The Year Was… 2003

The Second Time Around
Back on Albert Square and living a bachelor’s existence wasn’t so bad for Ricky Butcher. He ended up flat-sharing with ex-wife Sam and it was only a matter of time before their ‘no-sex’ rule turned into a frequent ‘friends with benefits’ package.

Over on the other side of the Square, Natalie could not find scores of passion in her marriage to Barry. Only a year in and they were falling apart, as he slobbered around the house, leaving her to care for baby Jack.

Even after almost a decade, the spark between Natalie and Ricky sizzled and it wasn’t long before they had slipped back in time and were hiding around the Square like teenagers. Of course, Pat overheard them at it and handed out some well-deserved slaps and some advice: stop it. Now.

Natalie eventually cracked under the pressure and, on the night of a surprise birthday party Barry had organised for her, she arranged for her and Ricky to flee with Jack together. Barry was mortified and threw himself in front of the departing car! After some more hysterics, Natalie realised she had to follow her heart: she loved Ricky. Janine waded in, spiteful as ever, let slip about Ricky and Sam’s arrangement and Natalie, fed up of the whole thing, left Albert Square alone.

Barry was devastated. He had lost his wife and son in one fell swoop. The worst was to come. Roy, enraged that Pat had known about the affair, suffered a heart attack, and before the end of the night he was dead as well! Barry blamed Pat for everything and threw her out with nothing. She had to start again, but as a result, she wasn’t around to protect Barry from the ultimate evil…

Barry and Janine: A Twisted Game
Having lost everything, Barry made a tempting target. Enter Janine, quick off the mark, who convinced him that losing his dad and his son wasn’t the end of the world: he had all that lovely money to spend. Preferably on her. She worked her evil magic, and before you could say ‘idiot’, Barry was convinced that she was his best friend in the world – and sealed his fate.

Janine was playing the long game. She did her best to ensure Pat didn’t get anything from Roy’s estate, got a job at the car lot, washing cars in skimpy clothes, no less and was actually living with him by May! Janine let him believe they could more than friends, even outright encouraged him. Paul Trueman, always on the dodge and looking for a gig, recognised both Janine’s looks and talent and she used him to treat an itch Barry couldn’t reach. That was fine though – she had done worse for less, Barry included. The pair planned to fleece him, but Barry got some bad news first: his heart was giving out, just like his father, and, believing he was dying, he proposed. She whole-heartedly concurred with this and set a date for the New Year, knowing that he wouldn’t be around that much longer, not the way she was feeding him. She walked up the aisle to him in the Scottish highlands, with lover Paul the grinning ‘best man’, waiting in the wings to console the bride. Unfortunately, a phone call from the doc confirmed her worst fears: Barry was going to be fine and she saw in the New Year dreading a lifetime of being Mrs. Barry Evans…

Baby Bobby Beale
When Laura had a drunken fumble before Ian threw her out, she was in such a state, she wasn’t even 100% sure who the father could be! It wasn’t a long list however and Laura found herself sharing a grotty bedsit with the bloke in question, run by Minty Peterson, an old mate of Phil’s with a rough edge, but a heart of gold. Her unexpected roommate: Garry Hobbs, thrown out by Lynne after Ian told the whole pub that he was the father of the baby.

Despite making it up with Lynne, Garry knew he had to stand by Laura and his unborn child and accompanied her when the tot was born: he even contributed the boy’s name, Bobby, after footballer Bobby Moore. But Bobby needed a blood transfusion at birth which revealed to Laura that Garry couldn’t be the father, but she kept the secret to herself, needing as much support as she could get.

She was also the sneaky type and her decision not to tell Garry had consequences. She waited until his marriage imploded again and this time found herself playing happy families with Garry. Garry couldn’t believe he was so popular, and by the end of the year he was providing sexual favours for both women.

Eventually Ian revealed the truth for her, leaving Garry devastated, but back with Lynne and it also had the intended consequence of leaving Laura single and alone again. His revenge complete, Ian left her to it, unaware of Laura’s next secret: Ian was indeed the child’s father…

Phil and the Honey Trap
Ian wasn’t the only bloke getting lied to and tricked in the Square in 2003. Phil was also on the receiving end of a sneaky partner: but this one was trained…

Kate Morton was placed in the hospital by DCI Marsden the night Jamie Mitchell passed away and approached Phil, offering a shoulder to cry on. Shortly after she turned on the charm and entered first a tentative friendship, followed by a smidge of romance. Phil couldn’t believe his luck. Peggy fell for her charms straight away, while Phil took her to meet Ben in South Africa and told her that he was falling in love.

