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2019

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This page provides a snapshot of Lyn Paul's career focusing on 2019. To find out what else was happening in 2019 select any of the following options:

In the News
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To find out about the rest of Lyn's career, choose a year from the table below.

1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969
1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976 1977 1978 1979
1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989
1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999
2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009
2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
2020 2021 2022 2023

Lyn Paul, photograph taken in 2019.


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In Print 2019

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Blood Brothers
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July 2019


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On the Net:
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Photo Album:
2019



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Site News
2019



'The Greatest Hits Of Lyn Paul' (album cover).


The Albums 11970-73 (boxed set cover).


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Lyn Paul, photographed in her dressing room at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool on 11th September 2019.


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Lyn Paul, photographed in her dressing room at the Empire Theatre, Liverpool on 11th September 2019.


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Seventy

For Lyn Paul the New Year begins with a 'dry January'. "Decorations down today! 3rd day of dry January. How long I’ll last is anyone’s guess but I’ll give it a go for the sake of my wine-saturated liver!" (3rd January, 11:32am)

On 30th January an album titled The Greatest Hits Of Lyn Paul is released for download and streaming on Amazon and Spotify. The album features recordings made in the 1980s when Lyn recorded for the Crash record label. It includes the singles Echoes Of Love and Make The Night (and both their B-sides), the Future Primitive single Hold Me (mistakenly listed as Hold Me Tonight) and three previously unreleased tracks (Crazy Love, Cry and I'm A Fool To Want You). Bizarrely, the album also includes four tracks that were not recorded by Lyn Paul: Don't Stop The Music, My Love Is Your Love, Smile and When You Gonna Find Her. Upon learning of the album release, Lyn Tweets: "I AM NOT singing on some of the tracks and I know nothing about it. Certainly NO GREATEST HITS ON THIS ALBUM!!!!" (8th February 2019, 3:29pm). Writing on Facebook, she adds: "I’m pretty fed up with companies releasing albums saying that I am on them when I’m not. It’s certainly not fair on the people that buy them."

Two weeks later the New Seekers' eight albums from 1970-73 are re-issued on CD as a boxed set, with an additional album of Loose Ends. The following week The Albums 1970-73 enters the Official Physical Albums Chart at number 43 and the Official Albums Sales Chart at number 54.

On 16th February Lyn Paul celebrates her 70th birthday. The following day BBC Radio Nottingham broadcasts an interview with Lyn, which she had recorded with Paul Robey prior to the 'big day'. Asked how she would be celebrating, Lyn replies: "Well, I've been on the 'dry January' so there'll be a few drinks knocking around, that's for sure! ... I've been told that I have to dress up, but I've left it to my husband and my son and my friends."

When asked about her decision to leave Blood Brothers, Lyn says: "It'd been something that'd been in my mind, not this last tour... but the tour before... Then, on the last tour I did there were two comments that came from journalists. They were very positive, they were lovely about my performance... but two of them said 'how much longer is she going to be able to do this?' because it really is getting beyond the realms of possibility that somebody of her age could be having twin boys..." She adds: "It's not ideal but I prefer being 70 to the alternative!"

At the end of April rumours of a possible return to Blood Brothers emerge on social media. On 9th May these are confirmed by the announcement that Lyn Paul would be returning to Blood Brothers in August for a Farewell Tour. Lyn posts this message on Facebook: "At Last I can say that I will be doing an Autumn Farewell Tour of 'Blood Brothers'. I am thrilled and grateful to Bill Kenwright for asking me to say one final goodbye to ‘Mrs J’. I hope to see some of you on my travels around the country."

Rehearsals for the tour begin in London at the end of July. The cast includes Alexander Patmore as Mickey, Joel Benedict as Eddie, Robbie Scotcher as the Narrator and Danielle Corlass as Linda. Chloe Taylor joins the cast as Mrs. Lyons alongside the more familiar face of Tim Churchill as Mr. Lyons. The night before their first rehearsal Lyn Tweets: "Hubby is in a lovely deep peaceful sleep, snoring away, and as much as I love him, right at this very moment I wish his hair would turn to drumsticks and beat his head in!" (30th July 2019, 4:00am). After rehearsals Lyn Tweets: "Had a great day rehearsing. Have the wonderful Matt Malone as MD. Thank you Matt for all your support! Our lovely newbies are a joy - and so talented - AND Chloe Taylor is wonderful!" (30th July, 9:33pm). On her way to the second day of rehearsals, Lyn Tweets: "On the train... it’s heaving, people climbing on top of each other to get in... IT'S FULL, can’t you see that?!!! And BLOODY WASH BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR ARMPIT IN MY FACE!" (31st July 2019, 9:28am). At the end of the week, she Tweets: "That’s it, rehearsals finished in London. Great week with a wonderful bunch of people, long days but lots of laughs and great to be back!!! Cork, here we come!!!" (3rd August 2019, 7:13pm)


Lyn Paul and the 'Blood Brothers' cast in Cork, 6th August 2019.

Lyn Paul (far right)
pictured with members of the Blood Brothers cast in Cork.
"This lovely bunch are keeping me going!!
Dress rehearsal tomorrow and opening night tomorrow evening."

(6th August 2019, 12:09am)


Up. Down.


After three weeks at the Opera House in Cork the cast and crew return to the UK for a week of shows at the Marlowe Theatre in Canterbury, followed by fortnights at the Empire Theatre in Liverpool, the New Theatre, Cardiff and the Birmingham Hippodrome. At each venue there's a warm welcome back from the critics.

"She had a strong, clear voice but with soft, raspy undertones... She has played the role for several stints since 1997 and her true understanding of the character shows." Rebecca Tuffin, Kent Online

"Lyn Paul triumphed in her return... At the Empire she was simply breathtaking... 10/10 - captivating and exceptional - it remains a must-see theatre experience." Malcolm Hindle, Champion

"For many the definitive Mrs. Johnstone, she delivers the big songs like Tell Me It’s Not True straight from the heart. Here her Mrs. J. is brittle and dignified, going from quiet hurt to unbearable anguish at her decision to give up one of her boys." Lorna Hughes, Liverpool Echo

“As Mrs. Johnstone, Paul gives a believable, easy, and emotive performance.” Alisha McCracken, The Reviews Hub

"Her massive contribution on this her farewell tour in the role is as faultless as ever. In each and every show she sheds real tears. That, in itself, sums up the incredible draw of a drama that will never age." Peter Grant, Wirral Globe

"Lyn Paul steals the show as the boys’ mother, carrying the majority of the musical numbers. Her voice is assured, controlled and expressive, imbued with greater character as the show runs on." Felix Jones, Buzz

"Lyn Paul provided the stand-out voice. The former New Seekers singer set the tone with opening song Marilyn Monroe and brought the house down with heart-wrenching finale Tell Me It's Not True." Harry Leather, Express & Star

"The role of Mrs. Johnstone belongs to Lyn Paul. I've seen this show eight times, both in London and on tour and, whilst every actress I've seen pull that coat on has been outstanding, to me Lyn Paul epitomises the role and is, quite simply, world class. Maybe it's a sentiment that stems from this being Paul's final outing as the matriarch or maybe its pure, unadulterated love for the piece, but watching Lyn on stage this evening wasn't a case of watching an actress go through the motions. It was a feeling of moments of joy and humour mixed with those of sheer devastation, especially during the final number." Dan Richards, Black Country Radio

"She is excellent and stands out in a cast that is talented but fairly inexperienced." Bromsgrove Standard

