Does time heal everything?

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

As we all go through aspects of our lives, we will experience momentous occasions. These events can vary from the happy moments of marriage, having children, job promotions and graduation to the more difficult memories of family tragedy, health concerns, loss of working income and missing out on romance.

However, does time heal everything thrown at individuals? Using a couple of my recollections and a moment where the whole world changed irreversibly, I examine whether it is possible to move on from challenging and extremely fraught circumstances.

The healer of time

If the title of this piece is the question posed towards myself, I would say that most tough parts of life can be healed. This can be through various methods – from hard work and identifying where it went wrong to a few damming self-assessments.

One of those moments was a spell of tricky results in exams. Throughout my education history, I wouldn’t say I was a budding Mastermind champion of the future, but I always put the work in and did my best, even when the odds were against me of achieving great results.

In 2005, I got a reality check though with a set of disastrous GCSE results. I had been predicted to get eight A-C grades seven months earlier, without Double Science which was a lost cause from an early stage. I ended up well below that mark on the day of the results itself. 

That was a really tough moment, seeing my fellow friends celebrate with a mixture of delight and relief and there I was, in the middle of the secondary school hall I attended, looking devastated and basically in the middle of a blur. It was a scenario I had never imagined. One thing I remember thinking was ‘How do I come back from this?’

I did though. I accepted that I hadn’t worked hard enough and raised my game. I got into sixth form, followed by college and then University. Seven years later, I was leaving Uni with a 2:1 final grade in my specialist subject. Time was a great healer in this experience.

Not so when it comes to losing people special in your life though. Friends come and go, colleagues can become a regular source of contact and then gradually fade away when you move on. It happens, as much as we dislike it. However, when it comes to saying goodbye for the last time, the healing process sometimes can’t be fixed.

In my case, I have had to deal with this on a few occasions and simply, time doesn’t heal whether it is one, five or fifty years after the event occurred. Sure, you must try to move on and you have to in a way but those who depart close to us can never be replaced. In these moments, you must try to remember the happy moments, the good experiences that brought you together. It is the only way possible to at least deal with the grief.

Irreversible change     

Sometimes, time simply can’t heal and for one country and even the world, dates get transfixed where change happens and it is irreversible, it will never be forgotten.

Today (Thursday) marks the 13^th anniversary of one of the world’s blackest days. The terrorist attacks on the United States on September 11^th 2001 left a country in mourning, a world in deep shock and for the people directly affected, in a state of total remorse.

Thousands of people lost their lives that day, whether that was on the hijacked planes, or in the towers of the World Trade Centre in New York – both collapsing after they were deliberately targeted and crashed into by international terrorists. The planet was beginning to learn of the serious affect terrorism was about to play over the next 13 years.

For many people caught up in the atrocity, they were totally innocent. It is almost impossible to imagine what many were doing that morning when they woke up in America, with no knowledge whatsoever of the fate that was to befall them.

It was an attack that was witnessed by millions across the world on television. It was a time where the kings of the internet now, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube were just an idea in the fantasies of the creators. It was 24-hour news channels that brought us the shocking pictures into our living rooms and bedrooms. It was a country under attack and at the heart of it, personal tragedy (memorial pictured below) wherever you went.

The 9/11 memorial - on the sight where the Twin Towers used to stand

If you were old enough, then we all remember what we were doing that day, wherever you were. The first plane hit the North Tower of the World Trade Centre just before 2pm UK time on that late summer’s Tuesday afternoon. At that time, I was into my second week of secondary school, in a maths class, being taught something about fractions or equations by a teacher who had major language limitations with his spoken use of English.  

13 years on and that pain will always be there for the families and friends who lost loved ones on 9/11. Time simply doesn’t heal in this instance. That day, our lives changed. The world changed forever. Today, there should be a time to remember the many thousands who perished in America, but also those caught up in similar disgusting acts in the coming years in Bali, Madrid, Istanbul and of course, London in 2005.

