Was it Nicola Freeman or Suzie Doyle? Actually, it was both, and she had also once been Nicola Delaney too!
Born to poor parents in a narrow, terraced street, young Suzie Doyle loved her father. But he was a drinker and spendthrift and Suzie's mother finally ordered him out, and remarried. Suzie and her stepfather did not get on, and when she became pregnant at the age of seventeen, she ran away from home rather than confide in her parents.
She had her daughter adopted, and went on through a series of jobs to work at the Playboy Club, where, as there were two other Suzies working there, she changed her name to Nicola Delaney. A complete break with her past.
Nicola's life was colourful, but she finally met and married Herbie Freeman, big wheel of the Major International Hotels group. She didn't love him at first - but learned to - a great deal. She didn't find his two children, Daniel and Joanna, so easy. In fact, Daniel greatly resented her.
After Herbie's death, Nicola became a big wheel in Major International Hotels herself, and in 1985 the group bought the Crossroads Motel in King's Oak. And Nicola came in to manage it.
She was an interesting character - at first appearing cool and clipped, but a sympathetic side to her nature quickly emerged. She was charmed by Benny (who solemnly called her 'Mrs Foreman') and sorry for Jill when her marriage disintegrated - after amorous Adam made a pass at her.
Born to poor parents in a narrow, terraced street, young Suzie Doyle loved her father. But he was a drinker and spendthrift and Suzie's mother finally ordered him out, and remarried. Suzie and her stepfather did not get on, and when she became pregnant at the age of seventeen, she ran away from home rather than confide in her parents.
She had her daughter adopted, and went on through a series of jobs to work at the Playboy Club, where, as there were two other Suzies working there, she changed her name to Nicola Delaney. A complete break with her past.
Nicola's life was colourful, but she finally met and married Herbie Freeman, big wheel of the Major International Hotels group. She didn't love him at first - but learned to - a great deal. She didn't find his two children, Daniel and Joanna, so easy. In fact, Daniel greatly resented her.
After Herbie's death, Nicola became a big wheel in Major International Hotels herself, and in 1985 the group bought the Crossroads Motel in King's Oak. And Nicola came in to manage it.
She was an interesting character - at first appearing cool and clipped, but a sympathetic side to her nature quickly emerged. She was charmed by Benny (who solemnly called her 'Mrs Foreman') and sorry for Jill when her marriage disintegrated - after amorous Adam made a pass at her.
Also, during her time at the motel, Nicola endured her problem step-children, an affair with a married man, a fraught reconciliation with her mother - and her adopted daughter turned up.
When MIH sold the motel, she left - but may have been on the point on returning when the series ended.
Nicola was a great Crossroads character. She added much intrigue, glamour and sparkle to the years 1985-1987 at the motel.
And no effort was made by the production team to turn her into another Meg. Not that there could ever have been another!
Nicola was very much a character in her own right. The motel wasn't a family business, started in her own home. It was, first and foremost, a business.
But she definitely had heart.
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