"Lyn Paul's portrayal of single mum Mrs. Johnstone is incredibly authentic and our heart really bleeds for her, especially during... Easy Terms, Marilyn Monroe and Tell Me It's Not True." Stephanie Balloo, Birmingham Mail


From Birmingham the cast and crew move on to Derby, where Lyn gets another great review:

"Lyn is the actor that I have seen more than any other in this role, and for me will always be my favourite Mrs. Johnstone. She pours every ounce of emotion into her performance, even after all the time she has played this role." Kev Castle Theatre Reviews


The week at the Derby Theatre is full of drama from the first day to the last. On the opening night (Monday, 14th October) Shaun McCourt is called upon to understudy for Joel Benedict for the first time as ‘posh twin’ Eddie. On Friday, 18th October understudy Connor Bannister is asked to play the other twin Mickey for the first time, taking over the role from Alexander Patmore, who is forced out of the show with a shoulder injury. The next day, 35 minutes into the matinée performance, Connor is taken ill while he is on stage. After a ten-minute delay, the performance resumes, with Shaun McCourt coming to the rescue again. Having made his stage début as Eddie at the beginning of the week and having never played the role of Mickey, he now volunteers to read Mickey’s lines from a script - to huge applause from the theatre audience. Sean Jones, a regular in the role of Mickey, makes an “unexpected little trip to Derby” for the evening performance. After a rollercoaster of a day Lyn Tweets: “Huge respect to @shaunmc1986 and all the cast of @TourBlood for this afternoon. Equal respect to @seany180 - so good to work with him one last time - and massive love to our 2 mates and colleagues Alex and Connor. Hope you’re both feeling better soon!!! xxxxx.” (20th October 2019, 1:52am)

After Derby the cast and crew move on to the New Theatre, Hull, where Alexander Patmore resumes the role of Mickey.

"I do have to give a special shout out to Alexander Patmore as Mickey, and Lyn Paul as Mrs. Johnstone... At the age of 70, she seems as spritely as ever and has a remarkable voice." Karl Hornsey, On: Yorkshire Magazine

"Lyn Paul’s singing voice was so tuneful, loud, clear and full of emotion at times, I could have listened to her all night." Jackie Foottit, North West End


The tour continues to the Grand Opera House in York, where Lyn gets more great reviews:

"Blood Brothers continues its triumphant circuit on our stages with Lyn Paul reinstated as Mrs. Johnstone for one last time. Paul, voted ‘the definitive Mrs. Johnstone’, proves wholeheartedly that the accolade is entirely deserved and then some." ***** Eliza Hayward, Always Time For Theatre

"At the heart of the drama is the twins’ mother, Mrs. Johnstone, played for the final time by Lyn Paul, of the 1970s’ New Seekers, who’s still got a great voice and conveys so powerfully the permanent anguish of having given up her child." Mike Laycock, York Press


After York, it's Crewe, where Blood Brothers breaks box office records. The Chester Chronicle and Macclesfield Express both report that Blood Brothers had become "the best-selling week-long show ever at Crewe Lyceum Theatre." Unfortunately Lyn misses out on the record-breaking run. Having travelled to Crewe with her husband Alan, she is forced to sit out the shows in her hotel room. On the show's last day in York Lyn had Tweeted: "Been fighting a cold and sore throat for the last few days. It’s finally taken hold, I have no voice. I am in bed dosed up! So sorry if you were coming to see me today but I know you will love Chloe Taylor. Back to sleep for me. X" (2nd November, 3:24pm). This is followed by another Tweet on 6th November: "Can’t apologise enough to people who were coming to see me and I’m not on. Poorly in my hotel in Crewe. My company manager has been amazing making sure I have everything I need... trying my best to get back ASAP!" (6th November, 8:49pm). The following day Lyn Tweets a photo of "goodies" sent to her by her agent to speed her recovery.


Goodies from Lyn's agent.

"Who has the best agent in the world? ME!!!"
(7th November 2019, 12:27pm)


Up. Down.


Lyn returns for the shows in Hastings, where she is well looked after by the staff at the White Rock Hotel. At the end of the week, Lyn Tweets: "Had a great week in Hastings especially staying @whiterockhotel. Thank you so much to Beaj, Ella and all the staff for looking after me so beautifully. I haven’t been well so it was a joy to be so comfortable!!" (16th November, 12:50pm)

From White Rock Theatre in Hastings it's a relatively short trip to the Orchard Theatre in Dartford, where Lyn is congratulated on "a powerful and emotional performance..." (Dan English, The Reviews Hub)

The cast and crew then have a week off before completing the tour with a week at the Sunderland Empire and a final week at the Congress Theatre in Eastbourne.

“The role seems second nature to Paul who’s [sic] authentic portrayal of a struggling mum pulls on heartstrings...” Poppy Kennedy, Sunderland Echo

"Her performance is outstanding... " Annemarie Field, Eastbourne Herald


After the Blood Brothers tour is over, Lyn, her husband Alan and son Ryan fly to New York for Christmas and New Year.


Alan, Lyn and Ryan at Winter Village, Bryant Park Ice Rink, New York, Christmas Day 2019.

"Merry Christmas everyone.
Love from the three of us here in New York."

(25th December 2019, 5:39pm)


Up. Down.


Incidentally...

On Saturday, 6th May Faye Tozer of Steps takes over the role of Miss Hedge in the hit West End musical Everybody's Talking About Jamie. In 2011 Faye had starred alongside Lyn Paul in the jukebox musical Rhinestone Mondays. Also joining the Jamie cast on 6th May is the Season 6 winner of RuPaul's Drag Race, Bianca Del Rio (Roy Haylock).

In July the Scottish singer Arlene has a hit on the Hotdisc Country charts with a song written by former New Seeker Marty Kristian. Right Time, Right Place makes it to number 9 on the European Hotdisc Chart (18th August 2019) and spends five weeks at number 2 on the British & Irish Hotdisc Chart (11th August - 8th September 2019).

On Wednesday, 9th October Ian ‘H‘ Watkins of Steps, who had also starred in Rhinestone Mondays, features on the front page of The Sun newspaper. In a Sun 'exclusive' the paper reveals that Ian would be making “telly history” as part of the first same-sex couple to compete on ITV’s Dancing With The Stars.


Autograph.


Up. Down.

In the News - 2019
   
Jan

Daryl Dragon, the 'Captain' from Captain and Tennille, dies on 2nd January, aged 76.
On 3rd January the Chinese Chang'e-4 spacecraft lands on the dark side of the Moon.
The mayor of the Polish city of Gdansk, Pawel Adamowicz, dies on 14th January, a day after being stabbed on stage at a charity event in front of hundreds of people.
On 15th January the DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi is attacked by members of the Somalia-based militant group al-Shabab.
On the same day Members of Parliament in the UK vote by 432 votes to 202 to reject the government's Brexit Withdrawal Agreement, the largest defeat for a sitting government in history.
Carol Channing, best known for her stage roles in the musicals Gentlemen Prefer Blondes and Hello, Dolly! and for the role of Muzzy Van Hossmere the film Thoroughly Modern Millie, dies on 15th January, aged 97.
Windsor Davies, best known for his role as the Sergeant Major in the BBC sitcom It Ain't Half Hot Mum (1974-81), dies on 17th January, aged 88.
On the same day 22 people are killed and 68 injured in a car bomb attack at the General Santander National Police Academy in Bogotá, Colombia. The car's driver is among those killed.
The footballer Emiliano Sala, newly signed to play for Cardiff City, dies in a plane crash off Alderney on 21st January. The plane's wreckage is discovered on 3rd February; Sala's body is recovered four days later.
The composer Michel Legrand, who won an Oscar in 1968 for his song The Windmills Of Your Mind, dies on 24th February, aged 86.
A dam collapses at the Córrego do Feijão iron ore mine near Brumadinho in south-eastern Brazil on 25th January, resulting in the deaths of at least 186 people.

