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AA Gill died today of cancer age 62


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Old 10-12-2016, 16:43
mrsgrumpy49
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Apparently it was a short (from diagnosis) illness. He was a favourite of mine in the days I used to buy the Sunday Times. Witty and a great wordsmith. His last column will be in the Sunday Times tomorrow.
RIP AA Gill.
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Old 10-12-2016, 18:42
grauniad
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Witty, ascerbic, and sometimes even cruel, but I must confess that he made me laugh. A favourite was from years ago when it was being lauded that big is beautiful. He wrote that he would not climb over Kate Moss to get to Dawn French, saying, ' come here, my little dumper truck of lust'.
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Old 10-12-2016, 18:55
ohglobbits
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Didn't like his pretentious critic persona that much but his travel writing was always excellent.
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Old 10-12-2016, 23:03
mrsgrumpy49
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Witty, ascerbic, and sometimes even cruel, but I must confess that he made me laugh. A favourite was from years ago when it was being lauded that big is beautiful. He wrote that he would not climb over Kate Moss to get to Dawn French, saying, ' come here, my little dumper truck of lust'.
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Old 10-12-2016, 23:08
mrsgrumpy49
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I used to love his restaurant reviews. I thought his writing was uniquely sharp and descriptive..
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Old 11-12-2016, 17:11
MartinP
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I loved reading his columns and articles over the years. His final article is so impressive and ends so sadly...

That evening I’m sitting in bed on the cancer ward trying to get the painkillers stabilised and a young nurse comes in.
“There you are. I’ve been waiting for you all day. You’re supposed to be with me down in chemotherapy. I saw your name. Why are you up here?”
“Well, it turns out the chemo isn’t working.” Her shoulders sag and her hand goes to her head. “F***, f***, that’s dreadful.” I think she might be crying.

I look away, so might I.
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Old 12-12-2016, 22:18
Residents Fan
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Normally I would be reluctant to criticize a person who had just passed away from a serious illness. But Gill's journalism always struck me as insular (obsessed with a small group of upper-class Britons), joyless (there was always a sneering tone in his writings) and mean-spirited.

Why do you think Gill is remembered for the groups he insulted (the Welsh, women considered "unattractive", the Irish, Manga readers, science-fiction fans) rather than someone who informed his readers with new ideas or engaged them with well-written articles ? How hypocritical of Gill to accuse Dennis Potter of hating people, when Gill dismissed a nation of 3 million human beings as "immoral liars, stunted, bigoted, dark, ugly, pugnacious little trolls."

If Gill sincerely believed this about the Welsh, then he was twisted with ethnic hatred, and if he only wrote this for shock value, then he was horrifically cynical.

I can think of two UK journos whose high quality of written work dwarfs everything Gill wrote - Paul Foot and John Diamond.

Gill's family and friends have my sympathy, but I don't think the absence of new Gill writing is a loss to UK journalism.
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Old 13-12-2016, 13:09
mrsgrumpy49
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I loved reading his columns and articles over the years. His final article is so impressive and ends so sadly...

That evening I’m sitting in bed on the cancer ward trying to get the painkillers stabilised and a young nurse comes in.
“There you are. I’ve been waiting for you all day. You’re supposed to be with me down in chemotherapy. I saw your name. Why are you up here?”
“Well, it turns out the chemo isn’t working.” Her shoulders sag and her hand goes to her head. “F***, f***, that’s dreadful.” I think she might be crying.

I look away, so might I.
I bought the paper specially. Still not sure whether he didn't opt for the private treatment because of finances or principles. Whatever - he shone a spotlight on on the state of our NHS which apparently lags behind many other countries in cancer survival.
He was as sharp as ever and very frank about his condition.
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Old 13-12-2016, 14:04
joshua321
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I wonder if the baboon he killed will be at the life review?
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Old 22-12-2016, 10:53
oldhag
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Years ago he wrote of Rolf Harris , ''Rolf Harris is a hard man to hate, but that doesn’t mean we shouldn’t try.

A.A.Gill was a brilliant man. I shall miss him.
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Old 22-12-2016, 11:57
fortytwo
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Normally I would be reluctant to criticize a person who had just passed away from a serious illness. But Gill's journalism always struck me as insular (obsessed with a small group of upper-class Britons), joyless (there was always a sneering tone in his writings) and mean-spirited.

Why do you think Gill is remembered for the groups he insulted (the Welsh, women considered "unattractive", the Irish, Manga readers, science-fiction fans) rather than someone who informed his readers with new ideas or engaged them with well-written articles ? How hypocritical of Gill to accuse Dennis Potter of hating people, when Gill dismissed a nation of 3 million human beings as "immoral liars, stunted, bigoted, dark, ugly, pugnacious little trolls."

If Gill sincerely believed this about the Welsh, then he was twisted with ethnic hatred, and if he only wrote this for shock value, then he was horrifically cynical.

I can think of two UK journos whose high quality of written work dwarfs everything Gill wrote - Paul Foot and John Diamond.

Gill's family and friends have my sympathy, but I don't think the absence of new Gill writing is a loss to UK journalism.
Very well put, much better than I could. I thought he was an odious nasty individual and personally not a bit amusing.
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