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Thursday, December 27, 2012

Notable deaths of 2012 from the UK, taking a look back at the well-known figures no longer with us.





Kenneth Kendall (7 August 1924 – 14 December 2012) was a British broadcaster. He worked for many years as a newsreader for the BBC, where he was a contemporary of fellow newsreaders Richard Baker and Robert Dougall. He is also remembered as the host of the Channel 4 game show Treasure Hunt, which ran between 1982 and 1989.





Robin Hugh Gibb, CBE (22 December 1949 – 20 May 2012) was a singer and songwriter, best known as a member of the Bee Gees, co-founded with his twin brother Maurice and older brother Barry. Their younger brother Andy was also a singer.






Derek Jameson (29 November 1929 - 12 September 2012[1]) was a British tabloid journalist and broadcaster.

Jameson grew up in a children's home and as a child was evacuated from London to Bishops Stortford, Hertfordshire in WW2. His career began in Fleet Street, as a messenger boy, before becoming managing editor of the Daily Mirror newspaper and editor of the Daily Express, Daily Star and News of the World.





Sir James William Alexander Burnet, known as Sir Alastair Burnet (12 July 1928 - 20 July 2012), was a British journalist and broadcaster, best known for his work in news and current affairs programmes, including a long career with ITN as chief presenter of the flagship News at Ten for eighteen years.
Burnet was also a prominent print journalist who edited The Economist and Daily Express.




Geoffrey Hughes DL (2 February 1944, Wallasey, Cheshire – 27 July 2012, Isle of Wight) was an English television, film and stage actor. Hughes rose to fame for portraying much-loved binman Eddie Yeats in the popular long-running British soap opera Coronation Street from 1974 to 1983, making a return to the show in 1987. He went on to appear in two popular British television sitcoms during the 1990s, playing loveable slob Onslow in Roy Clarke's Keeping Up Appearances (1990–95) followed by Twiggy in Craig Cash and Caroline Aherne's The Royle Family (1998–2000), the latter of which he reprised his role for specials in 2006 and 2008. From 2001 to 2005 he played Vernon Scripps, conman and loveable rogue, on the ITV police drama Heartbeat (2001–05), taking over as the show's main loveable rogue from Bill Maynard, and returning to the show briefly in 2007 after the character was thought dead. In the 1990s, Hughes was diagnosed with prostate cancer, and in 2010 he suffered a cancer relapse, causing him to retire from acting. He died from the illness aged 68 on 27 July 2012.




Robert Wentworth John Holness (12 November 1928 – 6 January 2012) was an English radio and television presenter




Terence Paul "Terry" Nutkins (12 August 1946 – 6 September 2012) was an English naturalist, television presenter and author. He was best known for his television appearances, notably in the UK children's programmes Animal Magic, The Really Wild Show, Brilliant Creatures and Growing Up Wild.




Herbert Maurice William 'Bert' Weedon, OBE (10 May 1920 – 20 April 2012) was an English guitarist whose style of guitar playing was popular and influential during the 1950s and 1960s. He was the first British guitarist to have a hit record in the UK Singles Chart, in 1959,




Hugh Francis "Frank" Carson KSG (6 November 1926 – 22 February 2012) was a Northern Irish comedian and actor,





Bill Tarmey (born William Piddington; 4 April 1941 – 9 November 2012) was an English actor, singer and author, best known for playing Jack Duckworth in the soap opera Coronation Street. First appearing in the role in 1979, he played it continuously from 1983 to 2010.




Tony Nicklinson, of Melksham, Wiltshire, England, was left paralysed after suffering a stroke in 2005, at age 51. In the years that followed, he started a legal battle for a right to assisted death. On 16 August 2012, his request was turned down by the High Court of Justice. On learning the outcome of his appeal, he refused to eat, contracted pneumonia, deteriorated rapidly and died of starvation a week later on 22 August 2012, aged 58.





Winnie Johnson, mother of Moors Murderers' victim Keith Bennett.






Alan Oakley (27 April 1927 – 18 May 2012) was a British bicycle designer from Nottingham who worked for the Raleigh Bicycle Company.





Vidal Sassoon, CBE (17 January 1928 - 9 May 2012) was a British hairdresser,





Thomas Mervyn Davies OBE (9 December 1946 – 15 March 2012), often known as "Merv the Swerve", was a Welsh rugby union player who won 38 caps for Wales as a No. 8.