Feb

Albert Finney, whose many film roles included Arthur in Saturday Night And Sunday Morning (1960), 'Sir' in The Dresser (1983) and Ed Masry in Erin Brockovich (2000), dies on 7th February, aged 82.
On 9th February Norfolk Police confirm that The Duke of Edinburgh had voluntarily surrendered his driving licence, following his Land Rover's collision with another vehicle near The Queen’s Sandringham estate on 17th January.
Former England goalkeeper Gordon Banks dies on 12th February, aged 81.
A least 40 Indian troops are killed in a suicide bombing in Indian-administered Kashmir on 14th February, prompting retaliatory air strikes in Pakistan by the Indian air force. Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman, whose plane is shot down in Pakistan-administered Kashmir, is handed back to Indian officials on Friday, 1st March.
On 15th February Ariana Grande becomes the first female artist in UK singles chart history to replace herself at number one when Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored supplants 7 Rings as the nation's top-selling single.
On the same day US President Donald Trump declares an emergency to raise funds for a Mexican border wall after Congress had refused to approve $5.7billion for the wall to be built.
On 16th February the Vatican announces that Theodore McCarrick, the former Archbishop of Washington DC, had been laicized for sexual misconduct.
On the same day the East Midlands-based airline flybmi cancels all its flights and files for administration.
Seven Labour MPs - Luciana Berger, Ann Coffey, Mike Gapes, Chris Leslie, Gavin Shuker, Angela Smith and Chuka Umunna - quit the party on 18th February in protest at Jeremy Corbyn's handling of Brexit and his perceived failure to tackle anti-Semitism within the Labour party.
Karl Lagerfeld, the former creative director of the French fashion house Chanel, dies in Paris on 19th February, following a short illness.
Peter Tork of The Monkees dies on 21st February, aged 77.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari is re-elected for a second four-year term in elections held on 23rd February.
At the 91st Academy Awards ceremony on 24th February Green Book wins the Academy Award for Best Picture. Olivia Coleman wins the Best Actress award for portraying Anne, Queen of Great Britain in The Favourite; Rami Malek wins the Best Actor award for his role as Freddie Mercury in Bohemian Rhapsody.
On 26th February a temperature of 21.2°C is recorded at Kew Gardens, London, breaking the UK record for the warmest Winter day for the second day in a row. The unseasonal high temperatures spark a fire near Saddleworth Moor between Huddersfield and Manchester and a gorse fire on Arthur's Seat in Edinburgh.
On 27th February North Korean WPK Chairman Kim Jong-un and US President Donald Trump begin a two-day summit meeting at the Metropole Hotel in Hanoi. The following day the summit is cut short without any agreement being reached on nuclear weapons or trade sanctions.
The composer and conductor André Previn dies on 28th February, aged 89.

Mar

Keith Flint of The Prodigy, who sang lead vocals on both the band's number one singles, Breathe and Firestarter, is found dead at his home in Essex on 4th March.
On 5th March three packages containing explosives are found at Heathrow Airport, London City Airport and Waterloo station.
On 7th March US President Donald Trump's ex-campaign manager Paul Manafort is given a 47-month jail sentence for fraud.
An Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737 Max-8 (Flight ET302) crashes shortly after take-off from Addis Ababa on 10th March, killing all 149 passengers and eight crew members on board.
On 12th March MPs vote against the UK government's revised Brexit Withdrawal Agreement by 391 votes to 242. On 13th March they vote against the prospect of the UK leaving the European Union without a deal and on 14th March vote by 413 to 202 to extend the deadline for leaving beyond the planned exit date of 29th March.
On Friday, 15th March fifty people are killed and at least 20 wounded in shootings at two mosques in Christchurch, New Zealand.
On Monday, 18th March a man fires a gun at passengers on a tram in the Dutch city of Utrecht.
On Friday, 22nd March, at a summit in Brussels, EU leaders agree on a plan to delay the Article 50 process, postponing Brexit beyond 29th March.
On Saturday, 23rd March more than a million people march through central London, in support of another EU referendum.
Scott Walker, who twice topped the UK singles chart with The Walker Brothers, dies on 25th March, aged 76.

Apr

Minimum wage rates rise in the UK on 1st April. The National Living Wage for workers aged 25 and over rises from £7.83 to £8.21 an hour.
On 3rd April the small South-East Asian nation of Brunei introduces a strict new interpretation of Islamic laws, or Sharia, making adultery and anal sex offences punishable by stoning to death. On 6th May, following an outcry over the new laws, including boycotts and celebrity protests, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah extends a moratorium on the death penalty to cover the new legislation.
On 10th April the European Council grants another extension to the Article 50 period, setting a new Brexit deadline of 31st October 2019.
Israel's Beresheet spacecraft - the first privately-funded mission to the Moon - crashes on 11th April, while attempting to land on the lunar surface.
WikiLeaks co-founder Julian Assange, who had taken refuge in Ecuadorian embassy in London in 2012, is arrested on the same day.
Notre-Dame cathedral catches fire on 15th April, causing its spire and roof to collapse. Firefighters save the façade, towers, walls, buttresses and stained glass windows.
On 17th April a bus carrying German tourists plunges off a road and overturns near the town of Caniço on the Portuguese island of Madeira. At least 29 people lose their lives; 27 others are injured.
The Report On The Investigation Into Russian Interference In The 2016 Presidential Election by Special Counsel Robert S. Mueller is published on 18th April. The Report concludes that the US President Donald Trump did not collude with the Russians but reveals several occasions when he tried to hinder the investigation itself - including attempting to have Mr. Mueller removed.
At least 253 people are killed and at least 500 more injured in explosions at churches and hotels in Sri Lanka on Easter Sunday (21st April).
A journalist, Lyra McKee, is shot in the head and killed on Thursday, 25th April while observing rioting in Londonderry's Creggan estate. The New IRA later claims responsibility.
On Saturday, 27th April a gunman opens fire on people attending a Passover celebration at the Chabad synagogue in Poway, north of San Diego, killing one woman and wounding three other people.
The Spanish Socialist Workers' Party (PSOE) led by Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez wins 28.7% of the vote and 123 seats in the general election held in Spain on Sunday, 28 April
On Tuesday, 30th April Japan's Emperor Akihito declares his abdication due to his age and declining health in a historic ceremony at the Imperial Palace in Tokyo. He is succeeded by his eldest son, Naruhito.