Today, the thoughts with many in the world should be with the families who lost their closest and dearest on 9/11.   

So does time heal pain?

Ultimately, time can heal the element of pain but it also won’t, no matter what happens.

I think it just depends on the actual scenario that takes place. Happiness can be easily found with someone else if a relationship breaks up, but that might not always happen. Some elements are easy to fix as time moves on but it is impossible in other situations.

It might sound inconclusive, but that is the reality of it all. As time passes, pain can be healed and replaced with joy, but sometimes, it will leave an empty void that simply can’t be filled.

Categories: America, Anniversary, Country, Emptiness, Exams, GCSEs, Healing, People, Time, World

The Ice Bucket Challenge - Has it lost its purpose?

By Simon Wright – Follow me on Twitter @Siwri88

It has become the latest internet craze and it is raising money for causes that deserve it. However, the Ice Bucket Challenge, which has seen actors & actresses, musicians, TV personalities and sports stars raise awareness for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), is threatening to get out of control.

Questions are starting to be raised about the point of the challenge and has it lost its edge/purpose? I promote more background on the Ice Bucket craze and give my view on the summer sensation online.

The idea

So, the Ice Bucket Challenge does exactly what it says on the tin (excuse the pun). It involves people dumping a bucket of ice over themselves, or being assisted in this way by another member of a team, whether that is a family member, relationship partner or work colleague (group pictured conducting the challenge below).

A group of people in Sunderland undertake the Ice Bucket Challenge

The act has to be filmed and the video is then posted online, usually onto social media channels like Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. The person doing the challenge then usually nominates 3-5 people to do the same and give them a timeframe to do the challenge, often between 24-48 hours.

Of course, this isn’t something that should be done for fun or a pointless laugh. A charitable donation has to be made to complete the challenge. In America, which is where the craze got underway, it is often towards the ALS association, whilst over here in the UK, the regular charity benefiting from this is the Motor Neurone Disease Association.

It all sounds simple, or does it?

Celebrity impact

The challenge starting receiving impact in June this year, when personalities from a breakfast programme in the US did the challenge live on-air.

The craze then started to spread with donations being made and more celebrities being nominated. Even Barack Obama and David Cameron were nominated to do the challenge. Wisely, both declined and made just a donation instead. Whilst it could be seen as a bit of good-humoured fun, could you imagine the amount of flak that Cameron would get if he did this? Ed Miliband would have a field day at PMQ’s!

Many other famous faces or familiar names have done their bit though. They include the likes of Susan Boyle, Mark Zuckerberg, Oprah Winfrey, Lewis Hamilton, Lady Gaga and George W. Bush.

Even TV characters have done it, including Kermit the Frog from the Muppets and Homer Simpson from the Simpsons (video below of Homer’s challenge)

More recently, I’ve seen my News Feed, especially on Facebook plastered with my friends and colleagues doing the challenge and being nominated. The spread of this ‘bug’ has been massive.

Happy and sad endings

The main charity cause IBC has helped on these shores is the Motor Neurone Disease Association.  In my case, I do charity donations anyway, and however small this can be, it makes me feel pleased to be giving something back. Recently, the British Heart Foundation sent me a letter to celebrate the first year anniversary of giving money to their fight against heart disease on a monthly basis.

My donations are helping the British Heart Foundation fund groundbreaking heart medicine to save people lives. A case study of this was received as part of the letter I received last month. 18 months into her life, Lauren Burns was diagnosed with a hole in her heart. She underwent major surgery and when complications occurred from this, Lauren spent three months hooked up to a life support machine, fighting for her life. Doctors gave her little hope of survival, but nine years on, Lauren is walking, talking and behaving like many girls of her age band. My donation is helping the BHF and allows more people like Lauren in the UK to come back from the brink and live the quality of life they are today. It is these stories that can have a happy ending.

