Search Results

Dear Neighbours, What are we going to do without you? It's hard to believe that this time last month, we were gearing ourselves up for the final ever episode of Neighbours. 'Final ever' - now that's a phrase we didn't think we'd have to use when it came to Australia's longest-running soap opera that really did take Britain by absolute storm. It came so close to making it to forty years but alas, it was not to be... Every so often a TV show comes along that makes it's mark on popular culture; cements it's place in television history, and finds its way into our hearts... and stays there. In fact maybe Neighbours should've been called Family and Friends because that's exactly what the characters became to us. OK we realize that makes us sound a little sad, and we hasten to add that we have plenty of family and friends in the real world! But back in the eighties and nineties - we were all a little over-invested in our favourite TV show back then, and we took the Neighbours' characters - as well as the actors who played them - into our hearts... And invested we certainly were! We laughed with the residents of Ramsay Street; cried with them; rooted for them, and as with those closest to us, there were times we wanted to climb into our TV sets and give one of those characters a good shaking when they were on the verge of doing something stupid. Yep, that was usually Paul! We felt Des's heartbreak when his beloved Daphne died; we wanted to be in the congregation when Scott married Charlene (actually some of us wanted to trade places with Charlene!) And when Mrs. Mangel left Erinsborough for a new life in England with her new husband John, even her arch rival Madge shed a few tears! And that doesn't even begin to sum up how magical Neighbours was. For thirty seven years we we shared our living rooms with characters from the other side of the world, as we all gathered together with our families to watch the latest ups and downs in the lives of the residents of an Australian surburban Cul-de-sac - and we couldn't get enough! In fact some might say that we knew those Neighbours much better than we knew our own neighbours. True! Those of us who have watched Neighbours since the early days, and continued to watch it over the years never thought that there'd come a time when Neighbours would no longer be on our screens. I mean - we still have Hollyoaks! And I don't know a single person who watches that! So how is it that we've lost Neighbours? And this past month - the first month without Neighbours - has presented me with a real dilemma that I've really struggled with since Neighbours went off-air: what on earth do I watch while having lunch now??? I know right - the struggle is real! Even though the true Neighbours' fans know why we feel so bereft - and yes, we are aware that there are far more serious issues going on in the world - there's plenty more who can't understand what all the fuss is about. It was just a silly soap opera, right? And I know that my mum would say the exact same thing about it 'just being a TV show.' She would always start cooking dinner at around the time Home and Away was on, and by the time Neighbours had started, she would often remember that she'd forgotten something and tell me that I needed to dash to the shops to pick up whatever it was before the shops shut. This would lead to an inevitable almighty row. "There's more to life than your Neighbours!" Mum would shout. There wasn't a kid in eighties or nineties Britain who would agree with her on that one! And we really are well aware that there are more pressing concerns in the world - that's just one of the reasons why we're so sad that Neighbours has come to an end. Aside from the fact that for almost four decades it was our televisual tea-time treat, it was our escapism; our little bit of happy... It was sunshine emanating from our TV sets. We may go on and on about the 'good ol' days' and 'simpler times' and while all that is relatively true, the total truth is that no time is ever completely good or simple but there are always things that make these times better... and Neighbours was definitely one of them. When Neighbours was at the height of it's popularity, I'd had several life changing moments. I'd finished primary school and had moved on to secondary school, and worse still we'd moved house and gone to live on the other side of London, which for me may as well have been a whole other country! Fitting in at school and making friends most definitely didn't come easily to me. But if there was one thing that was common ground for us all - it was Neighbours! It didn't matter whether you were the cool kid, the dumb kid, the new kid, or the geeky kid - everyone would talk to anyone when the topic turned to anything Ramsay Street-related. Even the school bully would take time out from whoever they were tormenting to discuss the previous day's episode! And years later when I upped sticks and headed over to the States, I became a regular Neighbours viewer again, never missing an episode and quickly falling into the habit of watching Neighbours as I scoffed whatever was for lunch that day. Ever since arriving in America, a place I'd dreamed of moving to for a long time, I was struck with an intense sense of homesickness that didn't seem to be going anywhere... but Neighbours made everything somewhat better and reminded me of home. Even though, yes, Neighbours is as Australian as the Great Barrier Reef! So there you have it - during two tough times in my life, it was Neighbours to the rescue! When I think of Neighbours, three things immediately spring to mind: family, schooldays and nostalgia - all of which seemed to be themes that appeared to be at the heart of the show especially when it was coming to an end. Who doesn't remember watching Neighbours while having dinner with their family? Or racing home after school to catch the latest episode? Or enthusiastically discussing the previous evening's episode with our friends during double science instead of paying attention to the teacher - no wonder there were so many mishaps in the lab! My grandad was a big Neighbours fan and whenever he'd come to pick me and my sister up from school, he would always fill us in on that afternoon's goings-on in Ramsay Street (and no the spoilers didn't ruin it for us - it just made us want to watch that evenings repeat even more!) When Neighbours first aired in Britain in 1986, no one knew for a second just how big this new Australian soap was going to be. It took a little while to warm up. I think that in Britain, we were all so caught up with the glamour and far-fetchedness (oops, spell-check is letting me know that 'far-fetchedness isn't an actual word but I'm keeping it anyway!) of glitzy soaps like Dallas and Dynasty, and Neighbours, well it was a world away from that. That's not to say that Aussie soaps weren't well-received in Britain prior to Neighbours. My mum and my aunts were fans of shows like A Country Practice; The Young Doctors and The Sullivans. But it was Sons and Daughters that the British viewing public became very engrossed in very quickly. And it was because we were already very familiar with these soaps that when Neighbours finally came along, the cast read like a who's who of Australian veteran actors! There was Anne Haddy (then better known in Britain as Sons and Daughters' Rosie Andrews) Vivean Gray (The Sullivans' Mrs. Jessup) and Ally Fowler (Sons and Daughters Angela Hamilton) among many, many famous faces who found their way to Erinsborough. But when Neighbours began to warm up, it heated up to the point where it absolutely exploded! Neighbours soon became the most watched, most talked about show on British TV. Not bad for an Australian import! And forget about the Ewings and the Carringtons, it was the Robinsons and Ramsays that everyone was interested in. Furthermore when Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue joined the cast as Scott Robinson and Charlene Mitchell, theirs was a popularity that has never been seen - before or since - which helped to propel the soap to even further heights of success. You cannot talk about Neighbours without mentioning the phenomenon that was Kylie and Jason. I would go as far as to say that never in the history of soap operas have two huge talents emerged from a humble soap and gone on to conquer the world - or so it seemed! OK so you could argue that Russell Crow and Margot Robbie are even bigger stars as they've made it big in Hollywood, but when was the last time anyone encountered Russell or Margot mania? Right! For those of us who were around when Kylie and Jason were at the pinnacle of their fame, we know how much they dominated the late eighties and early nineties. Not only did Scott and Charlene become an iconic soap couple (don't get us started on that wedding!) But Kylie and Jason became mega stars! And even today they've still got quite a following. Those of us who grew up in eighties/nineties Britain will know that everything revolved around Neighbours. Forget everything stops for tea; everything stopped for Ramsay Street! As soon as we heard that familiar theme tune, we dropped what we were doing and settled down to see that day's going's on in Erinsborough. Great Britain may be a very diverse nation, but you could bet your life that at 5:35pm every weekday evening, everyone up and down the country (well OK, most people up and down the country) would be doing the exact same thing - watching Neighbours! It really did unite families and members of different generations of twenty five minutes every day - more if you watched it twice a day! Oh and for us kids of the eighties and nineties, we knew that the ultimate indulgence during the school holidays wasn't an unlimited supply of potato Smiley Faces but getting to watch Neighbours twice a day! Who cared that we'd already seen it at lunchtime? We needed to watch it again in the evening to see if there was anything we missed the first time around! For me, I'd say that the glory years were from the start of the show to about the mid-nineties. After that the original cast started to get a bit thin on the ground and it was starting to become a different show with some of the gloss beginning to wear off. That doesn't mean that Neighbours was no longer watchable but some of the magic was starting to fade but then I guess nothing lasts forever. Before long Neighbours stars stopped gracing the covers of magazines or appearing on chat shows and Saturday morning TV programs. But we still watched the soap even if some of us did dip in and out for years due to this little thing called work! And even though it wasn't the same show as when it was in it's 'glory years,' Neighbours was still very entertaining. In more recent years it's brought us a lot of very engaging storylines and unforgettable characters like the dastardly Izzy Hoyland; the solid and dependable Mark Brennan; the big-hearted Sonya Rebecchi, and the strong-willed Therese Willis - probably the only woman who could put Paul Robinson in his place! And another reason why we're so sad that Neighbours is over... Because to us, the fans, the long-time viewers, it represented the perfect world. Aside from the Finn Kelly's and the Izzy Hoylands who sadly exist everywhere, it gave us what we as human beings strive for: friendship, a safe place to live, community, that sense of belonging, where people look out for each other, having someone have your back, pick you up when you're down. Unfortunately we live in a world where we barely know our own neighbours, let alone look out for the more vulnerable living among us. I suppose most of us are guilty of that. But for twenty minutes every day, we saw what it was like to live in a near-perfect world where loneliness, discord, and lack of unity didn't seem to exist. As we return to the real world, and one without Neighbours, perhaps we can put into practice what we've learned from something that was 'just a TV show.' Unless of course you live next door to a real-life Finn or Izzy, in which case you bolt that gate! We all remember what was going on in our lives when Scott and Charlene tied the knot; When Jim Robinson took his last breath, and when Susan slipped on some spilt milk (and they say there's no point crying over spilt milk - well Susan Kennedy would beg to differ!) It's these memories and connections that make Neighbours so special to so many of us. Another part of our TV history has gone forever. It feels as though a chapter of our lives has come to an end and the show will definitely be missed. Neighbours was more than just a TV show. It was escapism; it was contentment after a hard day; it bridged the gaps between different communities and generations... Neighbours was a way of life. And it put Australia well and truly on the map, introducing as to a whole host of talented stars we may not have come across if it wasn't for the show. Thank you Neighbours for the memories and thirty seven amazing years of entertainment. For storylines and characters that we have taken to our hearts and that will stay with us forever. For mega stars who got their big break on the show and are now known the world over. And for life-lessons that changed us without us even realising. Neighbours, it's been great - we will never forget you. Love, Angel Photos: YouTube Blog graphics: Angel Noire

Sometimes the things that are so inexpensive and simple to make, are also the tastiest. Cornflakes with ice-cold milk. Jam sandwiches. Jacket potatoes with lots of butter, and... French toast! Even now just thinking about biting into a warm slice of straight-out-of-the-pan French toast, it brings back such wonderfully comforting memories. Because different versions of French toast exist around the world in some form, there's a good chance that at some point in our childhoods, will have savoured the great taste of French toast which takes us right back to family mealtimes, diners, and maybe even helping our parents to prepare it as it was something that was super-simple to do, only needing supervision when it came to the frying! What's French Toast? French toast is a very simple dish of sliced bread dipped into an egg and milk mixture and then fried in oil or butter. As it's a good way of using up stale bread, it's a good and delicious way of cutting down on food wastage - but the birds might hate you for it! And it's a snack type dish? It can be but it's most commonly served for breakfast, especially in America where it's served with bacon and eggs and is a great start to the day! But yes it can be served as a snack, and in some countries it's even a dessert. It seems to have found its way all over the world but it was created in France, right? We don't know know if French toast has its origins in France. It's believed that French toast goes as far back as the days of the Roman Empire, with the earliest form of French toast believed to have originated as early as the fourth century, when a recipe was found among a collection of Latin recipes. Although it probably wasn't called French toast then! It was believed to have been called pan dulcis. Goodness, people have been eating this dish for a very long time! So where did it get the name 'French toast' then? Again we don't know for sure. But the dish is believed to have got its name in seventeenth century England. The recipe, along with the name, found it's way to America via the early settlers. But the term 'French Toast' first appeared in print in the Encyclopedia of American Food and Drink back in 1871. Well that's one theory as to how French toast got its name. So what's the other theory then? Well despite having it's origins in ancient Rome, legend has is that a man by the name of Joseph French created French toast as we now know it back in 1724 in Albany, New York - which might explain why many Americans claim French toast as their own! The inkeeper advertised this dish as 'French Toast' and not the more grammatically correct French's toast and thus began the confusion which has lasted to present day as to whether or not French toast actually came from France! Well French toast has a nicer ring to it than French's toast! And there are other names for French toast, aren't there? Indeed there are! In Sweden, Finland and Norway, French Toast is known as 'poor knights' which originated from the fourteenth century German name for this dish, Arme Ritter. But French toast also goes by the names of eggy bread; Gypsy toast; French-fried bread, Bombay toast, Poor Knights of Windsor, Spanish toast, nun’s toast, and pain perdu in France. That's a lot of names! Is there only one standard recipe for French toast? While French toast is essentially slices of bread dipped in an egg mixture and fried, this dish can be either sweet or savoury, and can be served in a variety of ways depending on personal preference and which country you're in, as many countries have their own version of French toast and their own way of serving it. So let's hear some of these ideas! Well in the good ol' US of A, French toast is usually served with butter, maple syrup and powdered sugar - a good alternative to pancakes or waffles - alongside eggs and sausage or bacon. In Britain, savoury French toast is said to be eaten with ketchup (though I've never seen it nor tried it! - Angel!) While we reckon the Scots do it best by serving it up as a type of sausage sandwich. Yum! New Zealanders serve French toast with bananas, bacon and maple syrup. And in France, pain perdu is a dessert, not something served for breakfast. And in Brazil it's served as dessert at Christmas time. French toast can be eaten at any time of day and served with anything you fancy. Other popular toppings also include jam: chocolate or caramel sauce; stewed fruit; honey, peanut butter, mascarpone; applesauce; whipped cream; fresh fruit; yogurt, or ice cream. And if you wanted to go down the savoury route, you could try can be melted cheese, creamy mushroom, brown sauce or gravy. Some great suggestions there. Does it matter what kind of bread you use? Not really. Some of us might remember that growing up, French toast was usually made with regular sliced white. But you can use whatever leftover bread you have that needs to be used up - sourdough; challah; cinnamon bread; spiced fruit loaf... It's all guaranteed to be delicious! Are there any different versions of the basic French toast? French toast has come a long way since our childhood days which seem quite humble when compared to the plethora of creative and imaginative ways to serve up French toast today. It may be quite a simple concept but with so many variations it has become something quite spectacular. Aside from using any kind of bread and toppings you like, French toast can be stuffed with a variety of fillings, so it's more like a French toast sandwich, and then fried. Sometimes it can even be deep fried - even coated in granola or some other kind of cereal to give it that crunchy coating! Then there are French toast roll-ups that look like mini Swiss rolls. And who said you have to use leftover bread when you can use leftover cake! Yes, you can even get French toast made from pound or bunt cake. Could there be anything more delicious??? And let's not forget French toast casserole which is very much like the British bread and butter pudding but in American it's served for breakfast rather than dessert. Oh and has anyone ever tried Nigella Lawson's jam doughnut French toast? Amazing! It's like a piece of fried heaven and combined with the jammy fruit sauce, it really hits the spot! Check out our version of this very yummy dish. Has French Toast influenced other desserts? Yes it has! Just as some very well-known retro classics have lent their flavours to other desserts, French toast has done the same. There are French toast cupcakes, donuts, pancakes, cookies, tarts, cappuccinos... the list is endless! Is there a National French Toast Day? Of course there is! There's a national day for everything! National French Toast Day is celebrated in America on November 28th. RECIPES We've got not one, not two, but three French toast recipes for you to try out! The first one is for the savoury French toast recipe that Angel's mum used to make for Angel and her siblings when they were growing up. It was many years before they realized there was actually a sweet version of one of their favourite snacks/breakfasts! There's also a recipe for Mr. D's cinnamon French toast which he used to make for Angel A LOT when she used to fly over to America to visit him. And finally there's our version of the jam doughnut French toast, inspired by Nigella Lawson. Our version is quite different to hers but still very delicious. You can use any fruit you like for the fruit sauce. For some of you it may be the first time you've ever tried a savoury French toast, and you might be surprised at how tasty it is. You might have a preference but we don't believe that one version is better than the other. They're just different and our preferences are just based on our mood. Which ever one floats your boat the most, we hope you enjoy them as much as we do. All recipes serve 1-2 people ANGEL'S MUM'S SAVOURY FRENCH TOAST INGREDIENTS: 2-3 slices of sliced white bread, cut in half 1 large egg 1 tbsp. semi skimmed milk Salt and pepper to taste Oil and butter for frying METHOD: Heat a little oil in a frying pan and add the desired amount of butter. Mix together egg, milk, salt and pepper in a bowl. Plunge each piece of bread into the egg mixture so that it is well coated on both sides. When pan is hot, add bread. Cook until side is golden brown then flip over and cook the other side. Eat! Simple yet delicious! Mr. D's Cinnamon French Toast INGREDIENTS: 2 slices cinnamon bread or cinnamon raisin bread 1 large egg 1 tsp. sugar A dash of vanilla extract 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon Oil and butter for frying Butter and maple syrup to serve METHOD: Heat oil and butter in a pan. Mix together egg, sugar, cinnamon and vanilla in a bowl. Coat each side of the bread with the egg mixture. Put in pan and brown each side. When cooked, serve with butter and maple syrup. JAM DOUGHNUT FRENCH TOAST INGREDIENTS: French toast: 2-3 slices of sliced white bread, cut in half 1 large egg 1 tbsp. semi skimmed milk 1 tsp. sugar 1 tsp. vanilla extract Pinch of salt Oil and butter for frying 1 tbsp. Powdered/icing sugar 1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon Strawberry compote: 1 cup of strawberries, hulled and quartered 1 tbsp. sugar 1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. vanilla extract METHOD: Place strawberries, sugar and lemon juice in a pan over a medium heat. As the mixture starts to boil, reduce to a low heat. Stir occasionally. Once strawberry mixture has reached an almost jam-like consistency, you can take it off the heat. Mix powdered/icing sugar and cinnamon together until well combined. Then place on a large plate ready to coat the slices of French toast. Heat oil and butter in a pan. Mix together egg, sugar, and vanilla in a bowl. Coat each side of the bread with the egg mixture. Put in pan and brown each side. When cooked, take out of pan, and while still warm coat each slice in the powdered sugar mixture. Serve with butter and strawberry compote. Photos: Angel's own and Pixabay Blog graphics: Angel Noire

