The Year Was… 2006

The Geek and His Girl
There was no way anyone could have foreseen that wild child Stacey would be swept off her feet by Bradley Branning, Jim’s grandson, who was more at home on the TARDIS than on Planet Earth. But fall she did. After he had been accused of spiking her drink (the culprit was Deano Wicks), the pair developed a wind-each-other-up courtship that turned out to be the exact thing that Stacey Slater needed. However, their fairy-tale romance came crashing down when Stacey discovered she was pregnant.

Stacey was unsure about the pregnancy in the first place, but Bradley had bigger demons: his father Max, had been a serial-adulterer who had walked out on Bradley and his mum Rachel – and married his mistress Tanya and had two more children, Abi and Lauren, who all followed and made their home in Walford. Bradley was determined not to be a bad father, but was unsure whether he was able and managed to talk Stacey into an abortion. She was clearly conflicted and ultimately the decision ripped the couple apart. Stacey then shared a kiss with Max – which started a chain of events that would change their lives forever.

Devastating Loss
The year did not start well for Jane Collins: her husband Dave had passed away and she felt guilty about her growing attraction to Ian. But he proposed and she accepted, having actually fallen for the money-mad schemer. She moved in with the Beales and become mother to Peter, Lucy and Bobby, a fate that normally would have had viewers praying for her safety. Despite the ‘wicked stepmother’ moments Lucy threw at her, Jane was accepted with open arms, which is a good thing as in February she had a phone call that would change Walford.

Kathy and her husband Gavin Sullivan had had a car accident in South Africa. Ben had emerged unscathed, thankfully, but Gavin and Kathy had been killed instantly. Ian was horrified but he only made things worse when he threw himself to Ben’s defence, declaring he would be living with him, which predictably wound Phil up.

Phil didn’t know the sweet, gentle boy Ben had become. There was an inherent weakness in Ben in Phil’s eyes and he tried his best to toughen the lad up, not realising he had the wrong approach and was pushing his son away. Jane did not help this, as Grant had returned to the Square and within weeks of moving her microwave (not a euphemism) they were throwing things off the desk in Scarlets and getting down. After his wife Carla arrived, clearly a money-grabber, Grant pushed her away in a wheelbarrow, dumped her and left for Portugal. He would return, but it wouldn’t be a long while and for a very sad reason…

Jane, on the other hand, walked away scot-free – well, unless you count the fact that Ian knew about Grant. He waited until their wedding day to humiliate her in front of the residents and a slanging match began between Jane and Ian, in full wedding attire, in pouring rain. Covered in mud, but honest and defiant, the pair eventually got up and reconciled, married at last.

If you go down to the woods today…
Johnny Allen had gotten out of dodge by moving him and Ruby to the country, but his reign of ruling Walford was about to come to an end. Phil promised Sharon when she left Albert Square for America that he would avenge Dennis. She left, gave birth to Dennis Jr abroad and there Sharon would stay until 2012.

Phil had tracked down Johnny and enlisted brother Grant to not only return to Walford, but effectively tricked him into going for a road trip that conveniently led to Johnny’s mansion estate. Ruby watched on CCTV as the Mitchell’s blazed into the manse, coming face to face with Ruby and a deliriously-obsessed Danny Moon! On his phone, the evidence: he had stabbed Dennis under Johnny’s orders. With Johnny delusional, locked in his own panic room, Danny led Grant and Phil at gunpoint into the woods and told them to dig their own graves. Once done, they kneeled and Danny cocked the gun and a shot rang out. Phil opened his eyes to find Grant alive and Danny dead, Jake Moon having arrived thanks to Ruby and stunned to the spot, having killed his own brother to protect the Mitchells.

Johnny went to prison and Ruby returned to Walford to spend some time with best mate Stacey, her father never far from her thoughts. Johnny would die of a heart attack later in the year, after asking his cellmate to call Jake, but his cellmate had misheard. Jake was soon escorted out of the Square by a pair of sinister looking hitmen…

Honey and Billy’s Hardest Test
Billy and Honey were on cloud nine. Hopelessly in love, it was easy to believe that they were made for each other. In the January, there was much rejoicing from Billy, but less rejoicing from Honey and her father Jack, when she discovered she was pregnant. Honey’s mother had died in child birth and Honey had always blamed herself for that. Jack tried to convince Honey it wasn’t safe, but Honey eventually saw sense and had herself checked out by doctors so the same wouldn’t happen and she had furious words with her father.
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In June they prepared to tie the knot. It was interrupted when Honey came down with terrible food-poisoning and the date was postponed. In July they tried again, but shenanigans at Billy’s stag do left him too late. The third attempt was successful – only just though, as Janet decided now was the time she wanted into the world.

