Walford

Walford is a fictional borough of east London in the BBC soap opera EastEnders. It is the primary setting for the soap.

EastEnders is filmed at Borehamwood in Hertfordshire, towards the north-west of London. Much of the location work is filmed in nearby Watford. It has been suggested that Watford was chosen for much of the exterior scenes due to its close proximity and the town's name being so similar to Walford. Thus, any stray road signs or advertising boards which are accidentally filmed in the back of shots will appear to read Walford. Locations used in Watford include most interior and exterior church scenes of various churches, the snooker club, the County Court and Magistrates' Courts courtrooms, and the cemetery (where most of the deceased characters are interred).

The name Walford is both a street in Dalston where one of the series' creators, Tony Holland, lived and a blend of Walthamstow, where Holland was born, and Stratford.^[1] The suffix 'ford' is also found throughout East London, for example, South Woodford.^[2] Walford's London postcode district is E20 (real East London postcode districts only went up to E18^[3] until 2011, when E20 was introduced to serve the London 2012 Olympic Park^[4]). Walford's fictional tube station, Walford East, is located on the EastEnders tube map in the position normally occupied by the real Bromley-by-Bow tube station.^[5][6]

As part of 2010 Children In Need charity appeal, Walford became twinned with Weatherfield in a special programme uniting the two soaps EastEnders and Coronation Street called "East Street".

Places of interest

Albert Square

Albert Square, also known as 'The Square', is where the majority of the original characters and a large number of the current characters reside. In its fictional history, it was built towards the end of the Victorian era, and named after the then recently deceased Prince Albert, the husband of Queen Victoria. At the centre of the square is a garden, containing within it Arthur Fowler's bench, regularly known as 'The Bench of Tears', and one corner is taken up by The Queen Victoria Public House,^[7] named after Victoria. There is a B&B, owned by the Butchers, and later by Patrick Trueman and his wife Yolande Trueman. It is later run by Kim Fox (Tameka Empson) and becomes 'Kim's Palace'. It experienced a severe fire in late 2012 .^[7] On another corner of the square is a car lot, launched by Frank Butcher as Frank's Autos. It becomes Deals on Wheels when David Wicks (Michael French) works there, and when Max Branning (Jake Wood) takes over, it becomes Branning & Son, and then Branning Brothers. David later goes into business with Max and changes the name back to Deals On Wheels.^[7]

Bridge Street

Bridge Street Market

Bridge Street is the main street into Albert Square and is home to the Walford street market, which includes a fruit and vegetable stall originally run by Pete Beale, and has been managed by various members of the Beale family over the years, including Mark Fowler, Ian Beale and Peter Beale. The market stall is currently run by Martin Fowler, with assistance from Kathy Beale and an extra named Luke. The market sees many changes over EastEnders history, including a merger with the nearby Spring Lane market in 2014. In 2004, the residents celebrate 100 years of the market. The market is supervised by Tamwar Masood (Himesh Patel), after inspector Aleks Shirovs (Kristian Kiehling) is sacked for overcharging the market traders. Kush Kazemi, Donna Yates (Lisa Hammond), and Pam Coker (Lin Blakley) are amongst the market traders.

Bridge Street Café before its refurbishment in 2009.

Bridge Street also includes many shops and businesses, such as a mini-supermarket named Minute Mart (originally First 'til Last), which is managed by various people over the years including Patrick Trueman and his wife Yolande Trueman (Angela Wynter). It is currently run by Shabnam Masood (Rakhee Thakrar). There is also the Walford launderette which is owned by Mr Papadopoulos. The launderette is run by Dot Cotton (June Brown), alongside Pauline Fowler, until Pauline's death in 2006. Dot continues to run the launderette after her death, alongside various employees, including Cora Cross (Ann Mitchell).

Bridge Street Café is currently named Cindy's, but originally it was Al's Café run by Ali (Nejdet Salih) and Sue Osman (Sandy Ratcliff) The Osmans also ran a taxicab firm, OzCabs from the café. When Ian buys it, he names it Kathy's, after his mother. At one point, the café is named Laura's when it is owned by Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden), though Ian buys it back and changes the name back. The café undergoes a refurbishment in 2009 after it is destroyed by fire. Ian then runs it with his wife Jane Beale (Laurie Brett) until their divorce, when Jane becomes the sole owner, and Carol Jackson becomes the manager. Jane sells it to Phil, who buys it for his partner Shirley Carter (Linda Henry) calling it "Shirley's". Phil sells it back to Ian in 2012, who calls it "Mandy's", after his then fiancee Mandy Salter (Nicola Stapleton). Ian's daughter Lucy Beale (Hetti Bywater) later renames it "Cindy's" in 2012 after her mother Cindy Beale after Ian's mental breakdown and subsequent disappearance. Lucy then becomes the owner of the café when she demands Ian sign the businesses over to her, fearing a repercussion. Ian later tricks Lucy into selling it back to him. In 2014, the cafe is once again refurbished.

