He was writing a storyline for a new character called Benny Hawkins in Crossroads and he felt Id be perfect. Seventies chart-toppers Mud, Where are they now? [1] Early life [16] Written by Russell T Davies, and directed by Peter Hoar, the production is titled Nolly and depicts her time in, and sacking from, Crossroads. In a tragic scene, his character is shot by German guards as he makes a run for the prison camps fence. In 2012, Susan moved to ITV soap Coronation Street , playing Penny Thornley. In 1942 Heather, with her mother and siblings, Christine and Jeremy, fled Singapore for England on the last boat to leave before the Japanese wartime occupation. Sue Lloyd - Wikipedia Bob Warman interview with the Crossroads producer Jack Barton who describes how Sandy's work schedule allowed him to spend . She worked behind the scenes as Head of Lifestyle programmes. 1945-1984. Elisabeth Croft who played Miss Tatum in Crossroads. then this list will help you answer those questions. A former chat show host she was the first woman ever to interview a serving Prime Minister she had been presenter of ATVs Lunchbox. She led her soap life to the full for 24 years during which scripts saw her married five times once bigamously become a drug addict, an alcoholic and have a baby with her stepbrother. In an interview she gave to TV Times in 1981, Gordon announced that she might, once her stage work had come to an end, take up the offer of returning to presenting. Actor: Crossroads. Chasens 1949 marriage to John Webster ended in divorce. Gordon helped Reg Watson and Ned Sherrin launch ATV Midlands in 1956. Then, in February, 1981, four months before Noele was sacked, actor Roger Tonge - who had played Meg's son, Sandy, since the beginning - also died. And little remains of the Crossroads Motel, where Noele Gordons character Meg Richardson ruled the roost in ITVs cheap television soap which attracted huge audiences as high as 15 million viewers in the 1970s and early 1980s. She is survived by their son, Rupert. Independent Television Publications Ltd 1970, Learn how and when to remove this template message, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Roger_Tonge&oldid=1140554623, People educated at Lordswood Boys' School, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles needing additional references from September 2013, All articles needing additional references, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 20 February 2023, at 16:35. Ive managed to get a 40 overdraft.. The character - whom Hargreaves described as a "Technicolor. Noele appeared in two episodes in 1983 as a surprise, and there were plans to bring her back as an occasional character in 1985. let infinite_scroll_device_constants = JSON.parse('{"TopAdUnit":{"Path":"\/21612127490\/bs-mobile-is1","Template":"ad_pos_bs-mobile-is1","SlotSizes":"[300, 250]","placeholder":"bs-ad-top-mobile_placeholder-"},"BottomAdUnit":{"Path":"\/21612127490\/bs-mobile-is2","Template":"ad_pos_bs-mobile-is2","SlotSizes":"[300, 250]","placeholder":"bs-ad-bottom-mobile_placeholder-"},"StickyAdUnit":{"Path":"\/21612127490\/bs-mobile-sticky","Template":"ad_pos_bs-mobile-sticky","SlotSizes":"[320, 50]","placeholder":"bs-sticky-ad-mobile_placeholder-"},"NativoDivPath":"","FanPlacementId":"","ObWidgetId":"AR_5","AdsLazyLoadingDelay":"700","AbTestPercentage":"10","VidazooPixelId":"5ed3b5e8e35b7200048a2c83","TaboolPerScreenMode":""}'); In the 1940s, a stunning portrait of her was painted by Ella Mollo, with whom she conducted an affair while also sleeping with the artists Russian husband. The actor who played Sandy from the very first episode of Crossroads, died on 26th February 1981. It then moved to the Victoria Palace Theatre in the West End, where it ran for only 88 performances. Her father died the following day on a steamer that was sunk, and her stepfather, Ginger (GCR) Franks, died in the fighting that followed the invasion. Chasen spent a year (1958-59) in the role of Mollie Ralston in the Agatha Christie whodunnit The Mousetrap (Ambassadors theatre, London) and many West End roles followed. We also may change the frequency you receive our emails from us in order to keep you up to date and give you the best relevant information possible. 