Crossroads Star John Forgeham Dies

British actor John Forgeham, who played garage mechanic Jim Baines in Crossroads has died age 75. He also starred in Footballers Wives and the Italian Job and died after falling out of bed and breaking his collarbone.

His character first joined Crossroads in 1974 when Jim Baines squatted in David Hunter's house. The character's wife was Muriel who agoraphobia.




The character had an affair with garage secretary Sharon Metcalfe. One of his big storylines was when Jim Baines was suspected of attacking Vera Downend, the motel’s hairdresser and stealing the salon takings. Motel Barman Bill Warren picked Jim out of a police identification parade and for a time almost everyone at the Crossroads Motel believed that he was guilty. However, later the police picked up a burglar and found Vera’s cashbox in his room. One of his final storylines saw the character win the jackpot on the pools and it seemed his life was on the up, however life was never easy for Jim and the money brought its own problems.



http://www.standard.co.uk/news/uk/j...-job-actor-dies-in-fall-at-home-a3487421.html

 

Sorry, I should have started this thread in the UK Soaps forum, I misread the title.

I totally agree. I only have a vague memory of Crossroads in the 1970s because I was still in infant school at the time but Jim Baines was one of the characters that I remember vividly from that era and that was largely down to John Forgeham's performance and some really good storylines that he was given. I remember he used to disappear from the series for many months, or even years, (probably when John Forgeham was working on another project) before returning with a really gripping storyline so his return was always a bit of an event that would spark your interest. I thought Crossroads was great.

 

Victor Lee was the Crossroads Garage manager after Stan Harvey left. Sharon Metcalfe, the garage secretary, had an affair with her boss Victor. After Victor left the series, his brother Eddie turned up in Crossroads and also had an affair with her. I can't remember how Jim Baines fit in on all this, I think he just had a one-nighter with Sharon while he was trying to deal with his wife Muriel having agoraphobia and wasn't getting any at home.