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Crossroads programme

Alf Rogers said:
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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Alf did your wife ever watch Mr Allen in the BBC serial/soap Compact some years before Crossroads, he had an American accent in that as a so-called tycoon
 
Williamstreeter said:
Alf did your wife ever watch Mr Allen in the BBC serial/soap Compact some years before Crossroads, he had an American accent in that as a so-called tycoon
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Yes she did! As you'll know, Ronald Allen also appeared in the 1958 film A Night To Remember, starring Kenneth More (never keen on him, a bit smug), and he was also in TV series United! (1965-66), Dr. Who, (1968-70) and Hell Boats (1970). Have you seen any of these programmes, as I don't think any have been on the box for a long time. When we bought our first video recorder, a Ferguson model in 1984, the first programme my wife got me to record was Crossroads. Even though we'd just watched it on Central, we then sat through it four more times in a row!
 
Alf Rogers said:
Yes she did! As you'll know, Ronald Allen also appeared in the 1958 film A Night To Remember, starring Kenneth More (never keen on him, a bit smug), and he was also in TV series United! (1965-66), Dr. Who, (1968-70) and Hell Boats (1970). Have you seen any of these programmes, as I don't think any have been on the box for a long time. When we bought our first video recorder, a Ferguson model in 1984, the first programme my wife got me to record was Crossroads. Even though we'd just watched it on Central, we then sat through it four more times in a row!
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A Night To Remember I've seen , Dr Who in the real early days . None of the rest
 
Google had this to say about Paul Henry's pub in 2006:

A CITY pub once owned by former crossroads star paul henry has finally reopened.

Billy's Bar, in Coventry Street, Digbeth, had been closed for more than three years until businessman Altaf Ali decided to buy it and reopen the once popular pub.

I wonder who I was thinking about?
 
knobbydave said:
Google had this to say about Paul Henry's pub in 2006:

A CITY pub once owned by former crossroads star paul henry has finally reopened.

Billy's Bar, in Coventry Street, Digbeth, had been closed for more than three years until businessman Altaf Ali decided to buy it and reopen the once popular pub.

I wonder who I was thinking about?
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it obviously was not a success at re opening as a pub as it has been a back packers place since at least 2009...shame

lyn
 
Got it! ah, my memory fades ... Paul used to sometimes drink in The Dingle in Frankley .. that's where I saw him (when I was brave enough to go in there) ... in my youth it was 'a bit of a dodgy pub' if your face didn't fit
 
nijinski said:
I thought this might be worth a mention. Did you know it's the 10th anniversary of the very last episode of crossroads this year and next year is the 50th anniversary of the first episode. The crossroad appreciation society are setting up events to. Remember it by. We never missed an episode in house. Even with shakey sets it was watching. Especially amy turtle.
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I just stumbled across this post as I was going to ask if the sets really did used to move about. I am old enough to remember Crossroads (although I was only a child) but I have always wondered if the sets did wobble!!!!! Obviously they did!!!!!

I haven't looked up Crossroads on-line as I don't really want to spoil what I can remember about it, it is tempting to try and spot the wobbly sets!!!!!

Miranda Pollard was our sandwich lady years after Crossroads!!! She was really bubbly and upbeat.
 
Kat7272 said:
I just stumbled across this post as I was going to ask if the sets really did used to move about. I am old enough to remember Crossroads (although I was only a child) but I have always wondered if the sets did wobble!!!!! Obviously they did!!!!!

I haven't looked up Crossroads on-line as I don't really want to spoil what I can remember about it, it is tempting to try and spot the wobbly sets!!!!!

Miranda Pollard was our sandwich lady years after Crossroads!!! She was really bubbly and upbeat.
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Kat7272 I can't obviously say that I saw any shaky bits when I went around the set . All doors where screwed directly to the wall window shutters likewise , reason being none of the doors actually opened all done by expert camera manipulation etc
 
OK this is my moment of glory. I had an ex-girfriend who was a production assistant on "Crossroads," a show which I adored for many reasons. When I was back in Birmingham she'd invite me to come to Central Television studios and watch "Tiswas" live on a Saturday morning. AND she took me round the set of "Crossroads" AND yes I stood behind reception and picked up the phone and said "Crossroads, can I help you?" And yes I've still got the 45 of Benny's "Where do I go from here?"
 
Hi Williamstreeter and Alf rogers. I remember "Compact" and "United." These were of course rivals to "Crossroads" because they were on the BBC. "United" was launched at about the same time as "The Newcomers" I think as a kind of pilot to see which one would catch the imagination of the public and replace "Compact" - in fact neither for very long as it turned out. Certainly "United" was produced at the Pebble Mill studios, perhaps "The Newcomers" as well? I remember one Sunday going down to the field next to the studios where there was a football pitch to watch the cast of "United" play a charity match against some veteran footballers from Birmingham City- Gil Merick was in goal for Brum. I guess that must have been around 1963-4.
 
bullring boy said:
Hi Williamstreeter and Alf rogers. I remember "Compact" and "United." These were of course rivals to "Crossroads" because they were on the BBC. "United" was launched at about the same time as "The Newcomers" I think as a kind of pilot to see which one would catch the imagination of the public and replace "Compact" - in fact neither for very long as it turned out. Certainly "United" was produced at the Pebble Mill studios, perhaps "The Newcomers" as well? I remember one Sunday going down to the field next to the studios where there was a football pitch to watch the cast of "United" play a charity match against some veteran footballers from Birmingham City- Gil Merick was in goal for Brum. I guess that must have been around 1963-4.
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In 1966 (I think it was) as an apprentice gasfitter I went to the BBC Gosta Green studios to fit a gas cooker on the set for 'United.' The fitter and I duly did the job and on the way out a late arriving member of the cast, George Layton, now a renowned writer, producer etc ran into me at the entrance. I wonder if he remembers?
 
AlanD2 said:
In 1966 (I think it was) as an apprentice gasfitter I went to the BBC Gosta Green studios to fit a gas cooker on the set for 'United.' The fitter and I duly did the job and on the way out a late arriving member of the cast, George Layton, now a renowned writer, producer etc ran into me at the entrance. I wonder if he remembers?
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Hell AlanD2 Welcome to the forum , I think Newcomers was from Gosta Green studios . The reason I say that is one night walking past Lee Longlands on Broad St , George Woodbridge actor was waiting for the bus at Lee Longlands . I used to live in William St around the corner , I recognised Mr Woodbridge because of his appearances in Stryker of The Yard with Clifford Evans
 
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