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Great sadness this week. Jon Dee, who was the regular astrologer on my radio programme for twenty years, suddenly passed away. It was a great shock and a deep sadness because he had only recently moved to Bridgend and was setting up a publishing film.

Roy Noble with Jon Dee and Radio Wales colleague Kathryn Martin

His great gift was beyond just astrology. He had an impressive retentive memory and his reservoir of facts was beyond compare. When he came in to relate his cosmic surveying, it was the interlude of 'This day in history' that fired the imagination and interest. He always had so much more title-tattle to add to the subject.

For instance, did you know that the Battle of Waterloo was a very close run thing. It was touch and go until the Prussians arrived around about four o'clock of an afternoon to join in the fray. They were led by General Blucher, who was widely regarded as being off his head and was convinced, allegedly, that he had given birth to an elephant.

Further, would we have won if Napoleon had not had haemorrhoids? He was on pain killing drugs and had need of a lie-down during the fighting.

All these facts are an example of how Jon and I batted the points back and forth. It was a great shame that we changed the slot, and stopped having astrology on the programme. Jon was a great broadcaster, an author of several books and a man of lateral, colourful thinking. He will be deeply missed.

Roy

Roy Noble is bringing his famous storytelling skills to a computer near you as part of the 91Èȱ¬ First Click Campaign - aimed at encouraging people to take their first steps to getting online. If you know somebody who needs help to get online, call the free 91Èȱ¬ First Click advice line on 08000 150950.