Homeandawayfan.

Happy quarter of a century as Maz, even if not in the show continuously since 1989. Little did anyone know in May 1989 that Maz would still be treading the boards 25 years later in May 2014.

Ah that takes me back to when i was an avid H&A watcher in 1994. Greg Marshall, husband of Bobby. I often hope one day he makes a guest reappearance.

23 years then. Rather than just guess the age gap as Jezz said, just do some maths and voila. Rather than guess or look on the often unreliable Wikipedia, if their ages have been stated at different times the you can work out the ages. John is only about 7 years older so is much more her age than Donald is. I think Palmer was born in 1962. He'll be 52 this year. I would love to be work for H&A as a series historian .

Only a week to go until I see Jason Donovan on stage at a large restaurant. Cannot wait. Regarding Nicola Quilter, one of her workers said she said it is OK but said that I need a picture myself of Nicola to send to her company in London. May just print one off and send it then. I did ask if she had any old cast cards but got no reply yet.

Was the age gap between Don and Maz ever stated in the show do we know? I dont remember it being stated, just Don being said to be old enough to be her father. Obviously both their ages were mentioned at other times before they wed. The only mention of Flatty's age was in Feb 1995 and Maz's age was about 1990.

I shall give those 5 episodes a miss if they are Braxton overload centric.

Nicola Quilter, who once played Donna Bishop in H&A has a stall in London's Camden Town and I contacted her through her website and she said she is happy to send me a signed photo. She still does a bit of acting here and there. I may type the odd word in capitals when I recieve it to show how pleased I am. It is exciting to recieve something signed by a star former or current of such an iconic TV show.

The original H&A theme tune was apparently frecorded at Albert Studios in Cremorne. A 1988 closing credits of a H&A episode said this. I think I could see the area from the top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge when I did the Bridge Climb in 2007. Once I saw the end credits I researched to find where the studios was and they had moved from Central Sydney to Cremorne in 1986. In episode 592 a fountain appeared in the episode as Alf and Ailsa were up the city looking for Blake and Karen and I managed to find out the name of the fountain seen in that episode in Kings Cross, the El Alamein Fountain.

I have been down the big motorway near the Australian Tech park which now houses the new H&A studios and I found out where the theme tune was recorded, Albert Studios in Cremorne. In one H&A episode it said "Theme recorded at Albert Studios".

I had hope that the new producer Kate Oates would put Emmerdalre right. Some say she is doing great but I cannot see it really. Still too many fires, violence and gangster related storylines. I was hoping she would curb the tiresome big reveals and plots. I still find many of the characters unlikeable such as Declan, Robbie, Moira, Rhona, Priya and Ali. I dont know what women see in Cain Dingle. If I was a woman I would not find him very attractive, just average.

Summer Bay House has survived the shows entire 26 year run. The school has been burned down and revamped over the years. I dont know if the surf club is the same building we have always seen, it looks like it from the outside. I'd love to see them build a replica of SUmemr Bay House as well.

I suppose I can lay claim to a H&A actors autograph. I met Michael Palin in 2012 and he signed a copy of his latest book for me. Mr Palin had been in H&A in 1 episode in the 1990s. When I was in Manchester I met Corrie star Ben Price another "one episode wonder" actor in H&A in 1998. I did nto ask for his autograph.

The thing is H&A has used so many real life locations tooth by jowl it would require much research to cover all of them by watching all almost 6000 episodes and even then some may not have been easy to pin down. I wish I had been to Palm Beach when I was in Sydney but at least I have been to the Harbour, and stood atop the bridge and would have seen Rozelle and Balmain nearby as I remember looking in that direction. At least I have seen the sun which has featured in the titles.

I think Morag is younger than 70. I think she is about 65/66 now. I think she is the younger sibling of Alf who is 68. I often wonder about Alf's parents. Some unseen characters often get forgotten about in soaps as years go by like Fisher's younger brother and Alf's parents and his other alleged sister. Gordon and Sarah Stewart would be about 95 if still alive.