Turpin Road

Turpin Road is joined to Bridge Street and runs adjacent to the tube line that crosses the market. At the centre of Turpin Road is the war memorial for Walford, dedicated to soldiers who fought in the First and Second World Wars. There are many businesses found here, including a bookmaker, which was previously run by Pat Butcher (Pam St Clement) and Carol Jackson (Lindsey Coulson),^[7] and the local chip shop, Beale's Plaice, owned by Ian Beale since 1995, which is originally the Green Lantern Chinese.^[7]

There is also a nightclub called R&R, currently owned by Phil Mitchell (Steve McFadden). It takes its current name from its previous owners, Ronnie (Samantha Womack) and Roxy Mitchell (Rita Simons),^[7] who completely refurbished it on takeover in 2007. It is originally named The Market Cellar until George Palmer bought the club and renamed it the Cobra Club. Previous owners include Sharon Watts (Letitia Dean), Johnny Allen (Billy Murray), and Steve Owen (Martin Kemp).

In 2013, Janine Butcher (Charlie Brooks) goes into partnership with Ian Beale and together, they open a restaurant named Scarlett's (after Janine's daughter), at the location of Moon's Antique Emporium.^[7] Following Janine's arrest, Jane Beale buys her share of the restaurant. After Jane buys Janine's share it's refurbished again and renamed Beale's.^[7]

Another large business on Turpin Road is The Albert, an upmarket bar owned and run by Sharon Rickman and her husband Phil Mitchell, and then by Sharon and Vincent Hubbard. The venue is originally The Dagmar, a pub to rival The Queen Victoria, but after being burnt down in 1988, Ian turns it into his first restautant, The Meal Machine. It later becomes a discount store, and was a beauty salon for many years, with several different names, owned variously by Chrissie Watts, Tanya Branning, Roxy Mitchell and Sadie Young.^[7] The Albert is opened in 2014,^[7] and Sharon employs several others to work there, including Johnny Carter. Vincent briefly renames it to Pearl's Bar. Ronnie Mitchell later begins working there.

Janine Butcher's short lived Butcher's Joints, a property letting company which employed Lucy Beale, Billy Mitchell and Danny Pennant (Gary Lucy) between 2011 and 2014, was based on Turpin Road; the site is later purchased by Stan Carter (Timothy West) for his grandson Dean Wicks (Matt Di Angelo) for conversion to a salon.^[7] In 2014, Les Coker (Roger Sloman) and his wife Pam Coker move their funeral parlour, Coker & Sons Funerals, from their old premises to Turpin Road.^[7] Billy Mitchell works here.

Other businesses here include McKlunky's Restaurant and Takeaway, a fast-food chicken restaurant^[7] which employs Liam Butcher (James Forde); Hungry Hank, a restaurant; Ned's Computer Repairs; a tattoo parlour; On the Spot Cash, a pawnbroker; and a Polish delicatessen.^[7] A discount store called In for a Penny currently occupies the shop that was first seen as the Post Office, run by Zainab Masood (Nina Wadia), and later became Gilly's Massage Parlour.^[7] Turpin Road Pharmacy was previously Walford Videos, and then Mrs Patel's sari shop.^[7] There is also a Cancer Support Trust charity shop, where Cora Cross worked before she was unfairly dismissed and returned to the laundrette.

The name Turpin Road was chosen after the show's creators read that the East End was the haunt of notorious highwaymen, such as Dick Turpin.^[2]

George Street

The Argee Bhajee restaurant on George Street.

Giuseppe's restaurant, run by Rosa di Marco, is originally on George Street. It later becomes the Argee Bhajee, an Indian restaurant, run by the Masood family after they buy it in 2010. It is run by Zainab Masood, along with her son Tamwar and her husband Masood (Nitin Ganatra). However, they lose the business to debt collectors due to unpaid bills. As of February 2015 the restaurant is still unoccupied.

