Money. Power. being well known of the telly or flashing your raspberrys in night clubs where the stars hang out.

I sometimes read the obituaries in the paper...of people who've spent a life-time quietly working away at some thing of real value and achieved a lot, but whom hardly any one has heard of until they die. It's very sad

Great point grabec my dear old mam has been a volunteer at the hospice for 12 years.

it reminds me of this is your life programme we watched when we were kids
on a sunday night always someone who had achieved something and non of them less than eighty years old
who had served the country or fought for the empire etc
then itv took it over and the last one i seen had the teletubbies onor some lesser known individual

Is there some advantage in being a celebrity like?

Keeping a low profile has a lot going for it.

Well, yes, for the low profiler. But, sod altruism, if tv was full of low profilers instead of celebrities viewers would be better off

OK let's put that to the test.

Guest: Zsa Zsa Gabor

Achieved something - yep, was the only person to be verbally demolished on screen by Bob Geldof.
Not less than 80 year old - wow, Zsa Zsa was BORN at 80 y.o. - another point to Gremmers.
Served the country or fought for the empire - yes indeed, the Austro-Hungrian Empire!

Can't fault your logic there Mr G.

I was never a This is your Life fan but I do remember seeing it once when John Thaw was the guest and when they brought on all his mates they were complete headcases.

But I remember John Thaw most of all for Alan Brazil's comments:

Alan Brazil: It was sad to hear this morning of the death of John Shaw.
Mike Parry: John Thaw, Alan.
Alan Brazil: Do you know, I always did get his name wrong. John, if you're listening, sorry mate.

Some years ago I had the privilege of meeting Bill Sparks. Now hands up who has heard of him without googling. But he was probably the bravest man I or anyone else ever met Certainly more of a celebrity in my eyes than Jade Goody et al.

Some are born great, some achieve greatness and the talentless hire a P.R man! ........Celebs? ..the only review of them I want to read is their obituary.....gits.

with out looking was sparks one of those most decorated in ww2
familiar name so i will have to google

No he's a total solutions provider in diesel engines and heavy duty transmissions.

I think i might have googled the wrong John Sparks

where the hell did i get john sparks from......bill sparks-window cleaner from doncaster.
i understand now.

Well spotted Ian.

Bill Sparks DCM (many believe it should have been the VC) one of the cockleshell heroes who paddled into Bordeaux harbour and fixed limpet mines to the German fleet. Most didn't make it back alive.


http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/co ... f_1942.htm

"Life on the Ocean Wave" was the theme tune to the film about that mission, I believe.

http://www.contemplator.com/tunebook/america/lifeon.htm

I think you mean Paddy Mayne, only internal politics kept his name off the VC but even so he had a bagful of medals. Mad as a balloon but a brave brave man.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robert_Blair_Mayne

Appropriate seeing as it is the regimental march (theme tune) of the Royal Marines.

I admit if I'd looked a bit harder I could have found a better version, like this one, by ... the band of the Royal Marines!

http://www.emusic.com/samples/m3u/song/ ... 293485.m3u

That was the raid on the dry dock at St Nazaire where the old destoyer HMS Campbeltown was rammed into the gates of the huge drydock, which was the only one capable of repairing German battleships on the Atlantic coast. When it hit the dock gates, Royal Marine commandoes went ashore from the ship and destroyed the pumping station for the dock with explosives. the ship itself was packed with explosives and exploded the next day via a timer and just happened to be crawling with Germans inspecting the vessel.... dock destroyed.
P.S There's an old black and white film called the 'The Gift Horse' which whilea work of fiction is based on the story of what happened, I may be able to get you a copy.

if i remember right he was played by tony newley in the film
full of useless information me

The most heroic part of that was the two British Commandoes who had been taken prisoner by the Germans and had been took to the docks to inspect the damage with the commanding officer. They knew what was going to happen but kept quiet and died in the blast.

That's what Mr Frankiedouremember tries to preach, he likes to keep a low profile !
In fact he's doing a pretty good job now, has he dun one, not heard from him for a while ?

He has lost his spellchecker.