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First things first, a belated happy new year to you all. I hope that the new year has got off to a good start for everyone. Forget new year, who can believe we're three weeks into a new decade??? The roaring twenties #2 are here and it'll be interesting to see what this new decade brings... I can't believe Christmas is over! Where did it go? Last Christmas was especially blink and you'll miss it for me as we went away just before Christmas which meant I missed out on all the usual jigging away to Christmas tunes; baking Christmas goodies; watching the new selection of Hallmark and Lifetime Christmas movies; visiting Christmas markets... But last year was different because the husband and I were in... Arizona! I won't lie - I was not amused when Mr. D told me that he had accepted a work project in Arizona that would see us arrive home just before Christmas, as I really like pottering around the house being all Christmassy during the festive period. But then I thought "How often do I get to do something different during the month of December?" Answer: Never! So I stopped behaving like a diva and there we were! And I'm so glad we went. It was my first time in Arizona; my first time in the south-western part of America, and I can now say I've added the twenty-first state to my list of states visited. Go me! This trip has been very nostalgic for Mr. D as it brought back memories of summers he spent visiting his grandparents in Arizona, and we've spent a good few days visiting old haunts and taking a trip down memory lane. And I cannot believe I've waited my entire life to visit the Grand Canyon. I'm so glad I went. The scenery was truly breathtaking, and as with most things on this trip, the camera/ phone kept coming out every five seconds - we just didn't want to miss anything! And we have to give a special shout-out to The Rim Country Museum - a place that is closely associated with Mr. D's late grandfather, a local artist, who lent his creative talents to various endeavours at the museum thus leaving a lasting and beautiful legacy. The ladies who work at the Rim Country Museum were lovely and gave us a tour of the museum. Unfortunately photos are not permitted at the museum so I can't show you the delightful exhibits, especially the gorgeous pioneer kitchen, so if ever you're in Payson, Arizona, and you have an interest in local history, then I suggest you pay a visit to the Rim Country Museum. You won't be disappointed. But there was indeed an element of nostalgia for me too even though it was my first time in Arizona. Growing up in East London with my mum's siblings, my aunts and uncles were nuts about America. But whereas my vision of America was all Disneyland and the Hollywood Hills, for my aunts and uncles it was all about cowboy boots and Stetsons; cattle ranches and rodeos; country music bars and line dancing, vast areas of grassland and mountains. Everywhere I went in Arizona, I saw my family's vision of what they believed America to be about. I knew they would have loved it and I've told them they have to get out there and see it for themselves. 'Til next time, Arizona... Ladies and gentlemen, I bring you... cherry cake! No, not an exotic entertainer but well, a cake with cherries in it! This is a very late post as it should have been posted before Christmas and would have been had Arizona and a horrid cold hadn't got in the way! But I'm going to post it now anyway, especially as it's been a while since I last did a Comfort Food post (a very long while!) My choice of cherry cake for the Comfort Food feature is admittedly a bit of a strange one. First of all it was supposed to be for Christmas, even though cherry cake doesn't necessarily scream Christmas. And furthermore it's an odd choice for me because although I love cake and I love cherries, I am not a fan of the traditional cherry cake because I don't like the glacè cherries in it. So not my idea of bliss - although I'm sure tons of other people absolutely love it. But nonetheless it does bring back memories for me of childhood Christmases back in the 1980s. When my sister and I were younger - before we were joined by our two other siblings - Mum used to make an array of baked goodies every Christmas. In fact she used to bake so much, there must have been more than enough for the entire neighbourhood! Of course one of these bakes included cherry cake which was one of Mum's favourites. Even though I've disliked glacè cherries since I was a very young child, I did like Mum's cakes, so I would always have a slice - and just picked out the cherries. But what was most memorable about these cakes was that, we always had a slice of cherry cake after we got home from midnight mass. So cherry cake - offending glacè cherries or not - always bring back happy memories of Christmas, midnight mass, and Mum's large-scale baking! But despite my reservations regarding cherry cake, nothing can take away the fact that cherry cake is a very memorable part of my childhood and evokes memories of Christmases gone by... Word Cloud by Angel Noire Photos by Angel Noire unless stated otherwise

When a totally legendary character is written out of EastEnders, you can bet your life that they'll be given a very big and very dramatic exit, whether that involves going on the run, going to prison, or going missing. Very rarely are they seen leaving in a black cab. Well OK, Angie did. As did Sharon the first time. And Michelle Flower #1. But the point is the storylines that saw them leaving Albert Square were pretty huge - they didn't leave in a cab to start a training course in Basingstoke! But one things fans hope for after a big-name character exits, is for them to one day make a reappearance. So when the decision is made to kill off a fan favourite, it's like... 'Did that just happen'??? Followed by 'WHY'? Followed by 'WTF!' Melanie then and now: This is what living in Walford does to you! When it was announced that actress Tamzin Outhwaite would be reprising the role that made her a household name in the UK, Melanie Owen, viewers were super excited. Yes Mel, of the glamour girl looks, dodgy taste in men, and joint holder of the record for the shortest marriage in Walford history (Ian Beale is the other joint holder!) EastEnders' fans eagerly awaited her return, wanting to know her story and what she had been up to in the intervening years. Compared to other more long-running characters, Mel had been in the soap for a relatively short amount of time but she still had legendary status and was a reminder of the days when EastEnders was absolutely unmissable. And when actress Tamzin Outhwaite revealed that she was leaving the soap, viewers expected her final scenes as Mel to be nothing short of dramatic. This was Mel Owen after all, who had been popular with viewers since she waltzed into Walford back in 1997 - there was no way she was going to be given such a low key exit a la Robbie Jackson! And while Mel's final scenes were nothing short of explosive drama - literally - viewers were not expecting Mel to be killed off, and fans are still reeling from the shock death of Mel Owen in what was a very unforeseen exit. 'Enders fans were looking forward to Mel sweeping back into the Square one day which will obviously not be happening now. The decision to kill off a big name character is always quite a controversial one, and there's this notion, from a fan's point of view, that a big name character shouldn't be killed off when they leave. But from the show's perspective, killing off an iconic character is the perfect way to boost ratings. In Mel's case it might have been the right thing to do because even though long-time viewers were excited to see her back, there were a lot of people who felt quite underwhelmed by her reappearance. No one can expect a person to be the same after seventeen years, but it seemed as though Mel had lost her sparkle, and whereas she was once fun, flirty and liked a giggle, she was now stomping around the Square like a long-lost Mitchell and a face like a kicked backside. Mel was never a pushover and could give as good as she got, but this bullish demeanour really wasn't her. Perhaps it's just as well she went out on a high when she did. We take a look at some iconic EastEnders characters for whom when it was time to leave Walford, they were given a one-way ticket out of there much to the amazement - and sometimes dismay - of viewers. 1. DEN WATTS An original character, a true Walford legend, and the best landlord The Queen Vic ever had, Den Watts is most definitely an iconic EastEnder. Even viewers who were born long after the 'Den n' Ange' years are familiar with the name Den Watts. And so legendary was Mr. Watts that he got a great exit not once but twice! The first time was back in 1989 when the actor who played Den to perfection, the late Leslie Grantham, wanted to leave the show. And leave he did - via a pistol hidden among a bunch of daffodils! As the screen went black and a shot rang out followed by the sound of a splash, viewers were led to believe that Den had been assassinated by the underworld and had taken a tumble into the canal. And when a decomposed body was dredged up from the canal, it was safe to assume that Den really was dead. Only... he wasn't! Fourteen years later EastEnders fans rejoiced when they found out that Dirty Den was alive and well and living in Spain, and it wasn't long before he was back where he belonged in Walford. But it wasn't to last long... Exit two occurred when Den's second wife Chrissie, who he married while living in Spain, decided that she wasn't going to end up the same way as the first Mrs. Watts. So when Den pushed Chrissie too far, she enlisted the help of Zoe Slater and Sam Mitchell - two other women who Den had wronged - in order to exact revenge against Den. For Chrissie, revenge also meant destroying Den's relationship with his daughter, Sharon. That was all too much for Den and in a fit of rage, he flew at Chrissie in front of a terrified Sam and Zoe. But a bang on the head with a doggy doorstop put an end to Den's attack on Chrissie - and his life! Fans were shocked that Den Watts was being written out of EastEnders a second time - especially as it hadn't been long since he returned. But what shocked viewers most was that Den's exit meant that he could never return. Surely he could have just gone on the run again! Sadly Grantham passed away two years ago which means that even if Den had sailed off into the sunset, he still couldn't return, as no one could play that role as well as he could. EastEnders' executive producer, Louise Berridge claimed that Den Watts was arguably the most iconic EastEnders' character. Lou, there's no argument about it! 2. TIFFANY MITCHELL When 'that girl from Milan' (and that's the pop trio, not the Italian city!) first appeared in EastEnders as Bianca Jackson's friend, it was only supposed to be for a handful of episodes. But Martine McCutcheon proved to be such a hit as Tiffany Raymond that the character became not only a regular Walford fixture but also a part of the iconic Mitchell clan when she went on to marry Grant and become the second Mrs. Mitchell. Tiffany was considered a bit of a party girl who liked nothing more than to have fun and attract male attention. But deep down she was a young woman who desperately wanted to be loved and craved a stable family life. And once she'd married Grant and had their daughter, Courtney, Tiffany thought she'd found it - but you don't become a Mitchell if it's stability you're looking for! And indeed Tiffany found that life as a Mitchell wasn't always a barrel of laughs and put up with a lot from Grant. But discovering that Grant had slept with her mum, Louise, was the last straw for a devastated Tiffany who made plans to flee Walford with Courtney. So after a tearful goodbye to best friend Bianca, Tiffany returned to the Vic to pick up Courtney - and found her with Grant who had cottoned on to the fact that Tiffany was going to leave and take his daughter without telling him. Well he wasn't having that, so while everyone in The Vic was seeing in the new year, Grant ran out onto the Square with Courtney. Tiffany frantically raced after them - and was knocked over by Frank Butcher. The sight of Tiffany's tear-stained face as she lay dying has got to be one of the most haunting scenes ever. But what we want to know is... why, out of all the people gathered around her as she lay on the road, did no one think to call an ambulance??? Most people know the story behind Martine McCutcheon's departure from the soap. Wanting to take some time out for other acting roles, Martine asked the show's bosses for some time off which they agreed to. But one morning as Martine drove to work, she heard it announced on the radio that Tiffany was to be killed off. Nice of them to tell her in person! No one knows why things turned out the way they did and why the decision was made to kill the character off. Naturally fans believe it was the wrong decision. It would have been great for such a well-remembered character to pop back up in Walford from time to time - and imagine how fab it would have been for Tiffany to have been reunited with Bianca when she made a return back to Walford. During Bianca's second stint on the show, she became very pally with Kat Slater - but no way were they anything like B and Tiff! 3. NICK COTTON Hurricane Nick breezed in and out of Walford for thirty years. You never knew when he was going to hit but he arrived with his trademark "Ello Ma" greeting to his mother, Dot, and was guaranteed to be leaving a trail of destruction by the time he breezed out of The Square again. And Nasty Nick really was as nasty as they came. Every time he turned up like the proverbial bad penny, you could be certain it wasn't because he was doing missionary work - although there was that one time he turned up claiming he'd 'found Jesus'. And while Dot always tried to see the best in her son, everyone else saw Nick for exactly what he was: an evil, lying, manipulative sociopath who took advantage of his mother's good nature and Christian values, and would hurt anyone without a second thought. Theft, blackmail, attempted murder, murder, pretending to be at death's door... there's nothing Nick wouldn't try his hand at. Even his daughter, Potty Dotty, who wouldn't have looked out of place in The Shining, proved to be a chip off the old block when she tried to scam and kill Grandma Dot. Is anyone surprised that a now grown-up Dotty a.k.a Kirsty has been welcomed into Grandma Dot's home? Of course not! Nick Cotton was more infamous than iconic but still viewers were stunned by the decision to kill him off as part of a subplot for EastEnders' thirtieth anniversary. For thirty years, we'd watched Nick waltz in and out of Walford, wreaking all kinds of havoc and we just took it for granted that he'd continue to do so for another thirty years. The scene in which Nick's body was found after he'd died from an overdose was a reenactment of the very first EastEnders' scene where Reg Cox's body was found... …after he'd been murdered by Nick Cotton. 4. CINDY BEALE Cindy was known for having affairs the way Dot is known for quoting chapter and verse. Had Cindy been alive and living on the Square it would have been interesting to see who she'd have set her sights on. Kush? Mick? Definitely one or both of the Branning brothers. Probably not Billy though! But she'd have had a field day, that's for sure! Like Tiffany, Cindy was known for being fun-loving, flighty, and flirty. But deep down Cindy was very insecure and just wanted to be happy, loved and have a man to worship her. And she had that in husband, Ian. Except he wasn't really her cup of tea. The Wicks Brothers were more her type - but they both bailed on her whenever the going got tough. But did Cindy ever learn? Of course not! She went on to repeat the same mistake with Nick Holland, who dumped her after she was arresting for trying to have Ian killed. And it was while she was in prison that Cindy died - off-screen - shortly after giving birth to Nick's daughter, who Ian named Cindy in her memory. Killing of such a ratings-grabbing character did come as a bit of a shock to viewers. When Michelle Collins had been asked about the decision to kill off Cindy, she responded that it was probably a case of out with the old and in with the new. While Adam Woodyatt who plays Ian Beale felt that she couldn't possibly return yet again. Why not? Nasty Nick had been doing that for years! 5. ROLY Roly did for poodles what Lassie did for Collies - except Roly didn't experience the glamour of Hollywood. Instead he went one better - Walford! The beloved, pampered poodle who belonged to the Watts family and was probably the only one who Den truly loved and never let down, EastEnders' fans loved watching Roly onscreen along with his other doggy colleague, Ethel's little Willy! And when Den died, sorry 'died', Roly was all that Sharon had left of her dad (well, him and her half-sister Vicki!) A firm favourite right back to when the show started, viewers were shocked by Roly's sudden death. Not wanting to walk Roly, Sharon's husband Grant paid conniving Mandy Salter to do it. But Mandy also couldn't be bothered and just let Roly roam freely. And roam freely he did - right into the path of an oncoming lorry. Mandy then returned back to the Square minus Roly, to explain what had happened to Grant and a devastated Sharon, without revealing her role in it all. And Sharon wasn't the only one who was distraught - viewers were too. But because the incident took place off-screen, there was hope that this was just another one of Mandy's tricks, and that Roly was hidden somewhere, alive and well. But alas it was not to be. Roly really had been killed off as the doggy actor who played him was getting on a bit. It was a sad day for canines... Photos from YouTube Word cloud by Angel Noire