Everyone knows that nostalgia is very heartwarming. And no one knows that more - apart from us of course - than those lovely people at Neighbours. Over the last few years, they've brought back a number of past characters who have had us going "Oh I remember them!" - not to mention references to characters and storylines of yesterday. And as the soap is due to end very soon, not only have they been amping up the nostalgia which has been a real treat for viewers, but there seems to be a crossover between fiction and reality which has led to a series of references that die-hard fans will get straight away. A recent one that had us guffawing here at Nostalgia Pie was Harold Bishop's very powerful and bemused "Who?" when he heard that former resident Lisa Elliot had contributed to his Ramsay Street history book. True, Lisa and Harold never crossed paths due to having lived on the street at different times. But the joke was that while there are many memorable and iconic characters who have called Ramsay Street home at one time or another and have lived on in the hearts of fans long after they've left, there are also a lot of characters just like Lisa who are unfortunately long-forgotten and when mentioned have everyone scratching their heads and asking... 'Who?' And what made us laugh out loud was that Nostalgia Pie was actually planning a post about forgotten Neighbours' characters and Lisa Elliot was going to be one of them. Hold on - maybe she's not that forgettable after all! And those very witty Neighbours' writers have from time to time very cleverly written in-jokes and special references which sharp eyed and eared viewers will spot straight away, and will understand the special historical and nostalgic significance to the show. We take a look at these little in-jokes and references that had us reminiscing, some of which started even before we knew that the end was nigh... 1. Karl and Susan's 25th Anniversary (2019) When Neighbours introduced the Kennedy family back in 1994, nobody thought, during a time when most characters remained in the show for two or three years on average, that two of them would still be on the show just as Neighbours was drawing to a close... Three years ago, viewers saw the show commemorate twenty five years since Karl (Alan Fletcher) and Susan (Jackie Woodbourne) first appeared on Neighbours with a very touching scene in which Karl presented Susan with a piece of jewellery. Dr. Karl, known for his cheapskate ways, gave his wife a beautiful locket which she was dismayed to find was already engraved with 'Happy 25th Anniversary.' As fans watched this scene, we already twigged what this was in reference to... "Oh well, it's got to be twenty five years of something" mused Karl in the very cleverly written scene, and as the two characters shared a knowing smile, viewers knew it wasn't Karl and Susan they were watching... but Alan and Jackie! We wondered if both characters would be on the show for another twenty five years but alas it was not to be... 2. Ned Willis Feeling Torn (2020) Paige Smith was finally going to realize her dream of becoming Mrs. Mark Brennan but just hours before the wedding, her stepmother Therese handed her a list of songs, reminding her that she and Mark still hadn't picked a song for their first dance. As Paige reeled of a list of names including Ty Harper and Nina Tucker, viewers would have remembered that these were former Ramsay Street residents who were there long before the second generation of Willises moved to Erinsborough. But it was Paige's brother, Ned, whose song suggestion really made fans chuckle: "How about Torn? My mum used to sing it all the time!" Ned's mum was Beth Brennan - his dad Brad's first wife. And she of course was played by the legendary Natalie Imbruglia who smashed onto the pop scene with her debut hit Torn shortly after leaving Neighbours. However Paige wasn't very impressed by Ned's suggestion. "It's not exactly romantic," she said. Perhaps someone should have thought of Especially For You... 3. Don't it make you feel good (2021) Toadie's fundaraising lipsync battle was remembered for all the wrong reasons - Dipi and Amy's massive catfight fight! But long time Neighbours' fans and eighties' pop aficionados will remember it more for Toadie and Dr. Karl's lip sync battle where they were really giving it all they had while performing a very familiar number... It was Don't It Make You Feel Good, the first pop hit for Stefan Dennis who plays Paul Robinson. And while Paul sat there watching the performance he was mulling over the catchy song that he hadn't heard for a while and was trying to think of who had originally sung it. A very amusing moment for Neighbours' fans! 4. Lucy Robinson's 'Makeover' (2022) At a time when we're all feeling the love and the nostalgia, Harold Bishop's history book which has been written in by pretty much anyone who's ever in the street, has never been so significant. And while the Ramsay Street neighbours have enjoyed reminiscing about the um, Neighbours, past and present, it's also stirred up a lot of memories for long-time viewers too. Who chuckled at Glen Donnelly's observation that his sister Lucy had had quite a transformation? "Wow, Lucy really likes a makeover, doesn't she!" exclaimed Glen as he flicked through Harold's book of memories. "She looks like three different people!" For those of you who didn't get the joke, you clearly haven't been watching since the show first started. The role of Lucy Robinson has indeed been played by three different actresses, starting with Kylie Flinker when Neighbours first started, before Sasha Close took over to play the teenage Lucy. Close then passed the baton on to Melissa Bell in the early nineties who has played Lucy on and off ever since and has currently stepped back into Lucy high heels once again though sadly for the last time. 5. The Rodwell Family: An Official part of Ramsay Street History (2022) This one is more a poignant reminder rather than an in-joke. As Wendy Rodwell signed Harold's history, she proudly announced that the Rodwell family now officially had their place in Ramsay Street history. That comment is very significant for the simple fact that a lot of fans feel that the Rodwells have been short-changed, coming into the show just as the axe fell on it. We will never get to see the Rodwells grow and develop and see which direction the family will go in. We can only wonder at the storylines that might have been. They've only been on the show for a short time but already they haven't disappointed especially with Sadie Rodwell's gradual transformation from fire-starting bad girl to a sweet girl with a good heart. But the Rodwell family - and the actors who play them - are very much a part of Neighbours' history and will be remembered as the last ever family to move into the street and take residence at number 26, the home that was the residence of the iconic Robinson, Scully and Canning families. It's also highly poignant that it's the Rodwells who are responsible for a new history book being created after they accidentally ruined the old one, which marks the end of the old history and the beginning of a new chapter... though unfortunately it's one that viewers will never get to see. Photos: YouTube Blog graphics: Angel Noire

Some of us are crying out for a hot weather snack - especially those over in Britain who are currently battling a record-breaking heatwave. So we have just the thing for you - yogurt bark! Relatively healthy; mega cooling; super delicious and very easy to make! Yogurt bark is one of those relatively new desserts that the Pinterest community have gone mad for in more recent years: Sheets of frozen yogurt topped with things like chocolate, fruit, cookie pieces... whatever you fancy really! THE HISTORY OF YOGURT BARK As with a lot of food items, it's not easy to pinpoint the exact moment of creation when yogurt bark came to be. But we do know that yogurt bark's older cousin, frozen yogurt, was first created in New England in the 1970s by an entrepreneur named H.P.Hood. This healthier alternative to ice-cream was known as 'frogurt', and initially it wasn't hugely successful as there were limited flavours and a tartness to the product that many consumers didn't really take to. But it was a good attempt at a product that was very similar to ice cream and a good introduction to the frozen yogurt products that would go on to take the world by storm. But it was throughout the 1980s that frozen yogurt continued to grow in terms of popularity and success, with the first frozen yogurt shop opening up in 1981 by ice cream company TCBY in Little Rock, Arkansas. By 1984 there were more than one hundred branches of this frozen yogurt chain around America. It was throughout this decade that manufacturers of frozen yogurt began to experiment with different flavours and textures so that it went on to resemble the soft-serve frozen yogurt that we know today. So for the first in our new Nostalgia Tastes Like This... feature, we're looking at yogurt bark, a descendent of soft-serve frozen yogurt that we're willing to bet is even easier to make and every bit as delicious. And for that nostalgic twist, and a bit of old meets new, we're basing our bark recipes on the flavours of various yummy retro desserts that we all know and love. And just in case you're interested, National Frozen Yogurt Day falls on February 6th. A bit of an odd day to be devouring bucketloads of frozen yogurt but whatever floats your yogurt pot we guess. National Frozen Yogurt Month is in June. Now that's more like it! THE BASIC RECIPE 2 cups yogurt 3/4 cup sweetened condensed milk 1 tbsp. honey EQUIPMENT 1-2 large mixing bowl depending on recipe 1-2 wooden spoons depending on recipe 1-2 saucepans depending on recipe 1 baking tin 8"x13" parchment paper around 10"x15" COOK'S TIPS: You can use any type of yogurt you like including dairy-free. But we recommend using whole or full-fat Greek yogurt which gives the creamiest taste and texture. The less fat there is in your yogurt, the icier the texture will be. The more fat there is in your yogurt will result in a softer-textured bark. The flavour of the yogurt is up to you. You can opt for plain and unsweetened, or a flavoured, sweetened yogurt - just make sure the flavours you choose will work with the given recipe. If you're using a low-fat or fat free yogurt and you want to boost up the creamy factor a bit, based on the basic recipe in this post, here are some things you can add: 2-3 finely mashed bananas (you will definitely get that banana taste so make sure your recipe works with this flavour!) 1 cup of chocolate chips with 1 tablespoon of heavy/double cream 1 cup of double/heavy cream An extra half cup of condensed milk If you add two or more of the above it'll really increase those levels of creamy fantasticness! Depending on which yogurt bark you choose to make, add the following ingredients to the basic recipe. 1. BLACK FOREST GATEAU INGREDIENTS: 2 1/4cups semi-sweet chocolate chips 1 tbsp. heavy/double cream 1/4 white chocolate chips 2 1/2 cups pitted cherries (fresh, frozen or tinned) 1 tbsp. lemon juice 1/2 cup white granulated sugar 2 tbsp. kirsch METHOD: Place 2 cups of the cherries in a pan with the sugar and 1 tbsp. kirsch over a medium heat. Simmer until cherries reduce to an almost jam-like consistency. Remove from the heat and add the remaining kirsch. Set aside to cool. While cherry mixture is cooling, mix together all the ingredients in the basic recipe. Melt 2 cups of the semi sweet chocolate chips with the cream. When cool enough, gradually stir chocolate a little at a time into the yogurt mixture. Line baking tin with parchment paper. Pour in yogurt mixture. Swirl in the cherry mixture, creating a ripple effect. Freeze until set firm. This usually takes around two hours. When frozen, turn out onto a board, peel off parchment paper, and cut into any shape and size, you like. 2. PEACH MELBA INGREDIENTS: 2 1/2 cups raspberries, fresh or frozen 4 peaches, skin removed, pitted and sliced OR 2 tins peaches, sliced or chopped 1 vanilla pod 2 tbspn. lemon juice 1 Strip lemon peel 1 cup white granulated sugar METHOD: In one saucepan, place half the peaches with half a cup of sugar and one tablespoon lemon juice and the vanilla pod. In another place half the raspberries and half a cup of sugar. Place over a medium heat and wait until mixture reduced to an almost jam-like consistency. Remove from heat and leave to cool. Be sure to remove the vanilla pod and lemon peel from the peaches. Mix together all ingredients for the basic recipe. Line baking tin with parchment paper. Pour in yogurt mixture. Swirl in one of the cooled fruit mixtures creating a rippled effect. Do the same with the other fruit mixture. Top with remaining peaches and raspberries. Freeze until set firm. When frozen, turn out onto a board, peel off parchment paper, and cut into any shape and size, you like! 3. BANANA SPLIT 4 bananas, 3 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. vanilla extract 1 tsp. honey 2tsp. powdered sugar 1 cup maraschino or fresh red cherries, pitted and halved 2 tbsp. strawberry sauce 2 tbsp. chocolate sauce 1/2 cup strawberry slices 1/2 milk chocolate chips 1/4 flaked almonds METHOD: In a bowl, mash together two of the bananas with one teaspoon of the lemon juice, honey and vanilla extract. Set aside. Slice the remaining bananas and toss with the remaining lemon juice and powdered sugar. Add the basic recipe ingredients to the mashed bananas and combine well. Line tin with parchment paper and then place half the yogurt mixture into the tin so that it covers the base of the tin. Now place sliced bananas and half the amount of cherries. Top with remaining yogurt mix. Swirl in the sauces to create a rippled effect. Top with strawberries, chocolate chips, cherries and almonds. Freeze until set. Cut into and shape and size you like. 4. LEMON MERINGUE PIE INGREDIENTS: 1 small lemon, zest and juice 1 tbspn. honey 5 tbspn. lemon curd 100g meringues, crushed 50g marshmallows 50g biscuit (cookie) pieces i.e. - digestives, Graham crackers etc. 25g candied lemon peel METHOD: Mix together the basic ingredients. Add the extra honey and the lemon, adding the lemon juice a little at a time. If you want to add crushed meringues to the yogurt mix. Add 50g of meringue to the mix. If you need the lemon curd to be a little more runny, heat it up ever so slightly so that it's the right consistency for swirling into the yogurt but not warm. Line tin with parchment paper Place yogurt mixture in tin and even out. Swirl in lemon curd. Top with remaining meringue, biscuit/cookie pieces and marshmallows Freeze until set. When frozen, turn out onto a board, peel off parchment paper, and cut into any shape and size, you like! 5. S'MORES ROCKY ROAD 2 cups Greek yogurt 1-2 tbsps. honey 1 1/2 cups dark chocolate chips, melted 1 tbsp. heavy/double cream 1 cup butterscotch chips 1 cup pretzels, broken up 1/2 cup flaked/chopped almonds 1 cup white chocolate chips 1 cup broken up Graham crackers 1 cup mini marshmallows 1 cup dried cherries METHOD: Melt 2 cups of the semi sweet chocolate chips with the cream. Set aside to cool. When cool enough, gradually stir chocolate a little at a time into the yogurt mixture. Mix together ingredients for the basic recipe in a separate bowl. Gradually add the cooled melted chocolate and combine well. Line baking tin with parchment paper. Pour in yogurt mixture. Top with assorted toppings: Graham crackers, nuts, chocolate chips, etc. Freeze until set firm. When frozen, turn out onto a board, peel off parchment paper, and cut into any shape and size, you like! Enjoy! Let us know what you think if try out any of these recipes. And to our friends over in the UK, keep cool but above all stay safe, and look out for anyone who is likely to suffer problems due to the heatwave. Photos: Angel Noire Blog Graphics: Angel Noire

