Fond farewells
He was the man who always knew how to make us laugh, whether he was doing a turn on the telly or writing in the pages of this magazine. So it was with deep sadness that this March 15, we had to say a tearful farewell to the much-loved actor and comic, Roy Hudd (below), who was also our treasured columnist of 23 years and a special friend.
After his passing, we received a huge postbag of letters from readers wanting to share how much they, like us, had loved Roy and to tell us how his funny little anecdotes and brilliant take on the world in every issue of Yours had always brightened their days.
A hard worker with a sunny-side-up attitude to life, he shared some of the same spirit as another icon we lost this year in Dame Vera Lynn. She will of course be best remembered as the Forces Sweetheart as her songs and unwavering spirit guided this country through some of its darkest hours in the Second World War. And it’s fitting therefore that, just days before her passing on June 18, Dame Vera was at the forefront of our minds once again when her words, “We’ll meet again” became an uplifting motto, used by the Queen, in the midst of the first coronavirus lockdown.
Another person that always raised our spirits was comedian, singer and TV host Des O’Connor who we lost on November 14. Well-known for hosting his own chat show, as well as Take Your Pick and Countdown, he also had a beautiful singing voice, not that his great mates Morecambe and Wise ever let him know that, as they spent so many well-loved sketches teasing him about his talents. A famously positive, life-loving man, it was no wonder his death provoked heartfelt reactions from all across the showbusiness world.
Hollywood legends
From the small screen to the silver screen, Golden Hollywood lost several of its greats this year. Dame Olivia de Havilland, best-known for playing the virtuous Melanie opposite Vivien Leigh’s Scarlett in the epic Gone with the Wind in 1940, died in July aged 104. Still acting in the late Eighties, Olivia’s tempestuous relationship with her sister Joan Fontaine remains one of Hollywood’s most talked-about feuds and a quarrel they reportedly both took to their deaths. Meanwhile, Kirk Douglas (top right) was another Hollywood legend who died
Forces’ sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn, left, who died aged 103, and national treasure Des O’Connor
this February at the age of 103. With a staggering 92 acting credits to his name, he will no doubt be best remembered by many of us for that dramatic crucifixion scene in Spartacus (1960). He was the executive producer as well as playing the title role.
Farewell Mr (and Mrs) Bond
The world of James Bond also said some sad farewells this year. Sean Connery was the Scottish working-class boy who became one of the best 007s to ever grace the screen, making the part totally his own and defining the Bond legacy to come, so it
Diana Rigg as Emma Peel in the Avengers
Bond memories: Sean Connery as a suave and charming 007 in Goldfinger (1964) was a great shame when we heard of his death on October 31. Dame Diana Rigg, who played the only woman to ever become Mrs James Bond in the 1969 film On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, sadly lost her fight with cancer this September 10. We of course also remember Diana clad in a leather catsuit as female spy Emma Peel in the TV series The Avengers, and in April we were sad to lose fellow Avengers’ star Honor Blackman, (left) who played Cathy Gale. With a career spanning eight decades, she too lit up the screen in Bond as Pussy Galore, a role she landed thanks to her proficiency in martial arts.
Thank you for the music
In the world of music, we lost a rock ‘n’ roll pioneer in the form of Little Richard who died on
May 9. Known for his flamboyant outfits and excitable performances, The Beatles, Elton John and Elvis Presley all credited him as an influence in their careers. Another hit-maker, Kenny Rogers, (right) who helped make Country music more mainstream, sadly died on March 20.
Geoffrey Palmer
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