Neighbours Tour!

Like most British backpackers I made a special pilgrimage to the set of Neighbours during my stay in Melbourne. Sure, the tour was overpriced and a bit cringy -Australians must find it amusing that daily busloads of mostly British and Irish tourists pay $40-65 to take pictures of the car used by a soap character; and the 'Neighbours bus' could not be any less subtle - but it was worth it. The unsubtle bus, parked in the

studio grounds.

I grew up as a devotee of the iconic soap, and seeing the Lassiters complex and Ramsay Street in real life was the culmination of a faintly tragic childhood ambition. I admit it's not the best programme in the world, but its cheesy nature, occasionally questionable acting and comedy storylines only add to its charms.

Years ago, a character called Lou was in Singapore, but instead of filming there the actor delivered his lines infront of this on-set canvas painting pinned to a wall. It looks fake even when it's two inches tall!

Unlike the doom and gloom we get from most British soaps, life in Neighbours is nearly always sunny, tanned and happy. When there are issues, they come with family-friendly values and a few weeks later life is back to normal. Everything is glossed over: drug addictions are indicated by someone finding pills in someone's bag, alcohol problems from a sudden interest in clubbing. The show has a reputation for being a student favourite, but it has a following among all ages judging by the number of people in their 50s on the bus, and as it has never been cutting-edge television it doesn't age that badly if you dip in and out of it. In short, it's the one soap that I couldn't imagine living without for too long.