Our Crossroads Favourites: Kath Brownlow/Fellowes

If anybody encapsulated the qualities of the ideal English working class mother in Crossroads, it was Pamela Vezey as Kath Brownlow.

The character of Kath had briefly appeared some years before in the King's Oak saga, but was played by actress Hilary Martin. It's impossible to judge Ms Martin's interpretation of Mrs Brownlow because the episodes have been wiped, but her tenure was temporary - and very brief - and needn't concern us here.

The Brownlows, Kath and Arthur, moved to King's Oak in late 1979 - much to the chagrin of their motel waitress daughter Glenda, who thought they might rather cramp her carefree 'living away from home' lifestyle.

Kath was a nice, caring, homely wife and mother, who soon got a part time job at the motel. In 1982, she accepted the post of motel housekeeper - which meant a more demanding role with more hours. Arthur raised no objections, but he made it plain that Kath's role as mother and housewife meant that she had already amounted to something in his eyes - in fact, if that role didn't acquaint with amounting to something, he didn't know what did! Arthur had a very high and genuine regard for traditional family roles. But he accepted Kath's desire to stretch her wings.

Kath coped with all sorts of disasters and family upsets. She was perhaps a little too kind hearted at times, but we won't hold that against her.

And what a family she had! There was her manipulative, scheming niece Iris Scott (who turned out not to be all bad), her dreadful, tarty sister Rose (who turned out not to be all bad too), grumpy husband Arthur, who briefly exhibited disturbing racist tendencies, headstrong daughter Glenda, who decided to have a test tube baby (much to Kath's initial horror), steady son Ron, who fell in love with his cousin Iris, and dependable son-in-law Kevin Banks, who fell in love with the Hunters' housekeeper.

Kath coped with it all. At the motel, she discovered Shughie McFee, in the throes of his nervous breakdown, wrecking the kitchen in 1980 - and coped with that too. She was a great pal to lonely Doris Luke. She had a somewhat prickly relationship with Mr Paul Ross at times, but then so did most people. She enjoyed a bit of  a gossip, but it was not a compulsion with her, and staff and management at the motel held her in high regard.

Kath was devastated when Arthur died in a hit-and-run road accident in 1982. She was briefly distracted by the arrival of his sponging cousin Walter 'Uncle Wally' Soper, and liked him because he provided a living link to the old days. But once Wally departed she was faced with the enormity of the loss of Arthur - and had a nervous breakdown.

Glenda's pregnancy helped to pull her through. Having got over her doubts about the 'unnatural' process of in vitro fertilisation, she eagerly awaited the birth of her first grandchild.

Kath was romantically involved with salesman John Latchford for a time. Glenda disliked him - and was jealous of the attention her mother lavished on him. She later made amends, but Kath and John were not to be.

A lonely future faced Kath in 1985 when Glenda, Kevin, and baby Katie Louise emigrated to Canada. Still, she had her work at the motel and great pal Marian Owen, Kevin's aunt.

Then she got splashed by a car passing through a puddle, and met Stephen Fellowes. Posh teacher Stephen had once-upon-a-time been Kevin's housemaster at school, and quickly became close to Kath.

It was a whirlwind romance. They met in 1985 and married in 1985. Kath and Stephen later bought a house in a posh new development that was just being completed in King's Oak called Cavalier Spinney. An hilariously twee  name, but Kath liked it! 

Unfortunately, Stephen was a bit of a wally and his wally-dom rubbed off on poor old Kath. Not that it really mattered. She fussed over her Capodimonte at Cavalier Spinney, even called Benny 'poppet' on one occasion, but was still our lovable old Kath really.

All dreams of a happy future at The Spinney quickly evaporated when Stephen landed himself a senior position at a draughty old boarding school up north in 1987. Kath upped sticks and went with him.

We wished her a happy future. But with Stephen we felt that such a thing would mean a big effort on Kath's part...

Pamela Vezey made Kath real - the mother figure many of us would love to have in our lives. A splendid performance and, like all the best soap performances, it didn't seem like a performance at all.

Our Crossroads Favourites: Joe MacDonald

A signed photo card from the early 1980s.

Joe, played by Carl Andrews, was a mechanic at the Crossroads Garage from 1978 to 1982, then foreman/manager from 1982 to its closure midway through the decade.

Joe was known to his friends and colleagues as "Mac".

A nice, easygoing bloke, and a friend to many, Joe's first big mistake was marrying Trina Jameson. Trina was beautiful, sure. But she was also given to being restless, discontented and slightly neurotic. Of course, Joe knew none of this at the time of the wedding! In 1982, Joe, Trina and their baby son, Ben, moved into the house next door to the Brownlow family.

