Octopus of Odstock

As a follow up to this, that article is now subject to a legal complaint. Whether that might be down to the health, I don't know, but I haven't seen any other articles about his ill-health since that one. He's also just flown to Zimbabwe & Angola on recent visits - but no pictures - so it's hard to tell if he is down to 7 stone. I'm not saying that Obiang might not be near death, but just to be cautious, in case this story is a pack of lies.

Paul Hunter's charity night From the article, he still seems a very poorly chap.

Pat Corley , the actor who played a number of TV roles in the US, including as Phil the Barkeeper in Murphy Brown has died, aged 76. News item imdb page

Don't forget Raymond Baxter's death, FF. The BBC have already given an obit to one of their own, as you'd expect, which means points for 2 Days Older Than Grass Bazzilliant Big-Iain Deadpoolers Down Under The Daisies Drunkasaskunk Finbarr Returns from the Dead (Again) Jim Devine Pushing Up The Daisies That's All, Folks! Wishy-Washy

And not just Americentric but USentertainment-centric. For the RDP, I wanted to select Phil Hill, an AMERICAN motor racing WORLD CHAMPION. But he wasn't on there. Daniel Smith, son of Anne Nicole was. Says it all, really.

re. suicide, I'm not so sure. He's quite determined to clear his name, either pre or post trial, where if he felt he was truly guilty, a la Huntley, he might have topped himself already. I say it's too much of an outside bet, but would understand if people differed with that opinion.

Indeed. Despite all the hullabaloo on the BBC pages, I'm not even going to put her on a longlist. She'll be fine.

Ah good, a first hit for my Rotten Dead Pool team! I have no idea who Anne Richards was but she sounded very ill, so in she went! Huzzah!

It's rare that I swear when I hear of a death, but this one produced that reaction:- Sir Douglas Dodds-Parker Obit War hero, one of the few Tory MP's of the Foot/Profumo intake left & even made the last Tory party conference in 2005, where he was described in great detail in just a few paragraphs by the Telegraph Telegraph Notebook Why, pray tell, did I swear? After all, 97 is a fine age & he is not a relative of mine. The reason.. he was 21st in my provisional DDP list until Tupou died, and then he was promoted (ahead of Brooke Astor). I was very confident he'd be one of my inspired unique picks, but it was not to be. From then on, the more I learnt about him, the more I admired him, and future DDP success notwithstanding, I'm sorry to see him go. So old bag Astor is in the top 20 again. at least Puskas looks like he might help put me back in the top 10. By the way the surviving guys:- (after Profumo's death) The remaining member of the 37th (1935-45) Parliament is Wing-Commander Ernest Rogers Millington, the Commonwealth (later Labour) MP for Chelmsford from January 1945 until the 1950 election. Of the 1945 intake, only Michael Foot (Lab, Plymouth Devonport), Maj. John Freeman (Lab, Watford, subsequently to host Face to Face), David Renton (Nat Lib, Huntingdonshire) are known to survive. Lt. Edward Carson (C, Isle of Thanet) and Francis Noel-Baker (Lab, Brentford and Chiswick) may also still be amongst us. Of those definitely alive, Foot, Freeman & Renton have been discussed. Noel-Baker & Carson are a risk as they may already be dead, but worth a thought......

Somewhat surprised, when searching to post the below news, that he's only mentioned in bits & bobs. Anyway, Ferenc Puskas, 79, is one of the greatest living footballers, and has for some years suffered from Alzheimers. Before that, he was hugely fat (see picture below from 1997) and suffered from heart-trouble. Now, he's in intensive care. If - and it's a big if - he makes it through, I'd strongly advise DL to take out de Stefano and put in his old team-mate. and, if he does survive 9 days plus - it's worth considering him for CP's new DP.

Hilary Mason, erstwhile & veteran British actress has died, aged 89, according to the Times Notices today. Obit Died one day after her birthday. Hard to say what she'll be best remembered for. If you're of a certain age, you'll probably remember her, as I do, for her role as the old kooky Gladys in Maid Marian & Her Merry Men in the mid 90's. Also a regular in Love Hurts, One Foot in the Grave, and had a brief role in Corrie. Probably one of those people you recognised, but never really knew who they were. Either way, imdb page below:- IMDB

Adam Ant Superb article in the Times about his past, present & future. There isn't a photo in the online version, but there is in the print version. In short, it doesn't look like he'll die soon. In fact, now, especially as he's lost weight, he looks if he's in his 30's!

Well, no more news about his health ailment but he's in even more trouble now, for manslaughter....

DoA now have a question mark. Nothing on einsiders, nothing on blogs...... thus far.

I'm in. Trouble is, I've picked this team when pissed at the pub watching the mighty Reading FC win. I may regret this tomorrow. TF, how on earth does Ross Davidson achieve a Bacon number 2??

I think 14th, as Already Dead also scored 4 points.

Also, a further while back I thought Banshees said there was "No evidence" that he was even ill? Ah yes... and... I think there's plenty of evidence now. GUILTY, m'lud! Guilty of what, though and who is guilty in the first place, i don't know...

Damn, I was hoping, albeit faintly, he'd do a "Sharon" & carry on - somehow - until January. Never mind. The word is a much lighter place by his passing.

Apparently his real name was Willi Leake, so I think he did well with his name change.

Looked okay from my telly too. I CAN tell you the weather in Aylesbury is lovely. I've already told you, I work in motor sport, but not the current F1. Looking at the scrum today, I'm glad. But with F1, my sources are slightly better than the average man on the street

3rd GP, 6 laps led, 1 podium. On the podium today, you were looking at one past world champion & two future ones. re. Sutil, latest rumours link Albers & Doornbos to Spyker - an all Dutchy team with Valles, a Spaniard as a test driver. But we'll see. Sutil will be somewhere in F1 next year, I'm sure.

Prost - 1993.

Good, but on the basis of his performance as 3rd driver & tester this year, Adrian Sutil is a better prospect, IMO. He was due to perhaps get a chance next year with Midland, but now they've been taken over by a Dutch company, Spyker, I'm not sure what'll happen.

Cancara, the Lloyds TSB black horse is no more.

Janette Krankie was on tonight's History of Light Entertainment tonight, filmed earlier this year. Looked healthy enough to me. Likewise, Ali Bongo. I had heard he'd been ill, but he seemed robust enough, albeit slightly frailer than before, when interviewed.