Robert Sandall

I was sad yesterday to learn of the death of Robert Sandall. While he is most celebrated as a music journalist, I was more aware of him as a radio presenter. In 2001, when I was discovering my interest in experimental music, I was advised by someone on a messageboard to listen to the Radio […]

Frank Sidebottom should be at number 1

I was sad to read that Frank Sidebottom — or Chris Sievey, his real name — died today. I have vague memories of him being on television when I was very young, and it was a joy to rediscover him when he made his comeback four or five years ago. He never returned to the […]

Chris Lightfoot

I am not qualified to talk about Chris Lightfoot. I have never come close to even meeting him, and I only know of him through his blog and his work on certain mySociety projects and the like. But the news of his unexpected death has made me quite sad. As MatGB notes, if you have […]

Magnus Magnusson

When I heard that Magnus Magnusson had died I was in the kitchen. I switched on the radio. It was Radio Five Live and they were discussing how much better Magnus Magnusson was at hosting Mastermind than Rubbish John Humphrys. (I didn’t realise at first why they were discussing this; I worked it out later.) […]

The death of Robin Cook

In recent days it has been reported that Mo Mowlam is critically ill. It had occurred to me that there have been very few major politicians whose achievements I can remember to have died. The only one I could think of was Donald Dewar. This evening Robin Cook has died. I think for a lot […]