And ignorant old Arthur, feeling his lifestyle was under threat, didn't like that at all.

Joe stated on one occasion that the difference between himself and Trina was that she saw herself as black, identifying with a perceived black community, and he didn't see himself that way. Joe was an English guy from Moseley who just happened to be black.

Joe wasn't stupid - he was aware that racism existed (indeed, when Adam Chance gave the job of garage foreman to Sid Hooper in 1982, despite the fact it had been promised to Joe, he was all set to contact the Race Relations Board), but Joe saw himself as a part of the wider community, not some insular section of it, dictated by colour.

Arthur, however, saw himself as white and English (Joe, he "reasoned" couldn't be English and black) and the MacDonalds were not part of his vision for a "cosy", all-white neighbourhood.

Joe decided to join Arthur's bowls club, and white middle aged hackles rose all round. Arthur was horrified, particularly as Joe turned out to be pretty good at the game.

Trina, meanwhile, was distressed by the failure of her plan to start a playgroup at the house, and an anonymous letter, and was also making trouble between Kevin and Glenda. The reappearance of an ex-lover of hers further complicated matters, and the situation culminated with Arthur joining a racist residents' group and knuckle dragging yobbos causing a fire at the MacDonalds' house.

Trina left, taking Ben with her. Joe was devastated, and Arthur faced the truth regarding the horrendous folly of his ways.

This story-line was interestingly written, and Joe was left to reflect that the racist element in the neighbourhood was not the only reason for Trina's departure.

He had to sell the house, lodging for a while with the Brownlows, then at Mavis Hooper's boarding house.

He never really recovered from the break-up of his marriage, and although he was attracted to Paul Ross's daughter, Lisa Walters, he never really pursued that.

In 1985, Joe found himself in trouble with Alice Daintry, wife of the awful Veron Daintry, who had a big contract with the garage. Alice accused Joe of coming on to her (the opposite was true) to cover her tracks when her not-so-loving husband became suspicious, and Joe faced a tough time when Vernon insisted Adam Chance sack him.

But Sid Hooper and Adam came to Joe's aid, as did motel cleaner Lorraine Baker, telling Joe to cry "racism!" if Adam attempted to lay him off, and things turned out OK in the end, although the garage soon sailed into financial difficulties and headed down the tubes.

Joe was yet another of those male Crossroads characters you could have enjoyed a pint with in the local boozer.

I missed him when the Crossroads Garage closed and he left the show. 

And, yes, the swanky new leisure centre was more interesting than the old garage - and topical (they were all the rage in the mid-1980s as the yuppie "fit for business, fit for life" ethos took hold) - but I couldn't help wondering how "Mac" was getting on...

Our Crossroads Favourites: Walter Soper - "Uncle Wally"

Kath Brownlow tried to look pleased when Walter Soper turned up for his second visit.

Played by the late great comedian Max Wall, Walter Soper, known to Glenda and Kevin Banks as "Uncle Wally", was a cousin of Arthur Brownlow who turned up in King's Oak in late 1982, apparently to "pay his respects" to Arthur's widow Kath and her daughter Glenda. Perhaps that was part of the reason for his visit - who knew with Uncle Wally, but another motive quickly became apparent: he wanted a long-term cosy billet with three square meals a day, and the odd drop of booze.

Kath actually enjoyed Uncle Wally's company, but Glenda and her hubby Kevin most certainly did not. They wanted him out and made no bones about it. Uncle Wally dreamt up a cock-and-bull story about having loaned Arthur some money years before which had never been paid back. The hint was that perhaps he was owed at least a little hospitality because of it. He spent many a pleasant evening with Kath, reminiscing about Arthur and watching wonderful films on the telly - like The Beast of Clapham Junction. His stay stretched on into 1983.

Finally, a job as a car park attendant threatened Uncle Wally's idyllic existence (well, it would have been idyllic if hadn't been for Glenda and Kevin) and he beat a hasty retreat. Before he left, he told Kath that he'd made up the tale about Arthur and the loan. Knowing Arthur as she did, Kath was already well aware of that fact.

With Uncle Wally gone, Kath sailed close to a nervous breakdown as the impact of Arthur's death and the resulting loneliness finally hit her. But Glenda and Kevin were able to advance their plans for a test tube baby, and Glenda actually was pregnant when Uncle Wally turned up again later in 1983.

Of course, he was the same as ever. But this time other accommodation was soon found for him at Mavis Hooper's boarding house, and she was most sympathetic about his bad back, suggesting brown paper on it and a hot iron run over that for pain relief.

