We are at the end of another year with plenty of comings and goings.

Here’s a quick(??) rap of what and who has passed on over the last couple of months.

In the music world we recently lost Denny Laine. A household name? No. Significant contribution to music? Definitely.

Denny was a founding member of The Moody Blues then went on join forces with Paul McCartney in the early 1970’s to form Wings. Denny played keyboards and guitar with Wings and co-wrote several of their hits including the massive Mull of Kintyre.

Legend has it that, like many other partnerships, there was a falling out and McArtney bought out Laine’s share of Mull to help out with the Laine’s financial woes at the time.

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In a tribute to his former bandmate, McCartney admitted that they did drift apart for a while but had re-connected in recent years.

Denny Laine was 79 and died at his home in the US after a long illness.

Shane MacGowan was another prominent performer that passed away in recent weeks.

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Shane was frontman for Irish band The Pogues. He left us with some terrific tunes like “A Pair of Brown Eyes“, “Dark Streets of London“, “Sally MacLennane“, “A Rainy Night in Soho“, “The Body of an American”, “The Broad Majestic Shannon”, “The Sick Bed Of Cúchulainn”, and “Summer in Siam“. Let’s not forget the ever popular FairyTale of New York with Kirsty MacColl

MacGowan was described by The New York Times as “a titanically destructive personality and a master songsmith whose lyrics painted vivid portraits of the underbelly of Irish immigrant life”.

The Pogues with MacGowan toured NZ a couple of times.

Jeffrey Foskett, singer, guitarist. Jeffrey had a long association in the studio and on the road with Brian Wilson (Beach Boys), Mike Love’s Beach Boys and The Beach Boys. Foskett has probably performed here in NZ with any of the above acts. He died recently after suffering thyroid cancer.

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On the local scene we should pay tribute to Fred Tullet, former editor of The Southland Times. Fred Tullet was brought in to pull the paper up by its boot straps. Certainly not everyone liked it. One scoop of his was his yarn about the Israeli Mossad agents and the Christchurch earthquake. That got international attention. That story alone should be made in to a book or movie.

Southland’s own department store for over 100 years H&J Smith closed the doors for the final time at its flagship Invercargill store recently. It leaves a huge gap in central Invers in more ways than one.

Recently we learnt that Invers own music store Little Fire MusicWorks will shut their shop at the end of December and convert to an online operation. Sad that they are closing but we wish them every success for their new direction.

Sad to see also that the Taproom Eatery and Craft Bar, formerly Louie’s Restaurant and Bar shut its doors for the final time just before Christmas

Speaking of business’s that have called it a day, we learnt recently that Route 6 Cafe in Lumsden switched off the grilles and coffee machines for good just before Christmas.

On a post on social media, owners Rob and Jane say “Sometimes in our journeys we come across an unexpected fork in the road, and as the owners of the business, we have found ourselves in the unfortunate situation of having to make a really tough decision.

It is with a lump in the throat, and a tear running down our cheeks that we have reached the hard decision to close the doors for the foreseeable future on the 21st December 2023. An unplanned coincidence of 12 years to the day that we opened.

We are hoping that this isn’t the final chapter for Route 6, as there is still the option for someone to buy or lease the business, but for now it is goodbye.”

Last but certainly not least, let’s take a moment to remember Junior the Cat.

Junior endeared himself to many with his exploits in Queens Park, the Winter Gardens in particular.

Junior’s owner, Christine Morrison posted about Junior’s death.

“So hard to write Junior was hit by a car last night and has passed away… 6 years old and loved by so many.”

The ginger and white puss just might’ve been the most photographed cat in Invers.

Season’s greetings

Mal

Good Bye 2023 and RIP

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