Obituary Thread

[Mr Jinx]

The SAS storming the Iranian Embassy is one of my first memories. I distinctly remember watching the news flash although I would only have been 3 and a half years old at the time.

Looking back, you wonder why/how it got shown on live TV. This was the BBC (I remember it very well interrupting our snooker), and so the order to allow it shown must've come from very high up (Thatcher perhaps?). And, if so, it was incredibly brave. Imagine if the whole thing had been a complete flop, which was quite possible.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

Looking back, you wonder why/how it got shown on live TV. This was the BBC (I remember it very well interrupting our snooker), and so the order to allow it shown must've come from very high up (Thatcher perhaps?). And, if so, it was incredibly brave. Imagine if the whole thing had been a complete flop, which was quite possible.

It was all very dramatic in those days before rolling news channels.
There was similar for the start of the Libyan embassy incident in April 1984. The Libyans made sure there was a freelance TV camera crew filming a anti Gadaffi demo out side their embassy when a machine gun was fired into the demo, ultimately killing WPC Evonne Fletcher.

 

[Rosencrantz]

Looking back, you wonder why/how it got shown on live TV. This was the BBC (I remember it very well interrupting our snooker), and so the order to allow it shown must've come from very high up (Thatcher perhaps?). And, if so, it was incredibly brave. Imagine if the whole thing had been a complete flop, which was quite possible.

I think there was a newsflash on ITV as well although my Gran would have been watching the snooker. My Mum being a Professionals fan had Who Dares Wins on VHS sometime in the 80's with Lewis Collins. That was pretty much inspired by the Iranian Embassy assault. Still see it pop up on TV every now and then.

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

I think there was a newsflash on ITV as well although my Gran would have been watching the snooker.

I bet she was annoyed A great final that year.
Cliff Thorburn beat Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins 18-16.
The final day late afternoon session clashed with the live TV Coverage from the embassy.

 

[Greyhound]

A great final that year.
Cliff Thorburn beat Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins 18-16.

Must have been anguish for Higgins to play against somebody as slow as Thorburn !

 

[Antony Moxey]

I bet she was annoyed A great final that year.
Cliff Thorburn beat Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins 18-16.
The final day late afternoon session clashed with the live TV Coverage from the embassy.

Indeed, and such was snooker’s popularity back then - it regularly pulled in TV audiences in the tens of millions - the BBC were inundated with complaints from viewers angry that the snooker coverage had been interrupted to give a newsflash of how the siege panned out. Amazing really.

 

[Rosencrantz]

Must have been anguish for Higgins to play against somebody as slow as Thorburn !

My Gran would have been on the side of "The Grinder" in that one . There were plenty that were slower than Cliff though. I watched him being interviewed by Stephen Hendry over a frame the other day and he was pretty entertaining. Stephen's YouTube channel is also strangely entertaining if you like your snooker. Simple format, play a frame of snooker whilst chatting to the guest.

 

[angelic upstart]

I bet she was annoyed A great final that year.
Cliff Thorburn beat Alex ‘Hurricane’ Higgins 18-16.
The final day late afternoon session clashed with the live TV Coverage from the embassy.

From one embassy to another!

 

[Grecian2K]

Rolf Harris has gone! aged 93. I won't be mourning him.

Millions of baby 'roos will be sleeping easier in their mamas' pouches tonight....as well as, I suspect, at least "two little boys".

 

[Oldsmobile-88]

My Gran would have been on the side of "The Grinder" in that one . There were plenty that were slower than Cliff though. I watched him being interviewed by Stephen Hendry over a frame the other day and he was pretty entertaining. Stephen's YouTube channel is also strangely entertaining if you like your snooker. Simple format, play a frame of snooker whilst chatting to the guest.

Thorburn was a grinder, though in those days Alex Higgins safety play was superb, he could slow it down if necessary.
Terry Griffiths was slower than Thorburn.