1913-2004, amateur weatherman
Bill Foggitt studied the behaviour of moles, flies, pine cones and seaweed to predict the weather, often beating the Met Office at its own game. The Foggitts had been keeping weather records in Thirsk since 1830, and his method was based on two things: a conviction that the weather is cyclical, a severe winter occurring every 15 years, a very hot summer every 22; and the country lore passed on through generations of Foggitts.
His finest moment came in 1985 when he contradicted Met Office predictions of a long cold spell based on his observations of a mole seen poking its nose through the snow. Yet, like the Met Office, he failed to predict the great storm of 1987, though he had forecast strong winds. “My neighbour’s cat, Blackie, went crackers, jumping up poles and into trees,” he recalled. “That was a sure sign.”
— The Daily Telegraph
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Johnny Ramone
1948-2004, guitarist
Johnny Ramone was guitarist of the Ramones, the punk rock band. Born John Cummings in New York, he was 25 before he picked up his first guitar and worked on his stance in front of the mirror before playing a note. “I learnt how to play after I got the guitar looking right on me,” he said.
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The band took its name from an early alias of Paul McCartney, Paul Ramon. On one early tour, their manager was accosted by a filling station clerk. “Mister,” he was told, “it sure is nice of you to take care of these retarded people.”
— The Times