"I can't believe, it's overrrrr... I can't belieeeeve, you're breaking my hear-ar-art," sang New Kid's Jordan Knight. Well how did he think us blockheads felt! One minute our fave boy band was back on the block. The next minute, they'd disappeared from the block. Where did they go? No one knew. I remember the autumn of 1994 when I finally had to accept that my favourite pop band in the whole world had left the building, breaking my little teenage heart. This January marked twenty five years since New Kids On The Block - or NKOTB as they were called at the time of their comeback - released Face The Music, their fifth studio album. Unfortunately this autumn also marks twenty five years since us blockheads had to face the music that our idols had called it a day. After arriving back on the pop scene with an almighty bang, the New Kids left without so much as a fizzle. The group disbanded and walked out of our lives - seemingly for good - and Donnie, Danny, Jon, Jordan and Joey broke the hearts of millions of blockheads around the world. What we didn't know was that fifteen years later they would do what no one expected them to do and return to rock our worlds once again - and this time the comeback would be a huge success, even seeing them get their own star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. Since 2008, the New Kids have been back where they belong thus marking the end of their wandering around in the pop musical wilderness. It goes without saying that New Kids fans are thrilled to have them back and still going strong eleven years after their return. But we still ask the question of what went wrong all those years ago? Why was it the comeback that never was??? THE HIATUS After years of being on the road and touring solidly, the group wanted to take a break from being New Kids and just wanted to be regular kids for a while. So at the end of 1991, they took a break. No one could begrudge the hardest working kids in showbiz the chance to relax and take it easy for a while after the huge success they enjoyed and hysteria that followed them, even though us blockheads did have a little cry (and that's putting it mildly!) But this was expected to be a break - not a break up, and fans were expecting to see the group performing again. So while the New Kids were catching up with family and friends, enjoying a bit of home cooking and sleeping in their own rooms instead of hotel rooms for a change, the fans were eagerly awaiting their return. It's just a good job we didn't know how long it was going to take! THE PRE-COMEBACK There was talk that the five bad brothers from the beantown land were hard at work in the studio, working on their latest musical offerings which blockheads, knew, just knew, even without listening to a single note, that it was going to be nothing short of awesome. But there was no release date for the new album, and we kept hearing about recording hitches, though we weren't worried - we knew it was a question of when and not if. Then towards the end of 1993, the New Kids brought a smile to fans' faces by doing their first interview in over two years with Smash Hits magazine. This was then followed by the announcement that the group were going to perform at that year's Smash Hits Poll Winners Party. We. Could. Not. Wait! But there was disappointment in store for the blockheads when the Poll Winners' Party began and ended and there was no sign of the New Kids. What on earth had happened? Had they got on the wrong bus? Had the Northern Line broken down again? The New Kids didn't know London that well and it was in the days before Google Maps - they had to have got lost... right? "Why do you think the New Kids didn't show?" I asked my bestie at school the next day where the only topic of conversation was the Poll Winners' Party (while we struggled to finish our maths homework that should have been completed over the weekend! And by 'struggled', I mean we went around the class looking for someone who would let us copy from them.) "Oh it's because their song was too dirty, so they wouldn't let them perform," she replied very knowledgably. Looking back, what I want to know is how she was able to find out so quickly in the pre-Google age. MW, you should have been a private detective! And she was right. Dirty Dawg was considered way too raunchy to be performed at the Poll Winners' party where the average age was probably something like fourteen. Joey McIntyre confirmed that the band had been asked to change some of the lyrics to Dirty Dawg - but they refused to do so. And good for them, I say! But as disappointing as that was, we were relieved to find out that the New Kids were releasing their new album in early 1994. We. Could. Not. Wait! The boys were back. Nothing could go wrong now... right? THE COMEBACK It was all going so well. It was January 1994, and Face the Music, was due for release shortly. Blockheads were doing cartwheels up and down the street. The New Kids were back! Fans were delighted to get their first glimpse of the boys. And furthermore, we were glad to see that New Kids mania was still alive and well. Fast Forward magazine reported that a recent record signing in their hometown of Boston, saw the New Kids leave at 3am thanks to all the fans who had turned up. And when they arrived in London, it was exactly as it had been three years earlier with hoards of screaming fans. The boys did a press conference in London; a radio interview with Clive Warren at Capital Radio, and countless press interviews. A nationwide tour was in the pipeline. And there was critical acclaim for Face the Music which insiders felt was their strongest album musically. And it was great news for fans of hip-hop and RnB as urban stations played tracks from the album that had been produced by legendary RnB producer Teddy Riley. I still remember when MW excitedly phoned me and demanded that I turn the radio on immediately - I soon found out why! I still remember how excited I was that the boys were back. I'd watch every TV show they were due to appear on, and I'd buy teen mags by the bucket load and cut out anything that so much as mentioned 'NKOTB'. It was fantastic to see my idols back where they belonged. I had high hopes for them - as did all Blockheads. And when Face the Music was finally released in the UK and available to buy - guess who snapped up a copy? And trust me, I listened to it morning, noon and night! THE HATERS! But sadly it wasn't all good news. Despite a promising start, problems started to arise. Then there was the backlash. Oh dear, the backlash! Critics had panned the group even when the were the biggest act in music. But back then, the New Kids had the full support of their fans. It soon became apparent, sadly, that not everyone was going to give the boys the welcome they had been hoping for. Piers Morgan declared that NKOTB were never going to be as big as they once were. Even before I'd had a chance to listen to Face The Music, there was talk that their new sound and image was drastically different - they'd apparently gone all gangsta rap. I was worried that I would hate it, and I was concerned that the change was so dramatic that they'd lost that New Kids vibe; the thing that made them so unique and special. As it happens I was worrying for nothing. I loved their new image and sound but I can see how all this talk about the New Kids undergoing a personality transplant could be daunting for fans. And after the Smash Hits interview in which the boys declared that they were going to 'kick Take That's ass', the Mancunian pop band got all shook and hit back that if the New Kids thought they were going to kick Take That's ass, they had another thing coming. Take That's lead singer Gary Barlow took things further by saying that the New Kids could open up for them at Take That's next tour. A bit rich coming from a band who only got lucky because the New Kids had taken a break. Had it not been for that, Take That would still be prancing around like low budget Village P eople, smearing jelly all over each other. That's right people - I was NEVER a Thatter! And Joey, when asked what he thought about Take That's comments, he refused to say anything except that he didn't think they'd be opening their gobs if they were all in the same room. Take That take on Donnie Wahlberg? Never! Then there was that very ill-fated appearance on BBC's Live and Kicking in which the presenter behaved like an annoying little twerp. NKOTB retaliated by acting like they couldn't be arsed and that they would rather be anywhere doing anythingthat was more fun - like trimming the lawn with a pair of nail scissors! But worse was to come when the same annoying little twerp, when presenting a BBC awards show, took great pleasure in belittling and humiliating the New Kids. Blockheads were NOT pleased! NKOTB had hoped to reconnect with members of their fanbase, and appeal to a wider audience with their new mature sound and image. However during their break, many of their fans had gone from teenybop tunes to a more 'credible' genre such as grunge, hip-hop, or dance.  And those who were still into chart music, preferred the new pop bands du jour such as Take That, Let Loose or East 17. Therefore when NKOTB released Face the Music, the fanbase they left behind had rapidly disintegrated - although of course the die-hard blockheads remained. Then some people got their battyriders in a twist because Dirty Dawg was said to have vulgar lyrics and was 'against all women' (we had yet to learn the term 'misogynistic'!) The promotional tour for Face the Music involved NKOTB not only publicizing their return and promoting the new album, but also defending themselves against accusations that they were 'anti-women.' Anti-women? Seriously? Did people not know who the majority of their fan base were??? Even when NKOTB explained that the song was about women who had cheated on them and not against all women, their explanations fell on deaf ears. Because of the outcry, a lot of radio stations wouldn't play the song, and music channels refused to show the video despite the New Kids vehemently denying that the song and the accompanying video were violent, misogynistic, and degrading to women . It was no surprise then that Dirty Dawg debuted at number twenty seven in the UK charts. Their follow up single, Never Let You Go, didn't even make it into the UK Top Forty. And the tour did go ahead, but whereas NKOTB once sold out stadiums and arenas, they were now playing in much smaller music venues. We knew in our hearts that all the signs were pointing to the end being nigh, but we didn't want to admit to that. We still had some hope that by some miracle, the New Kids would be as huge as they once were. I mean they were the New Kids On The Block, right? What could possible go wrong... THE END... FOR NOW... The final nail in the coffin came when Jonathan Knight wanted out. He'd started to suffer from anxiety and panic attacks and dropped out of the tour. The word on the block was that Jon had suffered an injury after falling off a horse and was recuperating. From what I can remember, initial press articles claimed that the tour would continue and Jon would join the group again once his injury had healed. This was then followed by reports that the tour had been postponed while they were waiting for Jon. So we waited... and waited.. and waited... The rest of the tour had been cancelled long ago. That was in the summer of '94. The band broke up and quietly left the spotlight. There hadn't been an official announcement - if there was, I'd clearly missed it. By autumn we knew that we were never going to see the New Kids perform again. And for fifteen years, we were right! MUSICAL WILDERNESS And so began the descent into the musical wilderness that was to last until 2008 when the New Kids reunited. For me chart music just wasn't the same. After the New Kids spilt, there was a plethora of boy bands who the girls got crazy over, but I didn't feel that any of them matched up to New Kids on the Block, even though I did like East 17, Bad Boys Inc. and Backstreet Boys. But I found most of them to be bland and unappealing. There may have been blockheads who never gave up hope of a reunion but I wasn't one of them. It seemed unlikely as the New Kids had all moved on to other things: Jordan and Joe began solo careers, while Donnie and Danny got into writing and producing for other musical acts. In addition to music, Joe and Donnie also started acting careers. Only Jon turned his back on fame, opting for a quiet life on his ranch and got involved in real estate. Each of the New Kids also began settling down and starting families. So no, it didn't look as though the band would ever get back together again. WE'LL BE LOVING THEM FOREVER But even though the band had split up for good, I wasn't ready to stop being a blockhead (and I'm glad to say, I never have!) Unfortunately it was considered 'uncool' to be a New Kids' fan, so while I never pretended to not like them, I didn't exactly shout it from the rooftops either. At that age it's all about fitting in and being accepted. Teen years can be daunting but the New Kids on the Block were my happy place – a fuzzy, warm, place of comfort and innocence and they brought back memories of a time when things were so much simpler. I so didn't want to leave that behind. When things were bad - as they could be during these years - I'd often dig out an old VHS or cassette tape (really showing my age here!) and all was right with the world again. We obviously didn't have the internet the way we do now but I did manage to connect with other blockheads via Teletext ( Teletext! I'm really showing my age now) Like me, they were also saddened by the split; had a hard time dealing with the ridicule and teasing about our musical preferences, and didn't feel as though music was quite the same now that the boys from the band were gone. Chart music had pretty much lost it's appeal for me, and while I was more into urban and rock music, the New Kids ALWAYS had a special place in my heart... And as every blockhead now knows, that was NOT the end of the New Kids story... Photos and word cloud by Angel Noire

Name: Angel Noire Age: Um, let's not talk about that! From: Old England Lives: New England Occupation: English teacher and writer Favourite Pastime: Too many to choose! I absolutely love meeting fellow nostalgiacs. It's one of the reasons why I love working on Nostalgia Pie, and I've had some pretty riveting conversations with people who have fond memories of the time in which they've grown up. That got me thinking about a feature in which we get to know more nostalgiacs and hear about their experiences. So welcome to A Slice of Pie With... in which nostalgia addicts talk about their era and why it rocks, among other things. So to kick things off, the first A Slice of Pie With is with... me! The Fella made good use of himself by interviewing me, and I have to say - he didn't do such a bad job! Maybe I should get him to talk to all nostalgia addicts in future. Well done, Mr. D! xxx So here it is - the first ever A Slice of Pie With... Enjoy! 1. Choose your slice of pie to go with your cappuccino! I love pies - and it probably shows! - but if I can only go for one slice then it's got to be lemon meringue - my absolute fave! Although I don't know how well that goes with cappuccino. But there's got to be a generous amount of tangy lemon curd filling with a good proportion of meringue topping which has got to be super marshmallowy and only slightly crisp. I don't ask for much! 2. Of course you don't! Do you like green eggs and ham? If you mean the dish, never tried it! But I'm willing to give it a go - depending on what it looks like! If you mean the children's book by Dr. Seuss, then yes, I love Green Eggs and Ham! 'Miss' read it to us during story time, and that was the first time I'd ever heard the story. 'Miss' taught us that the meaning behind the story was that we should be willing to try new things and not judge something before we've tried it. And indeed most of us did go on to try new things in our teens and twenties but somehow, I don't think that's what 'Miss' meant! 3. I don't think she did either! What do you define as your era? All of the eighties and the first half of the nineties. It all started to go a bit downhill after that. I think so anyway! But yeah, the eighties and nineties were my childhood and teen years. 4. What's your earliest memory? Blowing out the candles on my birthday cake as a two year old. For years I thought I'd always imagined it - until I saw photos of myself on my second birthday wearing a frilly white dress with peach satin trim, exactly as I'd remembered. How strange - I remember my second birthday but not what I did an hour ago! 5. Don't I know it! And your favourite childhood memory? Tons to choose from but I guess it would be any time that we got together with our extended family, especially at Christmas when we had those big family Christmases at one of the aunt or uncles' houses. 6. Describe your early childhood. Well I'm originally from East London, and our first family home was right down the road from the library and park that used to be the house and garden of philanthropist Elizabeth Fry. We lived on one side of the park, and my uncle, aunt and cousin lived on the other, so we all used to get together and hang out a lot. One of the things I loved about the park when I was a kid, was the little mini 'zoo' they had. I make it sound like they had lions and tigers, but really it was rabbits, ducks, peacocks, goats etc. Although occasionally they had something fancy. Like a llama or something. Oh and I was such a bookworm! Boy, did I love my books! My mum always had trouble getting me to turn out the lights as I always just had to read another page of my book... then another chapter. It's no wonder I was the kid at school who was perpetually tired! But buying presents was very easy for my family because they knew that I would love the book they'd bought me for Christmas or my birthday. That and anything My Little Pony because I was fanatical about them. And let's not forget Jem and the Holograms! And I'm still very good friends with one of my friends from infant school. I'm really proud of that - how many people still know the people they went to infant school with let alone remain friends? 