hum anytime that thread gets updated.

I always think its tempting fate to put out a years memoriam video before the 31st. Look what happened when the BBC did their 2016 one on 23rd December! Carnage ensued!

Did someone mention inlaws? Actually, mine are behaving mostly right now. Must be plotting...

An old favourite for many of us randomly showed up to the read the Cbeebies Bedtime Story tonight*. *For oldies, think Jackanory and on right track.

How we all picture this... "First death of 2019". "Err, TQR, you know Leah's not on the list?" "Still voting for her..." ... "First death of 2031" "Err, TQR, you know Leah died 12 years ago?" "Still voting for her..."

Pretty much right up to conviction, lots assuming he'd be Bill Roache'd or what not. iirc there wasn't much of the "always knew he were dodgy" chat before, unlike yer Saviles and Glitters.

I have a team in. Old interesting folk, one or two ill folk to avoid Zero Points, and Peter Tobin, because hope springs eternal.

Who wants a vague update on Koch in the middle of a Politico article? Oh, and it might be linked to a two decade fight against cancer.

Dickey Betts turns 75, still recuperating. Given this list of health problems include two strokes, a fall, emergency brain surgery and a spell on a respirator, all within the last four months, it does suggest he wont be a Ramblin anytime soon.

Somehow it's 17 years since Stuart Adamson killed himself. Lead singer/songwriter off one of my favourite bands, Big Country.

Ah history! October 1849? One Edgar Allan Poe and one Chopin after all... A year later, Robert Peel (British PM) and Zachary Taylor (US President) died in the same week. Of course there was much less celebrities in the 19th Century, which therefore brings notice to 3 dying in April 1882: Darwin, Emerson and Jesse James! Did Verdi hear of Queen Victoria's death, or William McKinley mourn Toulouse-Lautrec - the former died 5 days after the latter in 1901. Leo Tolstoy and Dr Crippen within the same three days in 1910 - there's two folk who surely never heard of each other! But yeah, not many before WW2, unless you count April 1912 - a bit of a cheat, given the Titanic, but Bram Stoker died 5 days later, so that is a number of famous folk in one week, even if 6 of them were on the same boat. Oh well, a modern one then: July 2007 Boots Randolph Bill Pinkney George Melly Jack Sowards (Wrath of Khan writer) Peter Tuddenham Charles Lane Lady Bird Johnson Nigel Dempster Kelly Johnson (Girlschool) Kronus Ivor Emmanuel Kai Seigbahn Doon Arden Jesus de Polanco Tammy Faye Messner Danny Bergara John Normington Tom Snyder Mike Reid Phil Drabble Bill Walsh Tam McGraw (gangster) Ingmar Bergman Michelangelo Antonioni Bar the stock wrestler, all of them got BBC/Guardian obits, and the last 8 were all announced on the same day practically.

Poor DI, think of the massive merge task you just set him!

I forget which - 2014 Euro elections possibly? - but at one of the major election night coverages in the last 5 years they gave it to Huw and he so underwhelmed in the role they've gone back to Dimbleby ever since.

Yes, but knowing his luck, there will be another election/Referendum in the next year and a bucket full of dosh will be carried to his house to stop Huw Edwards presenting it.

Apparently he had Stage IV prostate cancer (spread to bones) but cured it with this "alternative" chemo. Hmmm....

I knew a guy who was so convinced Farage would be the PM in 2015, he put money on it. And that's why you never see a broke bookie.

The marginal Tories don't matter, do they? VoNC needs simple majority? Labour/SNP/Lib Dems/Caroline Lucas/Plaid = 308. You just need 18 disgruntled ERGs* to decide that's the nuclear route to get rid of May (and most of those types are in the shires which are super-safe because they ain't voting Labour no matter what) and Bob's yer uncle. I don't think saving Anna Soubry or Amber Rudd's seats will be high on their list of priorities. But anyhow that'd be idiotic. *Yeah I know there's a bunch of Independents there too, 5 ex Lab, 1 ex Lib, and that 6 would "probably" vote with Labour which reduces further the number of turkeys needed.

Till Brexit actually happens at the very least, but likely till 2022 imo.

Pretense of excitement. She'll win the VoNC.

Aye, sad news indeed.