Crossroads was a British soapoperatelevision series following the daily lives of the staff and guests of a fictional Birmingham motel. Crossroads was created by Hazel Adair and Peter Ling and ran from 1964 to 1988. Research Crossroads
A pillory was originally a post that was erected at crossroads by the lord of the manor and bearing his arms upon it as a mark of his territory. Later, pillories sometimes had a collar fixed to them by which criminals could be secured, later still the pillory became a 'T' shaped frame that was erected in a public place, with holes for the head and arms, in which malefactors were displayed to the public. The pillory was a form of torture, the victim usually being denied food or drink for the duration of their sentence, and often subject to having rotten fruits and vegetables thrown at them by passers-by. The pillory was abolished for all offences with the exception of perjury in 1816, and was abolished for perjury in 1837. Prior to 1837 a perjurer could have his ears nailed to the pillory. Research Pillory
Arnold Ridley was an English actor, play-writer and film director. He was born in 1896 at Bath, Somerset and died in 1984. He is best known for playing the role of 'Godfrey' in the televisioncomedy series 'Dad's Army', though previously he had appeared in the soapopera 'Crossroads' in 1964 as 'the Reverend Guy Atkins'. In 1982 he was awarded the OBE for services to British theatre. Research Arnold Ridley
Ghede, in the original myths of Haiti, was the god of love, sex incarnate. In later, Voodoo myth he was amalgamated with BaronSamedi, god of death. He kept his earlier lustful ways, and a fondness for rum and feasting. He was a dandy, always wearing a black tail-coat, a top hat and sunglasses, twirling a cane and smoking a cigar or a cigarette in a long holder. He loved to dance, and swept his followers away into the ecstasy and trance of dancing. But the dance, which originally was a phallic ritual of birth, had now become a dance of death: Baron Samedi's orgies always ended (for his mortal followers) at the crossroads between this world and the Underworld, and the way they went was down. Because Ghede was Guardian of the Crossroads, he knew all the secrets of magic, and had second hearing and second sight. He could be consulted for advice - often on questions of fertility, either of humans, crops or animals. The questioner made blood-sacrifice and asked the priest questions to put to Ghede, and the god answered in the patterns of
rum-drops spilled in the dust, or in the hll of dice or the turning of Tarot cards. The advice was often frightening and apparently ridiculous, but it was always true and you neglected it at your peril. Research Ghede
Abbreviations
Research Crossroads