7. Did you like those horrible boy bands? Of course I did! And they were not horrible - only to people with no taste in music. I liked Brother Beyond and Bros, but my ultimate fave was and still is New Kids on the Block. It was love at first sight all right, and yes I was heartbroken when they split. I also liked Bad Boys Inc. and Backstreet Boys, and didn't really mind Boyzone - but none of them came close to the New Kids. And it's because of the New Kids that it was always my ambition to live in New England... and here we are! Oh but I never liked Take That. How could I - they were New Kids biggest rivals so I was always a Blockhead but never a Thatter! And I was a huge fan of Another Level but I'm not sure if they fit the whole 'boy band' thing, as they had a different style and sound. But I suppose if anyone came close to capturing my affections, it would be them. 8. Did you like the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles? Yes I did. The Ninja Turtles were the last kids phenomenon I was into as I was starting to get a bit too old for all of that. But yeah the world was Turtle crazy or so it seemed. Who was my fave Turtle??? Hmmm... I'm not sure I had a favourite. I think I liked Michaelangelo because he had the best name and I liked Donatello because he had the purple mask. Yeah I know, die-hard Turtle fans must really hate me... But yeah, I'm glad I got to experience the phenomenon that was the Turtles. I went to see the film when it came out and I thought the song Turtle Power by Partners in Kryme was awesome. 9. Do you miss Paddington Bear? It's nice you think I know him, Haha! Well no I don't miss him because Paddington is alive and well and known all over the world. Which reminds me, there used to be this animated Paddington Bear series when I was a kid. I think it was on BBC1. I did like that. And my love of marmalade sandwiches comes from Paddington and I think of him every time I tuck into one! 10. Do you miss eighties hairstyles? Haha! People can say what they like about the eighties but I love eighties style and fashion - even if some of the hairdos were a bit on the dodgy side! I was just a child in the eighties so I didn't have anything outlandish. Just a bob with a fringe. Or long hair with a fringe. Just something with a fringe! My aunts did crimp my hair a few times which I loved but I was too young for the obligatory Kylie perm! Haha! But I make up for it now by scrunching my hair and having super big hair whenever I feel like it. THIS OR THAT Our quick-fire round! 1. Tea or Coffee? Depends on how badly I need to wake up! 2. Ninja Turtles or Power Rangers? Turtles. 3. Pepperoni or Hawaiian? Neither - I'm a veggie pizza girl! 4. Denim or leather? Both! 5. Sweet or savoury? Depends on how I feel but generally sweet. 6. Cake or biscuits? Cake 7. Football or tennis? Neither - not a sporting bone in my body. Though I do support England during the World Cup! 8. Theatre or cinema? Theatre every time. 9. Sega or Nintendo? We had a Sega so I'll go with that! 10. UK or USA? Oh come on! Do you really have to ask??? If you don't know... clue below! And Finally... You've got a tub of Neapolitan ice-cream. Which flavour do you dig into first? Oh chocolate! Doesn't everyone? We hope you've enjoyed the first ever A Slice of Pie With... If you fancy being featured here to reminisce about old times and get all retro on us, contact us via the contact page. Photos from Pixabay Word cloud by Angel Noire

The second part of Neighbour's Karl and Susan Kennedy's memorable storylines as they celebrate twenty five years on Ramsay Street. 8. THE KENNEDYS BECOME GRANDPARENTS All three of Karl and Susan's children have children but we've only ever seen them with Ben - Libby's son from her marriage to Drew. Throughout his life, Ben has lived with his grandparents on and off over the years, most recently while his mum took a job in Hong Kong, although he has since moved to Oakey in order to get to know his late dad's family better. But Ben is testament of Karl and Susan's abilities as grandparents, and although Ben had his moments as all kids do, he left Erinsborough a fine young man that his grandparents were very proud of. 9. SUSAN LOSES HER MEMORY Most people cry over spilt milk, and if they slip on it, well, that's when they really cry over it! In what was considered by many to be a very far fetched - though indeed memorable - storyline - Susan slipped on some spilt milk and hit her head hard. When she came round, Susan Kennedy thought she was Susan Smith, sixteen, and forget the new millennium, she thought she was back in the seventies! Not recognizing her husband or kids, Susan felt very disconnected from them and refused to believe what they were telling her. And a night out at the school disco at Erinsborough High resulted in a great deal of confusion for Susan as most of the students recognised her as their principal and not as the fellow student Susan believed herself to be. It was sadly during this time that Karl and Susan's daughter, Libby, became a widow after her husband Drew was killed in a riding accident, and it was difficult to reach out to her mother while Susan still believed that she was a sixteen year old schoolgirl. But even though Susan's memory hadn't returned, she had begun to accept who she was, and promised Libby that she would do her best to help her through her grief. And in a storyline that was very Neighbours meets The Vow, Karl never gave up on Susan and um, vowed to help her get her memory back. The Kennedys ended up falling in love again, and it was during their vow renewal that Susan's memory began to return. 10. DASTARDLY DARCY Susan's devilishly handsome nephew, Darcy Tyler, arrived in Ramsay Street to stay with the Kennedys. A doctor like his Uncle Karl, Darcy had accepted a post at Erinsborough Hospital. Although he had always been close to his aunt and uncle, Darcy's relationship with the Kennedys became quite strained due to his womanizing ways and unprofessional behaviour, and he eventually moved out of number 28, and into number 30 - Lou Carpenter's home. Due to racking up gambling debts, Darcy was forced to turn to theft in order to pay off these debts. In a pretty low move, Darcey staged a burglary after hearing that Susan had inherited some jewellery. But his plan fell apart when on fleeing the scene, Darcey knocked over a pregnant Lyn Scully - the only witness to the crime. Susan refused to believe what her friend is telling her when Lyn reveals who was behind the burglary which lead to a feud between the Scullys and the Kennedys. But when Darcey was caught with a crucial bit of evidence, the Kennedys realised that Lyn had been telling the truth. Darcey was then arrested and charged. But Darcey had a very significant role in the Karl and Susan story after he was released from prion and was working as an orderly at Erinsborough Hospital. It was Darcey who uncovered Izzy Hoyland's lies about Karl being the father of the child she lost. Despite her dramatic attempts to stop the truth from being revealed, Izzy couldn't thwart Darcey's efforts and Izzy was indeed exposed - after Darcey had left Erinsborough. Before he left, Darcey wrote to his aunt, telling her everything... and gave Karl a very prophetic warning before boarding the bus and leaving Erinsborough for good. 11. IZZY! Oh goodness! If Susan thought Sarah was a nightmare as far as the Kennedy marriage was concerned, goodness knows what she would have done is she knew that fate was going to deliver an even bigger blow in the form of Max Hoyland's sister, Isabelle. Blonde, vivacious and feisty, Izzy, as she was known, struck up a friendship with Karl just as his marriage was heading towards the rocks. And indeed Izzy's presence did cause Susan and many of the Kennedy's friends cause for alarm. Karl and Susan's son, Malcolm, saw through Izzy's antics immediately but did his dad listen? Of course not! When Izzy discovered that she was pregnant by Gus Leary, she decided to take advantage of the fact that the Kennedys were having problems by luring Karl away for herself. And her plan worked. Not only did everyone think that Karl was the father of her child - including Karl himself - but Izzy almost got to walk down the aisle and become the second Mrs. Kennedy. But Susan got her moment of vengeance when she discovered the truth about Izzy's baby, who was tragically delivered too early, and threatened to expose her unless she did the right thing and told Karl the truth. Dr. Kennedy was beyond devastated when he found out the truth and promptly ended things with a distraught Izzy, leaving Neighbours fans cheering! But if anyone thought that the Izzy saga was over, they were wrong - very wrong... 12. SUSAN HAS AN AFFAIR WITH FATHER TOM We've had Neighbours meets The Vow, and now comes Neighbours meets The Thornbirds! After splitting up with Karl, Susan met Tom Scully, the brother-in-law of her good friend, Lyn. They tried to fight their attraction but ended up embarking on a passionate affair. Not bad for a soap that never showed Scott and Charlene in bed together, even after they were married. To say that Susan and Tom's affair was the talk of the Street was an understatement. Furthermore, the affair caused friction between Susan and Lyn, a very devout Catholic. Tom decided to leave the priesthood in order to be with Susan but in the end they both realised that there was no future in it for them so they called it a day. Then three years later, Tom reappeared in Erinsborough... as the new principal of Erinsborough High. He told Susan that he loved her and wanted them to try again but by then she was back where she belonged... with Karl! 13. HOLLY We all remember Susan's devastation when Karl told Susan that Izzy was expecting his baby in a stonker of a scene where Jackie Woodbourne gave it all she had! There was even a reference to the time Susan had wanted another baby but Karl had put his foot down. And now he had the nerve to tell her that he was going to be a dad again with someone else! The git! But as we all knew, Karl was not the father and the truth only came out well after Izzy had lost the baby leaving Karl to grieve for a child who was never his. Then in a twist that nobody saw coming. Karl got back together with Susan but had a night of passion with Izzy - after mistaking her for Susan (as you do!) So the inevitable happened and Izzy actually did get pregnant with Karl's baby this time. But for once in her life, Izzy decided to leave town quietly without telling Karl the truth and ruining his second chance of happiness with Susan. But as we all know, Susan is no fool, and after intercepting a phone call that she thought was meant for Stephanie, Susan realized that Izzy was pregnant and headed over to the bus station where she managed to catch Izzy just in time and demanded answers. Izzy lied (what she does best!) and insisted that Karl was not the father but Susan was not convinced and remained suspicious over the paternity of Izzy's child... until baby Holly made her appearance by entering the world just as Karl and Susan had exchanged vows for the second time... 14. KARL AND SUSAN REMARRY To say that Karl and Susan had had their ups and downs is something of an understatement. But against all odds, the couple reunited and while on a trip to London, Karl proposed to Susan who happily accepted. They planned to get married on a boat on the River Thames. But Izzy - who by now was living in London - was on hand to make sure that the ceremony was anything but smooth sailing. She had decided that now was the right time to reveal to Karl that he was the father of her baby. But as she saw the happy couple exchanging vows, she turned around to leave - and promptly doubled over in pain as she went into labour, leaving it to Karl and Susan to deliver the baby that unbeknownst to Karl was his daughter. And Susan's worst fears were confirmed when a conversation she overheard revealed what she had suspected all along - that Karl was baby Holly's father. Being the kind of person that she is, Susan told Karl the truth, and over the years, viewers have watched Karl make frequent visits to London to see his daughter. Holly also made several visits to Erinsborough and even though she did, at first, prove every bit to be Izzy's daughter by making Susan's life difficult, the two have grown close over the years and have developed a very strong bond. And as we've said before there's been tons more awesome storylines featuring Karl and Susan. Here's to another fantastic twenty five years! What have been your favourite storylines featuring the Kennedy clan? Photos from YouTube Wordcloud by Angel Noire

When Neighbours introduced a new family of five - the Kennedys - to Ramsay Street 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 in 2019. Viewers recently 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 which already had 'Happy 25th Anniversary' engraved on it. "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! When the Kennedys were written into the show, Karl, Susan, and their kids - Mal, Libby, and Billy -they were brought in to replace the Willis family. How ironic then that Karl and Susan are now good friends with the new generation of Willises who made a return to Ramsay Street back in 2013! But not all Neighbours' fans liked the Willis family moving out and the Kennedy family moving in, as in comparison to their zany and upbeat predecessors, the new family seemed a little bit, well, bland! But now it's safe to say that twenty five years later, the Kennedys are every bit as legendary as the Ramsays and the Robinsons, thanks to Karl and Susan's presence on the Street. Both Karl and Susan are the show's two longest-running characters. Sure, Paul Robinson has been on show since the very beginning but Stefan Dennis, who plays Paul, did he did take a break from Neighbours for about eleven years. And in those twenty five years, Karl and Susan did pack a lot into that time. And we do mean a lot! Here are just a handful of their memorable storylines that go back when the Kennedys first appeared on Neighbours. And trust us - there's plenty more where these came from! 1. SUSAN WANTS A BABY Shortly after settling into their new home at number 28, it began to dawn on Susan how fast her children were growing up and that they didn't need her as much. She began to reminisce about them as babies and all their early years, and then the realisation dawned on her that she wanted another baby. Karl wasn't keen on the idea but Susan went to her doctor... and was eventually told that it would be very difficult for her to conceive at her age - a revelation that left her crushed. 2. KARL'S FRIENDSHIP WITH KATE CORNWALL A sign of things to come! Soon after the Kennedys arrival on Ramsay Street, Karl started treating a patient named Kate who was terminally ill. Karl was drawn to Kate and they became a lot closer than they should have been for two people in a doctor-patient relationship; spending evenings together while Susan was away... and even shared a kiss before she left to be with her parents. Feeling guilty and distraught after Kate's death, Karl confessed all to a suspicious Susan who was understandably upset, and distraught that Karl insisted on being at Kate's funeral. But she eventually forgave her husband and the Kennedys worked on rebuilding their rel. Little did Susan know at the time that a lot worse was to come for her marriage... … and worse came in the form of a sultry brunette and a scheming blonde (just not at the same time!) 3. SUSAN REVEALS THE TRUTH ABOUT HOW HER MOTHER DIED While chaperoning student and neighbour, Brett Stark, on a trip to Africa, Susan started experiencing flashbacks. Then feeling emotional one day, Susan broke down and confessed to Brett that she had helped her mother to die many years ago. Although initially quite shocked, the sensible and level-headed teen understood that Susan's mother was terminally ill and in a lot of pain. The difficult decision that Susan made as a teenager to help end her mother's suffering had been borne out of love and compassion. Brett, in turn, showed his teacher a great deal of compassion and reserved no judgement against her, thus creating a strong bond and deep friendship between the pair. 4. KARL STOPS PRACTICING MEDICINE Karl had got caught up in a feud with friend and fellow neighbour, fiery Cheryl Stark, over her son Darren going out with Libby. The feuding pair eventually called a truce but tragedy was around the corner when Cheryl was hit by a lorry while out with baby daughter, Lolly. Karl tried to tend to Cheryl's injuries but sadly she died at the scene, leaving her children and partner, Lou Carpenter, devastated. But then Karl discovered that Cheryl had been taking painkillers and feared that the drugs he gave her interfered with that and caused her death. Tests revealed that Cheryl did in fact have an allergic reaction due to the medication Karl gave her at the scene but her injuries were so severe that she could not have been saved, no matter what Karl did to help her. This did little to ease Karl's guilt and when confronted by an angry Darren who told Karl in no uncertain terms that he held Karl responsible for his mother's death, Karl made the decision to stop practicing medicine. Mal had been running a handyman business with Darren and agreed to let Karl work on a project with them - much to the anger of Darren. But when Mal was seriously injured during a freak accident, it was up to Karl to save his life with an on the spot tracheotomy. Darren, who witnessed the whole incident, realised that Karl had to make a split second decision as his mother lay injured, and Karl did what he thought was best. Understanding this, Darren called a truce with Karl who felt that the time was right to go back to being Dr. Karl again. 