Homeandawayfan.

Can anyone tell me where they filmed the frontage of Summer Bay High School which was seen onscreen in the 1980s, 1990s before the revamp after the earthquake?

I think Debra Lawrence was born in 1957 and Vanessa in 1957 or 1958 so they are about the same age. Vanessa did look older than 30 when the show began, I thought she was in her mid 40s. Remembering Jackie Woodburne auditioned for Pippa twice and lost out. She looked like Debra Lawrence facially but was more Vanessa's build. I remember Debbie's Pippa well and yes, she could be quite abrasive and condescending at times. Ness's Pippa and Debbie's Pippa were classed as the same person but it was almost like Debbie was playing a new character coincidentally called Pippa Fletcher. She had not yet met or wed Michael when Debbie took the role of course.

Morag is known for her recurring status. A regular would not work as John said, she is best when she makes the odd shocking sporadic stint. 28 years she has been a recurring character.

This shows that it is good to hear facts from people themselves in interviews etc, rather than rumours on Wikipedia which get passed on as fact and become common belief.

I keep an eye on Sydney inner city locations when rewatching The Early Years, they used Sydney a few times in 1994, when Shane and Angel went to find Dylan and Michael went to find Hayden. And also in 1993 when Shangel went to the city, to the Opera House and clashed with Chopper and co on the train back.

Morag would be at the top of the list of H&A bad girls over the years, with Angie Russell coming second, others would be Alison Patterson, the original Roo Stewart and Lois Crawford.

Morag was a lady with no scruples, and that far outweighed her "sensitive side", which some devotees of such nasty characters try and thrust onto us.

I was watching in 1994 when at UK pace, original eps show in Oz in Oct 1993, Morag tried to snatch her adoptive grandson Sam away from the family and Alf disowned her. I remember him saying she was no longer part of this family.

Hopefully not, she was the bitchy mother to 3 thugs.

Well one night in 1990, Pippa headed off to the head transplant clinic, stayed overnight then came back to Summer Bay the next morning, hiding her post op pain lol.

Probably in 2001 there was a writer who forgot Don had 2 siblings. The Sophie return probably remedied this a bit.

It is a huge shame that in 2001 Don said "I am an only child" totally wiping out Clive and Mary, and his niece and nephew David and Lucinda. I do try and make sense of some of the continuity errors though, maybe they were his step siblings, Don's mum or dad remarried when they split up in the 1960s as Don said they had split when his mum arrived in 1997.

I doubt Norman Coburn would return to the show now, he is 78, whereas Don is only 70 now. Unless Norman did return for a few guest episodes. And I know of many 78 year olds and older who lead an active lifestyle and man 75+ year old actors who are still working.

Is this sorry excuse of a character still in the show? He is long overdue for the H&A past characters list.

Yes 2008 was the last good year, the show has gone downhill ever since. When H&A showed some 2001 episodes on 5* I thought "That was when Home And Away was Home And Away". Addario has zero interest in any characters who are not given the surname Braxton, Barrett or Ashford. So she will have zero interest in Donald.

I have heard comments that Roo looks nothing like she did in 1988, well hey ho, 27 years difference. I know she is played by a new actress but Roo was away for 21 years, and I think she does remind me of the original Roo in looks. The original Roo was fiery and a bit of a rebel and the new Roo is much more relaxed and a matriarchal figure, she is the new Ailsa. I like Georgie Parker and Justine Clarke's versions. Roo is one of many soap characters to have been recast after a 20 odd year absence. I hope one day we see Bretty Macklin again. One of the best recurring characters alongside the one and only Alison.

Great chapter. Alison Patterson, best ever guest character. I have even shoehorned her into my Donald Fisher prequel fanfic.

I hate Ross, he is a complete psychopath like his deranged mother Emma, who is supposed to have a caring occupation.

Alan Bateman said he wanted H&A to tackle social issues when it begun such as Carly's rape, teenage pregnancy and drug use. So we do have him to thank for the hard hitting stories seen in the shows history.

1996 was the end of a certain era and the start of a reasonably meh period but 2000 was the shows rejuvenation. In all honesty 1988-1989 and 1997-1999 was full of fantasy stories, well written but unrealistic. 1990-1996 was the most realistic period.

​You must be the only one who thinks that then. Sally was Home And Away for many years but rightly so, now Alf is Home And Away. Alf alone. They may take Kyle down a new direction now Brax has gone and he is the last Braxton. Kyle seems to have matured into a young businessman.

I would prefer the Martha MacKenzie Show over Braxton domination any day. But it is not so much the Braxtons that are the problem it is just how they have been shoehorned into every plot going and the way they are written. I think we could one day see a return of Heath but hopefully with better scriptwriters he may be a more rounded character. I am not against a Braxton return, just against domination. Maybe 2016 will see a new era and a new family.

I quite liked the Sutherlands, they could be annoying but they were very light and fuzzy compared to the Braxtons.

1994 H&A was a bit like 1972-1993 Emmerdale Farm, the most dramatic thing to happen was Don Fisher throwing a piece of scrap paper in the bin and it bouncing onto the floor. 1988-1993, 1995-1999 had much more drama in the 80s and 90s. The Noughties was a revamp in 2000. Now we are in the Teenies.

Common opinion is that 1994-1996 was the biggest Golden Era of the show. 1988-1993 was maybe not as good as some people say it was. I am rewatching 1988 H&A and much of it was revolving around whiny Carly Morris.