Sad news on the front of the Times today. And I don't mean the "All women get right to caesareans" story. That's not sad news, that is inevitable... More Government cuts.
It's ironic that they run with a story about birth on a front page that, sadly, has a lot of death. At the top there's Steve Jobs and the main picture is Sir Jimmy Savile.
In some ways that front page shows you the difference in the way famous names pass on. Some die young and you think of all they could've done if they would've still been around. And when some go it makes you remember all that they achieved. Sir Jim was certainly in that second category.
It's sad because I guess it means I have reached that age where people I remember from my childhood are starting to die. We've just lost Jimmy Savile, Columbo recently passed... At this rate it's not looking good for the ThunderCats.
But in some ways it's not sad. If you think about everything Jimmy has left behind it's impressive. A legacy of culturally defining TV shows, shaping what became modern radio, even the marathon running, I think anyone would be happy to leave that behind them when they go. And while it's sad that he has died, it should also be a time to celebrate all that he achieved.
Jimmy Savile's death is sad for me, personally. Not just because I ended up working in the industry he helped to shape, it's sad for me because it means he will never get round to reading the letter I sent in when I was a kid. He will never "Fix It" for me and arrange what I asked for. Yep, after today, I'll just have to come to terms with the fact that I'll never get to sing with Freddie Mercury.
RIP Sir Jim.