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- Garage foreman Joe MacDonald and his wife Trina, both black, were victims of race hate in 1982. Trina found herself
ignored in shops, there were threatening phone calls and a brick through the window at home. But Joe thought Trina was
overwrought and imagining the slights, and that the attack had no racial significance - until somebody threw a petrol bomb
through the window of their baby son Ben's room, and started a fire. Little Ben was not harmed, but for Trina it was
the last straw. She then left Joe, and took their baby with her.
- Shortly after becoming engaged to Jill in 1982, Adam Chance had a one-night stand with Valerie Pollard, the wife of motel
director J. Henry Pollard. When Jill found out she flung his ring back at him. Adam sold up his stake in the motel
and left.
- Adam returned to Crossroads in 1983 as manager. But he couldn't cope with his general unpopularity and was on the
point of leaving when Jill, realising she still loved him, begged him to stay. They married a year ago and the big question
now is how long can Adam manage to stay on the straight and narrow.
- Tragedy struck the Brownlowe family in 1982. Motel housekeeper Kath Brownlowe had a row with her husband Arthur
as he left for a bowls tournament. Her angry words were the last she ever spoke to him. On his way home he was
knocked down and killed by a hit-and-run driver.
- The person closest to Benny over the years has been Diane, who taught him to read and write and helped him to make friends.
He showed his gratitude in 1983 when her brother Terry got involved with a gang of car thieves, who sent two heavies to collect
£20,000 they said he owed after he crashed a stolen car. At the last moment Benny stepped in and gave Terry the £20,000
he'd inherited from his father. Angrily, Diane asked him how he could be so stupid. Benny replied: "I didn't
do it for him. I did it for you. I've never seen you cry before. I did it because I love you."
- Diane's problem brother Terry nearly cost Benny his garage job and Barbara Brady her life in 1983. He was working
at the garage when Barbara took her car for a service and Benny changed the oil. When Terry tried to chat her up she
gave him a sharp brush-off, and in retaliation, he loosened the oil drain plug on her car. The engine seized up on the
motorway and Barbara was lucky to escape with her life. Benny got the blame until, weeks later, the truth came out.
- Keeping up the Crossroads' reputation for topicality, Glenda Banks (Lynette McMorrough) had a test-tune baby at Christmas
1983. Glenda, married to Kevin, had thought she would never have a baby because of gynaecological problems resulting
from the time she was raped by a lorry driver.
- Three years after his marriage to Barbara, David Hunter was unfaithful for the first time in 1984, with sexy Sarah Alexander
who had set out to seduce him. She became pregnant as a result. David confessed all to Barbara, who forgave him
and suggested they could adopt the baby. But Sarah wanted David to divorce Barbara and marry her. David refused,
and Sarah carried out her threat not to let him even see the child.
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