Finally, Uncle Wally succumbed to the inevitable evils of work when a job as night watchman at the Crossroads Motel was offered to him. He made it plain that he expected certain conditions, but then acquiesced. He was finally beaten, it seemed.

I'm not sure what happened to Uncle Wally after that. Or even if he appeared again. Perhaps he changed his mind about the job and scarpered? In 1984, Mavis Hooper simply mentioned in passing that he had "moved on". 

I liked the character. It was all a little sad really. Uncle Wally may have been a bit of a pain but, lacking any descendents, he had nobody to look after him in his old age (not that kids and grandkids are any guarantee - far from it!) and he really wasn't asking for a lot.

Mind you, he was a bit of a pain in the neck.

Still, as he was played by Max Wall, I couldn't help liking him!

Our Crossroads Favourites: Arthur Brownlow

"I think I'll just dead-head me roses and then pop down the bowls club to see old Jenks..."

So, who were our favourite Crossroads characters? Which did we love to love or love to hate? Which made the most impression on us and became true Crossroads Greats? 

We'll begin with Mr Arthur Brownlow, played by Peter Hill, from late 1979 until late 1982.

Arthur was the grumpy husband of lovely, motherly Kath and the father of motel waitress Glenda and oil rig worker Ron. He certainly was grumpy, and an early story-line featured him being diagnosed with a terminal illness. The diagnosis turned out to be mistaken, and Arthur survived to gripe at Kath when she got the housekeeper's job at the motel (he had a very real and genuine high regard for traditional family roles), be falsely accused of improper behaviour with his niece-in-law, Iris "I ain't dun nuthink, Auntie Kath" Scott, and join a highly dubious 'residents' protection group' when young black couple Joe and Trina MacDonald moved in next door with their infant son, Ben.

On the plus side, Arthur was no stick-in-the-mud when his daughter, Glenda, provoked horrified reactions from Kath and her husband, Kevin, by suggesting she had a test tube baby. Arthur backed her but didn't live to see the birth of his granddaughter, Katie Louise, as he was run down by a car the year before.

Arthur drove me potty at times, but I loved the Brownlows set-up and he was an integral part of that for almost three years. I often wondered what Kath saw in him, but the devastating effect of his death was testament to the fact that theirs was a marriage built on love.

And, yes, I kind of missed him when the character died.

When Arthur And Kath Brownlow Were Different...

Arthur and Kath Brownlow in 1982. This is how we remember them!

Thanks to Solly who writes:

Regarding your query about the characters of Arthur and Kath Brownlow: they were originally played by Hilary Martin and Brian Haines very briefly in 1976, when Glenda was attacked by a lorry driver. They were just in a few episodes. Towards the end of 1979, they were recast with Peter Hill and Pamela Vezey taking the roles into the 1980s as permanent characters.

Thank you so much! Mystery solved!

Arthur Brownlow - Exit Line...

Kath and Arthur Brownlow (Pamela Vezey and Peter Hill) start 1982 with a spot of telly. Kath ends the year alone. 

 Greg writes: 

 In 1982, what was Arthur Brownlow's exit line? 

 As you probably know, poor old Arthur was killed in a hit and run road accident. His exit line in 1982 was: "STOP!" Peter Hill later narrated an old and previously unopened letter from Arthur to Kath, which was discovered at the Brownlows' house.

Iris And Glenda Unite For Angela's Wedding!

When the Brownlow family moved to King's Oak at the end of 1979, Glenda Brownlow (Lynette McMorrough) was not happy - she'd left home to escape her parents, particularly her grumpy father, Arthur (Peter Hill). 

The Brownlows - Arthur, Kath (Pamela Vezey), and Ron (Ian Liston) became familiar to Crossroads viewers as the show moved into the 1980s, but Noele Gordon initially loathed them as they were so downbeat! 

The Brownlow family set-up wasn't exactly exciting, so, in 1980, Crossroads introduced two new characters - Kevin Banks (David Moran) and Iris Scott (Angela Webb). 

Kevin became Glenda's boyfriend, Iris, who was Kath's niece, became a terrible trouble maker. Iris really was something. "I ain't done nuffink, Auntie Kath," she'd say, all innocence, but in reality... 

Iris's opening move was to cause distress to the Hunters, when she purloined some cassettes containing recordings of therapy sessons, taped by Lloyd Munroe (Alan Gifford). The person being "theraped" was none other than Rosemary Hunter (Janet Hargreaves). 