40 Years Ago Last Week Crossroads Actor Roger Tonge Died All rights reserved. Sue, now 76, played Marilyn Gates on Crossroads from 1964-1968, and she sang a song called Where Will You Be on the show which later reached number 17 in the UK Singles Chart. She retired to her home in Birmingham, where she died in 1985 of stomach cancer. Gavin and Stacey actress Margaret John has died at the age of 84, it has been announced. Paul Henry (born 1947) is an English actor, best known for his role as Benny Hawkins in the soap opera Crossroads, on which he appeared on 354 episodes over 11 years. Birmingham-born Paul, 69, and his wife Sheila live in. In 1981, after a long fight with Hodgkin's lymphoma, Tonge died aged 35. As Valerie Pollard, she played a cheating wife whose conquests in the bedroom mounted up while her millionaire husband, J Henry, took care of affairs in the motel boardroom. Cleo was given the role by producer Reg Watson after press coverage of racial tensions in the Birmingham area at that time. Remember Birmingham from days gone by with our nostalgia newsletter. Malcolm Young played Philip Winter between 1964 and 1965, making his appearance one of the shortest on the show. While he had much success in films and other television series, he never forgot Crossroads and was always keen to be involved with reunion events. Actor: Yes Minister. [2] Between 1975 and 1988, he played his best-known role of Benny Hawkins, a handyman in Crossroads.[3]. A former fashion model, Valerie was used to the finer things in life, spending her husbands money, devouring Tom Collins cocktails and men. [12], In the 2023 ITVX miniseries Nolly, which dramatised the life of his former Crossroads colleague Noele Gordon, Henry was portrayed by Lloyd Griffith. Now 73, she spoke the first words in the first episode on November 2, 1964, speaking into a telephone: Crossroads Motel, good evening. If you are wondering, "Who are the actors from Crossroads?" Years later, I did Doctors, several episodes of Bad Girls and recently a tour playing Tony Hancock in Hancocks Finest Hour. In 1981, after a long fight with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, Tonge died age 35. Henry trained at the Birmingham School of Speech and Drama, which was followed by eight years at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre. Something went wrong, please try again later. During his tenure in the series, his ill health left him increasingly immobile. No, I agree, its not immediately obvious. Actress. Janet Hargreaves obituary | Television | The Guardian Crossroads matriarch Meg later Meg Mortimer was memorably played by Brummie actress Noele Gordon. He had caught chicken pox and died of heart failure, his system unable to cope with the infection. Crossroads also turned Noele Gordon into a gay icon.[3][10]. This permanent character development was made to accommodate actor Roger Tonge who had been developing increasing ill-health. Anguss other film roles included appearances in 633 Squadron, Tunes of Glory and 1969 musical Oh! Then there was perhaps the most memorable character of all, village idiot Benny Hawkins, whose trademark was a woolly hat worn all year round. A single parent working at the motel seems staid now, but was hugely controversial in the mid-1960s; Sandy Richardson was injured in a car accident in 1972 and needed to use a wheelchair, the first paraplegic regular character portrayed in British soap opera. After attending convent school in Ilford, she was taught to dance by Maude Wells and later spent several years living in Southend-on-Sea. [7], In the summer of 1964, Lunchbox came to an end after more than 2,000 episodes. She eventually left the show in 1977 and the role was her last on TV. The actor from Sparkhill . This means that we may include adverts from us and third parties based on our knowledge of you. The plan was for Amy to be arrested for being a Soviet double agent, Amelia Turtleovski, but sadly it never appeared on screen. Paul Henry's grandad was murdered by a Peaky Blinder - Express It led to her playing most of her scenes opposite Sue Nicholls (Audrey Roberts), no doubt with both having a sense of deja vu. In 1985, Matheson's successor Ted Childs ordered Crossroads to be revamped; one element in the updating of the show was its renaming as Crossroads Motel. She may be best known for her long-running role (1979 to 1985) as Barbara Hunter ( ne Brady) in the British soap opera Crossroads and Cordelia Winfield in the ITC series The Baron . She went on to