Goodbye Philip Madoc...

Welsh actor Philip Madoc has died at the age of 77 after a short illness.

The 77-year-old had a long career on stage and screen, playing the title role in the BBC drama The Life and Times of David Lloyd George. He also appeared in many classic television shows including Dad's Army, Doctor Who, Porridge and the detective series A Mind to Kill.

His agent Michael Hallett said he died on Monday morning in hospital in Hertfordshire surrounded by his family.
Philip Madoc of Lloyd George and Dad's Army fame dies

I remember Philip Madoc scaring me as a kid with his portrayal of Magua in a BBC TV mini-series The Last of the Mohicans - but he'll probably be best remembered as the U-boat captain in Dad's Army episode "The Deadly Attachment":

U-Boat Captain: I am making notes, Captain, and when we win the war, you will be brought to account
Capt. George Mainwaring: You can write what you like. You're not going to win this war.
U-Boat Captain: Oh, yes we are!
Mainwaring: Oh no you're not!
U-Boat Captain: Oh yes we are!
Private Frank Pike: [sings] Whistle while you work / Hitler is a twerp / He's half barmy, so's his army / Whistle while you work.
U-Boat Captain: [pointing at Pike] Your name will also go on zee list. What is it?
Mainwaring: Don't tell him, Pike!
U-Boat Captain: Pike.

A great actor who will be missed by many.
RIP

And the next Chelski manager is (cont)...

CHELSEA MANAGERS UNDER ROMAN ABRAMOVICH

• Claudio Ranieri: Sep 2000 to May 2004
• Jose Mourinho: Jun 2004 to Sep 2007
• Avram Grant: Sep 2007 to May 2008
• Luiz Felipe Scolari: Jul 2008 to Feb 2009
• Guus Hiddink: Feb 2009 to May 2009
• Carlo Ancelotti: Jun 2009 to May 2011
• Andre Villas-Boas: Jun 2011 to Mar 2012

Chelsea part company with manager Andre Villas-Boas and put Roberto di Matteo in charge until the end of the season.
Villas-Boas sacked by Chelsea: AVB goes after just nine months

Alas, poor AVB - seems like he never had a chance. Yes, he did botch his tactics more often than not, but at the end of the day too many players have let him and Chelski down. Hopefully he'll pick himself up and succeed elsewhere (while counting his severance pay).
Meanwhile bookies make José Mourinho favourite to return as Chelsea manager:

Betting Odds
• José Mourinho 5-2
• Pep Guardiola 4-1
• Rafael Benítez 5-2
• Fabio Capello 7-1



But if I was a football manager, I wouldn't go near that club. With an interfering owner who is apparently prone to giving in to player-power wielded by an aging, over-egoistic clique, managing Chelski has become a poisoned chalice.
However money talks, and no doubt Chelski will find another soul willing to take Roman's mega-bucks to start from scratch all over again...

And another one gone, and another one gone
Another one bites the dust
Queen - Another One Bites The Dust

Goodbye Davy Jones & Lina Romay

Davy Jones, Manchester-born lead singer with 1960s band The Monkees, has died aged 66, his publicist has confirmed. He died in his sleep at his home in Florida.
Davy Jones of The Monkees dies aged 66




Cult Spanish horror actress Lina Romay (born Rosa María Almirall Martínez) has died aged 57. Lina is best known for the many exploitation films directed by her long-time companion Jesus Franco.
Lina Romay at the Internet Movie Database

Their work will live on. RIP Davy & Lina.

Meanwhile in North London (continued)...

Arsenal stage an astonishing comeback, bouncing back from 2-0 down to defeat local rivals Tottenham 5-2.
Arsenal hit form to thrash rivals Spurs

51 years without winning the league for Tottenham, make that 5-2....
Seriously though it's not easy being an Arsenal supporter these days. I fully expected the team to produce yet another pitiful performance against the spuds. Instead the worst Arsenal side in 15 years thrashes the best Tottenham side in 50 years....

Let's be honest, Tottenham's first goal was shambolic, completely amatuer defending on our part. As for the penalty - that was a joke. Bale's blatant dive was disgraceful, and referee Mike Dean should have known that. The fact he gave the penalty but produced no card, showed he didn't actually see anyone commit a foul. I seem to recall when Eduardo took a similar theatrical tumble against Celtic three years ago, he was vilified as a dirty cheat throughout our media. Yet with Gareth Bale, the silence is deafening (could it be because Bale is British, whereas Eduardo is a foreigner? surely not).

But I digress. It's always great to smash the spuds at home, but all this will just be a happy memory if we slip up against Liverpool (congrats to them on winning the Carling Cup, by the way). This is a critical point of the season, and Arsenal needs to continue fighting like this if they want to achieve the only objective left this season: finishing in the top 4.

London 2012 (continued)...

30 January 2012
Mayor of London Boris Johnson has urged Olympic chiefs to take the Tube during London 2012, as organisers launched a website detailing expected hotspots on London's underground system.
"To all members of the International Olympic Committee, I urge them to do the right thing - get on the Jubilee Line because they'll love it," he said.
London 2012: Olympics chiefs urged to take Tube by Boris Johnson

10 February 2012
Transport for London (TfL) said the Jubilee line had severe delays and was suspended between Stanmore and Waterloo, because of a faulty train.
There were also delays on the Circle, District, and Hammersmith & City lines because of several centimetres of snow, which fell on the capital overnight.
London commuters faced Tube delays after snowfall

13 February 2012
A "thorough investigation" into why weekend engineering works on the Tube over-ran causing thousands of people to be delayed is set to be carried out.
On Monday morning, passengers were delayed as work to replace track in the Neasden area was still taking place. The Metropolitan line was suspended between Harrow-on-the-Hill and Aldgate, while the Jubilee line was down between Stanmore and Willesden Green.
Passengers trying to get round the problems by switching to the Piccadilly line then ran into more problems, when a faulty train at Rayners Lane led to severe delays between South Harrow and Uxbridge.
Those trying to avoid the problems were also hampered as the Overground and Bakerloo services in the Queen's Park area also faced delays.
London Underground delays to be examined

23 February 2012
Tens of thousands of Jubilee line users suffered more major disruption today due to a signal failure at North Greenwich.
There were severe delays along the entire the length of the line, used by more than 650,000 passengers a day, between Stanmore and Straford.
The disruption lasted throughout the morning peak and continued into lunchtime.
Jubilee line users hit by major delays

The Olympic Games start on 27 July - if the Mayor and TfL seriously believes they cope, then they must be smoking some VERY wacky baccy....

Goodbye Frank Carson...

Northern Irish comedian Frank Carson, whose catch phrases included "It's the way I tell 'em", has died aged 85, surrounded by his family.
Frank Carson, the Northern Irish comedian, dies aged 85

My wife said to me: “If you won the lottery, would you still love me?”
I said: “Of course I would. I’d miss you, but I’d still love you.”

Frank Carson was a comedian who always made me chuckle. His passing is a sad loss.
RIP

Boxing doesn't need these fools...

German prosecutors stated David Haye is suspected of grievous bodily harm and Dereck Chisora of malicious injury after their Munich brawl.
David Haye & Dereck Chisora could face prison over brawl
Dereck Chisora and David Haye brawl at a news conference

Is it too much to hope the German authorities will do us all a favour and toss both these clowns in prison?

If Haye and Chisora seriously want to face each other, they can take up pro wrestling instead.
Boxing doesn't need these fools.