Jon Lord, Trondheim 2010 - Child in Time


John Douglas "Jon" Lord (9 June 1941 – 16 July 2012) was an English composer, pianist, and Hammond organ player known for his pioneering work in fusing rock with classical or baroque forms, especially with Deep Purple, as well as Whitesnake, Paice, Ashton & Lord, The Artwoods, and The Flower Pot Men



James Charles "Jim" Marshall, OBE (29 July 1923 – 5 April 2012) known as The Father of Loud or The Lord of Loud,  was an English businessman, and pioneer of guitar amplification. His company, Marshall Amplification, has created kits used by some of the biggest names in rock, producing amplifiers with an iconic status.In 2003 Marshall received an OBE honour for "services to the music industry and to charity".Marshall is referred to as one of the four forefathers of rock music equipment along with Leo Fender, Les Paul and Seth Lover.


Michael Horatio Westmacott (12 April 1925 - 20 June 2012) was a prominent British mountaineer.
Westmacott was a member of the 1953 Everest expedition led by John Hunt. He was educated at Radley School and Corpus Christi College, Oxford, where he read mathematics.
During World War II, Westmacott served as an officer with the British Indian Army Corps of Engineers in Burma.
He climbed extensively in the United Kingdom and the European Alps prior to Everest, and later opened new routes in Peru, the Hindu Kush and Alaska. He became president of the Alpine Club and the Climbers Club and worked for Shell International after he ceased serious mountaineering



Nevin Spence (26 April 1990 – 15 September 2012) was an Irish rugby union player for Ulster in the RaboDirect Pro12. He played as a Centre, but could also play Wing. He was educated firstly at Dromore High School, where he was introduced to rugby, and then at Wallace High School. He played his club rugby with Ballynahinch. He was also a capable footballer, playing for the Northern Ireland U-16's.



John Thomas "Jocky" Wilson (22 March 1950 – 24 March 2012) was a professional darts player from Fife, Scotland. After turning pro in 1979 he quickly rose to the top of the game, winning the World Professional Darts Championship in 1982, then again in 1989. A contemporary and rival of Eric Bristow, Bob Anderson and John Lowe, Wilson won many titles in his career including the British Professional Championship a record four times between 1981 and 1988, as well as the prestigious British Open and Matchplay titles. He suddenly retired from the game on 23 December 1995, withdrew from public life, and was rarely seen in public or gave interviews before his death in March 2012.





Thomas Lloyd "Tom" Maynard (25 March 1989 – 18 June 2012) was a Welsh cricketer who played for Surrey. A right-handed batsman and very occasional right-arm off break bowler, he was the son of former Glamorgan and England batsman Matthew Maynard



John Fairfax (21 May 1937 – 8 February 2012) was a British ocean rower and adventurer who, in 1969, became the first person to row solo across an ocean. He subsequently went on to become the first to row the Pacific Ocean (with Sylvia Cook) in 1971/2.



Clive Dunn Grandad On Top Of The Pops 1971


 "Goodbye Mr Chips".

Clive Robert Benjamin Dunn, OBE (9 January 1920 – 6 November 2012) was an English actor, comedian, artist and author, best known for his role as Lance-Corporal Jack Jones in the popular BBC sitcom Dad's Army.







Eric Sykes - It's A Fair Cop: The Italian Actress (1961)


Eric Sykes CBE (4 May 1923 – 4 July 2012) was an English radio, television and film writer, actor and director whose performing career spanned more than 50 years. He frequently wrote for and/or performed with many other leading comedy performers and writers of the period, including Tony Hancock, Spike Milligan, Tommy Cooper, Peter Sellers, John Antrobus and Johnny Speight. Sykes first came to prominence through his many radio credits as a writer and actor in the 1950s, most notably through his collaboration on The Goon Show scripts. He became a TV star in his own right in the early 1960s when he appeared with Hattie Jacques in several popular BBC comedy television series.




Sid Waddell (10 August 1940 – 11 August 2012) was an English sports commentator and television personality. He was nicknamed 'The Voice of Darts' due to his fame as a dart commentator, and worked for Granada, Yorkshire, BBC, and Sky Sports television broadcasters. He was nominated for two prestigious awards for his work, and published several books.




Vittorio Giorgio Andrea Spinetti (2 September 1929 – 18 June 2012) was a Welsh comedy actor, author, poet and raconteur. He appeared in dozens of films and stage plays throughout his 50-year career and is best remembered today for appearing in the three Beatles' films in the 1960s, A Hard Day's Night, Help! and Magical Mystery Tour.


Angharad Mary Rees, Lady McAlpine CBE (16 July 1944 – 21 July 2012) was a Welsh actress, best known for her British television roles during the 1970s and in particular her leading role as Demelza in the 1970s BBC TV costume drama Poldark.



Anthony David "Tony" Scott (21 June 1944 – 19 August 2012) was a British film director and producer from England. He was the younger brother of film director Ridley Scott.
His films were generally more popular with audiences than critics, and include The Hunger (1983), Top Gun (1986), Beverly Hills Cop II (1987), Days of Thunder (1990), The Last Boy Scout (1991), True Romance (1993), Crimson Tide (1995), Enemy of the State (1998), Spy Game (2001), Déjà Vu (2006), The Taking of Pelham 123 (2009) and Unstoppable (2010). He died on 19 August, 2012, after committing suicide by jumping off the Vincent Thomas Bridge. The motive for his suicide remains unknown.



