Memories Of Crossroads: I grew up with Crossroads, and my earliest memories must be from around 1973, with some of those great characters; Carney, Mrs Whitten, Avis Tennyson, Jane Smith, Tish and Ted Hope, Vera Downend on her narrowboat, the deranged Rosemary Hunter, etc. I really started to take notice of the show around Meg's wedding, and then the kidnapping and death of Hugh Mortimer. My all time favourite episode was when Rosemary shot David in the office during a party at the motel (a scene we re-created in 1989 at the 25th Anniversary party, held at Stan Stennett's theatre, where the delightful Janet Hargreaves very sportingly sent herself up beautifully!) I began writing my own stories about the motel, featuring all the classic characters, and inventing my own. I spent hours every week writing, when I should have been doing my homework. Sadly most of these stories have long since been lost to the attic.
I hit the terrible teenage years around 1980/81, when the whole world was against me (so I thought!). At my lowest point, I ended up in to hospital, and my whole life was turned upside down, but I was befriended by a big German nurse, who adored Crossroads, and who would make the entire ward stop and watch it at 6:35. I remember finding myself in this ward full of strangers, scared and alone, with a TV playing in the corner, and there were Meg and Jill, talking about Shughie McFee (he had been putting spiders in the trifle or something, I think) In my darkest hour, the one constant in my life on that day was Crossroads - safe and unchanging (well until later in 1981 of course!!) and it saw me through some horrible years.
From 1976 until the end in 1988, I managed never to miss a single episode. When the show began to die, I stuck with it more out of loyalty for a sick friend, than for actual enjoyment, but was really sad when it came off in 1988. Around the time of the last episode I saw John Kavyo (as he was then) on TV-am talking about the show, and the Appreciation Society he had set up, and I was so amazed and inspired by his enthusiasm that I got in contact with him, and soon began writing again for the Crossroads Chronicles. Between us, and with the writing talent of many other contributors, we kept the story alive into the 1990s, met many of the cast, and appeared on countless programmes to promote the show and canvass for it's return.
When work commitments became too much, Peter Kingsman took over the reigns and kept the Society going long enough to see the show's return in 2001. I watched Crossroads 2 until Jill's death, and Adam's descent into crazed murderer, then switched off. I felt betrayed on behalf of all the thousands of fans who came to look on Meg, Jill and Sandy as family. I mean, why bring Jill back just to kill her off? Still, at least it was all a dream, wasn't it?
I admit to rather liking Crossroads 3, but it wasn't given time to develop, and I would have liked at least some references to the old show. I mean, those 1970s flashbacks during the last week would have been perfect. But where was the Motel? Where was Meg Richardson? King's Oak was a tiny village community, and Crossroads was at the hub of it all, surely those kids would have been running around the motel grounds, annoying the staff.
Shame not to at least mention them in passing! We are so pleased to see the Appreciation Society name live on; it has now lived through two revivals on the show, and will hopefully go on long enough to see the next one.