NAME: Kaz aka Pancakes. Aka Dave! AGE: 45 FROM: Earth LIVES: Earth OCCUPATION: Annoying Family and Friends (she's not joking!) FAVE PASTIME: Stitching and Reading (and annoying family and friends!) We're all gearing ourselves up for when that final episode of Neighbours airs, and for those of us who have been watching Neighbours from the time it began, it's going to be like saying goodbye to an old friend. Don't be surprised if you visit the supermarket and discover that they're all out of tissues. No, it's not panic-buying because there's another world pandemic... it's all due to the ending of a thirty seven year love affair with a soap opera! So for this A Slice of Pie With... feature, we thought we'd share happy Neighbours memories with someone who's been a fan of the show since it began and remembers Neighbours mania as it really was - Angel's bestie, Kaz also known as Pancakes (although Angel calls her Dave. Long story!) When Angel lived in London, she and Kaz were always meeting up for cake, coffee and a natter. Now that they've got this big whopping ocean between them, this is the closest they're going to get to that! Everyone who knows Pancakes knows she's a nut! And those of us who know her best know that she's a nostalgia nut, and everything you'd expect from a seventies' baby, an eighties' child and a nineties teen growing up in Britain. Pancakes grew up during a time when it was posters on the bedroom wall; Listening to the Top Forty every Sunday; Viennetta was considered a posh dessert; Top of the Pops was must-see TV on a Thursday night... and Neighbours just had to be watched after school every weekday. Pancakes gets all nostalgic on us as she remembers those early years of Neighbours... Help yourself to a slice of pie and a drink. What are you having? Going to be honest, I don’t eat pie! Drink would be hot chocolate with either chocolate cake or Victoria sponge. At the moment I am just chillaxing and watching the best of Saturday Live Kitchen best bites. You don't like pie? Always knew there was something wrong with you! Tell us a bit about yourself. Well I was born and bred on Earth; the youngest of seven children; I work in the community and have a degree in psychology (20+ years ago and nope I can’t read minds... I can’t even remember half the stuff I learnt!) I love reading murder mystery books (locked room mystery is my thing at the moment). And I also love cross stitching while watching crime shows. Just like I enjoy crocheting and watching Midsomer Murders! What would you define as ‘your era’ and why? I really don’t have 'an era' but I guess every era (I've lived through) is my era as I've learnt something from each of them. Child of the 70/80s; teenager of the 90s (NKOTB & love of books – remember puffin/penguin book club) and an adult of the noughties to date! Although, I do believe music was better in the 80s/90s. Much more meaningful lyrics. TV was better too (but every generation says that right?). They certainly do. I know I do! When did you first start watching Neighbours? Since it was on BBC1 and I was 9. I remember the Des and Daphne scene, when they first met. Can’t remember much else in that episode apart from that. I just thought Des was funny. As someone who was around in the eighties and nineties, you will remember Neighbours in its hey day. What can you recall about Neighbours mania? Our after school, younger days TV consisted of the BBC Broom Cupboard shows, Neighbours, Home & Away, EastEnders and The Bill! So Neighbours was never missed! Practically everyone I knew watched it. The whole of Ramsey Street was one big happy, sad, dysfunctional family. Who were your favourite characters and who were you not so crazy about? Fav characters Charlene, Scott, Jane, Mike, Henry, Des, Daphne, Sky, Harold, Joe and a few others. Least Favourite – Paul Robinson such a horrible and self centered character. I'm also a big fan of the original Erinsborough High gang! What were your favourite storylines and why? ‘The wedding’ – Charlene and Scott...do I need to say why! The whole world was invited to the wedding. Not a favourite but I also still remember when Daphne died! I cried! I think a lot of people's hearts broke when Daphne died. Why do you think that Neighbours was such a phenomenal success in Britain? Let’s face it we only had four TV channels to choose from, so BBC had a number of good shows at that time. Also, Neighbours was a good family show. It had something for all ages. It’s been said that nostalgia is one of the key reasons why Neighbours has lasted so long. What would you say about that? It’s part of our childhoods and brings back good memories for a lot of people, especially those aged forty and above. It’s an escape route to remember the good old times. The family around the TV. Nowadays, everyone is watching their own shows on different apps etc. Aren't they just! My mum always complains about that. What do you think about the decision to pull the plug on this long-running TV show that has lasted a whopping 37 years? Sometimes, it is good to leave on a high note. True... But it doesn't mean we have to be pleased about it! There have been reboots of defunct soaps such as Crossroads, Dynasty and Dallas. Could a Neighbours reboot work years from now? No, leave it! Totally agree with you there. What special Neighbours’ memories will you be taking with you when the show ends? The weddings, the arguments, the theme tune, the song. The actors, we will see on other shows/movies but the characters they created will be with us forever. I mean we all know a neighbour that acts like ‘Mrs Mangel’. This or That: ⦁ 1980s or 1990s? Both ⦁ Pizza Hut or Deep Pan? Pizza Hut ⦁ New Kids or Take That? New Kids (good answer!) ⦁ Neighbours or Home and Away? Both ⦁ Coffee Republic or My Old Dutch? Lol MOD ⦁ Pancakes or waffles? Pancakes ⦁ Romcom or action? Action ⦁ Kylie or Dannii? Kylie ⦁ Museum or art gallery? Museum ⦁ Neons or pastels? Neons And Finally… You’ve bought yourself a time machine. Where would you go in it and why? Back to uni, I would need to go back and give a particular mate a map of London, so in the future she would not get lost in a city she was born and bred in! Dave mate, it's been a pleasure! x Photos: YouTube, Pixabay and Angel's own Blog graphics: Angel Noire

The man and I have a new favourite snack - eggs and bread! Crusty bread rolls that go from freezer to oven (not homemade I'm afraid!) and a side of eggs. It's breakfast, a snack, a light supper - whatever we want it to be at any time of day. My husband always has a chuckle when he suggests a snack and I come up with the eggs and bread snack that we can't get enough of! But it always manages to hit the spot. That got me thinking about that other well-known, very popular egg-and-bread dish - French toast! So our latest Comfort Food feature will be dedicated to French toast that I've been scoffing since I was much tinier than I am now. I guess I've always liked the egg and bread combo! I think I might have been about five when Mum first made French toast for my sister and me. I was a very fussy eater and it was very difficult for my mum to get me to eat anything. I'd never finish meals and would only ever pick at my food. However, when I first tried French toast it was definitely love at first bite! I couldn't get enough of this yummy fried bread. It was quite good for my parents because growing up, we didn't really have a great deal of money, so Mum must have been thrilled that the one thing I wanted to stuff my face with was as cheap as... well, a loaf of bread! French toast was very much a firm favourite in our house when I was growing up, not just with me but with all of us. The difference is that the French toast my mum made for us was always a savoury version, and it was generally served as a snack although we did sometimes have it for breakfast. But it was years later in the late nineties, when I visited America for the first time that I tried the sweet version of French toast which is how most people know it, served alongside bacon or sausages and eggs. And it is almost always served for breakfast - unless you're wolfing them down at Denny's at 11pm which was something The Man and I used to do a lot of when we moved to Portland, OR! As an American, he'd been eating French toast his entire life - well since he was old enough to eat anyway! But he'd never tried French toast savoury style, and he couldn't wrap his head around the idea of, what he essentially perceived to be a breakfast food, that was served at any time of the day - which in my home, it was! Personally I think he's been missing out all these years! And furthermore, I really don't remember anyone else making French toast during my childhood days other than my mum. If if you grew up in eighties' Britain and you ate French toast by the bucketload, then please let us know. You can also try out the recipes for my mum's savoury French toast, and my husband's sweet cinnamon French toast here. Check out the recipes in our French toast post. Enjoy! We're getting very close to the end of Neighbours' thirty seven year run - and we are dreading it! If you've seen the trailer for the final few months of the popular Aussie soap, you probably had a lump in your throat when Jackie Woodburne (Susan Kennedy) very poignantly says, "It's time to say goodbye." Oh we know, Jackie, we know! If only we didn't have to. No doubt there'll be floods of tears when the final episode airs. Some faces we didn't think we'd see back on Ramsay Street including the ghost of Jim Robinson. But if there is one bright spark on a rather dismal horizon, it will be the crop of familiar faces that will be returning to Ramsay Street to mark the end of the iconic show. Over the last few years, Neighbours have done a brilliant job of bringing back characters from the soap's hey day: Clive Gibbons, Jane Harris, Dr. Beverly Robinson, Melanie Pearson, and more recently Glenn Donnelly. And now Neighbours have really outdone themselves by giving us the comeback of all comebacks - the eternal king and queen of Ramsay Street, Scott and Charlene! I'll be honest - never in my lifetime did I think I would ever see the most legendary couple in soap back on our screens. I'm sure I speak for fans everywhere when I say how grateful we are to Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue for making our dearest wish come true, even though they have said for years that they would never return. Thank you guys! And I apologise to all Nostalgia Pie followers in other countries where Neighbours has never been shown, who haven't the foggiest what this soap opera is all about, as during the next few months in the lead up to the end of show, there will be a plethora of Neighbours' posts coming up. We want to share in happy, nostalgic memories of the show as Neighbours goes out with a bang. And a whole lot of sobbing no doubt! It's freebie time again - with my own scattiness being the inspiration behind it the idea! I could eat, drink, sleep, breathe nostalgia all day every day. And even now I'm still coming across new musical artists I'd never heard of, movies and TV shows I've never watched, books I've yet to read and so on. Then there's all the retro channels and stations I keep hearing about; businesses that deal in vintage and retro, nostalgia-based social media groups I'd like to join - the list goes on. The problem is that when I want to check all these out, the names of all the above has totally gone from my head! I'd like to say it's because I'm getting older (or maybe not!) but the truth is I've always been like this so it's just me being me! So I decided to create a wall-planner type-thing - the Retro Entertainment and Leisure Reminder - where I can jot down all the things I need to to be reminded about, and then I need never worry about missing out again - or frustrating myself! For those who aren't as bad as me and don't need a visual reminder pinned up on the wall, you can actually download it to your computer and add the info you need. For those who are printing it out, I've also included a version of the planner that uses less colour to save on your printer ink, giving you the option to use coloured card or paper if you want that extra colour. Plus go ahead and laminate it so that it's reusable. Us? Extravagant? Never! The Retro Entertainment and Leisure Reminder planner is free but it's only available to Nostalgia Pie members. If you're a member, head over to the Free Printables page. And if you haven't already signed up to join the community, you can do so now. That's free too! Photos: YouTube, Pixabay and Angel's own. Blog graphics: Angel Noire

