2025

George Foreman died, aged 76
George Foreman was an American professional boxer. He won the world heavyweight champion twice and was ..an Olympic gold medallist. As an entrepreneur, he was known for the George Foreman Grill.

Jack Lilley died, aged 91
Jack Lilley was an American actor and stuntman. He is best known for being a regular face on the 70s American series “Little House On The Prairie.”

TV Series: Adolescence ★★★★★
OH MY GOODNESS. Here we go. I’m going for it. This is the best yet. The way it’s filmed… the incredible acting from Steve Graham puts this up there as one of, if not the best, Netflix series ever.. EVER. It is depressing and leaves you feeling slightly disturbed but I’m telling you… stop what you’re doing and watch the first of the four episodes and you’ll be hooked. I had to take a breather between episodes 1 and 2 because it is the most intense programme yet. Unbelievable. 10 out of 10.

Maisie Trollette died, aged 91
Maisie, I’m devastated that you’ve gone but to be fair, you were getting on a bit aye love?
Anyone who’s grown up with me will know that I’ve followed Maisie since the days of The Royal Vauxhall Tavern, The Two Brewers, and the circuit in Brighton. I’ve been a huge fan of Maisie. We even showered together in the Bright n Beautiful sauna.
Maisie, I will never forget your superb comedy sets, dreadful singing voice that kept us queens entertained for decades.
Favourite line of Maisie’s: I had one of them obscene phone callers the other night. He said to me: “do you wanna know what I’m holding in my hand?”
I said: “Dear, if you’re not ‘olding it both hands, I’m not fuckin’ int-er-rested.”

Stedman Pearson died, aged 60
Stedman Pearson was a British singer, and was a member of the pop band Five Star. Their hits include, Rain Or Shine, System Addict, Find The Time and more.

Lasagne at The Caiger’s
Jezz and I went round to Nik and Caiger’s and met up with Ant and Ciara. We all had a good catch up and great food. Nik cooked a homemade lasagne with salad and fries.

Pamela Bach died, aged 61
Pamela Bach was an American actress, also known as Pamela Bavch-Hassleoff, as she was married to actor David Hassleoff in 1989. They had met on the set of Knight Rider four years earlier, in 1985. Pamela had appeared in other TV shows including: T.J. Hooker, The Fall Guy, Cheers, Baywatch, The Young & The Restless, The New Lassie, Celebrity Big Brother 2011 and more. She died of suicide, gun shot.

Kathryn Apanowicz died, aged 64
Kathryn Apanowicz was a British actress and presenter. Best known for her role in Angels, playing Nurse Rose Butchins. She also appeared in Eastenders, Coronation Street and Emmerdale.
She was married to former Countdown presenter Richard Whiteley.

Movie: Breaking (also known as 892) ★★★★★
Oh my goodness. One of the best movies in a long, long time. This was superb. The acting of John Boyega was so good.

Angie Stone died, aged 63
Angie Stone was an American singer, songwriter, actress, and record producer. She rose to fame in the late 1970s as a member of the hip hop trio the Sequence. Most famous songs: “Wish I Didn’t Miss You,” “I Wanna Thank Ya” with Snoop Dog, “Baby” featuring Betty Wright and more.
It is reported that Angie Stone died from a tragic traffic collision.

Netflix series: Zero Day ★★★★★
Yet again, Robert De Niro is epic. One of my favourite performances from one of the greatest actors of all time. The programme is a 6 episode series and is all about the politics and corruption of the United States of America administration. 

A day out with sister Nikki
Today, I picked up sister Nikki and we drove out to Reigate for a few hours. A stroll around the village, bought a few bits in the charity shops and went for lunch at Bill’s restaurant and bar. Had a lovely time.

Henry Kelly died, aged 78
Henry Kelly was an Irish radio and television broadcaster, actor and journalist. He was known as the game show host for BBCTVs Going For Gold and on itv on Saturday night with Game For A Laugh, alongside co-hosts, Sarah Kennedy, Mathew Kelly and Jeremy Beadle.

Roberta Flack died, aged 88
Roberta Flack was an American singer songwriter who was famous for singing “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”, “Killing Me Softly with His Song”, “Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow” and “Feel Like Makin’ Love”. But my favourite song by Roberta was “Don’t Make Me Wait Too Long.” Roberta Flack was also a popular duo with Donny Hathaway with singles: “The Closer I Get To You”, “Back Together Again” and “Where Is The Love.” She was also half responsible for the massive hit single: “Tonight I Celebrate My Love” with Peabo Bryson.

Gwen McCrae died, aged 81
Gwen McCrae was an American singer and famous for the hits: ‘Rockin’ Chair’ and ‘Keep The Fire Burning’ and ‘I Can Only Think Of You.’

Movie: Unforgettable ★★★★★
A good movie and great story line. Believable oh and great to see Cheryl Ladd still about.

Movie: Sniper: Ghost Shooter ★★★★★
A good action movie starring Chad Michael Collins, Billy Zane, Dennis Haysbert.

