Jill’s old flame Jonathan Mortimer returns to Kings Oak along with his brother Tony (Anthony) and mutual friend Sarah. Jill however has little interest in resuming her romance with Jon as she has feelings for the wayward handyman Philip Winter.
Victor Amos isn’t feeling too well and is having less luck in raising his funds for his half-share in the ownership of the Night and Day Car Hire firm which Dick Jarvis has already paid his £2000 for – obtained by deception which Kitty is currently tolerating rather than see her husband go to jail for fraud.
Meg gets her bar licence but it’s thrown into jeopardy just days after beginning alcohol sales because a road accident leaves questions as to who she’s been selling to.
Carlos has got himself involved with a dubious ‘wholesale salesman’ called Gary, who is managing to get the motel chef bargains that appear far too good to be true.
Meg is confused over her feelings towards Philip Caroll, Jill is sure her mother is in love with him and he is with Meg. Jill who herself is lusting over the motel barman decides it’ll be best for everyone if she moves to London. Dick is chased by Hilda Duvene who wants him to resume his performing with the Kings Oak Players, he declines saying he’s far too busy with the car hire business, however having heard Brian is good at drawing tries to rope him into set design.
Owen Webb’s wife is feeling a lot better and is due to be discharged from hospital soon. He informs Kitty he’ll be leaving for Bournemouth once she’s out, and he’ll no longer need to rent the room at the Jarvis’. A film company is recording scenes around Kings Oak and the motorway, and Marilyn Gates is desperate to get a part in the production. The motel receives several anonymous telephone calls about Christine and her illegitimate child, Meg brings in the police and the culprit shocks everyone.
Businessman Hugh Mortimer arrives at the motel and it isn’t long before he’s wooing Meg Richardson, although his business ventures leave him far from popular with Dick Jarvis. The motel appears to have a problem with a guest who likes to take little mementoes home with them, such as branded ashtrays and sugar bowls.
Marilyn is disappointed it seems her big-screen dreams have ended, Carlos has a lucky escape from the criminal gang he accidentally became involved with and Ruth has concerns about the Jarvis’ lodger George and his drinking.
Following Victor Amos’ demise from a heart-attack his brother George, a journalist, has arrived in Heathbury intending to wind up his sibling’s affairs – he is keen to know how much the share is worth in the car hire business.
The young star of the Kings Oak Players has fallen ill and George and Dick ask Sandy to step into the part. Sandy rehearses with George and isn’t sure about the script but is lured to take part with reassurances from George he’ll like the part when he’s on the stage…
Kitty is in Australia for her daughter’s wedding, however, it has been postponed. Dick has been in a battle with Hugh over his business while the latter has continued to woo Meg. Jill is working for a magazine in London while Sandy has been ‘going out’ with his best friend Colin’s sister, Kate. Love was also blooming between Philip and Christine, leaving Meg torn with her feelings.
Ruth’s fears were confirmed when George and his drink problem became apparent not only to her but also Dick. Meg was left outraged when a guest stole the entire fittings and furniture from the recently renovated Chalet 6.
April sees George seek help for his drink issues, Sandy prepares to take to the stage and Hugh makes Dick an offer this time he can’t refuse.
Meg spends Easter Monday with Hugh at his country retreat. Marilyn thinks beat music is really cool, especially as her boyfriend Benny Wilmott is the lead singer in a band. Sam Redway, a driver at Dick’s taxi firm suggests to Meg what the motel needs is a petrol station. Meg is already pondering expansion with a coffee shop on land she owns on the other side of the motorway.
George is taking it one day at a time with his alcohol problem, he’s also planning to move to London to get away from local temptations – notably friends like The Crown landlord Harry. He’s told Ruth he’s found work down south and will soon be leaving. Dick has agreed to sell the car hire business to Hugh Mortimer in exchange for £5250 and a prime relocation to new offices in Longton.
Sam Redway (Initially typed in scripts in April as Readway), a driver at Dick’s taxi firm suggested that the motel should open a petrol station on its land – and he’d be the perfect person to operate it. Meg takes advice from Hugh, who also continues to show his romantic interest in her while Sandy dislikes Hugh more and more as each day passes.