The baby was named Janet, after Honey’s mother, but it was soon revealed that Janet had Down’s Syndrome. Honey couldn’t handle it, changing the baby’s name to Petal and was adamant in having the baby adopted. Billy objected, but she couldn’t see sense. She even nearly smothered the little one in her crib while having a manic episode! Eventually, the day of the baby’s Christening, the vicar called for Petal’s Godparents, to which Honey replied, accepting at last: her name is Janet.

The Foxes and The Wicks
Deano Wicks turned up on Pat Evans door step on New Year’s Day and lied through his teeth to get through the door. A cousin something-removed of Pat’s ex-husband Brian, he turned up expecting his auntie Pat to let him crash. He was going through a tough time (in between spiking ladies’ drinks and stealing cash) since the death of his dad Kevin. Pat gave him the family quiz (which, apparently, is flicking through a photo album and getting a point for who you recognise) and took pity on the young lad, taking him in. She was rather surprised when not only his sister Carly turned up, divorcing her husband, but also his supposedly dead dad Kevin! Pat, suddenly, had a family around her. And she didn’t object at all.

Denise Fox followed later in the year, bringing her daughters Chelsea and Libby, nicknamed Squiggle by her family, to the Square. But Denise was running, in particular from her ex husband Owen, who had a violent temper in drink. Denise let him in when he came calling wanting to see Libby (his daughter; Chelsea’s was someone far worse than Owen). Kevin had charmed Denise earlier in the year and the pair had started a tentative romance. When Owen kidnapped Libby and nearly drowned her, he was arrested and the Fox-Wicks clan came together in relief. But Owen would be back soon and he would fall victim to someone far worse….

Big Brother
One person who did object to family hovering around was Stacey. Having broke up with Bradley and having a passionate affair with his father Max, Stacey was dismayed when long-lost brother Sean turned up on the Square. Ex-Army, he had clearly gone through some stuff, but Sean, rather than deal with his own issues, liked to pick on people smaller than him. He bullied his way past Mickey, moved in with Gus and made his life hell, and made enemies of Chelsea and Deano when he used them and spat them out. He even dated Ruby in order to get his hands on her inheritance, but came afoul of Jake Moon.

Jake, having lost his family, killed his brother and dumped by Chrissie, had anointed himself erstwhile executor of Johnny Allen’s estate and aided Ruby in her grieve for her dad. When Sean treated her terribly, she realised that there was more of his mother in him than his sister, especially after he threw her dad’s ashes to the ground. She left the Square and Sean just shrugged and moved on, watching Stacey and Max’s every move.

Yeah, Man!
Pat was fed up of dealing with her newfound family. She needed something to entertain herself with. When the Truemans, new managers of the Minute Mart, decided to try something new and expand to the car lot, they were excited. That was all well and good for Yolande, but Patrick was hopeless at sums and hired Pat, experienced in more than one way, to help balance the books. Pat graciously accepted: it got her away from the drama.

She managed to seduce the Trinidad Talker and they started having nights of passion all over the Square. Yolande eventually was told and an almighty slapping competition took place in the Vic. Patrick and Yolande reunited, but a vicious feud with Pat had begun…

The Final Months of Pauline Fowler
The year did not start well for Pauline. Martin and Sonia would not follow her outdated way of living, and frequently didn’t show up for tea and supper every afternoon. This was not what Pauline was accustomed too. Little Rebecca was with her adoptive grandmother, and would stay there, despite Pauline’s interference. When Sonia began spending more time with her nursing student friends instead of Martin, she sparked the imagination of Naomi Julien. A fellow nurse, Naomi and Sonia eventually fell into a mutual attraction and were caught at it by Martin, who was more than a little humiliated.

Pauline’s tolerance for Sonia turned to down-right hatred. She was mildly distracted by the arrival of Joe Macer, who, after much persuading, had Pauline agreeing to marriage. Keeping the Fowler name, Pauline married Joe, but events would spiral out of control. He was a habitual liar for a start.

When Sonia ditched Naomi and got back together with Martin, Pauline decided it was ultimatum time: Sonia or her. Martin picked Sonia and Pauline, desperate to hold on to her only child left, lied about having a brain tumour. When this was discovered to be a lie, the Square turned their back on Pauline Fowler, with Sonia giving her a good wallop and a reality check for good measure. Pauline decided to make it up to everyone and trundled out onto the Square into the snow to reunite with her family in the Vic. She didn’t get far – she passed out unconscious next to her beloved Arthur’s bench and her body was discovered moments later by a distraught Martin.

The Other Stuff
Bert Atkinson arrives in the Square, an old mate of Joe’s. He is later reunited with his cheeky grandson Jay Brown. Dawn meets Rob Minter at an event and has an affair with him, not knowing that he’s married to the new Doctor on the Square, May Wright. Rosie breaks up the Miller family, leaving Keith and taking Demi with her when she accepts a new job in the Cotswolds.