Another upsetting round-up of the recently departed. Distinguished actor William Franklyn who, for a generation, was the ‘voice’ of Schweppes, died at the age of 81. He memorably sparred with Morecambe and Wise in The Intelligence Men and was unforgettable as Dick Emery’s fellow con artiste in Ooh, You Are Awful. However, perhaps his finest moment was as the cynical and ill-fated detective in Hammer’s Satantic Rites of Dracula. Another Hammer staple, writer Nigel Kneale, died at the age of 84. Immortal as the creator of Professor Bernard Quatermass, his other work included The Abominable Snowman, Beasts, Kinvig and the film adaptation of John Osborne’s The Entertainer. Robert leaves it to his pals Marcus Hearn and Mark Gatiss to write the eulogizes but, suffice to say, any one who has attempted to write science-fiction owe him a debt of gratitude. And finally, it is with great sadness that Robert has been informed of the death of Diana Coupland. Best-loved as the caring wife of Sid James in the classic 1970s situation comedy Bless This House, Diana was a lovely lady. She was a delight at Robert’s Pinewood tribute to Sid James in 2001; sharing her fond memories of the show with co-star Anthony Jackson. Her many other credits included the Reg Varney film, The Best Pair of Legs in the Business, the vocals for Ursula Andress in the first James Bond film, Dr No, and such popular fare as EastEnders, Holby City and Triangle.