Sandy Richardson was fifteen years old when his mother opened up the family
hotel as the Crossroads Motel. After his father's death Sandy was determined to help Meg all he could, but
his plan to sabotage the opposition by putting salt in the sugar bowls of the Fairlawns Hotel went sadly awry. He was
accused of stealing a sum of money and it was only through Hugh Mortimer's quick wits in discovering the real thief that Sandy
did not find himself on a criminal charge.
After this Sandy left the running of the motel to Meg while he concentrated on carving himself out
a career as a cub reporter on the local paper. He gained the respect of Cyril, his editor, when he managed to cope with
the day-to-day running of the newspaper during Cyril's illness, and he began to cover important events in King's Oak, such
as the memorable court case involving the Coach House.
He found excitement on his own doorstep when he and Meg were threatened in one of the motel's chalets
by a man with a gun, but Sandy kept a cool head and all was well.
Sandy seemed all set for a happy future. His boyish charm won him many friends and he had a
special place in his mother's heart ... but then tradegy struck.
On his way back from a wedding in 1972, Sandy was a passenger in David Hunter's Uncle Timothy's car.
The car crashed, killing the drunken woman driver, and as a result Sandy now spends his life in a wheelchair.
The accident caused an incurable spinal injury and Sandy had to learn to live his life as a paraplegic.
His mother and Jill and all his friends were worried about how he would cope with this, but Sandy has shown great courage
in coming to terms with his disability, after the first shock, and he still retains his impish sense of humour and the charm
which has won him so many friends.
Today he shows how he can still help in the efficient running of the motel, even from a wheelchair,
and Meg is confident that the managerial side of the motel can benefit from Sandy's skill and knowledge. Crossroads
is a very special motel, and there will always be a place there for Sandy, a very special son and a very special person to
all Crossroads fans.