More notably, Sky Sports F1 presenter Natalie Pinkham has been on a remarkable journey in the last three years with a cause close to her heart. In 1999, Natalie worked in an orphanage in Romania and developed a close bond with a young child, called Mirela. After a moving visit to find Mirela 12 years later, Natalie, with the help of her Grand Prix connections and the charity Hope & Homes for Children, set out to raise £200,000 to build a home for Mirela and her siblings. The story was followed in two moving documentaries for Channel 5. With Natalie’s determination and the help of others, the target was achieved and Mirela and other children were able to move into their new home at the start of 2014. As the home can provide a decent quality of life, it gave Mirela a proper home she could grow up in. 

Sadly in early March, Mirela passed away from acute cardio-respiratory failure, just four days after A Home for Mirela was screened on Channel 5. It was a sad ending to an emotional and very moving journey.

Has IBC lost its edge?

The more videos of the Ice Bucket Challenge go online, the more the craze continues but it begs the question though, that despite the money being raised – has it lost its edge?

There could be a concern that some are doing the challenge and then not following up with a promised donation. I hope that is not the case. There are no accusations being made, but I’m sure there is the odd person who hasn’t thought too much about why they are doing the IBC.

If you have been nominated, I’d do it and make the donation. There are special cases and like I mentioned earlier, the media would have a field day if the President of the United States or our own PM did it when the world we live in is experiencing plenty of worldwide conflict. There isn’t a law for not doing the challenge, but at least make a donation if nominated.

There are critics out there in regards to the Ice Bucket Challenge. The waste of water has been mentioned. This is a very valid point, but if donations are being made to various charities, not just the ones first benefiting, then I think it cancels out this argument.

Also, some have taken it too far, with reports of a bullying case in the United States recently on a child who suffers from autism. The important thing about IBC is not to take it seriously. It is a bit of light-hearted fun. At the end of the day though, make sure to remember why you are doing it. You are doing it to help other causes, not to make yourself look like a fool on YouTube and bask in the limelight for it.

Like the no make-up selfie in March, the Ice Bucket Challenge has raised awareness and that is a good thing. I’m sure there will be something else of a groundbreaking context that will sweep social media channels next year. It might be the way to go in the future when it comes to regular donations.

However, the power of the internet can also carry a poisonous edge to it. IBC is the internet craze of the summer but it is starting to lose the ‘cool’ effect. Maybe it is time to put this onto the scrapheap and think of something else. As long as various charities are benefiting from these campaigns, it is good, but it does need to remain fresh in the minds and not become a repetitive stunt.

Categories: America, Charity, Ice, Ice Bucket Challenge, Internet, Money, Social Media, TV, UK, Water

The 100 Greatest TV Adverts - Part Four (80-61)

By Simon Wright

The television advertisement has been around on our screens for almost 60 years.  They portray all of our favourite products, promoted by either everyday celebrities or just normal everyday members of the British public.

The meerkats have become a regular feature of the advertising break

Adverts (meerkats pictured) have come a long way since a toothpaste company broadcast the first ever commercial on ITV's opening night back in September 1955.  Some of them can be a real nuisance, especially if they pop up in every single advertising break.

It has been over 13 years since a programme was produced by Channel 4 to find the nation's greatest advert, and there have been some real gems since.  Five years ago, I did a top 60 selection on my YouTube account, and have always noticed the commercials that actually can leave you laughing, amazed or even feeling a bit emotional.

In this five-part series for Viewing Perspectives, here is my updated list of the 100 Greatest TV adverts of all-time.  This part covers numbers 80-61, with all years given a rough reference of when the commercial was either first screened or shown most regularly.

80. Compare The Meerkat: First advert (2009)
No list would be complete without an appearance from those meerkats.  In 2009, Aleksandar Orlov made his debut on television introducing his new brand, as an intention to mimic the Compare The Market brand.  It worked, as no-one listens to the latter versions.  Orlov normally features, with companions such as Sergei and has become a huge hit.  This advert also introduced the 'Simples' word into the English language.

