Dead Pool 13th May 2018

And it was turning out to be a dull week… Let’s begin with awarding the points!! 136 points to Paula who had Delphine Gibson as her Woman which propels her into fourth place and 36 to Dave who also listed her. More points thanks to Tessa Jowell’s untimely death go to Louise and Paul C, 80 points each, which has deposed Nickie from the first place spot as Paul C is now the new leader by five points!! Surprisingly, nobody had Dennis Nielsen on their list this year. 

Look Who You Could Have Had:

• Carlos Carvalho, 47, South African filmmaker, struck by giraffe. 
• Delphine Gibson, 114, American supercentenarian, oldest verified person in the United States. 
• David Goodall, 104, English-born Australian botanist, assisted suicide by lethal injection. 
• Scott Hutchison, 36, Scottish singer, songwriter and guitarist (Frightened Rabbit, Mastersystem, The Fruit Tree Foundation). 
• Tessa Jowell, Baroness Jowell, 70, English politician, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (2001–2007), MP (1992–2015) and peer (since 2015), brain cancer.  
• Dennis Nilsen, 72, Scottish serial killer.

 In Other News

Dame Barbara Windsor has been diagnosed with Alzheimer’s, her husband has said. Scott Mitchell told us that the 80-year-old Eastenders and Carry On star had been diagnosed four years ago and had been given medication to help manage the condition. But he said that her memory loss and confusion had grown worse in recent weeks. “I want the public to know because they are naturally very drawn to Barb­ara and she loves talking to them,” he said. “Rather than me living in fear she might get confused or upset, they’ll know that if her behaviour seems strange, it’s due to Alzhei­mer’s and accept it for what it is.” The 55-year-old said he had decided to speak out because he “did not want someone else to dictate how or when the diagnosis came out”. He added: “I don’t want it to come across that she’s sitting there unable to communicate, because she’s not. We’re still going out for walks or dinner with friends and we still laugh together a lot.” A small circle of friends who had begun to notice her occasional confusion were told shortly after the diagnosis, he said. But he stopped the news from going public after his wife struggled to come to terms with it. She has now retired from charity work as well as acting, he added.   

Sir Alex Ferguson is no longer in intensive care following surgery on a brain haemorrhage, Manchester United have announced. The 76-year-old successfully underwent an emergency operation on Saturday at Salford Royal Hospital, where he remains. In a statement on Wednesday evening, United said: “Sir Alex Ferguson no longer needs intensive care and will continue rehabilitation as an inpatient.” It added that Ferguson’s family have been “overwhelmed” by messages of support and encouragement since news broke over the weekend. “They continue to request privacy as this will be vital during this next stage of recovery.” Ferguson is the most successful manager in Manchester United’s history, winning 13 Premier League titles and two European Cups alongside a host of other trophies during his 27 years in charge.  

As you have just read in the death listing, an award-wining film director was head-butted to death by a giraffe while shooting footage at a safari lodge in South Africa. Carlos Carvalho, 47, was taking closeups of the animal named Gerald when it suddenly swung its neck and knocked him flying through the air. Mr Carvalho died of his injuries that night after being flown to a Johannesburg hospital, said filming agency CallaCrew. He had been shooting scenes at the Glen Afric farm in Broederstroom, which is famous for featuring in the British TV series Wild at Heart. Richard Brooker, whose family owns the lodge, said the bull giraffe would not be put down as he was not considered dangerous. “When Carlos was standing in front of the giraffe, the animal spread its legs, bent its neck and swung its head at Carlos, Gerald will remain at the lodge. He did nothing wrong.” he said. A spokesperson for Glen Afric also suggested that Carvalho had “gone off on his own” and ignored safety instructions not to approach the animals. 

On This Day

• 1787 – Captain Arthur Phillip leaves Portsmouth, England, with eleven ships full of convicts (the “First Fleet”) to establish a penal colony in Australia.  
• 1971 – Over 900 unarmed Bengali Hindus are murdered in the Demra massacre.  
• 1972 – Faulty electrical wiring ignites a fire underneath the Playtown Cabaret in Osaka, Japan. Blocked exits and non-functional elevators lead to 118 fatalities, with many victims leaping to their deaths.  
• 1972 – The Troubles: A car bombing outside a crowded pub in Belfast sparks a two-day gun battle involving the Provisional IRA, Ulster Volunteer Force and British Army. Seven people are killed and over 66 injured.  
• 1981 – Mehmet Ali Ağca attempts to assassinate Pope John Paul II in St. Peter’s Square in Rome. The Pope is rushed to the Agostino Gemelli University Polyclinic to undergo emergency surgery and survives. 
• 1984 – T-800 tries to kill Sarah Connor.

Deaths

• 1835 – John Nash, English architect, designed the Royal Pavilion (b. 1752) 
• 1961 – Gary Cooper, American actor (b. 1901)  
• 2012 – Donald “Duck” Dunn, American bass player, songwriter, and producer (b. 1941)

Last Week’s Birthdays

Malin Akerman (40), Rami Malek (37), Emilio Estevez (56), Stephen Baldwin (52), Ving Rhames (59), Gabriel Byrne (68), Catherine Tate (50), Pam Ferris (70), Holly Valance (35), Bono (58), Maureen Lipman (72), Rosario Dawson (39), Albert Finney (82), Glenda Jackson (82), Billy Joel (69), Stephen Amell (37), David Attenborough (92), Traci Lords (50), Adrianne Palicki (35), George Clooney (57) and Alan Dale (71).