We used to hate Crossroads as children. It always clashed with Scooby Doo, so we'd have to go upstairs and watch it in black and white, and be too scared to leave the room. If my grandma was with us, she'd insist on it. At least mum was only a fairweather fan. It was so boring.
In an upcoming documentary we're covering called Class of '62, a woman featured called Sally Adcock played a ditzy waitress called Jane Smith in the 70s. I remember her! She was in the Salvation Army. She disappeared without trace.
Like her though, I remember seeing characters from the 70s that to this day have stuck in the mind. A chef called Mr Booth. A twittering receptionist called Mrs Hope. Amy Turtle of course, Benny, blah, blah, blah. On the odd occasion we did see, there are bits that stuck in the mind.
Usually we caught that end bit after the credits, and often it was a bit of a shocking cliffhanger. Perhaps that's why they stick in the mind.
So here we are, my Crossroads (Mk I) memories:
1. Stan Harvey's parents flashbacked to a time they met - and it was in black and white! I'd never seen a flashback scene ever before, and had to have it explained to me. The novelty!
2. Stan Harvey bursting into Meg Richardson's study (with the arched inset bookcases) announcing the birth of his daughter. "Get the champagne out - it's a girl!"
3. Rosemary Hunter putting a letter on the mantlepiece that was from the court. I asked my mum if it was a divorce court to which she remarked that I was obsessed with divorce. Well, they were rowing a lot at the time.
4. That Jill's house was called Chimneys. Everyone said this name in a really prissy fashion.
5. An annoying girl who was a vegetarian and didn't eat Chinese food because it had monosodium glutamate, the first time I'd heard of such a thing.
6. Diane washing up at a sink that seemed to be in the middle of the room, so you could see all the pipes. I wonder if this was intentional.
7. An American woman dying of cancer alone in a 'chalet'.
8. Meg's husband dying after being kindapped by international terrorists. Don't laugh, we've all been there.
9. Sandy in a wheelchair sitting in that hideous drawing room.
10. The hairdresser who lived on a narrowboat. Not a houseboat, or a barge, but a narrowboat. She was at pains to make this clear.
11. A woman with agoraphobia who was powerless to stop thugs beating up her daughter, who was called Dina.
12. The producer or casting director or someone was called Anne Croot-Hawkins. This was the source of much hilarity.
Fact: Mrs F-C got JIll's autograph on a plane to Malta when she was about 8.
