DevonDeathTrip

Amnesty International's most recent cause célèbre, Iranian Delara Darabi, a talented artist, has been hanged at the age of twenty two for murder, a crime committed when she was only seventeen. Her boyfriend is widely believed to have been responsible for the killing, but he was convicted on lesser charges and got a ten year prison sentence. Iran is one of the few remaining countries that still carries out the death penalty for crimes committed by those under the age of eighteen, something even their friend The Great Satan has managed to give up recently.

Country star Vern Gosdin has died at the age of 74. He made albums with Byrds Chris Hillman (he was one of his Hillmen) and Gene Clarke. He also wrote "Someone To Turn To" which appeared on the Easy Rider soundtrack, as well as writing possibily country music's only concept album 'Alone' which detailed the breakdown of his marriage.

Nine year old boy fires shotgun in Norwegian school. He failed to kill anyone, but the lad has potential.

Swine Flu 'Pandemic' - Real-Time Tracking With Google Maps

Edwin Morgan celebrates his 89th birthday today and is still getting out and about. I thought he would be dead by now.

John King, 55, "perhaps the world's only truly classical ukulele virtuoso", has died of a massive heart attack at the age of 55.

Debbie Nelson is now in remission from breast cancer. The bad news for her, but the good news for the three teams who picked her for the DDP, is that she's dying from heart problems instead.

Prolific author John Michell has died aged 76. After Eton and Cambridge, he wrote books on, to quote Wikipedia, "Earth mysteries, pseudoscientific metrology, ley lines, sacred geometry, sacred sites, geomancy, gematria, archaeoastronomy, and Fortean phenomena". He used to run a stall at the Glastonbury Festival, where I chatted to him once, while heavily under the influence of some sort of narcotic muffin (me, not him). I purchased a copy of his rather excellent "Eccentric Lives and Peculiar Notions", the back cover of which was used for roach material that afternoon, an act of vandalism I've regretted ever since.

Indeed. Miguel de Cervantes, Spain's greatest writer, also died on Apr 23rd 1616, but due to differing calenders in Spain and England at the time, he actually died ten days before Shakespeare.

Wikipedia say that Jack Cardiff has died. No other confirmation yet.

Professor Hawking's condition has improved and he is now "comfortable" in hospital.

Does anyone know if Tommy Cooper's widow, Gwen, is still alive? She would be in her late eighties by now. According to Wiki, Tommy was a bit of a violent husband when he was drunk.

Fellow ghouls might be interested to know that footage of Tommy Cooper's death is now on the internet, apparently for the first time. Just Like That

Duke D'Mond, singer with the Barron Knights for 46 years, died on 9th April.

I'll confess to quite liking Greendale, his concept album about an imaginary town. He got so engrossed with the project, he made a film to go with it.

Lady Fiona, The Countess Of The Arran Islands, is now 94 and suffering from advanced Parkinson's disease, she requires twenty four hour care. Her noble status would probably be enough to get her an obituary, but the fact that she was a renowned powerboat racer and was the first woman to go over 100mph on water means she's a cert to get attention from The Daily Telegraph. She also managed to break the world record speed for an electric boat (50mph) when aged 75.

Genaro Hernandez says his cancer is in remission.

Former Raspberries singer Eric Carmen has been jailed for drink driving. I wonder if he'll be All By Himself in solitary, or if he'll have a cell mate who wants to Go All The Way with him. Nice mugshot, Eric.

John Demjanjuk has been removed from his home and is on his way to Germany to stand trial. http://jta.org/news/article/2009/04/14/100...for-deportation

Phil Spector convicted of murder

Yes, fascinating. Moving on, what have you got to say about this??

I've had a recurring dream recently that secret messages are being transmitted via The Archers. Every time I think I'm about to decipher what the messages mean and who they are intended for, I wake up. Now, when I am awake and listening to the programme, I'm drawn in to this strange twilight zone where Phil Archer's comments about his farm's milk yield warp in to some sort of rallying cry for the listening aliens to invade. The Sunday morning omnibus edition really isn't the relaxing experience it used to be.

released from the hospital ...To spend her last days at home?

Spain's most prolific and widely-read author, Corin Tellado, has died of kidney failure at the age of 82. By all accounts she was a one woman Mills & Boon, writing 4000 romance novels in her career, sometimes producing one book a week, perhaps a bit like Barbara Cartland on speed.

Andy Ripley has kindly updated us on his survival prospects. http://www.thisissussex.co.uk/sport/Rugby-...il/article.html