Octopus of Odstock

Rained today. Very close to a nasty accident when Del Boy Warwick slammed into Arnoux, and also when de Crasheris rammed Lammers. Warwick also nearly slammed into Stuck. But all walk away unscatched and without any long-term damage. (Apart from Andrea who, like I said, limps due to that nervous twitch in his leg) Nannini also smokes...... Of all the drivers there, I just couldn't believe the change in his looks. Very nice guy though. MPFC, Piquet Sr. still races. He won the Mille Mihila 1000km this winter. He just doesn't want to do GPM. I think Mr. Lawrenson has hit the nail on the head with his summary. FWIW, Jonesy can't do GPM - failed medical for it. He was there as commentator - looked okay. Scheckter was there too - he doesn't want to race in anything any more. He's quite happy going round & enjoying the scenery. Damon has too many commitments, unfortunaetly. He's got a major battle on his hand vs. Bernie to keep the GP at Silverstone, if at all, so bar a brief appearance next year, I doubt he'll do it.

Working at the Grand Prix Masters today (and tomorrow). Don't bother putting any of the 16 racers down, they look pretty good, even Tambay. Our old friend de Cesaris has aged a little and has a "Harry Redknapp" twitch but he's not going to pop off. Dave Morgan looks 10 yrs younger than his 62 years. But.... Sandro Nannini is now a major porky. Although it was to his advantage, as he walked through the paddock un-noticed by most! I think he'll be alright for a while as he still leads a good life, and an active one but all that wine & cakes he eats...... I'll see if I can track any older drivers tomorrow, like Moss. Didn't see them around today but I think they're around. Oh, Murray Walker? Picture of health. Don't even think about him for any Dead Pools.

I sincerely doubt it because a quick check of Diaz's obituaries & a Google search, something I advise you doing occasionally, reveals nothing about this "favourite musician" bollocks. Sorry, but you'll have to do better than that to back up your prediction.

I can see Tempus tut-tutting now and Star Crossed sadly hanging his head in shame at the new low of posting standards on this board. And they'd be right in doing so. But I'm bored searching for death news. There isn't any. I've never even heard of Mike Douglas, FFS and he's really famous apparently. Anyway, I really must get to bed. Hold on, I italiced (is that correct?) the wrong word, didn't I? So I leave you with these thoughts. Breaking News immiment

"Now stop this, this is far too silly" The man weho sAID THAT IS dead.News just ijn. Also, IT IS WITH DEEep trgeret that i HAVE to report the breaking announce of Abel.. He was one oF THE greatest shepherds ever. HE WILL Ebn eb\ada dsdadl sadly missed by all. *Gets his coat, (not least as it is cold) & heads off to bed as OOO has to be at the Grand Prix Masters early tomorrow morning*

yES, I can confirm that Mako is indeed dead.here is the link Mako. Also, breaking news. The singer Lou Rawls is dead.he was 73.Dead

Phantom, the general rule I think we agreed on when I did the I & P thread, even if they weren't mentioned, but you thought they were famous enough - Near Misses. If not mentioned, and not famous enough, this thread. No need for a third thread. Hence Al Balding, Carl Brashear, Patrick Allen et al - Near Misses, despite not being mentioned. But one big "They're Dead, folks" thread would be far, far better and stop this infernal arguing about notability & I agree, you could see if they're mentioned or not already. Well, most people will. Surely that is possible somebody? Phantom, Arthur Lee had his own thread.

Phantom, Tony Banks wasn't chosen by anybody, least of all yourself, in the DDP?

Great shame. My little cousins live in nearby Horsham, and would often go down to see them. They did fantastically well to reach the conference, and, indeed, be quite competitive, but in the end, maybe the Conference was a step too far re. finances. But there's hope. Reading were NEARLY liquidated and minutes from going bust in 1991. Accy Stanley WERE liquidated, and look what they've done last season.

Should someone e-mail RK over Butcher, van Allen & Allen, or trust Rk's impeccable research skills or should we wait for a Hart obit first? I think to make things even tougher next year, The Guardian should be discarded as a source. FF would be winning otherwise, I think.

