RIP Cilla

I certainly recall her as a singer - about 50 years ago now - but I never consciously watched her hosting those television programmes Blind Date and Surprise, Surprise.  I say 'consiously' as I have distinct memories of seeing snatches of both programmes, probably when my daughter was watching them.

Cilla Black died on Saturday at her Spanish home, aged 72.  Although the initial reports were that the post mortem had proved inconclusive, it is now being said that she suffered a stroke.

Born in Liverpool to working class parents - her father was a docker - it would seem that she never let stardom go to her head.  She managed to hang on to her scouse (Liverpool) accent all her life and remained down to earth, despite owning a 10-bedroom house in England and a villa in Spain.  An obituary I read reported that she vacuumed the English house herself every Sunday, "just in case the Queen drops in".  And I can hear her saying that in the cheeky way she had.  And if the Queen had dropped by, I'm sure Cilla would have used that northern English phrase to invite her in: "Step inside, Luv".



She was an approachable person and willingly posed for photographs with fans at the airport when she left for Spain last week and again at the Spanish airport. A sad loss.