Last year we featured the post 5 Soap Character Recasts That Worked. While there are many people out there who don't like change, sometimes the recasting of a soap character can be one of the best things ever to happen to a particular role not to mention the show, as the late Barbara Windsor so brilliantly demonstrated when she took of the role of Peggy Mitchell in EastEnders, turning the character into a soap legend. The changing faces of the Mitchell mum and daughter But Peggy wasn't the only member of the Mitchell family to be played by another actress. As we wrote in the same post, Peggy's daughter Sam also underwent a face transplant! After having been played by Danniella Westbrook for years, the role eventually went to Kim Medcalf. At the time, EastEnders' fans were expecting the return of Sam Mitchell to be a complete flop. Westbrook was synonymous with the soap character. How were viewers supposed to get used to a relative unknown playing such a well-known character? Well as it happens, we got used to is very quickly indeed as Kim absolutely nailed it, and viewers loved her portrayal of the Mitchell minx. And seventeen years after Kim quit the soap, fans were delighted when she rather unexpectedly reprised the role of Sam last week. It's great to have her back on the Square. But unfortunately not all soap recasts have been as successful. Character recasts are all part of the nature of TV shows. From time to time, a role needs to be recast, and as surprising as this may sound, they generally seem to work. But you're skating on very thin ice when you try to recast an iconic character that is closely associated with a particular actor/actress - it's almost always doomed to failure (with with the Mitchell ladies being two exceptions!) Neighbours' Charlene Robinson can only ever be played by Kylie Minogue, and as actor Leslie Grantham passed away four years ago, there's no chance of Den Watts ever finding his way back to Walford (even if wife Chrissie hadn't killed him with a door stop!) Can you ever imagine a Dirty Den propped up behind the bar of the Vic played by someone who isn't Leslie Grantham? Exactly! Before we take a look at less-than-brilliant recasts, please remember we are NOT at all having a go at the actors who had taken over the respective roles, and we're certainly not criticizing their talent and acting abilities. In fact had they been cast as completely different characters, it may well have been a success. But die-hard soap fans are not the easiest to please and are skeptical whenever there's a character recast; we're used to seeing certain faces in our living room several times a week and we feel we know them better than we know know most of our extended family! Following in the footsteps of another actor and winning over an audience, is a pretty tough gig, and sometimes for whatever reason, it just doesn't work out as well as hoped. We take a look at recasts where viewers just couldn't get their heads around the fact that an old character had a new head! 1. Michelle Fowler (EastEnders) Susan Tully (1985-1995) Jenna Russell (2017-2018) Oh dear - what can we say here that hasn't already been said about a million times before! The recasting of EastEnders' Michelle Fowler has got to be the worst decision in the history of recasts. EastEnders' fans were delighted when they first heard that mouthy Michelle Fowler - a character from the early days - was heading back to the Square after twenty years but they were more than a little dubious when they discovered that the role would now be played by actress Jenna Russell. Could this character be played by anyone other than the original actress, Susan Tully, who had made Michelle Fowler so iconic in the first place? Well we soon got our answer! Despite Jenna acting her socks off for the part, fans didn't take to the new Michelle, and while part of the reason was because the character wasn't played by Susan Tully, but Michelle Fowler #2 seemed to have undergone a complete personality transplant. This isn't so shocking as people do change over the years but these changes just didn't ring true of the Michelle Fowler viewers knew and remembered. Gone was the feisty, gobby lady who thought nothing of taking on the likes of Grant Mitchell (mind you, there are some who'd say she underwent a personality transplant by getting it on with Mr. Mitchell before she left Walford all those years ago!) and in her place was a woman who had the personality of a dishcloth! Despite the old Michelle having a tongue every bit as acerbic as her mother Pauline's, and the two women regularly sporting the sucked-on-an-entire-lemon-grove look, Michelle had always wanted to be as far removed from her mum as possible. And here was the new Michelle trying to do everything 'like Mum did' from boiling shirts to making a beef and onion pie. Furthermore the bond that Michelle had with her best friend Sharon didn't seem to be as strong as it had been back in the old days which was quite disappointing, as the two women were more like sisters and their friendship was lovely to watch. It's believed that Susan Tully was approached to reprise the role of Michelle Fowler, but as she retired from acting a long time ago and has no desire to return to the soap that made her a household name, the character had to be recast. Incidentally Susan is much happier on the other side of the camera as she is now a director and producer, and has even directed episodes of EastEnders. As it's now been proved that Susan Tully is the only actress who can successfully play Michelle Fowler, we think it's safe to say that we will not be seeing Chelle in Walford any time soon! 2. Fallon Carrington (Dynasty) Pamela Sue Martin (1981-84) Emma Samms (1985-89, 1991) When Dynasty first began back in 1981, the role of Blake Carrington's spoilt, self-centred daughter was played by Pamela Sue Martin. But after three years of starring in the glitzy American soap opera, Pamela Sue - who admitted that she had struggled with the whole fame phenomenon - decided to bow out in a move that shocked cast and crew. Joan Collins had publicly admitted that she thought Pamela Sue was crazy! This meant that the hunt was on for a new actress to take over the role. The part eventually went to actress Emma Samms, who was known to American audiences due to her role in General Hospital as Holly Sutton but was relatively unfamiliar to British viewers - despite being a fellow Brit! Samms made her first appearance as Fallon Carrington during the Dynasty spin-off, The Colbys. There was a bit of a mixed reaction to Emma Samms playing the role of Fallon. People magazine thought that she had successfully picked up where Pamela Sue had left off. But David Hofstede, author of What Were They Thinking? The 100 Dumbest Events in TV History believes that the recast was a flop, although he lay the blame at the producers and not at the actress. And the British thing did cause a bit of a problem for viewers because they couldn't get over the fact that Fallon now spoke with a completely different accent. And that she was a few inches shorter. And had a completely different physique! Another problem was that the character just didn't seem the same. Samms is believed to have said that she didn't watch hours of Pamela Sue playing Fallon because she wanted to interpret the character in her own way as actors naturally do. Reviews might be mixed but as far as recasts go, the recasting of Fallon Carrington was not exactly disastrous. And Emma Samms did actually stay in the role a lot longer than the original actress and she did do a great job of playing Fallon but there's still a lot of people who are fans of Pamela Sue's version of the character. 3. Miss Ellie Ewing (Dallas) Barbara Bel Geddes (1978-84, 1985-1990) Donna Reed (1984-85) When Barbara Bel Geddes stepped down from her role as the Ewing matriarch and Donna Reed was cast as the new Miss Ellie, viewers (in Britain at least) were led to believe that the recast was only meant to be temporary as Bel Geddes had been suffering from ill health and was taking time out to recuperate. But it would appear that someone forgot to give Reed the memo... When Donna Reed, an established actress who had starred in classics such as It's a Wonderful Life and From Here to Eternity, as well as starring in her own show The Donna Reed Show, took over the role, she was under the impression that it was on a permanent basis. And indeed there are insiders who claim that Bel Geddes had actually quit the role and wasn't just taking a break. But when Bel Geddes agreed to reprise the role that made her a household name, Reed was abruptly fired. The furious actress sued the production company for breach of contract, and tried unsuccessfully to prevent her season as Miss Ellie from being broadcast, but she later settled out of court. There were rumours of tensions behind the scenes between Reed and other cast members which might explain why Bel Geddes was very much in demand. Nostalgia Pie liked Reed's portrayal of Miss Ellie and felt it was every bit as good as Bel Geddes version. But that doesn't seem to be a popular opinion as many viewers felt that Reed's Miss Ellie was way too glam and coiffed to be the homely, grandmotherly Miss Ellie that we all knew and loved. And we get that. We look at Reed's version of Miss Ellie and think that she resembles a Texan Peggy Mitchell! And incidentally, when Barbara Windsor took over the role of Peggy, she also insisted that her character glammed up a bit and looked more upmarket. But while it worked for Windsor, it didn't turn out well for Reed. 4. Lucy Beale (EastEnders) Melissa Suffield (2004-10) Hettie Bywater (2012-2015) Even though Melissa Suffield was the third actress to play Ian Beale's wayward daughter, Lucy, it is Suffield's incarnation of the character that is best remembered. When Lucy was played by Suffield, she was very much her mother's daughter and something of a mini Cindy: scheming, unrepentant... but there were flashes of kindness and she really loved her family, especially her brothers. Perhaps she should have been given the name Cindy instead of her half-sister! But despite acting her socks off for the part of Lucy Beale, Suffield was supposedly fired due to unruly behaviour, and Hetti Bywater was brought in to continue the role. It's not known if it was at this stage that bosses decided to axe the character but Bywater's 'Lucy' was very different to Suffield's. This Lucy came across as older and less teen rebel (ironic as Bywater is actually younger than Suffield!) but she was more of a watered-down version of what Lucy used to be: less tough, and always speaking as though she were about to start crying. And even though the decision for Lucy to have an affair with resident chick-magnet, Max Branning, was obviously due to the writers and not the actress, fans really couldn't envisage the previous Lucy getting romantically involved with Max - not even to get back at her dad. Laugh in Max's face maybe bit not jump into bed with him! By the time Lucy was killed-off in a classic EastEnders' whodunnit, viewers stopped caring about the character. It's just a pity the irritating Cindy jnr. wasn't written out at the same time too! 5. Cody Willis (Neighbours) Amelia Frid (1989-91) Peta Brady (1993-96) When Ramsay Street's Cody Willis left Erinsborough to go on a student exchange program in America, she looked about eleven years old and had a high pitched voice. When she returned from America nearly three years later, she'd morphed into an grunger, had corkscrew curls, and sounded as though she was smoking forty a day. Peta Brady did a great job and played the role well - the problem was that in most people's minds it felt as though they were watching two different characters. Out of all the soap recasts you've ever seen, which did you think just didn't work and why? Photos: YouTube Word cloud: Angel Noire

Just when you think you've seen it all... The 94th Academy Awards held last Sunday, answered the question for everyone who ever wondered why Will Smith was often regarded as a whack rapper! The world is still reeling after watching Smith calmly walk up on stage and deliver an almighty slap to Chris Rock after Rock had made a joke regarding Will's wife, Jada Pinkett-Smith's shaven head. Whether you're Team Will or Team Chris is one thing, but something we do know for sure is that this moment in Academy Award history will never be forgotten and will follow Will Smith around for years to come. In a night that saw Will finally win the coveted Best Actor Oscar, his win was grossly overshadowed by his shocking behaviour. Even Will's own mother admitted she was astounded by what she saw as she has never seen Will react like that before. Maybe she'll send him to stay with his aunty and uncle in Bel Air... But let's face it, where TV is concerned, this isn't the first time our jaws have hit the floor (although admittedly all the TV events listed here are a lot more tame than Sunday night's shenanigans!) During our years of television watching, we've stumbled across some real never-saw-that-coming moments. When you watch a film, soap opera, or TV drama, you know that the scriptwriters and directors have worked hard to incorporate dramatic and explosive moments - and we expect nothing less. But when it's television that has not (necessarily) been scripted - especially when it's live TV - the following classic TV moments prove that it isn't always all right on the night and viewers are sometimes left stunned, wondering "Did I really just see that???" 1. Judy Finnigan's Wardrobe Malfunction Show: The National TV Awards Year: 2001 Channel: ITV Key players: Judy Finnegan, Richard Madeley, John Leslie This was a real OMG! moment. Richard Madeley and Judy Finnigan's daytime TV show This Morning had just won an award at The National Television Awards. As they walked up to the podium, the audience dissolved into fits of laughter. The husband and wife presenting duo assumed it was because of the clip that had just been shown where Richard was impersonating Ali G. At the same time, a very gallant John Leslie leapt to the stage and rearranged Judy's coat - and that was when the penny dropped for the This Morning presenters. Richard announced that the mishap would be edited out of the show before it was broadcast, so Judy reminded him that the show was being broadcast live! We have to say that Richard and Judy dealt with the incident in very good humour and recovered well. The very next day, Judy's wardrobe malfunction made front page news and other talk shows could talk about nothing else. Richard and Judy also talked about what had happened during that acceptance speech (well why not! Everyone else was!) on This Morning, with both Richard and Judy puzzled as they couldn't understand how the dress had come undone when Richard had fastened it securely. But it certainly wasn't all bad. Judy was complimented on her, er, assets, and Richard was declared a very lucky man! And John Leslie, the former Blue Peter presenter who had rushed up on stage to protect Judy's modesty was praised the following day for his chivalrous actions. But in a bizarre twist of fate, Leslie was caught up in a series of scandals that put paid to his TV career even though he was acquitted of all charges. Another thing no one saw coming... 2. Bee Gees' Run-In With Clive Anderson Show: Clive Anderson All Talk Year: 1997 Channel: BBC1 Key players: Clive Anderson, The Bee Gees As BBC's Clive Anderson All Talk was not live, the papers had already reported that all had not been well during Anderson's interview with the Bee Gees, so it wasn't a total shock when the legendary music group walked out while in the middle of an interview, but it was still an 'OMG' moment! It started out like any other interview with the audience excited as their musical idols took their seats on stage. Clive asked many questions about their childhood, career and family life while giving them a bit of a ribbing. However the teasing proved to be a bit too much for Barry, who felt that Clive had gone one insult too far and stormed off the stage in a fit of temper, closely followed by Robin who was also equally angry. Maurice, who didn't seem at all cross, was the last to leave and decided to follow his brothers because he couldn't see any point in continuing the interview without the other Bee Gees. "I don't do impressions," said Maurice thoughtfully as he struggled to remove his mic. Clive Anderson's face when he realised that the Bee Gees were being serious about walking off was unforgettable. The Bee Gees appearance on Clive Anderson's show divided the nation. Some felt that the Bee Gees had behaved like divas and had a very poor sense of humour, while others thought that Clive had behaved in a very offensive manner and that he owed the Bee Gees an apology. We just think it was a classic moment in TV history. 3. Grace Jones Clobbers Russell Harty Show: The Russell Harty Show Year: 1980 Channel: BBC1 Key players: Russell Harty, Grace Jones, Patrick Litchfield, WA Poucher Those who were fans of eighties' British chat shows would most probably remember this one - every interviewer's worst nightmare come to life on screen! Not that we can put all the blame on Grace Jones as chat show host Russell Harty didn't come out of this too well himself - in more ways than one! Singer, actress and model Grace Jones was a huge star in the eighties. Edgy, fearless, quite eccentric with her own unique sense of style, she was not unlike our modern-day icon Lady Gaga. Russell harty was another well known face on British television in the 1980s, and with Grace Jones appearing on his mid-evening chat show - The Russell Harty Show - the audience thought they were in for an evening of riveting conversation and fun. But it turned out to be anything other than that, with the two appearing annoyed at the other's presence. Grace was sullen and childish, refusing to give proper answers to his questions (she admitted on the show that she was sleep deprived, and in her book also admitted that she was high) while Harty came across as sarcastic and demeaning, talking to Grace as though she was a five year old. At one point he even mocked her outfit, saying he though she would be wearing something ' more lavish.' Er, it actually was! And in any case, Grace was so strikingly beautiful, she could've worn a potato sack and still pulled off the look! The audience probably laughed along at the sheer awkwardness of it all. But things took a turn for then worse, when Grace became more than a bit miffed that Russell kept turning his back to her in order to talk to other guests. Known for being eccentric, Grace warned Russell not to keep ignoring her. He didn't take her warnings seriously - so she smacked him. And then did it again. And again much to the bewilderment of Harty's bemused guests - who clearly didn't know what to make of it all. At least Harty didn't turn his back to her after that! 4. Tommy Cooper Dies On Stage Show: Live From Her Majesty's Year: 1984 Channel: ITV Key players: Tommy Cooper. Welsh-born comedian and magician Tommy Cooper, with his trademark red fez, was an iconic figure from the seventies up until mid-eighties when he sadly passed away. One of his signature routines was the magic act that appeared to be going wrong, and he appeared on many of the entertainment variety shows that were so popular during this time. And it was on one such show, LWT's Live From Her Majesty's (after Her Majesty's Theatre in London) that Tommy made his last appearance... Whilst in the middle of a comedy routine, Tommy Cooper, collapsed on stage after suffering a heart attack not only in front of the theatre's audience but in front of millions of viewers around the country too. The horribly sad thing is that because of Tommy's madcap style, everyone thought that this was part of his performance, and were laughing along with what they believed to be part of his act. Of course the programme makers, knowing that this wasn't what they saw during rehearsals would have been confused by the change in Tommy's routine, and knowing that something wasn't right, they went to an ad break. It was much later that evening when the tragic news was announced that Tommy Cooper had sadly passed away. 5. Peter Smith Admits To Lying About His Age On Popstars: The Rivals Show: Pop Stars: The Rivals Year: 2002 Channel: ITV Key players: Peter Smith, Davina McCall Nowadays, search- for- a- new- pop star shows are two a penny and if I'm honest I'm a little bit bored of them now and rarely tune in. However, back in the day I used to watch them religiously. They really took off after Popstars, in which HearSay were discovered, so naturally we all tuned in to watch Popstars: The Rivals to find out who the new boy band and girl group of the future were going to be. All was going well until week two when one of the boys was going to be eliminated. Suddenly Peter Smith said that there was something he needed to say. Despite finding it difficult to get the words out, Peter finally announced that he had lied about his age and that he was in fact two months too old to be in the competition. The audience was stunned; Peter's fellow competitors - both girls and boys - were in tears; the show's presenter, Davina McCall, was struggling to keep it together, and if the viewing public were anything like me, then they undoubtedly got a little emotional too. Despite later claims, that Peter's shock announcement was planned in a bid to boost ratings, I think I'll give him the benefit of the doubt; it was a very brave thing for the young man to do on live national TV. 6. Cilla Black Exposes A Journalist On Blind Date Show: Blind date Year: 1998 Channel: ITV Key players: Cilla Black, Nicola Gill Blind Date used to be compulsive Saturday night viewing with the fab Cilla Black. It was a show for those who were looking for love - as well as the odd would-be celeb looking for exposure. Isn't that right Ms. Holden? However, Nicola Gill, a journalist from Cosmopolitan, took things a step further... Wanting to write an exposé about the show, she posed as a contestant and got to go on a date with a fellow contestant. Cilla and the Blind Date team somehow got wind of the 'contestant's'' true identity, and not one to suffer fools gladly, Cilla exposed the journalist on TV - in front of the audience and Nicola's very disappointed date - before giving her a dressing down for being down right sneaky and for depriving a genuine contestant of a place on the show. There was never a dull moment on the show but we'd never seen anything like that on Blind Date before. Go Cilla! 7. Paula Yates's Appearance on Have I Got News For You Show: Have I Got News For You Year: 1995 Channel: BBC1 Key players: Paula Yates, Ian Hislop When British Tv presenter Paula Yates appeared on BBC quiz show Have I Got News For You, no one knew just how memorable and talked about this appearance was going to be. Paula had became, unfairly some might say, one of the most unpopular women on the planet when she ditched her husband, ex-Boomtown Rat and co-founder of Live Aid, Sir Bob Geldof after falling madly in love with INXS frontman Michael Hutchence. Michael had also had the end his relationship with Danish supermodel Helena Christensen in order to be with Paula, so it wasn't just Sir Bob who was nursing a broken heart. During the show, British journalist Ian Hislop took swipes at Paula every opportunity he got. Paula reprimanded him for being so rude. A female member of the audience seemed to agree with Ian. "So much for sisterhood!" said a very exasperated Paula. "Is that what you said to Helena Christensen?" asked Ian as the audience gasped. Paula later got her own back by calling Ian the 'sperm of the devil,'and looked thoroughly pleased with herself. "Even her insults come from genitals," Ian shot back. We've never seen sparring like it. 8. Big Brother 5's Fight Night Show: The National TV Awards Year: 2004 Channel: ITV Key players: Emma Greenwood, Michell Bass Big Brother 5 was probably the most dramatic series ever, with lots of edge of the seat stuff, but nothing was as explosive as Fight Night... Two of the housemates, Emma Greenwood and Michelle Bass, were believed by the other housemates, to have been evicted in a surprise double eviction. In actual fact the two girls were hiding out in a secret house where they were watching the goings-on in the main house. They got to hear some not so nice things said about them, so when they finally surprised everyone by walking back into the house, it was very clear that they had scores to settle with some of the other housemates. But nobody predicted just how out of hand things would get when angry exchanges turned into a physical fight, and for the first time ever, security had to enter the house and intervene as things became very violent and aggressive. And according to press reports, viewers who witnessed the violence as it was unfolding live, called he police. A very hysterical Emma was removed from the main house and taken back to the secret house  where she spent the night before being evicted for real. Although things did calm down, the divisions remained and the tensions continued until the series ended. 9. Amanda de Cadenet's Interview With New Kids On The Block Show: The Word Year: 1990 Channel: Channel 4 Key players: Amanda De Cadanet, Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, Jordan Knight The Word presenter Amanda De Cadenet's interview with three members of New Kids On The Block - Donnie Wahlberg, Danny Wood, and an extremely hot looking Jordan Knight - infuriated countless New Kids fans. She had spent the few minutes that she had interviewing mocking the fellas and making digs at them every opportunity she got. None of it in good humour. So she wasn't a New Kids fan, we get that, but she came across as extremely ignorant and unprofessional. However as every Blockhead back in the day knew, you don't pick a fight with Donnie Wahlberg and expect to get away with it. The wildest New Kid, who wasn't afraid of anyone or anything, refused to put up with any nonsense from Ms. De Cadenet and put her well and truly in her place, even implying that her interviewing skills weren't up to much -  and he was right! It wasn't the most comfortable of interviews but New Kids' fans cheered as the smug smile was wiped off Amanda's face. NKOTB - 1 Amanda - 0 10. Bjork Goes Crazy Show: Various news reports Year: 1996 Channel: Various Key players: Bjork, Julie Kaufman OK, so we all knew that Icelandic pop star Bjork was more than just a little bit bonkers. In fact, I think she liked it that we all thought she was a bit bonkers. But nobody for a second thought that Bjork was a match for Mike Tyson until they saw her fly at a female reporter and attack her with extreme force, and left us all wondering what the hell just happened! The violently unhappy pop star had just arrived at Bankok International, pushing a trolly which contained her baggage and young son, when she was greeted by British-born journalist, Julie Kaufman, who simply said, "Welcome to Bankok." That was all it took to push Bjork over the edge and she went straight for the reporter's hair, before knocking her to the ground and hitting her. The journalist was more stunned than hurt - though no doubt her pride took quite a battering. No one could understand what made Bjork flip - until she later revealed that she was annoyed at the reporter for hounding both her and her son for several days. Ever since this incident Bjork's been oh so quiet... Photos: YouTube Blog graphics: Angel Noire

