Jules Tavernier

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EastEnders character

Jules Tavernier
Portrayed by	Tommy Eytle
Duration	1990–1997
First appearance	5 July 1990
Last appearance	23 December 1997
Marital status	Widower
Occupation	Retired
Family	Celestine, Etta, Hattie, Lloyd, Clyde, Kofi, Gidea

Jules Tavernier was a fictional character in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. He was played by Tommy Eytle.

Jules was a serial lady-killer and there wasn't a woman in Walford that he didn't manage to charm with his outrageous flirting. He may have been getting on a bit, but he never let his age spoil his fun.

[edit] History

Jules was originally from Trinidad, but before his arrival in England he had been living in Jamaica. He came to England on holiday in 1968 and he stayed on to help look after his son's newborn child, so that his daughter-in-law could do her teacher training and then work part-time. His wife had died young, he'd never settled in Jamaica and so when his other grandchildren came along, he had a full time job helping the family and remained in England.

Jules arrived in Albert Square in July 1990 with the rest of the Tavernier family: son Celestine; daughter-in-law Etta and grandchildren Clyde, Hattie and Lloyd.

Jules was an instant hit with the 'senior' ladies of Walford, and he regularly flirted with Walford stallwarts Ethel Skinner and Dot Cotton, but Jules wasn't one to discriminate and he basically flirted with any female that happened to be in the vicinity. Jules was also a gambling man, and could often be seen playing cards with John Royle when he was visiting from Ireland.

Jules was an easy-going, jovial person and his main purpose in his early years was to give support to his family and offer 'pearls of wisdom' to anyone who sought advice. His son, Celestine was much more highly strung in comparrison, and his disciplinarian style of parenting often alientaed his children and so they regularly turned to Jules, who seemed to relate to them in a way Celestine couldn't.

Jules was so at home in Walford that he decided to stay behind when his son and daughter-in-law moved to Norwich in 1992, and Clyde and Hattie remained with him. Later that year Jules received an unannounced visit from Gidea Thompson, who was his granddaughter from an affair he'd had in his 20's. Although Jules hadn't known of Gidea's existence he soon bonded with his granddaughter, but was horrified when he found out that she and his grandson Clyde had embarked on a relationship (despite the fact that the were first cousins). Clyde ignored his grandfather's protests, however, and eventually moved back to Trinidad to be with Gidea.

Jules only had one enemy in Albert Square and that was Steve Elliot, who had broken Hattie's heart, which subsequently led to her miscarrying and leaving Walford in 1993. Jules never forgave Steve for the way he treated his grand-daughter and he resisted any attempts Steve made to apologise for his callous behaviour. However in 1994 Jules was the victim of a mugging and it was Steve who came to his rescue. In the wake of this Jules decided to forgive him for his past misdemeanors.

With all his family gone from Walford Jules was free to concentrate on the ladies of Walford once again. Both Nellie Ellis and Blossom Jackson lived with him at different stages, but although they flirted with him their relationships remained strictly platonic. In latter years he sparked up a friendship with local barber Felix Kawalski and the two would often be seen playing chess in The Vic. He had very few central storylines and was largely semi-regular in his latter years.

Jules remained in Albert Square up until 1997. Although he never had an on-screen exit it is believed that Jules is residing in sheltered accommodation away from the square. His last appearance was in December 1997.