M.Lawrenson

Tarbuck pulls out of dance show Yes, everyone's favourite golf-playing, fat scouse 'comedian' has high blood pressure. Haven't seen him on TV or in the news for ages so it can't be through overwork. I'd say he's in two (if not three) high-risk groups for a heart attack. After all, who thought Gene Pitney would drop dead at the same age?

Was it really 43 years ago today? It only seems like yesterday that it was 25 years ago. I remember watching the 'retrospective' TV programmes on that anniversary in 1988. My mother kindly pointed out to me all the detail on the Zapruder film on the many times it was shown. And now I'm sitting here drinking wine and being morbid over the Wikipedia articles on the subject - who'd'a thought it?

Lester Piggott in intensive care It appears the Grim Reaper is harder to dodge than the Inland Revenue...

As far as I know, Doris Day (singer/actress) is still alive. According to All Music Guide she was born April 3rd 1924, making her 81. Also, she's barely been seen since her TV show ended in 1973. Strangely, her son Terry Melcher died last November aged 62...

Watching The Quatermass Trilogy on DVD a while ago, I found out writer Nigel Kneale is still alive (b. 18th April 1922). Judging by the documentary features, he can't have long left. Bright and alert in footage shot in 1993, he looked old and frail on the other made in 2004. And to be honest, he doesn't seem to have done much writing for TV in the last 10 years.

Just checked Chuck's official website, and it appears he's still performing one-nighters at the age of nearly 79. I reckon he'll go the day after he has to give up doing his show.

Anyone know why he made the Deathlist in 1987? Sure, he crashed quite a lot in his early career.. ...but he had calmed down considerably by 1987. By the end of his career, he was reliable enough for racing teams to call on him to fill in for drivers otherwise banned or injured. De Cesaris quit racing in 1994, and took a job in the equally thrilling world of currency trading.

Otto von Habsburg must have been important. His death and funeral now has it's own Wikipedia article. Otto was an important person, just not as important as he imagined himself to be.

Otto lived a good long life, and probably had a far more active and interesting one than he would have done if he'd become Emperor. Though it's unlikely he would have become Emperor had Franz Ferdinand lived. FF had two sons who, at the time of his death were not allowed to inherit the throne (FF's wife wasn't Royal). As soon as old Franz Joseph died, FF would have likely changed the Habsburg Succession Law to allow his eldest son to become Crown Prince.

Archduke Rudolf of Austria, youngest brother of Otto von Habsburg, has died aged 90. That makes Otto and his brother Felix (94 in 2 weeks) the only remaining children of the last Emperor of Austria.

Otto's still going, but Mrs von H is not. Otto surely can't last much longer now. He is 97 after all.

O, good old Otto von Habsburg! For not-DL-related purposes I searched him on the internet just the other day. His mother, the last Austrian empress Zita, died twenty years ago, aged 97 as well. Her husband only made it to 35, though I believe the Grandducal family to be related to Zita's house of Bourbon-Parme and not to the Habsburgers - feel free to prove me wrong on this. (Of course: Jean's eldest daughter married a Habsburg prince, but that's not supposed to contribute to Jean's gene pool, obviously). Jean is the son of Prince Felix of Bourbon-Parma, who was Zita's younger brother. Jean's mother Grand Duchess Charlotte, lived to 91 as well. Most of these nonagenerians are descendants of the marriage of King Miguel of Portugal and Princess Adelaide of Lowenstein-Wertheim-Rosenberg. Both Jean's parents were grandchildren of Miguel and Adelaide. The Habsburgs, however, tend to have average lifespans, presuming they don't get shot or catch TB or pneumonia.

Old Jean has good genes. His first cousin is famous royal codger Otto von Habsburg, who is 97 this month (and also has two brothers still alive in their 90s). Many of his other relatives have lived into their 90s.

Don't want to steal OoO's thunder here, but it appears Peter Arundell has finally succumbed to his respiratory illness.

