This year looks like being an exciting one for Sue Lloyd.  And the biggest highlight could be Sue's real-life wedding to Ronald Allen, the actor who plays her screen husband, David Hunter, in Crossroads.

Sue's own wedding, she says, is unlikely to be the grand affair at her TV wedding two years ago.  Both she and Ronnie would prefer a much quieter ceremony, restricted to close relatives and friends.

Sue's life these days is a contrast to a series of events beginning two years ago which left her feeling low.  The most shattering blow came when her father, a doctor, died suddenly in February, 1981, following a heart attack.  Just a week later came the news that Sue's Crossroads colleague, Roger Tonge, had died following complications arising from Hodgkins disease.  Sue had been very close to her father and fond of Roger, who played Sandy Richardson since the serial began in 1964.  "I felt very low and depressed for a long time afterwards," she said.

Her sadness was added to when her Afghan hound Coppelia, died later that year.  The dog had been very special and a great comfort to Sue, so the loss was hardfelt.  "Ronnie was marvellous when Coppelia died," said Sue.  "Unknown to me he purchased two small replicas of an Afghan hound in gold and gave me one for my birthday to wear around my neck."  It cheered her up no end.

"The spare charm is another example of Ronnie's thoughfulness.  He knows I'm always losing things, so he bought a replacement just in case.  He knew how heartbroken I'd be if I happen to lose it.  With all these emotional jolts it wasn't surprising that my health began to suffer.  I had a series of coughs and colds which wouldn't go away.  I'd get rid of one cold and two days later I would be down with another one.  There didn't seem any end to them.  Looking back, the only reason I can think of was that my resistance to infection had become very low.  But for a long time it was very worrying," she confessed.

The turning point came last summer when Sue - who needs daily insulin injections to control diabetes - slowly came out of the doldrums.  And it was just a matter of weeks before she and Ronnie thrilled millions of Crossroads fans by announcing their real-life engagement.

Ronnie's proposal wasn't quite the romantic highlight he would have preferred.  Sue had been on hoilday at home with her widowed mother, her sister, Diana, and brother David, during a break from recording the TV series and Ronnie had been staying with some friends in Majorca.

He planned to propose to Sue walking arm in arm along the beach near her home, but it didn't work out quite like that.  On returning from Majorca, he was unwell with bronchitis and retired to bed.  But he was determined to go through with his proposal and popped the question on the phone from his sick bed.

Sue's family were with her at the time and it was the signal for a celebration.  "I'd no hesitation about the engagement," said Sue.  "Ronnie is a wonderful man.  He's quiet but there's a great warmth about him.  He's also very witty."