5. THE KENNEDYS 'ADOPT' TOADFISH REBECCHI Now if this isn't one of the most heart-warming of friendships, we don't know what is! Karl couldn't see any redeeming qualities in his son Billy's new best friend Jarrod 'Toadfish' Rebecchi. A bit of a prankster, loud, and always seemingly leading Billy astray, Karl longed for the day when Billy would no longer be friends with Toadie and Karl wouldn't have to come home to find Toadfish and his mullet lounging around his house! But when Toadie's parents moved away, he moved in with the Kennedys so that he could finish school. From that day on he slowly but surely became part of the Kennedy household, and Karl and Susuan took great pride in watching Toadie grow up from a ratbag kid into a sensible and respectable young man, who had a good job in law and loved his young family more than anything. Karl and Susan supported Toadie during Dee's disappearance; Sonia's death, and the whole Andrea Sommers debacle. And Toadie came to regard the Kennedys as a second set of parents. 6. KARL'S BIOLOGICAL FAMILY When Karl discovered that his dad Tom was not his biological father, he set about finding out details about his biological father, Ronald Davies-Smythe. The two men met but sadly only kept in touch for a short time before Ronald passed away. After years of believing that he was an only child, Karl discovered he had a whole bunch of half-siblings, as Ronald had fathered many children with different women. Years later Karl tried to contact many of them but wasn't met with a very positive response. One of his siblings was Jemima Davies-Smythe, who politely declined Karl's invitation for them to meet - but nonetheless turned up in Erinsborough and ended up performing the marriage ceremony for David and Aaron! Karl was delighted to have found one of his siblings but Jemima irritated Susan no end, who desperately wanted to see the back of her annoying sister-in-law. But it turned out that Jemima was only testing the Kennedys. A wealthy woman, Jemima wanted to be sure that the Kennedys liked her for her - and not her bank balance. Naturally the kind-hearted Kennedys passed the test with flying colours, and a new bond was formed between the Kennedys and Jemima who still gets a mention and the tram cafe - Erinsborough's latest hotspot - was a gift from her to Karl. 7. SARAH BEAUMONT Oh dear - Sarah, Sarah, Sarah... Whatever did Karl and Susan let themselves in for with her! Mind you, she was merely the warm up act when it came to destroying the Kennedy marriage - the real star of the show for that was Isobelle Hoyland! Susan couldn't help teasing Karl when he hired their neighbour, glamourous, former model Sarah to be his new receptionist. Feeling secure in her marriage, Susan didn't think she had anything to worry about. And in any case, Sarah was in a relationship with handsome police officer, Matt Compton. But it was when Matt called time on their long-distance relationship that the problems began. Hurt and upset over the end of her relationship, Sarah broke down while at work, and Dr. Karl was on hand to provide a shoulder. But what started as a comfort hug soon turned into a passionate kiss. The pair broke away feeling guilty, and agreed to put the kiss behind them. That was easier said than done, as the encounter had stirred something up in them both. And Susan, totally oblivious to the tension between them, encouraged Karl to tutor Sarah with her nurse's aide course and even got them to play golf regularly. It was months before the truth came out, and everyone remembers that famous episode where Susan belted Karl across the face and threw him out of the house. It took a great deal of time and effort but Susan eventually forgave Karl and took him back. The Kennedy family breathed a sigh of relief when Sarah married Dr. Hannay and left the Street. But after having two children, the Hannays divorced and Sarah made two more visits to Ramsay Street, dropping more bombshells on the Kennedys as she returned... Like what you've read so far? Check out part two for more Karl and Susan Kennedy storylines. Photos from YouTube Wordcloud by Angel Noire

So word on the street is that nineties RnB-pop group, Another Level, are to temporarily reform next year - sans Wayne Williams apparently - for a few just-for-fun-one-off gigs. This news is music to the ears of the group's fans but seeing as we've had our hopes dashed in the past, well we'll see what happens... but we so hope to see Another Level performing again next year. And this news reminded me of three things: 1. How much I loved Another Level! My siblings and I were a massive fans of the group which consisted of Wayne Williams, Dane Bowers, Bobak Kianoush, and Mark Baron. We bought all the CDs (because that's what people did back then - they bought CDs!) watched all the TV appearances; bought the magazines; listened to the radio interviews... for this urban music-loving girl, I didn't feel that there was any other group in the charts at the time who could be compared to Another Level so they were refreshingly unique. But when the group split, most of the former members - with the exception of Dane Bowers - left the spotlight and moved on to other things, and in time so did a lot of Another Level's fans. But I can honestly say the group had - and still has - a very special place in my heart... 2. My life back then Thinking back to my time as an Another Level fan when the group were in the charts, it reminds of how my life was back then. I had just started university, and was fast approaching the end of my teen years and the beginning of a new chapter - my twenties (gosh that was so long ago!) I won't lie - I hated university: I was in the wrong place and doing the wrong course (or so I thought anyway!) But it wasn't all bad: I got to meet 'my girls' while at uni who to this day are friends-bordering-on-family; went to countless house parties, and it was during this time that I visited America for the first time - my future home! Oh and I also managed to get in a bit of study... 3. The Another Level Record Signing News that the boys are due to play a few one-off gigs reminded me that it was twenty years ago that I went to the Another Level record signing at HMV in Oxford Street -which is of course now no longer. Not only was it the first record signing that I'd been to, but it was the first time I'd ever seen any of my musical idols in the flesh. It was also my little brother and sister's first time going to a record signing, and furthermore, their very first time in Oxford Street. I still remember their excitement at seeing a brightly lit Oxford Street. Fast forward several years to when they were teenagers, and they were hardly ever at home. Instead they were busy running around Central London with their friends! But goodness there was a lot of drama we had to contend with before Another Level even got on stage. It was however an awesome night, and the boys put an a great performance. I'm so glad I got to share that with all my siblings. Too bad it was in the days before camera phones so I don't have any pics but I do have very special memories of that night. The night ended on a high with a visit to Pizza Hut! Another Level... Hope to see you soon! Photo collage and second photo from YouTube Other photos and wordcloud by Angel Noire

If there's one thing soap fans love, it's a villain! And so does Neighbours as well going by the long list of dastardly characters who have graced Ramsay Street. In the last couple of years alone we've had Hamish Roach; Cassius Grady; the now reformed Finn Kelly; Andrea Sommers; Heather Schilling, and in the past we've had Izzy Hoyland; Darcy Tyler and Sindi Watts. Now we have Scarlett Brady, a rather unstable young woman who has set her sights on Ned Willis and will stop at nothing, it seems, to be with him, even if that means wrecking his relationship with Yashvi Rebecchi, and almost killing Bea Nilsson. Ned, of course is totally oblivious. Earth to Ned: Woman sobbing in a busy airport while wearing a wedding gown is a major red flag, mate! Over the years, there have been more than a few unsavoury types who have cropped up in Erinsborough. But these are ones you may have forgotten about. We take a look at five villainous but forgotten Neighbours baddies. 1. SHANNON This villain was very much blink and you'll miss her, and probably quite tame compared to other villains. But then Shannon made her appearance back in the relatively early days of Neighbours when villains and their dastardly deeds were just getting warmed up! Shannon was a minor character back in the early nineties who was caught shoplifting from Gaby Willis's boutique, Gabrielle's. In a bid to ensure that Gaby didn't press charges, Shannon returned to the boutique to apologize to Gaby and explain her difficult home life which involved being short of money, and her parents not paying her a lot of attention due to their focus being on Shannon's brother who was in a wheelchair. Feeling a great deal of sympathy for Shannon, especially as her own ex-fiancé Glenn left Erinsborough after being told he'd never walk again, Gaby decided to give Shannon a chance and offered her a job at the boutique which Shannon gratefully accepted and proved to be quite good in her new role. However a furious Gaby caught Shannon stuffing a garment into her bag and yelled at her - but felt quite contrite when Shannon showed her a fault in the garment and explained that she was taking it home to mend it. All was well until a customer stole takings from the till when no one was looking, so Gaby raced off to inform security. However when they found out who Gaby's new sales assistant was, they suggested that she call Shannon's parents.... Gaby did just that and discovered that not only did Shannon not have a paraplegic brother, but she didn't have any brothers at all - she was an only child with a history of stealing and lying. Gaby raced back to the boutique and discovered that Shannon was about to escape with the takings. The ungrateful so-and-so told Gaby that anyone who gave second chances the way she did deserved to be taken in. That was enough to convince Gaby to press charges who told Shannon that maybe a court appearance would give her the opportunity to take a long hard look at herself - and stop breaking her parents' hearts. 2. SIMON HUNTER Poor Gaby - she just couldn't get away from rotters! Trying to get her life back on track after her failed engagement to Glenn Donnelly, Gaby started dating Simon Hunter, owner of a hardware store who had previously been engaged to Melanie Pearson until she left him for Joe Mangel. Brooding over their failed relationships caused them to get closer - until Gaby discovered that Simon had a girlfriend. He ended that relationship to begin one with Gaby, but was frustrated when Gaby wouldn't take their relationship to the next level and put pressure on her to sleep with him. But all went well - until the fateful night that Gaby went over to Simon's for dinner and was assaulted by him in what was a very shocking storyline for Neighbours at the time. Gaby tried to keep quiet about what happened but people kept noticing her bruises and breaking down, she revealed what Simon did to her that night. This led her father Doug to get in his truck and go after Simon, and the furious dad punched and threatened Simon when he caught up with Gaby's attacker. Simon then used this against the Willises and threatened to press charges against Doug if Gaby went to the police. Despite Doug's insistence that she report Simon, Gaby was in a dilemma: On the one hand she felt that she couldn't let Simon get away with what he'd done but on the other, she didn't want Doug to get into trouble. While she was still deciding what to do, Simon reappeared and finally did the right thing: he apologised to Gaby and admitted that what he did was wrong. He also accepted that she was well within her rights to go to the police, and if she did, he would keep quiet about Doug attacking him. Realising that Simon was more damaged than evil, Gaby told him that she wouldn't press charges on condition that he sought help for his problems. Simon agreed and even offered Gaby money to keep her boutique going - an offer Gaby rejected, telling him that she just wanted him out of her life for good. And that's the last viewers saw of him. 3. PAIGE SNEDDON It's not just Gaby who was a magnet for lowlifes - her little brother Brad attracted his in the form of hip, foxy, older woman Paige Sneddon who ran the local surf shop. Paige hired Brad to work in her shop after hearing about his skills as a surf board designer. A passion for surfing brought the two together and it wasn't long before Brad and Paige started dating. Brad then suffered a setback when someone broke into his garage and stole his surfboards - and a half-coin pendant found at the scene of the crime was left behind by the culprit. Then a customer brought back a surfboard that was in need of repair and Brad recognised it as one of his stolen boards - even though the customer was adamant that the board was purchased from Paige's shop. When confronted by Brad, Paige claimed that she bought the boards not realising that they had been stolen, and Brad believed her. Suspicion soon fell on Lou Carpenter's son, Guy, as the pendant found at Brad's garage was similar to the one he wore. Guy explained that the pendant was given to him a while back by a woman he had been dating who kept the other half. He then recognised Paige as the woman who gave him the pendant when he saw her and Brad on a date and realised that she must be the one behind the theft of Brad's surfboards. Brad refused to believe Guy's accusations against his girlfriend and the two men come to blows. Then one afternoon while Brad was over at Paige's house for lunch, he saw some surfboards lying around and decided to put them in the garage despite Paige's pleas not to do so - and Brad found his stolen surfboards and realised that his girlfriend was the thief all along. After initially refusing to listen to her, Brad eventually heard Paige out who explained that she was forced to do what she did because Brad was direct competition for her and was taking away her trade. Brad ended his relationship with Paige, who then flew into a rage at Guy, blaming him for Brad dumping her, and tried to attack him. Brad's friends and family urged Brad to report Paige to the police but realising that he was still in love with her, he refused to do so. 4. JILL WEIR What is it with those Willises, always being taken in by lying, manipulative, no-good so-and-sos? This time it was Doug and his wife Pam's turn to be fooled when an act of kindness towards a grieving mother almost cost them their marriage. Jill Weir befriended Doug and Pam while she was battling for custody of her son, Ross. When Ross died, she leaned heavily on the Willis family who wholeheartedly gave her their support during her time of need. And it was while she was grieving that Jill developed an attraction to Doug, who she began to see as the ideal husband. Doug, realising that Jill had feelings for him, tried to keep his distance from her, but Pam - who had really taken Jill under her wing - was oblivious to the fact that another woman had designs on her husband, and even allowed Jill to stay in the Willis family home - much to Jill's delight and Doug's annoyance. As Jill became more and more unhinged she stopped at nothing in order to get what she wanted, including a suicide attempt while starngely enough in Doug and Pam's bed. Realising that there were cracks in the Willis marriage; Doug's suspicion of the growing bond between Pam and their neighbour, Jim Robinson, and Pam's admission that she had feelings for Jim, it all worked in Jill's favour who cleverly manipulated the family in order to get close to Doug. And Jill's scheming paid off, when convinced that Pam was having an affair with Jim, Doug succumbed to Jill's charms and had a one-night stand with her. Doug regretted his actions so much that he confessed all to Pam who wasted no time in throwing him out of the house and filed for divorce. Jill was thrilled that her plan worked and without a hint of remorse, rubbed Pam and Gaby's noses in it, revelling in the fact that she broke up their family. Why she didn't get a slap, nobody knows! However, Jill underestimated the strength of Doug and Pam's love for each other, and after a close call where Doug and Brad went missing at sea, Pam decided to give her marriage another go. This devastated Jill who threatened to throw herself off her apartment balcony but was stopped by Doug. After going to hospital, Jill agreed to get help as her mental state was clearly as a result of the loss of her son. When Jill was feeling better she contacted the Willises to apologise for the role she had played in ruining their marriage and wanted to put things right - but unsurprisingly they felt it was best to steer well clear of her. But the ghost of Jill Weir was difficult to put to rest and years later when Doug and Pam's marriage was tested again due to his battle with dementia, Doug brought up the name of the woman who Pam never wanted to hear about again. 5. FIONA HARTMAN When Annalise Hartman arrived in Ramsay Street, many of the residents saw what a right handful she was - and that's putting it mildly! Conniving, manipulative and a troublemaker, Annalise did a great job of rubbing people up the wrong way. But then along came mama Hartman, Fiona, and suddenly we all saw where Annalise got it from! Though to be fair, Annalise turned out to be a far kinder person than her mother ever could be, and it took Jim Robinson's death to show what a heartless schemer Fiona really was. When Jim became romantically involved with Fiona, the only person who thought she was a totally fabulous woman was Jim! Even Annalise was concerned about her mum getting her claws into a kind-hearted man like Jim Robinson, and Jim's family and friends were very concerned about this relationship, especially his mother-in-law Helen and daughter Julie. And they had every reason to be. In front of Jim, Fiona came across as sweetness and light, but others saw her true colours. When Jim collapsed and died of a heart attack, the only other person at home was Fiona who shed tears for all of two seconds before getting on the phone to transfer Jim's money into her account. She then set the scene for Jim's body to be discovered by his family and left the house before returning when Jim's grief-stricken family were there and feigned shock. Fiona soon fled Erinsborough with Jim's money, but word eventually got back to Annalise that her mother had been involved in an accident and was in a very bad way. Angry at what her mother had done, Annalise refused to go and see her but Helen made her see sense and told Annalise that if she never went to see Fiona and the worst happened, she'd never forgive herself. Annalise relented and dashed to the hospital to see Fiona but it was indeed too late and Fiona had passed away. Photos from YouTube WordCloud by Angel Noire

