This weeks RIP's........

[CrazyHorse]

Jesus Christ.

[BWFC_Insane]

Feck. Feels like a major part of my latter teen years has just disappeared.

2016, what a thoroughly shit year you've proven to be.

[Worthy4England]

'spose we better add Richard Adams, without whom we would never have had Matthew the Rabbit.

[TANGODANCER]

Was only reading this morning that Carrie Fisher was very ill. Now, she's gone. Her father was of my young man era and was a pop idol back then (bit of a lad too, having had five wives including Debbie Reynolds, Elizabeth Taylor and Connie Stevens). So sad to see so many heroes and heroines of my own lifetime disappearing by the day...R.I.P to Carrie Fisher.

[Lord Kangana]

'spose we better add Richard Adams, without whom we would never have had Matthew the Rabbit.

Little known (and ungoogleable fact) about Watership Down is that parts of it are an apocryphal story about his friends in the 1st Airborne Division who died at Arnhem in 1944.

[Harry Genshaw]

Its on the beeb at 2200 hours GMT tomorrow.

I shall be watching based on that recommendation.

F*ck 2016 in the A, by the way.

Cheers LK. I'll be recording it for keeps

Horses for courses I suppose but I say this as someone who was a fan of George Michael. I found the concert to be the worst of him. Great voice as always but singing pretentious, preening crap (with the notable exception of Different Corner). A far better tribute imo would have been his MTV unplugged appearance

[Montreal Wanderer]

'spose we better add Richard Adams, without whom we would never have had Matthew the Rabbit.

Little known (and ungoogleable fact) about Watership Down is that parts of it are an apocryphal story about his friends in the 1st Airborne Division who died at Arnhem in 1944.

Adams claimed in his autobiography to have modeled the rabbits on comrades and situations on wartime experiences.

Lieutenant Richard Adams commanded C Platoon in 250 Company’s Seaborn Echelon, and, as he wrote in his autobiography, he based Watership Down and the stories in it around the men of the 250 Airborne Light Company RASC—specifically, on their role in the battle of Arnhem. The battle, fought over nine days in September 1944 in and around the Dutch towns of Arnhem, Oosterbeek, Driel, and Wolfheze, resulted in devastating losses for the Allied forces, including in Adams’ company. Adams says that two characters were directly drawn from life. Hazel was inspired by Adams’ commanding officer, Major John Gifford, a man he described as “brave in the most self-effacing way” and an “excellent organizer” who rarely raised his voice, adding, “Everything about him was quiet, crisp and unassuming.” Gifford survived the war; Captain Desmond “Paddy” Kavanagh, on whom warrior Bigwig was modeled, did not. Daring, debonair Kavanagh was, Adams wrote, “afraid of nothing,” a “sensationalist,” and “by nature entirely the public’s image of a parachute officer.” He was killed in action outside Oosterbeek while providing covering fire for his platoon, at just 25 years old.

Er... ... I googled that.

[Lord Kangana]

See if you can google this one then Monty...!

Desmond Kavanagh was killed after he picked up the wrong weapon (the platoons Bren gun) and after he'd fired off the magazine, had no ammo, nor did the platoon have any heavy covering fire with their short-range sten guns.

[Montreal Wanderer]

See if you can google this one then Monty...!

Desmond Kavanagh was killed after he picked up the wrong weapon (the platoons Bren gun) and after he'd fired off the magazine, had no ammo, nor did the platoon have any heavy covering fire with their short-range sten guns.

Well, google says he took the Bren deliberately as part of a cunning (though suicidal) plan to help others escape. However, he forgot to change his Sten gun ammo for Driver Ken Clarke's Bren ammo. So both he and Clarke were limited to what was in their magazines. see p. 99.

[Lord Kangana]

I love you Monty

Interestingly slight deviation from story as I understand it, but fair play for tenacity!

[TANGODANCER]

R.I.P Debbie Reynolds from a stroke just one day after her daughter (Carrie Fisher) died. What an awful time for their family.

[BWFC_Insane]

R.I.P Debbie Reynolds from a stroke just one day after her daughter (Carrie Fisher) died. What an awful time for their family.

Absolutely shocking. She was planning her daughters funeral.

What a sad time for them.

[boltonboris]

R.I.P Debbie Reynolds from a stroke just one day after her daughter (Carrie Fisher) died. What an awful time for their family.

Absolutely shocking. She was planning her daughters funeral.

What a sad time for them.

Truly sad. One thing that unsettled me though, was that hew apparent last words were "I want to be with Carrie" - This, to her son Todd - That must have been an added kick int he teeth for the poor bloke

[Bruce Rioja]

Reportedly the last photos taken of George Michael. Blimey.

[LeverEnd]

Peter Sarstedt. Singer of my favourite karaoke song. RIP.

[Hoboh]

Peter Sarstedt. Singer of my favourite karaoke song. RIP.

Just loved that song, RIP

Singer-songwriter Peter Sarstedt, best known for the song Where do you go to (my lovely), has died at the age of 75, his family has said.
The song topped the UK singles charts in February 1969 and remained number one for four weeks.
It was also number one in many other countries and won the Ivor Novello award for best song composition.
He died peacefully after a six-year battle with Progressive Supranuclear Palsy, a family statement said.

[TANGODANCER]

Cracking song and I'd never heard of Peter Sarstedt till he first did it on TV back in TOTP DAYS. I've been known to warble (well, something like that) Where do you go to my lovely a time or two in the distant past, knew all the words didn't get talent spotted though..

R.I.P Peter, hope you found your Marie Clair.. .

[Bruce Rioja]

Though they'll always be overshadowed, he wrote some very fine other songs too. Check out Frozen Orange Juice. RIP

[TANGODANCER]

Though they'll always be overshadowed, he wrote some very fine other songs too. Check out Frozen Orange Juice. RIP

Just dug out and played this original TOTP version of Where do you go to.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8XQZYIiNgo" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Always loved that French style accordian intro and closer used in the song. The whole thing was so different than everything else back then...Sad loss, but another one amongst so many we've lost lately..

[Montreal Wanderer]

Though they'll always be overshadowed, he wrote some very fine other songs too. Check out Frozen Orange Juice. RIP

I dunno, Bruce. He may not have been a one hit wonder, but Gordie Lightfoot or Leonard Cohen it (Frozen orange juice) ain't.