What Would We Have Done About Nolly? The Noele Gordon and Meg Dilemma - Part 3

Back in 1981, we sent a suggestion to ATV about the future of the Meg Mortimer character in Crossroads. We felt that dropping her was a mistake and that the character had massive potential. We must make it plain, once more, that we don't agree with the Woke, misandrist burblings of Russell T Davies on the issue. Things were sometimes not easy behind the scenes at the motel, but it had nothing to do with a woman being oppressed by men. That's simply Feminist, Marxist model nonsense.

Whatever the difficulties, we felt they could be surmounted - the decision would have been Noele Gordon's - and Meg, the character, could have sparkled her way out of what we regarded as a miserable last few years.

Here, we've polished up and elaborated on our 1981 alternative Crossroads idea. This is Part Three of our little series of articles on the subject.

Part 2 is here.

Our version would have progressed pretty much as it did during the winter of 1981-1982, but with occasional added Meg content.

We would have condensed some of the Mavis's boarding house/motel garage scenes to accommodate some 'Meg Abroad' material. The boarding house and garage were a little too much in evidence during the motel's rebuilding we felt, and although we enjoyed both scenarios, it would have been worth condensing a few scenes for Meg.

So, on with the saga...

Jill returns from the QE2 and tells David what has transpired. David is very relieved that Meg is alright, and pleased that she wants to resume their friendship, but cautious about the notion of a new project. 'Does it involve the motel?'

'I'm not sure,' says Jill. 'I think it might, but I really don't know...'

'Well,' says David, 'I shall look forward to hearing about it when your mother returns.'

Meg visits Matthew in New York and spends some time with Anthony.

At this point we'd hopefully be able to secure a few appearances from Jeremy Sinden.

'It's amazing,' Meg says, looking at her blond haired grandson. 'He's your child and Jill's child, and also Hugh's grandson, my grandson and Charles' grandson. Life is a miracle, isn't it?'

Anthony tells Meg that Matthew has changed him. 'I always baulked at the idea of fatherhood. But I love it. Just watching him... even watching him sleep... I'd never have believed it, but there it is.

'I hope he'll be able to meet Sarah Jane one day,' says Meg. 'She is his half-sister after all.'

'I'm sure he will,' says Anthony.

'Family and friends are the two most important things in the world,' says Meg. 'Good family and good friends are such riches.'

Anthony tells Meg that he has discovered the truth about his father's finances: 'The dear old buzzard was at a pretty complex stage of the deal he was working on when the kidnapping happened. It left him pretty broke at that point, but he would have made a tremendous profit had he lived. As it is, it left a terrible mess for you.'

'I knew it must have been something like that,' says Meg. 'Hugh was far too good a businessman not to have planned everything meticulously for a successful outcome.'

At this point, our memories of Hugh are set free from the terrible cloud created by the writers when Meg was left in the financial lurch after the character died in 1978. We wanted less Meg-martyrdom, and we liked the character of Hugh. An astute and highly experienced businessman, who actually wrote a book on the subject, the scenario of Hugh actually being a financial twit never sat easily with us.

Jill breaks the news of the motel fire to Meg during a phone call in early 1982.

'But, darling, why didn't you tell me? I would never have gone away!' says Meg.

'Because you badly needed the rest and, unless you fancied taking up bricklaying, there was nothing you could have done here,' says Jill firmly.

'You treated me like a child,' says Meg.

'No, Mum, I treated you like someone who loves you and wants the best for you,' says Jill.

Meg accepts that and is touched. She is saddened by the news of Sam's death.

The continuing story of Meg is slotted into the established storylines about the motel, the Brownlows, etc. We loved a lot of the post-Meg storylines and want nothing else changed.

On returning to England, Meg visits Ruth and Andy. She and Andy talk about Granny Frazer - who is sadly no more. Re-establishing Meg's family - Matthew, Andy, etc, would have been important to us. She seemed to be operating in something of a vacuum - with Jill and the motel as her only life concerns - after Sandy's death.

Meg's return to the motel is set for the day of the grand re-opening. She arrives and gives an interview to the Castlewich Clarion about how she began the business in 1963, and how delighted she is at its continued success.

Jill is thrilled to see her mother and, after some initial reserve, it is clear David is also delighted to see her. Glenda, Kath, Doris and other staff greet her and Meg is pleased to be back.