79. Coca Cola: Three-legged striker (2002) 
In 2002, Coca Cola created a three-legged striker.  Enter 'Leggsy,' who would be seen for the next two years in break bumpers during ITV's doomed three-year highlights association with The Premiership.  His first televised part though was the best, which sees him laughed at by his friends when he attempts to show off his soccer skills, but ultimately win a late call-up to the England squad in fortunate circumstances, and comes off the bench to score the winning goal in the World Cup final.  As to date, no England striker can claim they have three legs - it might help in competitive matches!

78. Renault: Shake It (2003) 
French car manufacturer Renault introduced another word into the English language in 2003 that wasn't commonly associated before then.  There is some use of the new Megane model, and a lot of shaking for 'La derrière.'  Supposedly, the closer to the steering wheel it is, the better the driving experience is, though that is probably up for debate.

77. The Guardian: Point of View (1986) 
The Guardian newspaper has been around since 1821, although in those days, it was known as the 'Manchester Guardian.'  In 1986, this advert was declared a success by critics, which tells a story from three different points of view.  It is only from the third angle that you seen the full picture of what is about to happen.  This newspaper is one that most can still trust after the phone-hacking scandal of 2011 that tore through the tabloid and broadsheet industry, leading to the demise of one of its main competitors the News of the World.

76. McCain Micro Chips: Quickety Quick (1994) 
The McCain chip family has been around for a long time, but for those who love their chips (like myself), and are in a rush, then they came up with a product that has chips getting cooked to perfection in the microwave in just three minutes.  Enter McCain Micro Chips and this classic jingle in 1994 - 'real chips, quickety quick.'

75. Pepsi Max: Burnout (2011) 
Pepsi Max have a history of producing commercials that are actually totally ridiculous.  However, this particular advert in 2011 made me laugh, as the big boss has a complete burnout on a Friday afternoon.  Let's be honest, drinking Pepsi Max and watching American motorsports action is a million times better than a tedious business meeting at the end of a long and tiring week.

74. Snickers: Mr. T (2007) 
The famous figure of Mr. T appears in this advert for Snickers, with some catchy words for a footballer who has attempted to win a foul and fake an injury.  Perhaps we should see more from Mr. T in a real football environment, as it might cut out the excessive diving that the game has today.

73. EDF Energy: Athlete Dreams (2012) 
EDF Energy was the power of electricity behind the Olympic Games in London last summer.  Starring Team GB gold medalist and Strictly Come Dancing's Victoria Pendleton, two technicians have their own dreams, trying out events in the Velodrome, and the Olympic Stadium amongst others.  You can't blame them for trying.

72. Citroen: Ice Skating Transformers (2004) 
Citroen's second entry in the list is similar to the one they produced just over six years later.  In the snowy conditions of central France, some Citroen technicians test out their new car, with the help of the model actually turning into an ice skating transformer.  Some catchy music from artist David Guetta adds a decent beat to a commercial that was most definitely alive with technology.

71. Clarks: School Report (1980s) 
As a shoe brand, Clarks is still one of the best when it comes to all-round comfort.  I know the background of the company, having worked in retail with them for almost seven years (2005-2012).  One aspect they've lacked in recent years is decent advertising campaigns, which wasn't a problem in the 1980s.  Highlighting their strong aspect of looking after kids shoes, some of their most popular collections feature in this advert, putting together shoe flexibility and good grades in school reports.  I still recommend that for a new school year, always go to Clarks - as their dedicated fitters will give customers the best experience you could ask for.

70. Nationwide: Little Britain (2010) 
The England football team is on the training field, preparing for their dismal World Cup campaign in South Africa.  Two famous characters from Little Britain appear, and distract Fabio Capello's attention, with Andy, played by Matt Lucas leaving some of the top professionals looking surprised with his skills.  Nationwide ended their association with the team after World Cup 2010, but they went out on a high with this funny commercial.

69. Cornetto: Just One More Cornetto (1983) 
On the gondola of beautiful Venice in Italy, this famous advert for Wall's Cornetto deserves to make the list.  I'll let you watch rather than describe it.  This advert was repeated again in a more modern fashion in 2006, but it simply doesn't beat the original.

