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To celebrate a the huge milestone of becoming 10 years old in 2008, we decided to have a selection of Prisoner Celebration events wherever we could arrange them!
We also decided that we would celebrate the very beginnings of Prisoner fandom - the original Fan Club started by Roz Vecsey and Tracey Elliot is also celebrating - 20 years!
Stockholm, London, Glasgow, Edinburgh and Newcastle upon Tyne were our chosen cities but we couldn't have a celebration without a guest of honour... step in Maggie Millar!
We stuck to the same format for all of our events - the option of having an intimate evening with Maggie at a top class restaurant or a Prisoner get-together with lots of other fans. Interest in our events was great and attendance at everything was fantastic.
Here are a selection of photos from our various events. Click on the thumbnails to view images in full.
Thank you to everyone who has allowed us to use their photographs. If you'd like to add yours to the gallery, please send a copy via email to comments@prisoner-cellblockh.co.uk.
As a special treat for fans at our Newcastle event, Maggie contacted a number of Prisoner cast and crew members and read out their messages on the evening. Here are some extracts:
ALAN HOPGOOD (Wally Wallace)
"My sex life has never been as good as when I was in Prisoner. In case you don't remember me, I was Wally, the potter with the beard. I harboured Judy Bryant when she escaped and then they invited me into the prison to teach the inmates pottery. In the process I had a love affair with the Governor (the late Gerda Nicolson) and a visiting solicitor... and I would have had an affair with Judy Bryant, except she was butch.
Occasionally, they let me throw some clay on the wheel for the women to express themselves artistically but you can imagine some of the shapes they produced.
Congratulations to the Fan Club on the 20th anniversary. If only they'd paid me residuals for all those repeats, I'd be flying over to celebrate with you!"
LOUISE LE NAY (Sandy Edwards)
"Hi to all you Prisoner Cell Block H fans. You've been around a long time now and we're all incredibly flattered and grateful for your interest and support over the years. I had a great time on the show. I came into Prisoner in July 1981, along with Olivia Hamnet, who was to play my compatriot, and, in fact, my nemesis. And Wayne Jarratt, who was to play my love interest.
What I remember is the fun we had. We'd be sitting around with hot chocolate chatting away, then the next minute we'd be on the set calling eachother 'slag' and 'bitch', throwing each other into the brick walls of the 'prison' corridors... only we had to do it fairly gently because they were made of plastic and paste mostly, and throwing too hard would bring the whole set down!
Maggie's character was my mortal enemy most of the time of course, and I learned a lot about performance from Maggie who was always on her mark, always in character, always word perfect. We also had Elspeth Ballantyne's good nature that held the group together, Judith McGrath's wonderful humour, Olivia's gentle elegance and Sheila's wicked sense of fun. The wonderful Betty and Colette would break into song at a moment's notice and make us all laugh.
Of course, my untimely demise by being put in the dumpster by the Doctor was sudden and unexpected... but what a way to go! Memorable, if a trifle unsavoury.
My best wishes to all the viewers. My thanks for all the cards and letters over the years. Love and kisses to everyone!"
JAN RUSS (Casting Director)
"What a fantastic achievement! To have kept the fan club going for so long is remarkable. You have kept the show alive and are doing it still. Well done and have a great time!"
MAGGIE KIRKPATRICK (Joan Ferguson)
"Hi everyone, I'm fine but very busy getting ready to be Madam Morrible in WICKED. You will have heard of the show, if not seen it. The show itself is in great shape and the performances have come up a treat!
I'd like to send everyone my love and many thanks for your support over the years."
REYLENE PEARCE (Phyllis Hunt)
"I can still hardly believe that we still have fans after 20/25 years! I loved meeting some of them at the last big party and found it amazing they could remember scenes and dialogue that I was in which I had no recollection of!
I loved working in Prisoner and made some great life-long friends... and had sooooo much fun!"
MAXINE KLIBINGAITIS (Bobbie Mitchell)
"There was a really funny moment that I can remember... one day The Freak was in a scene where she came into the dining room and said 'OKAY YOU LOT, MUSTER!' - we had all arranged that when she came in and said the line, we all stood up and burst into song: 'YOU MUSTER BEEN A BEAUTIFUL BABY...!' It was pretty funny!
Have a great night everyone!"
GENEVIEVE LEMON (Marlene Warren)
"Best wishes to all - I hope you have a sensational night. I am getting married tomorrow for the first time, so it's been a bit frantic! Just to let you know, I'm expecting Amanda Muggleton, Julieanne Newbould, Maggie Dence, Tina Bursill and Maxine Klibingaitis to come party with me - fingers crossed for a fine Winter's day!
Lots of love to all, have a great time with the sweet and very funny Maggie Millar!"
BETTY BOBBITT (Judy Bryant)
"Sometimes I think it's amazing that the show is still so popular. Every single day of my life that I'm out and about in Melbourne, a stranger or three invariably stops me to say how much they've enjoyed the show.
I'm so grateful to the fans for their ongoing support, and that after reliving and researching the period I'm beginning to understand the show's popularity. Have a great time everyone! I'd send you roses, but they're on the outside."
There was also a message by Roz Vecsey read out about the history of the fan club, and to thank a very special lady - Hazel Fowler. Without Hazel, none of this would have been possible - she's an absolute legend!
Maggie is now a very talented artist and has produced some work especially for Prisoner fans. We're making it available to you now via the website - but be quick... Maggie's paintings are unique and our own special merchandise items are limited edition so once they're gone, they're gone forever!
Some items only have single numbers remaining in stock and Maggie's original artwork is only available to serious collectors.
To view the collection currently on sale, please click here!
Thanks from Scott and Barry here at OTI to everyone who attended our events. We know that some of you travelled a long way to attend and it is very much appreciated and just demonstrates how loyal and dedicated Prisoner's fans still are.
We'd also like to thank the people who helped us arrange things - Roz Vecsey, Jen Brown, Alicia Ward-Yarrow, Hazel Fowler, staff at all of our venues.
Finally, a huge thank you to Maggie Millar for being our guest of honour at all events. We were excited, and somewhat petrified, when we heard you go back into 'Marie Winter' mode in Newcastle for a moment!
STAY TUNED FOR OUR 2009 CELEBRATION PLANS....
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