CROSSROADS

First shown on ITV in 1964, Crossroads rivalled Coronation Street as the biggest British soap of the 1960s and 1970s. Created by Peter Ling and Hazel Adair Crossroads was originally set in a motel in the Birmingham area of England and was aired several times a week.

Important characters included the show's matriarch and owner of the Crossroads Motel Meg Richardson/Mortimer, played by Noele Gordon, the suave David Hunter (Ronald Allen) and Adam Chance (Tony Adams), likeable bumpkin Benny (Paul Henry), Meg's disabled son Sandy Richardson (Roger Tonge) (who in a sadly ironic twist ended up in a wheelchair in real life), and glamour girls Diane Parker (Susan Hanson) and Jill Harvey (Jane Rossington). Jill was also Meg's daughter. Other popular Crossroads characters were kitchen assistant Amy Turtle (Ann George) and cleaner Doris Luke (Kathy Staff).

Following Noele Gordon's departure from Crossroads in 1981, Nicola Freeman (Gabrielle Drake) took over as the owner of the Crossroads Motel in 1985. But, Crossroads was, by then, already in decline and the initial run of the series ended in 1988.

However, Crossroads was relaunched in 2001, but in a different setting, and with only a handful of major characters from the original series, including Adam Chance, Jill Harvey, and Doris Luke. Again shown on ITV, the soap's revival proved to be short-lived and it was pulled again in 2003.

Tony Hatch wrote the memorable Crossroads theme tune, which was also recorded by Paul McCartney's band Wings in the 1970s. Curiously, Macca's long-time girlfriend in the 1960s, Jane Asher, appeared in the Crossroads remake.

Punk icon Johnny Rotten, aka John Lydon, was a famous fan of the show, and his made-up story about securing a role in Crossroads as David Hunter's long lost son was published in The Sun!

- Paul Rance/booksmusicfilmstv.com.

Crossroads Appreciation Society

Crossroads Main Cast List

Noele Gordon as Meg Mortimer (219 episodes)
Susan Hanson as Diane Parker (203 episodes)
Ronald Allen as David Hunter (195 episodes)
Paul Henry as Benny (172 episodes)
Roger Tonge as Sandy Richardson (151 episodes)
Jane Rossington as Jill Harvey (126 episodes)
Sally Adcock as Jane Smith (119 episodes)
Kathy Staff as Doris Luke (107 episodes)
Carolyn Jones as Sharon Metcalfe (84 episodes)
Joy Andrews as Tish Hope (79 episodes)
Angus Lennie as Shughie McFee (76 episodes)
David Lawton as Mr Booth (74 episodes)
Tony Adams as Adam Chance (72 episodes)
Alan Gifford as Lloyd Munro (71 episodes)
Carl Andrews as Joe MacDonald (67 episodes)
Zeph Gladstone as Vera Downend (66 episodes)
Annette Lynton as Helen Booth (61 episodes)
Edward Clayton as Stan Harvey (54 episodes)
Victor Winding as Victor Lee (49 episodes)
Lynette McMorrough as Glenda Brownlow (49 episodes)
Janet Hargreaves as Rosemary Hunter (47 episodes, 1973-1980)
Thomas Heathcote as Ed Lawton (47 episodes)
Tony Steedman as Dr Butterworth (46 episodes)
Stephen Hoye as Chris Hunter (41 episodes)
Merdelle Jordine as Trina Jameson (41 episodes)
John Forgeham as Jim Baines (40 episodes)
Jack Woolgar as Carney (40 episodes)
Charles Stapley as Ted Hope (37 episodes)
Bruce Lidington as PC Steve Cater. (36 episodes)
Ann George as Amy Turtle (35 episodes)
Elisabeth Croft as Miss Tatum (31 episodes)
Sonia Fox as Sheila Harvey (30 episodes)

Crossroads DVD available from booksmusicfilmstv.com - in association with Amazon.co.uk

Crossroads - Volume 1 [DVD] [1964]