68. T-Mobile: Pillow Fight (2003) 
Back in 2003, the latest phone craze for technical geeks was the introduction of picture messaging.  T-Zones was the promotion for this when signing up with T-Mobile.  It is a funny advert, but the use of pillows is strange.

67. Budweiser: Whassup! (2000) 
Whassup! was a successful advertising campaign that ran for four years by the American beer Budweiser.  Although this advert first premiered in the States in late 1999, it wasn't until the year 2000 in the UK when we saw it for the first time.  The catchphrase is quite tired now, but in its prime, it was seen as 'cool' to use it.  The advert does tell a typical story for the neutral sports fan though: 'Not much mate, watching the game, having a bud.'

66. Pepsi: Sumo Football (2002) 
Ahead of the 2002 FIFA World Cup, Pepsi ran an advert for a match between some of the world superstars at the time such as Raul, David Beckham and Edgar Davids against a team of overweight, Japanese sumo wrestlers.  The prize they were playing for was Pepsi.  And who won, well watch to find out.  However, don't call the underdogs as amateurs.

65. One2One: Gary Oldman (2001) 
Before the days of T-Mobile, One2One was one of the leading mobile phone networks.  In its final year as it was known before being rebranded in 2002, Gary Oldman narrated this powerful 90-second commercial which expresses some of the emotions you can find in a one-to-one conversation, from chance meetings and heartbreak to more precious moments.  I reckon this advert would get the attention of most.

64. Real Fires: Togetherness (1988) 
Who said that dogs, cats and mice can't get on.  This advert, first screened in 1988 was created by director Tony Kaye, who has gone on to have great success in directing music videos and feature-length movies.  It shows that animals can get on, and in a deadly situation as a real fire, there is no time for hate and bitterness.

63. Vodafone: Bees and Freebies (2010) 
The Vodafone bees made their debut on the TV advert three years ago, promoting the new Vodafone Freebies incentive.  This was a cracking advert, which shows one of the bees wanting to know more about the reward package, only to keep banging his head on a glass window without paying attention to a door just nearby to enter the shop.  Typical clumsiness!

62. Weetabix: Steeplechase (2009) 
A major horse race takes place and there's a fall on the first fence.  Both jockey and horse are unscathed, but the chances of victory are over.  That bet you placed in the bookies was wasted, or was it?  The jockey continues with the power of Weetabix and ends up winning the event.  This is a superb imagination of man triumphing against the odds in The Rigby Stakes.

61. Honda: The Impossible Dream (2005) 
When it comes to producing and creating car adverts, no-one does it much better like Honda.  Travelling through time on some of the classic machinery that Honda has produced over the years, this advert portrays the impossible dream, as actor Simon Paisley Day rides, sings and drives through time in two minutes, with the perfect backing music from the late great Andy Williams.  The commercial was filmed on roads in New Zealand and the Iguazu Falls in South America and tingles the beat of many watching.

Categories: Actor, America, Bees, Dogs, Gary Oldman, Honda, Jockey, New Zealand, Pepsi, Pillows, Raul, South America, Venice, Vodafone, Whassup

2012 - A year in review - Famous faces who are no longer with us

Christmas is on the horizon, but 2012 has seen some famous faces from the world of music, space, sport, journalism and music that have sadly passed away.

Here is my tribute to 15 people who are no longer with us.

Whitney Houston (Music) – Died 11 February

American music was left mourning by the death of Whitney Houston on the eve of the Grammy Awards.  Houston was a major voice of the 1980s and early 1990s, selling over 86 million copies worldwide of her first four albums.

Some of her most powerful music included ‘I Will Always Love You’ and ‘One Moment in Time.’

Sadly, drugs and drink addiction plagued her career in later years and she died in February, with the official cause being accidental drowning.

Her legacy was tarnished in recent times, but her strong voice is missed by many on a global scale.