The only thing I can recall about Tony Maggs was an unfortunate incident with Ken Tyrrell's wife and a hotel wardrobe. Though it's not half as salacious as you'd imagine.

The vultures must have been circling him for a while at that age, OoO. (Motor racing joke which nobody else would probably get) Btw, how many of F1's front-engine driver brigade are left? Off the top of my head - Moss, Brooks, Brabham, Gonzalez and probably at least 20 more.

It has also been used in other events when a fatal crash has meant the end of the race. Mind you, this is 1st time it's happened in F1 since 1991, and only the 5th time since the rule was brought in. (Spain 1975, Austria 1975, Monaco 1984, Australia 1991, Malaysia 2009 - all bar one due to rain - the other was a fatality). Ah yes, most if not all of those races were just as controversial as the most recent one. Spain 1975 : After some major bolt-tightening action by everyone involved (the drivers refused to race due to dodgy armco barriers), the race got underway at the infamous Monjuich Park in Barcelona. After numerous crashes, Rolf Stommelen found himself in the lead, until he crashed as well, killing 4 people when he went into the barriers (apparently screwed together by his own mechanics the previous day). Austria 1975 : A race so hilariously randomised, Vittorio Brambilla managed to be in the lead when it was stopped. Even he was surprised. He crashed going over the finishing line. Monaco 1984 : Who knows who really one that one. Mansell probably should have, but went off after ignoring Jackie Stewart's advice ("Och, stay off the white road markings in the rain Nigel"). Prost led it, but was being caught in leaps and bounds towards the end by Ayrton Senna and Stefan Bellof. Monaco clerk-of-the-course Jackie Ickx red-flagged the face just as Senna overtook Prost, but it was counted back to the previous lap. Ironically, Senna's car wouldn't have lasted much longer, as he'd broken his suspension earlier. Then Bellof would have won but his team was disqualified at the end of the season. Yes, who knows what went on that day? Australia 1991 : It should never have been started, but the drivers were more afraid of the wrath of Bernie and the GP organisers than torrential rain and zero visibility. So off they went, to engage in 14 laps of soggy mayhem. Eventually, Senna pulled into the pits and demanded the race be stopped. Who could refuse Senna.

From what I've read and remember, snooker was televised mostly when the tournament reached the last 16. Medati only ever reached the last 16 three times in his career, so it's not surprising he's not remembered.

From 'The Hurricane' by Bill Borrows : I'm even more glad than usual I wasn't out in town last Friday...

Otto von Habsburg was 96 on Thursday. I'm betting he dies within a year, as his mother and grandmother (from whom he likely inherited his longevity) both died at 96.

I don't think people using Gadd's music for commercial reasons because of his reputation and actions. What about Eric Gill? The BBC uses a typeface he designed for its logo.

I'm surprised Zsolt Baumgartner didn't get in. Apparently, he never won a single race at any level. Or George Eaton, who paid his way into BRM with his daddy's department store money. Or if they were looking for the 'completely wasted talent' angle, they couldn't have done better than Jean-Pierre Jarier.

Well, when you look at these things you realise there is no justice in the world. Just ask Richard Beckinsale's family. Or take the example of my father, a man who smoked 40-a-day for 30 years, was 6 stone overweight, took no exercise and had, shall we say, very high stress levels. He's still going at nearly 55. He had to 'modify his lifestyle' a bit after being carted off to hospital with 'breathing difficulties' and being put on a ventilator, and then developing type-2 diabetes. These events had nothing to do with smoking or being overweight, or so he says. But this is a man who never went to the doctor for anything for the reason (as he put it) 'He'd only tell me to give up smoking and lose weight'. Then you have Douglas Adams who dropped dead at 49 after his regular daily workout. No, no justice.

The bloke from the Lord Rockingham XI's 'Hoots Mon'.

Pete Fenelon's death is utterly baffling. It honestly makes you wonder, it really does. I only very vaguely knew him from the Atlas F1/Amazon.co.uk, but I'm 33 in 6 weeks and I'm already thinking about the time I have left.