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Crossroads programme

I remember 'back in the day' a mate of mine was a lighting man for ATV. It was when the unions were much stronger than now and there was an electric fire on the Crossroads set that needed to be turned on. My mate the lighting man 'couldn't do it' and they had to stop recording until they found a 'sparky' to plug it in. (my mate also got me in to see TISWAS a couple of times)
 
Our great friend was Larry Grayson(real name Billy Brean) from Nuneaton.Used to have good nights out when appeared at the Barn Social at Witton and other places in Brum.Always said it was the best places to appear in in front of audienceses was Brum.
 
My neighbour is Jane Rossington, who played Jill in the original series; and as mentioned earlier Jack Woolgar was a director in Vulcan Film Productions, my company back in 1975/6. They really were lovely people to know.
 
Smudger said:
Benny says to gaffer, "hey gaffer can you use me on the land?" Gaffer says, "sorry Benny, we got fertiliser for that" Sorry Crossroads fans, but the show was terrible, just like that joke.
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in thems days we only had one tv. that was my wife's. "do not touch". so i had to watch: unamused: it or go to the pub1578669001729.png
 
Once, a
mw0njm. said:
me and my late wife lived just down the road from Noelle Gorden in Handsworth wood. i said allo once, she looked at me,and walked on
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Sometime around 1979/ 1980, I was walking along Birchfield Road, Perry Barr by the flyover, heading towards Holy Trinity Church, when I heard the unmistakable tyre sound of an expensive car approaching. I turned around, and instantly recognised Noele Gordon, behind the wheel of a brown Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. The number plate, NG 10, confirmed her identity. She was driving with her nose in the air, literally! I waved, but didn't catch her eye. It was my closest brush with a TV star!
 
Alf Rogers said:
Once, a

Sometime around 1979/ 1980, I was walking along Birchfield Road, Perry Barr by the flyover, heading towards Holy Trinity Church, when I heard the unmistakable tyre sound of an expensive car approaching. I turned around, and instantly recognised Noele Gordon, behind the wheel of a brown Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. The number plate, NG 10, confirmed her identity. She was driving with her nose in the air, literally! I waved, but didn't catch her eye. It was my closest brush with a TV star!
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Alf to be honest I don't think Ms Gordon was a people person , She always gave me the impression she'd rather ignore you than salute you . I think she only spoke to hoi polloi , if she had to or the situation demanded it , not a fan of hers at all , as you can probably see .
 
Williamstreeter said:
Alf to be honest I don't think Ms Gordon was a people person , She always gave me the impression she'd rather ignore you than salute you . I think she only spoke to hoi polloi , if she had to or the situation demanded it , not a fan of hers at all , as you can probably see .
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I know what you mean! Still, she certainly was the star of Crossroads in her day. I'd loved to have met Larry Grayson. He seemed such a gentle man. My wife adored him!!
 
Crossroads never really hit the 'big time' such as Coronation Street and Eastenders. Had they used sub-titles it may have helped. :scream: (dives, for cover)
 
Alf Rogers said:
I know what you mean! Still, she certainly was the star of Crossroads in her day. I'd loved to have met Larry Grayson. He seemed such a gentle man. My wife adored him!!
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Alf, a friend at work introduced me to a couple of of technicians at the ATV who had an account with the company I worked for. I was invited to tour their new studios in Bridge St , as they had just moved from Aston Rd North . We went around the Crossroads set we saw all the chalet doors fixed direct to a wall(ie no opening or closing) Megs office door exactly the same , when she put her hand on the doorknob , it was a change of shot and different position on the set . I could not believe my ears, when one of the technicians told us about the amount of booking requests to stay at the Crossroads motel they received . I still ask myself the same question were these people real wanting reservations in a fictitious motel . After that it was around the Golden Shot set , control rooms , announcer room , saw Trevor Lucas . Who some years later died on a train in I stanbul or somewhere like that , then after all that we went for drinkie poos
 
Alf Rogers said:
Once, a

Sometime around 1979/ 1980, I was walking along Birchfield Road, Perry Barr by the flyover, heading towards Holy Trinity Church, when I heard the unmistakable tyre sound of an expensive car approaching. I turned around, and instantly recognised Noele Gordon, behind the wheel of a brown Rolls-Royce Silver Shadow. The number plate, NG 10, confirmed her identity. She was driving with her nose in the air, literally! I waved, but didn't catch her eye. It was my closest brush with a TV star!
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I meet her on several occasions but now let me say this I meet the person she wanted you to meet.
As with all people in show business it's always about them and they adore the attention
We would pick up the car and deliver after service but as the studio was just down the street she would pop in once in a while making sure everyone knew she was there.
 
Apart from Anne Aston, who went on to be the obligatory attractive female in a game show (The golden shot) did any other Crossroads cast member move on to better things? I have a vague memory of someone having a brush with the law?

Gaffer says to Benny "Benny, to become a farmer you have to have a broad knowledge of farming, for instance, where does milk come from"? "That`s easy gaffer, the Co-op"
 
Smudger said:
Apart from Anne Aston, who went on to be the obligatory attractive female in a game show (The golden shot) did any other Crossroads cast member move on to better things? I have a vague memory of someone having a brush with the law?
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Actor John Forgeham (1941 - 2017) whom I vaguely remember from Crossroads featured in many T.V. programmes and films mainly playing villains and the like and always had an underlying "brummie" accent in whatever role he played.
 
Smudger said:
Apart from Anne Aston, who went on to be the obligatory attractive female in a game show (The golden shot) did any other Crossroads cast member move on to better things? I have a vague memory of someone having a brush with the law?

Gaffer says to Benny "Benny, to become a farmer you have to have a broad knowledge of farming, for instance, where does milk come from"? "That`s easy gaffer, the Co-op"
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yer cathy staff. went on to be nora batty
 
Robert Ensor (bob) said:
I meet her on several occasions but now let me say this I meet the person she wanted you to meet.
As with all people in show business it's always about them and they adore the attention
We would pick up the car and deliver after service but as the studio was just down the street she would pop in once in a while making sure everyone knew she was there.
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Well said Bob
 
jmadone said:
Actor John Forgeham (1941 - 2017) whom I vaguely remember from Crossroads featured in many T.V. programmes and films mainly playing villains and the like and always had an underlying "brummie" accent in whatever role he played.
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I'm sure John Forgeham was in the original film The Italian Job
 
knobbydave said:
Didn't 'Benny' go on to run/own a pub in Rubery?
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i seem to remember reading a long time ago that he did run a pub...dont know why but henley in arden springs to mind....although i could be thinking of someone else who ran a pub there
 
My wife was also fond of Mr. Hunter! (She had such good taste in men! Ha ha!). According to an article I once read, Ronald Allen worked a 46-hour week on the show, 5 days a week; ten months of the year, so the pace of working on Crossroads would have been relentless. He liked to collect antiques and works of art, which he kept at his Clapham, London home, where he stayed at the weekends.
He was a studious man, going on holidays to remote places, to further his knowledge of archeology.
Although he was once awarded the title of Britain's Best dressed Man, he'd had to buy his own suits for the show, as ATV's wardrobe budget was, at the time, just £6. Not enough to buy you tie these days! Sadly, he died at the young age of 60. He'd been a heavy smoker for many years. Probably the stress of being so famous.
 
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