Frank Carson (Comedian) – Died 22 February

One of Northern Ireland’s prodigal sons died in February at the age of 85.

Frank Carson was a fantastic comedian and actor in his time, and was associated best with his roles in Tiswas and The Comedians.

One of his best catchphrases was ‘It’s a cracker.’  He made his impact in grand style in a period where comedy was at its peak.

Vidal Sassoon (Empire magnet) – Died 9 May

The world of women’s hairstyling was changed totally by Vidal Sassoon.

His international empire of hair-products changed the way many females went about styling, producing the famous catchphrase ‘If you don’t look good, we don’t look good.’ 

He also wrote books and starred in several television commercials in the 1980s.

Having been diagnosed with leukaemia in 2009, Sassoon passed away in Los Angeles in the springtime, aged 84. 

He revolutionised this industry and made himself to be a major success story.

Donna Summer (Music) – Died 17 May

Singer and songwriter Donna Summer was a brave soul, who battled cancer valiantly for the past year until her death in May at the age of 63.

She was often known as ‘Queen of Disco’ in the 1970s; a decade when dance music often led the way in the charts. 

Summer had hits such as ‘Love to Love You Baby,’ ‘Last Dance,’ and ‘Winter Melody.’

Sir Alastair Burnet (Broadcasting) – Died 20 July

Sir Alastair Burnet was one of the most familiar faces in news broadcasting throughout the 1970s and 1980s. 

He had spells as the editor of the Daily Express and The Economist, but his best and most distinguished work was with ITN as the main presenter of News at Ten for 18 years.

He retired in 1991 and after several strokes in the last decade, quietly passed away in July at the age of 84.

BBC journalist Andrew Neil called Burnet ‘Britain’s greatest broadcaster,’ and it is hard to argue with that.

Sally Ride (Space Exploration) – Died 23 July

Astrophysicist Sally Ride made history in 1983 when she became the first American woman in space.

She was part of the crew on the space shuttle Challenger and became an experienced astronaut with NASA afterwards.

Ride lost her battle with pancreatic cancer in the summer, aged 61.

Sid Waddell (Commentator) – Died 11 August

Sid Waddell was the passionate 'Voice of Darts.'

There is no doubt that Sid Waddell was the ‘Voice of Darts.’  He was as iconic to this as John Motson is to football, Richie Benaud to cricket and Murray Walker to motorsport.

He worked for Granada, Yorkshire and the BBC, before joining Sky Sports in 1994.  He published several books and commentated on many of Phil ‘The Power’ Taylor’s victories during his domination of the sport.

A day after his 72^nd birthday, Sid succumbed to bowel cancer.  He had still been working for Sky only a couple of months before his death.

From 2013, the PDC World Darts Championship trophy will be renamed as the Sid Waddell trophy.  This is a fitting tribute to one of sport’s most iconic commentators.

Tony Scott (Film director) – Died 19 August

Tony Scott took his own life in Los Angeles on 19 August, sending shockwaves through the film industry.

The English film director was the brother of Ridley Scott, also a famous director and producer of box office blockbusters.

He was best known for his roles in directing smash hits True Romance and Top Gun. 

Neil Armstrong (Space exploration) – Died 25 August

There are many words that can sum up the work of Neil Armstrong.  For me, the words spring to mind include pioneer, innovator, legendary and experienced.

On 20 July, 1969, Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon, an event watched by millions across the universe.

His words on the surface of ‘That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind,’ have gone down in folklore.

He served in the Korean War in the 1950s and also led the investigation into the Challenger space shuttle disaster of 1986.

After undergoing a heart bypass operation, Armstrong died of complications on 25 August at the age of 82.

His impact on both space exploration and the world we live in today though will never be forgotten.

Max Bygraves (Performer and comedian) – Died 31 August

Max Bygraves was a familiar figure on our television screens throughout the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

He made 20 appearances at the Royal Variety Performance and performed plenty of comedy sketches and songs on his own television shows.