I don't think they turned him more into a tragic figurer more than he had been in the late 90's after Marilyn got pregnant and after Byron's death. He let Marilyn walk over him, and it was only about her and not about his sorrow. He didn't act like a father who lost his child, he just had to tiptoe around Marilyn. I think that changed when June came in and Don Fischer became himself again. I loved him and June together. In 2007 he was just an aging man, and there is nothing wrong with that. I think it was a good potrayal of a man who finding himself in a new phase of his life and he wanted to do other things, and teaching had become to difficult and tiring for him. That is not unormal. He wanted to use his strength and the power which he still had, on other projects in life. But he was still Don Fischer with his own personality and needs and did not turn into a shadow. In late 1990's he was someone who just was marilyn's carer (until she ran away). I think that a lot od other charachters would have suited Marilyn better at that time, and also now. Fischer is an old man in his 70's. She is only in her early forties. I think that Marilyn is being portrayed too old. She would have had an 14 year old son if Byron was still alive. She acts sometimes like one who is 60. It was funny this way when she was in her twenties. Then she did not felt old bit just ditzy... Now her ditzy ways make her older than she is supposed to be. I don't want her to ruin an another charachter and that is the reason i don't want her with John. He must not loose his serious side. The he is moving too far from the John he was when he first came into the show. He suited Gina so well, and it needs to be some like her. I think that Marilyn needs to be single or meet someone like Elijah or winston, if they tone Winston down a bit. Elijah was perfect for Marilyn. He became too dull when he was with someone too serious like Leah. They dragged each other down. With Marilyn we saw how great he could be if he was allowed to have a less serious side. It would have been a good balance. Fisher is not in his 70s yet. The actor is 76 but Fisher will be 69 next February 2014, he will be 70 in Feb 2015. I think he was 23 years older than Maz who was born in 1968.

They've filmed in the city a few times. I always remember in 1999 Rebecca and Travis were waved off by Marilyn and Fisher on one of the 'Tall Ships' at the harbour. I have since read through the thread as I had forgotten there was already a thread on locations when I started a new one or I would have added to this one. Very interesting to know they used 1992 and 1996 for Sydney. I went to Wollongong from central Sydney and on the way back I think the route home may have been past Kangaroo Point, the place when H&A was dreamed up by Alan Bateman in late 1986. I have read about Morag's city mansion in 1989-1990 and someone said in some scenes you could see Sydney harbour? Can anyone clarify this, or do they know if that is true was it seen a number of times?

I went to Sydney in March 2007 and one regret is not making a trip to Palm Beach or Mobbs Lane in Epping. I did go up the Harbour Bridge and saw the city and suburbs and could see Balmain and Rozelle which have occasionally be used in H&A for city scenes. I dont know the exact viewing area the view from the Harbour Bridge extends to but I am sure you can see Epping. I dont know if you can see Palm Beach from there. I know the list of filming locations on this site is ongoing but I wonder if Home And Away ever filmed in central Sydney at all? Ie the Harbour Bridge. I heard Kings Cross was but dont know which episodes.

But Morag was never a busy-body like Mrs Mangel. I never said she was a busybody. I was talking about general villainy even if it was in different ways.

Morag is the Mrs Mangel of H&A. She bobs in and out of the show more times than a postman bobs in and out of your front path. She is one of my fave ever Home And Away villains.

Emmerdale feels like The Debbie Dingle Show or Cameron Murray Show. I dont care if they are in major storylines, they shouldn't keep appearing in every episode. I cannot remember when they were last not in an episode. I hope the killer Cameron storyline will be history soon. It was the 40th anniversary last year when it all started.

Celia born 1960? Never. More like 1950. Although H&A is known for creating characters quite a lot younger than the actor who plays them. Morag is about 7 or 8 years younger than the actress who plays her. Although Alf is only a year younger than Ray Meagher. In 1994 Ray was 50 but back then I thought he was 60.

They need to end the Killer Cameron storyline. Sick and tired of this story now. It is quite far fetched as well. I found it odd that Cam confessed to Debbie he killed Carl, Gennie overheard, they chased after her in the car and Gennie crashed and then died a short time after. I would have thought Debbie would have smelled a rat and had a suspicion Cameron finished her off if she was still alive immediately after the crash.

I am off to Manchester soon to visit some real life locations used in Corrie. I began watching fully in 1992 but remember it before that. Corrie is obviously nothing like it was in the 1960s but it is called evolution although that is not always for the best. I dont like the surrogacy plot and serial killer era started by Richard Hillman and more emphasis on the kids. I like scenes with Dennis, Rita, Emily, Deirdre and Norris better. I do enjoy much of the modern show though. Some say Corrie is like Neighbours but I feel it is nothing like Neighbours like Emmerdale is nothing like Home And Away.

Kate Oates took over as producer from the dire Stuart Blackburn. This was January and her first episodes were screened in April and I had high hopes on her putting Emmerdale right and getting rid of the "EastEnders and Home And Away of the Yorkshire Dales" with crime, far fetched plots and personality transplants. So far I have not noticed much of an improvemnet yet it is early days I suppose. We still have the awful Debbie and Robbie saga, Killer Cameron etc and Kerry faking a pregnancy. I like the Cain and Moira story and the Declan stories at Home Farm. But some of it is still full of bullies and thugs such as Robbie, Debbie, Cameron and Kerry and even Cain is worse than he used to be.

Here in the UK in 9 months time, February 2014 it will be 20 years since Bobby's episodes were screen over here as we were 6 months behind Aussie episodes then. I remember it like yesterday. And all these years later I am still a fan of H&A and think of Bobby.