Octopus of Odstock

Former DDP pick (by MPFC, I thinK), Prof. Rev Christopher Evans, has died at the grand old age of 102. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/obituaries/religion-obituaries/9473329/The-Rev-Professor-Christopher-Evans.html

The mind boggles...... Could be worse, I suppose, could be Dwayne cancer...

I find it remarkable that Kazakhstan are currently ahead of Germany and Russia gold-wise. I know it's a huge country size-wise, but they really are excelling. Canada and Spain are struggling too right now.

He has just scored for Team GB in the quarter final vs South Korea. So, now we wait and see who will be

Goodness me, I thought Platt died years ago. One thing though, Julie Newmar was born in 1933, not 1923. Mind, she's not been well lately. Quite a decent survival rate, all things taken into account.

Lovely man, met him a couple of times. He was one of those quite rare creatures - great at acting and comedy acting - I think his comedy roles have belied a little how good he was as an actor (or maybe enhanced it, depending on your point of view?) Slightly disappointed to take him off my DDP, but I was led to believe he was getting better and out and about in the Isle of Wight. RIP

I think if you widen this thread to antiques experts, or the Antiques Roadshow, then Bruce Parker and Henry Sandon (now 84) would be the most likely. I think because of the large amount of interest in antiques, a lot of the experts who have been on are likely to get obituaries in the mainstream and/or broadsheet press.

I don't know that he's near death, but I would venture that's the last public appearance he should be at. I hope they don't keep wheeling him out. I know why they do, but it just makes him some kind of sideshow freak and nulls the amazement factor of him being there. The cruel thing about Parkinson's is often that you get progressively worse but you often need something else to actually kill you.

The remaining members of Jermain Defoe's family seem to be in a precarious position - once again he's flying home in mourning; this time, it's his cousin, Hannah - http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2179471/Jermain-Defoe-cousin-dies.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

Dewis is definitely obit-worthy,no doubt about that. One of the best drivers (since 1950, before we go down the Nuvolari line), never to start a World Championship Grand Prix, but did so much good work at Jaguar. But I think it'll be a good few years yet before he shuffles off - as it stands now, there's plenty a racing candidate in front of him. I can see him making 95 at least*** ***(In other words, he'll die tomorrow now I've said that)

Debated whether to put this in "The Welsh" or "British Character Actors" or "some other crap" but to keep it simple - Angharad Rees is dead. http://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/news/local-national/uk/welsh-actress-angharad-rees-dies-16188064.html Reading the article reminds me of how badly she and her family have suffered tragedy wise, which is probably why she kept her cancer secret.

I was researching Kenneth Cope's health and generally speaking he's doing well, but his wife is in poor health, according to a rant to the Southport press (about his driving ability). Renny Lister also appeared in Coronation Street, but I'm not sure how old she is, but she must be at least 75 based on her tv career. Not sure about obit chances though.

Confirmed, as expected, that he took massive bribes - http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/18804464 I give it... ooh.. a maximum of 4 days until he has a health problem of some description that convienently gets him out of further doo-doo

De Villota is an able enough driver, who, if we are going to compare with the increasing amount of female drivers in the top-level of the sport, certainly rates higher than Katherine Legge and Ana Beatriz. I'd say she's on a similar level as Simona de Silvestro, who bar a miserable Indianapolis 500, has delivered a number of worthy performances in the IRL over the last year. In her favour, her father, Emilio (who she is the spitting image of, facial wise), was not only a F1 driver, but team boss and driver coach, so she has had that support and knowlesge more than some others. Against her is the fact that her surname alone has led to sponsorship in Spain, let alone the fact that she's female, so it doesn't give an impression of someone in for talent, more for the reasons MPFC notes above. However, Maldonado was seen as a "pay driver" and quashed that a few months ago. But generally speaking, her performancs don't really merit a F1 drive, irrespective of today. It's worth noting that when Timo Glock was ill and had to miss the European Grand Prix, that de Villota was not an option at any stage, and also hadn't got the requirements necessary for a superlicence. I think she'd probably make a competitve driver in sportscars or touring cars though. Sorry... short answer is... no, it appears more a freak accident than driver ability alone.

No, but there was before it. Just reading the excellent biography of John Le Mesurier by Graham McCann, which, of course, features on Dad's Army - of the interesting Dunn (and others) snippets Dunn's mother had an affair with Dad's Army writer, David Croft's, father before both were born. The first person asked to play Lance-Corporal Jones was Jack Haig, later in 'allo 'allo as Leclerc., who couldn't due to other work commitments Dunny, bless him, stalled out for a better financial deal for so long, he was within 4 hours of missing out of the role to.... .... David Jason. If Jason had been Jack Jones, would he have been Granville and Del Boy? We all recognise Dunny as being old before his time, but BEFORE Dad's Army, he played an 83 yr old Boer War Veteran in Bootsie and Smudge - he was 39 at the time. If there was a Deathlist 1960, I am sure he would've been put on that!

