Our Crossroads Favourites: Stan Harvey

 Stan Harvey and Jill Richardson discuss their future in 1971.

Working class Stan Harvey, played by Edward Clayton, the son of pigeon loving Wilf and brother of elocutionist/hairdresser Sheila back in the 1970s, was a surprising suitor for posh young Jill Richardson, but the two fell deeply in love and married. Jill was keen for Stan to get on in life, and an interest in the motel garage proved lucrative.

The Harveys' daughter, Sarah-Jane, further cemented the couple's happiness, as did a move into a large, comfortable house called Chimneys. Those were good days.

Still, many viewers disapproved of Jill marrying 'beneath her' and Edward Clayton received letters from various disapproving snobby pillocks as a result.

In 1977, Stan spent some time on business in Germany and it was during his absence that Jill had an affair with her step-brother, Anthony Mortimer. She became pregnant, and the situation pushed her marriage onto the rocks and eventually destroyed it. Stan ended up with custody of Sarah-Jane, and married a German woman. 

At this time, Stan was made out to be a bit of an insensitive git in the Crossroads scripts. It was suggested that Jill had only drifted into Anthony's arms because of Stan's dedication to getting on in business and that she'd been neglected by him. But in at least one existing episode from the early-to-mid 1970s, Jill is seen pushing a resisting Stan on to succeed in business, so the later story-line seems simply an attempt to vilify the character as he was being written out, and the production team obviously wanted the viewers to sympathise with Jill.

Jill was still in love with Stan deep down. She tearfully confessed this to him on the phone at Christmas 1980. Stan hung up. There was no going back.

A couple of years later, Stan, his wife, and Sarah-Jane left England to live in Germany. He returned briefly to the motel in 1985, a happy man, seemingly with no regrets. He proved to be a bit of an anchor for poor old Jill, who was beset by anxiety at the selling of the motel to Major International Hotels at that point.

Stan was another of those Crossroads characters, like Vince Parker, who would probably have been good company for a pint down the local. He had that all important aura of believability - a nice, everyday bloke. He grounded Jill - who could be more than a little topsy-turvy when left to her own devices - and the couple seemed to work well together.

I was sorry when the character was written out. But if he hadn't been then Jill's marriage to Adam Chance in the 1980s would not have happened, so every cloud...

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: Miranda Pollard

It was the '80s and money was no object for Miranda Pollard. But her life could be stormy...

Miranda Pollard, played by Claire Faulconbridge, first arrived at the Crossroads Motel in 1980. She was romantically involved with Adam Chance. 

Miranda's father, J Henry Pollard, was a millionaire businessman who soon arrived in King's Oak too. Oh dear! Miranda's parents would later prove that a millionaire's daughter's lot in life is not always a happy one...

Miranda flitted in and out of King's Oak in the early-to-mid 1980s. When her mother, Valerie Pollard, first arrived at the motel in 1982, we saw just what a nightmare marriage Miranda originated from. Poor girl!

However, Miranda did not always help herself. She was determined to have her way and enjoy a weekend in Paris with Paul Ross, restaurant manager and her father's secret spy at the motel, but her mother found out and sent her an anonymous letter, claiming that she was also a former lover of Mr Ross. Miranda informed the police about the letter, unaware of who the author was, and it fell to her father to bribe the investigating police officer, Sergeant Annette Halls, thus ensuring the trail of evidence did not lead back to Valerie.

Miranda was dispatched, but soon returned, insisting that her father give her a place on the board of the motel, or never see her again. She had already proved herself a competent secretary and J Henry cobbled together a minor role for Miranda which kept her happy (ish).

Despite her frightfully rich background, Miranda was not a snob and was a popular member of the motel staff. In 1984, she became romantically involved with Dr Lawrence Wilcox of the King's Oak group practice, but quickly turned her attentions to Douglas Brady, brother of Barbara Hunter. This, of course, did not work out. Knowing Douglas, how could it? 

In 1985, Miranda was raped. Her mother Valerie visited King's Oak one last time and left with her daughter. Miranda was not seen at the motel again.

I remember Miranda as a glamorous member of the motel team, who (like so many soap heroines) made unwise choices in romance, but was generally likeable and dependable, despite an occasional flicker of a spoilt little rich kid mentality. This served to make the character more interesting. The rape was an exit story-line I found genuinely shocking. I was sorry to see her leave.

Our Crossroads Favourites: Darby

Darby:  "Please extinguish that cigarette, Mrs  Tardebigge!"
Mrs Tardebigge: "It's me bit of pleasure, lover."

Mr Thomas Darby, played by Patrick Jordan, was the hall porter at the Crossroads Motel in the mid-to-late 1980s. Thomas was just about always called and referred to as "Darby" or "Mr Darby". Use of his first name no doubt seemed a little too informal to him.

Fiercely devoted to Nicola Freeman, Darby always made sure she received her newspaper and cuppa each morning. As soon she was settled in her office for the day, he was in with a tray - and woe betide anybody who smoked in her office, for Darby would be in with the air freshener (it was called "Whispering Glen" or something).

Darby had quite a rigid mindset and clashed with the likes of cleaner Mrs Tardebigge and new motel owner Tommy "Bomber" Lancaster. He hated Mrs Tardebigge smoking in the staff room. 

Like all the best "pain-in-the-neck" soap characters, he always believed he was acting for the best. 

Sometimes his was the voice of doom and gloom. When Tommy took over the motel in 1987, Darby droned on endlessly - saying that it was just like the old Station Hotel at Buxton years before, and that the staff would soon be out on their ears. 

Perhaps if he wasn't so apt to get worked up about things, Darby could have avoided the heart attack he survived. But he was soon back to his old self.