May

On 1st May the UK’s Defence Secretary Gavin Williamson is sacked, following an investigation into the unauthorised disclosure of information from a National Security Council meeting on 23rd April. The leak, first reported in the Daily Telegraph, revealed a plan to allow the Chinese firm Huawei to help build the UK's new 5G network.
In the Local Government elections held in England on 2nd May the Conservative Party loses 1,334 seats while the Labour Party loses 82. The Liberal Democrats gain 703 seats with the Greens and independents also making gains.
An Aeroflot flight from Moscow–Sheremetyevo to Murmansk (Flight 1492) makes an emergency landing at Sheremetyevo on 5th May after being struck by lightning. The rear of the plane bursts into flames after a bumpy landing. Forty-one of the 78 people on board are killed.
The Duchess of Sussex gives birth to a boy on 6th May. The Duke and Duchess name their newborn son Archie Harrison Mountbatten-Windsor.
Two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who had been jailed in Myanmar for their reporting on the Rohingya crisis, are freed from prison on 7th May.
Comedian Freddie Starr dies on 9th May, aged 76. Following the news of his death, Lyn Paul Tweets: "I did four Summer Seasons with Freddie Starr.... that was an experience I can tell you!! RIP Fred x" (Twitter, 10th May 2019, 3:41pm)
Doris Day dies on 13th May, aged 97.
The Jeremy Kyle Show is taken off the air on the same day, following the death of Steven Dymond, a 63-year-old man who had been found dead on 9th May, a week after appearing on the programme, in which he had taken and failed a lie detector test.
Taiwan's parliament becomes the first in Asia to legalise same-sex marriage following a vote on Friday, 17th May.
The Netherlands' Duncan Laurence wins the 64th Eurovision Song Contest with the song Arcade. The United Kingdom's Michael Rice comes in last place with the song Bigger Than Us after getting just three points from the public vote.
Three-time F1 World Drivers' Champion Niki Lauda dies on 20th May, aged 70.
The UK restaurants owned by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver go into administration on 21st May.
On 24th May Theresa May announces that she will quit as Conservative leader on 7th June.

June

On 3rd June the US President Donald Trump arrives in the United Kingdom for a three-day state visit.
The Queen's Birthday Honours List, published on 7th June, includes a CBE for Oscar-winner Olivia Colman, OBEs for Elvis Costello, Feargal Sharkey and Griff Rhys Jones, and a Knighthood for the actor Simon Russell Beale.
Two oil tankers, the Front Altair and the Kokuka Courageous, are damaged by explosions in the Gulf of Oman on Thursday, 13th June.
Italian film director Franco Zeffirelli dies on Saturday, 15th June, aged 96.
On the same day the Hong Kong government suspends its controversial plan to allow extraditions to mainland China. This does not prevent nearly two million people taking to the streets on Sunday, 16th June, demanding that the extradition bill be scrapped, not just suspended.
Egypt's former President Mohammed Morsi, who was ousted from power by the military in 2013, collapses and dies of a heart attack on 17th June while on trial for espionage.
Ekrem Imamoglu beats the ruling AK Party's candidate, former Prime Minister Binali Yildirim in the re-run of Istanbul's mayoral election, held on 23rd June. His victory in the previous election on 31st March had been annulled after the AKP had alleged irregularities.
At the end of June Europe is hit by a heat wave, with temperatures across the continent exceeding 40°C. Germany, France, Poland and the Czech Republic all record their highest ever June temperatures. On 28th June a temperature of 45.9°C (114.6°F) is recorded in the French village of Gallargues-le-Montueux.
Donald Trump becomes the first sitting US president to set foot in North Korea when he meets Kim Jong-un and Moon Jae-in on 30th June in the demilitarised zone dividing the two Koreas.

July

An Iranian oil tanker, Grace 1, is detained by British Royal Marine commandos off Gibraltar on 4th July on the suspicion that it is bound for Syria, in violation of European Union sanctions.
On Sunday, 7th July Jodrell Bank Observatory is awarded UNESCO World Heritage Site status.
In the Greek legislative election held on the same day the New Democracy party, led by Kyriakos Mitsotakis, wins 158 of the 300 seats in the Hellenic Parliament.
Sir Kim Darroch resigns as the British Ambassador to the United States on 10th July, following the publication of leaked confidential e-mails in which he described the White House as "uniquely dysfunctional" and "divided" under Donald Trump.
On 22nd July Jo Swinson succeeds Sir Vince Cable as the leader of the Liberal Democrats, after decisively beating Sir Ed Davey in a poll of party members.
On the same day Carl Beech, who had made false allegations of murder and child sexual abuse against public figures, is jailed for 18 years.
On 23rd July Boris Johnson is elected leader of the Conservative Party. He takes over from Theresa May as Prime Minister the next day.
The US Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announces on 24th July that Facebook had agreed to pay a record $5 billion fine to settle the FTC investigation into the improper use of Facebook users' personal data by the British political consultancy Cambridge Analytica.
Cambridge University Botanic Garden measures a temperature of 38.7°C (101.7°F) on Thursday, 25th July, beating the previous UK record of 38.5°C (101.3°F), set in Faversham, Kent in 2003. Meanwhile new record highs are recorded in Belgium (41.8°C), France (42.6°C), Germany (41.5°C), Luxembourg (40.8°C) and the Netherlands (40.7°C).
A riot breaks out at the Altamira prison in Pará, Brazil on 29th July. Sixteen people are beheaded, 46 more suffocate after part of the prison is set on fire.
Broadway producer Hal Prince dies on 31st July, aged 91.

Aug

1,500 people are evacuated from parts of Whaley Bridge, Furness Vale and New Mills in Derbyshire on 1st August after heavy rainfall causes part of the spillway at Toddbrook Reservoir to collapse.
On 3rd August a gunman (later named as Patrick Crusius) shoots and kills 22 people at a Walmart store in El Paso. 24 others are injured.
Five scientists are killed and three injured in an accident on Thursday, 8th August at a Russian military facility near the village of Nyonoksa, where a nuclear-powered engine was being tested.
On 9th August at about 5.00pm nearly one million people in England and Wales are affected by a power cut, which occurs after the Little Barford power station and Hornsea offshore wind farm both fail.
Typhoon Lekima makes landfall in Zhejiang late on 9th August and makes its second landfall in Shandong on 11th August, causing widespread damage and killing at least 56 people.
US financier and convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein is found dead in his cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center (MCC) in New York City at 6.30am on 10th August.
On 15th August Captain Damir Yusupov and his co-pilot Georgi Murzin safely crash-land an Airbus A321 (Usral Airlines Flight 178) after a flock of gulls gets sucked into its engines, causing both to fail. All 226 passengers and seven crew survive.
On the same day Gibraltar's Chief Minister Fabian Picardo confirms that the Grace 1 oil tanker had been "released from detention", despite efforts by the United States to halt the move.
Peter Fonda, star of Easy Rider, dies on 16th August, aged 79.
63 people are killed and more than 180 injured in an Islamic State (IS) suicide bomb attack at a wedding in Kabul on Saturday, 17th August.
On Wednesday, 21st August Donald Trump announces on Twitter that he is postponing a visit to Denmark "based on Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen’s comments, that she would have no interest in discussing the purchase of Greenland."
The UK enjoys the hottest late August Bank Holiday on record, with the temperature reaching a high of 33.3°C on Sunday, 26th August.
A 19-year-old motorcyclist, Harry Dunn, dies on 27th August after his motorcycle is involved in an acc8dent near RAF Croughton in Northamptonshire with a car driving on the wrong side of the road. The driver of the car, Anne Sacoolas, the wife of a US intelligence official stationed at RAF Croughton, is interviewed by police but then returns to the United States after claiming diplomatic immunity.
On Wednesday, 28th August Boris Johnson announces his plan to suspend Parliament for 23 working days in the run-up to Brexit. The announcement prompts protesters to gather outside Parliament and in Whitehall, followed by further protests on Saturday, 31st August in more than 30 towns and cities across the UK. An e-petition on the government's website demanding Parliament not be suspended reaches more than a million signatures in less than a day.
Ruth Davidson resigns as leader of the Scottish Conservatives on 29th August after eight years in the job.
Valerie Harper, best known for her role as Rhoda Morgenstern on The Mary Tyler Moore Show (1970–77) and its spinoff Rhoda (1974–78), dies on 30th August, aged 80.