February 5th is National Chocolate Fondue Day here in America - but let's make National Chocolate Fondue Day EVERYWHERE is what we say! Who doesn't like chocolate... Who couldn't like fondue??? We'd say that fondue - be it cheese or chocolate - was and is the ultimate in 'sharing' food. Imagine all your mates sat around a fondue pot, dipping fruit, cake, marshmallows, or bread, cheese, cooked meat, or whatever else you feel like takes your fancy into warm melted cheese or chocolate. Pure bliss - just no double dipping, people! SO WHAT EXACTLY IS THIS FONDUE THING? Chocolate fondue is a dessert that's as deliciously retro as Black Forest gateau or Baked Alaska. Traditionally a fondue is a liquid that's kept hot in a fondue pot with the aid of a candle or a spirit lamp, and it's placed on the middle of the table so that the diners can sit around the table and dip delicious nibbles into the communal pot using long-stemmed forks - very handy for keeping accidents at bay! It's for those who wish to share the fondue love and not one for those who aren't keen on any kind of communal dining experience. Fortunately we love it! SO IT'S NOT THE SAME AS FONDANT THEN? We can see why the two might get mixed up but they're very different things. Fondant is either icing or one of those warm, gooey, melt-in-the-middle chocolate desserts. 'Fondant' and 'fondue' are both similar-sounding French words with the latter being the past particle of the verb fondre, which means to melt. OH SO FONDUE COMES FROM FRANCE? Actually it doesn't! It is however, believed to have hailed from a French-speaking region in Western Switzerland, with the very first published recipe dating back to 1699. Wow! They really knew how to party back then! LOOKS LIKE THEY DID! SO HAS FONDUE ALWAYS BEEN MADE WITH CHOCOLATE? Funnily enough, no, cheese fondues actually came first! Some of the earliest recipes for a delicious cheese fondue were a molten blend of cheese, wine, and in later versions, garlic. Doesn't that just sound heavenly! Despite the earliest recipe for fondue being dated back to the seventeenth century, the recipe for cheese fondue as we know it today was created in 1875 and was already being hailed as the Swiss national dish, but it wasn't until the 1930s that cheese fondue really began to take off around the world. Oh and may we also mention the fondue bourguignonne, where cubes of meat are dipped into hot broth or oil, and then served with various sauces. It was almost as popular as it's cheese counterpart during the 1970s when fondue parties were all the rage! THAT ALL SOUNDS VERY, VERY DELICIOUS BUT WHAT ABOUT THE CHOCOLATE? All right, hold your horses! Well while chocolate fondue was created by innovative Swiss chef, the late Konrad ' Konni' Egli, head-chef-turned-owner of the now long-gone restaurant Chalet Suisse, it's birthplace is actually New York City in the early 1960s rather than Switzerland. So the chocolate fondue is as American as chicken and waffles! Egli decided that a dessert version of fondue was a necessary addition to the menu at Chalet Suisse - and we love him for that! And far from chocolate fondue being a short-lived food fad (eggs in aspic, anyone?) it's gone from strength to strength. and it even evolved into the chocolate fountain - the mother of all fondues of which no wedding is complete without! Egli's original chocolate fondue was made with chocolate, cream and kirsch, so it had all the flavours of a Black Forest gateau. How good is that! THAT SOUNDS AMAZINGLY GOOD! BUT WHAT'S THE CONNECTION BETWEEN THE CHOCOLATE FONDUE AND TOBLERONE? Oh we almost forgot about that! Well when Chalet Suisse was due to reopen in a new location, Egli, being the creative genius that he was, was trying to come up with some out-of-this world culinary masterpieces to add to the menu that he thought would generate a buzz for the restaurant's new launch. Anyway to cut a long story short, Egli was introduced to Beverly Allen, a PR person who was working with Swiss-based chocolate company and trying to create publicity for an unusual chocolate product that was arriving in America. It was a chocolate and nougat bar called Toblerone where each thick, segment that could be snapped off was triangular-shaped, clearly representing the Swiss Alps. Allen and the makers of Toblerone were looking for a unique way to launch the chocolate product in America and wanted to create a real buzz. Before long, Egli came up with the idea for a dessert fondue - although those in the know, especially back in Switzerland, were not entirely convinced. SO IT WAS INITIALLY A FLOP? Not at all! Like green eggs and ham, you should never be so quick to judge something before you've tried it! The recipe was very simple: Toblerone; cream, and kirsch. And it went down an absolute storm. Egli soon had critics eating their words as well as his fondue! And the popularity of this dessert soon took over the world - even in Switzerland! And while we're on the subject of culinary successes, Elgi is also believed to be the mastermind behind the fondue bourguignonne which may have been created in 1956. WHAT DIPPERS DID EGLI SERVE WITH THE CHOCOLATE FONDUE? 'Dippers,' 'dunkers,' 'dunkables' are basically the little morsels of food that you stick on the end of your fork and dip into the pot of molten chocolate goodness. For his chocolate fondue at Chalet Suisse, Egli included: Tiny puff pastries Fresh Mandarin orange segments Little meringues Cake Cubes including pound and angel cake Fresh strawberries Banana slices Many of the above are pretty much staples when it comes to chocolate fondue but of course you can serve whatever takes your fancy. Popular choices include marshmallows; mini doughnuts; bite-sized churros; little pretzels; mini pancakes; nougat, and fruit such as fresh pineapple, mango, raspberries and kiwi fruit. DOWNLOAD YOUR FREE CHOCOLATE FONDUE RECIPE CARD! If you enjoyed our Comfort Food feature about Chocolate fondue, you can have a go at making your own in time for National Fondue Day! Download Nostalgia Pie's recipe card which contains a vintage-inspired formula for a fondue that you can modify to suit your tastes by using any flavour chocolate or liquor that you like. You could even infuse the cream with cinnamon or orange peel for extra flavour, or substitute the vanilla extract for rosewater. You could even add the nuts included in this recipe to the actual fondue mix (providing no one has an allergy of course) or add ground freeze-dried raspberry pieces. You could also have a go at recreating the flavours used by Egli in his fondue. But if you are going to use chocolate that contains any 'bits' in it, make sure you don't use it in a chocolate fountain unless the manual specifies that it's all right to do so. The recipe cards are only available to Nostalgia Pie members. But if you're not a member, why not sign up to join our community? That's free too! Photos: Pixabay GIFS: Wix Blog Graphics: Angel Noire

The first post of the year! We hope everyone has had a good Christmas; a great start to the new year - and that you don't need to thaw out like we do! We're having classic New England January weather here with lots of snow. We should have been going to visit our friends' horse who's happily getting settled into her new stable but the weather's put paid to that! Hopefully we'll soon be over the worst of it, but right now we're holed up at home, having stocked up on lots of hot chocolate and now we're going to get all cosy... with a cosy mystery! I've recently started reading novels in the Agatha Raisin series and I'm also listening to the radio plays (with the sublime Penelope Keith in the lead role) based on the books written by the late Scottish author, M.C. Beaton. The Agatha Raisin series first came out in the early nineties with the first novel - The Quiche of Death - published in 1992. I will soon start watching the TV series - where Agatha is played by Ashley Jenson - and I am kicking myself for not getting immersed in the adventures of the Cotwalds-based former public-relations-agent-turned-private- detective a lot sooner. They're perfect for those who like an entertaining mystery that's witty and amusing rather than dark and macabre. I often tell people that I grew up on a diet of classic horror flicks but I also grew up watching cosy mystery TV series and they really were all the rage during my childhood years. Murder She Wrote, Hart to Hart, Poirot... you name it, I watched it! For those of you who are wondering what a cosy mystery or 'cosy' is, well I'm not talking about watching a detective series while wearing bedsocks! A cosy mystery is one in which violence, bloodshed, and anything of a sexual nature is often downplayed, or omitted altogether, leaving viewers with just an inkling of the severity of the incident. So basically it's something that you can watch with your gran! Think pre-2000 Crimewatch UK! OK maybe not quite Crimewatch which is obviously quite dark, and cosies often have an element of humour in them. The protagonist is usually - but not always - an amateur, and furthermore crimes often take place in small, close-knit communities; the kind where everyone knows one another and knows how many spoonfuls of sugar they put in their tea that morning! And indeed cosy mysteries helped to create another set of memories for me when I moved to America in the autumn of 2016. I was horribly homesick. So much so that I took to drinking tea and baking scones! I wasn't really much of a baker before moving to the States but it was all about the English connection, and I have to say - they were pretty good scones! And what could be more English than tea and scones? Well tea and scones while wearing a crown and sitting on a throne but seeing as I don't have a crown or a throne, I had to make do with a beanie (it's cold here in New England - even indoors!) and a recliner! But it instantly made me feel a lot less homesick and more at home. And what was I doing while I was drinking tea and enjoying freshly baked scones while pretending to be the lady of the manor? I was getting engrossed in a cosy mystery! But since moving to America, it's really the British cosies that I've been most interested in, especially the ones set in quaint little towns and villages; where everyone knows Mr. Field the Farmer and his family; where everyone goes to the church service every Sunday morning without fail, and where locks on doors and windows are totally unnecessary. It makes you wonder how such gruesome murders take place in peaceful, tranquil communities like these. It must be because no one locks their doors or windows! Midsomer Murders; Hetty Wainthrop Investigates; Miss Marple; Rosemary and Thyme... I'm addicted! So since Autumn 2016, tea, baked goodies, and a cosy mystery have become something of a ritual, and it's something I tend to do every autumn and winter - cosies were just made for these seasons where you can get all, um, cosy with a mug of tea and a blanket and get engrossed in a good story - it's especially delightful on snow days. I'm a little more settled in my new life in the States but I won't lie, I still miss home very much and have a yearning for all things English, which is why I love British cosies so much: the countryside; rolling green hills; flower beds; tearooms; stately homes, cottages... You can't get more English than that! And despite being a city girl and a die-hard Londoner, seeing the quintessential English countryside represented in such shows, really does remind me of the place I still call home. So there you have it - my cosy mystery memories and rituals! Check out our upcoming cosy posts including one for amateur detective series Rosemary and Thyme which starred Felicity Kendal and Pam Ferris - two very familiar faces from my childhood. I'm disappointed that only three series were ever made but I am enjoying watching them again. Lounging around on the couch with a box of choccies, watching Rosemary and Thyme while the snow's pelting down outside is definitely my idea of bliss. Do you like cosy mysteries? Which are your faves? Let us know in the comments. Photos: YouTube and Angel Noire Blog graphics: Angel Noire

