Octopus of Odstock

Helen Nicoll, author of Meg and Mog, has died, aged 73 - http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/9587995/Helen-Nicoll.html

Apparently, already knowing it was too long for even Czech movies, he, as the person with the longest surname, went through the local phone book to see who had the shortest surname. Apparently Lom means "quarry" in Czech. When I went on holiday to Prague, visiting quarries was not high up on my list, so I cannot verify if any of this is true.

You can forget Clerides - I have him as well but failed to see that his surgery for cancer treatment was a "success". I remain 3rd, despite not picking him (Williams that is) as I didn't think he'd go as quick as he did), but the only way I'll win is if Mesrob Mutafyan II pops his clogs and the likes of Dora Bryan and co.finally give up their long fights against illness.

Mike Sparken, who started the 1955 British Grand Prix, has died after a long illness, aged 82. http://www.oldracingcars.com/driver/Mike_Sparken

According to the fount of all knowledge, Ray had a heart attack and was done bobbin' in 1989, so either wikipedia's wrong or bingo saw a ghost. Both options are equally plausible. We'll just have to wait for UK Gold's The Unforgettable Ray Dunbobbin. Well, I've just checked the England/Wales Death Index from 1920-2006, which I tend to use for racing driver research. Raymond H Dunbobbin, who is the same as the Coronation Street writer, playwright and actor, died in Lancashire, but in 1998. The same fellow was born abroad, so it all tallies.

http://www.expatica.com/de/news/german-news/helmut-kohl-fitted-with-pacemaker-office-manager_242438.html Had a pacemaker fitted, was struggling, but now "feeling better". He seems more vocal in news outlets than in recent years.

Tauranac's okay, still sharp and should be okay for a few years, I think. Forghieri keeps a quiet profile, though I would be surprised to hear of his death in 2013. Gianni Lancia's still alive, by the way, and now in his late 80's. Not a designer, but former Ferrari team manager Romolo Tavoni is struggling, but I am not certain if he will get the obit required. If you are going to do a Motorsport (as a whole) team, then the DDP team I chose for 2011 - The Final Lap - has a few decent suggestions which are still valid. Worthy of DDP note, but obituary chances are so-so.... Bev Bond, ex F3 driver and successful club racer, has cancer, whilst Frank Sytner, ex touring car champ and owner of a huge range of garages in the East Midlands - although now better, has had many a heart scare/attack in the past.

That's because it WAS Merzario. He wears that hat everywhere. Ligier is a little more frail now - he uses a walking stick but still makes reunions. To be fair, rotund doesn't really make a difference - look at Gonzalez (mentioned above). A porker, but a porker about to be in his 90's. AJ Foyt is a huge blubbering mass of a man now, but he's still going strong.

I was tempted to put this in "The Chequered Flag" thread but I think it deserves a wider audience for DDP list compiling purposes. Attended the Goodwood Revival this weekend and with that and inside knowledge, here is OoO's DDP guide for Grand Prix motor racing possibilities; John Surtees - every time I see Big John now, he looks worse and worse. Obviously son Henry's death has attributed to this, but he's aged 10 years in two (was watching a programme from 2010 last week). Not exactly frail, but he looks ill, sounds poorly and looked confused. A dark horse for anyone's DDP - obit certain. 7/10 Sir Stirling Moss - for the first time, I've seen him look aged. He now has to use a walking stick to walk around with - legacy of his lift fall which he's never really shaken off. That said, despite fraility, he looks well, mentally with it and I would probably consider him more for 2015. 6/10 Murray Walker - seems indestructible. Will be 90 next year and still commentating, still looks well. Mother lived to be 102, and I think he'll be around for a few more years at least. 4/10 Dan Gurney - looked frail, but otherwise okay. Well enough to travel to the UK - I don't think he'll trouble the DDP scoring for a few years yet, but he's clearly aged in the last two years. 3/10 Others to consider Obits certain; Sir Jack Brabham (age, frailness), 6/10 Tony Gaze (increasingly frail, 93 in February, now a widower - will get broadsheet obits for his WW2 service), 7/10 Frolian Gonzalez (okay, bar increased fraility), 5/10 Jean-Pierre Beltoise (He looked dreadful at a recent reunion - may've been an off-day as not aware of any illness) 4/10 JJ Lehto (outside bet - has drink problems, has been in jail, will he struggle once out - suicidal tendencies etc as work will dry up...) 4/10 Obit strong possibility; Kenneth McAlpine - Connaught driver/founder from 1950's, but it's his non-racing work that should get broadsheet obit. 93 next year and very frail 7/10 John Fitch - 96 years of age and looks frail. Seems very well though, especially for his age.6/10 Obit unlikely/struggle but definitely ill; Paul England - one time GP starter, in VERY ill health. Engine tuner in Australia, but I can't see a UK obit at all. 1/10 Leo Kinnunen - a massive stroke has led to health problems over the last few years. But despite sportscar success, an obit is a push. 3/10 Al Pease - 92 next year, has had a stroke recently and definitely fading. Timing will need to be right for tiny mention in the press (say, Canadian GP time) 2/10 John Campbell-Jones, 83 next year and getting increasingly frailer every time I see him. 2/10

Welsh football is pretty near death international-wise and to complete a bad week for any Cardiff fan - Jimmy Andrews, their former manager, has died - http://www.walesonli...91466-31831438/ Also, Ron Tindall and Sergio Livingstone died the other day. Livingstone was one of Chile's greatest players, who then turned into their version of Brian Moore and commentated for years. He played in the 1950 World Cup in goal for them, but Chile ruined any tribute to him by losing to Colombia in their World Cup qualifiter. Tindall is rightly a Chelsea and Portsmouth legend. He played for my team, Reading, but it is with mixed feelings we remember him by. Firstly, for choosing to play cricket instead of help us in a relegation fight and secondly for wanting to leave as he was going abroad to South Africa... and then promptly headed for the equally exotic Portsmouth. When he DID play for us, he was damn good though, so RIP.