Phil remained firmly in denial, not seeing what the rest of us could see so plainly: how could he manage to maintain a relationship with a woman like Kate, with brains, beauty and impeccable nails? Eventually the plan was set: she would go to Phil for the evening, trick him into confessing whatever he had done to the missing Lisa, and arrest him on the spot.

The were a few problems with this scenario: the first being that Lisa wasn’t actually dead. After tracking her down to Portugal, Phil gave us a flashback to their confrontation. After leading her to the edge of a cliff, he emotionally wrecked her, leading to her handing Louise over to him, convinced she was a bad mother and left, presumably hoping she would jump.

The second problem was Kate had genuinely fallen for Phil. Yes really! She exposed the wire, revealed the truth, scuppered Marsden’s long thought-out plan and found herself expelled from the force. It didn’t really bother her: she was more of a gangster’s moll anyway – and Phil escaped prison. For the time being at least…

The Long (and Longer) Courtship of Alfie and Kat
When Alfie Moon pretended to be a bloke called Chris that Peggy had hired to run the Vic in Sharon’s absence (Phil was minding her businesses), he was bound to get found out. His original plan to rob the takings backfired when his adorable Nana and his kid brother Spencer showed up, and, after finally telling Peggy, his ‘duchess’, the truth, was surprised to be allowed to stay in the Vic, rent free. At least until Sharon came home from her travels.

He was a breath of fresh air behind the bar, and soon offered a job to Kat Slater. She needed cheering up after miscarrying Doctor Anthony’s baby and he offered a platonic hand to hold. When she split with Anthony and took herself off to Spain for a break, Alfie confessed to his Nana that he didn’t just miss Kat’s presence: he had fallen completely head over heels for Kathleen Slater, warts and all.

Kat felt the same way and didn’t believe anyone could just love her for her and not the tramp she saw herself as. She played it cool as a cucumber until one night, after a large quantity of alcohol, she confessed her feelings to Alfie. Overcome with passion, Alfie slipped out to procure the contraceptive.

Every vending machine was empty, the Minute Mart closed. The tube shut down for the evening, he trekked to the nearest store, only to be caught up in a robbery while standing in the queue! He eventually got his hands on the vital packet, but got beaten up and then fell in a lake while trying to retrieve the latex treasure. He returned to the Vic, beaten, battered and bruised, but in possession of one, last condom at least – but Kat had helped herself to the booze and snored soundly on his bed.

The moment lost, Alfie lost his bottle and watched as Kat was taken away on holiday and romanced by the slimy Andy Hunter, a gangster wannabe who had taken an interest in the Square. He proposed marriage and Alfie, finally determined to get his girl, interrupted the wedding and risked life and limb to ask Kat to stop the service. Impressed, not least by the beating he took, Kat changed her plans, left Andy at the altar and agreed to marry Alfie at Christmas.

Despite the hiccup of being already married, Alfie just about sorted everything out in time, and with a snow machine outside on the Square, Kat become Mrs. Kat Moon on the one happy Christmas Walford ever had!

Den: Back from the Dead!
Sharon returned to Walford relatively happy. Pauline had come home one day to find an Americanised granddaughter Vicki rooting through the fridge. She’d argued with Michelle and eventually, after much sulking, it was agreed she could stay in Britain and she moved in with Sharon.

Vicki had been young when father Den died, so living with sister Sharon was perfect for her, as Vicki idolised the unknown man she only knew from stories. When she found out about an affair he had had with a woman named Paula she persuaded Sharon to track her down – only to find her dead and her son, also Den’s and also named Dennis, hand-cuffed to a prison guard at her funeral!

When Dennis was released, he decided to give his newly-discovered sisters a shot and moved to the Square, much to the delight of Sam, Kate, Kat and even Tracy, all of whom he bedded in short succession! Sharon enjoyed his company and the pair soon began to look at each other in more than a brother and his adopted sister kind of way.