World Chocolate Day is on 7th July every year but with the amount of chocolate that gets consumed on Christmas Day, you'd be forgiven for thinking that it was 25th December! Chocolate truffles, festive chocolate selection boxes, and those essential tins of assorted chocolate which are paramount for festive TV viewing - Roses and Quality Street! In fact this year, the latter celebrated eighty five years since it was first launched and it has been a firm favourite ever since, especially in British households where not only do we like to fight over our favourite chocolate varieties while watching the Christmas movie, but we also like to indulge in a box of Quality Street on other special occasions and give them as gifts throughout the year. Those of us who lived through the Nostalgia Pie years (1960s-1990s for those who don't know!) we know that one of the cool things about Quality Street during the Christmas period is that it was usually sold in a clear rather than cardboard box; a glass jar, or those gorgeously decorated metal tins which no one ever got rid of, and instead they were used for storing various bits and bobs. So while most of us are busy with our last minute prep for Christmas Day, we take a look at the chocolate assortment which no festive season is complete without. However did they celebrate Christmas before they created tins of Quality Street??? HOW IT ALL BEGAN... Although Quality Street is now produced by Nestlé, the chocolate assortment was the brainchild of Mackintosh back in the 1930s. Chocolate pioneers John and Violet Mackintosh established the Mackintosh confectionary empire in their hometown of Halifax in West Yorkshire towards the end of the nineteenth century, where the brand was particularly well-known for a type of caramel toffee. Then fast forward to the 1930s and the business was then inherited by their son, Harold. Noticing that beautifully-boxed confectionary was an indulgence of the wealthier classes who could easily afford them, he felt that this was very unfair to those members of society who were not quite so privileged. So Harold Mackintosh set about creating a range of pretty but affordable boxed-chocolates so that those who were not exactly rolling in it could enjoy them too - and rightly so, we say! So in 1936, Quality Street was launched. What was special about this chocolate assortment was that it changed the way that boxed chocolates were produced and sold, and made them more readily available to the masses. And over the years, Quality Street went on to be exported to more than fifty countries around the world. Mackintosh merged with Rowntree in 1969 to become Rowntree Mackintosh. The company was then bought by Nestlé who are still producing Quality Street today. THE NAME - WHY QUALITY STREET? Quality Street was the name of a popular play that opened in 1901 and was written by Scottish writer JM Barrie who went on to write that well-loved children's tale about the little boy who never grew up - Peter Pan. Due to the popularity of the play Quality Street, Mackintosh were inspired to name the new chocolate assortment after it. Remember the Quality Street figures of Major Quality and Miss Sweetly who were featured on Quality Street tins and used in promotion and packaging until 1998? Well they were inspired by the two main characters in the play by Barrie. Major Quality and Miss Sweetly were created to evoke the sweet (excuse the pun!) sentiments of... nostalgia... which is obviously right up our street! Mackintosh were a brand who had a reputation for knowing about and utilizing the power of marketing and publicity. At a time when Britain was still reeling from the effects of the economic crash that began in 1929, Harold Mackintosh understood that in times of economic depression, war, and social unrest, what most people craved was something bright, cheerful and a good dose of old-fashioned nostalgia! The end product fitted the bill perfectly. The chocolates were tasty yet affordable, wrapped up in bright and shiny coloured foil and cellophane; the tins were brightly coloured and featured two characters from the end of the Napoleonic era wearing old fashioned military attire and crinoline. THOSE JEWEL-TONED WRAPPERS We can still remember the first time we took the lid off a tin of Quality Street and marvelled at the assortment of brightly-coloured foil and cellophane wrapped chocolates that made them even more alluring. And remember as kids, we would hold each of those cellophane wrappers up to our eyes so that everything was crimson/amethyst/emerald coloured? Such happy days! Back when Quality Street was first getting started, Harold Mackintosh aimed to keep costs down by wrapping each individual chocolate in brightly coloured wrappers - which also added to the appeal - rather than place them in expensive-to-produce chocolate boxes. Mackintosh was also responsible for creating the world's first chocolate twist-wrapping machine to wrap each piece of confectionary in a distinctive wrapper. You didn't think each of those chocolates were hand-wrapped, did you? THE TINS! Todays Quality Street selection is available in plastic tubs which some of us feel quite disappointed about but we live in an age where manufacturers aim to keep costs down as much as possible so needs must! But many of us remember when the chocolates were sold in metal tins with pretty designs. This was another one of Mackintosh's ideas as he wanted the chocolates to be sold in sturdy and practical packaging. Come on - how many of you kept the tins after you'd scoffed all the chocolates for storing biscuits, homemade cakes and a whole variety of other items? Well you have Harold Mackintosh to thank for that! While generally throughout the year, especially during the latter part of the twentieth century, Quality Street would be available in cardboard boxes but at Christmas it would usually be those adorable tins or large glass jars. Occasionally though, on anniversaries for instance, special edition tins are still being produced but you have to grab them while you can. The tin combined with the use of the chocolate wrappers created something of a sensory confectionary experience. As soon as the lid comes off, you're hit with the aroma of chocolatey goodness, and your eye is immediately drawn to the riot of vibrant colour and all the various shapes, sizes and textures of the chocolates - not to mention the rustle of all the sweet wrappers as you dig around the tin for your fave flavour before chomping down on it in all it's deliciousness! THE FLAVOURS. WHAT'S YOUR FAVOURITE? Everyone who's ever bought a tin of Quality Street will have their fave chocolates and their not-so-faves. When Quality Street was first launched, there were eighteen chocolates and toffees in every tin - each of a different flavour. Some of those varieties are still available today such as the caramel swirl and the green triangle, although most of us would have known the latter as the noisette triangle. But over the years, there have been a variety of flavours that have come and gone including fruits of the forest cream, fig fancy and apricot delight. They all sound quite delicious so there'll be no complaints from us if they make a comeback! Many of the stand-out chocolates in existence today are the fudge, toffee finger, and the memorable toffee penny which was an original Mackintosh recipe and got its name for being the size of the old English penny coin. Now going by the name The Purple One, a favourite of many Quality Street fans is the purple cellophane-wrapped hazelnut in runny caramel. Those who enjoy the Purple One might be interested to know that once upon a time it was actually a brazil nut in caramel. Due to a shortage of Brazil nuts during wartime, it was replaced with hazelnuts - and chocolate lovers have never looked back. Personally we think that it works way better with the hazelnut! But if there's anyone out there who can't live without the discontinued strawberry or coffee cream chocolates, let us know! THE QUALITY STREET ADS There have been over one hundred TV ads for Quality Street with the first one being broadcast in 1958 with the tagline "No one ever says no to Mackintosh's Quality Street." Since that first ad, we've enjoyed seeing the latest TV commercial or print advert which enticed us to go out and buy a box of Quality Street. And just as we do with this wonderful chocolate assortment, we all have our favourites when it comes to the Quality Street ads. In 1979, the brand came up with the slogan 'Made for sharing' which of course it was. And nobody but nobody can hear the melody to Magic Moments - recorded by Perry Como in 1957 without thinking of Quality Street! A FESTIVE FAVOURITE It's a well-known fact that at Christmas, every British household needs a tin of Quality Street to dig into as they watch a classic movie or the unmissable Christmas EastEnders episode. It's unknown how Quality Street became such a festive favourite (as well as that other chocolate sweet selection, Roses!) but it could be that the bright, jewel-tone wrappers are reminiscent of the brightly-coloured lights and decorations of the season. And let's face it, those big chocolate tins are made for sharing so what could be more appropriate for an occasion that's all about, family, friends and giving? Made for sharing indeed! A merry Christmas to all you nostalgia addicts out there and best wishes for a very happy 2022. We hope you have a truly magical festive season. And as you dig into your tin of Quality Street after the Queen's speech, remember to set aside the purple ones for us! Photos: Youtube Word Cloud: Angel Noire

The second part of our look at seventies' BBC drama series Accident. Episode three - The Figures Man (Ray Jenkins) In this episode we see that Edmunds is still on the run and has resorted to stealing food, and even more worryingly has seen a little girl playing on the swings by herself. Will she be safe? But this episode really centres around stockbroker Andrew Buchan and his chauffer Lionel Megson, who takes it upon himself to act as Buchan's faithful man servant rather than just his driver. The two served in the war and were in the same regiment. When they left the army, Buchan offered Megson an employment position with him, and Megson eventually agreed to be his chauffer, working for Buchan for twenty two years. On the morning of the accident however, it was Buchan who had been driving while Megson reluctantly sat in the back after his boss insisted on getting behind the wheel, despite Megson believing him to be an erratic driver. The accident occurred while Buchan and Megson were on their way to meet a very important client, David Walker. There is a great deal of mystery surrounding this client and why this deal is practically life or death to Buchan. Even while Buchan - who was badly injured in the crash while Megson escaped fairly unscathed - was being carried into the ambulance on a stretcher, he was still relaying instructions to Megson with regards to the client as Buchan was desperate not to miss out on this deal. Although Buchan hadn't confided in his friend, Megson knew that Buchan's company was in financial trouble and he had resorted to some underhand tactics in order to keep the company afloat. If this deal with Walker didn't go ahead, the company would go under and Buchan would lose his job - possibly even face jail. So while Buchan's life may have been hanging in the balance, both he and Megson knew that safeguarding the future of the company was also just as vital. As a result, Megson comes across as pushy, arrogant and very unpleasant towards the hospital staff as he tries to carry out his boss's wishes without revealing the amount of trouble Buchan is in. These are traits that don't go unnoticed by David Walker who points these out to Buchan in a meeting prior to the accident (though it's shown at the end of the episode) where Buchan defends his friend's behaviour by revealing a tragedy in Megson's life that caused him to behave the way he does. One person standing in the way of the deal being a success was Simon Lovell. He is the grandson of the man who started the company many years ago, although it was revealed by David Walker that it was Buchan who turned it into the prestigious firm that it currently was. When Lovell becomes suspicious of some of Buchan's dealings, either in a bid to prove himself or to tarnish the professional reputation of the older man, he reveals all to Walker. Will this revelation cause him to pull out of the deal? And if so, where will this leave Buchan and Megson? Episode four - Jack in the Middle (Derek Ingrey) Oh what a tangled web we weave! We delve into the life of transport firm owner, Jack Dutton, who proves to be a real man of mystery. The crash brings about the realization to those closest to him that they don't know him as well as they thought they did... In the opening scene of this episode, we see Jack and his friend Bert - who met when Bert was looking for a job at the firm - enjoy a day out at the beach with their families. Jack proves to be a very attentive and caring husband to his wife of six years, Betty. So imagine the viewers' surprise - not to mention Bert's - when the police inform a seriously-ill Jack's next of kin... and the Mrs. Dutton who turns up is a completely different woman called Ruth! This causes much confusion for the police and for Bert... which one of the two women is really Jack's wife? Jack's story - which also explains how he got to own and build up his transport hire company - is told in a series of flashbacks, telling the tale of fake friends, adulterous liaisons, and Catholic guilt, with all of the above leading to a double life with two women, two homes, one set of children and two jobs. Oh and a mother with dementia to boot! But why would a mild-mannered, friendly chap like Jack live such a duplicitous life? Is he really just a cad and a charmer? One thing's for sure. If Jack pulls through, he's definitely got a lot of explaining to do! Episode five - Terri (Ray Jenkins) There are two 'lone' characters in this series - one of them being escaped convict Cyril Edmunds, and the other being the beautiful Terri Lewis (no not the legendary music producer!) and this episode focuses on Terri's story, an unconventional, free-spirited, fiercely independent young woman who wants so much more out of life. Terri was part of the group of passengers on the minibus, driven by Jack Dutton, headed to the airport, as she's about to go travelling, starting with Morocco. During the apparently brief journey, Terri and Jack open up about seemingly personal matters - as strangers often do - and no doubt the conversation would have continued, had it not been for the accident. Constantly on the move and estranged from her father who she admits was 'unselfish,' and worked hard to give her a good life, Terri writes to her father but never lets him know where she is. She lives in a bedsit and the two constants - albeit briefly - in her life at that moment were her friend Steph, and her married boyfriend Ian Shaw who she met through Steph. It is also through Steph that Terri gets a job as a sales assistant in a clothing boutique called Gladly's. It becomes a bone of contention between the two young women because Steph, fed up with the unfair treatment of the sales girls wants to start a strike. She gets the union involved; wants Ian to use his TV contacts to get the media to take notice, and expects full backing from Terri - especially as it was her who got her the job at Gladly's. And when she doesn't get Terri's co-operation on the issue it leads to conflict. Terri refuses to be bullied or pushed around, while Steph thinks that Terri has had it easy all her life and never had to fight for anything. She's very wrong about that, and we discover that aside from Terri having to leave home, she's also experienced a heart-breaking tragedy in her life. A bit of a charmer and a ladies' man, Ian gets quite a frosty reception from Terri initially. But the frost eventually thaws and they begin an affair. Ian seems to have no qualms about the relationship, especially as his wife Ellie - a teacher - has also been having an affair with one of her (more mature) students. But Terri feels very insecure about Ellie and realizes that despite her feisty and independent ways, she's really starting to develop feelings for Ian. So when she walks out on her job, free-as-a-bird Terri wants to go travelling starting with Ian and Ellie's holiday home in France. Very cheeky, some might say! The question is... can she convince Steph and more importantly Ian to leave with her? Episode six - Victims (Derek Ingrey) Now is the turn of Cyril Edmunds who is the only one of those involved in the crash who never went to hospital and doesn't seem to have been badly hurt. He goes on the run - as any prisoner who sees a chance to escape would do - and the scene starts with Edmonds being chased by the police ending by the canal before the story goes back in time and we get to see Edmunds' disturbing story. A loner with difficulties who was once caught exposing himself, Edmunds has a reputation as the neighbourhood pervert, and some of the local kids take great pleasure in taunting him. On one such occasion, Edmunds chases one of the girls and when he catches up with her, he starts smacking her - and is seen doing so by the police. The young girl, Mona Halliday, then accuses Edmunds of trying to touch her. Even though the police doubt her story, they take Edmunds in for questioning and take Mona home. Viewers soon realize that Mona's home life is far from a happy one. Her mother is physically and emotionally abusive while her father is very neglectful. But Mona tries to do the right thing and when she sees Edmunds in the street, she goes up to him and apologizes, claiming she only made up those allegations because she thought her mother would hit her - which she did anyway. Mona then proceeds to move the top part of her blouse so that Edmunds can see the bruises on her shoulder, but unfortunately the whole incident is witnessed by a neighbour and it's not long before rumours start flying. Then comes the day when Edmunds finds Mona unconscious in his outhouse. As he carries her out, he is seen by the same neighbour who wastes no time in calling the police, who burst into Edmunds home as he tends to the wounds of a still unconscious Mona. Edmunds ends up having served four years for a crime he insists he didn't commit. So when the accident occurs, Edmunds escapes, and just before that stand-off with the police by the canal, he pays a visit to the person he knows is responsible for having him sent to prison - as well as for what happened to young Mona. Episode seven - Purple One (Ray Jenkins) The penultimate episode focus on Frank and Dilys Martin, a couple who have been married for a number of years who are slowing drifting apart. Dilys feels that Frank is more invested in his job as the local headteacher rather than in their relationship. She also feels that it's because they don't have children of their own, that Frank gives a great deal of attention to his pupils, in particular a local child called Frankie Delane. Two of the crash victims remain critically ill, and meanwhile Diana has given birth after an agonizing labour. But there is now an anxious wait to see if Stephen will get to meet his child soon. Episode eight - Ends and Ways (Derek Ingrey) The final episode and the one where the show's only fatality is tragically revealed. Those involved in the accident try to pick up the pieces and move on with their lives with feelings of hope and optimism. The series ends on a happy note for one particular character. What we think... A very interesting and strongly written show that we really wouldn't mind seeing again. It most definitely held our interest and we couldn't wait for the next episode to see what drama might unfold. Though that said, there were a couple of episodes that seemed a little slow moving but still very watchable nonetheless. Despite the grave subject matter, viewers can't help but feel warmed by the camaraderie of the crash victims and their 'we're all in it together' attitude. And by the last episode it looks as though two of the parties may well have formed a long-lasting friendship despite the tragic circumstances. Warm and fuzzy it may have been at times but Accident certainly didn't shy away from gritty and tough themes, and some may have found the storylines around child abuse, neglect, and possible miscarriages of justice hard to watch. However there is this feeling that not all the loose ends have been neatly tied up, and there are lots of unanswered questions left hanging: Who was the lady that Jack really ended up with? Who really was behind the assault of little Mona? What happened to Mona's family especially her evil mother? What became of the Delane family's relationship with Frank Martin? We get the feeling that there was more than meets the eye to the college professor - what was his story? All these loose ends leaves us wondering if perhaps there was the possibility of a second series - it's a real shame that there wasn't as there were some potentially good storylines. It's a pity that Accident isn't better known. It isn't talked about and there's very little about the show online. Aside from the fact that it's very entertaining with lots of 'edge of your seat' scenes, this series addresses topics that raise a lot of thought-provoking questions, giving the viewer real food for thought. The test of time test The second you see the opening credits, hear the theme tune, see those fonts, there's no confusion as to which decade the show was produced in and it really shows. Is that a bad thing? Well for us - never! This series is a real gem for those of us who can't get enough of vintage telly. But for those who prefer more modern TV shows, they may not give this incredible piece of TV drama a chance. Although that said, the opening credits especially combined with the theme tune hint at mystery, intrigue and action so if any of those themes appeal to the viewer, they might just keep watching. If you're a fan of seventies TV shows or you were around during this fabulous decade, it will bring back a lot of memories. And if you weren't you will marvel at this glimpse into life 1970s style: the fashion, the hairstyles, the cars, the décor, even the technology. By today's standards, those computer screens look prehistoric! Not a flat screen in sight. Oh and payphones that eat up all your coins at an alarming rate - thank goodness for our mobile phones, eh! There are some subject matters that don't ring true for audiences today. A young unmarried couple having a baby out of wedlock wouldn't be so shocking today. And while extra-marital affairs aren't exactly unheard of today, staying married purely because you're a Catholic while both you and your wife conduct affairs does seem rather strange! But then there are themes that everyone can relate to such as extra-marital affairs. The child abuse storyline is a very difficult one to watch but it's a stark reminder that the 1970s weren't always the good old days and there were such issues that existed like that even back then. Photos: YouTube Word Cloud: Angel Noire