James, it's true I'm afraid. I'll get a proper link shortly. Sid was, sadly, in poor health since the turn of the year and was one of my lock-ins for the DDP 2013 side. But I'm very sorry to see him go - I only met him once, at a book launch for his friend and equally remarkable man, Steve Olvey, but he was the gentleman and charming fellow I expected him to be. If it wasn't for him, Donnelly, at the very least would've died in 1990, but also Hakkinen as you say, Burti in more recent years and a number of others. RIP Sid.

Well, considering he banged out 8 children during his marriage, including two after Morris' death, I doubt TN was gay.

Hmm.... Like MSC said, maybe I should've just gloated in the comfort of my own home. It seems suspicious that all of a sudden obits fly in. Damn you The Independent. If they do read this forum, maybe John McDowall can get his deserved full obit too? Well, I am a man of my word and the avatar shall be changed in due course.

OoO, do you fancy a bet? If Pearson doesn't get an obit, I'll post a video of myself singing his oh-so-fantastic Just One More Chance on youtube and provide a link here. If he does get an obit, you have that privilege. Deal? Well, I won't be changing my avatar to one of Alf after seeing in the DDP update that he's dead ,and dead for a good few months and I look forward to Alphonsin on You Tube soon - he may not be on here any more, but I think I still have his email address and am happy to remind him of said bet. Sadly Godot and Real Madron are also not on here for me to prove that Alf Pearson was simply too obscure to make anybody care about his passing.

Well, I've no idea if The Man In Black has already seen the obit, but just in case he hasn't - http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/feedarticle/10416942

Very sorry to hear of the Nutkinster's passing. As a young lad, I met him at London Zoo when our class were selected for a feature on Newsround about red squirrels and their habitat. He put us all at ease before we went on before the cameras, gave us bags of nuts to give to the squirrels and had all the enthuiasm that he became famous for in his TV career. For years my claim to fame was based on the above where I blithely said "You can see me throwing Terry Nutkin's nuts on television". Alas, this is prior to You Tube....

Whilst going through a few possibilities for 2013, I checked up on one of my picks for 2012 - John McDowall, and much to my surprise, learnt he is dead, and died on the 3rd January this year - http://www.justgivin...ohn%20-McDowall (It is the same one as the two daughters are mentioned in the news report about his illness - http://www.dailymail...adly-enemy.html) So, whilst looking for UK obits - I've found an obituary notice in the Times - only a small one, but does that count? http://announcements...4&referrer=2282 Quite surprised, considering his recent high-profile Scotland Yard involvement, that he wasn't mentioned more. If it DOES count, I think that puts me 3rd. Shame I didn't notice earlier as the January end of month table would've looked better.

The Paralympics haven't even started and we have the first death of the 2012 Olympics already - Russian Volleyball coach Sergei Ovchinnikov killing himself after no medal ceremony in Londinium for him and his team. http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/news/russia-volleyball-coach-ovchinnikov-dies-aged-43-110537026.html

Sir Rhodes Boyson (mentioned above and in dispatches in a few threads) has died - http://www.telegraph...des-Boyson.html - a hit for 3 DDP teams, including myself, but I think he would've been picked much more in 2013. Always "entertaining", if not for the right reasons. RIP

According to this Andrew Andrea is slowly on the mend, but it's not looking good for Pete's Uncle Takis Andrea - http://www.sofeminine.co.uk/celebrities/peter-andre/peter-andre-s-family-heartbreak-continues-n203271.html Keep on like this and you'll be able to do a Peter Andre theme team on the DDP.

Farouk Al-Sharaa, the Vice President of Syria, has been conspicious by his absence in recent days/weeks. The Assad loyalist, who has been foreign minister to both President Assad's has either fled to Jordan, or now possibly has been killed/died in an accident - http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/159177

Not that it was ever in question, but.. UK obit - http://uk.reuters.com/article/2012/08/20/uk-malta-mintoff-idUKBRE87J0U720120820

Another DDP hit in a short space of time.. although my feelings about picking Mr. Mintoff are quite different than that of Winnie Johnson. Funny, I was only checking yesterday to see if he was in hospital still, and it said he was released, and recovering at home - http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120805/local/Mintoff-to-spend-his-96th-birthday-quietly-at-home.431485. But there's only so many health scares you can survive, I guess..

He had terminal brain cancer - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2191063/Tony-Scott-dead-Director-learned-inoperable-brain-cancer-committed-suicide.html. Just think of all those lost DDP points.

Exactly what I was thinking earlier - and it made me smile despite the sad news. I really do hope that Brady lives for a long, long time, preferably with Parkinsons and MS and has a thoroughly miserable 20 or so years left to live.