Genre: Sitcom Started: 22nd September 1994 Ended: 6th May 2004 Created by: David Crane and Marta Kauffman Series: 10 Episodes: 236 Main Cast: David Schwimmer - Ross Geller Courtney Cox - Monica Geller Matt LeBlanc - Joey Tribbiani Jennifer Aniston - Rachel Green Matthew Perry - Chandler Bing Lisa Kudrow - Phoebe Buffay Guest Stars: Elliot Gould - Jack Geller Christina Pickles - Judy Geller James Michael Tyler - Gunther Maggie Wheeler - Janice Litman Helen Baxendale - Emily Waltham Tom Selleck - Richard Burke Paul Rudd - Mike Hannigan Jane Sibbett - Carol Jessica Hecht - Susan Plot A group of six New Yorkers who are very different in terms of personality but are firm friends nonetheless. They live in the same neighbourhood and are known for always hanging out at the same coffee shop, Central Perk. When they are not there they can usually be found at Monica's apartment. The show focuses on the group's strong friendship, as well as their romantic and career escapades with hilarious results. 1. COFFEE SHOP CULTURE Today, teenagers hang out in coffee shops up and down the country. And in England they have plenty to choose from: Starbucks, Café Nero, Costa, as well as millions of independent coffee shops. Yep, word has gotten out that coffee is big business! When most of us were teenagers, we hung out at either McDonalds or the local chippy. If we really wanted to push the boat out, then we had Pizza Hut's eat-all-you-want buffet. But Friends changed all that once we saw how much fun the Friends' gang were having at Central Perk. We decided that coffee shops were the only place to lounge around in too. And it seems that we're not the only ones who thought it was a great idea, as coffee shop culture has now taken off all over the world. 2. SOFAS IN COFFEE SHOPS The sofa at Central Perk was very much the gang's domain. Remember the friends' dismay when another group took over the sofa? Most of us had probably never seen a sofa in a coffee shop until we started watching Friends. We certainly didn't have them in UK coffee shops. But it was a super cool idea. There's nothing like getting comfy on the sofa with a steaming cup of coffee whilst having a natter (or a moan!) to make yourself feel really at home. Now you can find a comfy, cosy sofa in just about every coffee shop - and Friends probably had a lot to do with it. Any coffee shops out there with a bed in it? 3. JENNIFER ANISTON: HAIR ICON When Jennifer Aniston accepted the role of Rachel Green, she probably didn't expect her hair to become a bigger star than her! The 'Rachel' cut was the Farrah Flick of it's day, and the most requested hairstyle in salons worldwide. Her hairdo was a layered, longer length bob but it was the savvy way she wore it that made it such a hit. This particular style paved the way for Ms. Aniston to enter into hair icon territory. And even though the numerous hairstyles she sported throughout the show - some more popular than others - never quite eclipsed the success of the 'Rachel,' Jennifer still became known as 'the one with the great hair.' 4. SMELLY CAT Phoebe may have known how to rock a guitar but when it came to songwriting, she was known for some rather dubious lyrics. But despite this fact, Smelly Cat became something of a classic - and proof to aspiring musicians everywhere that inspiration for a hit can come from the most unlikeliest of topics! 5. MONICA'S APARTMENT Who wouldn't want a spacious yet cosy apartment as inviting as Monica's. There was criticism that a waitress (Rachel) and a just-starting- caterer (Monica) could never have afforded an apartment in NYC as cool as that in real-life but who cares? It was nice just to dream about it! And even though Monica and hubby Chandler eventually bought a house in the suburbs to raise their family,  Monica's apartment is definitely the place to be. 6. RACHEL'S AMBITION Rachel Green may have started out as something of a rich, spoilt brat but she eventually learned to stand on her own two feet when Gunther hired her as a waitress at Central Perk. However Rachel's real dream was to work in fashion - a career she'd pursued once she'd found the confidence to do so. This resonates well with many of us because we've been there too (no, not the rich, spoilt brat bit!). We've all had to abandon our dreams at some point in our lives because real life got in the way. But Rachel showed us that with a little perseverance and dedication, it's possible to get there in the end. 7. WE WERE ON A BREAK! Rachel wanted a break from her relationship with Ross. Ross thought that meant he could date other people - so he did! This didn't go down too well with Rachel when she found out, so she decided that their temporary break should become a more permanent one. This Ross and Rachel saga struck fear into the hearts of most people who were going through a rough patch in their relationships, causing them to spell out exactly what 'being on a break' meant! 8. NEW YORK BECAME THE PLACE TO BE OK, so even before Friends, New York was hardly on the bottom of everyone's 'must visit' list. In fact for many people it was at the top of their 'must live there' list! But Friends - along with Sex And The City - was a great advert for New York City and made those who didn't live there want to take an even bigger bite out of the Big Apple (even though the show was filmed in California!) 9. ROSS: THE PATRON SAINT OF GEEKS Straight-laced, socially-awkward brainiac Ross Gellar who revelled in his status as 'Dr.Geller,' was overly-enthusiastic about science and loved his career as a palaeontologist. He was the saviour of academics, and dare we say it, geeks everywhere! He proved that you didn't have to be the coolest kid on the block to land the hottest girl. 10. THOSE CATCHPHRASES Oh...My...God! How you doin'? Could you be any more stupid? My eyes, my eyes!!! WE WERE ON A BREAK!!! If you're a Friends fan, those catchphrases will need no explanation! 11. THE ONE WITH THE... Friends writers knew that even if they gave episodes an actual name, that viewers would refer to these episodes as 'The one with the eggplant,' or 'The one where Rachel finds out.' So that's exactly what they called these episodes with the title beginning with the phrase 'The One...'. It's really quite clever and no other TV show has done this before or after Friends. Well - they certainly couldn't do it now! 12. EVERYONE HAD A FRIEND WITH THE WORD 'FUN' IN THEIR NAME Remember Monica's ex-boyfriend, Fun Bobby? He was the life and soul of the party... until everyone discovered that without alcohol, he really wasn't that much fun! Nonetheless some of us took to prefixing the name of our loudest and wildest friend with the word 'Fun' so that it became a part of their name. Hanging out with Fun Lucy, Fun Stevie, and Fun Ruthie was always a barrel of laughs! 13. IT'S OK TO GET WITH YOUR FRIENDS So serial divorcé Ross got with Rachel, while his sister Monica cured his commitment phobic friend Chandler. Both couples highlighted the pitfalls of dating a good friend - but in the end, it all worked out for the best. And Friends' fans cheered when these couples got together - and probably plucked up the courage to ask out their best friend of ten years who they'd secretly admired from afar. We all waited for Phoebe and Joey to hook up but the scriptwriters had other ideas. Perhaps they didn't want to be too predictable. Perhaps they thought Mike Hannigan was better for Phoebe. Perhaps they wanted to give Joey his own show... 14. SIMILAR SHOWS To say Friends was huge is like saying that water is a little bit wet. It was a phenomenon - and still is! It wasn't long before other program makers the world over got in on the act and tried to recreate the show's winning formula: a group of close friends who are almost like family in an apartment/coffee shop/bar setting, who support each other through trials and tribulations especially romantic disasters. Unlike soap operas where friends could stab each other in the back, in these types of shows, friends had each other's backs. Some of these shows popped up even before Friends had finished its run, and not all of them were sitcoms but the ones that were based on the same kind of wit and humour that made Friends so popular. So before we knew it, we were settling down to watch Cold Feet, Coupling, How I Met Your Mother, Big Bang Theory, Sex And The City, and That 70s Show. But of course, as awesome as these shows are, there can only ever be one Friends. 15. THE CAST BECAME MEGA STARS The cast of Friends were all established actors before they played our favourite group of New Yorkers. But they hadn't reached the dizzying heights of stardom with any of their previous work (although Matt LeBlanc came close with his Heinz ketchup commercial!) But Friends changed all that for the six actors who went on to become household names. And fifteen years after the show ended, they're still very much in the spotlight. It's fantastic that all six actors wanted to remain on the show through the course of its ten year run. Nobody chose to quit the series to concentrate on other projects which meant that all six of our favourite characters appeared in every series and were played by the same actors during the course of ten years which is amazing and quite unusual. 16. IT BROUGHT THE WORLD CLOSER TOGETHER Is there a country in the world which hasn't broadcast a single episode of Friends... no, probably not! Maggie Wheeler who played Chandler's ex-girlfriend, Janice, expressed her surprise when a fan from India approached her to say how much she loved Friends, proving just how much of a world-wide phenomenon the show had become. Despite the hit comedy being dubbed in multiple languages, everyone understands the language of friendship, and it's great to know that you can go anywhere in the world and you're bound to bump into someone who knows who the Friends gang are. I wonder how you translate, "How you doin'?" in Cantonese... 17. TACKLING SOCIAL ISSUES WITH HUMOUR Looking back, it's astounding that young children were allowed to watch Friends at such a young age because as funny as it is, it did deal with some pretty adult themes: divorce; infertility; surrogacy; infidelity; adoption; homelessness; single motherhood; casual sex; alcoholism... not exactly a barrel of laughs. But despite the heavy content, each issue was handled with humour and sensitivity so you didn't feel as though you were watching the most depressing show on earth. EastEnders, take note! 18. WE WANTED OUR OWN FRIENDS GANG From time to time, we'd come across someone who'd claim that their posse were "just like Friends from off the telly." "There's six of us as well. And we all hang out at a coffee shop too. And each one of us are just like one of the characters." The truth is we all wanted our own little Friends gang, and we could relate to at least one of the characters. 19. THEME TUNE There can't be a single person on the planet who doesn't know the words to that famous theme tune or who wouldn't be able to recognise the melody. Performed by The Rembrandts, it is without a doubt their biggest hit and the one they'll always be remembered for. The lyrics fit the concept of the show perfectly and furthermore illustrates the meaning of friendship. 20. FRAMILY Most of us were brought up on the mantra that family comes first - and for the most part that's how it should be. But the show taught us that it was possible to love your friends like family. It's not always about blood, genetics or DNA - it's about the strong bond of genuine love, respect and friendship. Even the friends cast have said that they've become like family which is most inspiring. So there you have it - all the things that makes Friends so fantastically unique and one of a kind. It's awesome that Friends is as relevant today as it was when it began twenty five years ago. Whereas a lot of once popular comedies now appear dated, it's safe to say that Friends will remain a classic. Here's to the next twenty five years. What are your favourite Friends' memories? Related link: Angel's Slice of The Pie #12: The One With Six Friends and a Coffee Shop! Photos from YouTube WordCloud by Angel Noire

So no one told you life was gonna be this way... Oh... My... God... I really, really cannot believe that this year marks twenty five years since the first episode of Friends was aired. That's right, the hit American sit-com about the lives of a close-knit gang of six New Yorkers first hit American screens on 22 September 1994. That's right - twenty five years ago!!!! My goodness where has the time gone? Since then, we've been glued to the antics of Joey, Rachel, Phoebe and co. And incidentally it's been over fifteen years since the last episode aired in May 1994. I can't put into words how special Friends is to me. Some might even think that's weird. I mean it's a television sit-com. Who gets sentimental over a television sit-com? Well, I do! Friends brings back great memories of school days, teenage years, and family moments. Plus it's as funny as hell! What's there not to like? I first started watching Friends when I was in my mid -teens. Thursday night was treat night, so after a hard night hitting the books (or pretending to!) as I studied for my A levels, I'd grab a ready meal and settle down in front of the telly to watch my fave show... Channel 4's Whose Line Is It Anyway?  But before Whose Line began, I'd manage to catch the last few minutes of a new American comedy. It wasn't long before I started taking my study breaks a little earlier on a Thursday night so I could watch this new American comedy from the beginning of each episode. It was really funny and thoroughly enjoyable... but even then I didn't realise just how huge it was going to become. (Clockwise) Ross, Rachel, Joey, Monica, Chandler, and Phoebe It wasn't long before the rest of my family got in on the act. By then Friends had gone from the near-enough graveyard slot to become prime time viewing on a Friday evening. So Friday evenings were spent with us gathered around the telly after dinner, laughing our heads off. Apart from me, my little brother was the biggest Friends fan in our house. We never missed an episode, and it in fact became known as 'our tradition.' And every Christmas, my brother would get a new Friends video (yes, it was videos back then) which he would practically watch on repeat. It wasn't long before we knew every bit of dialogue from the show - and used to quote the characters to the point where it both amused and annoyed our sisters. Over the last twenty years, we've all lost count of how many times Friends has been repeated on the telly. But the thing is that it never gets old. Every time you tune in to each episode, you laugh like you've never heard the gags before - and I guess that's the beauty of the show. In all these years, I've only met three people who have said that they can't stand Friends. This admission has left me wondering... what on earth is wrong with them? Could they be any more sad??? So in honour of Friends' twenty fifth year, check out our post for a look at things closely associated with the show that made Friends so unique; this includes our favourite memories and things about the show that - without wanting to be dramatic - actually changed our lives and the way we live... Photos from YouTube Word Cloud by Angel Noire