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom GENRE: Drama CHANNEL: BBC1 FIRST SHOWN: 1978 (UK) NUMBER OF SERIES: 1 CREATED BY: Derek Ingrey WRITTEN BY: Derek Ingrey and Ray Jenkins DIRECTED BY: Don Leaver Douglas Camfield Don Giles Joe Waters STARRING: Michelle Newell - Terry Lewis Jane Collins - Joanna Daniel Hill - Tom Baxter Maris Mescki - Doreen Patricia Garwood - Dilys Martin Davyd Harries - Jack Dutton Martin Neil - Stephen Mitchell Caroline Holdaway - Diana Baxter Patrick Jordan - Lionel Megson Bernard Kay- Andrew Buchan Geoffrey Hinsliff - Cyril Edmunds Peter Geddis - Frank Martin Hilary Crane - Ruth Dutton Sylvester Williams - Frankie Delane David Beames - PC Trevor Banks Valerie Murray - Dr. Campbell It's no secret that at Nostalgia Pie we love a bit of seventies telly, and when we stumbled upon a virtually unknown TV show called Accident by um, accident, within the first five seconds of tuning in, we were hooked - and that was just from the opening credits! It was just so deliciously retro we just had to watch on - and we're so glad we did! Read on and find out why! PLOT Following a serious car crash featuring multiple vehicles, the lives of the ten people involved - most of whom had never met before that fateful day - become intertwined. Each individual episode is dedicated to a different party, explaining their backstory; how they came to be involved in the crash, and how they were affected by the accident. THE CREATOR The show was devised by north London-born writer Derek Ingrey, who wrote five out of the eight Accident episodes. Ingrey was also the creator of The Enigma Files and wrote all the episodes for that show, as well as writing for Dixon of Dock Green, Manhunt, and Detective. He passed away in 1989. The other three episodes of Accident were written by Welsh writer and former teacher, Ray Jenkins, who has written extensively for television from the sixties until the mid-nineties. His writing credits among many others include Z Cars; Callan; The Brothers; Armchair Thriller and C.A.T.S Eyes. FAMOUS FACES Goodness, where do we start with the famous faces that just kept popping up! For a show that is relatively obscure, there are a surprising amount of well-known faces from British television that crop up in Accident. Many of the cast were established actors and almost all of them went on to appear in a variety of British TV shows over the years. There's actress Gwyneth Powell before she became Grange Hill's Mrs. McClusky; Geoff Hinsliff before he went on to play his most famous role - Corrie's Don Brennan. EastEnders fans might recognize a very young Sylvester Williams, nearly twenty years prior to his role as Walford musician and café manager, Mick MacFarlane. Davyd Harris has been a familiar face on British TV with roles in many well-known shows including Angels; Emmerdale Farm; Casualty, and Hollyoaks. Michael Byrne later turned up in Weatherfield as 'Our Gail's father Ted Page. Late actress Hilary Crane was remembered for her role as Rosemary Webb in ill-fated soap Eldorado, and Patricia Garwood and Daniel Hill were reunited as mother in son in sitcom No Place Like Home. Michelle Newell, who was the only actor to have appeared in all eight episodes of Accident, has appeared in numerous shows including London's Burning; Doctors, Coronation Street, and Casualty. The late actor Marc Zuber had appeared in TV shows such as Angels, Tucker's Luck and The Bill. We also spotted Anthony Head in one episode of Accident. And if the name Sharman Macdonald sounds familiar it's because she's a well-known actress, playwright... and Keira Knightley's mum! And that's just some of them! THEME TUNE AND CREDITS The opening credits shows a car hurtling down a quiet, small-town road from the point-of-view of the unknown driver. So we see a car windscreen and open road that's being driven through at a fast pace. The image in the rear view mirror changes every few seconds to feature the face of one of the characters involved in the crash, with the final image show the mirror shattering into lots of pieces. The theme tune which has that typical 1970s sound, is very fast-paced and sounds like a cross between the theme for a seventies cop show and a factual science programme! The theme was composed by Anthony Isaac who also composed music for episodes of Supergran, Ingrey's The Enigma Files, and The Onedin Line, as well as music for two episodes of that great series Tales of the Unexpected. HOW THE STORY GOES... Episode one - Departure Point (Derek Ingrey) The opening episode introduces us to the six groups of characters who get caught up in the road disaster and events leading up to the accident in which the lives of all involved become intertwined. There's a party of four setting off to the airport for their holiday to Yugoslavia; a young woman dissatisfied with life and her married lover and wants to get away from it all; a married, childless couple who don't seem to have time for each other any more; a seemingly-shady stockbroker and his chauffer; a police transfer vehicle with a prisoner convicted of child abuse, and the owner of a transport hire company who had to do the airport run because he couldn't get cover... The narrative is not told in a linear style, so the episode starts off with one of the vehicles involved in the crash being brought into the scrap metal yard by the recovery services who announce that there has been a terrible accident, and it ends with viewers seeing the actual crash. In between the two events, we get glimpses into the lives of the people involved in the accident; the aftermath when they're brought into the hospital and there are feelings of guilt, as well as a series of incidents which led to the pile-up. But the question is with an unroadworthy vehicle, a driver who ran out of petrol, an erratic driver, and vehicles that may have been driving too fast, too slow, or recklessly overtaking... who's to blame? Episode two - Take Your Partner (Derek Ingrey) The episode begins with police questioning some of those involved in the accident and contacting the next of kin. Meanwhile sex offender Cyril Edmonds has escaped and has gone on the run and finds himself on the grounds of a church where children are leaving a service... But the second episode mainly focuses on university friends Stephen 'Mitch' Mitchell, his pregnant girlfriend Diana Baxter, her brother Tom, and his girlfriend, Jo. Shown in the series non-chronological format, the four are on their way to the airport to start their highly-anticipated trip to Yugoslavia when tragedy strikes. The story of Stephen and Diana's relationship is told through a series of flashbacks. When Stephen's roommate moves out, fellow student Diana, his friend Tom Baxter's sister, moves in. It may not be glaringly obvious at first, but as their story develops it's quite clear that an attraction develops between the two roommates. But they both try to conceal their feelings - mainly because Stephen has a girlfriend - so the two treat each other with a type of mock disdain, with Diana annoying Stephen whenever she gets the chance. Stephen, in turn, deems her 'butch' and 'old-fashioned,' and slates her to his girlfriend, Jean. Yeah right - that old trick again! Jean on the other hand, is no fool and when she realizes that there may be more than meets the eye to Stephen and Diana's relationship, she ends things with Stephen which paves the way for the two roommates to finally become a couple - which happens while they're out skinny-dipping. When the two post-grad students discover that they're expecting a baby, Diana initially talks about having the pregnancy terminated. But she soon comes round to the idea of becoming a mum and wants to keep the baby... but decides that she doesn't want to marry Mitch, though she does want to be with him. We are also introduced to the couple's university lecturer, Albert Ramsay, who Mitch and Diana are both very fond of and have developed a type of friendship with him. Though to the viewer, it would appear that Ramsay has more than just a professional or friendly interest in Mitch... At the hospital after the crash, Diana and Mitch, unable to see each other, are both worried about the other and their unborn baby. And then Diana goes into premature labour... Check out the second part of Nostalgia Pie's post for seventies TV show Accident. Photos: YouTube Word Cloud: Angel Noire

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom GENRE: Psychological thriller CHANNEL: BBC1 (USA - PBS) PRODUCER: Ken Riddington YEARS: 1989 (USA - 1990) NUMBER OF SERIES: 1 EPISODES: 4 SCREENPLAY BY: Andrew Davies ADAPTED FROM: Mother Love by Domini Taylor THEME MUSIC: Patrick Gowers DIRECTED BY: Simon Langton STARRING: Diana Rigg James Wilby Fiona Gillies David McCallum Isla Blair James Grout Holly Aird Liliana Komorowska Amelia Shankley Ann Firbank Jeffry Wickham Today marks thirty two years since the haunting drama, Mother Love, was first broadcast on BBC1. A disturbing tale of obsessive love, betrayal and toxic family ties in which Dame Diana Rigg absolutely stole the show as the spurned wife and deranged mother who will stop at nothing to avenge those who have wronged her (a true Avenger indeed!) So if you know you've upset Helena Vesey in even the smallest of ways... Don't accept any baked goods from her! Mother Love was first shown on BBC1 on 29th October 1989, and was screened on US television almost a year later as part of PBS's Masterpiece Mystery anthology series - with the Mother Love episodes hosted by Dame Diana herself! We take a look at this classic BBC drama that suddenly made everyone appreciate their mothers-in-law a little bit more! PLOT Kit Vesey and Angela Turner are madly in love, engaged to be married, and ready to embark on the next stage of their lives together. There's just the small matter of Kit's overbearing, emotionally unstable mother, Helena... Helena Vesey is a woman for whom loyalty is everything and she cannot bear what she might consider to be the slightest bit of betrayal. Furthermore she is a woman who is not afraid to dish out the severest of punishments to anyone she feels may have crossed her... THE NOVEL Mother Love was adapted for television from the 1983 novel of the same name, written by Domini Taylor (one of the few aliases of Scottish author Roger Longrigg.) THE SCREENWRITER The novel was adapted by former teacher and Welsh writer Andrew Davies, who has written for TV, stage, film and radio since the 1960s. Davies is best known for his TV adaptions of literary classics including Pride and Prejudice, Vanity Fair, and Sense and Sensibility, with his first adaptation being To Serve Them All of Their Days, based on the novel by R.F. Delderfield. But that's not even the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Davies' work, so even if the name isn't overly familiar to you, you're bound to have watched something he's worked on at least once in your life! As well as Mother Love, Davies is also well known for the political thriller House of Cards, and although not his usual genre, he also co-wrote the sitcom Game On. And us kids of the eighties will forever be grateful to him for Marmalade Atkins, and the Look and Read series Dark Towers and Badger Girl, watched by pupils at schools around the country during the eighties and nineties - before filling out the accompanying worksheets! Remember those, anyone? THEME TUNE and CREDITS The theme tune composed by Patrick Gowers is reminiscent of a parent humming a lullaby to a child. But far from sounding soothing it sounds quite melancholy and slightly eerie. There's a feeling of loneliness and overwhelming sadness that's just perfect for the series. For the opening credits, the theme tune plays over images of a an open eye in which a young child can be seen at different stages of his young life. The message appears to be that the child is quite clearly the apple of the mother's eye. But the opening images combined with the haunting theme tune creates an atmosphere that is cold, dark and macabre and thus quite fitting for Mother Love. FAMOUS FACES The most famous face of all was Dame Diana Rigg whose portrayal of the obsessive mother earned her a well deserved BAFTA award for best actress. A young Holly Aird also starred as the eldest of the Vesey girls, and we were very excited to have spotted Amelia Shankley as Harriet Vesey who had previous played the lead role in ITV's A Little Princess. David McCallum has had an extensive and successful acting career, particularly in America, that goes back to the early fifties, and prior to Mother Love, he had starred in The Man From U.N.C.L.E, Colditz, and Sapphire and Steel. His career is still going strong and these days he's better known as Donald Mallard in NCIS. James Wilby has been acting steadily since the early eighties and after Mother Love went on to star in Crocodile Shoes, Casualty and Poldark. The very beautiful Fiona Gilles has starred in Holby City, Casualty and Coronation Street. Isla Blair has been a very familiar face on British TV having appeared in The Darling Buds of May, Taggart, and Casualty among many, many other shows. The late James Grout has been in countless TV shows since the late forties including A Very Peculiar Practice (also written by Andrew Davies) Z Cars and an episode entitled File it Under Fear of one of Nostalgia Pie's fave shows - Thriller! But the role he was best known for was Chief Superintendent Strange in Inspector Morse. STORYLINE When promising young barrister, Christopher 'Kit' Vesey proposes to his girlfriend Angela Turner - an art gallery receptionist who loves shared baths and bath toys just as much as he does, after a whirlwind romance of just three weeks - neither of them know that taking this step towards the next chapter of their lives will threaten to blow open a secret that Kit has been keeping for fifteen years... and that it will have devastating consequences for so many of those close to them... Since the age of eleven, Kit - whose parents divorced when he was a baby - had secretly been in contact with his father, Sir Alex Vesey, a well-renown music composer, and his new family. The reason for the secrecy is Kit's very controlling, unstable mother Helena, who has never forgiven Alex for walking out on her and Kit after only two years of marriage to set up home with the woman he'd been having an affair with - photographer Ruth, known to Helena as 'the tart with a camera' - who Alex later married and had three more children with. A failed suicide attempt by Helena when Kit expressed an interest in meeting his father only further convinced the boy and the rest of the Veseys that they had to keep their relationship a secret from Kit's mother. The Veseys are a great success story, both in their professional and personal lives, and live in very luxurious surroundings which further adds to a jealous Helena's fury, who is very resentful at having to struggle, scrimp and save in order to raise Kit on her own - while not actually realizing the role Alex had secretly been playing in their son's life. After their engagement, Kit reveals the details of his childhood to his new fiancée and tells her that in order to be a part of his life, she will also have to keep this secret from Helena. Although initially appalled at the level of dishonesty from the Veseys, Angela reluctantly agrees to to keep this secret and is thus drawn into the Veseys' web of secrets and lies. Viewers might initially feel sympathy for Helena, thinking that she is quite simply a woman scorned whose cheating husband and his mistress pushed her over the edge. She seems to have nobody in her life other than her beloved 'Kitten' and her cousin, George, who also acts as her chauffer, and eventually her daughter-in-law Angela and her granddaughters. But as Helena's story is told in a series of flashbacks going back to when she was ten years old, a shocking act she carried out as a child reveals that Helena had always been dangerously vindictive towards anyone who she perceived to be disloyal and treacherous, bordering on psychopathic, no matter how small the misdemeanour. Perhaps Alex was right to get out while he could! Though it was too bad he had to leave little Kit behind. After their initial meeting, Helena feels that Angela is a woman that she can control so doesn't oppose the impending marriage between her and Kit. But Angela isn't quite the pushover Helena thinks she is, and as the wedding day approaches, Helena is very disheartened to know that Kit and Angela would be moving into a flat of their own rather than live with her. She'd be even more disheartened if she knew that Alex had helped them to buy the flat and not Angela's father as they had led Helena to believe! Unfortunately married life doesn't provide any respite from Helena who is forever phoning a harrassed Kit and Angela, and tries to spend as much time in their home as she can. And her interference in their lives only increases when Kit and Angela have children of their own. When Kit becomes seriously ill later on in the series and ends up in a coma, Helena seizes this opportunity and Angela's anguish to move into their home. A move that proves to be distasterous as this is when Helena gets her first inkling that secrets are being kept from her, and takes it upon herself to uncover the truth... Part one of Helena's vendetta against the Veseys occurs after Helena learns that Alex is to receive a knighthood. There's a magazine spread about the Veseys, and Ruth takes part in a documentary about her work. Enraged at their picture perfect life, and at Ruth for taking what Helena feels should have been hers, she decides to make them pay. So when a terrible tragedy occurs that shatters the Vesey family and sees an innocent man go to prison, no one realises that it was Helena who was behind it all. And when she sees the Veseys rebuild their lives and come back from the tragedy, a vengeful Helena decides to destroy them once and for all with an even greater act of malice... WHAT WE THINK We had an absolute blast watching Mother Love all over again. For those of you who thought Glenn Close struck fear into the hearts of any man who ever fancied a bit on the side, or anyone who thought that they had the mother-in-law from hell, well... you've clearly never watched Mother Love! There's never been any doubt that one of Britain's best loved actresses, Dame Diana Rigg was talented to the core, but she really did give the performance of her life as the out-of-control Helena Vesey. When it came to those she despised, Helena was pure venom, and what we'd like to know is who Dame Diana was thinking of when she had to film those scenes! Because she really was quite chilling - and we don't mean in a relaxed way either! Diana Rigg may have been the star of the show but that does not at all mean that the rest of the cast did not excel in this series - because they all absolutely nailed it and worked very well together. Initially we weren't sure about the inclusion of the character Jordan Tennyson - we just didn't see her as a good fit in the Vesey household - but come the final episode, we definitely saw her as part of the family and she provided some much needed support to the Veseys. The script is incredibly well written and like the cast's performance - faultless. We love how the tension just builds and for those who are watching Mother Love for the first time, you wait for that explosive moment where you know Kit is bound to be rumbled. And when it happens, Helena's reaction is a thousand times worse than what you thought it would be when the realization that the most precious person in the world to her has betrayed her in what she perceives to be the most cruel way possible. There are no moments of boredom during this series and the viewers interest is held throughout every episode as we wait to see what Helena will do next. As TV adaptations have a more limited time structure than novels, a lot of the more seemingly mundane parts are cut out so we go straight to the action. Therefore babies are born without there ever being a baby bump in sight. Romantic relationships are established without viewers witnessing the initial period of courtship. The grief-stricken have miraculously recovered from their loss within a couple of scenes, and newborns reach infant school age in next to no time. In Mother Love, there's the sensation of time moving by very quickly so we get to the crux of what the viewer needs to see. But it's so skillfully written, that we don't feel that we're missing out on anything and everything still makes perfect sense. EastEnders' writers take note! Because the of sinister storyline, you wouldn't expect Mother Love to have laugh out loud moments but it does. The scene where Helena became hysterical after being scared half to death by the Turner family's dogs at Kit and Angela's wedding was just the first. Her imitating her love rival Ruth's voice in order to convincingly dupe her cousin George over the phone was also amusing, especially her overuse of what she considered to be key 'Ruth' phrases. How many times can you use the words 'dreaded' and 'muddle' in a sixty second phone call? But what did it for us was the scene where Helena spies on Angela while in the back of a cab and sees her daughter-in-law and grandchildren with Alex and his wife. The faces she was pulling in the back of the cab that indicated that she was about to throw up alarmed the cab driver who had seen that expression from his passengers on many Saturday nights but he tried to remain composed. The entire scene was hilarious. We don't know if these comedic moments were intentional but they provided a pleasant change from the rather heavy subject matter. We learn of what Helena did to her childhood friend, Maureen, very early on so we know that she is no angel. But despite this there is a very small part of you - perhaps because you're more human than she is - that feels sorry for her when you witness her growing isolation and you know before she does that her small but tranquil little world isn't what she thinks it is. Kit, Angela, and George are not only firmly ensconced within the Vesey household but they seem to prefer being there than with Helena. Even Kit and Angela's friend Danuta and their cleaning lady are in on the secret. Furthermore they genuinely adore Ruth, whereas with Helena, even though George and Kit obviously love her, it's more about tolerance and obligation; having to give into the demands of a very seemingly-fragile woman. Helena may have pet names for everyone, and play the doting mother/mother-in-law/grandmother but she comes across as rather cold and false. She doesn't possess Ruth's warmth and exuberance that draws everyone towards her. There is never a dull moment in Ruth's home which is always filled with the sound of music, people talking, laughing and joking - a far cry from Helena's staid home and existence. TEST-OF-TIME TEST There is so much about Mother Love that just screams 'the eighties,' and that's great if you love the eighties as we so obviously do. But you don't have to be an eighties aficionado to enjoy this fabulous piece of drama. Good writing, a compelling storyline, strong characters, great acting, and over-the-top dialogue never goes out of style... darling! So despite the fact that Mother Love was made in the late eighties, we don't think it has aged at all. Mother Love is very much a show of it's time - the yuppy era as personified by Kit and Angela - when everyone was hooked on soaps like Dallas and Dynasty with it's glitz and glamour; flash lifestyles and bucketloads of cash. And the more glamourous characters like Helena or Danuta with their shoulder pads and boxy suits wouldn't look out of place in Southfork or Denver. In fact the first time Helena appears, we couldn't help but think how much like Alexis Colby she was. If Joan Collins had turned down the role of Alexis, they could have asked Diana Rigg instead! One thing viewers today may not recognize is the London that's represented here. It's one with spacious homes in St. Johns Wood; people purchasing artwork or looking to own galleries; where the streets don't look as dirty or crowded as they do now, and where even a receptionist can live more than comfortably without having to rent a room in a shared house! A very different London indeed! It's ironic to see a very coiffed, very polished Helena with her exquisite home and taking taxis everywhere complain about how she had to scrimp and save to get by when bringing up Kit as a single mother. We think a lot of people living in London today would have something to say to Helena about scrimping and scraping! We thoroughly enjoyed watching Mother Love again. This really is a marvellous piece of classic TV drama. Diana Rigg did such a phenomenal job of playing the possessive mother and we really can't see anyone else in that role. She effortlessly glided between the elegant charmer to doting mother and grandma to manipulative schemer until she finally unraveled at the end. And as much as we're not a fan of sequels, in this case we'd take our chances as we'd love to know what became of Helena and the Veseys. Photos: Dailymotion Blog graphics and Word Cloud: Angel Noire