'You know, darling, the place looks completely different, but it really is like coming home!' she tells Jill.

David and Meg discuss her living arrangements. David tells her there will soon be a new suite for a live-in director or manager. Meg says she'd just like to make use of two rooms - her sitting room and the room next door, previously Sandy's bedroom, as her bedroom. David agrees.

Meg and David go to the sitting room. 'I'm looking to the future with great enthusiasm,' says Meg. 'But it's lovely to have this room - a thread of continuity. Lots of wonderful memories!' 

She and David have a drink.

'I must say I'm intrigued by your planned project,' says David. 'Do you feel ready to discuss it?

'Yes, I do,' says Meg. 'I've been thinking everything through, and I want to continue my involvement on the board of directors and in the motel's day to day running, David. Reception stints, paperwork - even kitchen duties if absolutely necessary!' They laugh. 'I'd also like to involve Jill a little more in the running of the place. I think it would be good for her - and the motel.'

David agrees.

'I accept that you are the majority shareholder and in the driving seat, as it were,' says Meg. 'We may not always agree, but we will be able to disagree without rancour, I'm sure of that.'

'I'm very glad,' says David.

'But my idea also involves the motel site and would be an entirely new venture...'

'Do go on,' says David.

And Meg tells him her idea...

Part 4 coming soon...

Our Crossroads Favourites: Valerie Pollard

Valerie in 1982: 'Birmingham? Darling, where on earth's that?'

Valerie Pollard, played by Heather Chasen, only appeared intermittently in Crossroads from 1982 to 1985, but she certainly left her mark on the motel - and our affections.

We adored Valerie.

Naughty but capable of being very nice, Valerie popped a button off Adam Chance's shirt upon her arrival in April 1982 - and bore him away to his boat for a night of 'lurve'.

This resulted in the breaking of Adam's engagement to Jill Chance - and the departure of Adam on the midnight plane to Paris - to avoid the wrath of Val's husband, J Henry Pollard.

Val had only done it to get up her hubby's nose.

Valerie, of course, was a millionaire's wife, leading an elegant beach bum life abroad with a host of 'pneumatic young men' - as her husband put it.

And when J Henry imprisoned her in a grotty motel in the English Midlands, well, darling, you surely couldn't expect her to take that lying down, could you?

The motel bored Valerie so much she once ordered a Pussyfoot Special in the bar.

While Valerie and J Henry were at loggerheads, they actually DID care about each other. J Henry even told her how to spell 'grotesque' - 'q-u-e, not k'.

Poor Miranda, the couple's daughter, dodged the bullets flying between her parents.

Valerie once told Miranda she thought J Henry was the only member of the family who really knew how to love - and she didn't mean sleeping around.

What was so wonderful about Valerie was that you didn't know what to expect from her. Here was a rich super bitch who was also kind and considerate enough to give pregnant motel waitress Glenda Banks a lift home to save her catching the bus, and hand-hold distressed Kate Hamilton as she awaited a court appearance.

But she was also willing to falsely accuse motel restaurant manager (and her husband's spy) Paul Ross of sexual assault. Fortunately, David Hunter saw right through that - and Valerie just reacted as though she had been caught out in a piece of trivial mischief.

She also sent her own daughter an anonymous letter in an attempt to stop Miranda's romantic pursuit of Mr Paul - which caused much angst and resulted in police bribery.

Valerie lit up the screen. Her bitchery, her languidness, her kindness - she was fascinating and very witty to boot.

A Crossroads legend to us at the blog, she made Joan Collins of Dynasty look like Hilda Ogden after a bout of flu and sixty fags.

Fabulous.

Now, we're off to the bar to toy with the peanuts - and perhaps even order a Pussyfoot Special. Unless, of course, you'd like to show us your boat...

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: Doris Luke

Doris Luke featured in a 1984 knitting book, based on the Crossroads characters. That cardigan is actually rather dressy by Doris's standards.

Dear old Doris Luke was a born spinster - no, I don't mean "batchelorette". Doris, played by Kathy Staff, had spent her younger years looking after her poorly parents. Not that she begrudged them - no, not our Doris - she loved her parents and said it had been a pleasure to care for them. But it left her rather on the shelf. Her attitude didn't help. She arrived at Ed Lawton's farm as housekeeper in 1978, and was a bit of a hatchet-faced dragon at first. But she quickly mellowed. According to soap writer Hilary Kingsley, Doris even forgave Benny Hawkins's pet goat Starry when it ate her best hat.  If this was indeed so, the episode seems to have been wiped - although I think I recall something...

