One of the most famous streets in the world is about to lose one of its most famous residents – Ian Smith, who plays Harold Bishop in long running Australian soap Neighbours, is about to bow out of the show for good – but die hard Neighbours fans can still visit the street – TheMoveChannel checks out the Ramsay Street tour…
First, I’m going to let you in on something rather shocking. Ramsay Street isn’t called Ramsay Street at all; in fact it’s called Pinoak Court and lies in Vermont South, one of Melbourne’s sprawling suburbs.
Having grown up on a diet of neighbours, ‘Ramsay Street’ in the fictional suburb of Erinsborough was on my hit list when I moved over to Melbourne a few years back. It’s bizarre standing on a street – a real street – not a set – and imagining all those well known faces behind the curtains. But of course they’re not. Real people live on this street and the interior shots are filmed in a studio in Melbourne.
Now, one of the longest serving residents of Ramsay Street, bumbling Harold Bishop, is about to bow out of the show for good, more than 20 years after his first appearance – definitely longer than most people spend living on one street.
The character will drive off into the Outback in a camper van this week when his final episodes airs here in the UK. Australian audiences have already had to adapt to life without him as their shows screen sometime before the ones in the UK.
But of course, Harold has gone before and returned. I remember tears in my eyes when he was washed away at sea, leaving his glasses on a rock and his croaky-voiced wife Madge in despair. But, miraculously, he returned in 1996, very much alive and having suffered amnesia and has been arguing with Lou Carpenter and serving coffees in the café ever since.
The actor behind Harold, Ian Smith, who is now 70, is leaving to spend more time travelling and is favourite to win this year’s Gold Logie – Australian TV’s highest accolade.
Of his decision to leave Ramsay Street, he said he wanted to ‘fly off the twig before dropping off it.’
Harold/Ian has been one of the stalwarts of the Neighbours tour, which take fans to the street and let them meet and greet some of the stars.
The tours start at £25 each for midweek bookings and £32 for weekend bookings. You get to ‘reminisce on those great moments and contemplate plot lines,’ whilst driving past some of the famous sites, including Erinsborough High School and of course Ramsay Street.
You can even visit the Neighbours Centre to purchase ‘exclusive merchandise.’ I’d recommend snapping up a mug with Harold’s face on it as it may well become a collector’s item.
But the best bit of the tour is that you get to drive around town in a bus with ‘The Neighbours Tour’ emblazoned on the side – a absolute must for any Brit down under…
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