star in episodes of Casualty, Worlds Beyond and Fizz. The actress died in January 1990 at the age of 68. Crossroads (famous for its wobbly sets), and from 1984 she starred in medical drama The District Nurse . She then met up with the nurse, named Sister Anna Bianconi-Moore, on the Corrie set to thank her. Birmingham-born Paul, 69, and his wife Sheila live in Shropshire and have a son, Anthony. Anthony W Morton, who made his name during three years' service in the motel kitchen during the mid-60s died after a short illness. She said she partly based the alcoholic lesbian she played in the Enid Bagnold play Call Me Jacky (Oxford playhouse, 1967-68) on the novelist Patricia Highsmith, with whom she had a brief relationship in the 1960s. He was an actor, known for Yes Minister (1980), Mind Your Language (1977) and Crossroads (1964). The actress made a brief return to the soap in 1983 and went on to star in the musical Gypsy. Reg Watson, the producer, had already interviewed several actors for the part but was unsatisfied; after Tonge's audition, the producer offered him the role. In the same interview, she commented that a future role as a breakfast television presenter was being negotiated. He was an actor, known for Crossroads (1964), Crossroads: A Celebration (1971) and Nearest and Dearest (1968). Henry made a guest appearance on the Central Television game show Bullseye, presented by Jim Bowen, on 11 February, 1985. DON'T MISSHelena Bonham Carter transforms into Crossroads' Nolly[PICTURES]Helena Bonham Carter unrecognisable in red wig as Crossroads star[INSIGHT]Cross words on Helena playing ITV soap queen Noele in drama[INSIGHT]. Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right. [2] He was known for his role as Mike Baldwin in the soap opera Coronation Street, in which he appeared from 1976 to 2006. The Crossroads cast now: Hollyoaks stars, nightclub owners and murder I took the flack as that was part of my job to protect my staff. Benny was last seen putting up a fairy on a Christmas tree in 1987 and the series ended a year later. It came after playing more than 20 characters most of the female parts throughout the 18-year run of the BBC radio sitcom The Navy Lark (1959-77), set on board the Royal Navy frigate HMS Troutbridge. Heather Chasen as Valerie Pollard in Crossroads, with her daughter Miranda, played by Claire Faulconbridge. He also appeared as a bagpipe-playing innkeeper during several appearances in Dr Who and also featured in Keeping Up Appearances and Monarch of the Glen. She is buried in the churchyard of St Mary's Parish Church in Ross-on-Wye. Actress, Joan Collins took to her. Get a daily email direct to your inbox with our newsletter. Cast of Crossroads L-R Meg Mortimer (Noele Gordon) David Hunter (Ronald Allen) Jill (Jane Rossington) Sandy (Roger Tonge) and Benny (Paul Henry). Arguably the most successful actress to have starred in Crossroads, both old and new, the sky seems to be the limit for Freema Agyeman! The Birmingham actor who played Carlos in Crossroads has died at the age of 73. Announcing the news of her death on Twitter, ex . On television, she had runs as Helen Baker in the Francis Durbridge thriller The World of Tim Frazer (1960), Caroline Kerr (1968-69) in the BBC soap The Newcomers, Isabel Neal in the afternoon serial Marked Personal (1973-74), Mary Queen of Scots in the childrens adventure A Traveller in Time (1978) and Aunt Rachel in Young Sherlock: The Mystery of the Manor House (1982), as well as playing Margaret Thatcher in the drama-documentary Who Bombed Birmingham? Anthony works in sales, while Jake, our grandson, has finished his A levels and Jade, our granddaughter, has just left university with an English degree. Although you would never have known it from her on-screen squawk, she loved to sing and made a special appearance at Birmingham Town Hall, singing in Handels Messiah. let infinite_scroll_server_settings = JSON.parse('{"max_screen_index":50,"site_initial":"bs","total_media_id":"","is_active_mode":"GeneralMode","campaign_hash":"7caa701b2bd5a182b80c72b9bdf88e2d","article_url":"\/entertainment\/cast-crossroads-now-yh\/","country_code":"US","cloudfront_country_code":"US","first_article_max_page_num":49,"additional_post_url":"https:\/\/brain-sharper.com\/entertainment\/baywatch-tan-tb-2\/"}'); Little remains nowadays of Mr Heinemans motel dream, apart from a bell