Eric John Ernest Hobsbawm, CH, FBA, FRSL  9 June 1917 – 1 October 2012 was a British Marxist historian of the rise of industrial capitalism, socialism, and nationalism. His best-known works include his trilogy about the long 19th century (The Age of Revolution: Europe 1789–1848, The Age of Capital: 1848–1875; The Age of Empire: 1875–1914), The Age of Extremes on the short 20th century, and an edited volume which introduced the influential idea of "invented traditions".
Hobsbawm's household, which was Jewish, was living in Egypt when Hobsbawm was born. They moved to Vienna, Austria, two years later, and from there to Berlin, Germany. Following the death of his parents and the rise to power of Hitler, Hobsbawm moved to London, England, with his adoptive family and obtained his PhD in History at the University of Cambridge, before serving in World War II. Hobsbawm was President of Birkbeck, University of London for ten years until his death. In 1998 he was appointed to the Order of the Companions of Honour, a UK national honour bestowed for outstanding achievement in the arts, literature, music, science, politics, industry or religion. In 2003 he was the recipient of the Balzan Prize for European History since 1900, "For his brilliant analysis of the troubled history of twentieth-century Europe and for his ability to combine in-depth historical research with great literary talent."




Max Bygraves, OBE (born Walter William Bygraves; 16 October 1922 - 31 August 2012) was an English comedian, singer, actor and variety performer. He appeared on his own television shows, sometimes performing comedy sketches between songs. He made twenty Royal Variety Performance appearances. Shows which he presented included Family Fortunes.



Simon Anthony Fox Ward (16 October 1941 – 20 July 2012) was an English stage and film actor. He was known for his performance as the young Winston Churchill in the 1971 film Young Winston and for his roles as Sir Monty Everard in Judge John Deed and as Bishop Gardiner in The Tudors.




Sir Rex Masterman Hunt, CMG (29 June 1926 – 11 November 2012) was a Royal Air Force pilot, British diplomat and colonial administrator. He was Governor, Commander-in-Chief and Vice Admiral of the Falkland Islands (and concurrent High Commissioner of the British Antarctic Territory) between 1980 and September 1985. Hunt became a household name during the Falklands War after the Argentine invasion of the islands, when he was briefly taken prisoner and temporarily removed from his position.




Nina Bawden CBE FRSL JP (19 January 1925 – 22 August 2012) was a British novelist and children's writer. She was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1987 and the Lost Man Booker Prize in 2010. She is one of a select group to have both served as a Booker judge and made the shortlist as an author



Robert Washington Shirley, 13th Earl Ferrers PC DL (8 June 1929 – 13 November 2012), styled Viscount Tamworth between 1937 and 1954, was a British Conservative politician and member of the House of Lords as one of the remaining hereditary peers. He was one of the few people to serve in the governments of five different Prime Ministers.




Early Ali G Interview Sir Rhodes Boyson


Sir Rhodes Boyson PC (11 May 1925 – 28 August 2012) was a British educator, author and politician and Conservative Member of Parliament for Brent North. He was knighted and made a member of the Privy Council in 1987.




Brian Cobby (12 October 1929 – 31 October 2012) was a British actor and telephone exchange worker who in 1985 became the first male voice of the British speaking clock



John Cradock Maples, Baron Maples (22 April 1943 – 9 June 2012)[1] was a British politician. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as a Member of Parliament (MP) representing Lewisham West from 1983 to 1992 and Stratford-upon-Avon from 1997 to 2010. He was made a life peer in 2010.




Malcolm Hunt Wicks PC (1 July 1947 – 29 September 2012) was a British Labour Party politician and "academic expert on poverty"[1] who was a Member of Parliament (MP) from 1992, first for Croydon North West and then for Croydon North, until his death in 2012.





David Thomas "Davy" Jones (30 December 1945 – 29 February 2012) was an English recording artist, actor and businessman, best known as a member of the musical group the Monkees and star of the TV series of the same name. His acting credits include a Tony-nominated role as the Artful Dodger in Oliver! as well as roles in The Brady Bunch film and television show; Love, American Style; and My Two Dads. Jones is considered to be one of the greatest teen idols of all time




Sir Patrick Alfred Caldwell-Moore CBE, FRS, FRAS (4 March 1923 – 9 December 2012) was an English amateur astronomer who attained prominent status in that field as a writer, researcher, radio commentator and television presenter

Sir Alfred Charles Bernard Lovell , OBE, FRS (31 August 1913 – 6 August 2012) was an English physicist and radio astronomer. He was the first Director of Jodrell Bank Observatory, from 1945 to 1980.