COUNTRY OF ORIGIN: United Kingdom GENRE: Drama CHANNEL: ITV FIRST SHOWN: 1982 (UK) 1985 (USA) NUMBER OF SERIES OF 'ALL FOR LOVE': 2 EPISODE NUMBER: 1 (Series one) WRITTEN BY: Elizabeth Taylor DRAMATISED BY: Hugh Whitemore DIRECTED BY: Robert Knights STARRING: Joan Plowright - Edith Alec McCowen - Mr. Silcox Merged Esli - Carrie Maris Mescki - Doreen Peter Martin - Reg Brenda Elder - Betty Patti Nicholls - Rita Max Smith - Harry Bryan Coleman - Colonel Phllada Sewell - Elderly Lady David Clarkson - William Aimee Delamain - Miss Bird Doreen Sloane - Miss Skinner Christopher Irvine - Julian Graham Rigby - Hotel manager A Dedicated Man, based on the short story by Elizabeth Taylor, starring Joan Plowright and Alec McCowen, was the first episode of a TV anthology called All For Love. It was first shown in the UK in 1982 before being shown on PBS in America as part of their Masterpiece Theatre series. PLOT A workaholic, dedicated to his job and separated from his wife, persuades a colleague to pose as his wife in order to secure a post at an upmarket hotel. The new 'wife' gets too involved in the charade which ultimately leads to trouble... HOW THE STORY GOES... Set in the post-war years, pompous waiter, Maurice Silcox, a man who has his head stuck up his rear end (sorry, derrière!) is sick of the 'trash' he has to serve at the run-of-the-mill hotel he works at in Brighton. Dedicated to his job and dreaming of a better position at a more prestigious hotel with better clientele, he applies for a post at a more upmarket hotel near Henley called The Royal George. But there's one catch... the hotel is seeking a married couple to fulfil the wait staff roles. Where is he going to find a 'wife' at such short notice? Off to start their new life as 'man and wife.' Enter Edith, a lonely, never-been-married waitress at the hotel. Timid, reserved, and obedient, Silcox considers her to be the perfect candidate to pose as his wife, even though they haven't been acquainted for very long. Knowing that there's nothing to keep her in Brighton, and feeling equally as appalled as Silcox at the calibre of guests at the hotel, Edith agrees to Silcox's proposition. Even Silcox's admission that he is 'married but separated,' does not deter Edith from agreeing to go along with the charade. Oh didn't we tell you? We got the job! On arrival at the new hotel, Silcox suggests that they come up with a backstory and 'married-couple' habits so that they can successfully convince everyone that they are indeed husband and wife. Part of the backstory is the creation of a seventeen year old son, named Julian who is away at boarding school but goes to stay with relatives at weekends. Placing a photograph of a young man who is supposed to be Julian on the mantlepiece, Silcox tells Edith that the smiling teen in the photograph is a relative of his. To ensure that both she and Silcox get their story right about their 'son,' Edith asks Silcox a lot of questions about 'Julian'. To Silcox, the creation of Julian is borne out of a matter of necessity - a ploy to convince their new colleagues that he and Edith are man and wife. But Edith gets drawn more and more into the make-believe world that Silcox has created and in her mind, 'Julian' is very real. She begins to discuss Julian's childhood with guests; asks her boss for time off so that she can visit Julian on his birthday; knits a sweater for him, and is delighted when a colleague, noticing 'Julian's' photograph, tells Edith that he has her eyes! None of this goes unnoticed by Silcox who is seething at Edith's lack of indiscretion. Oh you know, just knitting a real sweater for my not-so-real son! But Edith refuses to stop discussing her 'son' with others when Silcox orders her to do so, and relations between the pair become frostier than a freezer in urgent need of defrosting! Then just before Edith leaves for the afternoon, she bumps into a man at the hotel who comes looking for Silcox. Edith recognises him... It's Julian! A confrontation with Silcox leads to Edith discovering Julian's true identity... A heated exchange between Silcox and Edith follows, and realizing that whatever semblance of a relationship she had with Silcox is now irreparable, Edith decides to leave him and The Royal George. But before she does that, she exacts a terrible revenge on Silcox proving that meek, docile Edith is not a woman to be messed with... What we think... Anything written by 'the other' Elizabeth Taylor is always worth a read, so any TV drama based on her work is worth watching, and A Dedicated Man - with Joan Plowright and Alec McGowan leading a very talented cast - is no exception, and was indeed an impressive debut for the All for Love series. Directed by British TV and film director Robert Knights, whose work includes The Dawning; A Touch of Frost; and Inspector Morse among an impressive list of credits, A Dedicated Man will be a hit with those who are fans of the 'television play' genre, and because it is so quintessentially English with that characteristic quaint charm; a series of stiff upper lips, and silent hauteur, you'll feel as though you need to watch this production with a pot of tea and a couple of freshly baked scones! Alec McCowen as Silcox and Joan Plowright as Edith Had this been a Hollywood rom-com, Edith and Silcox would have become a couple by the end of the episode, and would be running The Royal George. But Taylor's work isn't as predictable as that. A Dedicated Man has an underlying sense of darkness as there is with much of Taylor's work, and the notion that nothing is quite what is seems. The viewer is led to believe that Silcox is a domineering control freak, who used and manipulated a seemingly vulnerable woman for his own selfish gain. But then the audience sees that Edith is more than capable of standing up for herself. In a case of who manipulated who, we're left wondering if Edith had had enough of Silcox's controlling ways... or if she had been playing a game all along. During her final scene, Edith tells the manager of the new establishment a story that is reminiscent of the one she told Silcox when she was describing her life before arriving at the hotel in Brighton. It makes you question: Who is Edith? And how much of her story is true? And who should the audience's sympathies lie with? Workaholic Silcox whose dedication to his job probably serves to mask the pain of estrangement from his family, or Edith who after having supposedly spent the best years of her life caring for her mother, thus missing out on marrying and having children of her own, now faces an uncertain future on her own. Viewers do indeed get a sense of Edith's regret of never having become a wife and mother and the loss of her privileged life. The eager and enthusiastic expression on her face when she thinks Silcox is proposing to her suggests that she feels as though her ship has finally come in. But the realization that this is not a genuine marriage does not deter Edith, who goes along with the plan. There's very little closeness between Silcox and Edith - even as friends. Eye contact is limited and conversation is stilted, awkward and to the point but Edith does not seem too bothered by this. Her fixation with the make-believe 'Julian' implies that what she really wanted was to be a mother - not necessarily a wife. As Silcox wonders where his best cashmeres have got to, Edith is already seeking new employment Class struggles play a large role in Taylor's work and this is evident in A Dedicated Man where themes regarding social status and class differences occur. Both Edith and Silcox appear to be from middle class backgrounds, and have a very obvious disdain for the working class guests at the Brighton hotel who are portrayed as vulgar and uncouth. This is a far cry from the guests at The Royal George who amidst the sparkle of the silverware and crystal; the exquisite china and pristine table linen, are of a more desirable calibre: worldly, cultured, with impeccable manners. Life before and after for Edith and Silcox. Absolutely no brown sauce at The Royal George! Edith's act of revenge against Silcox as she leaves the hotel, is a very simple one, but no doubt it would have had terrible consequences for Silcox, for whom his dedication to his work and professional reputation mean everything. If Edith's scheme were to go according to plan, Silcox would undoubtedly lose his job at The Royal George, and having no other home or family, this could mean destitution and homelessness or a life of hard labour in the workhouses. Such an act tells us that Edith is no shrinking violet and is not afraid to hit back at anyone who crosses her. But what exactly was Silcox's crime against Edith? Was she angry that he had lied to her? Did she realise that he had manipulated her? Or was she devastated that Silcox had snatched from her the only experience of motherhood she'd ever really had? The last scenes of Silcox and Edith The last thing viewers see before the credits roll, is a smirking Silcox. But what exactly is he so smug about? Was it all part of his plan to use Edith in order to get the position at The Royal George and then for her to leave quietly once he no longer had any use for her? Or had he discovered and thus thwarted her dastardly plan? You decide! One thing for sure is that A Dedicated Man is indeed a quality, well produced piece of drama based on a quality, well written piece of work that is definitely worthy of viewing. And how many viewers will recognise the actress playing Miss Skinner? It's a case of blink and you'll miss her but Miss Skinner is played by The late Doreen Sloane who became better known to soap fans as Brookside's Annabelle Collins! Photos from YouTube Word Cloud by Angel Noire

Neighbours fans have just watched the culmination of one of the most intriguing plots that the show has had in a while - the return of Paul Robinson's ex-wives and their scheme to stop his impending marriage to Therese Willis. What's great for fans of the show are all the familiar faces that have been hitting our screens over the last few days. You sure can't beat a good bit of nostalgia! There's no denying that Paul has had his fair share of wives. In fact we're willing to bet that Paul has had everyone else's share of wives too! This is a man who clearly has issues with commitment but at the same time, he really loves donning a tux. Paul, if you love wearing tuxedos so much you could just model for a bridalwear company; aim to get invited to awards ceremonies, or audition to be the next Bond. But marriage - nah! Clearly not your thing! And Paul's not the only male soap character who has been keeping wedding planners in business. Soaps have many characters who have been married more times than they've had pub lunches. Although three does seem to be the magic number, with characters such as EastEnders' Mark Fowler; Grant Mitchell; Frank Butcher, and Patrick Trueman; Brookside's Max Farnham; Dallas's Bobby Ewing, and Neighbours' Toadfish Rebecchi; Joe Mangel, and Max Hoyland all having had three wives (just not all at the same time of course!). But there are some men who like to be 'above average' and for them three weddings are like Wall's Viennetta - it's just never enough! As Paul Robinson has just wed his sixth wife, we take a look at the men who have been battling it out to be the male Liz Taylor. 1. STEVE MCDONALD (Coronation Street) When the McDonald twins, Steve and Andy, first arrived on the Street in 1989, there was no denying that they were handsome young lads who were destined to break hearts. But in Steve's case, each broken heart came with a free diamond ring! No one could have guessed that thirty years later, Steve McDonald would have married half the female population of Weatherfield! There was wife number one, Vicky Arden, Alec Gilroy's granddaughter who Steve married for her money. Wife number two was Karen Phillips who Steve actually married twice. The first time was for a bet, while the second time was most memorable - that was when Tracey Barlow announced that Steve was the father of her baby daughter leaving Karen distraught. Though Karen still went through with the wedding despite the disastrous start which clearly proved to be a bad omen as the marriage did not last, and Becky Granger went on to become the third Mrs. McDonald. Two weddings for wife number two, Karen! And it was because of the third Mrs. McDonald that Steve's marriage to the fourth Mrs. M - Tracy Barlow - was annulled after Becky exposed the bride as a liar at Tracey and Steve's wedding reception. Moving on from Tracy, Steve married his on-off-more-times-than-a-light-switch girlfriend Michelle O'Connor. This marriage ended in divorce after Michelle discovered that Steve had fathered a child with Leanne Battersby. So Steve did the only thing he could do - and got married again! And this time to wife number four, Tracy. Then along came Becky... then Tracy... then Michelle... before going back to Tracy again! Does this man ever pause for breath in between vows? Probably not! But marriage to Tracy can only mean one thing... ...There's got to be a wife number six out there somewhere... 2. KEN BARLOW (Coronation Street) Ken Barlow, as unlikely as it may seem, has always had a reputation for being the Street's lothario. He may have only had three wives, which by soap standards is the norm, but he did marry one of his wives twice. And that's before we get on to the countless affairs since he first appeared in Corrie back in 1960. Ken's first wife was hairdresser Valerie Tatlock, who was famously electrocuted by a faulty hairdryer. She was the mother of his twins, Peter and Susan. After her death, Ken met and married maneater, Janet Reid, who despite her outrageous behaviour was just desperate to be loved. They clashed over Ken's children among other things and separated, although they never divorced. After a last-ditch attempt to win Ken back failed, Janet took an overdose and a distraught Ken found her body the next morning. Then along came bespectacled, gravelly-voiced Deirdre Langston, Ray Langston's widow and mother of Tracey, who Ken later adopted. When writers put Ken and Deirdre together, did they know that they were creating one of the most iconic couples in soap history? But life as the third Mrs. Barlow wasn't easy for Deirdre, and bored of her life with Ken, Deirdre turned her attentions to former flame Mike Baldwin, and the Ken-Deirdre-Mike triangle was an eighties' Corrie ratings winner and a storyline that has gone down in soap history. Deirdre eventually chose Ken over Mike and the two men remained bitter enemies for years. But the Barlow marriage ended in divorce when Ken began an affair with Wendy Crozier. In the years that followed, Ken and Deirdre both moved on with their lives and entered into other relationships. Ken became a father again when Denise Osbourne gave birth to their son, Daniel, and Deirdre married her third husband, Samir. They eventually got back together again in 1999 - much to the delight of Corrie fans, before remarrying in one of the most talked-about soap weddings ever in 2005. Though as much as they loved each other, The Barlows still couldn't keep their eyes or hands off other people, but they remained together until Deirdre's death. Incidentally, the first time Ken and Deirdre married, it was shown within two days of Charles and Di's wedding. The second time, they were doing battle with Charles and Camilla. But as Ken and Deirdre are soap royalty, who can blame them? 3. MIKE BALDWIN (Coronation Street) What is it with Corrie men and weddings? Now we have Mike Baldwin wanting to prove that anything his arch nemesis Ken Barlow can do, he can do better. And seeing as he's had one more wife than Ken, he's probably right! Mike waited a long time to tie the knot - and when he finally did, his choice of bride raised more than a few eyebrows. For not only was the bride much younger than him but she also happened to be Ken Barlow's daughter, Susan. If Mike couldn't have Ken's wife, Deirdre, than Mike made sure he got up Ken's nose by marrying his daughter instead! The marriage didn't last (shock, gasp!) and Susan left Mike and Weatherfield - while pregnant with Mike's baby. Mike then went on to marry wealthy widow Jackie Ingram for her money. But it was the third Mrs. Baldwin, Alma Sedgewick, who he'd been having an on-off relationship for years, that Mike truly loved most. But even that didn't turn him into the perfect husband and the pair ended up divorcing when Mike had been unfaithful. Then Mike wed his fourth wife, the very young, very petite, but extremely conniving Linda Sykes. But marriage to Linda couldn't stop Mike from being there by a dying Alma's bedside - and as he watched her slip away, Mike was heartbroken to have lost the only woman he ever really loved. 