In November 1978, Doris was transplanted to King's Oak, and worked at the motel as vegetable cook. She also helped out in the village shop for a while, until a bad fall landed her in hospital, and later did a spot of housekeeping for Reg Cotterill.

Doris was not in the best of health. Her lengthy absences from the screen were sometimes explained by health matters, or not mentioned at all. The truth was Kathy Staff was also, of course, Norah Batty in the BBC's Last Of The Summer Wine, and so she flipped between the two shows throughout her time in Crossroads.

Loyal to her friends, Doris kept an aunty-ish eye on Benny, was a great pal to Kath and Mac, and told Alison Cotterill off for losing touch with her friends when she briefly returned to King's Oak in 1983.

In the early 1980s, Benny Hawkins wanted to buy Doris a house in the village, but of course Doris could never take his money. She offered to live there with him and look after him, but he refused and said he didn't like houses.

So, that was that. 

Father Fate, Dame Fortune, or whoever, did not smile on Doris. In 1981, she was attacked and mugged at home, and 1982 found dear Doris reflecting on her lonely life and grotty little bedsitting room at Mrs Price's house in King's Oak.

And then her old wartime love Tom Logan returned from France.

And he began determinedly courting Doris all over again.

Doris was uncertain - could they really rekindle the magic of forty years ago? And he'd gone a bit Frenchie-fied with his neckerchief and love of escargo. The way he wolfed his food in public at the motel restaurant was hardly the way an English gentleman would behave. Yes, he certainly seemed... different.

But, finally, the two became engaged. Tom wanted to buy the post office in King's Oak, and all seemed set fair, until the doubts set in. On both sides.

The couple parted. Tom left.

Doris dithered. Had she done the right thing? She contacted Tom. He had had third thoughts too. So, Doris left the village, it seemed to marry him.

But, of course, Doris could never be accused of being lucky. Tom died. And she returned.

A further period of ill health followed, and during this Doris found great comfort in looking after Katy Louise Banks, the baby daughter of Kevin and Glenda. 

Doris called Katy "Kitty" and grew to adore the child, which did not please Glenda, who was looking for a child minder, not an extra grandmother figure for her baby. 

Aware of the problems she was creating, Doris became distressed and wandered off with Katy for a few hours, causing great concern. On her return, she told Glenda that she didn't think she should see the child any more. Glenda had been about to tell her in no uncertain terms that their child minding arrangement was at an end anyway.

Doris's sister, Edna Tilling, turned up in 1984 and was totally unlike Doris. She was spoilt and somewhat neurotic. Doris was going to stay with her after an operation on her veins, but Edna ditched the idea when her daughter, Gloria, arrived. Doris left to recuperate with friends in her old district of Peachy. 

In early 1985, she wrote to Benny to tell him she was housekeeping for some old acquaintances back there.

Doris was a lovely character - earnest and caring, and beautifully played by Kathy Staff, a great actress and much-loved by the public. She returned briefly for the revived Crossroads series in the early 21st century, but didn't stay long - sprouting a gay nephew in her brief time on the new show. Who was his mother I wondered? Gloria? Edna? Incredible! But then, in Dallas 1986 fashion, the revival turned out to be a dream.

And a good job too!

I do hope Doris found some happiness...

Our Crossroads Favourites: Glenda Brownlow/Banks

Happiness for Glenda and Kath as the news arrives that Glenda can begin her IVF treatment.

Glenda Brownlow, played by Lynette McMorrough, arrived at the Crossroads Motel in 1976 and was a bit of a wild child until the early 1980s. Waitress Glenda ran off to London in 1976, and got raped by a lorry driver. This was a powerful story-line for early evening Crossroads, and quite powerfully depicted - with poor Glenda being discovered unconscious by the side of the road.

It was revealed that Glenda's home life hadn't been happy - she'd arrived in King's Oak to escape her parents up north.

Glen's troubles weren't over after the traumas of 1976 as she was attracted to horrible Gerry Hurst in '77, which also meant problems for dear Vera Downend, as Glenda was staying on her boat.

