I can reveal, however, that Hazel is currently in talks with an original cast member and that the prospects of a spring/summer event is very much on the cards. The cast member in question is eager to come over and Hazel is just as eager to make all the arrangements on his/her behalf, so it’s now just a matter of finding out how viable the prospect is and if enough of you want to make it happen. As with any event of this kind, it all hangs in the balance. The interest is there and now it’s just a question of the practicalities. If enough of you want to make it happen, then I’ve no doubt that it WILL happen. If any of you wish to find out more about this intriguing prospect, then do please contact Hazel directly at the following email address:

keepintouch692@btinternet.com

Events like these are, of necessity, getting more and more scarce. The big celebration is behind us, the original cast members are now reaching that time of life where they no longer wish to travel and the financial climate is such that the cost of organising said events has triggered a general apathy in all concerned. In short, then, although these events are still very much on the horizon, each may well be the last of its kind. It is important that we are no longer blase about the events, because they will not – and can not – continue ad infinitum. There is now a very real possibility that every cast member’s visit will be his or her last.

If, therefore, any of you do want to meet any of the cast members who come over, this may well be your last chance to do so. I have been reliably informed that many of the original cast are making their next trip to the UK their FINAL trip to the UK. I really can’t stress this enough. It’s easy, in retrospect, to look back on an opportunity missed and to regret it … so if you are genuinely interested in meeting any of the cast who visit our shores, then do – if circumstances allow – grab the opportunity with both hands. There may well not be a second chance.

If any of you wish to discuss anything about possible future events with Hazel, then please do contact her direct through the above email address.

She will be able to give you further information as to the original cast member with whom she is currently in talks and can tell you a lot more than I can about the possibility of future events. If you have any further questions pertaining to associated matters, then I’m sure she will only be too happy to answer your queries on these, too.

In his autobiography which is entitled ‘One Door Shuts’, Alan lifts the lid on the serials which he has been associated with and also gives advice to actors wishing to break into this industry in a standalone section called ‘Take Five’ which is based on the training workshops which he has run on the sets of hit shows such as ‘Neighbours’ and ‘Shortland Street’.

Learn about Alan’s explosive early life in Birmingham, England when he saw his home being blown sky high and of his time spent in the air force and medical arena. Read how after staring death firmly in the face he joined ATV in the Midlands and became one of the original directors on ‘Crossroads’ which was the UK’s first five nights a week ‘soap.’

Alan talks about the acclaimed children’s series ‘Escape into Night’, ‘The Jensen Code’ and ‘Kids from 47A’ which he produced before being headhunted by Reg Grundy and taken out to Australia to help establish the Grundy Drama Department. Alan was the driving force behind the hit Grundy series ‘The Young Doctors’ and was also associated with other Grundy productions including ‘Class of 74′,  ‘Prisoner: Cell Block H’,  ‘Secret Valley’, ‘Case for the Defence’ and many others.

During his long and distinguished career he has Executive Produced serials including ‘Neighbours’ in Australia,  ‘Shortland Street’ in New Zealand,  ‘Unter Uns’ in Germany and ‘Goede Tijden – Slechte Tijden’ in the Netherlands.  His other directing credits include ‘Home & Away’,  ‘Echo Point’,  ‘Breakers’, ‘Above The Law’,  ‘Going Home’, ‘The Adventures of the Bush Patro’l and ‘Family Affairs’ in the UK.

‘One Door Shuts’ is essential reading for all ‘soap’ fans and also for actors wishing to learn more about this unique art form. Alan’s is an inspiring story which proves that against all odds anything can be achieved if you put your mind to it.

‘One Door Shuts’ has been released during 2009 to tie-in with the 45th anniversary of ‘Crossroads’ and the 35th anniversary of Grundy TV Drama. ‘One Door Shuts’ by Alan Coleman has been published by Trafford Publishing and can be ordered by heading to:-

http://www.trafford.com/Bookstore/BookDeta…d=SKU-000141354

keepintouch692@btinternet.com

Hazel is currently taking a bit of a break from the Prisoner world and so please do bear with her if she doesn’t reply with her usual alacrity.  She will be sure to respond to any enquiries as and when she is able to.

For those with an eye for nostalgia, Hazel still has a few TDC T-Shirts for sale and although these are no longer available in all sizes, they may be of interest to those of you interested in collecting Prisoner-related merchandise. If you are interested, please get in touch with Hazel via the above email address.

Thanks for reading.

If you wish to take a final opportunity to congratulate Hazel for a job well done these last five years, then it is still not too late to do so. The Offcial Val Lehman Website will remain open until 30th November 2009, at which times it will close its doors for good.

Finally, I would like to personally wish Hazel well in whatever endeavour she next lends her very capable talents to. Whatever it may be, I am sure it will be every bit as much of a success story as the Official Val Lehman Website, a venture of which she should be extremely proud.

Good on ya, Hazel … your blood’s worth bottling.

They will be on sale at both of Glenda’s forthcoming events, but for anyone who is unable to attend – now’s your chance to pre-order your very own set. As an added bonus, while Glenda is in the UK she has agreed to write a personal message / dedication on each set.