4. IAN BEALE (EastEnders) Adam Woodyatt who plays Ian, once said that he wanted his character to be Walford's answer to Ken Barlow. Walford's answer to Steve McDonald would have been more like it! And Mr. Beale hasn't done too badly on the wives front - even if one did try to kill him, and another walked out on him just hours after the ceremony. Ian's marriage to Cindy was doomed: she was in love with Simon Wicks, Ian's stepbrother, and pregnant with Simon's baby (although Ian naturally thought he was the father.) When the truth came out, Cindy fled the Square to start a new life with Simon - but a couple of years later, she went back to Ian... and back to her cheating ways. It was her affair with Ian and Simon's half-brother, David (clearly a girl who likes to keep it in the family!) that put the final nail in the coffin of their marriage. That and Cindy hiring a hitman to kill Ian! Cindy died in prison after giving birth to her latest boyfriend, Nick Holland's baby (yes, this is a girl who worked fast, and no, Nick was not another one of Ian's brothers!) Ian's marriage to Cindy is very significant because it changed Ian from a lovable, happy-go-lucky young man into er, what we know today - a lot like Paul Robinson after his disastrous first marriage to Terry. Glamourpuss Melanie Healy was wife number two. She got cold feet in the run up to the wedding and only went through with it when Ian - knowing Mel wanted to call off the wedding - lied about his daughter, Lucy, having cancer. Mel only found out the truth just hours after marrying Ian, and the new Mrs. Beale wasted no time in walking out on her new husband. Then there was the children's nanny, Laura Dunn. Loyal, with a good heart, Laura genuinely loved Ian and his kids. Sadly out of all his wives, Laura was the one Ian loved the least. She had the chance to go and work for another family after Ian went bankrupt but chose to stay with him and the kids - probably the worst decision she ever made. Well that and running down the stairs too fast! Ian ditched Laura when she became pregnant with Gary Hobbs baby after a one-night stand, although Ian being Ian, he was probably relieved to have found an excuse to dump her. But the real twist in the tale came after Laura's death from falling down the stairs. Her son Bobby wasn't Gary's after all... ...He was Ian's. The most recent Mrs. Beale was the long-suffering Jane Clarke - and probably the only one who was willing to put up with Ian for as long as she did! Jane was a tough, no-nonsense type of woman and probably one of the few people who could put Ian in his place. Their first attempt to make it to the alter ended in a mud-fight after Ian discovered her affair with Grant Mitchell - although they did get married at a later date. But it's their vow renewal that viewers remember well - when the killer of Ian's daughter Lucy was revealed... it was his son Bobby! There's no denying that Ian and Jane loved each other deeply, and out of all of Ian's wives, Jane was the one who was best suited to him. The fourth Mrs. Beale fled the Square in a taxi after being threatened by Max Branning. Max isn't a threat anymore but Jane still hasn't returned and is said to have 'moved on.' Smart move! 5. PHIL MITCHELL (EastEnders) Is Phil competing with his former stepson Ian to see who can have the most wives in Walford? Since arriving on the Square, Phil has had four wives, not to mention an engagement to Shirley Carter, and he was very nearly wed to evil lawyer Stella Crawford. Phil's first wife, the now-forgotten, never-mentioned-again Nadia Borovac, was a young, pretty, Romanian woman who wanted to stay in the UK. In a bid to forget about his recent disastrous fling with his sister-in-law, Sharon, Phil agreed to marry Nadia. When Nadia scuttled off to her boyfriend - who also had to marry a British citizen in order to get a visa - soon after the wedding, Phil hoped he wouldn't have to see her again and only had to sign the divorce papers once her visa came through. But Nadia turned out to be more trouble than she was worth, and she reappeared when Phil started dating Kathy Beale - who would go on to become the next Mrs. Mitchell. Having suddenly developed an attraction to her husband, and jealous of his girlfriend, Nadia set about causing as much trouble as she could for Phil and Kathy, and even succeeded in seducing him, which enabled Nadia to cause more problems for them. What started out as a marriage of convenience became a marriage of great inconvenience to Phil, who came to regret his bright idea (but probably not the night of passion!) But that was until little brother, Grant, stepped in and 'sorted aaht' Nadia by threatening her unless she left Phil alone. And she did - but when Phil went looking for her to get a divorce so that he could marry Kathy, Nadia used his request to her advantage by asking for a pay-off. Phil begrudgingly paid up and Nadia left, never to be seen, heard of, or mentioned again. Enter wife number two! A lot of people didn't get what kind, caring Kathy saw in thuggish Phil whose idea of kindness was calling an ambulance for someone he'd just roughed up! Before she'd even said I do, Kathy had to deal with the whole Nadia saga, and the infamous 'Sharongate.' Being eleven years older than Phil and already in her forties, it was considered unlikely that kids would ever be part of the plan. But Kathy was the one to give Phil his first child; a lovely surprise for the Mitchell clan. What wasn't so lovely was that the child was Ben Mitchell! But marriage to a Mitchell was hard and eventually Kathy, who always did have the patience of a saint, realized that she was never going to get the family life she wanted with Phil, and even though she still loved him, she called time on the marriage and went off to start a new life in South Africa with baby Ben. The third Mrs. Mitchell was Kate Morton, who posed as a beautician called Kate Tyler when they first met. Kate helped Phil through his grief when Jamie Mitchell died and the two ended up falling in love. The problem was that Kate was actually an undercover policewoman who was investigating Lisa Fowler's disappearance and was sent to honeytrap Phil. Falling in love with the suspect was never part of the plan, and neither was marrying him. But that's exactly what Kate did, which of course meant having to leave the force. The marriage got off to a bad start with Lisa Fowler's reappearing at Phil and Kate's wedding and catching the bouquet! And sure enough, Kate didn't get her happy ever after with Mr. Mitchell, as Phil was caught red-handed after he was lured by Den Watts into taking part in a robbery. That was the last straw for Kate, who handed Louise back to her mum, and then ended her marriage to Phil. Kate eventually left Walford after being offered her old job back with the police - but not before having flings with Dennis Rickman and his dad Den. The saucy mare! And that brings us up to the current Mrs. Mitchell - Sharon Watts-Mitchell-Watts-Rickman-Mitchell. Phil eventually did get the woman he had loved for so many years. Sharon once said that she felt she'd married the wrong brother. Well after having finally married Phil after being on-off for years, she still feels that way! Too bad Phil and Grant don't have any more brothers - but there's always cousin Billy! Once the truth comes out that Sharon's baby isn't Phil's, what's the betting we'll be seeing a fifth Mrs. Mitchell? Shirley, we suggest you start picking out gowns! Photos from YouTube Word cloud by Angel Noire

Hi Nostalgiacs! Goodness it's been a busy week! We've done five states in a week. I don't think even NKOTB do that (they probably do more!) So my state count has gone up by two as I've now added Maryland and Virginia to my list of states I've visited, not to mention my first ever visit to the nation's capital. DC far, far, FAR exceeded my expectations. The White House, Lincoln Memorial, The Capitol... symbols of America that I'd grown up seeing on TV and in newspapers and now here they were right in front of me. Mr. D had only ever been to DC once on a school trip, so our visit brought back memories of that. My sore and aching feet told me that we'd done a lot of gallivanting but in reality, I know that there was so much more to explore. I'm also disappointed to have missed my friend and former colleague who was visiting my home city while I was in hers. Typical! I am definitely hoping that there will be a next time. And I have to mention the delicious seafood platter I scoffed while in Maryland. It's true - you can't go to Maryland and not try the seafood, especially their world famous crab cakes. I got the platter from Bill's Seafood in Maryland, which wasn't the take away shop or restaurant that I thought it might be. But rather it was a fish market where you can buy fresh seafood or freshly cooked fish dishes to take away. My seafood platter consisted of that crab cake, broiled shrimp, broiled fish, breaded oysters, macaroni salad and my fave crinkle cut chips. Everything was very enjoyable... but not one hundred per cent sold on the breaded oysters although they weren't terrible. Would definitely go back again. And thanks to my mate MJ for giving me the idea to visit Bill's Seafood - the best fish n' chips I've ever had! Photos by Angel Noire Our most recent date night was completely, totally, and utterly right up my street (quite literally as well!) as our local drive-in was hosting a Retro Movie Weekend, screening movies from the eighties and nineties. The choices available were Back To The Future, The Goonies, Jurassic Park, and Jaws. Talk about spoilt for choice! There was even an opportunity to take pics with retro movie props! Wow! Had I just died and gone to heaven??? It goes without saying that I was totally in my element, and decided to go all out on an eighties vibe, with the dress - that reminded me of what my style-conscious aunts used to wear in the decade that style supposedly forgot - accessories, and even scrunched hair, which I haven't done since I was fifteen. And it was while I was scrunching my hair that the thought occurred to me that I needed to invest in a set of hair crimpers if I wanted to do that full-on eighties' thing! Unfortunately it was because I spent so long doing my hair, that by the time we got to the drive-in, the queue to take pics with the movie props was way too long and we'd have risked missing the start of the movie. Hopefully there'll be other times but Mr. D and I had a great time watching The Goonies and Back To The Future again. And coming from a country where we don't really have drive-in movie theatres, I can say nothing beats watching a movie on the big screen in the open air - even if the sound is a tad bit fuzzy! And special shout-out to my little nephew as I borrowed his playmat to take a snap of my outfit. Hasn't it got just the right amount of eighties flourescent! Photos by Angel Noire In 1999, I made my first ever visit to America, fulfilling my childhood dream of visiting the mythical, magical place that only existed in movies and TV shows and seeing what all the fuss was about! One of the things that my family and I did during that visit was make a very brief stop in New York to have dinner before getting back on the road and heading back to Chicago. Twenty years later, I made another brief visit to New York when I made my first ever visit to Yankee Stadium last weekend to watch the New England Revolutions take on New York FC. As most people know I don't have a sporting bone in my body. This is the girl who lived five minutes down the road from Wembley Stadium for nearly twenty years and never went to a sporting event. But it was a very interesting experience and I'm glad I did it - even if the long coach journey did make me feel ill, and the Revs lost! I hope that one day I will be able to have the full 'tourist in New York' experience. Maybe in 2039! And incidentally, I first went to Portland, Oregon in 2009 when I started dating the fella. perhaps all good things for me happen in America in years that end with a '9'... Photos by Angel Noire After almost three decades, it is so good to see Gayle and Gillian Blakeney back in the spotlight. The ladies made their long-awaited return to Neighbours on Friday, reprising their famous roles as Caroline and Christina Alessi. Fans are marvelling at how the Blakeney twins have barely changed let alone aged since they were last on Ramsay Street, but after years of living in Los Angeles where they're currently based, I can definitely detect an American twang! And the few promo appearances by the twins I've seen are a reminder of the times when Gayle and Gillian were the hottest thing since... something really hot, and were absolutely everywhere! Unfortunately they're only in Neighbours for a couple more episodes but I have really been enjoying this blast from the past. Hopefully it won't be long before they make another visit - and not another twenty seven years! Photos from YouTube Word Cloud by Angel Noire

Neighbours' fans who have watched the show from the early days are beside themselves with excitement after it was announced that Caroline Alessi and her twin sister Christina would be returning to Ramsay Street. This is the most recent in a line of blasts from the pasts as lately Jane Harris, Dr. Beverly Marshall, Gemma Willis and even the deceased Jim Robinson have all made brief returns to the show. Clearly the powers that be have picked up on how much viewers love getting all nostalgic and seeing the old faces return so hopefully there'll be more past characters to grace Melbourne's most famous cul-de-sac with their presence. If anyone's listening, could you please bring back Gaby Willis, Bronwyn Davies, her sister Sharon, Nick Page and Melissa Jarrett? Cool! What's even more surprising about this return is that it was believed that the actresses who played the Alessis, real-life twins, Gayle and Gillian Blakeney, had given up acting so no one expected them to reprise the roles that made them mega famous in the UK. And mega famous they were! During their time on Neighbours, Gayle and Gillian graced pretty much every magazine cover; appeared on countless TV shows, and even performed in the mandatory pantomime that every Neighbours and Home and Away actor and actress was obligated to do during the nineties (oh no they didn't!) Even after leaving the show, they were still very much in the public eye especially in the UK. And yes - there was a pop career! But then from being everywhere, the Blakeney twins were nowhere. No, they had not declined in popularity but rather they quit showbiz while still at the top of their game; left their native Australia for a new life in America where they went about raising their families. It's no surprise then, according to a lot of forum comments, that Neighbours' viewers today - especially those who were born after Gayle and Gillian quit Neighbours aren't too sure who the Alessi twins are or why their return is such a big deal. Hopefully this post will clear that up! CAROLINE AND CHRISTINA ALESSI When the mysterious Linda Giles moved to Ramsay Street as a tenant in Paul Robinson's old house and took a job working for him at Lassiter's, many of the residents - especially Joe Mangel - felt there was more to Ms. Giles than met the eye. And they were right - there was a lot more. Twice as much in fact! Paul realising for the first time that there are two of them... Because Linda Giles didn't really exist. 'She' was actually two people - twin sisters Caroline and Christina Alessi. The sisters had witnessed a murder a while back and had to go into a witness protection program as their lives had already been threatened. They were advised by police to pose as one person so they both assumed the identity of Linda Giles. They were rumbled by Paul who agreed to keep their secret, but once the killer had been caught, the sisters were no longer forced to hide behind an assumed identity and were given a warm welcome by the rest of the Street. However there was no protection program that could protect them from the charms of Paul Robinson (as most of the women in Erinsborough have discovered, usually to their cost!) Christina fell in love with Paul and went on to become the third Mrs. Robinson and mum to Paul's fifth child Andrew (viewers didn't know about Paul's twin sons, David and Leo, then!) but was left devastated when she discovered that Paul had become romantically entangled with her sister which led Caroline to flee Erinsbrough. Though on the brink of divorce, Christina eventually forgave Paul and the two left Ramsay Street to start a new life in Hawaii. Sadly it wasn't to be and the two divorced with Paul heading back to Erinsbrough. Alessi Twintastic Facts The Alessi twins were in Neighbours for a period of two years starting in 1990. The sisters were of Italian descent with Caroline being the elder of the two. Both twins replaced Paul's ex-wife Gail in every way possible! Both lived in her former marital home after Gail left Paul. Caroline took over Gail's old job of assisant manager of Lassiter's, while Christina ran the gift shop. Christina also went on to marry Paul, and most significantly, raise a family with him - something Gail never got to do... Even though Christina ended up marrying Paul, viewers often forget that in the beginning both girls had a crush on Paul but decided that neither should go there. And they stuck to that until Caroline starting dating Adam Willis, leaving Christina free to pursue Paul. Viewers remember the scandal when Caroline became romantically involved with her brother-in-law Paul. But she also had a relationship with his dad, Jim! Caroline and Jim began a relationship when his marriage to Beverly hit the rocks, although they reunited when they discovered that Beverly was pregnant. Caroline and Christina had a telepathic connection and used it to try to locate the other's whereabouts, or could sense when the other was in pain. The Alessis are the only twins on the show where Neighbours has highlighted the twins telepathic bond. Everyone remembers Paul and Christina's bickering over what they were going to call their new baby. Christina insisted on him being Benito after her uncle in order to keep her dad happy. Benito ended up being one of baby Andrew's middle names... ...While Uncle Benito and his family moved into Paul and Christina's former home after the couple leave Ramsay Street. Both the Alessi twins moved abroad after they left Erinsbrough, with Caroline going to Italy, and Christina moving to Hawaii and then Brazil with Paul; before heading over to Scotland after their divorce, and finally returning to Sydney where she's still believed to be living. Gayle and Gillian Blakeney The Blakeney twins joined Neighbours when the show was at the height of its fame but Gayle and Gillian were not showbiz newbies as they had been in the business since they were ten years old and were already well known in their native Australia. They made appearances in music videos for pop band The Monitors, before becoming presenters on shows such as Wombat. Singing with The Monitors But it was Neighbours that turned Gayle and Gillian into household names in countries where Neighbours was shown. After their two year stint on the soap, the Blakeneys decided to focus on their music, so they moved to the UK and became a pop duo called er, The Twins and signed up with the legendary Stock Aitken Waterman. They released three singles, All Mixed Up; I Wanna Be Your Lover, and Mad If You Don't. As fab as The Twins were, they didn't reach the dizzying heights of musical fame as fellow Neighbours' alumni Kylie and Jason. But they stayed on in the UK and even became co-hosts along with Des O'Connor on Take Your Pick. But then life changing roles beckoned when they filmed an episode of American detective show Silk Stalkings. After years of being in the public eye, Gayle and Gillian loved the anonymity that came with being in America. And they liked it so much, they decided to stay. They're still based in California where they've lived for more than twenty years, raising their families, and building businesses and brands. In a podcast interview with Georoid Farrelly, Gillian revealed that by the time the Blakeneys arrived in America, she had already decided on a different career path for herself and quit showbiz before going on to run a vitamin company and then a toy company with Gayle. Today Gillian is the co-founder of scarf emporium, Leigh and Luca. The pop years But none of that has stopped Gayle and Gillian from returning to the set of Neighbours after twenty seven years to film three episodes that will air in September. It's been a long time and we can't wait! Blakeney Twintastic Facts Gillian's name is pronounced with a hard 'g' sound (as in grace) rather than the usual 'j' sound. Christina Alessi became Paul's wife, and in real-life Gayle Blakeney was in a relationship with Stefan Dennis who played Paul. In an interview with News of the World's Sunday magazine after they had left Neighbours, Gillian Blakeney revealed that she was glad to have hung up Caroline's business attire for good as it really wasn't her. Gillian said that she was more of a new-age hippy and loved wearing silver jewellery and silk shirts with jeans. In the same interview, the Blakeney twins talked about their belief in astrology and how it was guiding their career. Gayle and Gillian moved to England to kickstart their pop career, but eventually left to start a new life in California. Gayle is married with two children - a boy and a girl. Gillian married for the second time a couple of years back and adopted her new husband's two kids - a girl and a boy. She also has a daughter from her first marriage. Gillian is the co-founder of a scarf company called Leigh and Luca The Blakeney Twins interest in twin psychology might explain why Caroline and Christina's telepathic connection was written into storylines as the girls worked very closely with writers to get that portrayed convincingly. When they were filming their Head and Shoulders commercials, Gayle and Gillian had to dye their espresso coloured locks black as it appeared too red under the studio's lights. Photos from YouTube Word Cloud by Angel Noire