She was young and headstrong, our Glen.

Glenda finally began to settle down when she met painter and decorator Kevin Banks in 1980. Her parents, Kath and Arthur, had moved to King's Oak in late 1979 and, although initially unhappy at the prospect, it seemed that Glenda was about to find happiness with the man of her dreams, and that all rifts with her parents had been healed.

Enter Glenda's wicked cousin Iris Scott, who burst onto the scene in 1980 with all the drama of a force ten gale, and wasted no time in bedding Kevin.

Poor old Glen!

But, despite Evil Iris, love found a way, and Glenda and Kevin were married in 1981.

Glenda was increasingly unhappy about her inability to have children. In 1982, she latched on to the idea of having a test tube baby. This was a new and startling concept at the time, expensive and likely to arouse fear and suspicion amongst some people. Kath, Glenda's mother, thought it highly unnatural, but Glenda's grumpy dad Arthur backed the idea. Kevin was initially reluctant, and Glenda had to leave and move to London, staying with her Auntie Rose and the aforementioned Evil Iris (now a lot less evil, thankfully), before Kevin capitulated.

Then, grumpy old Arthur was killed in a hit-and-run accident, turning life in the Brownlow/Banks household upside down. But finally, in early 1983, Glenda's IVF treatment began and she was lucky first time.

She and Kev soon had a baby daughter, Katy-Louise, and all seemed set fair, until Percy Dobson, Kev's business partner, died suddenly. The business was in dire financial straits and Glenda and Kevin lost everything.

The couple emigrated to Canada in 1985. Things were going well, Glenda reported when she flew back for Kath's wedding to Stephen Fellowes later that year.

After that, we never saw Glenda in King's Oak again.

A terrific character, powered by that magical everyday quality some Crossroads performers managed to bring to their roles, Glenda was utterly believable. She talked about that last minute coach party arriving at the motel restaurant from Stratford-On-Avon, her aching feet - and Mr  Paul's moods. She wondered if there was enough hot water for a bath when she got home. She liked to watch telly. Like most Crossroads characters, she lacked the glittering repartee of the Coronation Street characters (fabulous, but often rather too witty to be real) and had I met Lynette McMorrough at a bus stop, it would have been hard not to say: 'Oh, hello, Glen! How's things? Mr Paul still being a pain?' or something similar.

Great natural acting from Lynette McMorrough. Glenda, particularly during the era of her marriage to Kevin (1981-1985), was one of my top favourite Crossroads characters, and now ranks as one of my all-time favourites.

Now, put the kettle on, Mum, I'm dyin' for a cup of tea. Ooh, you should've 'eard Mr Paul today! Oh, and Mrs Chance has been on  to the laundry about them table napkins...

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!

Remembering Margaret John As Marian Owen...

Margaret John as Marian Owen in Crossroads, a part she played from 1978 to 1985. ATV photograph courtesy of the Crossroads Appreciation Society.

Tim has written:

I remember very fondly the character of Marion Owen, the receptionist at the group practice in King's Oak, and Kevin's aunty in the Crossroads saga in the 1980's. I was saddened to hear of actress Margaret John's death a while ago, as I think she was one of the best Welsh TV actresses around. What do you remember about the Marion Owen character? I'd love it if you could write a blog post about her.

Well, like you, Tim, I remember Marian Owen as played by Margaret John, very fondly. Marian was actually not much of a character - she was sensible and understanding, but not particularly interesting. Highly skilled actress Margaret John invested the character with a tremendous warmth, and so she became not only Kevin Banks's auntie, but probably the auntie we all would like to have, and a character who added tremendous "watchability" to every episode she appeared in.

She first appeared in 1978 and was a recurring character until 1985. 

In 1980, Marian moved beyond the group practice in the village to develop a home of her own, and a family - with the arrival of her nephew, Kevin Banks, soon to be followed by her dreadfully snobbish sister, Sally, and brother-in-law, Oliver.

A childless widow, Marian spent no time moping about. She gave a caring ear to friends and family, and spoke commonsense at times of crisis. It was in her house, around November 1980, that the devious Iris Scott seduced Kevin whilst Marian was out. Oh dear! What a hoo-hah that caused! Poor Glenda was devastated. Of course, Marian was around to help calm the ensuing shock waves.