The Limited Edition Giftset contains:

The sets are being created escpecially to coincide with Glenda’s trip, so please do purchase a set if you’re able to, for your own personal souvenir from this much loved actress! Sets can be dedicated or undedicated.

For all the information about how to order one of these limited edition giftsets, please visit OTI at www.prisonercellblockh.com.

Thanks for reading.

Rita Connors Giftset

To give people the opportunity of meeting three legends of Prisoner Cell Block H, Val Lehman, Gerard Maguire and Fiona Spence  have agreed to appear at ‘Memorabilia’  which will be held at The National Exhibition Centre near Birmingham (M42, J6) on Saturday November 21st 2009.  The three stars will be there all day, so come and chat. They will also be appearing on stage to answer any questions you might have and there will be autographs and photos for sale.

If you are interested in attending, please contact :
E-mail:   admin@val-lehman.com

Website: www.val-lehman.com -  The Official Val Lehman Website
** CELEBRATING OVER FOUR YEARS ON LINE **

Due to unforeseen circumstances, two places have unexpectedly become available for this event. If you would like the opportunity to dine with Fiona Spence on 14th November, please email admin@val-lehman.com NOW!

An update from The Official Val Lehman Website:

“*~*~*~ AN AUDIENCE WITH FIONA SPENCE *~*~*~

(‘Vera Bennett’ in ‘Prisoner: Cell Block-H’, ‘Celia Stewart’ in ‘Home & Away’)

DATE: SATURDAY 14th NOVEMBER 2009

VENUE: THE OLD JOINT STOCK THEATRE
4 TEMPLE ROW WEST
BIRMINGHAM (CITY CENTRE)
B2 5NY
(Mins from New Street Railway Station)

COST: £100.00 per person

The Official Val Lehman Website is delighted to announce the first of our 2009 events, ‘An Audience with Fiona Spence’. As with previous similar occasions this will be a bespoke event offered to a LIMITED number of chosen guests in the company of a ‘Prisoner’ stalwart seldom seen on UK shores. The chance for you to dine and ask all those questions, perhaps not possible at a larger gathering. Fiona needs absolutely no introduction, and many of you will want to ask about her time in ‘Home & Away’ as well as ‘Prisoner’. It’s 16 years since this popular Actress was last in the UK, so no die-hard ‘Prisoner’/'Vera’/'Celia’ fan will want to miss her!

Over the years we’ve frequently been asked about the possibility of bringing Fiona to the UK, so you can’t say we didn’t listen!!

PLACES ARE NOW EXTREMELY LIMITED and booking fast! DO NOT MISS THIS CHANCE!

Below Fiona has written a lovely personal message to you all:
___________________________________________________

MESSAGE TO ‘PRISONER’ and ‘VERA BENNETT’ FANS

“Hi Guys

November can’t come quickly enough!

It has been 16 years since I was in the U.K. performing “Prisoner the Play” in some of the most wonderful theatres I have ever performed in. At that time I was astounded and delighted by the reception I received. I met some great people backstage – all fans of ‘Prisoner’ and I’m now looking forward to catching up with some of you again.

I will be hosting a Luncheon for ‘Vera’ fans in November and would like to invite you to join me. We should have lots of fun and some laughs at a time when the world can do with it!

I will also be bringing photos and merchandise from both ‘Prisoner’ and ‘Home & Away’. Not being of the website brigade this will be an opportunity for me to be able to thank you all for being such amazing supporters and followers of both myself and ‘Prisoner’.

I look forward to meeting you all in person and testing your memory which is probably better than mine!

Very warm wishes

Fiona Spence”
___________________________________________________

Booking enquiries for this unique occasion to be sent to:
admin@val-lehman.com

Please entitle your message ‘An Audience with Fiona Spence‘

Many thanks”

For more information and to book for this event, visit the bulletin board of the Val Lehman website.

Note: This event is run by The Official Val Lehman Website so please direct any enquiries about this event to The Official Val Lehman Website.

PLACES NOW EXTREMELY LIMITED

“The hugely popular ‘Prisoner’ star is returning to the UK in September, and is very much looking forward to meeting all the fans, many of whom have been writing to her for many, many years! Glenda is extremely excited about the prospect of arriving back in the UK after so many years, and will also be bringing with her some rare memorabilia to delight the Prisoner fans! This is one event you won’t want to miss.

Places are strictly limited, and will be offered on a first come, first served basis. This truly is a unique and ultra rare opportunity to meet a Prisoner legend, and the event is set to be another highlight of 2009 for all Prisoner fans! We welcome enquiries and questions, and will do our best to furnish you with as much information as possible.

Those of you who have attended our events in the past will know we always go the extra mile for the fans to bring you something special and memorable, and this event is no different! It really is set to be a fun, and thoroughly enjoyable day in the company of such a highly respected and popular actress.

