Patrick Moore has died!

Deeda, you do a disservice to men of PM's generation. My father and uncles had nothing but respect for women and my dad was more than happy to educate his three daughters to a high standard. My cousins too - all female, as it happens - are also highly educated. The older men in my family certainly weren't MCPs.

My father was perfectly happy to educate me in a fairly bohemian way - actually the older I get the odder I realise my family was. But I think there were things he didn't think were suitable for women and I think he would have slightly disapproved of the number of women in public life nowadays and would have thought they should be at home minding the children. In fact the really liberal one was my mother's father who worked in the rag trade after WW1 and let my mother leave her respectable convent when she was 15 and go to Art School and then go and work in a studio in London. The man I knew as a child seemed so stiff and proper!

Lovely tribute to Patrick Moore just finished on BBC1 - which is why I am still up instead of in bed. Worth getting on iPlayer - hilarious with Morecambe and Wise playing "Deep in The Heart of Texas"!

What a lovely man Brian May is. Patrick Moore's accountant has disclosed that BM said to him 'if he ever struggles financially, please call me.' Seems Patrick Moore spent all his assets on telescopes, new year parties for his village, and helping budding astronomers through uni. BM bought his house a few years ago so he could continue to do these things and to keep him secure for the rest of his days, He charged 'a peppercorn rent should it be demanded.' I assume it wasn't.

That is a lovely story, when. Brian May has a kindly face and if I had an idol on the pop scene, it would be him.

I used to watch him, but haven't since I heard the quote that 'women news readers are a joke'......for some reason I went off him.....

Greatnan - militancy not enough? It takes men to change too....

I mean Patrick Moore.

Alie I wonder if the sexist remarks were said tongue in cheek.

Dr Heather Couper was very fulsome in her praise - she contacted him when she was a teenager and he encouraged her to study astronomy, saying that it was no problem being a girl; only problem is if someone is no good at maths, like he was!

If it was, Riverwalk, it's still annoying....I have too much experience of men saying 'it was just a joke'......!