Neighbours fans are in for a massive dose of nostalgia in the next couple of weeks when four of Paul Robinson's former wives are set to return to Erinsborough. That's right, Neighbours is getting all Macbeth meets Scrooge meets Henry VIII meets the Witches of Eastwick when Paul is visited by the ghosts - or wives - of marriages past. We've already seen the return of Gail Lewis, now we eagerly await the returns of Christina Alessi - along with twin sister Caroline - Lyn Scully, and Rebecca Napier. This will be the first time all of Paul's surviving ex-wives will be together on the Street, and even though we don't yet know what the storyline is, we know it's going to be huge! Those who haven't watched Neighbours in the eighties and nineties probably won't be familiar with all the wives of Paul (gosh, that sounds like a cult!) And even those of us who have been lucky enough to have watched Neighbours from the beginning might still need reminding because the most married man on Ramsay Street has had so many wives even we can't keep up! So as Therese Willis prepares to become the sixth Mrs. Paul Robinson, we take a look at all the women who tried - and failed to make an honest man out of Paul. Good luck, Therese! 1. Terry Inglis (Maxine Klibingaitis) 1985 The estranged wife of a bank robber, the future Mrs. Robinson arrived in Ramsay Street as Max Ramsay's plumbing apprentice. But instead of making a beeline for Paul, Terry took a shine to his friend Shane and started dating him. When their relationship didn't work out, she began a relationship with Paul and after a whirlwind romance, married him - while she still had feelings for Shane. Despite her marriage to Paul and being welcomed into the Robinson family, Terry couldn't escape her connection to the criminal world. Prior to marrying Paul, both she and Max were held hostage by her fugitive husband - the same husband, incidentally, who caused the car crash that ended her former boyfriend Shane's diving career. After becoming Mrs. Robinson, Terry was hounded by Charles Durham; a man from her past whom she had incriminating evidence against, which he was determined to get back whatever the cost. The cost ended up being his life after Terry accidentally shot him during a confrontation. Terry denied having anything to do with Charles' murder but when Paul found the murder weapon, he tried to go to the police and was rewarded by a bullet in the shoulder from Terry, who then left him for dead as she made her escape. After being captured and jailed, Terry wrote to Paul asking him to come and visit her, and quite naturally - he wanted her to go take a hike. Sadly the next time Paul heard about Terry, was when he was informed of her death as Terry had committed suicide while in prison. Terry proved to be a tragic character; someone who tried to get away from her criminal past but couldn't quite shake it off for good and eventually it caught up with her. Although she is wife number one, Terry is often the most overlooked of all of Paul's wives - probably because she appeared in the early days when Neighbours was just getting warmed up and viewing figures had not yet reached the epic levels that it eventually did. But Terry Inglis is one of the most significant - albeit short-lived - of all the Neighbours characters. Firstly she was the first new regular character to be added to the Neighbours cast; and she was the first, and so far, only character in Neighbours' history to have died by suicide which would have been quite controversial back then. And finally we have Terry to thank for turning Paul Robinson from someone sweet and lovable - hard as it is to believe, Paul was lovable once - into Erinsborough's Mr. Nasty. The short-lived marriage had such a traumatic effect on Paul that he was never the same again - as his next four wives discovered to their cost... 2. Gail Lewis (Fiona Corke) Neighbours fans look back on Paul's marriage to Gail with a great deal of fondness, partly because it serves as a reminder of when the soap was in it's heyday, and partly because of the formidable chemistry between Paul and Gail. Even Stefan Dennis who plays Paul has said in interviews how he would love for Fiona to return. Well Stefan, you've just got your wish! Gail had worked with Paul as a flight attendant and then arrived in Erinsborough to work as Paul's assistant. They then entered into a marriage of convenience as part of a business arrangement while fooling family and friends into thinking otherwise. Because Paul and Gail had an open marriage, suspicions were roused when they were both seen being overly pally with other people forcing them to come clean to Paul's family - much to the disgust of the Robinsons. Scott and Charlene however, were not so easily fooled and knew that the couple were secretly in love. It took all of their powers of persuasion to get Paul to go after Gail as she was about to leave Erinsborough for a new life in New York. Thankfully the couple came clean about their feelings, and a declaration of love followed by a passionate kiss - witnessed by a delighted Scott and Charlene - finally convinced Mrs. Robinson #2 to stay. Paul and Gail's wedding day Paul and Gail were madly in love and happy for a while. But problems arose when they decided to try for a family. They eventually had to resort to IVF, and further heartbreak was around the corner when Gail discovered that Paul already had a three year old daughter (Amy) with his ex-girlfriend, Nina. But the IVF proved to be successful and Gail became pregnant - with triplets. But this is soapland and nobody is allowed to be that happy. Tragedy was in store for the couple when Gail's father Rob was killed in a road accident - something she held Paul responsible for. When Paul seemed more preoccupied with work then helping Gail through her grief, Gail did the only thing she could - she packed her bags and left Erinsborough for a new life in Tasmania where she gave birth to Cameron, Robert and Lucinda, and eventually remarried. But her appearance in Annalise Hartman's documentary implied that she was not quite over Mr. Robinson... 3. Christina Alessi Then along came Christina... someone who was as far removed from Gail as you can get. While Gail was family-minded and loved her home life with Paul, she was also driven and career-minded, something Christina was not. With Christina, Paul was unlikely to be discussing Robinson Corporation matters over his tea and toast in the morning as he had done with Gail, but maybe homely, maternal Christina was exactly what Paul needed... or maybe not! Christina Alessi came into Paul's life when she and her twin sister Caroline were posing as one person, Linda Giles, as they were both in witness protection. After his marriage to Gail broke down, Paul decided to move out and rent out his house and he did so to 'Linda' and even hired Caroline as his assistant without knowing the truth about their circumstances. When Paul eventually did find out after stumbling upon the twins at home, he agreed to keep their secret and did so until they were both able to leave witness protection. Date night for Paul and Christina. If only he could tell her from her twin! It was during this time that Christina fell for Paul and confided in her best friend, Melanie, and Caroline. But just as she was ready to tell Paul the truth about her feelings for him, he fell for Isabella, a waitress he met in Argentina. He brought her back to Erinsborough and announced his plans to marry her much to Christina's dismay. But once Christina, along with Caroline and Paul's grandmother, Helen, exposed Paul's fiancée as a fraudster, Isabella had no choice but to head back to Argentina. A heartbroken Christina finds out what really did happen between her husband and her sister So not only did Christina get her man but she also went on to become the third Mrs. Robinson in record time. The arrival of baby Andrew made their family complete. But did Paul get his happy ever after? Did he heck! Paul and Caroline ended up falling in love which led to Caroline fleeing to Italy. Once Christina found out, all hell broke loose with the Robinsons on the verge of divorce. But Paul and Christina, realising that they still loved each other, decided to give their marriage another go so left to start a new life in Hawaii before moving to Brazil... where they eventually divorced! We know that Christina and Andrew had spent some time living in Scotland before returning to Sydney. And whereas baby Andrew had been the apple of Christina's eye, teenage Andrew was too much of a challenge for her, and when Paul's partner Rebecca phoned her to ask when Andrew would be returning home to her, Christina told her that she didn't want him home anytime soon. And now Christina is back in Erinsborough after being away so long... whatever could she want now..? 4. Lyn Scully After deciding that she needed some extra work to supplememnt her income, Lyn Scully applied for a personal assistant position. But she very nearly walked away when she turned up for the interview and realised that she'd be working for Paul Robinson. It's probably fair to say that she probably wishes she had walked away when she had the chance, because not only did she get the job but she ended up growing very close to her new boss... If there's one thing that viewers will have noted from all of Paul's multiple wives, fiancées, girlfriends, flings, is that he really doesn't have a type... and his marriage to beautiful but mumsy Lyn Scully confirmed that! And furthermore Paul was a complete one eighty from Lyn's ex-husband and former fiancé, who incidentally were both called Joe. Whatever did a caring, kind-hearted, devoutly Catholic, earth mother see in ruthless, money-minded, cynical Paul Robinson with his dodgy deals and don't-give-a-damn attitude? Naturally more than a few of Ramsay Street's residents raised eyebrows when Lyn and Paul got together. Paul and Lyn's wedding Out of all his former wives, it's quite clear that Lyn was the only one that he never really loved at all, even though he claimed he did - right before he dumped her just hours after their wedding, competing with EastEnders' Ian and Mel Beale for the shortest soap wedding in history! While Lyn was obviously smitten with the charming Mr. Robinson, he never really cared about her but saw her as someone he could make good use of whenever it suited him, and knowing that she had feelings for him, he often messed with her head. Lyn in turn, underwent a complete personality transplant and became someone that her family and friends - and viewers - couldn't recognise. She refused to listen to people's concerns, and she even got entangled in some of Paul's dodgy schemes. Even though Lyn was totally blameless and was her usual big-hearted, trusting self, their relationship brought out the worst in Paul, and viewers saw him being being incredibly ruthless, mean and manipulative. Not to mention cheating on Lyn with Rosie Cammeniti. And although Lyn was completely crushed by Paul's confession that not only had he been unfaithful with Rosie but he would do it again with Rosie or anyone else who was dumb enough to take a shine to him (those weren't his words) Lyn soon bounced back, accepting that an annullment was the best solution and even went on the honeymoon that she and Paul were supposed to have taken together. But being with Paul did teach Lyn a thing or two about playing people back at their own game. When Paul started to receive blackmailing notes over his affair with Kirsten Gannon while in a relationship with Rebecca Napier, it wasn't long before he realised who was behind them... Lyn Scully! And Lyn didn't even bother to try to deny it but after reaching a deal with Paul, he agreed not to go to the police. Furthermore she made a grand entrance at Paul and Rebecca's wedding when she announced that she was still legally married to Paul. But the real showstopper came when in a bid to desperately get back shares that Paul had given Lyn, he pretended to be interested in them giving their relationship another go. Lyn appeared to be falling for it, leaving viewers yelling at the TV! But it appears that the former Mrs. Robinson was not the gullible, loved-up pushover that Paul once thought she was, as Lyn had been on to him the whole time, and took great pleasure in telling him that she'd signed over the shares... to her daughter, Steph. 5. Rebecca Napier Ah the fifth Mrs. Robinson - glamorous, way-too-young-and-foxy- to-be-a-grandmother Rebecca with her trademark wrap dresses, fabulous hair and massive heart. Not to mention strong, feisty and intelligent; Rebecca was certainly no pushover like some of Paul's previous wives had been... so how did someone as smart as her agree to marry someone like Paul Robinson of all people? Rebecca Napier was someone from Paul's past with a complicated history. For years, she thought that Paul was the father of her son, Declan, but this later turned out not to be the case. But she ended up falling for Paul all over again, and -surprise, surprise - agreed to do him the honour of picking out a wedding gown. For herself of course - not him! Paul's previous wife, Lyn returned to Erinsborough right before his and Rebecca's engagment party - much to the chagrin of the happy couple. While she was there, Lyn confided in Susan Kennedy that Paul had cheated on Rebecca with Kirsten. Susan, being good friends with both Lyn and Rebecca felt that Rebecca had a right to know, so she told her - and the wedding was off. Rebecca and Lyn audition for Wrestlemania on what would have been Rebecca and Paul's wedding day But being forgiving as she was, Rebecca gave Paul another chance, and this time they did make it to the alter - only for proceedings to be halted by Lyn's return who announced that Paul was still legally married to her. This led to a tussle back on Ramsay Street between the former bride and the bride-to-be but once Lyn and Paul's marriage was annulled, Rebecca did indeed become the next Mrs. Robinson. But if Rebecca was expecting to have her happy ever after then it proved that she really didn't know Paul at all. Mr. Robinson, unable to keep it in his pants, slept with Diana Marshall - and she was only too happy to reveal that information to a devastated Rebecca. This revelation led to a confrontation between Rebecca and Paul on the mezzanine at Lassiters' - where Paul ended up on the ground in a whodunnit in which Rebecca was eventually revealed to viewers as the culprit. But the ever-lovely Paul on waking up from his coma, used this information to blackmail Rebecca into staying with him. For a while his ploy worked even though Rebecca did begin an affair with Michael Williams. But Rebecca's eldest son Oliver wasn't going to sit by and watch Paul Robinson stomp all over his mother, so he flew back to Australia to rescue her and Declan and take them back to Portugal. However it seems as though some people never learn and when Rebecca was next in Erinsborough on business, she couldn't help but fall for the charms of her former husband again, and even considered giving it a go once more. But common sense prevailed and knowing that it was never going to work with Paul, Rebecca left Erinsborough once more. Who was your favourite out of all of Paul's wives? Photos from YouTube Word Cloud by Angel Noire