Sep

Hurricane Dorian, the second-strongest Atlantic hurricane on record, hits the Bahamas on 1st September.
On Wednesday, 3rd September the Chief Executive of Hong Kong Carrie Lam announces that the government will withdraw the controversial extradition bill that had triggered 14 weeks of public protest.
Robert Mugabe, the Prime Minister of Zimbabwe from 1980 to 1987 and President from 1987 to 2017, dies on Thursday, 5th September, aged 95.
On the same day Jo Johnson, the brother of British Prime Minister Boris Johnson, announces his resignation as a Member of Parliament and government minister, saying that he was "torn between family loyalty and the national interest." Two days later Amber Rudd resigns as Secretary of State for Work and Pensions and surrenders the Conservative Party whip.
On Friday, 6th September the High Court in London rejects a legal challenge from businesswoman Gina Miller, who claimed that Boris Johnson's advice to the Queen to suspend Parliament was "an unlawful abuse of power."
The playwright Peter Nichols dies on 7th September, aged 92.
British Airways pilots begin a two-day strike on 9th September.
On 11th September a panel of three judges at the Court of Session in Scotland rules that the suspension of the UK Parliament shortly before 2.00am on 10th September was unlawful.
Oil production is halted at the Abqaiq processing facility and the Khurais oil field in Saudi Arabia following an attack by a swarm of explosive drones on Saturday, 14th September.
The UK tour operator Thomas Cook ceases trading on 23rd September after being declared financially insolvent. The UK government charters 45 jets to bring home more than 150,000 holiday makers stranded abroad.
On 24th September the Supreme Court rules that Boris Johnson's suspension of Parliament was unlawful.
The former President of France Jacques Chirac dies on 26th September, aged 86.
The opera singer Jessye Norman dies on 30th September, aged 84.

Oct

On Tuesday, 1st October China celebrates 70 years of Communist Party rule with a military parade in Tiananmen Square. The celebrations contrast with a day of unrest in Hong Kong, where police shoot at protesters with live bullets.
On Friday 4th October Hong Kong Chief Executive Carrie Lam invokes a rarely used colonial-era law to ban protesters from wearing face masks to hide their identity. The move serves only to trigger further violent demonstrations.
On the same day an expanded anniversary edition of The Beatles' Abbey Road reaches number one in the UK, 50 years after the album first topped the album charts.
On 9th October (Yom Kippur) two people are shot dead in Halle, Germany, after a gunman tries and fails to shoot worshippers inside the city's synagogue.
On the same day, following the withdrawal of United States Armed Forces from north-eastern Syria, Turkish troops cross the border with Syria and launch attacks on the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).
On 11th October the Prime Minister of Ethiopia, Abiy Ahmed, wins the Nobel Peace Prize for his role in ending the 20-year war between Ethiopia and Eritrea.
Typhoon Hagibis hits Japan on Saturday, 12th October, triggering floods and landslides and causing three Rugby World Cup matches to be cancelled.
On Monday, 14th October nine Catalan politicians and activists are given jail sentences of between 9 and 13 years by Spain's Supreme Court for their roles in the illegal independence referendum of 2017. The verdict triggers pro-independence demonstrations in towns and cities throughout the region with protesters closing down roads and rail links and disrupting flights from Barcelona's El Prat Airport. Thousands of people converge in the Catalan capital on Friday evening as part of a general strike.
The European Union and the United Kingdom agree a revised Brexit deal on Thursday, 17th October.
Chile’s President, Sebastian Pinera, declares a state of emergency in Santiago on 18th October after a day of violent protests over increases in the price of metro tickets.
On 19th October the UK Parliament sits on a Saturday for the first time in 37 years to vote on Boris Johnson's Brexit agreement with the EU. MPs vote by 322 votes to 306 to withhold approval of the deal, until the legislation to enact it is safely passed. Outside Parliament an estimated 1 million supporters of a “People’s vote” converge on Westminster demanding a second Brexit referendum.
In the 43rd Canadian general election held on 21st October the Liberals led by Justin Trudeau see their representation in the House of Commons reduced from 177 to 157 seats, 13 short of a majority.
The bodies of 39 people are discovered in a refrigerated lorry trailer in Purfleet, Essex on Wednesday, 23rd October.
The remains of General Franco are exhumed on 24th October and taken to a private family vault at a cemetery in Madrid, where they are re-buried next to his late wife.
On 27th October Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, the leader of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL), kills himself by detonating a suicide vest during a US military operation in north-west Syria.
Alberto Fernández is elected President of Argentina, winning almost half (48.10%) of the votes cast in the election on 27th October. Former President Cristina Fernández de Kirchner becomes Vice President.
The Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 1 report is published on 30th October. The report finds that the refurbished exterior walls of the building were not compliant with building regulations and that there were "serious shortcomings" in the response of the London Fire Brigade on the night of the fire.
On 31st October a passenger train catches fire while traveling from Karachi to Rawalpindi, causing the deaths of at least 75 people on board.

Nov

On 4th November Mothercare announces plans to put its UK retail business into administration.
On 7th November Justice Saliann Scarpulla orders President Donald Trump to pay $2m for misusing funds from his charity, The Donald J. Trump Foundation, to finance his 2016 political campaign.
On the same day, following above average rainfall during October, parts of England are deluged with a month's worth of rain in a day. The body of Annie Hall, the former High Sheriff of Derbyshire, is discovered in the early hours of Friday, 8th November, after she had been swept away by flood water in Darley Dale, near Matlock.
In the general election held on 10th November Spain's governing Socialists (PSOE) win the most seats but fell short of a majority, with right-wing parties making major gains.
Following his disputed re-election the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, resigns on 10th November and flies to Mexico two days later, where he is granted political asylum.
The 2019 Hong Kong District Council elections are held on 24th November. Pro-democracy contenders are victorious in 347 of the 452 seats being contested, giving them control of 17 of the 18 district councils.
The Australian writer and broadcaster Clive James dies on 24th November, aged 80.
The chef and TV presenter Gary Rhodes dies from a head injury on 26th November, aged 59.
Usman Khan, a convicted terrorist who was released from prison in December 2018, is shot dead by police on London Bridge on Friday, 29th November, after he had fatally stabbed two people - Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt - who had been attending an offender rehabilitation conference at Fishmongers' Hall.

