1980: Amos' Mystery Woman

Daily Mirror, November 4, 1980: Amos' mystery lady friend has the whole village talking, reads the Emmerdale Farm synopsis for that day. So, who was she? Had Amos finally fallen in love?

No, as it happened. The mystery lady was one Margaret Hatfield, a fellow student in Amos' poetry appreciation class. She had been giving him lifts to the classes in her car, and had been spotted by Seth Armstrong, who quickly spread the news that Amos had been seen going off in a car with an unidentified female!

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Amos was horrified when she turned up at The Woolpack, but made her welcome. There was no romance: his secrecy was simply because he didn't want Mr Wilks or his regulars knowing that he was attending poetry appreciation classes. He thought it might arouse awkward questions as they apparently knew he already was a poet - so why would he need poetry appreciation classes?!

Margaret Hatfield appeared in just three episodes of the Beckindale saga, and was played by Doreen Sloane. Miss Sloane made a much larger contribution to 1980s soap history with her role as Annabelle Collins in the controversial Channel 4 serial Brookside, which she appeared in from the very first episode in November 1982.

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She remained with Brookside until her death in 1990.

Zak Dingle - 1988!

By 'eck - here's Zak Dingle, in trouble in 1988!

1988, you cry - but Zak wasn't in Emmerdale in 1988. True, actually. But Steve Halliwell was cropping up as Stephen, a bit-part character in Brookside, who seemed amazingly like Zak. He's seen above, being roughed up by Bobby Grant - played by Ricky Tomlinson (later Jim Royle in the Royle Family).

It wasn't a long story. Our Sheila, played by Sue Johnston (later Babara Royle in the Royle Family), had been out on the town with her pal Kathy Roach, played by Noreen Kershaw (formerly Lynne Harrison in Albion Market).

They were chatted up by suave '80s geezers (love those pushed up jacket sleeves!) Stephen and Greg. Incidentally, Greg was played by Ian Liston - who was formerly Ron Brownlow in Crossroads.

The jolly lads got the same bus home as the ladies, after silly Kathy told them that their husbands were away working on oil rigs (which, incidentally, Ron Brownlow, Ian's Crossroads character had spent a spell doing).

On arrival in Brookside Close, Steve and Greg woke the neighbourhood, trying to get the ladies to let them into the house for a drink. Which led to the arrival of Sheila's angry husband, Bobby. No harm was done, Billy Corkhill broke up the brawl.

But the evening did a great deal to end the marriage of Sheila and Bobby Grant.

Zak Dingle still lay several years ahead for actor Steve Halliwell. But for that one episode of Brookside, a prototype Zak was strutting his stuff and coming unstuck.

Recommended viewing for all Zak fans!

1985: The Newcomer...

February 19, 1985 - a big night for soap opera as EastEnders began. Like Brookside, this show was an attempt to portray late 20th Century life in a gritty, upfront manner and never to flinch from realistic portrayals of issues. For the first few years I found both new soaps very interesting indeed - very refreshing. As the 1990s got underway, the issues began to dry up, the final taboos were broken and, in my very humble opinion, Brookside and EastEnders headed into sensationalism valley, having unfortunately contaminated the other soaps along the way.

Happily, for some years yet it would be business as usual in Beckindale, with Amos and Mr Wilks presiding over a full bar at the Woolpack. Note: in February 1985, Emmerdale Farm was still being being broadcast at 5.15pm in the London area.