Remembering the Crossroads wedding of Meg and Hugh 50 years on

It was the soap wedding of the year, fifty years ago today…

It had been decade long ‘on-off’ love affair between businessman Hugh Mortimer (John Bentley) and motel owner Meg Richardson (Noele Gordon) with three engagements along the way, but today, April 3rd 1975, Hugh and Meg were finally married at Birmingham Registry Office. Their marriage was then blessed at St Phillip’s Cathedral.

10,000 fans turned up – following ATV inviting viewers to attend the ceremony – in a publicity stunt that saw the streets of Birmingham grind to a halt as crowds filled the pavements. It wasn’t the first time Crossroads had done such a PR exercise to prove the daytime saga’s popularity, in the previous year Nottingham city centre had become inundated with fans of the show when Noele Gordon as Meg, Roger Tonge as her son Sandy and Christopher Douglas as barman Martin all were seen driving through the streets in a vintage car called Harriet.

Crowds gather in Birmingham for the wedding of Crossroads’ Meg and Hugh. It was filmed on the 10th of February in 1975

The wedding however, was the most memorable. It also was one of Crossroads most watched editions. Episode 2301 was mostly dedicated to the wedding service and fans rejoiced after ten years of waiting for the ‘I do’s’ to finally happen. Between 1965 and ’75 Meg had married someone else – Malcolm Ryder (David Davenport) who had attempted to murder her for her insurance money – while Hugh had married Jane Templeton (Rosalie Ashley), but as an act of kindness as she was dying.

Meg had first called off their original engagement in 1965 when Hugh was seen to be less than committed, as he became more interested in Louise Borelli (Clare Owen), but they soon got back on track and engaged again.

The wedding was watched by 18 million viewers, one of the biggest non-sport daytime viewing figures.

This second attempt at romance fell apart while Meg was in Tunisia overseeing the opening of a venture of Hugh’s The Desert Coral Hotel. Meg, heartbroken, only later found out that Hugh had married Jane due to her terminal illness. In fact, after this incident in 1967 Hugh wasn’t seen again until 1973 when he walked back into Meg’s life and their third engagement soon followed. This left fellow suiters Timothy Hunter (Derek Farr) and Kevin Mccarther (Vincent Ball) looking for love (and financial gain) elsewhere.

The big day was a happy event for the couple, but their marriage ultimately not a happy ever after, with Hugh having an affair behind Meg’s back with Anita Fielding (Jan Holden), attempting to woo his secretary Vicky (Judy Matheson) into the marital boudoir and then dying of a heart attack while being held captive in a kidnap ransom scheme while in Australia in 1978.

As part of the wedding celebrations a special edition of the TV Times was released as well as a single ‘Well Find Our Day‘ performed by Stephanie De Sykes, who also sung it at the wedding party in episode 2302, and a Crossroads Wedding Party Album which contained tracks sung by the cast. The album was released last year for the first time on CD, and proved a hit for the record company with it becoming their first release to top the Amazon Soundtrack Charts.

Another highlight from episode 2302 is the appearance of Larry Grayson, which as The Manchester Evening News notes in an article marking the 50th of the wedding earlier this week, ‘Grayson who was a close friend of Noele even put in an appearance as the chauffer despite the fact he could not drive.’ Larry also performs on the music album in songs performed by the cast.

In 2023 the wedding sequence, including the throng of crowds, was recreated for the ITV drama Nolly, celebrating the life and work of Noele Gordon penned by Russell T Davies. The three-episode series saw Helena Bonham Carter as Noele.

A selection of Classic Crossroads episodes, including the wedding, can be seen on ITVX

Outside Birmingham Registry Office, Meg ang Hugh pucker up

Fans gather outside the registry office to see a scene being filmed

Celebration: Jill, Meg’s daughter, (Jane Rossington) David, motel business partner (Ronald Allen), Brian, Meg’s nephew (David Fennell), Harriet, Meg’s mother (Mollie Maureen), Meg (Noele Gordon) and Hugh (John Bentley) outside the registry office

Another happy snap outside Birmingham Registry Office on Broad Street

Meg and Hugh head off to the Cathedral for a blessing

In November 1974 ATV announced the wedding recording date to take place in February of the following year, inviting fans to attend…

10,0000 turned up, with Birmingham brought to a stand still.

Heaven blessed: The marriage of Meg and Hugh was blessed in Birmingham Cathedral. Not everyone was happy, one local vicar called it ‘an outrage’ that a fictional marriage was being filmed in St Phillips

April 4th saw episode 2302 air, this was the wedding party celebration held at the ‘Droitwich Hotel’ (Chateau Impney). Meg and Hugh greet their guests, in this instance motel chef Bernard Booth (David Lawton)

Meg and Hugh with singer Holly Brown (Stephanie De Sykes) who sings the Simon May penned ‘We’ll Find Our Day’ at the party. Also pictured is Meg’s son Sandy (Roger Tonge)

Cutting the cake: slices of the cake were part of a competition which viewers could win a piece via the TV Times

Off for a honeymoon, family, motel staff and friends wave off the happy couple

Shut that car door, Meg and Hugh are driven away by comedian Larry Grayson

50 years on: Meg and Hugh’s Wedding in Crossroads