Dec

Former England cricket captain Bob Willis dies on Wednesday, 4th December, aged 70.
On the same day Germany expels two Russian diplomats, accusing Russia and its federal subject the Republic of Chechnya of sponsoring the assassination of Zelimkhan Khangoshvili, a 40-year-old former Chechen rebel commander, who was shot in the head from behind in the Kleiner Tiergarten park on 23rd August.
On Thursday, 5th December France is paralysed by a general strike with workers taking to the streets in protest at planned pension reforms.
On Friday, 6th December Indian police shoot dead four men arrested on suspicion of raping and killing a 27-year-old woman in Hyderabad, after taking the men back to the scene of the crime.
On the same day a Saudi aviation student, Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, kills three people and injures at least eight others at an air force base in Pensacola, Florida, before being shot dead by a sheriff's deputy. The shootings come just two days after a US sailor had shot dead two workers before taking his own life at the Pearl Harbor military base near Honolulu in Hawaii.
On Sunday, 8th December a fire breaks out at a bag factory in Delhi, killing 43 workers.
Marie Fredriksson of Roxette dies on Monday, 9th December, aged 61.
The Whakaari / White Island volcano in New Zealand erupts on the same day.
On 11th December the Citizenship (Amendment) Act, 2019 is passed by the Parliament of India, providing a path to Indian citizenship for religious minorities from neighboring countries, with the exception of Muslims. The Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights criticises it as "fundamentally discriminatory".
The Conservative Party led by Boris Johnson wins the general election held in the UK on Thursday, 12th December with a House of Commons majority of 80 seats. The leader of the Liberal Democrats, Jo Swinson, resigns as party leader after losing her seat in East Dunbartonshire; the leader of the Labour Party, Jeremy Corbyn, also announces his intention to resign.
On 18th December the US House of Representatives votes to impeach President Donald Trump. A Congressional inquiry had found that the President solicited foreign interference in the 2020 US presidential election to help his re-election bid, and obstructed the inquiry by telling his administration officials to ignore subpoenas for documents and testimony.
On the same day Australia records its hottest day ever - for the second day in a row. The record national average temperature of 40.9°C recorded on 17th December is immediately broken on the 18th with an average of 41.9°C. On 19th December a seven-day state of emergency is declared in New South Wales, where wildfires continued to burn and shroud Sydney in smog.
15,000 nurses in Northern Ireland go on a one-day strike on 18th December for better pay and increased staffing.
Footballer Martin Peters, who scored England's second goal in the 1966 World Cup final against Germany and played club football for West Ham United, Tottenham Hotspur, Norwich City and Sheffield United, dies on 21st December, aged 76.
The composer and lyricist Jerry Herman, best known for the musicals Hello, Dolly! (1964), Mame (1966) and La Cage Aux Folles (1984), dies on 26th December, at the age of 88.
A Bek Air Fokker 100 (Flight 2100 from Almaty to Nur-Sultan in Kazakhstan) crashes shortly after take off on 27th December, killing 12 of the people on board.
In the New Year Honours list, published at 10.30pm on 27th December, Olivia Newton-John is made a Dame and Sir Elton John is made a Companion of Honour. On the following day the government apologises for accidentally publishing the addresses of more than 1,000 people on the list.
Neil Innes, best known for collaborating with Monty Python and for his work with the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and The Rutles, dies on 29th December, aged 75.
The first cases of a newly-discovered coronavirus (COVID-19) are reported in Wuhan, China on 31st December.


Autograph.


In the Charts
 

UK Chart débuts
 
  • Aitch
  • Joel Corry
  • Dermot Kennedy
  • Lil Nas X
  • Lizzo
  • Regard
  • Roddy Ricch
  • Saint Jhn
  • Tones & I

UK Best-selling Singles

Old Town Road (single cover).

  • Aitch
    Taste (Make It Shake)

  • Lewis Capaldi
    Before You Go

  • Lewis Capaldi
    Hold Me While You Wait

  • Lewis Capaldi
    Someone You Loved

  • Dave featuring Burna Boy
    Location

  • Billie Eilish
    Bad Guy

  • Billie Eilish
    Bury A Friend

  • Ellie Goulding
    River

  • Ariana Grande
    Break Up With Your Girlfriend, I'm Bored

  • Ariana Grande
    7 Rings

  • Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus, Lana Del Rey
    Don't Call Me Angel (Charlie's Angels)

  • Calvin Harris & Ran'n'Bone Man
    Giant

  • Dermot Kennedy
    Outnumbered

  • Kygo & Whitney Houston
    Higher Love

  • Ladbaby
    I Love Sausage Rolls

  • Lil Nas X
    Old Town Road

  • Dua Lipa
    Don't Start Now

  • Mabel
    Don't Call Me Up

  • Madonna featuring Maluma
    Medellin

  • Maroon 5
    Memories

  • Meduza featuring Goodboys
    Piece Of Your Heart

  • Shawn Mendes & Camila Cabello
    Senorita

  • P!nk
    Walk Me Home

  • Post Malone
    Circles

  • Post Malone
    Wow.

  • Regard
    Ride It

  • Freya Ridings
    Lost Without You

  • RSPB
    Let Nature Sing

  • Ed Sheeran featuring Chance The Rapper and PNB Rock
    Cross Me

  • Ed Sheeran & Justin Bieber
    I Don't Care

  • Ed Sheeran featuring Khalid
    Beautiful People

  • Ed Sheeran featuring Stormzy
    Take Me Back To London

  • Sam Smith
    How Do You Sleep

  • Sam Smith & Normani
    Dancing With A Stranger

  • Stormzy
    Crown

  • Stormzy
    Vossi Bop

  • Harry Styles
    Lights Up

  • Taylor Swift featuring Brendon Urie
    Me

  • Tones & I
    Dance Monkey

  • AJ Tracey
    Ladbroke Grove

  • Tom Walker
    Just You And I

  • Westlife
    Hello My Love


'Dance Monkey' (single cover).

Hit Albums

'Real Life' (album cover).

  • Aitch
    Aitch20

  • Bryan Adams
    Shine A Light

  • Amo
    Bring Me The Horizon

  • James Arthur
    You

  • Backstreet Boys
    DNA

  • Michael Ball
    Coming Home To You

  • Michael Ball & Alfie Boe
    Back Together

  • Bananarama
    In Stereo

  • James Blake
    Assume Form

  • James Blunt
    Once Upon A Mind

  • BTS
    Map Of The Soul - Persona

  • Busted
    Half Way There

  • Lewis Capaldi
    Divinely Inspired To A Hellish Extent

  • Leonard Cohen
    Thanks For The Dance

  • Coldplay
    Everyday Life

  • The Cranberries
    In The End

  • Dave
    Psychodrama

  • Lana Del Rey
    Norman F**king Rockwell

  • Dido
    Still On My Mind

  • The Divine Comedy
    Office Politics

  • Billie Eilish
    When We All Fall Asleep Where Do We Go

  • Elbow
    Giants Of All Sizes

  • Sam Fender
    Hypersonic Missiles

  • Foals
    Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost, Pt. 1

  • Foals
    Everything Not Saved Will Be Lost, Pt. 2

  • Dori Freeman
    Every Single Star

  • Liam Gallagher
    Why Me? Why Not.

  • Ariana Grande
    Thank U, Next

  • Trevor Horn
    Reimagines The Eighties

  • Keane
    Cause And Effect

  • Dermot Kennedy
    Without Fear

  • Chaka Khan
    Hello Happiness

  • Lighthouse Family
    Blue Sky In Your Head

  • Jeff Lynne's ELO
    From Out Of Nowhere

  • Madonna
    Madame X

  • Freddie Mercury
    Never Boring

  • Mercury Rev
    Bobbie Gentry's The Delta Sweete Revisited

  • Kylie Minogue
    Step Back In Time - The Definitive Kylie Minogue

  • Van Morrison
    Three Chords And The Truth

  • Morrissey
    California Son

  • P!nk
    Hurts 2B Human

  • Post Malone
    Hollywood's Bleeding

  • Claire Richards
    My Wildest Dreams

  • Freya Ridings
    Freya Ridings

  • The Rolling Stones
    Honk

  • Emeli Sandé
    Real Life

  • The Script
    Sunsets & Full Moons

  • Ed Sheeran
    No. 6 Collaborations Project

  • Simply Red
    Blue Eyed Soul

  • Snow Patrol
    Reworked

  • The Specials
    Encore

  • Bruce Springsteen
    Western Stars

  • Status Quo
    Backbone

  • Rod Stewart
    You're In My Heart

  • Stormzy
    Heavy Is The Head

  • Harry Styles
    Fine Line

  • Taylor Swift
    Lover

  • Various Artists
    BBC Children In Need: Got It Covered

  • Tom Walker
    What A Time To Be Alive

  • Ward Thomas
    Restless Minds

  • Paul Weller
    Other Aspects - Live At The Royal

  • The Who
    Who

  • Robbie Williams
    The Christmas Present

  • Will Young
    Lexicon


Western Stars (CD cover).

