2 (38) SOME START TO A YEAR (Pt. 2)

SADLY EARLY FAREWELLS. 

Michael Mann (1 July 1934 - 3 January, 2016). Mr. Mann was an Island resident and the father of our daughter Jac's friend from childhood, Rachel, who lives in Australia. His death from a heart attack at his home on St. Lawrence was sudden and unexpected. Rachel journeyed here to be at the funeral and to present the eulogy with her brother, Steve, who came down from Wales. We met Michael only on social and formal occasions, but he and his wife were good friends to those of our kin who have kept in touch with Rachel. By all accounts he had a wacky sense of humour and his amiable presence will be much missed. 

Alan Rickman (21 February 1946 – 14 January 2016).

 In Post 5 of this blog (27th September 2006) I wrote: A few random thoughts about some people I have never met but who have constantly entertained me over the years. For a start there is the actor Alan Rickman, a wonderfully hateful Professor Snape in the Harry Potter films. How can anyone help but admire a man who, in 1988, had Bruce Willis running barefoot through broken glass and in 1991 cancelled Christmas. What a worthwhile chap. If he'd never done anything else I'd still like him. 

The news that he had died, at the same age (69) and from the same illness (cancer) as David Bowie a few days earlier, was a shock to his millions of fans around the world. Like Bowie, he never gave a poor performance in his life and his Severus Snape was, to my mind, one of the best antihero portrayals of all time. 

Commiserations to his lifetime (from their teens) partner, Rima Horton. 

RIP Alan Rickman. 

Then the news, yesterday, of the death from cancer of broadcaster Terry Wogan at the age of 77. 

For years I laughed my way to work listening to Wake Up to Wogan in the car. Remember the TOG (Terry's Old Geezer) who wanted to fly around the world by balloon but only if he could keep one foot on the ground and go home every night for tea? Remember the 'silent' fireworks parties on the 5th of November which were specifically designed not to frighten children and pets? Remember the weekly reports on television dramas like Brideshead Revisited? 
“Lady Marchmain fell down the stairs, killing the butler. Lord Marchmain died of the Chinese wallpaper.” 

We shall not see his like again. 

RIP Sir Tel, broadcasting genius.

And this list would not be complete were I not to mention that my one time editor Ian Dillow's family cat, sixteen year old Rosie, “finally went to meet her maker” on 11th of January. Her health had been in decline for some time. 

Ian wrote: “We keep imagining her in the house. It's silly really but they do become part if the family, don't they?” 

They do, old friend, they certainly do.

A FEW MORE CHANGES. 

Mo and I managed to move my desk and computer into the back room looking down the garden. Somerset Maugham would not have approved. No matter. Nice spot. 
Token exercise equipment to my left and bed settee behind me. I have draped Ellis's Super Mario duvet over the settee to give a splash of colour and added matching pillows as cushions. 

The cat Shadow is now in semi-permanent repose there. He opened one eye as I went by just now. 

“I've copped a look at the blog post,” he said. “Some start to a year, eh?” 

I smiled ruefully. “Yeah. They were all younger than me, too.” 

“Don't think about it, buddy,” he said. “In cat years I'm older than you are. You keep scribbling, I'll keep sleeping.” 

And in an instant he was gently snoring again.

Guess I'll keep scribbling.