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Patrick Moore has died!

(35 Posts)
whenim64 Sun 09-Dec-12 13:42:08

Oh, how sad. My son has just told me the news. I was only watching him a few nights ago and observing how on top of the Mars exploration he was. Looks like he knew he was on his way and died at home after leaving hospital.

AlieOxon Tue 18-Dec-12 19:29:53

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

Riverwalk Mon 17-Dec-12 12:24:57

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! smile

AlieOxon Mon 17-Dec-12 12:15:17

I mean Patrick Moore.

AlieOxon Sun 16-Dec-12 22:12:30

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....

annodomini Sun 16-Dec-12 21:45:14

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.

whenim64 Sun 16-Dec-12 21:30:23

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.

gracesmum Tue 11-Dec-12 23:55:04

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"!

Deedaa Tue 11-Dec-12 21:15:09

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!

annodomini Mon 10-Dec-12 23:32:55

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.

Greatnan Mon 10-Dec-12 23:19:05

Oh, that word 'militant' again! Obviously not militant enough, or there would be more women in the Cabinet, on the boards of the top 100 companies, and women would not still be being battered and mutilated. I didn't find Moore's misogyny amusing and his many talents did not excuse it. Try putting 'black people' into his utterances wherever he says 'women'. Still funny?
(Now wait for the inevitable 'lighten up', 'get a sense of humour'......)

Ana Mon 10-Dec-12 23:03:44

Hmm - I think some militant women's libbers might have been a bit upset by his remarks at the time, Merlot! wink (and it wasn't that long ago...)

merlotgran Mon 10-Dec-12 22:59:00

Did his outdated views do any harm? We're all entitled to be outspoken so long as nobody is upset by thoughtless remarks.

Ana Mon 10-Dec-12 22:42:01

His views about women in the BBC were quite comical, really:
news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6634255.stm
He was of his time! And a true eccentric.

whenim64 Mon 10-Dec-12 22:35:03

I hope the Sky at Night continues, perhaps with guest presenters like Brian May, Brian Cox, Dara O'Briain and NASA personalities.

Deedaa Mon 10-Dec-12 22:26:37

I think a lot of his ideas about women were a generational thing. I think my father in law and my father held pretty much the same views. My father had the sense to keep his quiet when my mother and I were around though.

Sel Mon 10-Dec-12 01:01:13

An inspirational man to many - not too many that can claim that. I believe he fought in the war too. Sad news.

harrigran Mon 10-Dec-12 00:32:30

I was very sad to hear of Sir Patrick's death. He inspired my son to become an astronomer and we have always watched The Sky at night. DS believes the programme will die with the presenter because he is a hard act to follow.

Hunt Sun 09-Dec-12 23:37:01

Thank you, Sir Patrick , for the charming animal poems and for the xylophone playing too. What a talented man.

whenim64 Sun 09-Dec-12 23:13:53

Yes, he was a notorious misogynist and thought that there should be a BBC for men, and a separate one for women. I still enjoyed Sky at Night, as women and men didn't come into it!

Greatnan Sun 09-Dec-12 22:56:24

Lovely man? I have read some of the things he had to say about women!

numberplease Sun 09-Dec-12 21:30:45

Lovely man,

RIP

Deedaa Sun 09-Dec-12 20:48:28

Obviously not a surprise given his age, but still very sad. Perhaps he has been reunited with his girlfriend at last. Hope the BBC will keep The Sky at Night going, it's one of the few programmes where there's always something new to say.

JAB Sun 09-Dec-12 20:36:13

Sir Patrick Moore, RIP, and thank you for all the brilliant insights into space that you gave us, you encouraged a lot of interest in both young and old, and could speak to people both skilled and those of us who knew nothing of space but you treated us all equally and gained a lot of fans with your infectious enthusiasm.Whenever we look at the stars we will think of you.

glammanana Sun 09-Dec-12 17:12:23

Patrick Moore will be sorely missed such a facinating man.
When I worked selling retirement properties we always held an offical opening once the development had all the communial area's completed and at least 75% of the apartments reserved and Ken Dodd did a lot of the opening ceremonies for us or if he was not available (the beverly sisters) we always got Ken and his times where 3pm -5pm and you could guarentee we would still be there at 10pm or later depending how many people could stay he never told the same joke twice and was lovely to all the people he spoke to,such a gent.

crimson Sun 09-Dec-12 16:35:42

We probably went at the wrong time. I'd read how he used to get people crying with laughter and then bring them back down again with a song, but his act seemed very anachronistic. I loved comedians like Arthur Askey [my aunt and uncle did the music halls with him] so I assumed I'd like Ken Dodd as well. We'd heard that, if you stay till the second half it goes on until the early hours of the morning and we couldn't face it, but that's probably where we went wrong because I usually find that, with anything to do with the theatre, the second half is always the best.