~ An Evening with Glenda Linscott ~ [who played Rita Connors in Prisoner]

Dine with Prisoner star Glenda
Photographs and autographs
Question and Answers
Rare Memorabilia
Auction
Plus more!!

Saturday 12th September 2009 – Birmingham
Cost per person: £100*

Don’t miss out on your chance to attend another very special occasion, as past of Prisoner’s 30th anniversary celebrations!!!”

For more information and to book for this event, visit the Screen Star Events website. Note: This event is run by OTI the official fan club in conjuction with their sister site so please direct any enquiries about this event to Screen Star Events/OTI.

There was a silent auction for a number of signed prints. The event also included a quiz, fancy dress competition and the opportunity to have a mugshot taken in an original inmates jacket.

Here is a message from event organiser Steve:

“Hi all,

I’d like to thank everybody who attended Prisoner Recaptured and made it such an enjoyable day. The team and I had a fantastic time organising it. It was a pleasure to finally meet and chat with a number of you including John, Mark, Judith and Andrew. Everybody behaved immaculately and it was a pleasure to see fans enjoy the rare memorabilia, exclusive screenings and files full of original articles.

The fancy dress contestants went to a lot of effort and brightened up the day. The winner, ‘Zara Moonbeam’ bore an uncanny resemblance to the character, right down to the Northern accent and stubble …

The winner of the Pris Quiz got an impressive 24½ out of 25 questions correct. Some were quite tough, so well done to Jay, who also won 2nd prize in the fancy dress contest!

For those of you who had your mug shots taken in the original inmate’s jacket and would like JPEG files of your photo, please PM me [send message using the forum] and I will be happy to email it.

Most importantly, the generosity of the fans who bid in the silent auction helped to swell the donation for The Red Cross Victorian Bushfire Appeal to over £500 which is being donated on behalf of Prisoner fans.

I’d like to publically thank ‘the team’ who generously gave up their weekend to manage the event. Particular thanks go to Greig and Ian who helped with lots of the preparatory work and donated contributions to the display. Also, Robert who put in a LOT of work in a ridiculously short amount of time to edit together the three videos, especially the incredibly polished Locations: Then and Now video which was produced specifically for the event. Watching it premiere on the large screen was one of the main highlights of an astonishing day and we would be interested to hear people’s feedback to it.

Hearing fans positive reactions to the event firsthand and reading the comments on this blog and the forum makes all the hard work worthwhile. There was a lot of memorabilia which we were unable to display due to space and time constraints and we hope it can be included in a similar event at some point in the future, but not within the next few months as I need time to put my collection back into order…

Cheers
Steve West (Network 10)”

Fan comments..

Zara Moonbeam: “I went and was pleased to win the competition for dressing up. I went as Zara Moonbeam but got mistaken for Rita Connors. There was a lot to see and the comparative footage shown at the beginning was very good. The venue wasn’t bad at all either. Thanks to N10 for organising and hope there was a good amount of dosh raised for the cause.”

jaydeeh28: “There must have been about 30-40 people there, I think a very good turn-out, including somebody who’d come over especially from Northern Ireland.

There were several major features of the day. We had dvd session, where first there was a message to us from Amanda Muggleton, reminiscing about being on Prisoner and what she has done since. We then saw a video about various locations used in the series and what has become of them now. A film of Val Lehman in Q & A session with fans when she was here in 1998 was also shown. Although I did see this at the last Prisoner convention I attended in London, it was worth seeing again.

There was a photo and prop exhibition on the stage which was open throughout the day including rare photos of the cast and things like scripts and prison bars, and the original name badge worn by Joan Ferguson and Pat Slattery’s actual uniform.

We also had a silent auction of various memorabilia, including posters signed by the cast, a tee-shirt and a program from the Musical Tour. I myself was very lucky to win a poster of Karen Travers and her QC that she had a relationship with, actually signed by Peta Toppano herself! The starting prices of the other items were, understandably, way beyond my budget, but I was delighted to come away with something!

A few fans turned up in costumes, so there was a small fancy-dress competition, with ‘Zara Moonbeam’, who won, ‘Kay White’, a male fan dressed in the Navy blue officer’s uniform and another lady wearing the light brown one. She told me that her mother had been up till the small hours of the morning getting it ready! Both uniforms could easily have passed off as the real thing.

Finally, there was also a quiz about the show; I was surprised at how many of the questions I didn’t know the answer to. There were also many people there who only became fans later on and haven’t yet seen the whole series, so don’t know the ending.

Thoroughout the day, you were able to look at a selection of files each containing a vast selection newspaper-cuttings about the show. There was a separate file for each year, so literally, if you did nothing else whilst there, you could have spent the whole time reading the files and really enjoyed yourself. Steve West, whose collection it was, told me that he’d collected so much Prisoner memorabilia over the years, that it eventually filled his entire loft!

It was a thoroughly enjoyable day, well worth the journey from London and the cost. I hope that we can have an event like this at least once a year. Now that the series is out on DVD, I’m sure those fans who watched it originally will show them to their children, so that this fantastic, timeless and unique show will be passed from generation to generation and never be forgotten.“