DIANA MELLY, aged 87
She met a series of husbands in nightclubs before marrying a famous jazz singer and becoming his manager and helper. It was a very unconventional marriage.
BRIAN SHERRIFF, aged 94
A designer of women’s underwear, he became a beekeeper after going bust and designed a revolutionary suit to protect people from bee stings.
DAPHNE SELFE, aged 97
A model and actress, she retired when she married. In her seventies she made a comeback and became an international sensation – the oldest model in the world.
BRUCE ROPNER, aged 89
He became an accidental champion bobsleigher, once partnering a notorious murderer. He loved speed, created his own racetrack and spotted young athletic talent.
TED OATES, aged 101
Growing up in Huddersfield he joined the TA and the Army and had a dramatic escape through Belgium and France andwas part of the evacuation of Dunkirk. His story became the basis of a film.
DOMINIC HOPKINS, aged 57
A talented musician, ill health took his life into other directions but he returned to music. He ultimately died in tragic circumstances.
PADDY HOPKIRK, aged 89
A brilliant rally driver from Northern Ireland, he was excommunicated from the Catholic church before winning the Monte Carlo Rally and appearing on the London stage. He bravely saved the life of a rival and won the MBE.
GWEN BRYSON, aged 96
She grew up in extreme poverty but trained as a teacher. After recovering from TB she went on to be a much loved and respected headteacher in Suffolk.
THERESA STEWART, aged 90
An Oxford graduate, she became a pioneering Labour Councillor in Birmingham – the only woman to lead the council. She was Mayor of the city but was hated by the right-wing press.
MAGGIE PERKINS, aged 92
Started at the very bottom of the film industry and worked her way up, working with many big names. Then she became an advertising executive, creating many famous adverts.
DONALD McALPINE, aged 91
A ballet dancer from New Zealand he had a successful career working with all the greats before opening his own dance school and bringing the joy of dancing to the masses.
ROBERT DAVEY, aged 91
Discovered a ruined medieval church in Norfolk, he restored it single-handedly and had to fight off satanists to do so.
ERNIE HOLMES, aged 100
An RAF pilot at 19 he was a Pathfinder and was then shot down over Holland. A POW in a notorious camp he went on to fly in the Berlin Airlift, survive a terrible crash and reach his 100th birthday.
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