BS: Gunner Milligan

Subject: Gunner Milligan RIP
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 22 Jun 02 - 05:47 PM

Just thought I'd pass this one. A friend does a fair amount of motorway driving, and every now and then he's noticed jeeps and lorries of KFOR on the road. Anyway he got stuck behind one scruffy looking jeep which was in a convoy carrying aid, which they do sometimes as well as stuff for the troops. Someone had scrawled in the dust on the back "Gunner Milligan RIP"

It just struck him, and it struck me too, that Spike would probably really have liked that.

(Here's a link to a song I wrote wheh he died earlier this year.)

Subject: RE: BS: Gunner Milligan
From: GUEST,McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Jun 02 - 08:33 AM

And it's not just on the dusty back of army vehicles thta he is remembered - here's something happening today:

Stars celebrate life of Spike Milligan

Stars from the world of showbusiness turned out today to celebrate the life of comic genius Spike Milligan.

Stephen Fry, Peter O'Toole, Joanna Lumley and Eric Sykes were among the stars paying tribute to Milligan at St Martin-in-the-Fields, in Trafalgar Square, central London.

Other famous faces at the thanksgiving service included Terry Wogan, Bill Wyman, June Whitfield, Paul Merton and Beatles producer George Martin.

Milligan's death in February at the age of 83 marked the end of an era of British comedy.

The congregation was 700-strong and along with friends and family there were 200 Milligan fans who had applied for tickets.

The event began in comic fashion when everyone stood up as organ music was played in the belief that the service was about to start.

After ten minutes of nothing happening it dawned that the music was simply a recital of some of Milligan's favourite classical pieces and everybody sat down again.

Eddie Izzard had the congregation in stitches when he took to the podium to read the Milligan poem Have A Nice Day and introduced himself by saying: "Good morning. I am the Duke of Kent."

At Peter Sellers' funeral 22 years ago, Sir Harry Secombe sang a hymn and Milligan joked: "I hope you die before me because I don't want you singing at my funeral."

But Sir Harry had the last laugh today when his son David announced they had unearthed a recording of him singing Guide Me, O Thou Great Redeemer and it was played at the service.

Story filed: 12:34 Monday 24th June 2002

Subject: RE: BS: Gunner Milligan
From: C-flat
Date: 24 Jun 02 - 08:42 AM

You can't keep a good man down!

Subject: RE: BS: Gunner Milligan
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 24 Jun 02 - 02:35 PM

And you can just hear Spike yelling 'you bastard!!!!' at David and Harry...

LTS

Subject: RE: BS: Gunner Milligan
From: alanabit
Date: 24 Jun 02 - 02:54 PM

Poignant indeed. I always felt that he paid a very high price for his genius, yet I am sure he wanted to leave us smiling.

Subject: RE: BS: Gunner Milligan
From: GUEST,JohnB
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 12:29 PM

My favourite line from Puckoon some 40 years ago. "My what a spotty bum you've got" JohnB

Subject: RE: BS: Gunner Milligan
From: fat B****rd
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 03:17 PM

My favourite line from Puckoon is "Make people shit and get rich" in reference to laxative adverts.

Subject: RE: BS: Gunner Milligan
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 25 Jun 02 - 03:58 PM

Here is the Puckoon News website, with a link to the BBC report on the memorial srvice (which leads on to various other good stuff, extract from The Last Goon Show and so forth).