Gene Hackman died, aged 95
Gene Hackman was an American actor. He won two Academy Award and they were for Best Actor for his role as Jimmy “Popeye” Doyle in William Friedkin’s action thriller The French Connection (1971) and for Best Supporting Actor for his role as a villainous Sheriff in Clint Eastwood’s Western film Unforgiven (1992). He was Oscar-nominated for his roles as Buck Barrow in the crime drama Bonnie and Clyde (1967), a college professor in the drama I Never Sang for My Father (1970), and an FBI agent in the historical drama Mississippi Burning (1988). Hackman gained further fame for his portrayal of Lex Luthor in Superman (1978) and its sequels Superman II (1980) and Superman IV: The Quest for Peace (1987). He also acted in: The Poseidon Adventure (1972), Scarecrow (1973), The Conversation (1974), A Bridge Too Far (1977), Under Fire (1983), Power (1986), Loose Cannons (1990), The Firm (1993), The Quick and the Dead (1995), The Birdcage (1996), Enemy of the State (1998), Behind Enemy Lines (2001) and Runaway Jury (2003). He retired from acting after starring in Welcome to Mooseport (2004).

TV Documentary: Boyzone – No Matter What ★★★★★
I didn’t quite realise just how much I loved Stephen Gately. I knew I had a crush on him when we touched hands in 1997 at G.A.Y. in London when he was on stage, but his death was like a member of the family passing. I watched the entire funeral, and cried and cried. Well, I did all over again, particularly on episode 3 of this 3-part docu series. It’s a frank and honest account of the band member’s highs and lows. The splits and reunions – it’s all here, and it’s astonishing and sad.

Julian Holloway died, aged 80
Julian Holloway was a British actor. He maybe best remembered for playing characters in some of the Carry On films. But he also appeared in TV shows including: Whatever Happened To The Likely Lads, Beverly Hills, 90210, Minder, The Professionals, The New Avengers, The Saint, Keep It In The Family, The Bill, The Liver Birds, Crown Court, Rumpole Of The Bailey, Angels, Casualty, Z-Cars, and the Doctor Who story Survival in 1989. His films included: Porridge, The Great Rock ‘n’ Roll Swindle, A Christmas Carol (2009) and The Rum Diary as well as Carry On Up The Khyber, Carry On Doctor, Carry On Camping, Carry On Loving, Carry On Henry, Carry On At Your Convenience, Carry On England, The Stud, and many more.

Ron Watt died, aged 88
Ron, Nik’s ex-father-in-law, was married to Barbara. In 2020, He was father to Lawrence and Stephen, and Grandad to Stacey and Charlie, as well as Stephen’s children. A Great Grandad to Ella and Teddy. During the COVID pandemic, the videos section of this website paid tribute to their 60th wedding anniversary. Ron passed away peacefully at 11:14 p.m. on Friday, 14th February 2025, in the company of his family.

Movie: Aftermath ★★★★★
Superb film. Action-packed. All about a terrorist attack on a bridge. With Dylan Sprouse, who is fit as.

Movie: The Sentinel ★★★★★
Excellent movie starring Michael Douglas, who was perfect, as usual, and Kiefer Sutherland, equally brilliant. Also starred Kim Basinger.

Movie: Back In Action ★★★★★
Brilliant film starring Cameron Diaz and Jamie Foxx. A few daft bits but the action, story and fast pace offset it nicely.

Movie: Cellular ★
This film was so incredibly bad that I had to stop watching after about 40 minutes. It never got any better. Kim Basinger’s dull and inappropriate calmness in her voice was shocking. But Chris Evans part was equally unbelievable.

Marianne Faithfull died, aged 78
Marianne Evelyn Gabriel Faithfull (29 December 1946 – 30 January 2025) was an English singer and actress. My fondest memories, aside from her appearances on Ab Fab, were her iconic single: The Ballad Of Lucy Jordan and her version of John Lennon’s Working Class Hero.

Richard Quamina died, aged 40
Richard was a kind and beautiful soul whom I met through a mutual friend. I visited him at his home in Anerly on three separate occasions. He had a calming and intelligent presence.
His family have shared some of his life online, via YouTube. Click/tap on the image.

TV Series: Fool Me Once ★★★★★
Absolutely superb, compelling watching. Michelle Keegan was excellent, as was Joanna Lumley, but then you expect nothing less, but, Akeel Ahktar, who played Detective Sami Kierce was the best. He was totally convincing with his acting. Oh, and Dino Fetscher was gorgeous and fit as.

Leila Hayes died, aged 85
Leila Hayes (12 January 1940 – January 2025) was an Australian actress, talent agent, radio presenter, playwright, theatre producer, singer, and drama teacher. She primarily featured in guest roles in soap operas and miniseries, prior to her regular role in the 1980s soap opera Sons and Daughters as matriarch Beryl Palmer (later Hamilton). Leila was also Jeannie Baxter, a brothel madam in Prisoner Cell Block H and she appeared in The Sullivans and A Country Practice amongst other TV series.