tower and a sign. She died in London in 2002, at the age of 65. Crossroads actor John Bentley dies at 92 - Birmingham Live Turtle was the remarkable creation of Smethwick-born Ann George. It peaked at no. But while most big cities already had hotels, there wasnt much accommodation for motorists. Now, 76 he lives on the island of Anglesey in Wales, where he was born. Gordon stayed with the programme until she was sacked in 1981, when ATV was in the process of being re-constituted into a new company, Central Independent Television. Since Crossroads , she also starred as Rusty Dickinson in film Back Home , and TV show Powers . Susan married Radio 1 presenter Tommy Vance in the 60s, and then married former Move frontman Carl Wayne until his death in 2004. Initially commissioned as an emergency schedule filler, the show became so successful that Gordon gave up her executive position to concentrate on presenting. After this event, her mother and her aunt were keen for her to begin a stage career. She was given the middle name of Noele because she was born on Christmas Day. Crossroads Cast | List of All Crossroads Actors and Actresses - Ranker The actor was previously married to Margery Field and he died on July 2, 1985 in London. Following the accident, the character of Sandy was predominantly a wheelchair user, though he was able to stand and move upright with the aid of crutches. She is patron of the Crossroads Appreciation Society, a fan club for the show. [7], In 2003, he returned to acting on TV in an episode of the British medical soap opera Doctors. What a Lovely War, directed by his Great Escape co-star Richard Attenborough, with a cast that included Dirk Bogarde and Laurence Olivier. His absence and death were mentioned in an episode of Crossroads between his character's mother Meg and sister Jill and again in the episode featuring Meg leaving for a new life on the QE2. In 1981, after a long fight with Hodgkins disease, Tonge died at the age of 35. Susan played Diane 'Miss Diane' Parker until her character was controversially killed off by a brain haemorrhage. I found that once I knew who Benny was, the lines came easily and six weeks turned into 13 years. Roger Tonge (30 January 1946 26 February 1981) was a British actor. Angus Lennie - Wikipedia She went on to have various TV roles before the one she is now most famous for - Audrey Roberts in Corrie, which she started in 1979 and still plays now. He scored 215 and raised 215 for charity. David Moran. Jo Richardson - IMDb [5] In a 2002 interview, Henry said that the public still loved Benny and that during a shopping trip, he returned to his car to find someone had left a piece of paper on it saying, "Benny, we miss you. [3] Henry's post-Crossroads career included minor stage roles and the running of a nightclub in Whitchurch, Shropshire, but, in 1994, he returned to television briefly in a tribute to Crossroads, called 30 Years On. Roger Tonge - IMDb [9], First in 1969, and over the following decade, she won the TV Times award for most popular television actress on eight occasions. Since then he has run his own business and recently played Tony Hancock on stage. In a 1981 interview with Angela Rippon, Tonge claimed that viewers were often astonished to encounter him off-screen and discover he did not use a wheelchair or crutches, despite him having been a wheelchair user for many years. In real life, after a short-lived marriage to BBC Radio 1 DJ Tommy Vance in the 1960s, Hanson married former Move frontman Carl Wayne in 1974, who lost a battle against cancer in 2004. Crossroads cast now: What happened to Noele Gordon and her co-stars in 39 in the UK Singles Chart in January 1978. She made her professional debut as Marcella in Donna Clarines at the Castle theatre, Farnham (1945). She stayed with the show for a national tour. Crossroads and Ipcress File actress Sue Lloyd dies aged 72 With adept changes of voice, Chasens roles included Ramona Povey, the wife of Richard Caldicots commander; Miss Simpkins, assistant to the Sea Lord; and Wren Chasen, alongside Leslie Phillips and Jon Pertwee as, respectively, the sub-lieutenant and chief petty officer perpetually trying to get the vessel out of the trouble they had personally created. Roger Tonge - Wikipedia She now lives in Staffordshire and in 2022 her family revealed she was suffering from Alzheimers disease. Crossroads, later