ON THIS DAY
THE swaying Millennium Bridge opened but closed later the same day. London’s newest bridge had to be temporarily sealed off for safety checks after large crowds caused it to sway violently. Work was later carried out on the £18 million structure to solve the problem and 2,000 volunteers carried out walking tests across it before it re-opened to the public... two years later. IT Ain’t Half Hot Mum comedy favourites Windsor Davies and Don Estelle were at number one in the UK music charts with Whispering Grass. The pair played Battery Sergeant Major Williams and Gunner “Lofty” Sugden in the popular BBC sitcom about members of a Royal Artillery Concert Party in India and Burma during the Second World War. The song itself was originally a hit for The Ink Spots in 1940. IVAN LENDL shocked the sporting world when he beat top-seeded John McEnroe to win his first tennis Gram Slam title – the French Open. The Czech player was 24 at the time and had never won a major tournament before. BRITISH actress Elizabeth Hurley turns 52 today. She caused a stir when she arrived with then boyfriend Hugh Grant for the charity premiere of Four Weddings And A Funeral in the 1990s wearing this safety pin Versace creation, pictured. The Austin Powers and Bedazzled actress runs her own beachwear company and is also godmother to Victoria and David Beckham’s sons Brooklyn and Romeo. COMEDIAN Les Dawson passed away at the age of 62. He was in hospital awaiting the results of a medical check-up when he suffered a major heart attack. He found fame on talent show Opportunity Knocks in 1967 and his deadpan delivery made him a TV favourite with his own comedy shows and on quiz show Blankety Blank. A statue of him now stands near his Lancashire home in Lytham St Annes. ALCOHOLICS Anonymous was founded by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith in Akron, Ohio, USA. AA’s stated purpose is to help alcoholics “stay sober and help other alcoholics achieve sobriety” and it advocates a 12-step program to beat the bottle. NOTORIOUS American bank robbers and Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker were involved in a car crash when they vehicle plunged into a ravine near Wellington, Texas. A family rushed to their aid and pulled them from the car... along with several firearms. Bonnie suffered third degree burns in the accident.