By Producer Gareth
We’ve been back from Australia for over two weeks and I still find myself thinking about the literally turbulent journey home. Nicola and I spent 5 hours delayed at Singapore airport and to make matters worse I’d not allowed enough time to change back into jeans from my comfy shellsuit bottoms (yes, what I lack in an up to date hair cut I make up for in ridiculous 80’s based clothing) so, much to Nicola’s amusement, wore them tucked into my workman-style boots for the entire duration – I looked stupid, I stomped around that place like an angry Bob the Builder. Since returning Nik, Russell, Jack and I have all fallen victim to jetlag, its effects noticeably more potent than on previous trips – although I find it increasingly difficult to distinguish between the drowsy results of jetlag and my crippling infatuation with Night Nurse.
Australia was a wonderful, friendly country. We all agreed that it’s easy to see why so many travelling Brits fall in love with the place and never return. I only have two gripes. One – at no point during our stay did I hear anyone utter the phrases “G’day mate”, “Fair dinkum”, or “Put another shrimp on the barbie” – now what sort of loopy, backwards country refuses to adhere to prejudicial foreign stereotypes? And two, I didn’t get to visit the set of Neighbours. My fascination with Neighbours, as with most people my age, dates back to childhood. I lived and breathed that cheery soap opera all through my adolescent years and far too long into adulthood. Its stars were my heroes. As a teenager I took a picture from the Jason Donavan Annual to the hairdressers for two years – he had a wonderful centre parting, that guy. The thought that one day I may actually be able to go to Ramsey Street would’ve blown my tiny mind as a youngster so imagine how excited I was at this prospect when we landed in Melbourne – the home of Neighbours.
Unfortunately my suggestion to visit that sacred street was met with laughter and derision by our travelling band of goons. I did sense that Russ was momentarily curious but he was quickly bullied out of the idea by the other jeering twits I call colleagues/friends. So this magical moment was not to be and as if the Gods where taunting me, my Neighbours torment intensified when I came to within touching distance of meeting one of the stars of the show – Libby Kennedy. Well, apparently. On our penultimate night in Melbourne a few of us went to a nightclub to celebrate a successful gig. Unaware of my fascination with the show, one of our Australian party informed me that we had just missed Libby, who was (allegedly) seen darting from the club – drunk. “No, no”, I insisted, “I won’t have that, not Libby. You must be mistaken. Libby would not be drunk”. “Yes, Gareth – it was her.” Libby, top rate journalist turned teacher, devoted mother, supportive daughter to Karl and Susan – granted there was that bad patch when she dated bad boy Darren Stark, but that was just a silly phase. Drunk? You may as well tell me that Harold has gone nuts and embarked on a mad spree of systematically injecting unsuspecting nightclubbers of Melbourne with the HIV virus. It’s just not in his nature.
Well they do say never meet your heroes so maybe it’s all for the best. In any case, I’ve just seen Libby on BBC Breakfast News promoting Neighbour’s 25th anniversary and she was sober as a judge. Now, the BBC is in London White City, right…?
If you went I bet it’d be smaller than you remember x
My brother met Karl Kennedy. His band(?!) were doing a gig (??!!) at a night club. He got an autograph and made him sign it Karl.
I haven’t watched Neighbours since Karl and Susan split up. I know they’re back together now, but how can it ever be the same after he had an affair.
angry Bob the Builder…I don’t believe it! :P
Oh, I’m so sorry about not meeting the actors from Neighbours. Oh well. Maybe next time. :]]
oohh my garteh….shellsuit bottoms,, and tuckd in !!!.. that translates as a ”ned’ were iam from… lol..
i dont know if they’ve changed her back, but last year libby’s face changed. so the drunk, evil libby may not infact be the same lovely libby we remember. it may be a new, irresponisible libby. stop saying libby. ive said libby too many times.
Libby… or… Kym Valentine?
Surely it’s ok if Kym Valentine is drunk! She might be a little more naughty than Libby. I think thats what you need, a bit of naughty Kym. That might knock the night nurse on the bonce.
i woulda gone with ya gareth!!
I just went onto the Neighbours’ website and signed up as “GarethLovesYou” and asked Kym Valentine to read your blog and post you a comment…let’s see if she replies…..
You’ll have to go next time your in Oz! Its def something a fan should do! Back in ’03 when I was travelling we drove to the Pinoak Court or better known ‘Ramsey Street’ in our campervan & I had my photo taken outside each house & filmed us messing around in the street – was fab! We also went to a Neighbours night so met the legend Toady & Connor and Michelle – was a bnrilliant night.
We also had to go to Palm Beach ‘Summer Bay’ when we were there!
Love Australia and cant wait to go back!!
Also, just have to say I also had all those annuals too and im sure they are still in the garage as I refused to throw them away! lol
I got to meet the one and only Jason Donovan last year & I suddenly turned into a teenage girl & melted when he called me ‘darling’. :)
Did they have ‘Neighbours’ on the wireless in WW2 Alfie? Harold must’ve been quite the spring-chicken back then!
I have sadly fallen short of my Neighbours quota since moving to the US a couple of years ago. They’ve never heard of ‘Neighbours’ -and their soap opera characters seem to think it’s ok to speak your internal dialogue out loud -a trait that i always respected Kylie & Jason rejecting while on ‘Neighbours’.
I thought that maybe it was “an American thing” so I tried voicing my internal dialogue around the office for a week, and didn’t get the same response as I had hoped. I have since silenced my internal dialogue -and now just voice it textually on Twitter and Facebook. No one seems to mind it now.
Great blog Alfie. Pip pip! More please!
xx
Aaw Gareth, shame on the RB entourage for laughing at a boy’s childhood dream – Neighbours is legendary!
Ta for the image of you plodding through customs like an angry Bob the builder, made me laugh xD
I love Australia :D I’m half australian actually :P If only it wasnt on the other side of the world from me ):
G’DAY MATE :D xxx
wow! Bob the Builder and Neighbours! 2 of my favourite programmes! =)
Love you x x