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.

Neighbours will probably end at Christmas 2025. Thus, H&A will surpass the overall duration of Neighbours in October 2028.

It has always been a decades old debate. Which do you prefer, H&A or Neighbours? I can remember when the 2 soaps were big in the UK in the late 1980s and early to mid 1990s. Even the teachers at school used to say "Did you watch Neighbours and H&A last night" to certain pupils inbetween lessons, ones they knew watched the shows.

H&A did become the longest running Australian soap still in production when Neighbours ended in July 2022 but Neighbours regained the title of longest overall soap in September 2023 when it was revived. Seems H&A will regain the title again in early 2026. However by May 2025, H&A is probably to become the longest running continuing Australian soap, as it has never been officially off air since 17 Jan 1988, not including Xmas breaks and the 2000 Olympics in Sydney, as Neighbours also took Xmas breaks. Neighbours was axed in 2022 and off air for over ayear until it was revived. Neighbours ran for 37 years and 4 months in its original stint, and H&A will surpass that in May 2025.

Shame that it is ending again but had a feeling.

Floss was kind of like the Eileen Clarke of Summer Bay, or even a nicer version of Mrs Mangel.

Frank Lloyd died many years ago but he would be about 100 now, hence why Neville was said to have died by 2000 when Floss returned. Even the original H&A younger characters would be pushing 60 now. Lance and Martin would be about 58 or 59 now as they were said to be 21 or 22 in 1988. Floss would be about 95 now, I think the character was older than the actress. Don Fisher would be about 80 now with Norman Coburn being 88 next month. I feel soaps do need to keep past characters in the past more often. EastEnders and Neighbours are always bringing back characters from decades ago.

Floss McPhee is one of my fave older characters of all time. Shame she left after only a year and a bit but did return briefly in 2000 and 2008 I think. Floss' age was never fully stated AFAIK but she and Neville had their 39th wedding anniversary in a May 1988 episode. So I would say in 1949, Floss was about at least 18, so I estimate she was born about 1930. And Nev was a few years older.

H&A was huuuuge in c1991-1997 here in the UK. Late 1992 saw up to 17 million viewers, and it was a time when the luck of Neighbours was starting to run out a bit.

H&A has had to become more high octane to survive, but sometimes has gone a bit OTT in the regard, and the shift in the show is probably not totally intentional. There are still thousands of episodes from the golden days of 1988-2008 to enjoy. I think H&A has never been big on anniversaries anyway, the 10th in Jan 1998 was barely noticed. I am not sure if it is the producers not wanting to age the show, or just not being big on anniversaries. Anyway H&A is just under 3 years from another milestone birthday.

Not sure why I should change my everyday ways just to give someone else peace of mind though.