known as Crossroads Motel and Crossroads King's Oak, was an ITV soap opera that ran from 1964-1988, and was revived from 2001-2003. Where are they now? Benny from Crossroads - Express Central were obliged to continue ATV's commitment to Crossroads; however, Head of Programmes Charles Denton and Head of Drama Margaret Matheson wanted to end the soap opera in favour of more expensive and lavish drama productions. Heather Jean Chasen, actor, born 20 July 1927; died 22 May 2020. She is engaged to her long term boyfriend Nicholas Willes as of 2019, and calls herself a "cat mother" on Twitter. People still recognise me and say hello, which is nice. I met Sheila at The British Legion Club when I was working at Birmingham Rep and she was a hairdresser. Her parents split up when she was 10, and both remarried. [1] He was working as an 8-a-week post office clerk and performing in amateur dramatics in the evenings when he landed the role of Sandy Richardson, the son of motel owner Meg (Noele Gordon) in the ATV soap opera Crossroads, which he would portray for 17 years. The famous tart with a heart was played by Zephyrine Frances Zeph Gladstone and her character was a big hit with fans. Crossroads, later known asCrossroads MotelandCrossroads King's Oak, was an ITV soap opera that ran from 1964-1988, and was revived from 2001-2003. The actor Heather Chasen, who has died aged 92, landed her best-known screen role in the television soap Crossroads. let infinite_scroll_general_constants = JSON.parse('{"TrafficSourceName":"mobile_single_page","A9PubId":"97ffba2c-b3ce-4eed-a256-16877174179b","PlayBuzzId":"","MinuteMediaId":"d78e1f27-6ae7-1ce6-2d8a-4f1d4f276a59","PrimisString":"","Connatix":{"Id":"","PlayerId":""},"CedatoId":"","VidazooId":"60a501bfba9bbf00048eec11","Rise":{"WrapperId":"60994fec4a06ce00014a0e24","Org":"5e415a71acebdc000190e321"},"Avantis":{"Id":"","TagId":""},"FbMode":{"Psl":"d7ecee","SubDomain":""},"AffiliateMode":{"Psl":"b6ca9a","SubDomain":"a709o2as"},"DynamicMode":{"Psl":"5486fa","SubDomain":"w9z5ajk4"},"LightMode":{"Psl":"12da3f","SubDomain":"9t7cxd13"},"GeneralMode":{"Psl":"fe0e8b","SubDomain":""},"BroadMode":{"Psl":"ef96ff","SubDomain":""},"NaturalMode":{"Psl":"6097df","SubDomain":""},"InclusiveMode":{"Psl":"71f658","SubDomain":""}}'); Jane Rossington was part of the cast from day one and she played Jill Richardson in the soap. He frequently returned to Scotland to appear in pantomime, often as a double act with his friend Stanley Baxter, their partnership as pantomime dames becoming part of the legend of Scottish theatre. Emmerdale double exit as Sarah Sugden dies after exposing lie, Sarah Lancashire spoke up to change Happy Valley ending, Crossroads: Paul Henry, Noele Gordon and Susan Hanson, Helena Bonham Carter admits to having 'imposter syndrome' in Nolly, Crossroads: Jane Rossington and Edward Clayton, Crossroads: Noele Gordon with the original cast, Coronation Street gunman attack leaves family fearing for their lives, Helena Bonham Carter believes Noele Gordon was axed by 'ageist bosses', Helena Bonham Carter 'wasn't sexual' enough in early career struggle, Helena Bonham Carter transforms into Crossroads' Nolly, Helena Bonham Carter unrecognisable in red wig as Crossroads star, Cross words on Helena playing ITV soap queen Noele in drama, Bradley Walsh in tears during emotional talk with son Barney. The claim was not challenged on air.[2]. [citation needed]. Crossroads (TV Series 1964-1988) - Full Cast & Crew - IMDb let infinite_scroll_layout_settings = JSON.parse('{"layoutSettings":{"autoConsent":0,"introParagraphType":"Social_image","imagePosition":"","notClickableHeader":1,"additionalPost":1,"vidazooPixelStartPage":0},"topAd":{"position":"Before","element":" figure","startsFrom":2},"video":{"provider":"Vidazoo","startsFrom":3}}'); Croaky-voiced Anthony Roger Tonge was working as an 8-a-week post office clerk and performing in amateur dramatics in the evenings when he landed the role of Sandy Richardson, the motel owners son, a role he would play for 17 years. Heather Chasen, most famed for her role as Valerie Pollard in Crossroads, has died at the age of 92.. During her career Chasen appeared in multiple British soaps, spending four years playing Pollard in the now-defunct Crossroads in the 1980s.. More recently she appeared in EastEnders as Janine's grandmother Lydia in 2011 for a brief stint..