Homeandawayfan.

As we know, Ron Haddrick did return in 1996 as a different character to Gordon, yet 9 years after, Gerry Sont returned as Brett Macklin and mentioned Gordon I think. Nice touch for Haddrick's first H&A role to be mentioned in the fictional narrative again. Ron Haddrick was the same age as Colin Taylor who played Mr Stanton in Jan 1988 and later Jack Cody in 1991.

Deffo Matt Wilson, but I guess he was just underused and maybe just seen as a supporting character or glorified extra. Joey Rainbow, sorry to any Joey fans.

Only just read this, very sad news. One of my fave eras of H&A was the Ben and Carly era.

H&A added the Diner in late 1988 and then the Surf Club in mid 1989 so expanded the premise a bit. That first year of 1988 was mainly about SBH, the Stewart House, the store and the school. The Macklin's started to be introduced in around April 1988 I think, and by the end of the year they were major supporting characters.

Sam Barlow could have returned years after being jailed for shooting Kerry in April 1988, but as Jeff Truman returned a few years later as the more memorable Matthew Thompson, it did seem a bit pointless, even though I think Sam was mentioned in about 2000. Unless they recast Sam Barlow. Of course by 2000 Tom was long gone, long dead, and Pippa had quite recently gone.

Judith Staples. Gordon Macklin. Laura Bonnetti.

I feel the 2000 revamp was something the show needed to a big degree. And it breezed into the new millennium with the Sutherland family and the drop in centre.

While the original Diner and Alf's original house left in 2000, we still had what I see as the No 1 H&A location - Summer Bay House, and as of 2025 that still proudly stands. I feel Ailsa had run her course by 2000 and her exit was the right time. I think Judy Nunn was getting tired of playing the role. Ailsa would have know Leah as Leah arrived months before Ailsa died.

Tom Fletcher could be a bit handy with his fists at times, such as when he sorted out villainous Sam Barlow, and even threatened Fisher in the pilot when Fisher was goading him.

A new family would be good, perhaps an Italian Australian father in Summer Bay and an Asian Australian mother. Robert Forza (Rocco from Neighbours) in the lead H&A role, and his wife is played by Khym Lam, who was Ling Mai from Neighbours, and Ling Mai was mixed race as she was Lou Carpenter's daughter. Or a younger Asian Australian couple, with Sharon Johal as the mother.

I quite liked Tom over Alf in the early years. A shame that Tom went from a major character in the first few months to a more supporting role and even then he was only in the show for 2 years as a whole. I feel like Max Ramsay in Neighbours 1985-1986, both were originally set up for a long run in the two shows but it never came to be.

I quite like the Macklin era for the show mid 1988 to late 1989, where they were huge supporting characters, and Gordon was the JR Ewing of the pack. Of course their legacy has remained as Martha McKenzie is Brett Macklin's daughter, and I think Marilyn mentioned the Macklin Group a few years back.

I never knew Ross Higgins auditioned for the role of Alf. If Ray had landed the role of Tom Fletcher over Alf Stewart then Tom Fletcher would likely be a character who is still in the show today, like Alf is.

Alf was like the Max Ramsay of Summer Bay. If Max had stayed on in Neighbours, I think he would have become more iconic but Max only lasted for just over a year. Actor Francis Bell was getting tired of the demanding role and took sick leave and never returned so max never got a proper farewell scene. The Ramsay's and Stewart's pretty much founded Erinsborough and Summer Bay, hence why Alf and Max like/liked to always point that out and amusingly use that as leverage, and claim they had fingers in pies due to that.

In no order: Don, Alf, Pippa, Bobby, Sally, Irene, Morag, Leah, Roo and Ailsa. Just 2 men on my list and 8 women.