At last - Shamir has been a DDP pick of mine since 2006 - and whilst he had an aura of a cuddly Ewok about him due to his height and face, he was a nasty little bastard with a hell of a lot of blood on his hands, either as an activist, or during his Mossad years. I was thinking only the other day with the "famous handshakes" profiles on the BBC, how despite looking older than them both (and he was older than Sadat), he's long outlived Sadat and Begin in one featured picture in the profile. Well done DL, looks like Jaruzelski is a possibility for the next one in a relatively short time.

Some of the more astute DDP players may have noticed last year that Paul Bargas, a minor league Baseball player had brain cancer at the age of 22. No-one picked him, probably based on his unlikely obit chances. THey won't have a chance to pick him again - http://hardballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/27/twins-minor-leaguer-paul-bargas-dies-of-cancer/ - he's dead at 23.

Iurie Miterev, former Moldovan international stalwart, has died of cancer, aged only 37. Link in Romanian - http://www.studentie.ro/campus/moldova_in_doliu_iurie_miterev_a_murit_la_doar_37_de_ani/c-72-a-145534 However, readers of Tony Hawks' book "Playing the Moldovans at Tennis" may be interested to learn Miterev was one of the 11 that Hawks had to play - in fact, he was the first; Their players were too busy training, I was told, to contemplate any games of tennis with any Englishmen, and they seemed unmoved by the consequence of compulsory nudity that their intransigence would necessitate. In fact, it was a full two weeks before I got one Moldovan footballer anywhere near a tennis court, and this was only accomplished after having gained the confidence of a vain football manager by pretending to be a BBC TV sports journalist, keen to make a profile of him and his club. It was the Monday of my third week before I found myself facing Iurie Miterev across a clay tennis court. I shook hands with the object of my fear, a fine physical specimen wearing a red top and green shorts. He looked unsettlingly eager as he waited at the opposing baseline. I hit him the first ball. A high, gentle, looping one aimed at his forehand. I watched keenly as he shaped up to it, taking a big and hugely worrying back-swing. This guy was about to strike the ball very hard indeed. His face, a picture of concentration, was almost grimacing as his racket head made contact with the ball, and... bang!... he hit it clean over the back fence. I let out a huge sigh of relief, while Iulian scurried off to retrieve the ball. Iurie's next attempt was no better. This second shot bounced several times before it reached the net. He needed to find some kind of middle ground between the two shots, but I knew this was something he'd be unlikely to achieve in the course of an afternoon. Thank God. In the coming days I was to discover that Iurie was no exception to the rule - the rule being that Moldovan footballers are crap at tennis.

Former DDP Pick Walter Haefner has died, aged 101 - http://www.bournelocal.co.uk/news/moyglare-founder-haefner-dies-1-3991284

I was absolutely convinced I picked him for the DDP this year, but maybe I put him down as a sub, which he often was in football. Must've picked Ronnie Blackman instead, who I've now found out, is very well, retired, in Hampshire. Irrespective of my mind being muddled, it's a very sad loss. RIP

Another to say he's died - http://www.democraticunderground.com/1014147364 - but appears to be linking to the same report

I hope I wasn't the only person here to watch their 1994 World Cup failure in a documentary later that year. For all of Panagoulias' achievements, all I can think of with him is calling Ivanov, the Bulgarian defender, "A Flat Footed Poof". Great viewing, especially as Greece got solidly worse in the competition.

Guest, on 18 June 2012 - 08:50 PM, said: yes but that was posted in the context of him being a pop star.This was to recognise his role as an actor in Dr Who..Is it not possible to post the same persons death in 2 different places? Interesting point. Brian Hibbard, Welsh actor, singer and broadcaster has died - http://www.bbc.co.uk...-wales-18489401

Duncan Norvelle, http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/entertainment-arts-18455361, best known for... well, I don't know really but I've heard of him anyway, has been in hospital for two months after a stroke

It's not often I suggest candidates, but looking at a photo of the man in the middle, and then taking into account his obesity & his age (86 in August), he would be a serious candidate for 2007, I think. Certainly famous enough, and for his own thread, I think. Only thing is, he's still doing book signings & obviously his brain seems intact, if not his body, going by the blurb. Thoughts? Link