James Randi

RANDI IN THE UNDERWORLD Former magician The Amazing Randi has died aged 92. James Randi had practiced magic for decades, before founding the James Randi Educational Foundation. Formed as a source of debunking pseudoscience and paranormal claims, the Foundation put forward the One Million Dollar Paranormal Challenge, by which in theory any person who could […]

Jill Paton Walsh

EPILOGUE Children’s novelist Jill Paton Walsh has died aged 83, a month after marrying her third husband. Walsh wrote novels such as The Dolphin Crossing and Hengest’s Tale for children. Her novel The Emperors Winding Sheet won the Whitbread Prize in 1974. Writing for an adult audience, she was best known for her fantasy novel […]

Rhonda Fleming

DEATH IN TECHNICOLOUR Actress Rhonda Fleming has died aged 97. Fleming got her big break in the Alfred Hitchcock classic Spellbound, where she plays Mary, one of the patints at Green Manors mental hospital. A swift role as a doomed friend in early slasher The Spiral Suitcase followed, as Rhonda was cast in controversial (for […]

Herbert Kretzmer

LAST DREAM Lyricist Herbert Kretzmer has died shortly after his 95th birthday. Kretzmer was most famous for providing the lyrics for smash hit musical Les Miserables, based on the Victor Hugo novel. Yes, you can direct the line of blame for Susan Boyle’s career directly to the Tony award winning writer. Les Mis earned Kretzmer […]

Bhanu Athaiya

AWW DEAR Costume designer Bhanu Athaiya has died aged 91.While she mostly worked in Indian cinema, she won the Oscar for costume design for her work on Gandhi. In 2012, she handed her Oscar back to the Academy for safe keeping as she was gravely ill with brain cancer. She held on for eight years, […]

John Richard Reid

BOWLED OUT New Zealand cricketer John Richard Reid has died aged 92. He led New Zealand to their first international cricket victories in the 1950s (over the West Indies), and even once played cricket at the South Pole, presumably against the Penguin eleven. His test career lasted sixteen years. John Richard Reid3 June 1928 – […]

Roberta McCain

HAD HER CHIPS The mother of John McCain and widow of the other John McCain has died aged 108. Roberta McCain later campaigned with her son during his ill fated Presidential campaign in 2008, and went on to outlive two of her children. Roberta McCain7 February 1912 – 12 October 202016 teams

Samuel Brittan

DEADLINE NEWS Former journalist Samuel Brittan has died after a long illness. Former economics editor for the Observer and Financial Times, he was an outspoken supporter of the government in which his brother was Home Secretary. A climate change skeptic, he was back in the news recently when a carer frauded him out of thousands. […]

Vasili Kulkov

NO BOYCOTTING DEATH Former Russian international Vasili Kulkov has died aged 54, after a battle with cancer. A dogged defender, Kulkov won league titles with Spartak Moscow, Benfica and Porto. He missed out on showcasing his talents at the 1994 World Cup finals as half the Russian team boycotted the tournament over the Federations choice […]

Eddie van Halen

EDDIE’S RUNNING WITH THE DEVIL Eddie Van Halen, oft considered one of the greatest guitarists in rock history, has died aged 65. As part of 80s rock giants Van Halen, they had an international smash hit with Jump. Eddie Van Halen was also responsible for the guitar solo in Beat It. Van Halen were inducted […]