At the Movies
 
 
  • The Addams Family
  • The Aeronauts
  • Aladdin
  • All Is True
  • Angel Has Fallen
  • Avengers: Endgame
  • Beautiful Boy
  • Boy Erased
  • Brightburn
  • Can You Ever Forgive Me?
  • Captain Marvel
  • Cats
  • Charlie's Angels
  • Collette
  • Destroyer
  • Detective Pikachu
  • Downton Abbey
  • Dumbo
  • The Front Runner
  • Frozen 2
  • Glass
  • Godzilla: King Of The Monsters
  • The Goldfinch
  • The Good Liar
  • Green Book
  • Harriet
  • Hobbs And Shaw
  • Horrible Histories
  • How To Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World
  • If Beale Street Could Talk
  • Instant Family
  • It: Chapter 2
  • Joker
  • Judy & Punch
  • Late Night
  • The Lego Movie 2: The Second Part
  • The Lion King
  • Mary Queen Of Scots
  • Masters Of The Universe
  • Men In Black International
  • Missing Link
  • On The Basis Of Sex
  • Once Upon A Time In Hollywood
  • A Private War
  • A Rainy Day In New York (Woody Allen)
  • Rocketman
  • The Secret Life Of Pets 2
  • Shazam!
  • Spider-Man: Far From Home
  • Stan And Ollie
  • Star Wars: Episode IX
  • Toy Story 4
  • Us
  • Vice
  • The White Crow
  • The Woman In The Window
  • Wonder Park
  • X-Men: Dark Phoenix

On Stage
 


Hadestown (Original Broadway Cast Recording) ()album cover).

Tony Award for Best Musical:
Hadestown

Olivier Award
for Best New Musical:
Come From Away


On Television
 
 
  • Adult Material
  • Anne
  • The Apprentice (Series 15)
  • Back To Life
  • Beecham House
  • Black Mirror (Season 5)
  • Brexit: The Uncivil War
  • Catastrophe (Series 4)
  • Catch-22
  • Cheat
  • Chilling Adventures Of Sabrina (Season 2)
  • Comic Relief's Four Weddings And A Funeral
  • A Confession
  • The Crown (Season 3)
  • Dancing On Ice
  • Danny Dyer's Right Royal History
  • Dark Mon£y
  • Derry Girls (Series 2)
  • Don't Forget The Driver
  • The Durrells (Series 4)
  • Eastsiders (Season 4)
  • Fleabag (Series 2)
  • Gavin And Stacey Christmas Special
  • Game Of Thrones (Season 8)
  • Gentleman Jack (Series 1)
  • Gogglebox (Series 13 and 14)
  • Good Omens
  • Grace And Frankie (Season 5)
  • The Great British Bake Off (Series 10)
  • The Greatest Dancer
  • His Dark Materials
  • Home
  • Homeland (Series 8)
  • I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here! (Series 19)
  • Kaos
  • Killing Eve (Series 2)
  • Kim's Convenience (Season 3)
  • Liar (Series 2)
  • Line Of Duty (Series 5)
  • Love Island (Series 5)
  • Mindhunter (Season 2)
  • MotherFatherSon
  • Motherland (Series 2)
  • Naked Attraction (Series 5)
  • Nightflyers
  • Our Planet
  • Ozark (Season 3)
  • Peaky Blinders (Series 5)
  • Poldark (Series 5)
  • The Politician (Season 1)
  • RuPaul's Drag Race (Season 11)
  • RuPaul's Drag Race UK (Series 1)
  • Sex Education (Season 1)
  • Schitt's Creek (Season 5)
  • Shipwrecked
  • Special (Season 1)
  • Strictly Come Dancing (Series 17)
  • Stranger Things (Season 3)
  • Summer Of Rockets
  • 13 Reasons Why (Season 3)
  • This Time... With Alan Partridge
  • Top Boy (Series 3)
  • Top Gear (Series 26 and 27)
  • Traitors
  • Two Doors Down (Series 4)
  • The Umbrella Academy
  • Victoria (Series 3)
  • The Virtues
  • Virgin River (Season 1)
  • The Voice UK (Series 8)
  • War Of The Worlds
  • Warren
  • Who Do You Think You Are? (Series 16)
  • Who Wants To Be A Millionaire? (Series 32)
  • The X Factor (Series 16)
  • Years And Years

Sporting Heroes
 


BBC Sport

BBC
Sports Personality
of the Year:
Ben Stokes


Darts: Michael van Gerwen wins the PDC World Championship darts title for the third time, beating Michael Smith in the final, 7-3.
Glen Durrant beats Scott Waites 7-3 to win a third consecutive BDO World Championship.

Tennis: Naomi Osaka beats Petra Kvitova 7-6 (7-2), 5-7, 6-4 to win the women's singles title at the Australian Open, making her the first player since Jennifer Capriati in 2001 to follow her maiden Grand Slam title with victory at the next one.
Novak Djokovic wins a record seventh Australian Open men's singles title with a 6-3, 6-2, 6-3 victory over Rafael Nadal.
Roger Federer wins his 100th ATP title on 2nd March with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Stefanos Tsitsipas in the final of the Dubai Tennis Championships.
Ashleigh Barty defeats Marketa Vondrousova (6-1, 6-3) in the women's singles final at the French Open.
Rafael Nadal beats Dominic Thiem in four sets (6-3, 5-7, 6-1, 6-1) to win the French Open men's singles title for the 12th time.
Simona Halep wins her second Grand Slam, beating Serena Williams 6-2, 6-2 in the women's singles final at Wimbledon.
Novak Djokovic beats Roger Federer 7-6, 1-6, 7-6, 4-6, 13-12 in the longest singles final in Wimbledon history.
Bianca Andreescu becomes Canada's first Grand Slam champion, beating Serena Williams in the US Open women's singles final, 6-3, 7-5.
Rafael Nadal wins his 19th Grand Slam title at the US Open, beating Daniil Medvedev 7-5, 6-3, 5-7, 4-6, 6-4 in the men's singles final.
Team Europe beat Team World in the Laver Cup, 13-11.

Snooker: on 20th January Judd Trump wins The Masters title at Alexandra Palace, beating seven-time champion Ronnie O'Sullivan 10-4 in the final. On 6th May he beats John Higgins 18-9 in the final of the World Championship.

Horse racing: British horse racing is suspended on 7th February for six days following an outbreak of equine flu. Racing resumes on 13th February.
On 14th March Bryony Frost makes history at the Cheltenham Festival by riding Frodon to victory in the Ryanair Chase. In so doing she becomes the first female jockey to ride a top-level Grade One winner.

Football: Real Madrid are knocked out of the Champions League on 5th March by Dutch side Ajax, having won the title for the three previous years.
English clubs make European football history by taking all four final spots in the continent's two major competitions: Liverpool beat Barcelona and Tottenham Hotspur win against Ajax to reach the final of Champions League while Arsenal and Chelsea both reach the Europa League final. Chelsea beat Arsenal in the final 4-1; Liverpool beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0.
Manchester City retain the Premier League title, ending the season with 98 points, one point ahead of their closest rivals Liverpool. Liverpool's 97 points is the highest points tally of any team to ever finish second.
On 18th May Manchester City beat Watford 6-0 in the FA Cup final, so becoming the first English men's side to achieve the feat of winning the Premier League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup in the same season.
The United States win the Women's World Cup for a record fourth time, beating the Netherlands 2-0 in the final.

Rugby Union: Wales win the Six Nations Championship, winning every match to claim the 'Grand Slam' for the third time in 11 years.
England beat New Zealand 19-7 to reach the Rugby World Cup Final for the first time in 12 years. South Africa overpower England in the final (32-12), winning the World Cup for record-equalling third time.

