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johnslat · Last edited by johnslat on Wed Mar 31, 2004 4:45 pm; edited 1 time in total

I mourn the passing of one of the very few wise, rational, balanced commentators on television, one who also had an exceptional insight into
the vagaries of human nature and a wonderfully understated, dry sense of humor.
Thank you, Mr. Cooke, for sharing your gifts with us.

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=765&e=3&u=/nm/20040330/people_nm/britain_cooke_dc

John

Cleopatra · Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 4:19 pm Post subject:

Yes, he will indeed be sorely missed.

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

In memoriAm, I think

Sorry to quibble. Alistair Cooke was a beacon.

And let us remember another great man who died the day before : Peter Ustinov. The world was a better place because of him.

johnslat · Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 4:34 pm Post subject: Mea culpa

Dear scot47,
You're quite right - I've been away from Latin too long. And quite right again as regards Mr. Ustinov - a real Renaisannce man of so many talents.
And a tireless humanitarian, always seeking ways to improve the general human condition, who had a wicked sense of humor.
Here's a site with some of his quotes:

http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/p/peter_ustinov.html

Regards,
John

Will. · Joined: 02 May 2003 Posts: 783 Location: London Uk

Here's where we really show our true colours when we admit how long we have been listening to Alistair's broadcasts. It is enough to say that he attracted a broad spectrum of listeners and I remain shocked at the amount of EFLers who have never heard of him until leaving home and using world service radio. Then recognising him as Alistair Cookie from Sesame Street. The TV generation don't know what they have missed.
When he announced his retirement I, for one, was at a loss what I would do at 05:45 on a Saturday his broadcasts had become such a mainstay of intelligent input to start the day with. I had images of laying around in bed doing no thinking at all.
Yes sadly missed already.

khmerhit · Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 7:12 pm Post subject:

One of the first grown-up books I read was Six Men, a xmas gift. Dont recall what year that was--luckily. It is a favourite of others, too:

http://www.google.ca/search?q=cache:ZV6tmy3cIVYJ:www.winstonchurchill.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm%3Fpageid%3D568+six+men+alistair+cooke&hl=en&ie=UTF-8

dmb · Joined: 12 Feb 2003 Posts: 8397

I know we shouldn't laugh at other people's death. But yesterday I heard on tv that Peter Ustinov was once asked what he would like written on his tombstone. His answer......"keep off the grass"
Brilliant
( I laughed with him not at him)

FGT · Joined: 14 Sep 2003 Posts: 762 Location: Turkey

Although we are mourning two late greats, I think they would both understand if I said I'm happy to find people on this forum who appreciate what Peter Ustinov and Alistair Cooke meant to me. When I heard of Peter Ustinov's demise I was saddened. Soon after, I learned of Alistair Cooke's death and I was heartbroken; two people with humour, humility, wisdom, intelligence and a gift with language (or in Ustinov's case, languages - fluent in six, apparently). I wanted to post but didn't because I underestimated my fellow posters. Thank you for proving me wrong. May they both live on in the spirit of language which is our industry after all.
PS I recommend Ustinov's biography "Dear Me".

Irish Blood English Heart · Posted: Wed Mar 31, 2004 11:19 pm Post subject:

i'll echo that. Radio is a much underapreciated medium and he was one of the best at it. And he kept going right until the end.