Old H&A Fan

Tug's job interview

In Episode 1354, Alf teaches Tug how to do a job interview:

Alf (funny voice): "Now—Mr O'Neill—Why do you feel that you're suited to this position?"
Tug: "I don't know"
Alf: "Tug ya can't say that!"
Tug: "Why not? What am I supposed to say?"
Alf: "Say something like 'I feel that I am suited for this position because I find variety stimulating'"

What I love about the early episodes of Home And Away

• Vera's town gossip about everyone else's business
• Vera's amusing Christian religious preaching about the "fabric of society being threatened"
• Flamin' Alf's flaming performances
• The music in the Diner and sometimes also played on Summer Bay radio
• Mike Perjanik's background music (please release this on CD!)
• Lance & Martin's stupidity
• The lives of the Fletcher family, and also Alf and Mr Fisher's families
• Life at Summer Bay High
• Mr Fisher as headmaster
• The Stevo and Dodge storyline (the most captivating storyline in Home And Away history)

A word about David Croft:

Here is an important message to the fans of Home And Away, and to users of the Back To The Bay forums.

I am aware that some members are fed up with what I have had to say about this storyline, and refuse to hear of, or accept, my side of the debate.

But it has to be said.

Whoever wrote the story arc, which describes a teenage girl that persisted in being with a man 10 years her senior, got pregnant because of this "relationship", then found herself unable to cope with motherhood despite her best efforts of denial, has really got a lot to answer for.

The morals about adults taking advantage of teenage children seemed to fly right out the window when this story arc began to play out on Australian screens in July 1991. Never mind the double-standards like with Selina and "mud". That was a complete no-no! Totally unacceptable! Whereas with Sophie and this man, she even admitted to Pippa she would have gone for a 48-year-old.

The fact of the matter is this: Sophie was an underage girl. No matter how much you want to debate the age of consent or try to justify this sickening age difference, the fact remains Sophie was not ready. She still hadn't finished school. She had a lot of potential. And that potential was wasted the moment David took advantage of Sophie in the most depraved way imaginable.

Sophie was not ready for motherhood. This was proven time and time again, like with her fits of post-natal depression and not being able to cope in the final months of 1992. She twice shoplifted to obtain items she wanted for her baby, because rational thought took a back seat. She insisted the baby be a boy, because that would have reminded her of David. And when it turned out to be a girl, she still wouldn't accept it.

Time and time again, Sophie worshipped this David creature like some kind of god. She hit Sally because she lost his bracelet. She lashed out and blamed everyone remotely linked to Karen for the accident, and all but abandoned her close friendship with Karen, something sadly overlooked by the scriptwriters. Funny how Karen returned once Sophie had conveniently moved to Perth, isn't it!

I find it astounding that the audience of Home And Away feel sorry for Sophie and her "relationship" with David Croft, and her constant grieving of his death. She never moved on. She even called her second baby David after this despicable man. Time for me to let go and move on? What about Sophie? Why did she never let go of David, I'll never understand. She only knew him for a paltry few episodes (2 weeks on-screen?) and already decided that he would be the dominant figure for the rest of her life, and to hell with everything else.