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom GENRE: Sitcom CHANNEL: BBC1 Produced by: BBC Years: 1988-89 NUMBER OF SERIES: 2 EPISODES: 12 CREATED BY: Adrienne Conway THEME MUSIC: Composed by David Mackay THEME SONG: Sung by Neil Lockwood STARRING: James Hazeldine - Bernie Amanda Redman - Sylvia Desmond MacNamara - Cliff June Barry - Jenny Julie Saunders - Tiffany Anna Murphy - Mandy Neil Kagan - Paul Edna Doré - Gran Ever remembered something so fleeting from your childhood that you thought you imagined it? Well that's how we felt about Streets Apart! This little-repeated BBC sitcom, written by Adrienne Conway, was first shown thirty three years ago having first been broadcast on BBC1 on 24 October 1988, starring the late James Hazeldine and a virtually unrecognizable - but nonetheless stunning -Amanda Redman, as childhood sweethearts, Bernie and Sylvia, who reunite after being apart for two decades. Only two series of this superb comedy were made and despite being shown in numerous countries, and pulling in an audience of ten to twelve million a week in Britain, we don’t believe Streets Apart was ever repeated again on BBC1 which is a real pity as it was a great sitcom. We take a look at the sitcom that was all about reminiscing, first love and second chances. Some might say it's got nostalgia written all over it... PLOT Sylvia and Bernie were childhood sweethearts who dated and drifted apart, taking different directions in life. They meet almost twenty years later and try to pick up where they left off… but it’s not easy when you’re now different people each with a different set of circumstances. How The Story Goes... You've heard all those old romantic clichés before: 1. You never forget your first love 2. Some people are just meant to be 3. It was as though they'd never been apart 4. They just picked up where they left off Well for reunited lovers Bernie Walters and Sylvia Grant, number one is true for them; two might be true for them; three isn't true as they're very different people now, and as for four, well they've certainly got their work cut out for them picking up where they left off! When Sylvia and Bernie meet up again by chance after having been apart for two decades, they find that they are now two very different people who have taken different paths in life: Bernie is now a taxi driver and a widowed father of two, while never-been-married-and-childfree Sylvia, having worked hard to escape her East End roots, works as a successful literary agent and has a plush central London home. But as they discover that that spark is still there, they set about trying to recapture what they had... with hilarious results! While the feelings are still there and the couple often reminisce over their teenage romance, it seems as though neither is totally prepared to put all their cards on the table and what follows are a series of misunderstandings; lovers' tiffs, and episodes of playing hard to get... and that's all before we get to the obstacles! The obstacles being Bernie's children from his first marriage, and while Sylvia makes an effort to get along with them, it's clear that she's not exactly the maternal type. And Bernie's daughter, Mandy, isn't a fan of hers either! Then there's the sister of Bernie's best friend, Cliff - Rene - who has romantic feelings for Bernie. To top it all off there's Sylvia's overbearing Gran who looked after Sylvia after her parents had died. Sylvia feels a sense of responsibility to her grandmother which sometimes comes before her own needs. It's also very clear that Bernie and Sylvia's outlook for the future is also very different. Bernie is very happy with his lot in life; he enjoys driving his cab around London, hanging out with Cliff and being with his kids. Family and friends are very much his focus. But Sylvia is very driven and dedicated to her career, having worked hard to get to her position in the literary world. It's clear that Sylvia is not going to allow her career to take a backseat to marriage and motherhood. So where does that leave Bernie and Sylvia? THE WRITER Streets Apart was written by the very talented Adrienne Conway who, before successfully turning her hand to comedy writing, started out as an actress - rubbing shoulders with some of Hollywood's elite in the sixties and seventies. She even made a cameo appearance in Streets Apart in the second series! The sitcom was Adrienne's first - and very successful - attempt at comedy writing so naturally she was delighted when it was immediately picked up the BBC. When Streets Apart ended, Adrienne then wrote A Slight Hitch starring the eternally handsome Nigel Havers THEME TUNE Oh if only we could hear that bittersweet theme tune again, sung beautifully by Neil Lockwood! It had been a long time since we'd first watched Streets Apart, but as soon as we heard those opening bars of the theme, it was instantly recognizable and transported us back to our childhood years. The lyrics for this tender theme tune - written by David Mackay - are full of longing, wistfulness and second chances. And the emotion in Neil Lockwood’s amazing vocals do this song justice. FAMOUS FACES Amanda Redman who played Sylvia has gone on to have a very extensive career in TV acting and is a very familiar face to British audiences, having appeared in everything from Dangerfield to At Home With the Braithwaites to New Tricks. In fact - is Amanda ever off our screens??? James Hazeldine had been on television since 1970 and after Streets Apart went on to to star in Adrian Mole: The Cappuccino Years, Midsomer Murders, and The Inspector Lynley Mysteries as well as many other shows but it was Hazeldine's role as Bayleaf in London's Burning that the late actor - who sadly passed away in 2002 at the age of 55 - is best remembered for. Edna Doré, who was fabulous as Sylvia's gran in Streets Apart, went on to play the role for which she is best known to British audiences - that of Frank Butcher's battle-axe mum Mo Butcher in EastEnders. Then of course there was Diane Langton (Rene) who viewers would have recognized as Del Boy's former girlfriend June Snell in Only Fools and Horses. Today she is best known for her role in Hollyoaks as Nana McQueen and also starred in EastEnders as the mother of that wicked woman, Cindy Beale. June Barry (Jenny) who has been on TV since the early sixties would have been well-known to viewers having appeared in Jackanory, The Forsyte Saga, Armchair Theatre and Coronation Street. Desmond McNamara has had roles in EastEnders, Doctors, Casualty and played several roles in The Bill (just not all at the same time of course!) Julie Saunders (Tiffany) has starred in Between the Lines, Holby City, and Emmerdale Farm. She has also set up a drama school in West London (not a million miles away from where Angel used to live!) WHAT WE THINK We thoroughly enjoyed watching Streets Apart again years later - and wished we hadn't left it so long! Despite the fact that Streets Apart hasn't been given much of a repeat compared to other sitcoms - though it has been repeated on UK Gold - it was amazing how much of the show we remembered. And there were plenty of laugh out loud moments with much hilarity: Bernie picking up a fare who wanted to go to Torquay but pronounced it ‘Turkey’; Sylvia talking seductively over the phone to her bewildered assistant Tiffany in an attempt to make Bernie jealous; Cliff’s sister making a play for Bernie – who only had eyes for Sylvia. The first time you watch the show, you might feel quite sympathetic towards Bernie’s daughter, Mandy, even thought she came across as quite bratty. Watching the show again, you'll see that there is definitely fault on both sides but we still felt for Mandy. Even though it's unfair that she'd want to conspire to keep Bernie away from Sylvia, Mandy is a child who is still missing her mum very much, and you can't help but feel sympathetic as she struggles to hang on to family life as she knows it. And with far-from-maternal and seemingly stuck-up Sylvia as a prospective stepmother, can anyone blame Mandy for being apprehensive? Spoilt and snooty some of the characters may have appeared but all the characters are likeable in their own way and there is something quite touching in the close bonds that are formed between Bernie and Sylvia and their respective best friends Cliff and Jenny as the latter two provide the necessary support and encouragement that their friends need in order to resume their relationship. It’s such as shame that only two series of Streets Apart were made before the show was cancelled. There was so much that could have been done with the show in terms of storyline and character development. Viewers were left hanging after watching the final episode; deliberately intended, we're sure, just in case a third series should be commissioned. However, we're optimistic enough to think that Bernie and Sylvia did make it work despite their differences. TEST-OF-TIME TEST We adore this ever-so-charming sitcom. More than thirty years on, Streets Apart is still very watchable – but it makes you yearn horribly for the 1980s! Streets Apart is superbly written by Adrienne Conway, well-acted, funny and has a tale of first love that many people can relate to, so in that sense, Streets Apart will definitely hold viewers' interest. In a way, Streets Apart was ahead of it's time as it had a female lead who was strong, independent, go-getting and didn't feel that intense yearning for marriage and babies. Sylvia wanted to be with Bernie because she loved him and not because she felt she had to have a man in her life, or because she was in her late thirties and and the ticking of 'the clock' had sent her into a panic. A lot of women in the eighties who were still single and child-free at that stage in their lives say that they were often made to feel quite odd (women today who are single and child-free at that stage in their lives have also said that they've been made to feel quite odd! Though while some things never seem to change, we do hope it's gotten better.) Somehow though it's hard to believe that a determined and driven woman like Sylvia would be phased by the unimportant opinions of others. It's hard to watch Streets Apart again and not feel that connection to your childhood and the 1980s, so this sitcom really struck such a chord with us. We could also relate to Sylvia’s desire to make something of herself and of her love of the literary world. There was so much that was familiar to us that we actually wanted to climb inside the TV set and be transported back to the 1980s! If only it were that simple... Despite being moving, funny and very well written by the very gifted Conway, with stars Hazeldine, Redman and Doré all achieving a great level of fame, Streets Apart never reached the same iconic comedy status as the equally short lived but extremely popular Fawlty Towers - and we cannot understand why as more than two decades later it’s still very watchable, very relatable, and nowhere near as dated as you may think considering it's an eighties sitcom. We also can't understand why it hasn't been repeated more often. And why there's very little to be found online regarding the sitcom is a complete mystery to us! For those of you who remember the sitcom, you'll remember how charming and funny the series was. We’d like to think that it’s streets ahead of a lot of the drivel that passes for comedy today. They certainly don’t make them like that anymore. So come on BBC - a repeat is long, long, LONG overdue! Photos: As stated Blog graphics and Word Cloud: Angel Noire