2019 Deaths

[Steve J]

Another great loss.

[O Dinas Powys]

It was definitely a bit of a shocker yesterday! 

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Bob Willis 
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/cricket/50655612

[Techno]

That's very sad. 

I do remember him from schooldays....though he was a 'senior' when I was a first former.

He could sling a tennis ball over the three (or was it four ?) storey part of the new part of the school.
No wonder he was such a good fast bowler.

That just leaves Terry Jones of Monty Python fame, (he left just before I joined) and JJ Burnel....one year above me, left of the 'famous' people I 'went to school with'.

Cheers - Phil.

[Steve J]

Blimey. he was one of my favourite cricketeers when I was a teenager and I remember his incredibly long run up. A sad loss.

[mollinary]

Gosh, what a shock! He was the only fast bowler I could imitate, with his strange, almost backing into a wind, run up. He also bowled the most intimidating spell of fast bowling. i can ever remember. In 1981, after Botham  had scored an amazing century  to make the  Australians bat again but, if I recall correctly, they only needed a hundred and few. The following morning Willis flew in and scared the living daylights out of them, and England won. He took 8-43, or thereabouts. A truly awe inspiring performance, which I do not think has ever got the credit it deserved. RIP, to an English cricket legend, taken far too soon at seventy.

[Raider4]

Watching the 1981 Ashes is where my love of Test cricket begins.

And, like Molinary, I'm a bit peeved that Botham always gets the credit for winning at Headingley, when it was clearly Willis that won that game.

And 70 is far too young.

[Sandinista]

That just leaves Terry Jones of Monty Python fame, (he left just before I joined) and JJ Burnel....one year above me, left of the 'famous' people I 'went to school with'.

Cheers - Phil.

But JJ Burnel - what a fantastic bass player, inspired me to get off my arse and play bass, he has such a distinctive sound.

Cheers
Ian

[Sandinista]

He was a great player, saw him play against Yorkshire once.
I said hello to Bob on the tube once about '87-88, he sort of grunted a hello back. I was a little bit deflated at that, until my mate pointed out that I may not have looked too welcoming in my ripped jeans and leathers and punk hairdo with beer can in hand. (I was on the way to a gig)

cheers
Ian

[Not Drowning, Waving]

Long may the Stranglers reign.

Sad about Bob. Loved his commentary too.

[T13A]

Listening to the 'We have ways of making you talk' WWII podcast today (Al Murray and James Holland), found out that Sir Michael Howard died on 30 November:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/2019/dec/01/sir-michael-howard-obituary



Paul

[Steve J]

A sad loss but what an innings and a body of work he has left behind. His Franco-Prussian War book is sans pareil IMHO.

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

A great loss

[mollinary]

A sad loss but what an innings and a body of work he has left behind. His Franco-Prussian War book is sans pareil IMHO.

Indeed. I had the good fortune to meet him a number of years ago during a IISS conference in Vienna, a truly great historian.

[FierceKitty]

Odo.