There is also Walford East tube station,^[7] which first appeared in late 1985 when Lou Beale collapsed outside it, and was then aided by Sue Osman, who had just left the station, and Nick Cotton, who was nearby. On maps seen inside the station it replaces Bromley-by-Bow on the District line, but the building is in the style of those designed by Leslie Green, even though his work only appears on the Bakerloo, Northern, and Piccadilly lines.^[8] The train sound was first heard in 1987 and the train's first appearance was in 1988 at Lou Beale's funeral. Trains did not appear again until 4 February 2010, when CGI was used in the show for the first time.^[9] Platforms within the station were first seen in 2011 when Charlie Slater (Derek Martin) left Walford.

Next to the station are the Brewery Apartments, described as "swanky flats".^[7] There is also King George House, a bed and breakfast establishment on George Street where many characters have stayed.^[7] The square's public toilets can also be found here. In 2014, Ronnie Mitchell runs over Lola Pearce (Danielle Harold) outside No. 89, causing Ronnie to have flashbacks to Danielle's death, which she witnessed and came soon after the revelation that Danielle was her secret daughter.

A row of Georgian houses converted to flats is sometimes featured. Stacey Branning (Lacey Turner) rents one, and Billy Mitchell lives next door with his granddaughter Lola Pearce.

Turpin Way

Turpin Way includes the local garage, Mitchell's Autos (informally known as The Arches) (previously Branning's Auto's), which is bought by the Mitchell brothers when they first arrive in Walford. Phil Mitchell continues to own the garage, and employs Jay Brown (Jamie Borthwick) and Ben Mitchell (Harry Reid). Believing Phil to be responsible for the death of Emma Summerhayes, Max Branning tricks Ben Mitchell into signing over The Arches to him, which he renames "Branning's Autos". But Phil and Karin Smart trick Max into signing it back over to Phil.

There is also a community centre^[7] (briefly a gym), where during school holidays a playgroup is run for the children of Walford by Ava Hartman (Clare Perkins) and Whitney Dean (Shona McGarty), until Ava leaves the square and Whitney runs it with her replacement. Between the community centre and the Arches is a playground.

In 2011, Michael Moon (Steve John Shepherd) and Jack Branning (Scott Maslen) open a gym named Basher Branning's, named after Jack's father, Jim Branning (John Bardon). When Michael is killed by his wife Janine Butcher, his 50% share is left to her but she sells it to Jack. When Jack leaves the square, his ex-wife Ronnie Mitchell buys and begins running the business.^[7]

Victoria Square

Victoria Square is home to a number of bedsits that are considered to be low-class. These are usually used when characters find themselves homeless. Ian Beale owns a property here that he lets out. Walford's police station is also found here, in close proximity to the square so residents have easy access to it when reporting a crime.

Walford Towers

Walford Towers is a tower block of flats where various characters in EastEnders have lived over the years. Walford Towers can be seen from Albert Square (a real block of flats in Borehamwood called Canterbury House), though closer exterior shots of the building have used a variety of different towers through the years.

Pete, Kathy (Gillian Taylforth) and Ian Beale lived in a flat in Walford Towers in 1985. Carol, Alan (Howard Anthony), Bianca, Robbie, Sonia (Natalie Cassidy), and Billie Jackson (Devon Anderson) lived there before moving to Albert Square in 1994. Billy and Honey Mitchell (Emma Barton) moved with their children to a flat in Walford Towers in 2008 after a period of homelessness.

Spring Lane

Spring Lane is a street close to Bridge Street. It is mainly mentioned in 2014, when the Walford council are considering closing Bridge Street market, and combining it with Spring Lane market. After the residents of Bridge Street begin a campaign against the council, they decide to combine Spring Lane market with Bridge Street market, infuriating Donna Yates, who is forced to move her trading to Spring Lane. Pam Coker moves her flower stall to Bridge Street Market also.

Kingsley Road

Kingsley Road, Walford, is the location of St Joseph's Church, where Lucy Beale's funeral takes place in 2014.^[10]

High Street

Walford's High Street is often mentioned by characters, who usually go there to buy items not available in the shops featured. The High Street was shown for the first time on 2 August 2013 with scenes featuring Whitney Dean and Kat Moon.

Daisy Lane

Daisy Lane is a pathway near to Walford police station, which was named after the daughter of Series Designer Steven Keogh.^[2] It runs between 41 & 43 Albert Square, from Victoria Square to Albert Square.

See also

• List of fictional railway stations
• List of fictional rapid transit stations
• List of London Underground-related fiction

References

Bibliography

External links

• BBC map of Walford
• Underground EastEnders Information on Walford East