Twelvetrees

Thankyou to those who wished me a happy birthday, and to those who meant to but for very good reasons could not. I had a marvellous day. I hope you all have a stupendously excellent Christmas and an even better 2007.

The first one I remember was Louis Mountbatten (1979) I think it was the general shock of the murder rather than the man himself that made it memorable. I can recall being in London in 1980 with my mother and me pointing to a headline on a newspaper standard claiming that John Lennon had been shot dead. "Don't be silly - who'd want to shoot him?" she said, in a voice probably slightly less like Terry Jones than I remember.

Harold Pinter was entering the Archduke restaurant on the South Bank just as I was leaving this evening. Using a walking stick and grasping a pillar for support whilst waiting for his table, he looked a desperately ill man. His performances at the Royal Court recently must have been a supreme effort of will, and have maybe taken a toll on his health.

I was actually at Sir Jack Lyons' 90th birthday concert with the London Symphony Orchestra on Sunday evening (I wasn't a guest, just there for the music I hasten to add), and he looks, sounds and moves anything but his age. I wouldn't rate him for a couple of years yet.

Thanks for the 'luckily', but that's six league games in a row where the opposition have been 'lucky'. The way things are going, we'll be facing a derby match against Weymouth within the year.

Precisely, Gunjaman - this is the DL paradox. If we keep him on the list, he will live - if we remove him, he will die. I vote for the humane option. The way I see it, we are guilty of needlessly prolonging his life. Some may hold a different view, but he has suffered enough - even the perpetrator of 'Grandad' does not deserve so harsh a sentence. If I may quote Hilaire Belloc's take on the Hippocractic oath "Thou shalt not kill but needst not thrive, Officiously to keep alive." Let him have his peace...

So, tomorrow - the highlight of the football calendar has to be Derek Holmes returning to Bournemouth. Hopefully he'll be about as effective as he usually was when playing at Dean Court. Sixteen goals in 136 games as a target man. Shame I won't be there to witness his brilliance once more. Anyway, good luck to Carlisle. I hope you lose graciously.

Lady Bird Johnson for me. I think a Christmas exit, a couple of days after her birthday.

I voted Dunn - as per my recent post on who to keep here. My reasoning is logical and, I think, somewhat profound.

We can't drop Dunn, he's part of the furniture He's a bloody annoying part of the furniture - a bit like a nasty 1930s wardrobe that your grandmother once owned and which is too heavy to move. I suggest that we work together to heave this monstrosity out of DL mansions and put it in the garage for a few years until he's good and ready. Drop Dunn now. It's the only sane course of action. Can't you see how the little tease is leading us on? With his come-hither truss and promise of sweet gum-action. It's enough to turn any man's head (cf. Linda Blair). Don't give in to temptation again - stay away from this loathly incubus. It's for your own good!

Carlisle fans should think themselves lucky. Since AFC Bournemouth appointed the (alleged) crook (and schoolchum of the Chairman) Kevin Bond as manager, we've lost five on the bounce, and are without a win in eleven games. If you don't get your fist away win at Swindon, it will only be another week of waiting.

The less legendary West Indian cricketer Nyron Asgarali died last Sunday after a fall. He was 85.

Puskas has a thread all of his own here As does Anna Wing here. Admittedly it's been about as active as she has recently, but she is still with us at the grand old age of 92. Anna Wing is a survivor from the 1987 list, I believe. Kenneth Kendall made the list as long ago as 1989, and disappeared the way of Wincey Willis. At 82, he probably isn't as old as people think he is. Bruce Forsyth's appearances on Death List are akin to his appearances on TV, too frequent for my tastes. It is generally agreed that he stands more chance of being felled by one of Tarbuck's mishit drives than by age or infirmity. Hope this answers your questions - why not come and join the fun!

I must admit that the thought of Osmonds fans suffering doesn't exactly have me breaking down in tears.

Gerald Ford - any colour as long as it's black Ernest Gallo - the wrath of grapes Mickey Rooney - let's do the funeral right here! Michael Foot - one Foot in the grave Alfredo di Stefano - kicked into touch Joseph Barbera - Tomb and Jerry

I'll open the bidding with Kirk Douglas. He is very frail, and despite undoubtedly having access to excellent health care, might succumb easily to even a minor accident or illness. I never trust reports of the near-deaths of politicians, especially those with good reason to keep the police from the door, and the other actors and entertainers listed all seem relatively sprightly.

Evidently not Yes, but he was convicted by a brutal and corrupt regime that denied him and his people basic human rights. Ah, this explains why the US has such a low crime rate compared to the UK! Hampshire Rose - interesting name - you're not Kevin Pietersen by any chance?

Gallo will be next to face the vine-al countdown. And if you think that pun's bad, try his Chenin Blanc.

He won't be missed - now I'm rather hoping for a domino effect - Botha, followed his old chum Thatcher, then her mate Pinochet. It would be a great hat-trick.

'The Rt. Hon. Margaret Thatcher' = 'The Grantham hatchet terror'

Whether or not Typhoid Harry has raised an important debate, I rather think he was simply after a cheap laugh at the expense of a minority unable to reply. Would we even be having a debate if this childish and humourless portrayal of a disabled person had been of a black person or a Jew? I hope not. The picture in question merely serves to reify an outmoded and disabling stereotype of people with learning difficulties (the current UK terminology) and, as such, is entirely devoid of redemptive qualities. As someone who works in the disability sector, I find TH's indefensible and antediluvian attitudes offensive to my many colleagues and friends who are disabled, and therefore offensive to me. I could not argue with the right of anyone to free speech or thought, and would not accept censorship of any individual's point of view, but I would add that with freedom comes responsibility - a quality that is signally missing in TH's post.

Forgive me for being slow here, but seeing as Reg was born in 1916, it means that when he was chasing dolly birds around in Holiday on the Buses, he was a sprightly 56 at best. Is anyone else disturbed by this, or by the fact that the original On the Buses film was the highest grossing British movie of 1971?

Hello and welcome! I'm not sure that I'd want to refer to this place as home, though. Others may disagree on that. In fact, there's always someone who will disagree here. So I guess it is like home, after all. Enjoy your stay.

Surely, it would have to be the lilting skirl of 'Take the High Road'. Soap titles Bottom of the page, natch.

I like Death Con. Death Con 1 is good. Or Stiff-fest - "Eat, drink and be buried" Maybe we should hold it in Carcassonne?