And it was revealed via the cassettes that Chris Hunter (Stephen Hoy) was not actually the son of David (Ronald Allen). 

 Oower, missus! 

Around November 1980, determined to upset her cousin Glenda's cosy applecart, Iris seduced Kevin Banks. 

And then, in 1981, Iris falsely accused her uncle-in-law Arthur Brownlow of molesting her in a motel chalet! Phew! The Brownlows were no longer unexciting. 

"You really are a bitch, Iris!" said Jill Chance (Jane Rossington) in 1984. 

But Iris wasn't always a bitch - and that's what made her interesting. She could be kind and supportive - an excellent person to have around. You never knew quite what to expect from Iris! 

In March 1981, bad feeling was running high between Glenda and Iris but, behind the scenes, things were very different... From the Daily Mirror, March 17, 1981: 

Crossroads actress Angela Webb buries the hatchet... with a wedding day hug for her worst screen enemy. 

Angela, who is bitchy kitchen hand Iris in the hit TV series, married musician Robert Griffin on her 24th birthday yesterday, and picked actress Lynette McMorrough, who plays Glenda Brownlow, as bridesmaid. 

The girls are good friends outside the Crossroads Motel. Lynette, 25, introduced Angela to Robert five months ago. 

Several of the show's stars took time off from rehearsals to join the wedding celebrations at Edgbaston, Birmingham.

1980s cast photographs of Angela Webb, Ian Liston, Pamela Vezey, Lynette McMorrough, Peter Hill and David Moran. Arthur's opening story-line involved him being diagnosed with a terminal illness. In early 1980, it was discovered that there had been a mix-up, another Arthur Brownlow had died, and the King's Oak version lived on until 1982; Glenda married Kevin in 1981, and went on to have a test-tube baby in 1983; Ron fell in love with cousin Iris, but left to work on an oil rig after she had a phantom pregnancy; Kath went upwardly mobile after Arthur's death, by marrying posh school teacher Stephen Fellowes (John Line).

Some 1982 Crossroads Cliffhangers...

Thank you, YouTube! Included here are Jill Harvey (Jane Rossington) attempting to intervene in some marital strife between Barbara (Sue Lloyd) and David Hunter (Ronald Allen), the tragic death of Arthur Brownlow (Peter Hill), and the agonising story of whether or not Kate Hamilton (Frances White) had killed casino owner Tony Moran (John Laurimore).

Christmas 1980...

Sir Billy Butlin died in 1980, and Butlin's introduced us to a new catchphrase: "Butlin it Once and You'll do it Again". On YouTube, I've found a clip of the Christmas 1980 episode of Crossroads, complete with commercial break.

At the motel, Meg was having a disco, and at the Brownlows' Arthur set the table cloth on fire (?!). The new Butlin's commercial, complete with the "Butlin it Once and You'll do it Again" ditty lights up the break, together with an advertisement for an indigestion remedy featuring a Space Invaders style turkey.

1980 was a different planet.

Kath Brownlow (Pamela Vezey), Crossroads Regular 1979-1987

Gavin has written:

I'm too young to remember the original broadcasts of Crossroads, but I saw the '80s episodes on UK Gold some years ago and became a great fan of the late Pamela Vezey as Kath Brownlow/Fellowes.

I read on IMDB that Pamela Vezey played Kath from 1976 to 1987, and have recently purchased Network DVD Crossroads episodes from the mid-to-late 1970s to see more of Kath's story - but she isn't in any of them and Glenda, her daughter, only appears periodically.

What's going on, please?

Well, Gavin, firstly, we share your feelings about Pamela Vezey's portrayal of Kath - she was absolutely spot-on and the character seemed very real. There were Kaths in households up and down the land.

The reason why Kath does not appear in your Network DVD 1970s episodes is simple: she wasn't around. The character of Kath Brownlow appeared very briefly in 1976 as part of the Glenda rape story-line. She was then played by actress Hilary Martin.

Glenda (Lynette McMorrough) appeared on-and-off until late 1979 when it was decided that her family would move to King's Oak. And so, Pamela Vezey and Peter Hill made their debuts as Kath and Arthur, with Ian Liston as their son Ron.

Glenda became a full-time character, too!

In 1980, David Moran appeared as Kevin Banks (he married Glenda in 1981) and Angela Webb as the enjoyably twisted Iris Scott, Kath's niece.

To sum up: the IMDB entry is misleading as it does state that Pamela Vezey was Kath from 1976 to 1987, when in actual fact Kath was a brief passer-through in 1976, played by actress Hilary Martin, and permanent only from late 1979 to 1987 - played by Pamela Vezey.