Rowing: the University of Cambridge, whose crew includes double Olympic champion James Cracknell, beats Oxford for the second successive year to win the 165th men's Boat Race. Cambridge also win the women's race - their third victory in a row.

Golf: Tiger Woods wins The Masters at Augusta to claim his 15th major. It is his first Masters victory since 2005 and comes more than 10 years after his last major title at the 2008 US Open.
Brooks Koepka retains his US PGA Championship title at Bethpage.
Gary Woodland wins the 119th US Open at Pebble Beach.
Shane Lowry wins The Open at Northern Ireland's Royal Portrush with a six-shot victory over second-placed Tommy Fleetwood.

Athletics: Kenya's Eliud Kipchoge wins the London men's marathon for a fourth time; Mo Farah finishes fifth. On 12th October Kipchoge becomes the first athlete to run a marathon in under two hours, completing the 26.2 miles (42.2km) in Vienna in one hour 59 minutes and 40 seconds.
Kenya's Brigid Kosgei beats defending champion and compatriot Vivian Cheruiyot to win the London women's marathon. On 13th October Kosgei wins the Chicago women's marathon in a new world record time of two hours 14 minutes and 4 seconds.
Katarina Johnson-Thompson wins heptathlon gold at the World Championships in Doha.

Boxing: Andy Ruiz Jr. beats Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden to win the IBF, WBO and WBA world heavyweight titles. Six months later Joshua wins the rematch against Ruiz Jr. in Saudi Arabia.

Cricket: England beat New Zealand in a dramatic climax to the cricket World Cup final. Both sides score 241 in their 50 overs and end level on 15 when they bat for an extra over. England are crowned world champions by virtue of having scored more boundary fours and sixes - 26 to New Zealand's 17 - in the entire match.
Australia retain the Ashes with a 185-run victory over England in the fourth Test at Old Trafford. England hit back to win the fifth Test at The Oval, ensuring that the series ends in a tie (2-2) for the first time in 47 years.

Cycling: 22-year-old Egan Bernal becames the youngest rider in 110 years to win the Tour de France. The 2018 winner Geraint Thomas finishes second.

Swimming: Caeleb Dressel becomes the first swimmer to win eight medals at a world championships (six gold and two silver), and breaks Michael Phelps's 10-year-old 100m Butterfly world record.
Adam Peaty of Great Britain wins three gold medals (the Men's 50m and 100m breaststroke and the Men's 4x100m medley relay) as well as a bronze in the Men's 4x100m mixed medley relay

Motor Racing: Formula 1 changes its scoring system by awarding a point to the driver who sets the fastest lap in a grand prix, provided that the driver finishes in the top 10. Lewis Hamilton wins the Drivers' Championship for the sixth time, ending the season with victories in 11 of the 21 races; Mercedes win the Constructors' Championship for the sixth year in a row.

Page-turners
 


Man Booker Prize

Joint Winners:
Margaret Atwood
The Testaments
Bernardine Evaristo
Girl, Woman, Other


Lucy Ellmann
Ducks, Newburyport

Chigozie Obioma
An Orchestra Of Minorities

Salman Rushdie
Quichotte

Elif Shafak
10 Minutes 38 Seconds In This Strange World

Women's
Prize for Fiction

Tayari Jones
An American Marriage




Doris Day's star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Top. Up. Down. Bottom.


Who said that?

Seventy

If it's true that 50 is the new 30, then it follows that 70 is the new 50.
Joan Collins

A friend of mine said to me that the great thing about being in your seventies is that nobody can do anything to you. And there’s something to be said for that. You know, what have you got to lose? Freedom is another word for having nothing left to lose.
Clint Eastwood, quoted in the 'Daily Mail', 17th January 2011

The hardest years in life are those between ten and seventy.
Helen Hayes

Seventy years old! How did that happen? I was part of the generation that wasn't going to die.
Ian McShane

One of the advantages of being 70 is that you need only four hours’ sleep. True, you need it four times a day, but still.
Denis Norden

I'll never make the mistake of turning seventy again.
Casey Stengel

Age is not measured by years. Nature does not equally distribute energy. Some people are born old and tired while others are going strong at seventy.
Dorothy Thompson

Surviving in Showbiz

Do it as long as you're enjoying it, do it as long as the audience is enjoying it, and you know, just keep level people around you to keep you sane.
Bianca Del Rio (Roy Haylock), GQ magazine, 25th February 2019


Top Tweets

TV Licence

I will see my 91-year-old dad tomorrow. [He] served as a Red Beret 1st Battalion Paratrooper, worked till he retired to look after his family, NEVER claimed a penny in benefits. His TV will be on, for company, and they want to take that away from people like him.
11th June 2019, 3:22pm

Sign every campaign to safeguard the free TV licence for over 75s. Think about how many lonely people rely on their TV. No matter how small or trivial.... DO SOMETHING! Don’t let the #ConservativeParty get away with allowing this and WAKE UP #BBC!!
11th June 2019, 2:33pm


Donald Trump

According to @realDonaldTrump there were ‘thousands on the streets’ to welcome him. Not only is he despicable, he’s also blind!!!
4th June 2019, 6:33am

I am astounded at the level of loathing I feel for @realDonaldTrump and the resentment I feel seeing him being feted like this!!!! And breathe Lyn!
3rd June 2019, 4:39am


Doctors

I wonder if anyone else has noticed that when you get older doctors suddenly don’t take the same interest in your health!
31st May 2019, 3:07pm

What happened to doctor/patient confidentiality when you have to divulge every symptom to a receptionist who, to be fair, thinks she IS a doctor?
25th May 2019, 3:01am


Royal baby

Archie Harrison!!!! I love it!! #dukeandduchessofsussex
8th May 2019, 5:07pm


Football

Hubby trying to stream the footie; son, who knows how to do it, working; me ready to watch a Jimmy Stewart film. How long before I get ‘Lyn, any ideas’?
29th May 2019, 12:09pm

I want to sing Blue Moon at the FA Cup final... I want to sing Blue Moon anywhere right now!! @ManCity
12th May 2019, 5:14pm

My son won a couple of hundred last night betting Liverpool would win 4-0. I think I might have a go tonight!
8th May 2019, 4:59pm

Please God let @WestHamUtd win today. Puts a smile on my men’s faces and makes my life soooooo much easier!
27th April 2019, 11:55am


Academy Awards

Olivia Colman... fantastic!! Said she used to practise acceptance speeches in the bathroom mirror. For years I used to sing Tell Me It’s Not True in the bathroom.... Dreams do come true no matter how big or small... Just BELIEVE!!!!
25th February 2019, 11:50am


Getting Old

Something awful has happened. My bottom has dropped and positioned itself on the side of my hips. If I clench it moves back in to place but then I walk as if I’m holding in a fart!!! Oh the joys of getting old!!!
24th February 2019, 6:05am


Watching movies

Glass of wine, bowl of biltong and watching Bette Davis in 'The Letter'. What more could a girl want? Bliss!
14th April 2019, 2:30pm

My lads are going to watch West Ham, I am about to watch Janet Gaynor and Fredric March in the original ‘A Star Is Born’!!! Lights off, Candles lit, wine glass full, phone off... Bye for now!!!
22nd February 2019, 7:19pm


Word of the Year

Climate emergency
Oxford Dictionaries Word of the Year 2019


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This page is dedicated to the memory of Ian Drummond, who died on 19th March 2019, aged 75
- "famous enough" to make it onto the Lyn Paul website!

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