Interesting. I could come over all iain-esque and say that Patrick Allen and James Van Allen are dead, and Charles Allen is sacked at ITV therefore means Woody Allen's death is immiment. But I won't. The scoreboards' too difficult to work out (Allen, Butcher, Hart & Van Allen all potentially need updating) but this will help you move up a little bit and make up for your Ronnie Corbett selection. Huzzah! I have learnt recently that just 4 of the remaining 18 of my DDP selections are healthy & active & very likely to make it to the year's end. The other 14 are tormenting me.

Oh, he hasn't changed, then.... I have never seen anyone been so committed & so desperate to earn the right to wear the Reading shirt. He truly gave it his all. However, I have never seen a defender at the club who could defend any worse than Mackie. Positioning, heading, tackling. Lack of any ability at all three. Shame, really. It was one of the rags-to-riches stories. One minute he's selling fruit & veg & playing for Sutton Utd, then he's in the Championship (or the old (new) Div 1). It was too much for him, and I s'pose League 1 will be as well...

Where? I can't see any comment.

Too right. John Mackie was one of the shittest ever players for Reading. But at the Orient, he seems to be playing the form of his life.

Not only that, his name is finally spelt right after 8 months!! And that, I fear, is about as exciting as this thread is going to get all year.

Rothmans Sky Sports Football Yearbook. I think I'd seen the thing about the Wolves-Villa 1888 game somewhere aeons back and knew the Wycombe one wasn't the first one, but it wasn't without checking up that I could confirm that.

Yep. Boston United in 2002. Wolves, on the opening day of the football league season, in 1888. Whilst Swindon are the only other team to have an own goal go their way on their debut, in a 9-1 win over Luton in 1920. Almost typical for Swindon is the fact that their first game is still their record league win!

Hold on a minute. You were the one who berated me for my lack of medicinal knowledge when I said Sharon was not going to die when he worsened a few weeks back and you said his death was immiment. Make your mind up.

Dom Mintoff was 90 on Sunday. Here's a link.

Ah, thanks! I knew I wasn't going totally doo-lally.

Not any more he isn't. Sep Smith RIP. Phil Taylor, who's on my DDP list, is now the oldest, for anyone interested in an alternative possibilty to the mainstream suggestions.

I can forsee some argument about notability here but: Kenneth Richmond, the strongman who strikes the gong in the Rank films has died. Obit Why near misses? Well, he was on my DDP top 100 for 2007, so he was a consideration for myself and thus a "near miss" Two, everyone here must know of the man & the action he does. Three, aside from Rank, he belongs to that relatively rare breed - a British Olympic medallist. He won a bronze medal for wrestling in 1952.

It's been updated with Schwarzkopf's death, Baring's death and waiting an obit for Hart & Butcher. I didn't even notice Butcher on the DDP & even missed her death being announced, whoever she was! EDIT The Guardian have given her an obit. Obit They'll give anyone an obit. I'm going to put it in my will, that when I die, I want a Guardian obit or I'll haunt the offices forever.

The quickest way to do it is go to the FRC in London. I'm due to go before the end of the year - maybe November - for my motor racing research but I'm so intrigued by this mystery, I'm willing to check this out. She was born Norah Baker. Baring was a screen name, but she may be under that, but I doubt it. She was either alleged to have married a Mr. Forbes or Mr. Simon. She died in London, apparently. As she died in April, in theory her death should be in Q2 Apr-Jun 1944 - BUT - word of warning. If she did die in a car crash, there may be an inquest. Therefore the best thing to do is check the following volumnes up to Apr-Jun 1945 if initally successful. Reason I say that is my great-grandma committed suicide in late 1928. I could not find the death certificate for love nor money. Then I checked a volumne (Sep 1929) and she was there - when the inquest found the reason for death. I admit in my g-grandma's case there was suspicion about murder, where as Baring's was apparently a car-crash, but it's worth bearing in mind.

Robson "recovering well" and will be "released from hospital" soon.