Philip decided he would give his marriage to estranged wife Doreen another try, now she’s out of prison and seems remorseful. Marilyn is hoping for stardom thanks to her boyfriend Benny and his beat band, ‘Georgie Saint and the Dragons’.
Hugh has made an enemy in the past, who has just gotten out of prison. Suddenly his office windows are smashed, his car scratched and then a brick through his windscreen outside his Birmingham penthouse. It’s topped off when his apartment is trashed – he catches the person in the act. The Jarvis’ shop takes on a new paperboy, little realising who his father is.
Josefina appears to have a wild imagination, while Gordon Amos thinks he’s got the big expose on Hugh Mortimer he’s been waiting for. Brian and Janice hit difficulties in their relationship. Sandy has a great dislike for Hugh, he sees him as trying to replace his late father Charles. After a row, Meg slaps Sandy. Hugh leaves in a rage too.
Amy Turtle talks about her sister Hilda and her husband Fred while Christine gets a terrible shock at the return of her tormentor – Winnie Palmer. However it appears that the medical treament Winnie has been undergoing has improved her mental health.
Gordon Amos has been trying to dig up dirt on Hugh Mortimer to make a ‘good story’ for the local newspaper The Clarion where he works as a reporter. To get around several legal issues he’s going to first test the water with a generic ‘temptation and councillors’ item. Dick Jarvis suggests Hugh will sue if there is any hint of it being directed towards him..
The ATV Studios feature in two episodes and a fictional political programme called The Midland Viewpoint. (Episode 171 opens with a shot of the Alpha TV Centre where Crossroads was made). A heated debate takes place live on TV between Hugh and his rivals – but then suddenly things go disastrously wrong for Hugh when a surprise guest makes some shocking accusations.
Hugh faces the public in the by-election vote. He also shows a softer side with troubled Joe, which results in a new beginning.
Marilyn’s dreams of fame, fortune and a singing contract are over. Josefina tells Carlos she’s pregnant. She also poses as Meg to a Mr Little who wants to hire the restaurant for an event – later leaving Meg baffled.
Winnie is back from the mental home, for a visit, but Christine isn’t sure she can be trusted around Mark – this takes an unfortunate turn when, having given in to Ralph, allows Winnie to look after the baby – who is seemingly abducted from outside a shop.
A car crash sees Sam and Janice injured, Kitty returns from Australia and Brian is accused of something serious by his bosses.
IMDB says Wee Georgie Wood appears in episode 193 – there is no reference to him being in this episode. He notes himself he appeared in the programme in 1970 in his own column for The Stage newspaper (Dec 31st 1970) saying he’d just recorded two episodes.
Marilyn enters – and to her surprise – wins the Miss Warwickshire 1965 beauty contest. The only problem is she took the afternoon off work – without telling anyone and Meg probably will find out from the newspapers. Little realising Meg attends the event and leaves Marilyn hiding in a very unflattering place.
Stevie Harris arrives at the motel with her travelling salesman father, leaving Meg concerned about the welfare of the girl – her father however feels Meg should stick to running the motel and not his life.
Sam Redway is trying to get back into Meg’s good books so he can run her soon-to-open Petrol Station. Sandy tries his best to get his mum to reevaluate her view of Sam, but he’s not having much luck.
Journalist Godfrey Winn arrives in the reception amid difficulties in the kitchen, mainly due to Carlos exercising on the floor rather than cooking. Meg attempts to make the best of it with Winn, noting it’s not the best of days the motel has had and she can only apologise. Godfrey says she mustn’t worry he’d already experienced The Crossroads last week – he had dinner in the restaurant when Meg was out.
This month there are a couple of ‘social issue’ plots, Stevie Harris and her issues with her father that result in Meg taking her in. Also elderly Miss Tranter not eating properly due to her lack of funds, which results in her collapsing in the Jarvis’ shop.
Hugh and Louise are scheming behind Meg’s back – although Hugh says it was for Meg’s own gain – he wanted to gift Fairlawns Hotel to her.
Sandy’s watch goes missing and is found in a strange place. Diane decides she wants to be a beauty queen and Brian goes for a promotion at work, and then asks Janice to marry him. They set the day for Saturday, November 13th.