He was also one of the first hosts of Family Fortunes and not many will forget the episode with the regular references to ‘Turkey,’ in the final round.

Bygraves died at the end of August in Australia after suffering from Alzheimer’s disease.

He was one of the leaders in the variety entertainment sector and always produced a laugh for his many fans.

Professor Sid Watkins (Medical and motorsport) – Died 12 September

English neurosurgeon Professor Sid Watkins did a massive amount for the world of Formula One, improving the safety levels beyond recognition on this fast and dangerous sport.

Affectionally known in the Grand Prix fraternity as ‘Prof,’ Watkins was the first paramedic on the scene of Ayrton Senna’s fatal accident in the 1994 San Marino Grand Prix at Imola.

His determination to improve safety, which has included structured crash tests, the mandatory introduction of the HANS system for drivers and top of the range medical facilities, have meant there has not been a single fatality in the sport since Senna’s death.

He was the FIA medic at all events from 1978 to 2004 and was appointed Head of Safety at the FIA in 2005; a role he held for six years.

Watkins was a guest of honour at this year’s British Grand Prix, but he died in September after a short illness at the King Edward VII Hospital in London.

Formula One and the world of medical science have a lot to thank Professor Sid Watkins for over the past 35 years.

Brian Woolnough (Journalism) – Died 18 September

Known in sport journalism circles as ‘Woolly,’ Brian Woolnough was one of the most respected writers in the industry.

He was the Chief Sports writer for tabloid newspaper the Daily Star, and also had a successful spell previous to this with the Daily Mirror.

It wasn’t just his writing skills that made him popular and remembered it was his presenting skills too.

Woolnough was the presenter of the Sunday Supplement for Sky Sports from 2007 until earlier this year and also hosted Hold the Back Page for the corporation. 

You couldn’t say a bad word about Brian Woolnough and he fought bowel cancer in the same integrity and dignity he had as one of the leading sport journalists of this country.

He died on 18 September and as the tributes flowed in, it became clear how much an impact he had on the journalistic world, which has gone through some troubled times in recent years.

Bill Tarmey (Television actor) – Died 9 November

Bill Tarmey was the heartbeat of ITV serial drama Coronation Street for over three decades.

He played the character Jack Duckworth on the cobbles, first appearing in Weatherfield in 1979 and returning in 1983 on a full-time basis.

He was part of the great double act Jack and Vera, played by Liz Dawn.  Much-loved by all in television, the former singer decided to leave Corrie in 2010 due to ill health.

He passed away in Tenerife in November at the age of 71.  Farewell Jack, everyone will have a pint for you in the Rovers Return this Christmas.

Larry Hagman (Television actor) – Died 23 November

Another legendary television actor passed away from the world in November, as Larry Hagman succumbed to complications of cancer at the age of 81.

Hagman’s most recognised role was on the primetime drama Dallas, which gripped in the UK in the 1970s and early 1980s.

Like Neighbours and Home & Away afterwards, Dallas became a popular programme for the British viewers and Hagman played the evil oil tycoon JR Ewing.

The ‘Who Shot JR’ plot of 1980 is still known as one of television’s greatest ever ‘Who Dunnit’ mysteries.

After a guest role on plastic surgery drama Nip/Tuck in 2006, Hagman reprised his role as JR in the reincarnation of Dallas earlier this year. 

He had a popular charm around him and the second new series of Dallas next year will feel odd without his presence.  

Sir Patrick Moore (Astronomy) – Died 9 December

Author of over 70 books on astronomy, Sir Patrick Moore was a familiar face in the field and was presenter of the world’s longest-running television series with the same original presenter.

The BBC’s The Sky at Night won’t be the same without him, and nor will the astronomical world.  

Former president of the British Astronomical Association, Moore did what he could to make it a popular field and he certainly managed to achieve this.

Categories: America, Donna Summer, ITN, Los Angeles, Music, NASA, Northern Ireland, Sid Waddell, Vidal Sassoon, Whitney Houston