He developed a friendship with Margaret Grice's mother, Mrs Babbitt, herself a gloomy old fusspot. 

At the end of the series in 1988, as the Three Crowns took over the newly-renamed King's Oak Country Hotel, Darby was heard saying that it was just like the old Station Hotel, Buxton, all over again...

Our Crossroads Favourites: Jane Smith

Jane Smith, once described by motel owner Meg Mortimer as: "One of our waitresses, with a heart of gold."

A real plain Jane with a real plain name, this waitress, played by Sally Adcock, was employed at the motel in the mid-to-late 1970s. She was plain speaking too, a great, down-to-earth Northern character. 

Her family background was rather unsettled and her mother was... well... not the nicest nurturing influence, but Jane fought her way upwards and onwards and was a very loyal member of the Salvation Army. Occasionally, I found her a little bit too much of a do-gooder and she got on my nerves but, in the main, plain Jane was solid gold, always caring and cheerful. I particularly liked her scenes with Sandy Richardson. There were times when Jane almost seemed like a sister to him, and the two had a great rapport which I thoroughly enjoyed.

Jane was also a great friend to Carney and Diane and Benny and, in fact, just about everybody. She even stuck around for Diane, with whom she shared a flat for a while, when Diane went a bit loopy and took to prowling around at night shredding clothes and other strange things, and then thinking an intruder had done them.

Jane's positive attitude and devotion to the Salvation Army made for heartwarming viewing.

I don't think they make soap characters like Jane Smith any more. In today's soap world of lusting, money-grabbing and serial killings, kindly Jane would seem very out of place.

Pity.

Our Crossroads Favourites: Rosemary Hunter

1980 took a sudden turn for the worst for David Hunter as Rosemary confronted him in the motel office.  And she was armed. "David... say it... tell me you love me... SAY IT!" 

Rosemary, played by Janet Hargreaves, was the neurotic first wife of David Hunter. She was a one-time heavy drinker and all-time pain in the neck. The highly civilised David actually struck her once. The programme's audience took his side.

Even after she and David were divorced, Rosemary still turned to him whenever she had a problem, and sometimes turned up at the motel to interfere with his business affairs. David and Rosemary had a son, Chris, but it was later revealed that David was not actually Chris's biological father - and that his marriage to Rosemary had never been legal. She was already married when she 'married' him.

Rosemary is a Crossroads legend largely because of the (in)famous episode from 1980 when she shot David in the motel office. This occurred on the evening of David's engagement to novelist Barbara Brady. Rosemary had become more and more unhinged in the run-up to the engagement party, and afterwards confronted David, whining, "Tell me you love me... say it..." 

When David refused, she shot him.

The glorious scene - complete with Janet Hargreaves's inspired playing of a woman deranged - has gone down in soap history, and Rosemary's place amongst the Crossroads greats is absolutely assured - forever.

Our Crossroads Favourites: Kevin Banks

 Kevin Banks on his wedding day in 1981.

Painter and decorator Kevin Banks, played by David Moran, first appeared on the King's Oak scene in 1980. He was soon dating motel waitress Glenda Brownlow. 

Kevin was a nice, down-to-earth lad with a faintly Brummie accent, which made his posh family background rather surprising. His mother, Sally, was a social climbing and, quite frankly, bloody awful snob. Father Oliver was a respectable, middle class businessman. Kev's sister Penny was "frightfully" well spoken too. We can't recall seeing Joyce, Kevin's other sister, on-screen - she was living in Canada, but we're willing to bet she was posh as well.

However, being a bit of a rebel and having a bit of a rift with his parents, Kevin slotted in very well with the working class Brownlows, and even better with Glenda's cousin Iris Scott, another 1980 new arrival in King's Oak, who seduced Kevin at his Auntie Marian's house. Oh yes, the very wonderful Mrs Owen, receptionist at the village's group practice, was the sister of Kevin's awful mother.

Kevin married Glenda in 1981, and married life was hardly plain sailing. Kevin fell in love with young Carole Sands, David and Barbara's housekeeper. This was no lecherous frolic, in fact, it was a very pure and sweet little tryst, but the pair's feelings for each other ran deep and Kevin left the district and worked away to help save his marriage. 

Kevin didn't mind the fact that Glenda couldn't have children, but Glenda did and when the idea of having a test tube baby occurred to her in 1982, Kevin was horrified. Glenda left him to live with her Auntie Rose in London, and he was forced to agree. The result was first time lucky - a daughter, Katy Louise.

Financial troubles abounded, and Kevin's father Oliver, keen to build a relationship with his son, bought him a partnership in the local building firm belonging to one Percy Dobson. Percy was an old adversary of Kevin's, but the partnership seemed to be working out well, until Percy's sudden death in late 1984. Kevin was shocked to discover that the business was in debt. He and Glenda lost all their savings and the business folded.

Kevin tried his hand at being a house husband - looking after the house and his daughter whilst Glenda went out to work at the motel. When his father Oliver invited Kev and family out to visit him in Canada, the young Bankses eagerly accepted. On returning to England, Kevin briefly had a job as a salesman - which didn't suit him at all, courtesy of Kath's boyfriend John Latchford.

Kevin had wanted to leave for Canada permanently. After the salesman fiasco and continuing tensions with John Latchford, Glenda agreed.

The young Banks family left England and made a successful fresh start in Canada in early 1985.

Kevin was a likeable everyday character and a bit of an anchor in the Brownlow/Banks household. Story-lines about the family abounded in the first half of the 1980s, and, although sometimes absent whilst working away, Kev was usually there, coping with Uncle Wally, his father's affair with Sharon Metcalfe, Kath's depression after Arthur's death, and Glenda's ups-and-downs. Another of those believable characters it would have been good to have had a pint with down at The Running Stag.