Josefina has a medical emergency and later heads back to Spain to stay with her mother. Carlos looks to make more money so applies for a role elsewhere. He also later does a little private hire cooking, using the motel kitchen. Marilyn is wooing, via letter, her old school flame Clive. She’s roped in William to help her write fancy letters. Only now he’s coming to see her they also have to make her a vision of sophistication in reality. Carlos thinks it’ll be a bit of a stretch.
This month also sees Sandy head to Paris where Hazel Adair makes a couple of appearances as a French friend of Hugh Mortimer, Madame Caumartin. – Some of the Paris recorded scenes are all that survive of this month on film.
Ruth, awaiting new accommodation, spends a few weeks staying at the motel. However, it isn’t long before ex-husband Gerald is back on the scene and causing nothing but trouble for her, including giving her a thump in front of the motel staff.
A lorry crash outside the motel proves fatal.
Meg has continued issues with Stevie and makes the tough decision to not proceed with fostering her. However Sandy and Jill think she might be rushing into that decision.
Janice and Brian have to put their wedding plans back due to a couple of unforeseen issues, however, Hugh gives them a nice surprise in the middle of all their problems. Later Brian unearths a shocking revelation about Janice’s father.
Fairlawns Hotel and Country Club opens, however, Louise has grown bored of Hugh and Meg and heads back to New York before the ribbon is cut. Benny Wilmot is given the challenge to get the new motel coffee bar up and running in Meg’s old barn (on the other side of the main road) while Hugh loans Sam Redway the money to build a garage with the petrol station – but he mustn’t let Meg know he’s involved.
Godfrey Winn makes his second appearance, this time taking a look around the coffee bar and brings Meg a copy of the magazine feature about the motel. There is a scene featuring someone smoking – this obviously before the TV regulator banned such a thing in ‘daytime serial’.
The Mirror reports Crossroads is marking its first year on air with a murder and a wedding.
For the murder Ruth’s violent and sexual preditor ex-husband Gerald Bailey has been killed, but who did it? Ruth? Her boss? Sam Redway? or even Carlos Rafael?
Also, it’s the wedding of Brian and Janice after their year-long ‘on’ and ‘off’ relationship. In other relationships, Stevie Harris seems to be building a very unhealthy obsession with her school teacher Mr Grainger.
Hugh is away in London this month, probably recovering from both Meg and Louise giving him a hard time.
The ‘That Place’ Coffee Bar opens in Meg’s old barn, run by Benny Wilmot who Marilyn also secretly records singing, to enter into a song contest. Dick and Kitty return from Australia while Sam plans to leave the car hire to oversee the opening of the Petrol Station.
Lily Harris, Stevie’s mother, is urging her daughter to spend Christmas with her, and at first, Stevie thinks it would be a great idea – although she doesn’t like ‘Uncle Jack’ who she is sure would also be there with them. As it turns out Lily makes a mess of her attempt to woo Stevie into festive bliss.
In the kitchen Carlos becomes ‘unless’ – he loses the use of his hands and his feet are unsteady, he takes to his bed where he thinks he is dying. Marilyn compares herself to Elizabeth Taylor when talking about horoscopes and Evan Lloyd is working his ‘mystic magic’ through the motel – although Meg believes that he is just a big phoney.
Dick is also not happy with Sam. Not only has he opened a rival taxi company – he’s also employed one of his staff. Kitty is enjoying her driving lessons – and so is her instructor Vince.
Janice is tired of full-time work and being a housewife, she dreams of owning a twin-tub washing machine.
| Crossroads Years | 1964 Index | 1966 Index |
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When I was five years old in 1966 I remember watching a TV show where two lads were exploring a basement dungeon. They wandered into the dungeon cell but the gate inadvertently closed behind them, locking them in the cell. Meanwhile their mother was about to have a baby at home on the sofa, the father there beside her.
Does this sound like a Crossroads story? This would have been around August / September / October 1966 on STV Scotland where the episodes were about five months behind. If this was from Crossroads it would be around episode 350 – 415. Does this obscure reference ring any bells to anyone? Thanks.
There was a story where Sandy and a school pal got stuck down a cave, and there was a police search. The film of the search survives as does a few seconds of the two in the cave. It might be that?