Popping in and out of the serial, Marian had no real story-lines of her own. She always took part in other characters' stories. 

By early 1982, Marian had moved out of her large house near the golf course into smaller accommodation, and the house had been sold to Reg and Jennifer Lamont.

1983 was a big year for Marian as her sister Sally discovered that her marriage had squalled on to the rocks - hubby Oliver had fallen for Sharon Metcalfe of the motel garage, and Glenda and Kevin went in for a test tube baby. Although kind and caring, Marian could speak out when needed. It was in 1983 that she took Kevin to task for bossing Kath around. In the wake of Arthur's death in 1982, it must be said that Glenda and Kevin had both got a bit domineering when it came to the home front at the Brownlows', and Kevin certainly needed telling. And who better to do so than Auntie Marian? I remember cheering at the time!

Marian was a good friend and understanding confidante to Kath Brownlow, as she faced up to widowhood.  She last appeared in 1985, as a guest at the wedding of Kath to Stephen Fellowes. 

Marian was a very positive character. As a widow with no children, she could have been pathetic and whingeing, but she was always positive. An aunt of mine, in similar circumstances herself, said she found Marian a great comfort. That was in the days when soap operas did positive characters. Far too many nowadays are just the opposite (in my humble opinion!).

It was Margaret John who turned Marian from what could have been a make-weight short stayer into a cherished Crossroads memory. I have read elsewhere that the actress was a "national treasure". Well, I've never seen her more noted role in Gavin And Stacey, but for her Crossroads character alone I'd have to agree.

Christmas 1980, and Margaret John, dressed in character as Marian Owen (back row, far right), lines up in reception with other members of the Crossroads cast, including Roger Tonge as Sandy Richardson, Noele Gordon as Meg Mortimer, Jane Rossington as Jill Harvey, Tony Adams as Adam Chance and Kathy Staff as Doris Luke. Thanks are due again to the Crossroads Appreciation Society for supplying this ATV photograph.

1983: Controversy Over Glenda's Test Tube Baby...

Glenda Banks (Lynette McMorrough) is thrilled to hear from the hospital that the time has come for her to try for a test tube baby. Her mother, Kath (Pamela Vezey), after initial doubts, shares Glenda's joy.

Oh, how Glenda wanted a baby!

But she couldn't have one.

Until the notion of having a test tube baby entered her head...

And then, despite Kath's doubts about the method ("interfering with nature!"), Kevin's doubts about having a child at all, and her mother-in-law Sally Banks' horror at the social implications (Whatever would her friend Bunty say?!), Glenda became a woman with a mission.

She was obsessed with the idea of having a test tube baby.

It wasn't easy to raise the brass.

But finally Glenda found herself in hospital, all systems go. And she was lucky - her very first attempt at conceiving via in vitro fertilisation was successful.

And then the real world objected...

Daily Mirror, October 24, 1983:

Crossroads was attacked last night for giving TV viewers the idea that it is easy to have a test-tube baby.

Waitress Glenda Banks, played by actress Lynette McMorrough, is due to have a test-tube baby in January.

But a group representing couples who are desperate to have children claims the soap opera storyline is far from the truth.

Peter Houghton, director of the National association of Childless Couples, said: "It is totally unrealistic because it makes the whole question of test-tube babies seem easy."

Brenda Holliday, the association's administrator, has sent a letter of protest to the producers.

She said: "Our members are disgusted because they have been through the terrible heartache of waiting for a baby and then they see a show like Crossroads which makes it seem so easy.

"If the Crossroads team knew what many couples suffer through spending years on waiting lists and going through the anguish of not conceiving they might realise why so many people have been infuriated by Glenda's test-tube baby."

A spokesman for Central TV, which makes Crossroads, said: "Our scriptwriters carried out a great deal of research. They are making this part of the plot as authentic as possible."

Hmm... well, Glenda was only on the waiting list for a short time...

But in defence of Crossroads, upon her arrival at the hospital, Glenda met a woman called Rachel who had had several unsuccessful attempts at conceiving via in vitro fertilisation, and experienced another failure whilst Glenda was there.

There was at least some attempt to balance Glenda's good fortune.

And it was nice to see the Brownlow/Banks family enjoying a happy storyline for once.

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.