Dennis also got involved with the Firm, or what the organisation was now, run by dangerous man Jack Dalton. Jack was a tough guy, who had Andy Hunter stationed on the Square, keeping an eye not just on Dennis, but on Kate, whom he knew to be an undercover copper who had stung him in the past. Dennis learned that Jack had ordered Den’s assassination in 1989 and, after telling him a secret he thought would protect him, Dennis shot Jack in cold blood.

Dennis wasted no time in investigating the elusive secret. He even questioned Den’s former mistress Jan, and she confirmed it. Dennis went to Sharon to tell her what he had learnt: Den Watts had faked his death and was still alive. Sharon didn’t believe a word and launched into a huge row with him – which they resolved by sleeping together.

This knocked Sharon and Dennis for six. They had both been holding their passion in for months. Loved up, Sharon went to meet a returning (and now un-American) Vicki at the club to welcome her home, but her sister had a surprise of her own: Sharon watched in disbelief as she heard the words “Hello Princess…” from the shadows and Den stood in front of her.

Stunned, she made sure he was real, and then ran off to be sick. She spent the next few hours listening to the only Dad she had ever known explain why he had stayed out of her life. It took her a while, but she calmed down, and Den announced his return to a stunned Square: Pat, Dot and Pauline were aghast. The united father and son bonded after a while and started working their way through Walford’s women at an alarming rate. There was another thing Den wanted: the Queen Vic, by now back in Mitchell hands. Peggy left for Portugal after Grant was involved in a minor car accident and Sam and Billy were no threat. No, Den had to prove he still had it: he had to get rid of Phil…

Exit: Phil
Marrying Kate in September, Phil’s nose was put out of joint big time as, when the bride threw the bouquet, it landed straight into the hands of a newly-returned Lisa Fowler, done up to the nine’s with a new look and new confidence. She agreed to work with Phil and arranged to see her daughter, and acted kindly towards everyone.

But it was all an act. Behind closed doors, Lisa was a wreck, drinking heavily and digging deep in her handbag for a hitman’s number. Naturally, once again, she decided that Phil had to die to stay out of her daughter’s life and hired the would-be assassin. Unfortunately her funds didn’t stretch to the £35,000 required for the job. Not remembering her notorious bad aim, Lisa lured Phil away to an abandoned railway tunnel and prepared to once again shoot Phil. Fortunately for Phil, Sharon had charged Den with stopping the hit. Phil left for his honeymoon unaware of how close he had come to death.

When he returned from his honeymoon, things around Walford had changed slightly. Den Watts had succeeded in rebuilding his empire, and slowly, but surely, was ruling the Square. Phil tried to cut him off, planting drugs in the club, which further angered Den. He offered Phil a part in a robbery he was planning and Phil agreed. Den, Dennis and Phil committed the crime and then Den cut off Phil’s escape: Marsden got her wish and Phil went behind bars. Lisa was given a truck load of cash and her precious Louise and left the Square, pleased as punch with her victory.

Phil escaped prison before Christmas and threatened Kate, who had left him when he was arrested and charged. He attacked Den in the club on Christmas Day, but Phil was out of practice. Den gave him enough money to run and, with Phil on the run and Peggy in Portugal helping Grant out, only Sam was left to hold the Mitchell Empire afloat.

Little Mo’s New Trauma
Poor Little Mo. She had been having a really good year. Her marriage to Billy was working and she was finally in a good place. By December, she was shining behind the bar of the Vic and was a hit with the punters, especially a frequent barfly named Graham Foster, who shared Mo’s love of crosswords.

One night after closing, Graham insisted on finishing his drink and friendly Mo let him while she locked up. He took advantage and savagely raped her right there in the bar. Mo, in complete shock, confided in Kate what had happened and when the truth came out, Graham was charged. But for Little Mo there would be further consequences from her most recent nightmare…

The Other Stuff
Martin serves six months in prison for manslaughter. When he is released, he acts the tough guy, growing cannabis in the allotment shed. Sonia spends most of the time trying to grieve, but her arguments with Martin about his behaviour lead to romance… It doesn’t help that big brother Mark, his meds failing and the end approaching, decides to leave Albert Square to spare his family the pain of his suffering. Robbie also says goodbye and leaves for India with Nita and Anish.