Octopus of Odstock

Oh, yes it is.

Well, I edited it. I'm a stickler for accuracy. After I did it the first time, someone put him back up, but I seem to have "won" this time.

I didn't put Harry Patch in on those grounds but it does look like I'm the only one that hasn't got Lou Rawls in.

The Guardian Obituary says it's the 31st December 2005. I'd be more inclined to believe that (especially as that paper has Labour links) than Wikipedia as people often plonk them in on the day they die. http://www.guardian.co.uk/obituaries/story...1676345,00.html Sir John Peel died late 2005 http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml...1/02/db0201.xml

DDP has a possible case today: Sir John Peel Doesn't change the winner, but it does provide an interesting precedent in case they were chosen in 2006 DDP.

A few thoughts... 233 teams Nearly 1,000 'celebrities' - that the site will be up in a "few days" is nothing short of a miracle. Hopefully DDP has been helped by people, who when entering new people, put as many details as possible down. Then DL'rs won't have to list many mistakes, as hopefully there won't be so many. Unique picks may make all the difference, I guess. On two other points: IMDB is not great for British TV actors. The TV Tome page is better, IMDB is extremely US-biased. Davidson ahs done more than his IMDB page suggests. Norman Kember... if he was killed in 2005 - IF - what are the rules with that one? very interesting....

Bolden's only hope is outliving Capovilla, IMHO. Lansana Conte, I had on my possibles list but for someone with a "terminal illness" he seems to be doing rather well. Too much politicalization in that one to plump for him.

As ill as he has been, this is the one that surprises me most. The man has survived at least two assassination attempts & looked, at least robust, upon his return to Algeria the other day. But, hey what do I know? He may drop dead tomorrow. Rather hope he doesn't, he's done quite a good job there & I don't want to see him go before his time. Algeria was lovely when I went a few years ago & I hope it stays that way.

guess we'll have to see for the obit to be 100% sure. Two others, Richard de Angelis, actor, has died aged 73 - date of death unknown & Maurice Dodd - Perishers Creator died late 31st December.

Well, google brought up a few "famous"** Peter Coes, that's why I asked... **Famous allegedly, but I've never heard of any of them

TO which Peter Coe do you refer? Actor, musician or Seb's dad??

Whitehead died in 2005 (NYEve), so Iain still has time to mark the first of 2006....

Having been woken early to be wished Happy New Year (from someone who'd just got in I present to you my DDP 2006 list: 1 Henry Allingham 2 Gerald Ford 3 Maurice Papon 4 Ross Davidson 5 John Spencer 6 W. Mark Felt 7 Gloria Stuart 8 R.Sargent Shriver 9 Phil Taylor (Footballer) 10Charles Haughey 11Clarence Ray Allen (who is my joker-could be 12 points for one hit, that's why I wanted to keep quiet) 12Francis Pym 13Emiliano Mercado del Toro 14Ference Puskas 15Michael Foot 16Brooke Astor 17Alfredo Stroessner 18Tony Rolt (late entry caused by Harold Lawton dying on Xmas Eve) 19Yifthak Shamir 20Mohammad Zahir Shah Equal 17th was a real achievement last year, but this team I consider my strongest yet in 3 years of entering. Good luck to all

If, you don't mind, I'm going to hold off naming him until the entries are in -just in case someone else chooses him. 1st Jan, I promise I will tell all - hell, if it isn't up on DDP already by then, I'll post me whole list.

Crpl. Prof Harold Lawton died on Christmas Eve, aged 106. One of the last remaining WWI veterans, he was also an academic & was on Hitler's shortlist of people to kill if Hitler had won the war due to Lawton's outspoken criticism of Hitler. Lawton was on my DDP 2006 list & I must admit my substitute isn't as strong, so I'm hoping another one will go so I can try & bump in someone really strong. Former England & Spurs keeper Ted Ditchburn is also dead, at 84, by the way. Ooh, it also appears guitarist Derek Bailey died on Christmas Day.

Lajos Baroti, 91, Hungarian football coach, who had sneaked in as an outsider for 2006 when I found out he was still alive only a week ago. Obviously no longer. Hungarian Coach dies When reading the Wikipedia entry for Norman Vaughan, it's clear what caused his swift downfall - he celebrated his 100th birthday on the 18th with a drink of champagne, his first ever drink. Just five days later... dead. Just like George Best, drink killed him Maybe Brooke Astor could be persuaded to sip from the same champagne bottle....

Well, he was born Herman Brix & after checking www.ancestry.com it says that he was born circa 1907. But then look at Eddie Albert, two years older all that time & until he died, no-one (no-one being the casual observer) really knew.

Thanks I'm taking ol' VJ out for next year. The reason I chose him is as he was a major star, you don't hear anything about him any more (always a major sign - hence my choosing of Ron Greenwood, the football manager in 2004), but when researching a little further, he doesn't appear to be particulary frail or ill. He's on my list of possibles for 2007, but not next year. I try to go with people obviously famous enough at the time, but somehow not so famous now that people will automatically pick them. Having Halliwell's Whos Who really helps with famous but forgotten actors & actresses - Simone Simon being trumps this year.

Peter Sallis will be 85 next year, not 95. I've removed Ronnie Biggs from my list as Charles Clarke, the Home Secretary said he wasn't suffering from a terminal illness, despite Biggs' pleas. I do take a lot of what Michael Biggs says with a pinch of salt. He's not a well man, I admit, but I think he'll go on, or that's what I'm risking. Also taking out Michael Gough. He's old, frail, but still active. Worth thinking about that haven't been suggested anywhere else (I think): Eric Tindill, oldest test cricketer & international rugby player, 95 Al Molinaro, star of Happy Days, 87 Malcolm Allison, football manager & now very ill Ma><ine Edington, the terminally ill woman who sang that song with Billy Bragg recently Bruce Bennett, the actor, now 96, I think.

Caroll Shelby is a good choice. Suffered with heart problems for aeons until he had a heart transplant back in 1990 (ish). Since then, it has given him a new lease of life, but now in his 80's, with previous heart problems and being overweight, I wouldn't be surprised to see him go. Another car related person that is possible would be Toulo de Graffenried, now 91 & winner of the 1949 British GP.

Because my first DDP entry contained loads of Octogenarians. Trying to think of other Octo words I failed miserably & could only think of Octopus. I added Odstock as 1) It starts with O 2) I was born there 3) Odstock needs the publicity. I would very much like to change my name but I can't be arsed. Decided I might as well stick with it for this forum as well rather than be clever. Thing is I have lots of Nonagenarians & Centerians (sp.) in the DDP 2006 entry, so maybe I think about a change in 2007....

Well, he's got a point, look at Rick Parfitt. On my possible list then cancer-free so off. Good thing I held back. I am Octopus of Odstock (obviously). Doing pretty well this year but have seen myself slide from 2nd down to about equal 17th where I am now. Super-strong DDP team in 2006 I think. My joker is a gamble but one that might just pay off dividends. Should be an interesting competition - I alwys look forward to seeing who people have chosen at the start of the year.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surviving_Vet...First_World_War says there are 85 left but some plonker has included two from a TV documentary shown recently. All very well & good but those two have since died as the programme is three years old. It is pretty certain that Ross of Australia, the three Canadians & most of the British-based veterans, especially Patch & Allingham will get enough coverage when they die.