OBITUARIES

[Wendyf]

Still in my collection!

[Stanley]

I agree with you David. Every word as clear as a bell.

[Wendyf]

Rob Burrow has died. RIP.

[Stanley]

I had never heard of him until I heard the report on R4 yesterday. My first thought was how young he was and my second, did the rough and tumble of playing rugby professionally have any bearing on his death......

[Stanley]

See THIS BBC obituary for Donald Sutherland who has died aged 89. I always enjoyed his performances......

[Stanley]

It has just been announced that Ray Rearden has died aged 91. A great snooker player.

[Tripps]

Mr Lah di Dah Gunner Graham - who I now learn is called John Clegg and was born in the Punjab, - has died peacefully in a South Coast care home at the age of ninety. He featured in the BBC comedy series 'It ain't half hot mum' for many years. I can see no reference at all to the event on the BBC news site, and the series is no longer allowed to be broadcast - being now deemed to be 'racist'.

[Stanley]

Not related to me as I know of.....

[Tripps]

Not related to me as I know of.....

Hardly likely as Gunner Graham was a fictitious character.

Having given the BBC 24 hours to catch up - I searched again today for John Clegg. It looks like their equivalent to 1984's Winston Smith has adjusted history, as this is the person they directed me towards. John Clegg

I smell an agenda (again).

[PanBiker]

You get better results if you search for La Di Dah Graham. You get to reprise Lofty and of course the Sgt Major.

[Tripps]

You get better results if you search for La Di Dah Graham

Not on the BBC News site you don't. He's been cancelled there.

I liked the series having nearly done the real thing - without the singing and dancing you understand. Our Ranji Ram was called Gamal at RAF Changi, and looked a lot like this. It was a treat to have a 'bearer' , and get your boots cleaned, room cleaned, and and bed made for you. Cost $3 Sng per fortnight ( about 7 shillings as I recall) .

PS remembered overnight, that the one at RAF Tengah was known to all as 'Jim' .

bearer.jpg

[Tripps]

This has gone a bit spooky. I mentioned Gamul from Changi and quite unconnected - within a couple of days a photograph of him appeared on the Regimental site I joined recently. Shown on the photo dressed for work - I had forgotten he was always barefoot, (ironic seeing how good he was at polishing boots), and you can see that he held his cigarette between his fourth and fifth finger, and inhaled by cupping his thumb and forefinger. The cigarette never touched his lips. Perhaps this a was a religious workaround'?

Bear in mind the photo, and the memories, are sixty years old this year., and the Regiment disbanded in the 1971. .

PS later found the photo has been there for some time - so not quite so spooky.

Gamul Changi Block 139.jpg

[PanBiker]

Sven Goran Eriksson - England and lots of other football clubs manager, aged 76. He had been suffering from cancer. RIP

[Tripps]

Indulge me here . . .

I must include this Gamul anecdote. The procedure was to arrive at RAF Changi, and acclimatise for a couple of weeks - getting uniforms tailored and dhobi'd. Then there was a welcome interview, and disposal to that part of the widely scattered unit where you were going to work.

During this period it was not uncommon to get a loan from Gamul.who had a nice little side hustle going on, to tide you over till pay parade. I borrowed (I think) $10 about £1.50. I had my interview and was packed up and departed for RAF Tengah right over the other side of the island in the space of an hour or two- and left owing the money.

I got several messages from RHQ visitors over the next couple of weeks that he was very worried that he might not see his cash again. I made sure he got it back plus of course the interest.

I was subsequently paid $45 every Wednesday. (say £5.50 ).

[PanBiker]

My late friend Eric was taken prisoner in Singapore and spent the next 4 years in Changi prison during WWII. His parents didn't hear anything from him for three years. He was wounded and had his right hand amputated by the Japanese before being put to work in the kitchen. The prison was designed for 600 inmates but the Japanese kept 4,000 lads there for the duration. He was 6st when liberated, 7st when he came home after hospitalisation. He said they supplemented the rice diet they were given with anything they could catch, wild birds, cats, dogs, mice and rats. They had a small garden plot also where they tried to grow anything that would. Everything went in the pot.

Isn't it the site of the International Airport now?

I think this comment is OK in the obituary thread as hundreds died on that site and should not be forgotten.

[Stanley]

In similar vein..... I used to deliver cattle to a man at Summerseat who had been in Changi. He was totally deaf in one ear and blind in one eye because of torture by the Japanese. He was still living with the consequences of their treatment thirty years later......
Yes it's the airport now.

[Gloria]

Maggie Smith has passed away aged 89, she could stop a bus with one look.

[Wendyf]

I remember seeing her first in The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. Once seen, never forgotten!

[Tripps]

I thought of her as "the thinking man's Liz Smith"

Actually Geraldine McEwen would be my first thought, when Miss Jean Brodie is mentioned.

Clive Everton has also died today.

RIP both.

[Cathy]

Maggie Smith , one of the best. RIP
.
On the net it looks like Maggie was born and died in the same hospital. A bit unusual.

[Stanley]

I too remember her in 'The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie', a perfect actress......RIP.

[Big Kev]

Country singer and actor Kris Kristofferson aged 88
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cjwd69n7xxgo

[Wendyf]

I wasn't a big fan but I can still remember the impression this had on me!

[Cathy]

He wrote some great songs.
Me and Bobby McGee (* who could forget Janis Joplin singing that)
and Help Me Make It Through The Night
among others.

[Tripps]

Mass hysteria has broken out over the suicide of a boy band star, who couldn't handle success. Check it out for yourselves if you're interested. I'm not.

Meanwhile of far more interest to me Barry Dennis has died. A giant of the on course betting ring. Someone on ITV just said "he didn't like the colour grey".

Lots of online interviews etc, but I like this a lot