Paul Danan died, aged 46
Paul Danan (2 July 1978 – 16 January 2025) was an English actor who played Sol Patrick in the UK teen soap opera Hollyoaks between 1997 and 2001. In 2005, he appeared as a contestant on the first series of ITV’s Celebrity Love Island, and returned for the second series in 2006. Paul was also a contestant on the 20th season of Celebrity Big Brother that started on 1 August 2017.

Diane Langton died, aged 77
Diane Langton (31 May 1947 – 15 January 2025) was an English actress, singer and dancer, whose career spanned six decades. Her career began in theatre, but she went on to appear in television shows, playing roles such as Kathy Roberts in The Rag Trade and June Snell in Only Fools and Horses. Ruby Rowan in Heartbeat and Bev Williams in EastEnders. Her most notable role, however, was her portrayal of Marlena “Nana” McQueen in soap opera Hollyoaks.

Linda Nolan died, aged 65
Linda Nolan was an Irish singer, actress and television personality. She was a member of the girl group The Nolans in 1974, along with her sisters Anne, Denise, Maureen, Bernie and Coleen. As a member of the Nolans, Linda toured with Frank Sinatra in 1975, won the Tokyo Music Festival in 1981, and had seven UK top 20 hits between 1979 and 1982.

Tony Slattery died, aged 65
Tony Slattery was a British actor and comedian. He appeared on British television regularly from the mid-1980s, including as a regular on the Channel 4 improvisation show Whose Line Is It Anyway?. His serious and comedic film work included roles in The Crying Game, Peter’s Friends and How to Get Ahead in Advertising.

MOVIE: Skyscraper ★★★
It was an okay film starring Dwayne Johnson, but towards the end, it became increasingly absurd and implausible. However, if you don’t mind the improbability of the plot and the excessive acting and special effects, then this movie is a perfect fit for you.

MOVIE: Rebel Ridge ★★
The film starts with an excellent opening and is pretty good for the first hour. But then, it got stupid. Such a shame.

MOVIE: Don’t Breathe ★★★
Why do they do this? The first hour of this film was brilliant. It had an excellent storyline that kept you hooked, but then in the last 30 minutes, it took a completely unexpected and unbelievable turn.

Laurie Holloway died, aged 86
Laurie Holloway was an English pianist, musical director and composer In the 1970s, he was the Musical Director for the TV talk show Parkinson. From 2004 to 2006, he was the original Musical Director for the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing. The list of artists he worked with include Tom Jones, Judy Garland, Liza Minnelli, Sammy Davis Jr., Gilbert O’Sullivan, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Lesley Garrett, Bob Monkhouse, Barry Humphries and Ronnie Corbett. He composed TV theme tunes such as Game for a Laugh, Wicked Women, Maggie and Her, Blind Date and Beadle’s About.

Day out: Brighton 2025 — Snow thanks
There’s a page dedicated to this eventful, part-pleasurable and part-traumatic day, so here, I’ll just say: Brighton day out, meal at Harry Ramsden’s, a bit of shopping, stuck in the snow and traffic for just over 5 hours.

TV Series: Missing You ★★★★★
Possibly the most underestimated actor of all time, Chris Pine. I absolutely love him. The shouting scene on top of the car park was electric. This is an epic film. One of the best movies ever, for me.

The Vivienne died, aged 32
James Lee Williams (12 April 1992 – 4 January 2025), known professionally as The Vivienne, was a British drag performer known for being appointed as the UK Drag Ambassador in 2015 for American reality television series RuPaul’s Drag Race. She later competed in and won the first series of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK in 2019, and competed again in the seventh series of RuPaul’s Drag Race All Stars in 2022. She became the first drag performer to compete on Dancing on Ice in 2023, appearing as a contestant on the fifteenth series, in which she finished in third place.

MOVIE: The Contractor ★★★★★
Possibly the most underestimated actor of all time, Chris Pine. I absolutely love him. The shouting scene on top of the car park was electric. This is an epic film. One of the best movies ever, for me.

PURCHASE: Indoor cam installed
I’d bought the ring indoor camera (2nd generation) back in November during a sale. I finally got around to installing it in my room.

MOVIE: Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire ★★★★
A good film, great effects. Watched at home with Jezz.

Wayne Osmond died, aged 73
Wayne Osmond was an American musician. He was the second-oldest of the original Osmond Brothers singers and the fourth oldest of the nine Osmond children. The Osmond’s were known internationally and as a clean cut band. Their singles included: One Bad Apple, Mr Sandman, Crazy Horses, Let Me In, Love Me For A Reason, and more. Other well-known compositions were billed as Donny Osmond, Donny & Marie and Jimmy Osmond.

MOVIE: The Gray Man ★★
I have never made what I thought was going to be a five star-rated movie into a two star, as I’m watching it. The first 30 minutes were riveting, superb stunts and to be fair, the effects were excellent throughout. But the fighting scenes, car chases, excessive shootings of police, making Ryan Gosling invincible all became way too tiresome. It quite literally fell apart in front of me. What a shame. You know, the best bit, the shots of Chris Evans’s arse in his tight-fitting trousers.