Jump to content
Godot

The Ones That Got Away...

Recommended Posts

 

Hope so, would put me top of the DP I'm in..............

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The Swing era is swinging to a standstill with Tanner and Patti Andrews falling silent within days of each other.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
There are two surviving residents of St Kilda, including the son of Mary Gillies, the woman whose death from appendicitis in January 1930 finally prompted the remaining islanders to petition for evacuation. It's widely - and wrongly - believed now that the islanders were driven off, in fact they got together and decided to leave.

Funny you should mention this. I was chatting to someone only last week about the upcoming 80th anniversary. Many years ago I asked about interviewing some survivors but was told they didn't like to talk about their time there.

 

Not sure about the reluctance with regard to interview, 85 year old Mr Gillies was quoted in the Guardian piece and clearly had the journo round to his home. No mention name wise of the other survivor though.

 

Norman Gillies has died.

St-Kilda-Parliament.jpg

(I like this old photo of the St Kilda locals. Strange to think that only a little over 100 years ago, there were adults in the UK who didn't have shoes)

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Sad to hear. When watching QI only two weeks ago, they talked about St. Kilda and Gillies and I thought what an excellent candidate to add onto my DDP list. Seemed quite healthy though, having travelled there recently. Having just discovered the story, it's a lititle deflating that he's died so soon afterwards.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
There are two surviving residents of St Kilda, including the son of Mary Gillies, the woman whose death from appendicitis in January 1930 finally prompted the remaining islanders to petition for evacuation. It's widely - and wrongly - believed now that the islanders were driven off, in fact they got together and decided to leave.

Funny you should mention this. I was chatting to someone only last week about the upcoming 80th anniversary. Many years ago I asked about interviewing some survivors but was told they didn't like to talk about their time there.

 

Not sure about the reluctance with regard to interview, 85 year old Mr Gillies was quoted in the Guardian piece and clearly had the journo round to his home. No mention name wise of the other survivor though.

 

Norman Gillies has died.

St-Kilda-Parliament.jpg

(I like this old photo of the St Kilda locals. Strange to think that only a little over 100 years ago, there were adults in the UK who didn't have shoes)

His first cousin, Rachel Johnson, who is 91, is now the last survivor of the evacuees from St Kilda.

according to his Telegraph obit

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Great escape in the news this week, 65 years on. Frank Stone, one left behind, featured here may get an obit for his role as a witness to what happened.

And he did.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Article here on the last toast of the Doolittle Raiders, of which three of four survivors have attended. Probably not really UK-obit worthy but a fair punt for your US-based pools.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites
There are two surviving residents of St Kilda, including the son of Mary Gillies, the woman whose death from appendicitis in January 1930 finally prompted the remaining islanders to petition for evacuation. It's widely - and wrongly - believed now that the islanders were driven off, in fact they got together and decided to leave.

Funny you should mention this. I was chatting to someone only last week about the upcoming 80th anniversary. Many years ago I asked about interviewing some survivors but was told they didn't like to talk about their time there.

 

Not sure about the reluctance with regard to interview, 85 year old Mr Gillies was quoted in the Guardian piece and clearly had the journo round to his home. No mention name wise of the other survivor though.

 

Norman Gillies has died.

St-Kilda-Parliament.jpg

(I like this old photo of the St Kilda locals. Strange to think that only a little over 100 years ago, there were adults in the UK who didn't have shoes)

His first cousin, Rachel Johnson, who is 91, is now the last survivor of the evacuees from St Kilda.

according to his Telegraph obit

 

So, on that evidence the Telelgraph are keeping tabs on Rachel Johnson, I might do the same for next year's DDP.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Maurice Faure, the last-surviving signatory of the Treaty of Rome, dead at 92.Where's that poster with the UKIP tendencies, he'd be good value here.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Maurice Faure, the last-surviving signatory of the Treaty of Rome, dead at 92.Where's that poster with the UKIP tendencies, he'd be good value here.

 

I thought we had a thread for animals somewhere, couldn't you find it?

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Seems we need a place for 'the last of the Mohicans' as it were. I recall last year the last survivor of the Hindenburg and the last surviving Navajo Code Talker dying, and they should be noted not necessarily for being terribly famous, but for the sad end of an era in the history of mankind from which first-hand accounts are no longer available.

And with that, I present 98-year old Gus Villalta, who died May 26, 2015, just one day before the 78th anniversary of the Golden Gate Bridge's opening, and who was very likely the last living person who worked on the bridge.
SC
http://www.timesfreepress.com/news/national/obituaries/story/2015/may/30/mthought-be-likely-last-golden-gate-bridge-wo/307072/

Edited by DevonDeathTrip
Agree with all of that SC, however we do already have a thread which should meet your requirements. I've therefore merged your new thread with the existing one.
  • Like 2

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

The last of the Train Robbery Squad who investigated the 1963 Great Train Robbery, (then Detective Sergeant) Stanley "Steve" Moore, 88. http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article4476313.ece?utm_source=twitterfeed&utm_medium=twitter

 

Probably the most dramatic arrest when he pursued Roy James across a rooftop. He became a DCI before he retired.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

With the death of Val Doonican, that leaves Eric Clapton and Princess Anne as the only two people mentioned in the lyrics of "The Intro and the Outro" (except for the Bonzos themselves) to still be with us.

  • Like 1

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

With the death of Val Doonican, that leaves Eric Clapton and Princess Anne as the only two people mentioned in the lyrics of "The Intro and the Outro" (except for the Bonzos themselves) to still be with us.

 

 

Yeah, but one of the Bonzos is already gone. So we're well into single figures on this.

 

Have we established if the sessionist Gorilla is still alive.

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Paul Royle, WW2 great escaper has died in Australia (reported on BBC this morning)

 

Only Dick Churchill from that famed escapade continues to breath, and is - therefore - hugely obitable when he goes.

  • Like 3

Share this post


Link to post
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    No registered users viewing this page.

×

Important Information

Your use of this forum is subject to our Terms of Use