The Year Was… 1993

Pauline didn’t notice, but that was because she was dealing with things of her own: an old school friend named Danny arrived and started showing Pauline more than just a little attention. She put a stamp on that straight away and took herself off for a lengthy stay in Leighton-On-Sea (that country hotel wouldn’t run itself, you know) to visit Aunty Nellie and Arthur was free to do what he liked. In fact, him and Christine were less discreet than ever, sharing kisses and getting rumbled by the all-seeing Kathy, who threatened to tell Pauline upon her return. Christine’s husband had also turned up, and while he didn’t want Christine back, he wanted words with Arthur.

When Pauline returned, he confessed. She responded by throwing the complete contents of her kitchenette at him and bringing Aunty Nellie in on a permanent basis. That was going to be a pain for all concerned. He ended the year reconciled with Pauline, but under the watchful eyes of Nellie he wouldn’t be trying anything again in a hurry.

Bless him. He wouldn’t get the chance…

She got him drunk one night on tequila and a nasty fall put paid to his football career. She lured him into the club culture, and, this being the 90s, raves were the in things, where every teen soap character would go and end up a vomiting mess on a beach somewhere. Predictably, Aidan fell into the trope, falling into a coma. When he awoke he very sensibly thought better of everything, and fled home to Ireland for safety.

This was not to be though: Mandy had a homing beacon like bat sonar. She followed him and, for some absurd reason, he came back with her to Walford, where they ended up squatting and generally making nuisances of themselves. Aidan was reduced to begging and Mandy got attacked by ladies of the night: even prostitutes couldn’t stick Mandy Salter.

Walking Roly one day, the beloved dog breathed his last when he was hit by a car. It was Mandy’s fault, but the Square turned on the pair. Aidan got desperate and prepared to throw himself off a tower block. He would have succeeded too, if the producers hadn’t realised that the story was too upsetting for Christmas Day, and Mandy turned up at the last minute to save his life. Aidan survived, took one look at his saviour, the spell broke, and he left her before the year was out, leaving Mandy alone, sobbing and huddled on the Fowler sofa, on New Year’s Eve.

Michelle’s Nightmare 
Michelle had another bad year in 1993. Jack, a dalliance from the year before, had somehow got it into his head that he and Michelle Fowler were destined to be together. Seriously deluded this one was. He injured himself to get her attention, picked fights with protective Clyde and made vaguely threatening phone calls.

Michelle called in an unlikely ally: Phil Mitchell, who surprisingly helped her by getting in touch with Jack’s parents – it seems Jack had a history of this sort of thing. Soon after, Vicki went missing when Michelle went to pick up her from school, automatically putting Jack in the frame for her disappearance. Michelle was frantic as she faced every parent’s worst nightmare, pleading in a national police operation to bring her little girl home. In the end, Vicki had been picked up and taken care of by an elderly lady who was convinced the child was her granddaughter.

After all of this, a holiday was in order and off to Amsterdam Michelle went, with Mark to recharge. She was promptly arrested for being used as a drugs mule when she returned through customs. Only Michelle.

With Grant inside for a time, Phil and Sharon played at happy families. They were determined to make a go of it, but when Grant showed up out of prison, droopy eyed and apologetic, Sharon had second thoughts. Phil watched helplessly as Sharon kissed and made up her husband.

He soon moved on it seemed, first with a Romanian refugee named Nadia, who he slept with and decided to marry to get her a green card. He then started an affair with Kathy and the pair genuinely seemed to connect. Sharon and Grant ended the year like newly-weds, or at least, as close to it as those two ever got.

One Beale Exits, Two More Arrive… 
Former Walfordian Danny didn’t just make a play for Pauline. He also reintroduced Pete to an old flame named Rose Chapman. Pete was smitten until it was revealed that not only was Rose married, but Mr. Chapman was a notorious gangster who was currently detained at Her Majesty’s Pleasure. His sinister family warned Pete repeatedly: stay away or else.

When Rose was beaten by her hubby’s goons, Pete raced to the hospital. Some spark of chivalry returned to him and he bundled Rose out the hospital and into the night to start a new life together. When her husband died, Pauline reached out to her twin to welcome him home.

As Pete prepared to return, Kathy set her sights on another twisted menace: she was none too keen on Cindy and Ian being back together. Oh no, Cindy and Kathy were definitely sworn enemies now and forever, and Cindy threatened her mother-in-law: leave me alone or I take Steven and run.

Market inspector Richard Cole also had designs on Cindy. When Cindy discovered she was pregnant with twins, the smarmy Tricky Dicky made out to all and sundry that he was the father, despite never sleeping with the mum-to-be. Kathy was prepared to strike, but it turned out that Cindy had been loyal, the twins were Ian’s and there was much joy in December when Lucy and Peter were born.

The Other Stuff 
Pat spends six months in prison for the death of Stephanie Watson, the girl she killed the Christmas before. Janine returns to the Square. Hattie is left pregnant and alone by Steve. Nick literally gets away with Eddie’s murder! Sam leaves to work on the cruise ships. Nigel meets Debbie. Dot leaves with Nick for a new start and Carol Jackson and her family move into Albert Square…